Literary Asylum

Let's BE Heroes

2012-01-27T09:38:00.000-08:00

This video needs very few words. Please watch. Join the cause - here.

Thank you.

Book trailer of the week - Fourth Stall Pt. 2

2012-01-09T16:34:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited about this book and what's in store. I'm reading it now and so far it is a lot of fun. If you haven't read the first one, check it out! Until then, enjoy my book trailer pick of the week.

A case of the yuckies...

2012-01-06T14:17:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to blog since my last awesome posting with Jon Scieszka but I have been stricken with a case of the yuckies for weeks. The entire family is down for the count right now and we are doing our best to battle through. I hope everyone is having a much better start to the New Year. I shall return soon with interesting posts... I hope. I've been wanting to bring some new things to the blog to make it a bit snappier if you will. Until then, stay sick-free and keep on truckin.

This is how I feel.

Scieszka gives us a THRILLING conclusion

2011-12-19T10:28:00.000-08:00

Do I really need to introduce the creator of The Stinky Cheese Man or the wizard behind the Guys Read series? Should I even bother to mention he was recently the ambassador of children's literature? IF none of those things mean anything to you, well, maybe you can go read a blog about pickles or chicken farming then. OR you can stay here and enjoy the treat we have in store for you. Thanks to my cohort and friend Kellie Celia over at Walden Pond Press we are bringing the GUYS READ: THRILLER celebration to an end with a bang. Don't be sad, you can still reread the interviews, the book, and practice scaring yourself and others throughout the year. AND you can check out the winning entry from our thrilling contest in the Winter issue of Underneath the Juniper Tree here.

I'll just stop myself now from rambling on for a millenia and give a huge Wayne's World welcome to Mr. Jon Scieszka.

Can you tell me how the GR: Thriller project evolved and why you chose the writers you did?

Jon Scieszka: THRILLER is Volume 2 of a bigger Guys Read project called the GUYS READ LIBRARY OF GREAT READING. http://www.guysread.com/library/ (Volume 1 was FUNNY BUSINESS.) And the big idea is to produce an entire 5 or 6 volume library of original short story collections, grouped by genre. For each volume we ask a combination of great writers already proven in that genre, an up and coming writer or two, and the fun curve ball of someone you might not expect in the genre. The purpose of the library is, just like the purpose of the GUYS READ initiative, to motivate boys to be readers by giving them stories that inspire them to want to read. I wanted to give every teacher, librarian and parent a perfect answer to that question, "What can I do to get my guy interested in reading?" And the answer is, "Check out this GUYS READ LIBRARY set. Ten funny short stories, ten thriller stories, ten sports stories... You will be able to find something to like in here."

You were an editor on the book. Can you talk to us about wearing the "editor pants" and how was it collaborating with some of the biggest names in children's lit?

JS: Wearing the editor pants is weird. They don't fit me very well. I'm much more comfortable in the writer pants. But I am fortunate to be working with an incredibly smart and passionate and razor-sharp editor at Harper/Walden Pond Press named Jordan Brown. It has been a wonderful eye-opener for me to watch and learn from Jordan how to find the best part of a story and how to help the writer bring it out. Working with the amazing writers who have contributed has confirmed my belief that the children's book world has a mind-boggling range of all different kinds of great writers. Working as an editor has also given me a whole new respect for that tough job. And helped me realize that my deadline-dodging excuses are woefully obvious.

Why do you think young readers are attracted to dark stories? Was this something you liked or read growing up?

JS: Thrillers and mysteries are the ultimate compelling narratives. There is a problem to solve. You have to keep reading to solve the mystery. And if there is something scary, creepy, or dangerous... all the better. Growing up, I liked the classic old spooky campfire tales, everything by Edgar Allan Poe, and the wonderfully creepy/disgusting Tales From the Crypt comics.

GR: Thriller screams out to boy readers. How has the reception to the book been so far? Are girl readers coming to the book?

JS: Readers are just loving both the Funny Business volume and the Thriller volume. I've heard from kids, teachers, parents, booksellers . . . and everyone has found something they really like. And I think that is because our mission has been to reach our great boy readers as well as our more reluctant readers. Girls have likewise enjoyed both the humor and the mystery. We never exclude girls. And that's great. But we are focused on our goal to connect with guy readers. I can't wait to get even more of the Volumes out there. Because then the set will really start looking like a proper library. We are working on GUYS READ: SPORTS right now. And it is a beauty.

Can't wait! I'm looking forward to Guys Read: Facemelters (okay, that's not really one of the volumes. However, if Mr. Scieszka likes that we can talk later. Wink wink - something in my eye.)

Outside of GR:Thriller, what is the best scary/thrilling book for young readers? Why?

JS: One of my favorites from when I was teaching is still one of my favorites to recommend today -- the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz. It's a great collection of spooky, gross, sometimes funny, sometimes shocking tales. The original editions with gorgeously weird illustrations by Stephen Gammel are the best.

I LOVE Scary Stories. These are perfect reading for anytime of the year, not just Halloween kids. As the year comes to an end, I can't think of a better interview to wrap it up with. Many many thank yous to all the GR:T authors who visited the Asylum and of course many ginormous thank yous to Kellie at Walden. They have truly become one of my favorite publishers out there because of the quality stories they constantly put out. It has been an extremely pleasure to work with her this year and I look forward to many more ahead.

AND of course, my Wayne's World "I'm not worthy" thank you to Mr. Jon Scieszka for taking time out of his crazy schedule to hang out here.

Happy Holidays everyone! Happy New Year! Keep reading, writing and most of all keep it THRILLING!!

THANK YOU

2011-11-22T12:27:00.001-08:00

It's funny how life sweeps you up and carries you away in its tide. It's also funny how you sometimes get anxious thinking about how you haven't posted anything to the blog in weeks but then realize that you are a dry lake of ideas.

But then you realize that your creative story muse has been on fire and ideas are spilling over and you can't write them down fast enough. The ideas are hammering you left and right and you can't decide what to do or which one to write first! Well, I'm happy to say I'm working on it - boy oh boy - am I working on it. You can ask my agent - because I am bugging her all the time with my ramblings of ideas.

Wow, I got off track there... let's get the train back on the rails. Okay, ahem, test test...

As turkey day approaches faster than a greased butterball on ice skates (see what I did there?) it has made me think a great deal about all the things that I am thankful for.

More than anything I am grateful for my amazing wife and two beautiful kids. They are my life and inspiration. They give me the strength everyday to work hard at being the best husband and father I can be. They are my sunshine and my moon and everything in between.

I am grateful for my parents and their constant support and cheer leading. When I first came to Los Angeles I think it was a scary ordeal for them - always wondering if I would be okay and if this business would chew me up and spit me out. So far, only a few good sized dings to the armor and a high percentage of my mental well-being still intact.

I'm grateful for my agent Bree Ogden who is not just my agent but my friend. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful teammate and guardian. We have been in the trenches for over year now and I look forward to the many years ahead.

I'm grateful for all the amazing friends and cohorts that I have made since diving head first into the kiddie-lit pool (the best career decision I could have ever made). I feel like this is going to be like an Oscar speech but I have to shout out to these amazing people for whom I would not be as inspired, as motivated, as geeky, or humbled without them.

Liesa Abrams

Lisa Yee

Tom Angleberger

Kellie Celia

Alan Silberberg

Rebekah Joy Plett

Virginia Grenier

Mary Cunningham

James Riley

Siike Donnelly

Jason Smith

Jonathan Auxier

And OF COURSE all of you that read this blog and visit me from time to time. I am honored. I could go on for days about all the amazing bloggers and authors that I have had the privilege of speaking with but I think my adoration for them is apparent my postings.

I wish each and every one of you a wonderful holiday and the hope of something to be grateful for everyday.

Forgotten Letters from the Underworld

2011-11-09T10:36:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited to announce a new project/series that the incredibly talented artist M. Stagi and I are working on for my favorite children's literature magazine Underneath the Juniper Tree. The series is called Forgotten Letters from the Underworld.

The first letter of the series BARNYCLES can be read over at the site here.

I hope you enjoy reading them as much as we enjoy creating them. We hope to keep them going for a long time to come. I want to give a huge THANK YOU to Tex and Marjorie Merle over at UTJT for all their guidance and love. And especially for helping a little dream come true.

Jarrett Krosoczka serves up the PUDDING

2011-11-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

I love our next guest. He's a returning guest and all round awesome dude. I've had the pleasure of talking to him on a few occasions (book fairs) and our daughters share the same name - which already tells you how cool we are (laughs at own comment). But seriously, if you are involved in the world of children's literature or comics then you know about Jarrett Krosoczka. If you are wadding in the kiddie-lit pool and don't know who he is... (shakes head), I can't help you.

When I read that he was contributing to the GUYS READ: THRILLER book I was more amped than a stack of Marshalls at a Punk Farm gig. If you don't know Punk Farm... (shakes head again), I seriously cannot help you.

With lots of help from Kellie at Walden Pond Press, we were able to pin Jarrett down for a few minutes during his whirlwind of a schedule and ask him a few questions about his involvement with the GR: T project. This is what he had to say for himself...

Can you talk to me about your involvement with GR: Thriller and how it came about?

Jon Scieszka invited me to create a piece for Guys Read: Thriller, and well I owe him a lot of money from off-track betting. Just kidding. My debts have been paid. I had the great opportunity of creating a piece for Guys Write for Guys Read way back in 2004, so I was delighted when Jon asked me to be a part of the Guys Read Library series.

Was it is decided that you would tell your story in comic form from the start or was there ever talk of writing in prose?

Right from the start. I was brought on to create a graphic piece for the book. Kind of like how in Oceans 11, George Clooney hired Casey Affleck to help with the heist.

In your opinion, what makes a thrilling story? What keeps readers glued to the page?

With a graphic novel, its all about the page turn. The bottom right hand side of every spread is an opportunity to crate a mini cliffhanger. It can be a moment as small as a character putting their hand on the doorknob and turning the page to learn whats on the other side of that door or a much bigger moment, like introducing the villain and turning the page to reveal he is attacking!

What scares you the most? Does this ever influence your writing?

My mortgage scares me the most, so that keeps me motivated. Kidding, again. (Sort of.) I don’t allow fear to motivate me. I write in the search of awesomeness.

Don't be scared kids.

Do you think these kinds of stories important to have in literature? Why?

Most definitely. Every reader will connect with a different genre and its important to have work available for all readers.

Did you read thrilling/scary stories growing up? If so, what were some of your favorite stories/authors?

Bunnicula was one of my favorite books from childhood. A vampire bunny? Terrifying! And in high school, I animated Stephen King’s Misery for English class.

Bunnicula was pretty scary. I remember the time I saw the killer bunny rabbit in Monty Python, I was then convinced that vampire bunnies existed. That's how they get you. Cute little bunny wunny.... HISSSSS.... CHOMP!!!

Jarrett, you are one righteous dude. Thank you again for all your time and returning to the Asylum to hang out. Kellie, as I've said on many occasions, you are awesomesauce - no - the entire factory of awesomesauce.

Stay tuned for more thrills and chills and killer bunnies!

A THRILLING Win!

2011-11-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

Break out the leftover Halloween candy!! The judges have settled on a winner for the GUYS READ: THRILLER contest.

First of all let me apologize for the delay. Unfortunately I had a death in the family of someone who was very dear to me. It has been a trying week with many other things piled on (being sick as well) and it has taken a great amount of energy to get back into blogging.

But let this be a celebration of writing and life and all things thrilling. And before we announce the winner and let you read it below - we wanted to chime in on WHY it was chosen. There were many entries for this contest and many of them were well thought out but in the end they missed a key element that would take it to another level.

Let's get down to the nitty gritty. Our fearless writer accomplished many things in a few short sentences. At first read you think you know what is going on. But then we are steered somewhere completely different which is refreshing and fun. The opening is left with a cliffhanger - always a great aspect to thrilling writing - and really made us want to read more. Another aspect to this top pick, it sets up a story in a few short lines. We are getting story, thrills, creeps, and a cliffhanger. And most of all, it was not typical. What we get at the end of the few lines is something we are not reading in every short story or book coming out right now. There are no zombies, vampires, ghosts, etc.

However, there were some great entries that did have zombies, vamps, ghosts and otherworldly beings, but they didn't really change the game or leave us with a sense that there was more to the story than a shocking opening.

This leads me to a discussion I had with one of the judges about the term THRILLER. For many of the entries, the term meant straight up horror. Blood, scares and monsters. We feel thrillers are more or less a story that keeps you on edge, something that has a ticking clock, a story that is not necessarily horrifying but something that keeps you turning the page or not wanting to turn the page in fear of what will happen to the main character. Yes, many of these elements are part of horror writing. But with horror writing there is a greater sense of dread, doom and gloom. Thrillers aren't always doom and gloom. A bank robbing scene is thrilling but not necessarily horrifying. Being chased by a horde of flesh-eating zombies is both thrilling and horrifying and we would put that in the horror cataGOREy (see what we did there?)

Okay, okay... without further adieu we are pleased to announce and quiet shocked to be honest that our winner is a well known published author. Before you scream UNFAIR, let me tell you that all entries given to the judges were anonymous. Because, yes, we all know that a name author could sway judging. However, I can tell you right now, the judges were stunned that said author even had time to enter but were stoked at the entry.

Walden Pond Press, Underneath the Juniper Tree and Literary Asylum are completely elated to announce... wait for it....

TOM ANGLEBERGER

Author of The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, Darth Paper Strikes Back, Horton Halfpott: Or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Losening of M'Lady Luggertuck Corset, and many other fabulous books is our winner!

AND here be the few short lines that captured our imagination.

The man in the sewers sent a message with his mind. "Return to me my pets! You've slaked your hunger up above... now return to me!"

Hours later they began to arrive. First one, then two, then dozens and dozens. Knee deep in the swarming mass, the man welcomed them with gentle hands.

"Ah, my lovely tapeworms. You've grown long and fat.... now... tell me the secrets you've learned."

I don't know about you, but I want to read more and I am grossed out a bit. At first I thought it was rats, but when I got to tapeworms I was all giddy. What's going on in this story, where is it going to take us, what happened before we got to this point? Many answers await us.

We want to THANK everyone for their entries, their hard work, spreading the word and having a good time with the contest. Keep writing, keep thrilling, and stay away from tapeworms... just sayin.

Head of the tapeworm... ewwww

Stay tuned for more THRILLER interviews and if you haven't had a chance to read GR:T yet... what are you waiting for!!?

Thriller Contest Judging and NOSFERATU!

2011-10-21T11:28:00.000-07:00

Boys Will Be Boys

We wanted to let everyone know that the next round of judging is happening and we will be announcing a winner soon. There were some excellent entries and of course it always makes it very difficult to choose just one. Stay tuned!

Until then, please enjoy this screening of NOSFERATU.

Patrick Carman Has Ghostly Visions

2011-10-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

When Kellie Celia at Walden Pond Press asked if I wanted to speak with Patrick Carman to continue our GUYS READ:THRILLER celebration I had to keep myself from being a bit of a slobbering fan boy and answer with a calm yes. Well, when I made my first call to Mr. Carman I stumbled over my tongue and started speaking bocce (an interplanetary trade language comprising parts of multiple languages. It was created by the Baobab Merchant Fleet to allow communication between starcraft pilots, crews, and support personnel of various species.).

We decided to set up a second call for the interview a day later (mostly because our timing was off, not because he wanted to call the authorities about the raving lunatic speaking to him on the other end of the line). Mr. Carman was very gracious to speak with me about his story Ghost Vision Glasses, the craft of writing and a shared love of weird mail order gadgets. This is how it all went down...

What brought you to the Guys Read: Thriller project?

Patrick: I'm fishing buddies with Jon (Scieszka, writer and editor extraordinaire). He's not very good, he's kind of a hack actually (laughs). I've been with friends with Jon for awhile and when he asked if I would write a weird little story, I said sure. From there he let me off the leash and do my story with very little editing involved.

A lot of your books lean to darker themes. Why did you choose to write suspense/thrillers? Were you influenced by these types of stories?

Patrick: The kind of stuff I grew up on was the creature features. Creature from the Black Lagoon, Twilight Zone, etc. They were softer creepy stories, weird stories, that are not as scary and graphic as the movies and stories are today. The movies today would have terrified me as an 11 year old viewer.

I agree. Movies like Saw and Hostel would have put me into therapy...

Patrick: I know. Those older stories were great escapism, thrilling stories that took you to different worlds that I could enjoy from the safety of my own room. Those kind of stories were an influence to what I create today.

I prefer the classics myself. Why do you think young readers are drawn to these types of stories?

Patrick: Weird things are universal and I think that everyone can relate to these kind of stories on some level. It's another form of escapism much like Willy Wonka or the Narnia books where the kid isn't exactly in charge but they have to navigate through that world. They deal with the dark elements. In my first book The Dark Hills Divide it was about a kid lost in an adult world, where they had to sneak around and figure out their role within it. I don't think young readers necessarily want to push out adults in stories but they want to escape into something, a new world, some place that they wouldn't go to in normal life.

Yes! my daughter's creativity grows from reading. She makes up parts to the stories that we read. She develops a sense of wonder and is starting to create her own stories.

I agree with you that Stephen King On Writing is one of the best books for writing. If there was a Patrick Carman On Writing book, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Patrick: The longer I do this the more I find that it is the simple art of telling a story. As kids get older I feel like they do less reading and story telling. A fabulous way to get better at writing is to torture your friends by reading them your stories and getting their feedback. If they tune out or get bored at certain parts then you know you need to change those sections. The toolbox for writing is there - you need a pencil or a pen and some paper. People can be writers, you practice for ten years and three hours a day and you will be a writer. The thing that separates those with a knowledge of craft and storytelling are the ones that can tell a great story. You can practice and be good at constructing a sentence, putting word after word, but at the end of the day it boils down to - can you tell a good story.

This is wonderful advice. I believe that everyone has a voice, they have to learn how to bring it out.

Patrick: Right, kids are great at telling stories at age 10,11, 12, but they are not necessarily great at writing them down.

Most of your books are multi-platform, which is a lot of fun, is this a component you consider before launching into a new story? Why do you think this is an important aspect to have with your books?

Patrick: Yes, those stories are predetermined. I know going in how they will be put together. But I want to stress a very important point. No amount of tech wizardry can save a bad story. The story must be good before you add the bells and whistles to it. In the Skeleton Creek books one of the characters, Ryan, loves to write scary stories and tell them but didn't want to be IN them. The book is about how opposites attract. The girl, Sarah, wants to tell scary stories but doesn't really want to write them, read them, sit in a room and tell them, she wants to be in them - right in the heart of them. So she uses her talent of video taping them. It becomes a who can tell the story better from a writing stand point or a film making standpoint. In the end they come together to appreciate each others talent and tell a great scary story.

These videos and audio elements are all created by a group of five talented people that I work with here in Walla Walla, WA - which is a small town but it is full of creative people. We are like our own little movie studio. A director shoots them, we have a web designer, an audio guy, etc. It is all put together by us.

How involved are the publishers?

Patrick: The publishers haven't really been involved with these elements. We have long leash with them on what we create here. They would certainly be welcomed to any creative input but I think they realize this is not their strong area of expertise. We have been doing this for over five years now, since Skeleton Creek came out and we have a great system of creating them.

If you could have any mail-order gadget in the world (outside of GVG),what would it be and why?

Patrick: I really wanted one of those bald wigs. I always thought how great it would be to walk in with it on and shock my mom. "Hey mom, look at this!" (laughs). Unfortunately, I got one of those wigs and it was horrible. It was pretty disappointing. I also wanted one of those decoder rings so I could send messages to friends and I really wanted some sort of surveillance device so I could eavesdrop on my family.

That's a triple threat of awesomeness there!

Patrick: Yeah, I guess I really wanted to be a spy.

For the executive?

Yes, if the book thing doesn't work out, you have a new career path! But let's be honest Asylumites, I don't think he has to worry about a new career. He's creating plenty of great stories, and that tech wizardry he brings to the table is just the icing on the scrumptious cake.

Mr. Carman and I continued to talk for a bit longer about many of his new projects that set my hair on fire. I left a few things out of this interview because we are going to be speaking again about his brand new project DARK EDEN. And there is going to be giveaways and all kinds of great spooky fun to be had. So be sure to come back and haunt the place. Until then, check out the Dark Eden trailer below.

Bruce Hale... Monster Hunter?

2011-10-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

In our continuing SHOCKtober celebration of all things GUYS READ: THRILLER, Walden Pond Press and I have wrangled up another contributing author from the dark underground tunnels. Bruce Hale, who is no stranger to the Asylum, has joined the arsenal (I call them the arsenal because they are dangerously... good) of writers spilling ink in the thrilltastic anthology.

What brought you to the GR:Thriller project?

Bruce: I'd written a story for the earlier GUYS WRITE FOR GUYS READ collection, so I guess that means I was in some way part of the Guys Read gang (although they never showed me the secret handshake). Being a mystery writer, I presume I was on their list of candidates for selection in this new collection -- and I'm honored to have been chosen.

Courtesy MetroLibraryNetwork.org

I've always dreamed of being a monster hunter personally. Is this a factual retelling or was it something you had brewing?

Bruce: Alas, this isn't a factual retelling -- but wouldn't that be cool? I'd been a big monster fan since the days of making Wolfman and Dracula models as a kid, and when Jon Scieszka invited me to contribute a story to the collection, I wanted to do something that was less detective-y and more monstrous. This idea of kid monster hunters came to me during my brainstorming session, and it struck a chord.

In your opinion, what makes a story thrilling and how do you balance it from being too creepy or scary for young readers?

Bruce: Making a story thrilling is largely about getting us to care about a character and then putting that character in deep, deep doo-doo. And that's true no matter what genre you're writing in. What scares us most, I think, is the unknown. If you can play with that fear during the course of your story, you can milk a lot of thrilling moments from it.

I think kids today can handle a lot gorier, scarier stuff than they could when I was growing up, but that doesn't necessarily mean we should give it to them. I balance the scary stuff with humor, which works as a safety valve for letting off the reader's tension, and I use my best judgment as to how much creepiness appropriate for young readers. R.L. Stine set that bar pretty high, though, so I've got a lot of leeway.

Why do you think young readers are drawn to these kind of stories? Did you read them growing up?

Bruce: Young and old, we all love being scared silly on occasion. Kids like a safe scare, just as much as adults do — it's one way to feel deeply without putting yourself in actual danger. I used to love supernatural tales as a kid -- especially this collection of supernatural stories called MAINLY IN THE MOONLIGHT, which I must've reread a half-dozen times. And of course, I watched all the monster movies my parents would allow.

What terrifies you? Do you bring any of that fear to your writing?

Bruce: I don't want this to sound macho, but I'm rarely terrified, and when I am, it's by more adult concerns like political demagogues, paying taxes, and so forth. On a more mundane level, rattlesnakes creep me out -- but I haven't used them in a book yet.

In this "Nate Macavoy, Monster Hunter" story, I incorporate something that used to mildly creep me out in childhood. My friend Billy and I used to explore the storm drains under the city streets, which was spooky, but fun and adventurous at the same time. (Kids, don't try this at home!)

Can you tell me what the most thrilling book is that you've ever read? Why?

Bruce: I actually don't think I can single out one book, but I can give you a top 4:
THE HUNGER GAMES -- riveting, dramatic story
THE LIGHTNING THIEF -- just pure, thrilling adventure
ROBOPOCALYPSE -- deeply creepy tale of robots taking over the Earth
BEAT THE REAPER -- intense, gross and funny (not for kids)

And last, but not least, do monsters exist?

Bruce: As Shakespeare put it, "there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy." And I think that includes monsters, angels, and other things we can barely imagine. For me, the best attitude is, "there might be monsters."

Very well stated, Bruce and Bill. At the Asylum, we know there are monsters lurking... watching... waiting.

Margaret Peterson Haddix's 1st Haunting Tale

2011-10-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

Suspenseful and thrilling tales are nothing new to Margaret Peterson Haddix. Her books have kept young readers on the edge of their seats for years. But it may come as a surprise to many of us that she has never written a ghost story. Gasp!

Don't fret my fiendish pals. Thankfully, GUYS READ: THRILLER was able to pull such a ghostly tale that has been buried deep inside her creative attic. In our continuing celebration of the Walden Pond Press latest release, I was able to catch up with Margaret during her very busy schedule to ask her about her story Thad, the Ghost, and Me.

What brought you to the Guys Read:Thriller project?

Margaret: I was bribed with promises of baked goods and lawncare assistance. That’s the funny (but true) answer. The more serious (but also true) answer is that I think Guys Read is a good program, and I thought it would be fun to be involved.

I wouldn't want to mow this lawn.

In your opinion what makes a Thrilling story? And can you tell us why you chose to write a ghost tale?

Margaret: I think a thrilling story makes readers obsessed with finding out what happens next. So suspense is very important to the thrill.

I think this is the first ghost story I’ve ever written—I’m not sure why it took me so long! I’d had the idea rattling around in my brain for a while of doing something about a real ghost haunting a “fake” haunted house, and the way formerly “brave” people dealing with the ghost wouldn’t seem so brave once they knew everything they were seeing was real. It seemed to be a good fit for Guys Read: Thriller, and once I started thinking about the actual characters of Harvey, Thad and the narrator, I knew I wanted to write the story.

As a writer of stories that keep us up all night, why do you think thriller stories resonate with young readers?

Margaret: It’s a safe way to try out their own bravery. Or, sometimes, it’s a way to enjoy scaring themselves to death without actually being in danger.

Growing up we have our boogeymen and I'm deathly afraid of ghosts. What scared you the most? Does this influence your writing?

Margaret: I was afraid of weird things when I was a kid: Troll dolls. Long-underwear material. Old cars. Overhead light fixtures. I think this does influence my writing, because, really, anything can be scary if it’s associated with a frightening memory. And, having weird fears helps with the comic relief if I want to ease up on the tension a little!

These would give anyone the creeps!

Okay, so now the most terrifying thing I can think of may be a ghost in long underwear! GAAAAH! Good tip: Avoid any haunted underwear sections in department stores.

Thank you, Margaret for hanging out with us at the Asylum and celebrating GR: Thriller. Be sure to creep back soon for more terrorific interviews!

Brooklyn THRILLS from Matt de la Pena

2011-09-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

I'm new to the world of Matt de la Pena. I knew of him and his work and heard others speak of him around the children's literature water cooler. So I had to know more and educate myself about this award winning and highly talented writer. And was I ever glad that I did. At this year's LA SCBWI event I came across his first picture book A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis (Dial Press, 2011). If you have not seen this book, stop what you are doing and check it out. It is amazing. I was mesmerized by the book.

Matt de la Pena

When I heard he had a story in GUYS READ: THRILLER I was very excited to see what he would bring to this anthology. Kicking off our series of author interviews from GRT, Matt was gracious enough to let us steal away some of his time to talk about his involvement with this awesome project.

What brought you to the GR:Thriller project?

Matt: I was lucky enough to be approached by Jon (Scieszka) and Jordan Brown (Editor at Walden). I'd never written a "Mystery" or "thriller" story and they thought it'd be fun to have a few writers try something outside their comfort zone. I'd read the first book, Guys Read: Funny Business, and loved it, so I jumped at the chance. I really thing Jon has an awesome and relevant thing going with the Guys Read series. I'm so happy to be a contributor!

This was your first middle grade story. How was writing MG different for you? What were the challenges (if any)?

Matt: I finally got to curse at will. Kidding, of course. I didn't do much differently, to be honest. Tried to stay away from the language. But my characters are all growing up too fast, so I don't shy away from moments of (street) sophistication. There's maybe a dash more innocence, I guess. And it was the first time I've ever written a scene at a school. That was interesting. Ninety-nine percent of my stuff takes place outside of school grounds. But it was fun to drop into a junior high and let the scene play. It helped that there's a school across the street from my apt in Brooklyn. That was my model. I'll tell you this, writing this middle grade story definitely makes me want to write a middle grade novel. It felt like a good fit. I have some ideas . . .

In your opinion what makes a Thrilling story? And can you tell us why you decide to stay with a more grounded-in-reality tale?

Matt: "Believing in Brooklyn" definitely veers more toward the mystery side of the Mystery/Thriller category. For me as a reader, the stakes are always building in a good mystery or thriller. Each bit of conflict build on what comes before. Things keep getting ramped up until the story explodes. And I've always loved love working with reality. I think reality's ugly and beautiful and magical enough. In this story, I wanted to play with reality. Maybe there's something magical happening. Maybe the main character is going to believe in magic. Or maybe he'll be forced to look at magic in a new way.

Matt's story was also featured on the Boys' Life magazine website here: http://boyslife.org/features/22834/

Why do you think thriller stories resonate with young readers?
Matt: Something is happening. I was a reluctant reader when I was in junior high and high school. If a book or story took a minute to warm up I was gonna probably toss it down and go play some hoop at the park. Thriller stories are all about high stakes. A good one hooks the reader early and doesn't let go.

Growing up, we all have our boogeymen. What scared you the most? Does this influence you writer, ever?

Matt: Spiders freak me out. Still do. Give me a lion or a bear or a cobra any day. But you toss a spider in my hair and I'll jump out of a building. At least you know what you're up against with a big-ass beast. It's the little things that worry me. The things that hide in corner or are too small to see. Sometimes the scariest thing in the world is your own brain. The thoughts and obsessions that can take over. I love writing about that stuff.

The Wolf Spider.... yikes!

And finally - scariest/most thrilling book you've ever read? Why?

Matt: Stephen King books get me. He's so good at making you turn the page, sort of dreading what you might find.

Agreed! He is the master of dread. One of my favorite horror books is I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. That book is done so well it bothers me. Someday I'll write a book like that - for middle grade of course!

I want to give a huge thank you to Matt for his time, and a very special thank you to Kellie Celia at Walden for all her help with our THRILLER celebrations. Stay tuned for our interview with Margaret Peterson Haddix.

Deep from the Walden Pond rises Guys Read: THRILLER

2011-09-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

The Asylum is going bonkers over the recent release of Walden Pond Press' GUYS READ: THRILLER. Unleashed upon the world on 9/20/2011, this book is chock full of stories by some of the biggest names in children's literature. Check out the list and be ready to have your face melt off.

Contributing authors are M.T. Anderson, Patrick Carman, Gennifer Choldenko, Matt de la Pena, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Bruce Hale, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Anthony Horowitz, Walter Dean Myers, and James Paterson. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. Edited by Jon Scieszka.

Wow wow wow! The stories in this book are a lot of fun and I found myself reading many of them twice just because I enjoyed them that much. As Halloween is creeping up on us I can't think of a better treat to share with your friends, children, and anyone else who loves a thrilling story.

To celebrate the release of this literary chillfest we have all kinds of wonderful things happening around the Asylum. First of all, if you haven't seen the writing contest we are hosting with Walden Pond Press and Underneath the Juniper Tree magazine then YOU NEED to check it out here or (http://literaryasylum.blogspot.com/2011/07/thrilling-contest-and-celebration.html) and enter now! The entries have been sneaking up on us and all I can say is there is some heavy competition. Give us your best, thrilling, creepy, and horrific. We are DYING to read them.

AND if that contest wasn't awesome enough - you have to return often for our very special interviews with many of the contributing authors of the book! I'm over the moon about these interviews and I think you will enjoy them too.

Please join us and shout it from the rooftops, tweet, facebook, blog, vlog, blog radio it, send carrier pigeon messages, or whatever! Spread the word. Kick off the Halloween season with gigantic thrills!

In the meantime check out this awesome posting and video over on Jarrett Krosoczka's blog of the Guy's Read panel that happened during that latest BEA. Click here - http://thejjkblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/through-magic-of-internet-sit-in-on.html or watch below

James Riley, The Giant Killer

2011-09-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

During the 2011 LA SCBWI event, several things happened that changed my life. The first one was that I finally got to meet Bat Girl Editor extraordinaire Liesa Abrams for Aladdin/Simon Schuster books. And let me tell you. She. Is. Amazing. She is also an uber cool nerdy gal that I am honored to call a friend. The second amazing thing to happen was that she introduced me to one of her authors, mister James Riley.

There are times in life when you meet someone and you know that they might be a long lost brother or we may have been fighting Spartan in a previous life. The dude is a riot. I seriously think he needs a stand up routine.

Anyway, when James handed me his book HALF UPON A TIME (edited by Liesa) I kinda wanted to take the rest of the day to go read it. Then some writer named Judy Blume took the stage and well, you know, she kinda deserves some attention, seeing how Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing was a game changer for me.

To celebrate the paperback release of this awesome book (September 13th, 2011), James and I drove around in a ice cream truck and flung bomb pops at people. This is how the conversation went down.

James, shall we start our conversation/interview for the blog to celebrate your fantastic book?

James Riley: Yes! Wow, these questions are really easy. Do you start off just lobbing them in, then ask me about the Battle of Hastings once I grow in confidence? 1066, if you do. In, um, Hastings.

The Battle of Hastings

Can you give us a bit of your background and what brought you to writing for children?

JR: I like my background to accent me, so I typically try to stay backlit, with soft colors, maybe blues or greens. Sometimes, when I'm feeling frisky, I go straight white, just to see if I pop.

Ha ha ha. I think you should avoid key lighting personally. The blues really make your hair shine.

JR: If you instead mean my background-background (which I'm sure you don't, because why would you say it twice?), then I can cover that too.

I grew up old, I think. Not an old soul, just one of those kids who took everything extremely seriously. I'm pretty sure the other kids found that charming, how extremely buttoned-up I was. But maybe I was just hiding an imagination capable of unleashing WORLDS! ...Ha, nope. I was just serious. Once I grew out of that phase and noticed that somewhere along the way, girls went from gross to awesome (I think I was 4?), I started telling people I was a writer, because even at that early age, I knew girls dug a creative guy. Again, no creativity, unless exaggeration and hyperbole count.

Eventually, I faked it til I whatevered it, and found myself writing about fairy tales. That comes from a lifelong love of Disney movies and an inability to draw, leaving me no choice but to write those same fairy tales. Just with less musical numbers. Not none, just less.

Why for kids, instead of going all Gregory Maguire? I wanted to deal with big, emotional ideas like heroism, true love, good and evil, and cake, but without the cynicism that adults tend to view those things with (except for cake). That opened up all my cynicism stores for use in the dialogue!

I feel like us MG writers have a different sensibility than YA writers (or we are just more immature) - why do you think that is? Why did you choose to write MG?

JR: Well, I'd like to think I'm immature enough to handle BOTH middle grade and young adult, but that's just me being arrogant about my immaturity. I do think MG readers are more willing to accept wild ideas, which makes it infinitely more fun to me than YA. Though if you subtract that one thing away from the infinite fun, you still have infinity, so based on that careful math, I'd say YA has plenty of charm left to it. I think it all just comes down to the tone of the project. And how much vampire canoodling there is. I really hope there's a YA series called Vampire Canoodling.

Half Upon A Time made it's paperback debut recently. What has changed for you since the release of the hard cover initial launch?

JR: Well, first of all, thank you for noticing that things HAVE changed. I've been growing my beard ever since the hardcover came out, and it's finally starting to show! Apart from that, I'm going to go with a contradictory answer and say everything and nothing have changed. Everything because there's nothing in the world like living out a lifelong dream, and that first time I saw my book in a bookstore, I almost fainted. In a very masculine way. But really, nothing has changed in that I'm still trying to think of new ideas for books, still trying my best to work on a work in progress, still writing every night just like I did when I was doing everything from finding an agent to waiting to see if it sold to doing final edits. I think the biggest thing that changes is that you add another check mark to your list, even as you look forward to what's next.

Can you tell me a bit about your upcoming release, and, was it easier writing the second book (or was the pressure on)?

JR: TWICE UPON A TIME (the second of four books in the series, collect them all!) comes out in April, and takes place three months after the surprise ending of the HALF UPON A TIME. In order not to spoil that ending, let me say that TWICE has my heroes going to the Land of Never, where kids never grow up (or so they think ...in reality they're middle-aged adults who believe they're still kids); helping a pirate captain fight against the king of the mermen; and trying to save a land full of fairy godmothers from the Sleeping Beauty curse, set off by an enterprising bad guy with access to a spindle.

The second book was actually MUCH more difficult, despite having all four books plotted out ahead of time. It wasn't so much about the plot, though, as finding what worked in the first book, and pushing harder on that in the second. Also, I really do love these characters, so putting them through the horrible things I do ... well, it's just cruel.

We hear a lot about boys being reluctant readers. You and I both love to read and we are boys (trapped in man frames). Do you think it is that they don't want to read or there are not enough stories being written for them? Or, maybe they are reading Twilight but they are not telling us?

JR: It's a good question, because it does go against my experience as a kid. I loved to read, and did so no matter how many video game systems I had (a lot, or not enough, depending on your perspective). I do think that boys (completely stereotyping here) like things with action, and action is usually just easier to accomplish visually, through movies, video games, comic books, and a million other things that use less words than we do. That's certainly not all boys like (I mean, destruction is cool too, amirite?), and we've all read enough books with plenty of action in them to disprove everything I just said. I think it's just a matter of gravitating to what's biggest and showiest. So we just need to out-big and out-show Hollywood and video games. Which is where my idea for a book that's shaped like an X-Box controller came from. Trick those kids, parents!

How do you think they put the creme filling inside Twinkies? What does this have to do with writing? Nothing, I've always been curious. Thought you might now.

Ok, I was always told it was just born there, from those who would know ... ie, TV.

http://www.retrojunk.com/details_commercial/2612/

But whether you take the "born there" theory over "the cake evolved around the creme" theory ... sometimes the mystery is what makes a Twinkie great. Like the mystery of how it's still fresh. After twenty years. Mmm.

I think I am going to go with the born there theory. It keeps the magic alive!

Okay, finally, Hollywood loves to remake movies (sigh). If you could rewrite any book in your own voice, what would it be and why?

JR: I've always thought someone should rewrite Ulysses and take out all the made-up words, run-on sentences and general Joyce-isms, and just make it about some guy going to a few pubs one day in June. But honestly, I can't think of a book that I'd rather read in my own voice. Though there are probably three or four books I'd like the actual author to rewrite, mostly because I loved the books so much except for one or two things. Oh hey, Mockingjay, what's up?

What IS up, Mockingjay? Well, James, I don't know about you but I had a blast hurling iced confections at people. James? James? I have no idea why he is running away. Oh look, some of our cities finest officers coming to get ice cream. I might give them a discount...

Side note: James can often be found doing public readings of his book (even if people ask him to stop). All joking aside (where does it go when it is a side?), do yourself a HUGE favor and get James book (if you haven't already) and you will enjoy it more than a truck load of Twinkies!! Make sure to pre-order the second book in the series as well (it's like two truckloads of Twinkies).

He's baaaaack....

2011-09-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have been wondering where I have been hiding out. Did I vanish? Was I abducted by aliens? Did I join a rogue legion of super villains? Some of you may not of even noticed that I was gone. That's okay too. All I can say is that there has been a lot going on in Asylumland (trademark pending).

For starters, myself and Mrs. Asylum welcomed our second child into the world. A baby boy! His big sister has welcomed him with open arms and she is excited to show him the ropes.

Secondly, I was buried under the third season of Ancient Aliens, which I work on as a researcher. Having multiple shows going at once was overwhelming and sucked up a good part of my day, not leaving much time for blogging, writing, being my usual geeky self during the off hours.

Thirdly, I hope to have some very big, awesome, amazing, stupendous, outrageous (you get the point) news to announce shortly. Some things have been brewing in the Asylum basement that I have had to be hush hush about. I hope to share that news with you all soon.

Fourthly, Halloween is creeping up on us and I have been slack in my usual haunting posts and celebratory babels about one of my favorite holidays. But, never FEAR, my collaboration with Walden Pond Press celebrating their recent release of GUYS READ: THRILLER kicks off this week with some amazing interviews. I think you will enjoy them.

Fifthly, enough of my gabbing already, let's get back to blogging. Join me tomorrow for my interview with fantastic writer James Riley, author of Half Upon A Time (Aladdin Books).

Attack of the crazy-awesome BILL DOYLE!

2011-08-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm just going to say it right now. Bill Doyle is my new hero. There, I said it. If they made a Bill costume for Halloween, I would wear it. If there was a Doyle Lucha Libre mask, I would buy it and wear it. The reason I'm so ga-ga over Mr. Doyle has to do with his awesome chapter books that are chock full of the spooky fun. And to top it with the cherry, Mr. Doyle is an awesomely nice guy. That's a double threat in any book. When I came across a book with the words Shark and Zombie in it I gobbled it up. And after reading it I was all "Who is this author and why have I not spoken with him yet?!" That's how I started my stalking career (I kid. Such a kidder...)

Now, as Nacho says, "Let's get down to the neeeetty greeeetty."

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what brought you to writing for children?

Bill Doyle - While I’ve wanted to write since I was a kid, I didn’t always want to write for kids. At eight, I was reading Lovecraft and King, which my mom and brothers gave me. And I was really into clacking out scary stuff that bordered on horror on my plastic toy typewriter. What really got me excited about writing was when my grade school teacher, Mrs. Fenster, let me stage a “slasher” mystery play I wrote. Seeing the kids in my class watch my play and ooh and ahh at the nutty plot twists and the big revelation of whodunit was incredible—something I’ll never forget—and something I wanted to experience more.

Years later, I went to NYU’s Film School for graduate dramatic writing…and thought I’d be creating scripts for grown-ups. After working in development for a nano-moment, I applied for a magazine editor job posted in the New York Times. What it didn’t say in the ad was that the job was at Sesame Workshop, home of Sesame Street. I got hired, and thought, “Oh, my voice is meant for more sophisticated ears. I’ll stay here for a month or two.” But within a week, I was hooked on writing for kids.

During the couple years I was editor of Kid City, also known as Electric Company Magazine, I realized that I had a love of and knack for writing for kids—and it didn’t have to be in script form. One of the first things I learned was not to talk down to kids. I know everyone says this, but kids’ll pick up on it right away if you start freaking out with the exclamation points and try to lure them in with too many repetitions of “cool!” and “awesome!”

I also learned there should be clear, sizable stakes in kids’ stories. Someone should be in danger (of course, not overly violent or terrifying) of losing something important to them. And there should be a bit of edge. I mean, let’s face it, the Muppets are successful because they’re on the edge of madness. And other kids stories that have stood the test of time are always a little scary—check out the old school fairy tales for examples.

And, when writing for kids, I’ve always carried along something Milan Stitt, who wrote the play The Runner Stumbles, taught us at NYU. He called it the Major Dramatic Question. And every successful story needs a powerful one. You know, like “Will the Gilligan castaways get rescued?” or “Will Hamlet avenge his father?” or “Will the alien eat everyone?”

One of your latest books Attack of the Shark-Headed Zombie was hilarious, can you tell us (those who haven't read it yet) a bit about it and what is the next book planned for Keats and Henry?

BD - Chances are the major dramatic question of this book probably won’t get mixed up with Hamlet’s! I guess here with my book it would be, “Will two nine-year-old cousins escape a kooky magician’s house before a shark-headed zombie catches them?” Henry and Keats are in the house because they’ve agreed to do odd jobs for a magician, Mr. Cigam, including “weed the garden” and “battle and defeat the shark-headed zombie.” The boys think it’s a joke until they’re pursued through Hallway House—and all its mixed-up magical rooms.

“Shark-Headed Zombie” is a Stepping Stones “humor” chapter book with Random House, and it’s illustrated by the talented Scott Altmann—his art’s perfect for the story and he really nailed the cover. The next book with Henry and Keats is “Stampede of the Supermarket Slugs” and it will be out in Spring 2012. Hopefully the title gives you a clue as to what it’s about!

Many of us are on the cusp of publication. Can you talk to us about what you have learned as an author about the process of what happens once you get the offer of publication?

BD - Writers spend a lot of time pushing ahead alone when it seems like no one else believes that publication will actually happen. For instance, I don’t think Con Ed had confidence in my writing in my 20s when it turned off my power. When that publication offer comes in, I’d say first enjoy the moment. Don’t think about the next step right that very second. Sit down, jump up, pop the champagne, whatever…just relish it.

Now get ready to go from the lone wolf mentality to more of pack thinking. People you don’t even know are going to have something to say about how your book should shape up. I love the whole “let’s put on a show!” collaboration, but it still took me a second to adjust.

Talk about a lone wolf

Expect to get to know your editor, and keep your fingers crossed that they are as amazing as the ones I’ve worked with. The editor of “Shark-Headed Zombie” at Random House is Jennifer Arena, and she is a creative force. She gives wonderful praise…and zeroes in on problems. But there’s never any panic about issues she finds. Jennifer offers solutions and part of her philosophy is: don’t rush—take your time and figure things out.

And that’s great advice, especially for me. I still find myself tempted to rush things, you know trying to impress people with how fast I am. But zipping through revisions ends up serving no one. If you’ve got the time, use it.

Oh, and expect to make changes. Just because you’ve sold the book, remember some of the toughest writing might still be ahead of you. It’s true what they say about the rewriting process. It can be the trickiest part of the whole deal. Even if you don’t go exactly with your editor’s suggestion for a change, make a change of some kind. There’s something not working and your editor won’t be the only one to pick up on it.

Use the offer to your advantage. I actually didn’t have an agent when a six-book deal with Little Brown came through. The deal was a great calling card. Now, after a couple trial runs elsewhere, I work with the fantastic Susan Cohen at Writers House.

Can you talk to me about your writing habits (what your routine is), and if you have any rituals when writing (like keeping a rubber chicken in the 3rd drawer of the desk)?

BD - Um, third drawer? I keep mine in the top drawer. Where. It. Belongs.

This chicken was not harmed during this interview.

That's exactly the kind of response I would expect from your fortress-of-awesome-wit, Mr. Doyle. Please, carry on..

BD - The past year or so I wrote seven print books and started an app company called Crab Hill Press—we put out the kids books “My Dad Drives a Roller Coaster Car” and “Nash Smasher!” (named one of the 10 Best Books for iPad by The New York Times…can you tell I’m proud?).

BD - During much of that year, Armageddon was going on inches outside my window as workers blew up the neighboring building and hammered up a new one—so ritual and focus became very important to me. And noise-canceling headphones became my best friend.

I work at home in New York City, and I’m at my desk every morning at 7:15 AM. Then I’ll stay there for much of the day. Best “ritual” I ever heard about: sitting butt in the chair equals writing on paper. Just staying in the chair is sometimes the hardest thing to do—especially with so many distractions out there—but it’s the only way anything will get done.

Along those lines, I’ve worked with this organization called Learning Leaders where authors and illustrators go into schools, and one of the things I’ll talk with the kids about: Don’t wait for the perfect time to write. There is no such thing. And if people waited for the perfect time, nothing would ever be written.

Another kind of ritual: keeping the TV off. TV transforms into poison for writers in the daylight hours, and it should be avoided when the sun’s up. I give myself a treat of listening to a radio drama like “Suspense!” or “The Whistler” on satellite radio in the late afternoon, but I still write while it plays in the background.

Good snacks are key…and, on the flip side, so is the gym. Not necessarily so you can get all buff—but so you can take get away from your computer and “work out” any plot problems.

What do you love about writing? What do you hate about it?

BD - It’s kind of amazing how selfish you have to be as a writer with time, isn’t it? That’s something I definitely could do without. It can be hard when you have to disappear for an hour or two on Christmas Day to work on a chapter or because you’re worried about a deadline.

I love the finite length of writing for kids. When I wrote for grown-ups, I found the unlimited structure a little dazzling and baffling. Sometimes, with the book for younger kids I feel like I’m writing haiku, where every single word and syllable is important. I’m a huge fan of word puzzles, so this is something I really enjoy solving.

Allow me to be greedy and ask a three parter - Can you tell me more about your series writing? Do you have a plan to make a story a series or does it happen after you turn in the book? What is the best part about writing a series?

BD - I got some of the best advice from the book producer Nancy Hall when we worked together on the mystery series Crime Through Time, and then it was reinforced later by Jennifer Arena: Don’t worry about the book being a series. Just make the strongest story you can with the first book, and the rest will follow.

If you worry too much about saving key story points for the future, you can find yourself stretching events in the first couple books and the stories can feel weaker. Of course, you should have a little bit of a plan—like maybe I won’t have everyone in the cast go down with the Titanic. But keep that plan tucked in the back of your mind.

One fun thing about a series is that you can say thanks to readers who’ve read all the books with unexpected plot payoffs and interesting character journeys. Or in the case of the “Behind Enemy Lines” books I’m writing for editor Jenne Abramowitz over at Scholastic, I’m able to include non-fiction stories of heroic soldiers who might not have been able to fit in the first book.

Oh, and on this blog, I definitely have to mention a new series I’m working on with editor Matt Ringler and the astoundingly-talented illustrator Jared Lee. The series is “Scream Team” and they’re funny chapter books about misfit monsters who start their own sports team. The first book is called “The Werewolf at Home Plate” and the second is “The Vampire at Half Court” and they’re out this year with Scholastic.

If you were stranded on an island with only on book to read, what would it be and why?

BD - Wouldn’t it be great if I said “Attack of the Shark-Headed Zombie”? Or, “Any book by the amazing Bill Doyle”? But then I guess I’d also need the book “Managing Your Enormous Ego”…and I’m only allowed to bring one.

Hmmm…the dictionary? Plenty of types of food in there and lots of words about rescue. “The Stand”? Wow, I fell in love with that book as a kid. Here’s one that I might bring, but only because if I have to read it over and over and over I’d want something pretty challenging: Ann Radcliffe’s “The Mysteries of Udolpho” which a professor had us read at Georgetown. Not trying to sound all important and pompous, but it’s the first gothic novel, it’s wonderfully spooky at points, and there’s so much going on in the book—maybe too much at times and it can get a little bogged down. But if you’re going to be stranded on an island or stuck in a space capsule for a few decades you’re going to want something with a ton of levels.

Thanks, Matt! I’m a big fan of your site and I’ve really enjoyed chatting with you. I’d love for people to visit me at www.billdoyle.net or follow me @bdwrites on twitter.

I'm visiting Bill's website now, as I write this, and it's awesome. I'm sure everyone can tell how much I enjoyed this interview. I'm still geeking out. I can't THANK the super cool Mr. Doyle enough for coming to the Asylum and giving one stupendous interview. It was all in the answers. Kids, go read some Doyle books. You will inhale them. Trust me.

The BEST place to be... Underneath the Juniper Tree!

2011-08-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

RAWRRRrrrrrrRRRRr! (since I don't squeee). That is how I feel about the launch of the brand new Underneath the Juniper Tree website! If you don't know about the best and most darkly deeeelish children's literature web magazine on this blue marble then you need to do yourself a favor and - run like banshees are behind you about to swallow you up - get over to the website.

Here is the link: http://underneaththejunipertree.com/

Congrats to Tex and Marjorie for such a wonderful and amazing and fun and amazing (yes, I said it twice) place for all of us kid litters with a love for the creepy to hang and share stories. I am SO proud of you two and all the other creepers involved!

Chickens Don't Like Lunar Dust

2011-08-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

Uber illustrator, Jason Smith and I have been working on a little project that we hope to continue for some time. More than anything, we just want something to have fun with. This is a comic strip we created called Chickens Don't Like Lunar Dust. It follows Lester and his best friend Frizzle - along with many other characters - on Lester's journey to become an astronaut.

We hope you will come check out the site, share with the kids and enjoy. We look forward to your thoughts.

http://chickensdontlikelunardust.wordpress.com/

A THRILLING contest and celebration!

2011-07-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

In celebration of the upcoming release of Walden Pond Press' Guys Read: THRILLER (Aug 2011) and our favorite holiday - Halloween! Literary Asylum (that's us) and Underneath the Juniper Tree in association with Walden Pond Press want YOU to give us your best opening paragraph or two of the most thrilling, terrifying, spooky, creepy, and crazy MG/YA story you can muster.

Here's your motivation. The top writer will receive a copy of GR:THRILLER signed by the ambassador of Children's Lit himself Jon Scieszka. And, your paragraph/s will appear in an upcoming issue of UTJT. And, there is more! How is that even possible? The winning writer will be interviewed on the Literary Asylum blog to celebrate your thrilling job well done.

This sounds so amazing it has to be a TRICK of the Halloween. No, it is a wonderful TREAT that we want to share with you. So break out those writing implements and get cracking.

Whatever you do, don't forget to THRILL us.

Contest Rules

1) Submit your best work up to two paragraphs. Anything beyond that will not be read and taken out of the running.

2) Send your submissions in the BODY of the email, not attachments (they will not be opened) to the following emails (either or - no need to do both) LiteraryAsylum@hotmail.com OR junipertreelit@gmail.com.

3) Be sure to put THRILLER contest submission in the RE: Line or it may get overlooked.

4) Deadline is OCTOBER 13th (why because we like that number) at MIDNIGHT

5) Follow our blogs (links above) and join us on Twitter

@WaldenPondPress
@UndertheJuniper
@JuniperTreeLit
@LiteraryAsylum

6) Most of all, have fun and keep the kids in mind. Let's give them stories that will keep them reading late at night!

In the agent's chair with CHRIS RICHMAN

2011-07-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

I can tell you this. Having an agent in your corner and on your team is like being able to eat lunch with Han Solo and Chewbacca everyday.

If that means nothing to you then you need to eat lunch with them and you will understand. Basically, it's freakin awesome! Speaking of awesome. I had the opportunity to speak with out-of-this-world agent, Chris Richman, from Upstart Crow Literary about his task of being an agent in the best sector of the literary world - children's literature. This post is not about what he is looking for or how you can submit manuscripts to him - that you can find on his site here. This is about being an agent and what happens on a day to day basis.

How involved are you with your writers (from editing, notes, story development), and how important is this for you?

CHRIS RICHMAN - I’m typically very involved with my clients when it comes to editing, notes, and story development, especially on projects which are not under contract. I’ve yet to have a project go out on submission without doing at least one round of revision with the client first. For new clients, we can sometimes do several rounds of revision, from both big picture issues to pacing and character development. With existing clients, I weigh in on the marketability of new projects they’re considering working on to make sure the new work has a home in the market. In truth, I’m happy to help out in whatever way is most helpful for the client, and have done a little bit of everything.
When a project sells, however, I step back and let the writer work more directly with the editor, since that’s where the meat of the development takes place.

Put me in the agent chair, what are some of the day to day hurdles of being a lit agent? What do most people/clients not know about the hard work you do?

CR - Oh, there are loads of hurdles: dealing with writers who get mad at agents who don’t respond to unsolicited submissions quickly enough; having to break bad news to clients; finding the most effective ways to manage the hours in a day to be the most efficient. One of the biggest hurdles, however, is the fact that most agents don’t make a dime unless a project sells. So that means a lot of the auxiliary duties that come along with the job, from taking the time to send notes along with passes on queries, to giving advice, to doing blog interviews, never leads to any sort of financial return. But when a project does sell, it can of course be very gratifying.

Writing these days is not just about turning over a manuscript and hoping it sells. What do writers need to do these days to really help make a career of writing?

CR - Making a career in writing can be extremely difficult. Heck, making a career as an agent is difficult, too! Writers need to remember, however, that very few authors are able to pull in enough income to make writing a career. To make it happen, though, they need to remember to treat it like a business, and have ideas beyond the one they are trying to get published. They need to also know that if they are able to make a career, it’s not going to happen quickly. The old adage about publishing being a slow process couldn’t be more true. It takes time, it takes dedication, it takes persistence, it takes spouses, friends, and family who understand their passion. But if there’s talent there, and good ideas, and a terrific work ethic, it can happen.

Writers, for the most part, are a lonely lot and need a lot of encouragement. I know many of them that need a daily download from their agent to see how things are going. I want to flip the table and ask what the writer can do to help their agent do their job? How do we writers become better clients?

CR - Speaking personally, none of my clients needs a daily download. Perhaps that’s because I’ve been able to find very level headed clients, or perhaps I’ve been lucky. Some things writers should remember when it comes to communication from their agents, however, is that if they haven’t been hearing news, it’s likely because there IS no news to share. One of the most important things I can preach to all writers out there is patience. I know it’s exciting; I know you’re personally invested; I know you (and me and everyone involved in creative pursuits) can get a little crazy, but we all have to remember to be patient, to know there will be failures and successes, and try to roll with the punches.

I have conversations with people about writing for children and I get a lot of "so you take what you you would write for adults and dumb it down" comment. Can you tell those people who want to write for children what they really need to know?

CR - Well, as many of us who read and write books for children already know, the idea that children’s books are simply dumbed down adult books is ludicrous. So what, you take a gritty cowboy and replace his six-shooter with a water pistol and presto? Writers who want to write for children must first be well-versed in what already has worked. Then they must be aware of what the current market is calling for. Then they must learn to respect their audience, and give them something that will challenge them, or speak to them, or make them laugh. In many ways, writing for children is more difficult than writing for adults, I feel, and doing it exceptionally well is even more difficult than that.

What are some of the biggest shifts in publishing that you see today? How are E-books and authors jumping to self publish effecting our world?

CR - We’ve seen the shift happen more slowly in children’s books than our colleagues on the adult side have experienced, but it’s definitely shifting. When I entered the world of publishing just over three years ago, no one was taking E-books seriously, but obviously that’s changed quite a bit in a short amount of time. We can’t deny that kids are becoming more and more comfortable with technology, and it’s exciting to think of new ways of reaching them using resources other than ink and paper. Three years ago, too, we could count the amount of self-published authors worth paying attention to on one hand. Now things are shifting, and some people are able to find success without going the traditional route. No matter what happens with technology, however, stories will continue to be necessary no matter what medium is used to reach them, and great writing will always be paramount.

If you could be any literary character through out time, who would it be and why?

CR - Ha! I like ending on such a fun question. So who would I want to be...I suppose I wouldn’t mind being Charlie Bucket from CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. I mean, sure, the kid had a rough start, but he came out of it owning a marvelous chocolate factory and being able to take a trip into outer space in a great glass elevator. And what’s the worst he has to deal with? Some cranky Oompa-Loompas? Seems pretty awesome to me.

Chris, thank you so much for hanging out at the Asylum and sharing your in the chair stories. I can't tell you how valuable it is for writers to know how important your job is beyond reading manuscripts and fielding calls and being a therapist too. We are forever grateful for your wisdom.

A celebration for MILO - the paperback release

2011-07-25T12:42:00.000-07:00

TOMORROW (7/26) is the paperback release of one of my favorite books. MILO: Sticky Notes & Brain Freeze (Aladdin books) by Alan Silberberg. It lands in bookstores and all across the net in the soft and pillowy form we know as paperback. It's like a marshmallow for your hands and so good for your brain (I just made that part up. Feel free to use that among your friends).

Because MILO is such a wonderful book - you can check out my older posts here http://literaryasylum.blogspot.com/2010/12/what-milo-means-to-me.html - we want to celebrate it's PB release all day 7/26. We, being you, me, your friends, Aladdin books, bloggers, tweeters, facebookers... you get the idea.

MILO Synopsis: Milo Cruikshank is a 13 year-old new kid, who has to find a way to hit the "restart" button all over again.The truth is, ever since Milo's mother died nothing has felt right. Now, instead of the kitchen being filled with music, the whole house is filled with Fog. Nothing's the same. Not his Dad. Not his sister. And definitely not him. In love with the girl he sneezed on the first day of school and best pals with Marshall, the "One-Eyed Jack" of friends, Milo struggles to survive a school year that is filled with reminders of what his life "used to be".

Brimming with heart, humor and ultimately hope, Milo: Sticky Notes & Brain Freeze is a powerhouse of a novel that will stay with you well after you've turned the last page.

Tell us what MILO means to you. Do you have any favorite quotes, moments from the book, drawings that struck a chord! Join us over on twitter (or your networking place of choice) and give a shout out to MILO.

Be sure to use the hashtags:

#MILORules
#MILOPB #BrainFreeze
#MILORelease

Give a shout out to Milo's awesome creator Alan Silberberg @AlanSilberberg. Milo's incredible editor, Liesa Abrams @BatgirlEditor and let them know your love for the book. They hear it from me all the time so it would be nice for the gushing to come from others too.

Fellow blogger and author Shannon Messenger @SW_Messenger and I will be among the bookish fiends leading a charge to spread the MILO love all day. So come join the fun and celebrate MILO with us. You are certain to meet fellow like-minded bloggers, authors, industry peeps, readers, fans, librarians and more! If you are not on twitter celebrate on the other social networks and be sure to send us a line so we can share with others.

Did I forget to mention that there may even be a really awesome giveaway?! Stay tuned for details. Until then. Long live MILO!

MILO giveaway rules below!!

To enter, all you have to do is tweet using the hashtag #MILOrules by 11:59 pm EDT tonight, and you could be the winner of a shiny MILO paperback of your very own (sorry--US only).

Not sure what to tweet? Try finishing one of the following statements:

The most embarrassing costume I wore growing up was ...
My favorite Slurpie flavor is...
One item/toy I miss the most from my childhood is...
(Or insert other embarrassing or fun childhood memory here. )

Just don't forget to put #MILOrules at the end, or we won't find your entry!

Or, if you'd like something even easier, feel free to copy and paste the following tweet:

Tweet #MILOrules for a chance to win a paperback of MILO: Sticky Note & Brain Freeze, by @alansilberberg!

Also, feel follow along throughout the day as I, @alansilberberg, @batgirleditor and @SW_Messenger tweet embarrassing childhood stories, favorite quotes from the book, and all kinds of general hilarity. The more the merrier!

JONATHAN AUXIER brings us PETER NIMBLE

2011-07-22T15:20:00.000-07:00

At 12 feet 6 inches tall, Jonathan Auxier, is literary force of nature. Okay fine, he's not really that tall, but he is talented. His debut book, PETER NIMBLE & HIS FANTASTIC EYES - available August 1st (Abrams) - is a darkly whimsical and sharply written tale. I highly recommend it to all.

Jonathan and I have had the pleasure of hanging out on a few occasions and it is always entertaining and awesome. He's a great guy, wonderful talent and kindred spirit. I am absolutely honored to be able to have him here at the Asylum to dish on writing and his fantastic new book.

Can you give us a bit of your background and what brought you to writing for children?

Jonathan Auxier - I’ve been working as a professional storyteller for a few years now. By “professional,” I mean I’ve been lucky enough to pay my bills through writing, if just barely. During that time, I’ve written everything from plays to screenplays to commercials to comics. A few years back, I found myself growing frustrated by the “hired gun” aspect of the entertainment industry. Most of the time, you’re working with someone else’s story ideas -- and even if those ideas are brilliant, they aren’t yours. Screenwriter Javier Grillo-Marxauch once described this to me as “marching in someone else’s army,” which I’ve always liked. Some writers really enjoy that collaborative spirit, but I’m not one of them. I think when I know something isn’t 100% mine, I subconsciously hold back.

JA - At some point, I was starting to lose sight of why I even wanted to tell stories in the first place. This desperation led to me unearthing a novel manuscript I had written in graduate school -- Peter Nimble & His Fantastic Eyes. The draft was terrible, but something within the story still sparked my imagination. And so I started squirreling hours away on nights and weekends, revising the manuscript. Over time I realized that there was something about the nature of prose writing that engaged my imagination in a way script writing never had -- it’s a bigger canvas.

It makes sense that my “passion project” was a children’s book because children’s literature has been the one constant in my life. My love for theatre and film has come and gone, but since a very young age, I have been an avid collector of children’s books. My wife is a Victorian Children’s Literature scholar, and pretty much all we ever do is talk about kid’s books. In fact, I first hit on her because I saw she was carrying the Blackwell Anthology of Children’s Literature!

A lot of writers have talked to me about wanting to write scripts now that they have written books. You and I have both gone from scripts to books. Did you find the transition from script format to manuscript format difficult? If so, what were the challenges you had to overcome when writing?

JA - One of the nice things about screenwriting is that it’s a very lean medium. Virtually every line of a screenplay is either a physical action or a line of dialog -- it’s pure story. That’s not an accident; playwrights and screenwriters are trained to pare everything that isn’t story out of their scripts. They’re supposed to leave those details to the director, actors, and designers.

Fiction, on the other hand, puts those details back on the writer. A book requires that you spend a lot more energy fleshing out those raw bits of story with description, framing, dialog tags, and the ever-elusive “tone.” Even the most fast-paced novel contains thousands of words that are inessential to the “who-what-where-when” of a story. The end result is a lot more immersive -- but it’s also a lot more work!

Your debut novel sound awesome, can you tell us a bit about it? Also, what is the street date?

JA - Peter Nimble & His Fantastic Eyes is the story of a ten year-old blind orphan who also happens to be the greatest thief who ever lived -- he can smell gold inside a rich man’s pocket; he can hear a guard’s heartbeat around the corner; he can pick any lock; etc. One day he steals this mysterious wooden box that contains three pairs of magical eyes. With the eyes, Peter sets off on this gigantic adventure that takes him across seas, deserts, and finally to a vanished kingdom where he must rescue a people in need. It’s equal parts Oliver Twist and Gulliver’s Travels … with a little good old-fashioned wordplay thrown in for good measure.

The book hits stores August 1, which is ironic because August has long been my least favorite month of the year -- though now I think I’m warming up to it!

How long did it take from manuscript to agent to publishing deal?

JA - As I mentioned, the first draft of Peter Nimble actually predates my screenwriting career. When I was studying playwriting in graduate school, I was really struggling -- I was very young and in way over my head. After my first rocky year, I was on the brink of dropping out. One day I sat down to write a letter explaining why I wasn’t coming back to the program … but instead I started writing this story about a blind boy floating in a basket. I wrote a first draft in three weeks (a chapter a day)

and then put it in the bottom of a drawer for two years.

Jump to a few years later: I had managed to get my foot through the door of the screenwriting world and was already frustrated with the work-for-hire culture. All the stuff I talked about before. That’s the same time I took Peter Nimble out and started revising. And revising. And revising.

I’m a big believer in page-one rewrites. I think there’s a small, but essential refining that happens each time a writer is forced to re-articulate an idea. Over the course of about four years, I re-wrote Peter Nimble twenty times. The shocking thing was that with each pass, the story, characters, themes, and pacing remained almost completely unchanged. But with each version, I was honing in on what about the story felt true. And frankly, I was also learning how prose worked. It’s a completely different medium than dramatic writing, and the learning curve is steep!

Is there any advice you can give to the many of us currently going through all or one of these stages?

JA - Wow, I love few things more than giving advice to strangers! This stuff is specific to my own experience, so caveat scriptor:

Move to New York or Los Angeles because that’s where your competition lives, and your competition will make you better.

Don’t waste time reading “how to” books or drafting query letters until you have finished writing something that is true and wonderful.

Always listen to notes; readers may be wrong about how to fix a problem, but usually they’re right about the fact that a problem exists.

Try and finish something new every six months -- you can double-back for rewrites, but you owe it to yourself to type “the end” at least twice a year.

Yeah, that last one is more wishful thinking for me. But on the whole, I can’t imagine a person doing those four things and not eventually carving out some kind of career.

You've also written for comics. Did you like the process and would you like to do more?

JA - I’m working on a graphic novel now, in fact! The biggest thing I learned from writing comics is that even when the story is straightforward, the form is incredibly hard. Drama is action, and comics are incapable of showing action … instead they show frozen moments that are meant to indicate action. Think about it: Spider-Man never punches a guy. Instead, all we ever see is his fist raised in the air, the word “THWOP!” and some thug hurtling backward. This fact became painfully clear to me one day when I was scripting a comic and wanted to write a double-take. I defy you to write a double-take for a comic book. It can’t be done!

What is a dream comic project for you? (Mine would be Batman - of course!)

JA - I have a deep and abiding love for Windsor McCay. He was a turn-of-the-century cartoonist who basically invented the modern comic strip with his brilliant, beautiful series “Little Nemo in Slumberland.” Both “Little Nemo” and his more adult “Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend” were major influences on my writing and art when I was growing up. Because McCay was pumping out a new strip every week -- one that had to end with the same silly punch line -- I feel like his narratives could never do justice to the amazing worlds and characters he had created. I think a part of me has always longed to take a crack at fleshing out some of those early stories!

What do you love most about writing? What do you hate?

JA - Like most writers, I hate writing and love having written. The problem is that you can’t enjoy the latter without laboring over the former. I also enjoy the preamble -- working through a new idea before you sit down to write it. For me that involves a lot of conversation with my (very patient) wife as well as drawing lots of pictures in my journal. Pretty much every story I’ve every written started as a drawing in one of my journals.

Finally, if there was a zombie apocalypse (or I should say when -- ha ha) and you were trapped inside a building with only one book to read, what would it be and why?

JA - In the situation you describe, I suspect that Robinson Crusoe would suddenly take on new dimensions. It’s also a pretty fine book, apocalypse or not!

Well played Mr. Auxier. You might be able to at least hit a few zombies with that book before escaping to the island. Now that you've hung out with us go order, pick up, check out from the library a copy of Peter Nimble!

Bookish Kid Lit Panels at San Diego Comic Con 2011

2011-07-20T15:02:00.000-07:00

Many thousands of us will be attending the San Diego Comic Con (starting today) and the nerdocolypse will wash over the gas lamp district. For many of you, it could be your first time or you may be trying to figure out how to navigate the crowded waters to find those KID LIT friendly/related panels. Well, have no fear. I have compiled the list of panels in one spot - here. Have fun, I look forward to seeing some of you there.

THURSDAY

1:15-2:15 Books vs. Graphic Novels and Comics— Writers often dabble with various forms of art as an outlet for their creativity. In this panel, authors discuss the process and collaboration involved in publishing a graphic novel versus a novel, as well as the role comic books play in the creation of their characters and story arcs. Panelists Christopher Moore and Ian Corson (The Griff), Jim Butcher (The Harry Dresden series), Tom Sniegoski (The Fallen series), Amber Benson (The Calliope Reaper Jones novels), and Matthew Holms (Babymouse, Squish) talk about the differences and similarities with moderator David Mariotte of Mysterious Galaxy. Room 6A
Tags:  Comics | Writers & Writing

3:00-4:00 Magic & Monsters— Adult and young adult science fiction and fantasy authors discuss the costs and consequences of "magic" in their novels and the scary, hairy, and dangerous creatures that lurk in the worlds they have created. Visit the worlds of Kim Harrison (The Hollows series), Andrea Cremer (The Nightshade series), Anton Strout (The Simon Canderous series), Lev Grossman (The Magicians), Ben Loory (Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day), J. F. Lewis (The Void City novels), and Diana Rowland (The White Trash Zombie series), guided by moderator Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy. Room 25ABC
Tags:  Horror and Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Writers & Writing

4:30-5:30 Comics for Teens— Comics creators Cecil Castelluci (Plain Janes), Hope Larson (Mercury), Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole), and Gene Luen Yang (Level Up) come together for a discussion of what makes a comic fit a teen audience. Do books for teens have something special that books for kids and adults don't have? Moderated by Scott Westerfeld (New York Times bestselling teen author). Room 26AB
Tags:  Art and Illustration | Cartooning and Comic Strips | Comics | Writers & Writing

7:00-8:00 The Scoop at Simon & Schuster!— Get the inside word on Simon & Schuster's upcoming books and the chance to win exclusive prizes! Lucille Rettino (marketing director), Elke Villa (senior marketing manager), Carolyn Swerdloff (associate marketing manager), and Anna McKean (publicity manager) give you the scoop on upcoming books from exciting authors, including Cassandra Clare, Scott Westerfeld, Orson Scott Card, and Becca Fitzpatrick. Hear what is going on with S&S's hot properties -- Star Trek and The Smurfs -- and get a chance to win exclusive giveaways. All attendees will receive a limited edition T-shirt for Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Prince. Room 9
Tags:  Science Fiction & Fantasy | Writers & Writing

FRIDAY

12:00-1:00 Spotlight on Rebecca Moesta— Comic-Con special guest Rebecca Moesta (Star Challengers) has written more that 30 Middle Grade and YA novels in a variety of science fiction and fantasy series, from media universes (Young Jedi Knights, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek, Titan AE) to her own universes (Crystal Doors, Star Challengers, co-written with husband Kevin J. Anderson). Her new Star Challenger trilogy was co-created with June Scobee Rodgers (Challenger Centers for Space Science Education) to help inspire a new generation to explore careers in science, engineering, and technology. Rebecca will be interviewed by fellow author Nancy Holder (Crusade series). Room 9
Tags:  Comic-Con Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Writers & Writing

12:00-1:00 ABC Family: The Nine Lives of Chloe King— An exclusive sneak peek of an upcoming episode of The Nine Lives of Chloe King, followed by a Q&A session with the cast and producers. The cast in attendance includes Skyler Samuels (The Gates) as Chloe King, Amy Pietz (The Office) as Meredith King, Grey Damon (True Blood, Friday Night Lights) as Brian, newcomer Grace Phipps as Amy, Benjamin Stone (Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter video game series) as Alek, Alyssa Diaz (Shark Night 3D) as Jasmine, and Ki Hong Lee (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) as Paul. The executive producers are Dan Berendsen and, from Alloy Entertainment, Gina Girolamo. The Nine Lives of Chloe King airs Tuesday nights at 9/8c on ABC Family. Room 23ABC
Tags:  Science Fiction & Fantasy | Superheroes | Television

4:30-5:30 Comics in the Library— Librarians Candice Mack (LA Public Library), Mike Pawuk (Cuyahoga County Public Library), and Eva Volin (Alameda Library) come together for a discussion of the place of comics in the library. Which titles should you buy, where do you shelve them, and how do you convince the people you work with that comics have a real place in the library? This panel will tell you all this and more. Moderated by Gina Gagliano (First Second Books). Room 26AB
Tags: Comics

7:00-8:00 What's Up with Penguin— Anne Sowards (executive editor, Ace/Roc), Jessica Wade (senior editor, Ace/Roc), and Erin Dempsey (director of trade marketing, Penguin Young Readers Group) give you the dish on forthcoming books from such exciting authors and licensed properties as Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, S. M. Stirling, Rachel Caine, Heather Brewer, Richelle Mead, Kathy Reichs, John Flanagan, and many others. You can expect lots of giveaways you won't see anywhere else at the convention, including free advance reading copies! Room 9
Tags: Horror and Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Writers & Writing

SATURDAY

12:00-1:00 Twilight Fan Panel— ScarlettLetters (Wild Swan), ArcadianMaggie (I Wept Not), MJinAspen (Reality Minus Expectations), Rochelle Allison (Stary Eyed Inside), magnolia822 (A Quit Fire), Belladonna1472 (The Cullen Campaign) and Einfach Mich (Confessions of a Difficult Woman) make up this year's panel of Twilight fan fiction authors. They'll answer questions about the challenges and joys of writing derivative fiction in the Twilight fandom. Santa Rosa Room, Marriott Marquis & Marina
Tags: Fandom | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Writers & Writing

12:30-1:30 Diversity in Young Adult Works— It's not all about being torn between vampire and werewolf boyfriends. This panel is a celebration of different genres, protagonists, and media for young adult readers. The diverse authors participating include Cindy Pon (Fury of the Phoenix), Kiersten White (Supernaturally), Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy), Vera Brosgol (Anya's Ghost), Gene Yang (Level Up), and Elizabeth Bunce (A Curse Dark As Gold). Moderated by Malinda Lo (Huntress). Room 8
Tags: Horror and Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Writers & Writing

1:00-2:00 Little Lulu Fan Group— One of the most memorable kids' comics ever created, Little Lulu has generated a fan following around the world. Learn more about this classic comics character and the renewed interest in the other delightful works of the great John Stanley, and join in for the annual scripted reading of a Golden Age Little Lulu story. All are welcome! Santa Rosa Room, Marriott Marquis & Marina
Tags: Cartooning and Comic Strips | Comics | Fandom

1:45-2:45 Vampires and Others— How do you make a relationship work when you or your significant other lack a pulse or face other mortal-challenged issues? Get relationship advice from Patricia Briggs (The Mercy Thompson series), Nancy Holder (The Crusade series), Linda Thomas-Sundstrom (The Golden Vampire), S.G. Browne (Fated), Clay and Susan Griffith (The Vampire Empire series), and Christine Cody (Bloodlands). Moderated by Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy. Room 6A
Tags: Comic-Con Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances | Horror and Suspense | Writers & Writing

4:00-5:00 How to Create a Children's Book— Brianne Drouhard (Billie the Unicorn), Mike Collins (Monster Mythos), Eric Gonzalez and Erich Haegar (Rosita Y Conchita), Beth Sleven (Cryptid Case Files), and Steph Laberis (Ghost Chef) discuss the process of creating a children's book from scratch. Topics include designing a character and its world, choosing illustration materials, and creating a story. The panel participants have backgrounds in animation and gaming and will discuss how this influences their art. Development art will be presented, followed by Q&A. Room 30CDE
Tags: Animation | Art and Illustration | Cartooning and Comic Strips | Comics | Games | Seminars & Workshops

4:30-5:30 Transforming Super-Powered Comic Book Readers into Super-Powered Comic Book Writers— This presentation focuses on how parents, teachers, and librarians can build on the popularity of graphic novels and transform present-day readers of graphic novels into future writers of graphic novels. Panelists include Dr. Katie Monnin (Teaching Graphic Novels, Teaching Early Reader Comics and Graphic Novels), Belle Yang (Forget Sorrow: An Ancestral Tale), Dr. James Bucky Carter (Building Literacy Connections with Graphic Novels), John Hogan (editor at graphicnovelreporter.com), Eric Wight (Frankie Pickle), Jimmy Gownley (Eisner Award-nominated graphic novelist of Amelia Rules!), Matt Holm (Babymouse, Squish), and Meryl Jaffe (Teaching Content Area Graphic Novels). Room 26AB
Tags: Comics | Seminars & Workshops | Writers & Writing

5:30-6:30 Comics in the Classroom— Teachers Anastasia Betts (UCLA), Christina Blanch (Ball State University), Thien Pham (Bishop O'Dowd High School), and Cheryl Wozniak (San Francisco Public Schools) discuss the place of comics in the classroom. Moderated by Chris Duffy (Nursery Rhyme Comics). Room 26AB
Tags: Comics | Seminars & Workshops

SUNDAY

10:00-11:00 What's Hot in Young Adult Fiction: Sit Down with the Writers We Can't Stop Talking About— Hosted by Nathan Bransford (Jacob Wonderbar Cosmic Space Kapow), and featuring panelists Andrea Cremer (Nightshade series), Amanda Hocking (Hollowland), Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me), Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss), Laini Taylor (Daughter of Smoke and Bone), and Kiersten White (Paranormalcy), who discuss the YA phenomenon and their books. Room 23ABC
Tags: Horror and Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Writers & Writing

10:00-11:00 Teen Comics Workshop— Teens! Join teen comics creators Vera Brosgol (Anya's Ghost), Thien Pham (Level Up), Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy), and Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese) for the interactive comics workshop adventure of your lives. Learn exciting new things about storytelling, character development, drawing, and much more. Room 30CDE
Tags: Art and Illustration | Comics | Writers & Writing

10:00-11:00 Comic Book Fairs: Using Comics as a Literacy Tool— A diverse group of panelists from across the comic book, education, and nonprofit industries offer a frank and educational discussion celebrating and appreciating the role of Archie comics in academia. Archie Comics co-CEO and former teacher Nancy Silberkleit leads a panel that includes Kimberly Earle (CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving), Michael Bitz (ComicBookProject.org), and David Rojas (Archie Education) to discuss how schools can adopt comics in the classroom, how to create comic book-oriented lesson plans, student-created comic book projects, and what Archie Education has planned. Room 32AB
Tags: Comics | Seminars & Workshops

11:00-12:00 Manga Drawing For Kids— David Karrow (Alpha League) and a team of artists from eigoMANGA will teach kids of all ages tutorials on manga illustrations and storytelling. Room 30CDE
Tags: Anime & Manga | Art and Illustration | Comics | Kids

12:30-1:30 Secret Origin of Good Readers Breakout— These breakout sessions feature practical classroom exercises with comic books to demonstrate how to utilize comics in classroom settings. An all-ages appropriate comic book pack for your in-classroom library (limited to 50 packs) is available for participating educators after this panel. A free online 70-page The Secret Origin of Good Readers companion resource book [PDF] and other exciting materials are available at www.night-flight.com/secretorigin courtesy of XMission.com. Room 23ABC
Tags: Comics | Seminars & Workshops

1:45-2:45 Writing For the Middle Grade Audience: Engaging the Reader at an Important Age— Writers discuss how to craft books that engage and delight readers who are too mature for early readers but not yet ready to read young adult books. Authors include Rebecca Moesta (the Crystal Doors series), Brandon Mull (Beyonders: A World Without Heroes), Matt Myklusch (A Jack Blank Adventure Series), John Stephens (The Books of Beginning), Nathan Bransford (Jacob Wonderbar series), Stephen McCranie (Mal and Chad), D.J. MacHale (the Pendragon series), E. J. Altbacker (Shark Wars series), and Greg Van Eekhout (The Boy at the End of the World). Moderated by Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy. Room 5AB
Tags: Comic-Con Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Writers & Writing

2:45-3:45 High School Bites— Let's face it: High school sucks enough without having to add a constant thirst for blood, going all furry under a full moon, or being hunted by all of the above. But for these YA authors, going back to high school was the best decision they ever made. Scott Westerfeld (The Uglies series), Laini Taylor (Daughter of Smoke and Bone), Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia (Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness), Debbie Viguie (Once Upon a Time series), Anna Carey (Eve), and Heather Brewer (The Vlad Tod series) discuss their characters' formative years with moderator Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy. Room 5AB
Tags: Comic-Con Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances | Horror and Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Writers & Writing

MG Releases - Week of July 17th 2011

2011-07-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

Because I am always having to go to many sites to find out what is releasing in my passion area of books, I have decided to start collecting a list of weekly releases in the middle grade arena. So let's start the kick off with the following:

Dragonbreath: No Such Things As Ghosts (Dial, July 21, 2011)

Synopsis: Danny Dragonbreath and his best friend, Wendell, have a carefully constructed trick-or-treating system designed to maximize their Halloween candy haul. But this year, despite Danny's awesome vampire costume, their plan is flopping. First, Danny's dad makes them trick-or-treat with Christiana Vanderpool, an annoying know-it-all (and girl) who doesn't even believe that dragons exist. And then the school bully dares them to go into a spooky old haunted house. Naturally, the house is inhabited by a creepy clown and a candy-crazed ghost of yore. It's going to take more than fire-breathing to get them out of this mess - they might even have to (horror of horrors!) perform a sacrificial candy offering. Perfect for fans of Wimpy Kid and Big Nate, Ursula Vernon's hauntingly hilarious fifth book in the Dragonbreath series will make you check your closets and lock up your candy.

Bone Dog (Roaring Brook Press, July 19, 2011)

Synopsis: Ghost dogs and skeletons in a tall tale with a tender heart from the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of My Friend Rabbit. Sam doesn't feel like doing much after his dog Ella dies. He doesn't really even feel like dressing up for Halloween. But when Sam runs into a bunch of rowdy skeletons, it's Ella--his very own Bone dog--who comes to his aid, and together they put those skeletons in their place. A book about friendship, loss, and a delightfully spooky Halloween.

I CaN't WaiT fiLeS: Darth Paper Strikes Back

2011-07-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

I'm starting lots of new things on the blog and one of them is the above-mentioned. The I Can't Wait Files will be a weekly post about anything middle gradish that I can't wait for and think may be of interest to you.

My first ICWF is DARTH PAPER STRIKES BACK by Tom Angleberger. The awesometastic dude who wrote The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. Yeah, you know that book of amazingsuaceness! Darth Paper Strikes back on August 23, 2011(Amulet Books). Personally that is way too long to wait. Until then I will just keep hounded my friend Tom for an early copy.

You can also check out this awesome interview with Tom over at StarWars.com (how cool is that!) - http://www.starwars.com/kids/read/darthorigami/index.html

So until we get to get our hands on this future facemelter - MAY THE FOLDS BE WITH YOU!

James Patterson - Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life

2011-07-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

I thought this interview with Mr. Patterson about about his new middle grade book was interesting. I have to giggle at the part when he says that books with illustrations are the future.

Has anyone read this book yet? I'm curious and hesitant.

HUGO

2011-07-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

One of the very first posts that went up on the asylum was the news of Martin Scorsese directing Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Now the time has come for us to see how that endeavor has panned out. I would say that, judging by this trailer, Mr. Scorsese has done very well! You be the judge.

Rising from the Lazarus Pit

2011-06-27T10:09:00.000-07:00

“It’s not who you are underneath…It’s what you do that defines you!”

People, it is time to spread the word. And the word is – Literary Asylum returns! Bigger, better. More interviews, more contests, more reviews, more middle grade than you can stand. From the Lazarus pit the warden will return. Soon.

People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy, and I can't do that as D.M. Cunningham. As a man, I'm flesh and blood. I can be ignored, I can be destroyed. But as a symbol … as a symbol, I can be incorruptible. I can be everlasting.

ROCKlin it with Joanne - an amazing writer!

2011-06-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

Having a blog on writing gives you the opportunity to speak with some very impressive people. Some days you wonder how you get so lucky. Today's interview is with an amazingly talented and smart writer. I'm stealing this next part from her website because it's too good not to. JOANNE ROCKLIN is the critically acclaimed author of several books, including ONE DAY AND ONE AMAZING MORNING ON ORANGE STREET, an Indie Bound book; STRUDEL STORIES, which was a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and an American Library Association Notable Book, and FOR YOUR EYES ONLY!, which was a School Library Journal Best Book and a Bank Street Best Book. Her early readers THREE SMART PALS and THIS BOOK IS HAUNTED will soon be e-books, the latter also to be released as an App.

Her latest middle grade novel is ONE DAY AND ONE AMAZING MORNING ON ORANGE STREET, also published as an audiobook. "Fully realized characters and setting definitely make this one morning on Orange Street amazing." KIRKUS, starred.

She has a doctorate in psychology and is a former elementary school teacher, presently writing children’s books full-time. For several years she taught a popular class in writing children’s books at UCLA Extension. She gives presentations in schools, libraries and bookstores and has been a speaker for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the California Reading Association, and other organizations.

Joanne is a rock star. Wouldn't you say? Is it possible to air guitar to book interviews? (because I'm doing that right now). Okay, now that my opening act is over let's get to the main event.

You have a strong history of writing and teaching, can you tell us what brought you to writing for children?

JOANNE ROCKLIN: I have always written, ever since I was very little-- poems, stories, etc. Books have been one of my greatest loves, and I believe that most, if not all, writers have been life-long readers. As for writing for children-- I write middle grade, and the middle grade voice is strongest in my head, because of all the letters I wrote to a best friend during summer vacations. I fell in love with children's literature all over again when I had my own children. And, living in L.A., I found myself taking wonderful children's writing classes at UCLA Extension, as well as becoming inspired by and active in The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, which began in L.A. but is now an international organization.

Your new book sounds wonderful, can you tell us a little about it?

JR: This isn't really a lazy way out, but no one has described my novel better than my own editor in the flap copy, who understood the book completely. Here goes:

When a mysterious man arrives one day on Orange Street, the children who live on the block try to find out who he is and why he’s there. Little do they know that his story—and the story of a very old orange tree—connects to each of their personal worries in ways they never could have imagined. From impressing friends to dealing with an expanding family to understanding a younger sibling’s illness, the characters’ storylines come together around that orange tree.

Taking place over the course of a day and a half, Joanne Rocklin’s masterful novel deftly builds a story about family, childhood anxieties, and the importance of connection. In the end the fate of the tree (and the kids who care for it) reminds us of the magic of the everyday and of the rich history all around us.

The story also touches on the Great Depression, Vietnam War, and America's changing landscape.

I love writing for middle grade. Do you prefer writing for a specific age group? If so, why?

JR: Yes, I love writing for that age, too. My own middle grade years were spent with my head in a book. And as I said, I wrote piles of letters to a friend during the summers, and after the summer we exchanged letters! So I have boxes of my own middle grade voice sitting in my garage. I love that in middle grades the conflict is out there in the open and the main character doesn't have to be disguised as a bunny or a mouse. But I also love the naivety of the age, combined with a growing awareness--this makes for great opportunities for humor!

What is the biggest mistake you see new writers making when writing for children?

JR: The biggest mistake is not understanding that each genre reflects the developmental age and needs of the child reader. That is, there's a reason a picture book looks and sounds the way it does. There's a reason why a 6 year old is not usually a main character in a middle grade. There's a reason why young "easy" readers have self-contained (vs. cliff-hanging) chapters. I've written articles about this aspect of children's books. My web site has an interview with me on this topic. (joannerocklin.com)

Your posts on writer's block are extremely helpful. Do you find this is a huge roadblock for many writers? Why do you think that is?

JR: I don't know what the numbers are, but I'd guess it's a problem for most writers at some point. I believe that the main reason is that all writers are readers. We've all read the very best books out there, so our gold standard for ourselves is pretty high. Once I got it into my head that the first draft is usually AWFUL, and that's ok, and that work tends to improve and develop after revision, I was (almost) cured of my occasional block...I love talking and thinking about the writer's process, though. It's all so---human!

There is a lot of buzz on the internet right now about self-publishing vs. legacy publishing. I would like to know your thoughts about this and what you think the benefits of both of them are?

JR: I'm afraid I don't know much about this topic. I have never considered self-publishing. I think the main issue is distribution once it's published, and it's exhausting thinking about doing it all myself...

One of my favorite questions to ask authors is - if you were stuck on a deserted island with only one book to read what would it be and why?

JR: Oh, gosh. Probably a book about how to get off the island...you've heard that before, I'm sure. The thought terrifies me! I've honestly never thought about this! I don't even know how to make a fire. Hmmmm....Reading, as I said, is one of my greatest escapes--it would have to be an amazing book to take my mind off that crisis. Probably a book of good poetry, an anthology from all over the world....

One of the funny things about that favorite question. I've never thought about what book I would want if I was stuck on an island. Hmmm. I'm pretty sure there would be zombies and dinosaurs on the island no matter where it was.

I can't thank Joanne enough for taking time to speak with me and share her thoughts on writing. I'm very anxious to read her new book and I have to find This Book is Haunted. Looks glorious, right?

Really Dead Around Here

2011-06-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

Because the dust has settled for some time since my last interview. Those of you still hanging with me may be saying "Hey D.M. it's really dead around here." And you would be right. I have two wonderful interviews coming up in the next week and then I will be taking a bloggercation, twittercation and any other cation of the interwebs variation.

I have been hammered with a workload that has worn me down. I need some time to finish a couple writing projects that I am so close to wrapping up. But they need some TLC and some focus. Unfortunately the blog will suffer for the time being. I hope to come back from the dead and raise the bar on the blog. It is probably due for a face lift and some rebooting (We can thank DC comics for that mindset).

Until then, keep writing, keep reading, and keep it simple.

I would be DAN SANTAT's SiDEKiCk Any Day!

2011-05-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

I rambled off fifty different ways to start today's interview. I was smart, witty, and dashing (although you couldn't see it - I really was). I dressed in superhero gear, prepped my utility belt, filed the batarangs and gassed the Mattmobile (my version of the Batmobile disguised as a silver Chevrolet). Sometimes, no matter how much you prepare, you just can't be fully ready for an explosion of geektastic awesomeness that is today's interview. Seriously folks, I am over the moon. I have been a big fan of DAN SANTAT for a long time. His work is inspiring and laugh-out-loud makes me want to cry amazing. Thanks to LISA YEE, I finally got to meet him. But that is enough of my fan boy blathering. Let's get down to the meat and potatoes!

Coming in July is Dan's latest graphic novel that is going to melt our faces off, turn them to dust and blow the ashes into the wind. If you are not aware of SIDEKICKS (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2011) - you are now. Dan and I talked about this awesome book and I of course had to ask other slobbery fan questions. So sit back and enjoy the awesomesauceness about to unfold...

Can you tell me a bit about Sidekicks and how the story came about?

DAN SANTAT: When I was in art school I took a Natures of Materials class where we learned how to paint in various mediums and experiment with different painting surfaces. All the assignments had to have a theme and so I went with superhero animals. The first one I did was a beaver dressed as Captain America (which ended up becoming the hamster in my book) and the next came an electric cat and so forth. I started sketching out these characters more and more in my sketchbook until I had six characters that I was fully satisfied with and I called them The Domesticated Six.

I still had a good year left in art school and I began appropriating them into other class assignments hoping that I could have a whole picture book dummy to show by the time I got out of school. Turns out that a year after graduating I met Arthur Levine and he offered me a two book deal (the first being The Guild of Geniuses) and the second was The Domesticated Six, which he bought just on the idea alone.

After the release of The Guild of Geniuses I ended up working on other projects and eventually getting my own cartoon show with Disney Channel called “The Replacements” while the whole world was eagerly waiting for JK Rowling and Arthur to finish up Harry Potter 6 and 7. Within that time the Graphix imprint at Scholastic was starting up we switched gears and Arthur asked me if I was interested in doing the story as a graphic novel. This was, originally, how I had envisioned the story to be in the first place and so I agreed to take on the task never having done a graphic novel before. The premise about neglected children who fight for a working parents attention seemed to hit pretty close to the model of today’s modern parent. It’s never a parent’s intention to spend less time with their families, it’s just that it’s harder than ever to make ends meet and you are slowly seeing more two income families with kids who spend hours in after school daycare and so forth. The family dynamic has changed tremendously since I was a kid and I just thought it would be an interesting story to tell. The first draft took me one year and it was 500 pages and it was a total learning experience on how not to make a comic. I was told it was too long and that two of the six characters just seemed too thin. After rewriting the manuscript we got it down to four characters and around 200 pages. The reason why this all took so long was because I was spreading myself too thin in every direction trying to pay my bills and raise a family of my own and certain paying assignments just always too precedence over that ‘white whale’ of a project what had an open ended deadline. It was about 5 years after I originally signed the contract that I finally squared away the manuscript I wanted to tell. The other two years was just drawing and coloring.

Are you a comic book fan? What books or stories are you following and who influences you the most (characters or creators)?

DS: I’m a HUGE comic book fan. I grew up giving almost every comic out there a fair shake until I eventually settled into reading mostly Marvel comics. I had a friend who introduced me to every title out there from the more obscure characters such as Dr. Strange to the very popular X-Men. After about five years of collecting I had collected about a thousand comics and when there was that mass exodus of talent to start Image Comics I started branching out into Manga. Back in the day when you wanted to see Anime you had to go to a comic convention and buy it off some guy who recorded a movie off of a laserdisc and sold it for $30.

All of it was in Japanese and I couldn’t understand a single word but it clearly was a different philosophy of storytelling and I wanted to know more and so I started reading AKIRA and Appleseed and so forth. The beauty of those titles was that characters had major flaws and would suffer from their dearly for their mistakes, sometimes even death which was uncommon in American mainstream comics. Sure Superman died but they brought him back a few months later.

The death of Robin was the closest thing we ever seriously got to anything I read in Manga.

Now I’m rather picky about what I read. I often like to support the smaller independent writers and I’m actually less of a superhero fanatic than when I was a kid. Right now the only real serialized comic that I’m reading is “Blade of the Immortal” but for the most part I’m reading stories like “Ghost World”, “Jimmy Corrigan, The Smartest Kid in the World”, and most recently “Scott Pilgrim” and anything from First Second Comics (I mean anything). Throughout my life I find myself being influenced by folks like Masamune Shirow, Katsuhiro Otomo, William Joyce, David Sedaris, Daniel Clowes, and Tex Avery.

As a writer/illustrator can you tell me how your process works? Do you find yourself doodling and then inspiration strikes for a story or does the story hit and images come later?

DS: I’m always infatuated with the story. Illustrations can give me ideas but I never actually draw anything unless I feel the story is solid and it’s worth my time. I may draw the characters a few times to figure out how I want them to look and that will often reflect their personality, but that’s it. I outline (Sidekicks was about a 27 page outline) followed by storyboarding the dialogue and then assemble the boards into comic spreads and finally ink and color.

When I think about storytelling I’m sometimes inspired by a drawing I’ve done, other times I’m inspired by other stories which I feel could be interesting if approached it in a different way. As a whole I’m often inspired by everything I see and read and I flesh out and outline.

You created a wonderful cartoon, The Replacements. How different is it working in animation for you than illustrating books? What are the biggest challenges in animation?

DS: In animation you work with a group of folks, (creative and administrative) and the idea is agreed upon as a whole and the end product is about getting as many viewers as possible. What I feel it suffers is that it tries to be everything at once and in turn becomes a watered down version of the basic idea. The biggest challenge in animation is having your choices constantly having to be filtered and approved before you can move on to the next step. It’s a constant start and stop and you often find yourself having to compromise on some things. That’s not to say that I don’t appreciate a team effort but when you compare it to publishing it’s just you, an editor, and an at director. The vision is more pure and the editor helps you make your vision come out clear and concise. Though animation pays much better I prefer the clear pure vision of the original idea any day.

I certainly hope there will be some new cartoons coming from you. Anything you can share with us? Tease us about?

DS: I’ve been playing with some ideas but I haven’t really approached the animation industry since the Replacements. I’ve been really focusing on becoming more relevant in publishing and firmly establishing myself there, besides, it’s a lot easier to get a book deal than a TV show, and I have a lot of stories I want to tell.

Well I am glad you are doing books right now because I think they are the truest form the creator can have.

What do you love about the writing and illustrating process? What do you hate about it?

DS: I love the outlining process of writing a story. It’s the fitting of all the pieces of the story where I finally see things come to life. It’s only after I do an outline that I can fairly judge if an idea I have is worth publishing or not. When I illustrate it’s actually more on the finishing end that I appreciate. I’m pretty loose when I paint and things don’t really come together until the last few steps. In fact, I rarely sketch things out unless it’s needed. I generally like my artwork to evolve from nothing rather than be so carefully calculated. I understand the need for it though which is why I try to put most of my energy in the sketching process so I don’t have to redo as much in the end.

If you could adapt any story you wanted into the Dan Santat version/retelling what would it be and why?

DS: I have a Dune/Nausicaa idea (though not as dark and creepy) that I’m working on that I’m really excited about but it will be years before I even get a chance to tackle it. There aren’t any specific reasons other than the idea came into my head and it just feels really exciting.

That sounds fantastic! Can I pre-order that now even though it is not ready? No, really... can I?

Okay, last question (I promise). Let's say there is a zombie apocalypse going on and you are trapped in a house for a long time with only ONE book. What would it be and why?

DS: “The Zombie Survival Guide” by Max Brooks. Duh!

More like super DUH!! But Dan is the first one to say this book! That's why I would be his sidekick. Chewie to his Han, Robin to his Batman, Strawberry to his Shortcake... er. Well, you get the idea.

Okay, that was FANtastic for me and I hope everyone else enjoyed as much as I did. A super hero sized thank you to Dan for dropping in, kicking butt and taking names. A Batastic hug to Lisa Yee as well for being her usual superb self. Be sure to follow Dan (because he is hilarious) and all his happenings through his website and blog here. Until next time, keep kicking TAIL!

Serving up the CHEESIE MACK with Steve Cotler

2011-05-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

For many of us summer break no longer exists. These days we work through the week to get to the weekend to have mini summer breaks. But there was a time when summer break meant a world of possibilities. A time to reinvent yourself before the new school year. A time to explore the outer fringes of the neighborhood and stay up late at night reading monster books or watching monster movies (okay that is what I did - you fill in your summer event here). I say embrace those memories and grab yourself a heaping of STEVE COTLER'S debut book CHEESIE MACK Is Not A Genius or Anything (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2011). It's here just in time for your summer reading. Ahh, summer. Well, I could go on for days about the crazy things I did in the summer but let's talk to the author of this awesome middle grade book that will leaving you craving for more.

Mr. Cotler, you have a very interesting background from Apollo to Harvard Business School to Hollywood. What brought you to writing for children?

Steve Cotler: First, I’m a father and grandfather who purposely engages his progeny in conversation. I like to hear what they have to say, so even small events in small lives get me thinking. For children, there’s an adventure in every hour. Second, I’m a natural storyteller. Ask me a question (“Where could I go to dig up my own fossils?”) and be prepared for a very long, but very intriguing answer. (“There’s a little-used highway heading east out of Madras, Oregon. I was driving Winkie—remember that periwinkle-colored van?—past hawks, rock slides of every hue from red to redder and from gray to green, and one horse with a man and a sheep dog.”) And third, I no longer feel I have to prove anything or win a ribbon. Now, I just want to do good deeds. The grin on a kid’s face when imagination leads to cognition or discovery is evidence of one of those good deeds.

Currently working in Hollywood myself, I find that a lot more screenwriters are turning to writing books. Why do you think that is? What do you think is the biggest challenge in doing so?

SC: I left TV and screenwriting in 2001. And I was never really part of the Hollywood scene, so I can’t generalize about others making the switch to books. For me, novel-writing offered the privilege of writing alone, without producers and studios sitting on my shoulder as I stared at the keyboard.

Your debut book, Cheesie Mack is a lot of fun! What made you decide to have this be your first book and can you spill any beans on some of the upcoming books in the series?

SC: The summer I was 19, I was a counselor at a boys camp in Maine. I made up and told my charges a lights-out story that was so sensationally and happily terrifying, it became a staple in my storytelling repertoire. I retold it many times over the succeeding decades. A few years ago I resolved to turn it into a middle-grades novel, but it needed to have a kid as the protagonist, not a 19-year-old. That’s how Cheesie was born. His last few days of school leading up to summer camp became Cheesie Mack Is Not a Genius or Anything. The second book takes place at camp. By book three, Cheesie’s in middle school…and that’s where he’ll stay for the rest of the series.

You state that you are an "11-year-old author" who has basically never grown up. (My wife will agree with that thought about me). How much of Ronald Mack is within you?

SC: A lot. I was a small, smart kid, like Cheesie. But I never had a sister, nor any sibling as mean as Goon. I wish I’d had a friend like Georgie…I guess that’s why he’s so important to the series. And I never had a grandfather. But Cheesie’s not really me. I grew up in a small, non-descript farming town in California; he lives on the Atlantic coast surrounded by classic New England history, some of which will make it into succeeding books, I hope. You can’t go back…but as a writer, I have the chance to fill in some missing pieces and experience a second childhood in 21st century Gloucester.

What do you love most about writing and what drives you bananas about the process? Why?

SC: What I love most is what I call the writerly unexpected. When Georgie found the envelope in his basement, I had no idea what was in it. I didn’t even know there was an envelope until Georgie popped out from under the stairs and held it out. And when he showed Cheesie (and me) the coin and the necklace, thin tendrils of story, previously invisible, showed themselves…and the thlot plickened.

Steve didn't like the word bananas so he took the 5th on that. I don't blame him. Sometimes bananas can get over ripe and gross. Okay, let's carry on...

What authors are you reading today and who are the most influential to you? Why?

SC: I have always liked Kurt Vonnegut, Barbara Kingsolver, and James Salter. And no one writes better children’s books than Sharon Creech. But I don’t read many children’s books these days. Perhaps it's because I never follow recipes when I cook, and I never make the same dish twice. These days I am reading non-fiction almost exclusively. I am deeply interested in American history, politics, and society, especially racism. The Civil War began 150 years ago this past April, we have an African-American president, yet racism continues. Two excellent books I read recently were James Bradley's The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War and Honor Killing: Race, Rape, and Clarence Darrow's Spectacular Last Case by David E. Stannard. The former makes clear how racism determined America’s foreign policy 100 years ago (and still today?). The latter book shows how a single incident can illuminate the prejudices of the times (the 1930’s).

Let's say you were stuck on the moon with only one book to read. What would it be and why?

SC: Genius: A Mosaic of One Hundred Exemplary Creative Minds by Harold Bloom. Although I don’t agree with every Bloomish observation, his brilliantly challenging insights would keep me reading forever. I’d never finish the book. (It’s on my nightstand. I haven’t finished it!)

And because I am a big space geek. How cool was it to work on Apollo? Did you ever just want to take it out for a joy ride or anything? At least eat lunch in the thing!?

SC: I was 22, working for IBM as a systems engineer in Cambridge, MA. My job was to code a couple of subroutines for the onboard computer simulator. Everything I did was virtual. I never left the office and never saw a single hunk of hardware. But this was 1966, the early days of computers. I was riding the frontier, trapping muskrat, and trading with the natives. I loved the nerdy challenge. I am still very connected to science. I am a trustee of the Summer Science Program (www.ssp.org), the most challenging enrichment program for super-bright high school science students. SSP is now in its 53rd year. I attended in 1960 (year 2), and it changed my life.

That's not Steve, but it is an IBM

A huge thank you to Steve for stopping by the Asylum and hanging out with us during his very busy schedule. I also want to thank Casey at Random House for being super awesome! Keep those books coming!

From the mind of M.P. KOZLOWSKY sprouts JUNIPER BERRY

2011-05-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but when I find a book that I love I want to selfishly keep it all to myself. Then you realize that you can't keep it tucked away in a dark corner for your eyes only. You know that everyone else needs to read this book. JUNIPER BERRY by M.P. KOZLOWSKY (Walden Pond Press, 2011) is one of those books. It dug its hooks into me and hasn't let go.A haunting and whimsical tale with delightfully dark elements, this book is sure to please. Just watch the trailer and you will see.

Awesome. I know. So let's get into it with M.P. already and see what he has to say about this wonderful book.

Can you tell us about your background and what brought you to writing for children?

M.P. - My goal had always been to write. I never considered myself a children's or adult author or even an author of a specific genre. I take great pride in the fact that I am able to write in various styles and mediums, something I practiced from a very early age. I now plan to continually shift and dabble in different areas of the writing world, resisting confinement. When I decided to write Juniper Berry, however, I happened to be at a crossroads. My father had died after a very long battle with various illnesses and disabilities caused by a severe head injury. With his passing, he left me a small sum of money - money that I wanted to use to honor him and not stuff away in a bank account or waste frivolously; I didn't want his death to be in vain - and so, I quit teaching high school English after three years and set about writing a novel and memoir, neither of which, upon completion, I believed were quite ready for publication. But, I was running out of time and money - there had to be something else. And then I thought of Juniper Berry. The book could only have been written at this urgent point in time. There were certain issues I wanted to tackle, certain themes, and I felt a children's story would be the best way in which to do it. Staring failure in its harrowing and pallid face, I persevered at the very last moment.

A lot of writers make a transition from being teachers to authors. Why do you think that is?

M.P.: Speaking for myself, my childhood was spent mostly in poverty, and so, instead of taking a huge risk, my mother always advised me to acquire a degree with which I could always fall back on and a secure job while pursuing my dream on the side, which teaching allows one to do - or so it seems. I actually believe there are even more teachers out there who wish to be authors or, perhaps, something else, but the profession is so difficult and demanding, that the time they once believed would be used to pursue this passion becomes something else: much needed rest and relaxation, of which I don't begrudge them one bit.

Juniper is a wonderful debut novel and I love the dark elements to your story. Can you talk to me about your influences and why you chose Juniper as your first book to write?

M.P. - My influences tend to run dark - most likely the effects of a troubled childhood, the things I was witness to. Most days, I found life to be quite dangerous and confusing, sad and tragic. Fairy tales, such as Grimm's before they were filtered down by Disney and the like, really spoke to me. I enjoyed children's books and movies with a darker, more mature edge to them, such as Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Dark Crystal, and so on. My childhood had a tremendous effect on Juniper Berry and everything else I write today. Sometimes pain can be used in a positive way. I channel it whenever I can.

This book resonated with me because I work in Hollywood and the theme of losing yourself really connects to this business. Do you know your theme before writing or did it evolve during your writing?

M.P. - I figured Hollywood would serve as the best example, though losing one's self can refer to many different paths in life. The theme of the story definitely existed before I set about writing. As a writer entering the world of publishing, the rigid structure of it, the particular guidelines, I was all too wary about being consumed. Sometimes, the desire to succeed can be so strong that one is willing to do just about anything to achieve it. In a way Juniper's journey reflects my own.

What have you learned about the steps of publishing since your journey to becoming a published author?

M.P. - First, there are the rejections. Every writer speaks on this, but it is never enough to prepare you - I kept an entire log of them. To me, the most important step was in finding an agent, which I succeeded in doing by accepting Elana Roth's wonderful offer of representation. After this, she made it seem easy to get published. Of course, from there, the road is much longer than most may think. From the amount of drafts and rewrites to line editing and emails back and forth about design and illustrations and marketing - by the time the book sees print a few years have passed since writing the very first word. The common perception is that it is not difficult to write - one sits at home, behind a desk, writes a few words, maybe takes a break, gets back to it, grabs something to eat, etc. - but unless you actually go through the entire process, all the research, all the edits, all the stress and pressure, the constant tug and pull, most people will never realize exactly how much blood, sweat, and tears (no exaggeration) really go into it.

If you could give new writers advice about the craft, what would you tell them to do? What would you tell them not to do?

M.P. - Among other things, I think Juniper Berry is a sort of commentary on the path to publication. It is easy to sell out, to write formulaically with the specific goal being to make money. I would advise against this at all costs, as it will not lead to the self fulfillment one may hope for. Always write for yourself. And, of course, read and write as much as you can - there shouldn't be much time for anything else (free time should be a thing of the past).

If you were trapped inside a room beneath a tree in the forest with only one book to read, what would it be and why?

M.P. - It would have to be something of great length while simultaneously being beautifully written, a book that begs to be reread over and over again, a book ripe for deep analysis. Perhaps, Don Delillo's Underworld.

I want to thank M.P. for stopping by the Asylum and hanging out with us. I would also like to give a ginormous thank you to Kellie at Walden Pond Press for all her help and continued support.

There are still plenty of stops left on the Juniper blog tour. Be sure to stop by and check out them out.

Friday May 6^th – Guest Post at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Saturday May 7^th – Review and Giveaway at National Examiner

Sunday May 8^th – Interview at National Examiner

Monday, May 9^th – Review, Guest Post and Giveaway at The Book Smugglers

JUNIPER BERRY Blog Tour & Writing Contest

2011-05-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

This Thursday author M.P. Kozlowsky will be stopping by to chat with us as part of the JUNIPER BERRY blog tour. To celebrate the release of this amazing book from Walden Pond Press.

Be sure to stop by and visit the other blogs on the tour (listed below).

Monday, May 2^nd – Review at There’s a Book & Review & Interview at Alison’s Bookmarks

Tuesday, May 3^rd – Guest Post at My Friend Amy

Wednesday, May 4^th – Review and Giveaway at Reading Vacation

Thursday, May 5^th – Interview at Literary Asylum

Friday May 6^th – Guest Post at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Saturday May 7^th – Review and Giveaway at National Examiner

Sunday May 8^th – Interview at National Examiner

Monday, May 9^th – Review, Guest Post and Giveaway at The Book Smugglers

AND partake in this wonderful opportunity!

Juniper Berry Writing Contest: On 5/1/11 we are launching a writing contest for tweens that centers around the novel. The winner receives an iPad and a library of WPP Ebooks, paperbacks and hardcovers. Here is all the info – feel free to post if you like:

To celebrate the release of M.P. Kozlowsky’s debut novel Juniper Berry, Walden Pond Press is inviting all writers aged 9-14 to write his or her own tale of terror and temptation in at least 500 words. One grand prize winner will receive an iPad and a library of Walden Pond Press eBook, paperback and hardcover novels and his or her story published online at walden.com. Author M.P. Kozlowsky will select the winner. To learn more: www.walden.com/win/juniperberry.

Hooray for HORTON HALFPOTT

2011-05-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

To celebrate this week's release of Horton Halfpott: Or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset (Amulet 2011) - a book I have been dying to get my hands on - I caught up with the amazingly talented creator of the book, Tom Angleberger, author extraordinaire and uber wonderful person. As many of you know, Tom has written some fantastic books - The Strange Case of Origami Yoda and The Qwikpick Adventure Society

I love the title of your upcoming release, Horton Halfpott... Can you tell us a bit about the book?

Tom Angleberger: It's a loving spoof of Victorian novels with a side-order of The Three Investigators. I wanted to write a book that I would have flipped for in the 6th grade, so I tried to put in everything I love in a book: secret passage, crazy map, hidden jokes, a little bit of love and pirates. Since the book is set in the middle of England, the pirates had to be Shipless Pirates.

Since the release of the awesome Origami Yoda (OY), you have been busy working on the second book and the illustrations. When did you have time to write Horton?

TA: Actually, Horton was already written. It was the first book I ever finished writing. And it was the book that really made me determined to be a kids' author.

However, the many of the illustrations were done in the midst of all this OY craziness. It's about 75 pen and ink drawings in all. That was much, much harder than writing the book.

Was there anything that you learned from the OY experience that you took with you when writing Horton and the sequel to OY? If so, what?

TA: One thing I have finally learned, is that skipping around in time can be a real problem. Unless there's a really good reason for it, it is confusing/annoying to the reader AND my editor is probably going to make me change it anyway.

What is the biggest challenge for you writing multiple books? What advice can give to those of us who may be faced with that challenge someday?

TA: Quite simply, it can be hard to find the time/peace-of-mind to sit down and write a book when you are running all over the place promoting the last book.

Many authors today are expected to promote their own work because of shrinking marketing divisions or budgets. How much time do you spend doing this every week? What has worked the best for you?

TA: First of all, Amulet's Marketing team is incredible! They have done an amazing amount of work for my books. But yes, I do a whole lot myself. Sometimes I feel like all of my time goes to promoting. I'm finishing up folding 200 Darth Papers which will be given away with the ARCs. I'm running various contests on my various blogs. I'm about to go to a conference to do a panel with Michael Buckley. (He's a riot!) There are Skype visits, book signings, blog comments to moderate, e-mails and real mail to answer, events to schedule (and re-schedule due to broken leg), book trailers to film, etc.., etc... The easiest thing to put off is writing.

Once we gobble up Horton, what release is coming up next for you?

TA: Darth Paper Strikes Back is coming in August: "It is a dark time at McQuarrie Middle School..."

If you only knew the power of Origami.

I LOVE that Tom stays busy because I always have a book to look forward too. Now that you are done reading this post, RUN don't walk to the bookstore and get a copy of HORTON (did I mention that the cover glows in the dark!). What are you waiting for... GO!

My new ACCIDENTAL HERO - Matt Myklusch

2011-04-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Deadly robots, ninjas, and comic book madness that creates an ACCIDENTAL HERO. No, it's not my biography (don't I wish). Today, Asylum friends, marks the paperback release of book one in the series of Jack Blank stories written by Matt Myklusch. With book two THE SECRET WAR hitting the shelves in August 2011(Aladdin, Simon & Schuster) you have some time to dive head first into the incredible world and story of Jack Blank. Author Matt Myklusch has created and kicked off a series that is going to suck you right in and if you love all things middle grade and comic book and, well, awesome, then you will want to join in on the fun. To celebrate today's release we have the wonderful Mr. Myklusch - who I feel is a kindred spirit of mine - here to talk about Accidental Hero, writing, and comic book love. Let's geek out, shall we?

Can you tell us what brought you to writing for children and why you chose middle grade as your focus?

Matt Myklusch: My tastes are all over the map. I wrote screenplays before I wrote novels, mainly because I mistakenly thought they would be easier. There was a murder mystery, an action movie, and a "serious drama." They were all good ideas, poorly executed. None of them went anywhere. Over time, I realized that screenwriting wasn't really the right format for me, so a friend and I wrote a novel together. It was a comedy about pledging a fraternity. We had a lot of fun writing it, and we learned a lot too. Unfortunately, one of the things we learned was that we had written a book for twenty-something men (a demo no publisher is putting out books for).

So, it was back to the drawing board. I really enjoyed the freedom that comes with writing books as opposed to screenplays and decided to give it another go. This time around, there were two main rules: 1.) write for a genre that there was actually a market for (what a concept), and 2.) write something I was going to have fun with. It's a lot of work to write a novel, and there's no guarantee that anything will happen with it when you're done. If you don't have fun doing it, that's just a shame. Me, I love comic books and superheroes, and this idea I had about a boy who develops super powers and visits the comic book world just forced its way to the front of my brain and refused to be ignored. The Middle Grade level just felt right for THE ACCIDENTAL HERO. It's just how the voice of the story came out.

Many of us dream about getting to publication. Many of us also don't know what to expect after publication. What was the biggest surprise for you? What has been the biggest challenge for you?

MM: The biggest surprise was how the finish line keeps moving. First, getting an agent was the goal. That alone meant I was in the club. It was validation. It meant I was a "real writer." Then, once I had an agent, it was getting a book deal. Then, once the book sold to a publisher, it was hoping that it would sell in the stores to real people. The biggest challenge is getting the word out about your book and cutting through the clutter. There's no one thing that will do it. It just takes a lot of hard work and hustle.

I thought that once I achieved my dream of getting published, I could just relax and be satisfied, but I I'm not there yet. Each step leads to the next step. Each goal achieved sets up a bigger goal. That's not a bad thing, though. What do you do after your dreams come true? I say you keep dreaming.

The Jack Blank series has a smorgasbord of amazing things we need to see more of in books like robots and ninjas and wizards, to name a few. A lot of writers might have a hard time keeping focus with all this going on. How did you maintain focus during the creation process? Did it ever seem like there was too much?

MM: Absolutely. In the earlier drafts, I am sure there was too much, too. With this book, I really wanted to showcase the comic book world that fired my imagination as a kid. This is a world where it's normal to see superheroes, supervillains, robots, ninjas, and aliens all fighting in the street on a random Tuesday. The trick was giving the impression of this hero-filled world where the amazing is commonplace and the impossible happens every day, without bombarding the reader with too much information and telling them about *every* last hero and villain.

What really helped me keep it all under control was figuring out the structure of the world before I started, and filtering everything through the perspective of my main character. The story follows Jack Blank as he visits the Imagine Nation (the comic book world come to life) for the first time, so the reader learns about everything at the same time he does.

What do you think is the biggest mistake new writers make when writing genre stories? Especially when they are creating worlds?

MM: Trying to follow trends or recreate something that has already been done (and done well). I've been guilty of this myself. I love Indiana Jones, and one of the screenplays I wrote back in the day was a deliberate attempt to create "my own" Indiana Jones. Projects that start out like that can't ever achieve greatness. They're not coming from a place of creativity as much as they are a place of imitation. That's not to say you can't be inspired by another writer's work, but you have to write your story, or you're going to spend a lot of time thinking about what someone else's characters would do or say in a scene, instead of your own.

I've read that you grew up on comics and they are a major influence on your work. Can you tell us who (creators and characters) that changed the world for you? Why?

MM: The founding of Image Comics in 1992 had a huge impact on me. I'm an artist as well as a writer, and in many ways, I'm an artist first. Drawing is still the first step in my creative process. Back in 1992, my favorite artists - the top pencilers in comics - all left Marvel to form their own company. This was a revolutionary move. Up until then, there was just Marvel and DC. That was it. Now, there was a whole new universe being created. The Image universe. Its creators (Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Erik Larsen, Rob Liefeld) weren't just drawing the comics now either. They were writing the stories too. They were involved in every aspect of the creative process.

Batman Europa by Jim Lee

It was a huge inspiration. Someone had opened the floodgates and all these great new comics and characters were coming out every week. It was proof positive that all the good superhero ideas weren't already taken. On top of that, Image Comics is all about creator owned properties, so reading comics from Image was like getting to look inside the brains of my favorite artists. I wasn't just enjoying their artwork anymore. I was seeing what their ideas were, and it made me want to keep coming up with my own.

Are you currently following any storylines in comics? Which ones?

MM: I read a ton of comics. Everything from straight superhero titles to pulp crime stories and fantasy. Some of my favorites right now are Grant Morrison's BATMAN INC., Joe Hill's LOCKE & KEY, Bill Willingham's FABLES, and Ed Brubaker's CRIMINAL and INCOGNITO titles.

Batman Inc.

I also like the AVENGERS, X-MEN, and SPIDER-MAN, and I'm interested to see what Marvel's FEAR ITSELF is all about. I'm a sucker for big cross-over events.

And finally - There is a giant robot invasion going on and you are trapped inside an underground bunker for a long time and you only have one book to read. What is it and why?

MM: "Escaping Underground Bunkers and Thwarting Robot Invasions: For Dummies".

Look out, Dummy!

I'm ordering my copy of that book now! You won't catch me being overtaken by loud sluggish robots. A super huge thank you to Matt for stopping by and talking shop. I plan on snagging a copy of Accidental Hero tomorrow at my local bookstore. If you haven't had the pleasure of reading it, I hope you join me in supporting what is sure to be an awesome series.

Spreading GOSSIP and RUMORS with Rose Cooper

2011-04-18T10:09:00.000-07:00

When I received the ARC of GOSSIP FROM THE GIRLS' ROOM by ROSE COOPER (Random House, 2011) I was intrigued by the comment "Diary of a Wimpy Kid for girls" tag that was added to it. But let me tell you something. Rose has written a book that stands on its own and will rise above the shadow of a wimpy kid and take life of its own. In fact it already has with several printings. This Blogtastic book is hilarious! The phrase "stink-haunted" had me laughing for days. Now that I am thinking about that word again I'm laughing. I really hope that boys will overlook the pink trimmings on the black cover and pick this book up and read it. Why? Because they will find a great deal of humor that is not just "girl-centric". I couldn't read the book fast enough and I had to speak with the author that had me laughing harder at times than Wimpy Kid did. So please join me for a very entertaining interview with one of my new heroes.

Can you tell me a bit of your background and what brought you to writing for children?

Rose Cooper: I was always obsessed with reading and writing and in 6th grade I proclaimed my career as a future author. I just had no idea it would be such a long and difficult journey. I did the typical kid stuff, entering story contests, attending young writers’ conferences, and sending out my first query when I was eleven. I declared myself as my own agent because, well, anyone can do that, right? After I grew up and figured out what a query really was and traded in the typewriter and white out for a computer, I started seriously querying agents. Although I had many close calls, it took me about ten stories, a bazillion queries, and six years before writing GOSSIP and landing my fabulous agent, Rosemary Stimola. I’ve just always had a passion for writing for children. That, and being in denial about growing up, has helped.

Your debut novel is hilarious. Was it intended to be a graphic novel? If not, when did that decision come about?

RC: Thanks! I did intend for it to be a graphic novel, I just never thought in a million years that the actual images would be done by me! As soon as I started the story, it became clear that the images would have to be incorporated into the text, so I drew these to get my idea across. It wasn’t until we got the offer from Random House that I realized they would be keeping the images.

What made you decide to tell this story first and how much of it is based on you (if any)?

RC: The inspiration for the story hit me like a suitcase of bricks. I was in Starbucks studying for my Business Law class and the restroom was in my direct line of vision. WHAM! Inspiration! Actually, my original title, “Bathroom Blog” is the first thing that came to mind. From there, I wrote the story. There is quite a bit of me in Sofia. I’ve always been dramatic, clumsy, and full of those “duh” moments. Middle Grade was the most difficult years for me and I was never one of the popular kids. I always had my nose stuck in a book and quietly watched (and laughed) from afar. Although I will deny that if you tell anyone!

I know the format of writing comic book/GN scripts, but If I wanted to write a graphic novel like Gossip can you tell me what the process is? Are you writing the manuscript and making notes of what images will go where along the way?

RC: When I queried my agent, I scanned my images and inserted into them into the word doc of my actual story, just so she could get the full idea of what I was trying to do. Once she requested the full, I converted it to a PDF file. There was never an actual format that I was aware of, so I really took a chance.

Writing the second book, Rumors, I had more of an idea of what to expect. I wrote the book first and inserted illustration notes along the way. The inserted notes are copyedited along with the rest of the manuscript. I then work with an in-house designer and send her all the images in a specific format. I get all the freedom when deciding on the images, although they can send any back to me for corrections (and they do!) if they aren’t consistent with the others, or small details I might have missed from one image to the next.

Is there any rumors you can spill about the sequel to Gossip (because I'm very anxious to read it)?

RC: Rumors from the Boys Room: A Blogtastic! Novel will be released Oct.11, 2011 (holy cow!) and you will see many familiar faces, as well as new ones. Sofia Becker swears to only blog about things that she hears from a totally trustworthy source---herself! Her locker just happens to be in her direct line of vision of the boy’s room (if she peeks around the corner) , so this gives her many opportunities to spy on the boys. Of course there’s no way she could possibly get that information mixed up, right? Thrown into the mix is a FES (foreign exchange student), a Popular Pretty who has the ability to use her hair as a weapon (or jump rope), and a dirty psycho kitty. I can’t really say much more than that, but it’s already available for pre-order! Am I allowed to do shameless promoting here?

Go ahead and be shameless! That's what we are here for. Please everyone, let's all join Rose and be shameless for a moment...

I was fascinated by the mention in your bio that you were raised around dead people, being a mortician's (step) daughter. Can you tell me what that was like and will there be any stories coming from that era? (I can only imagine with your humor what that would be like).

RC: If you asked me back then what it was like, I would tell you it was miserable. Awful. My life was ruined and totally over. We lived only feet away from the mortuary and the cemetery was our backyard. But looking back, I can see so much humor in it. Like riding in the back of a coroners van (with a dead body. And the toes touched me!) And being picked up from school in a hearse. Or when my step-dad jumped out of a coffin (unoccupied, of course) just trying to scare me. And we won’t even go into the things I witnessed in the embalming room!

RC: The first story I ever wrote and completed was based on all these experiences. It is a humor MG, being the new girl in a tiny town where the odds are already stacked against her. Then enter the dead body stuff. Unfortunately, my editor didn’t think this one would work for the market right now. BUT, there may be a book in the future dealing with the supernatural. And it just might also have the most awesome title ever! So be sure to visit my website often, like three times a day, to stay updated. (You said yes to the shameless promoting, right?)

Yes, we love shameless promoting. Here let me help you out. OKAY People, listen up! Go buy Rose's book and pre-order the other one. You won't be sorry!

If you were trapped inside a building during a zombie apocalypse and had only one book with you to read, what would it be and why?

RC: It would have to be, the book “How to escape a building and survive during a zombie apocalypse.” Just kidding! (Unless there really is a book called that?) I have so many favorites so this is tough. I would have to say Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. This was the first book I read that made me spit soda through my nose. So naturally, I’d want to get my mind off the Zombiness going on and maybe get a good laugh too. And assuming I’m trapped inside a mall, it was also be very appropriate.
Speaking of shopping, have I mentioned that you can pre-order RUMORS now?

Okay, I'm dying now for Rumors. Seriously, I would take a day off work to read it. I want to thank Rose for stopping by the Asylum and hanging with us. I also want to thank her for writing an awesome middle-grade book. A big thank you to Random House for the ARC. What a wonderful surprise it was. To learn more about Rose hope over to her blogtastic blog and enjoy - http://rosecooperwriter.blogspot.com/

Here comes JUNIPER BERRY

2011-04-11T13:05:00.000-07:00

Walden Pond Press just launched the trailer for JUNIPER BERRY, one of my favorite books of the year. Yes, I said it, favorite! Although we are only four months into it I am raising the I LOVE THIS BOOK flag high and waving it for all to see.

Watch the wonderful and sublime trailer below (created by Mary McAveney). And stay tuned for my interview with author M.P. Kozlowsky posting on May 5th, kicking off what I'm sure is going to be a face melting blog tour.

Mucho thanks to the uber awesome Kellie at Walden Pond Press for sharing the trailer and images.

The Magic Finger - Giveaway!

2011-04-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

There are many a days I wish I had a magic finger. Not just so I could connect to those hard to reach itches or use it to grab the toys my daughter manages to drop behind the couch. For the most part I would use that magic finger to right some wrongs in this world. We all have our beliefs and passions. This giveaway has one a few simple rules (see below).

If you have ever read the book The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl you are familiar with the story. If not, here is a brief logline of the story. The Gregg family loves hunting, but their eight-year-old neighbor can't stand it. After countless pleas for them to stop are ignored, she has no other choice -- she has to put her magic finger on them. Now the Greggs are a family of birds, and like it or not, they're going to find out how it feels to be on the other end of the gun.

Roald Dahl is one of my biggest writing influences and I love his books. I simply want to celebrate a great writer and show my appreciation to all amazing Asylum readers and followers. A thank you for sticking in there with me.

Okay, let's get down to the rules. 1) Follow this blog (if not already following). 2) Tweet about it (if you tweet) or you can shout it out loud if you want. 3) AND the most important of all - comment on what you would do if you had a magic finger.

This contest is limited to the US residents. Deadline is April 12th, 2011, Midnight. The winner will be picked at random by my trusty robot assistant and announced end of next week.

Writing Comedy with Hollywood Concepts

2011-03-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

There are two types of genres that I love to write, comedy and horror. I often blend the two together in my stories. I find they work really well twisted around each other and for the most part I feel there needs to be a bit of absurdity to the horror. It relieves the tension before you get slammed with some spooky. As I am currently working on adapting some of my middle grade stories into script projects right now I thought it would be great to share a these comedy concept exercises that great late Blake Snyder, author of the Save the Cat screenwriting books had to share.

If you are wanting to write a comedy for middle grade or YA maybe these exercises will help and launch you into a whole new world of possibilities that you never considered.

1. The Switch – This comedy starting point has antecedents in stories like “The Prince and the Pauper” and the movie, Trading Places. This is the comedy story where two opposites swap situations for some reason: a bet, an urgent need, or a mistake. It can also include the switching of a device or object, e.g., Taking Care of Business with Jim Belushi and Charles Grodin. My experience with the Switch is a movie called Big, Ugly Baby! — best described as an “alien switched at birth comedy.” ACTION STEP: Draw this symbol: <--> on the top of a piece of paper. On one side list the “Prince,” on the other the “Pauper” to show OPPOSITES. Find two sets of people most at odds, then have them switch (and give one the upper hand), but both need to learn the “lesson.” Then in the middle section, write ideas for how these two would actually switch places or cross lives; the gimmick of how the switch is made is your title!

2. The Fish Out of Water – This is a “Fool Triumphant” tale about someone who, in his own pond, is less effective or average, but by going to a new body o’ water becomes a star: Legally Blonde, Miss Congeniality, Beverly Hills Cop. Here’s the way I come up with these. It’s my favorite idea-generating tool. I call it “The T-bar Method” and it’s simple. ACTION STEP: Draw a big T on a piece of paper and label one side “fish,” the other side “water.” Make a list of fish; try to be specific. (Use the heroes of Miss Congeniality and Legally Blonde as examples.) Then ask yourself where would that fish feel most out of place? What pond would they be most out of place in? Write that on the “water” side of the T. Make sure too that the “problem” you set up in the beginning is solved by the end. What is the problem? It’s the deficit the hero must overcome to be whole. It will also be the theme of your movie, e.g., the relationship between the beauty contestants and Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality helps Sandra overcome the problem of being a “tomboy” at the beginning of the movie.

3. The Rom-Com with a Twist – Everyone is looking for a romantic comedy (rom-com). But they’re hard to come up with! Why? Nowadays, there are no social strata. Anyone can fall in love with anyone or have sex with anyone at will. Not like the old days of My Man Godfrey or Pillow Talk! Your job: Come up with what is keeping the lovers apart, e.g., geography in Sleepless in Seattle, the Internet in You’ve Got Mail, living with one’s parents in Failure to Launch. The gimmick that is keeping the two separated is the movie, the title, and the complication! And “the complication” is what makes all rom-coms work. But how can you come up with a new one? Start with what is separating the lovers — then figure out who they are. ACTION STEP: Draw two vertical lines on a piece of paper. Label the middle column: “The Complication.” Label the other two “Him” on the left and “Her” on the right, or vice versa. In the middle column figure out the thing that is keeping two people apart (ironically also what’s keeping them together!), then figure out the opposites on either side of that complication. For example, if “politics” is the problem, make her a Republican and him a Democrat.

4. The Magic Spell – In my new book, this will be the chapter titled “Out of the Bottle,” and there are all kinds of curses, body switches, and magic spell gimmicks to choose from. In these tales we also most easily see the difference between the Empowerment and Comeuppance tale. The former is seen in The Nutty Professor, Click, and Bruce Almighty; the latter is in Liar, Liar; Shallow Hal; and Freaky Friday. But the message in both types is the same: Be careful what you wish for! Your job, after thousands of years of magic stories: Come up with a new one! It can be done. Click introduced a new magic wand and was a hit for Adam Sandler. ACTION STEP: Write at the top of the page: “If I had a magic wand and could grant myself any power, what would that be?” Then on another piece of paper: “If there was a curse cast on me, what would be the worst one?” Then beside either the power or the curse write a list of the least likely person that would get that magic. One piece of magic per movie please, and once you set up the “rules” of the magic, make sure you stick to them throughout.

5. The Bet – You see this done a lot, e.g., How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days. This may sound artificial, and often is, because at any moment we in the audience are thinking, “Just tell her/him about the bet!” — yet it remains a wonderful starting point for a comedy premise. ACTION STEP: At the top of your blank piece of paper, write “Google.” This will remind you to use the Internet to find some “outrageous bets” and see where this search leads you. Also query friends and relatives about the most unusual, most outlandish bet they ever made, e.g., “The Contest” episode of Seinfeld. A list of such bets is the starting point for your movie; now also include the equally outrageous participants in the bet, and a time limit for it.

6. The Buddy-Buddy – This is the most popular movie spec right now; Wedding Crashers and 40 Year Old Virgin really paved the way for R-rated comedies starring two guys. This includes the cop buddy genre — which needs a shot in the arm! Put two guys in an unusual situation and you really have a good chance to sell that story. But how can you make it new? ACTION STEP: Go back up to your Fool Triumphant T-bar page and make the “Fish” two people! Wedding Crashers is a good example; the filmmakers did not need to have two guys to make that movie work. But by having it be a buddy movie, they gave each of the guys an adventure — and someone to talk about what’s happening! Do likewise, for every fish out of water story, there’s a buddy version of it.

7. The True Life Tale – I keep a file of stories from the news. One I saw recently concerned a bride kidnapped by her parents, who didn’t want her to marry her fiancé. In real life, the parents are now in jail, but in Hollywood that pitch is now making the rounds at the studios. Why? Because even though it happened in real life, it’s a hilarious starting point. We should all keep a manila folder file of newspaper clippings of funny stories that strike us as such. Whether you use each of these stories as a movie idea, or use elements of them in the scripts you’re working on, they’re great comedy thought starters. ACTION STEP: Get a manila file and start scanning your news sources today!

8. The Invasion of the Jerk That Came to Dinner aka The Interminable Time – These are stories about experiences that never seem to end, situations where we are forced to put up with inconvenience, either a boring friend, an overbearing relative, or a very long car ride. Recent examples include: Meet the Parents; You, Me and Dupree; 4 Christmases and The Break-Up. ACTION STEP: Think situation. Ask yourself, and list, where you’ve been stuck in life: in traffic, in an elevator, in a relationship, in a family situation, or at an event that never seems to end. From this situation create a hero whose only goal is to get out of that situation and who or what is stopping them.

9. Long Day’s Journey into Jokes – This is from my category called “The Golden Fleece,” based on the myth of Jason and the Argonauts; it is mostly about road stories. There are a lot of funny (and obvious) ones from this group, e.g., Road Trip and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. But there is a much simpler way to generate ideas that put our heroes on the broad highway! ACTION STEP: Go to Leonard Maltin’s book of 3000 movies or Ebert and Roeper’s if you’re from Chicago, read through it, and add the phrase “on the road” to any title. This is how several movies I have come up with have gotten written, including a spec I co-wrote that is best described as “Home Alone... on the road.” I also recently heard of one that was pitched as “Grumpy Old Men... on the road” that sold and got made, and I can see the poster just from that description! This concept is a fun game and can really generate funny story ideas.

10. Spoof! – Scary Movie is a big hit, Date Movie got made, and variations on the mock-documentary like Spinal Tap are often good. So, where is yours? ACTION STEP: Pick an institution, movie type, historical event or period, improbable biography, or fake news story — and make fun of it by lampooning our preconceived notions of what it is. It’s taking something we see seriously and poking fun at it. How about a movie that combines Gladiator, all those Ray Harryhausen stop-motion Hercules classics, and the recent Troy and AlexanderI “sand and sandal” movies? That’s the spoof I’d love to see. So next time you read in the trades that a spoof sold, you can say what we who aren’t working on our comedy loglines always say: “Why didn’t think of that!?” Or maybe get to work on yours - right now.

It really is amazing how much of an industry standard these are. We see them all the time, but they work when crafted well. Hopefully these will help kick start that comedy or horroromedy that you have had itching to get out like a hungry symbiote. Good luck with the writing!

Celebrate with Walden Pond Press

2011-03-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

Celebrating 500 Twitter Followers!

In celebration of passing 500 followers on Twitter, WALDEN POND PRESS is running a short Tweetstakes to commence Thursday, March 17, 2011 at noon and end Friday, March 18, 2011 at 11:59pm. One winner will receive a complete set of Walden Pond Press books (complete list below), several of them signed by their authors! Simply follow @waldenpondpress on Twitter (www.twitter.com/waldenpondpress) and retweet the following message:

RT @waldenpondpress - I want to win a complete set of Walden Pond Press novels!

One winner will be selected on Monday, March 21st and contacted via direct message on Twitter. Remember, you have to be following @waldenpondpress for us to DM you! Good luck!

Winner will receive one copy of each of the following:

Hardcovers:
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Max Cassidy: Escape from Shadow Island by Paul Adam
The Billionaire's Curse by Richard Newsome
The Last Words of Will Wolfkin by Steven Knight
Finding Danny by Linzi Glass (signed copy)
Guys Read: Funny Business ed. by Jon Scieskza (bookplate signed by Jon Scieszka included)
The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander (bookplate signed by Chris Rylander included)

Advance Reader Copies:
Juniper Berry by M.P. Kozlowsky (bookplate signed by M.P. Kozlowsky included)
The Emerald Casket by Richard Newsome
Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu (bookplate signed by Anne Ursu included)

This will be the first of several sweepstakes we will run via Twitter over the coming months, and the prizes will just get better and better! Stay tuned to our Twitter account to be one of the first to find out about our give-aways!

Complete rules for our "500 Follower Tweetstakes" can be found below:

500 Follower TWEETSTAKES -- Official Rules

SPONSOR

This promotion (the "Sweepstakes") is sponsored by Walden Media, LLC ("Walden Media"),

1888 Century Park East 14th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90067.

ELIGIBILITY

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.

To enter, using your Twitter account

1) Follow @@WaldenPondPress

2) Tweet or retweet the approved message. The entire message, including

exact link, hashtags, and @reply, must be included to qualify. LIMIT ONE ENTRY PER PERSON.

Multiple entries from one Twitter account and single entries from multiple Twitter accounts held by

the entrant are automatically disqualified. Automated means of entry and entries by any means which subvert the entry process are prohibited and all such entries will be void.

The Sweepstakes is open to all legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia eighteen (18) years of age and older, excluding employees and immediate family members of HarperCollins or Walden Media, LLC, and its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, assigns, advertising, promotional and fulfillment agents, attorneys, and other representatives and the persons with whom each of the above are domiciled. Offer void wherever prohibited or restricted by law.

Each entrant in the Sweepstakes must be the rightful holder the Twitter account. In the event of a

dispute concerning the identity of the holder of the Twitter account, the holder will be deemed to

be the person who owns the email address that was used to register the Twitter account. The

Twitter account must be opened prior to the commencement of the Sweepstakes.

ENTRY PERIOD

The Sweepstakes will commence on March 17, 2011, at 12:00 noon (ET). The last entry will

be accepted March 18, 2011, at 11:59pm (ET).

SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION OF WINNERS

One potential winners will be selected by a random drawing from among the eligible entries.

Winners will be chosen by no later than ten days following the end date above. All potential

winners will be notified by Direct Message via Twitter. If a potential winner does not respond to

the notification within three days of delivery, an alternate winner will be chosen. If a potential winner is not following @waldenpondpress on Twitter and therefore cannot receive a direct message, an alternate winner will be chosen.

PRIZES

There will be one grand prize winner who will receive: one hardcover copy of each the following Walden Pond Press titles: Cosmic, by Frank Cottrell Boyce, Max Cassidy: Escape from Shadow Island by Paul Adam, Finding Danny by Linzi Glass, The Last Words of Will Wolfkin by Steven Knight, The Billionaire’s Curse by Richard Newsome, Guys Read: Funny Business edited by Jon Scieszka, The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander; one Advance Reader Copy of the following Walden Pond Press titles: Juniper Berry by M.P. Kozlowsky, The Emerald Casket by Richard Newsome, and Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu. A Walden Media reserves the right to substitute Prizing info TKa cash payment of equal or greater value for the prizes.

All prizes will be awarded, provided there are as many entries as prizes. Only one prize will be

awarded per individual, family, or household. All prizes are non-transferable and cannot be sold

or redeemed for cash.

CONDITIONS

By participating, entrants affirm that they have read these Official Rules, agree to be bound by

them and the selection of the winners, which shall be final, and waive any right to claim ambiguity

in the Sweepstakes and/or these Official Rules. All federal, state and local tax liabilities arising

from this Sweepstakes will be the sole responsibility of the winner. Acceptance of prizes

constitutes permission to use the winner's name, tweet, likeness, biography, and prize won for

purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity without additional compensation, except where

prohibited or restricted by law.

The entrants release, discharge, and hold harmless Walden Media and its parent, affiliates,

subsidiaries, assigns, attorneys, representatives and agents, including advertising, promotion and

fulfillment agencies, from any and all liability or damages arising from the administration of the

Sweepstakes and the use or misuse of any prize received in this Sweepstakes, including, without

limitation, the following: (i) late, lost, incomplete, delayed, misdirected or unintelligible entries, (ii)

any printing, typographical, administrative or technological errors in any materials associated with

the Sweepstakes, and (iii) any damage to the entrant's computer, related equipment, data files,

and software resulting from entrant's downloading of information regarding the Sweepstakes or

participation in the Sweepstakes.

Walden Media reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, cancel or suspend this

Sweepstakes should a virus, bug, computer problem or other causes beyond Walden Media's control corrupt the administration, security or proper operation of the Sweepstakes. Walden Media may prohibit you from participating in the Sweepstakes or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines that you are attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes by cheating, hacking or employing other unfair practices or by abusing other entrants or the representatives of Walden Media.

ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE THE WEBSITE OR

UNDERMINE THE OPERATION OF THE SWEEPSTAKES MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF

CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS, AND, IN SUCH EVENT, WALDEN MEDIA RESERVES THE

RIGHT TO PURSUE ITS REMEDIES AND DAMAGES (INCLUDING COSTS AND ATTORNEY'S

FEES) TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW.

Any dispute arising from the Sweepstakes will be determined according to the laws of the State of

California, without reference to its conflict of laws principles, and the entrants consent to the

personal jurisdiction of the State and Federal Courts located in the State of California

over them and agree that such courts have exclusive jurisdiction over all such disputes.

THE ODDS OF WINNING DEPEND UPON THE NUMBER OF ENTRIES AND THE RATE AT

WHICH THEY ARE RECEIVED.

For the names of the prize winners, e-mail your request to waldenpondpress@gmail.com no

earlier than 3/19/11, but no later than 3/25/11. You may also send a self-addressed

stamped envelope (postage not required from Vermont residents) to Walden Media, 17 New England Executive Park, Suite 305, Burlington, MA 01803 during the time period above.

This Sweepstakes is conducted solely by Walden Media, LLC and is not sponsored or otherwise

affiliated with Twitter.

The FEAR of writing Pt. 2

2011-03-11T11:40:00.000-08:00

Tapping into the childhood fears and experiences are always great fodder for writing. Facing those terrifying moments head on is a way to deal with them and wonder if it was all in our imaginations or if it was real. When I was writing screenplays I tapped into a lot of childhood fears. One of them was and still is ghosts. No matter how many times I see a ghost hunter show or a found footage movie of the door opening on its own I still get tingly flesh. Fellow Bree Ogden client, Kelsey Ketch and I continue our conversation about about fear and writing. But before we dive in, let us set the tone with a little video.

DM: Many of my nightmares bring me back to a specific location where I spent many years as a child. To this day I feel very strongly about the possibility of a dark presence living with my family in this house. Not a malevolent entity but a heavy dark feeling that I was being watched. Most of us have a sense of when someone is looking at us or trying to get our attention. In my nightmares I always return to what I will call the Wooten House. The tri-level white house on Wooten street surrounded by a deep cement ditch on two sides. For a time my bedroom was upstairs in the back part of the house that looked out to the back yard. In the backyard was a large ominous tree. Does anyone remember the tree in Poltergeist that attacked the kids?

Yeah, that tree lived in my backyard. It was twisted and thick and had plans for me, I know it. During thunder storms I would stare out at that tree and pray that it wouldn't come to life and want to devour me like a Twinkie. That is what an over-active imagination does to you. These days I know what a gift that imagination is to have.

But it was some of the incidents upstairs that haunted me. Waking up to find the lights were on. Taking a bath and always looking over my shoulder at the door because I could swear someone was looking at me - but the door was closed. There was also this feeling that someone was walking up the stairs behind you when you made the short journey up the six stairs to the next level. Many times I would run up the stairs and charge toward the bedroom like a baseball player running for home plate.

Being a latch key kid I remember those nights that my parents worked later and as the sun was sinking into the horizon I would get an overwhelming feeling of dread. On those nights I would go outside and sit on the porch because I felt safer there. Now they have a grip of shows on television about people trying to explain those unknown things that we fear.

Kelsey: Spooky!!! I think I’ll just curl up with my pillow and quiver.

I was never really scared of ghosts when I was younger. We even lived in a haunted rental when I was six. Though, it wasn’t terrifying. I could sense two different spirits. One was sweet. She just followed my family and me around the house (especially into the kitchen). Sometimes I would just catch her out of the corner of my eye as I was dozing off. The second spirit, a man, was more unsettling. I never saw him, but he carried a lot of negative energy. So you knew when he was around. The feeling seemed to be especially strong in the bedroom doorway, like he was leaning on the frame watching. It felt like the air was just sucked out of your lungs. The tension would build around you, making you jump at the littlest thing. He definitely did not want us around. I have to say I was glad when we left that house.

Six months later, I was just starting at a new school/daycare. It was October and the school was getting ready for Halloween. Our aftercare teacher decided it was a good time to gather us for a ghost story: Bloody Mary. Yes, the legendary spirit that died a terrible death, buried alive with her fingers all bloody from scratching at the wooden coffin. Now, she seeks revenge on anyone who’s daring enough to call out her name while looking into a mirror.

I was so freaked by the story! I mean, I had just moved from a haunted house – how could I ignore the legend? And though I never called her name, I had looked into a mirror one night and swore I saw a face behind me, just floating there. I ran into my room, pulling the covers over my head. After that, I wouldn’t look at a mirror at night for years for fear Bloody Mary would come and kill me. I never took ghost stories lightly again.

DM: Bloody Mary was a great urban legend! To this day I still have not tried saying her name into a mirror. I mean seriously, how old am I!? (Don't answer that). A movie called CANDYMAN came out back in the 90's and it was loosely based on the myth of Bloody Mary. That movie creeped me out and yet I watched it several times. After all it is much safer to watch someone else deal with it on your TV.

I think Kelsey and I both find it cathartic to write about these fears whether they are direct telling of these stories or just launching points to bigger stories. Embracing those fears and giving them a big hug and slapping them around like a hockey puck in your story brings your writing to a more personal level and the reader will feel more connected to it. Are you facing any fears in your writing? We would love to hear from you.

The FEAR of writing Pt. 1

2011-03-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

Fear is one of the strongest emotions that we have as human beings. As writers, fear is a powerful aspect of writing for several reasons.

We are driven by fear that we don't have enough time to write and tell all the stories that we would like to. Fear of time.
Once those stories are unleashed upon the world we fear what our young readers will think. Will they like it or loathe it? Fear of acceptance
Many of our stories for children and young adults are based on primal fear. The what if factor. What if that dark shadow in the corner comes for me. Fear of the unknown.

Fellow Bree Ogden client, Kelsey Ketch and I are going to talk about fear and how it affected us as we grew up and how it has shaped us as writers.

One common fear that Kelsey and I share are the fear of spiders. Like most people in the world we get the heebie-jeebies from our eight legged freaky friends and what they are capable of. Fear of the unknown.

DM: When I was young, around nine years old I remember falling asleep in the basement of my aunt's house during the summer and waking up to find a large brown spider sitting on the middle of my chest starring at me. All eyes on me. I was completely paralyzed with fear. If I move, it will move. What if it runs toward my mouth or up my nose? What if it bites me? Every scenario of doom passed through my brain within ten seconds. With a sweep of my hand I pushed it off and up into the air. It managed to attach a thread of web to my hand and dangle as I jumped around screaming bloody murder. Finally, I was able to shake it loose and it crawled toward the fireplace and vanished. Did I ever sleep on the floor again? No. Never. To this day I have nightmares of spiders attacking me. When I am having anxiety it takes form of spiders in my dreams.

Kelsey, tell me about your spider incident while I shiver over here in the corner.

Kelsey: Eeeech! That was creepy, it really made my skin crawl! Holy moly!

Like you, I was around nine when my spider incident occurred. I was sitting in the living room when I noticed a large, reddish spider crawling along the ceiling. I remember its form perfectly, about one inch long with a large bulbous abdomen. I frantically pointed it out to my mum. I was too scared to squish it myself, especially something that size. Besides, at that age, I probably wouldn’t be able to reach it.

My mum stepped up onto the coffee table and slammed a piece of tissue on top of the spider, forcing it into the popcorn ceiling (she never got the stain out of the ceiling). She applied pressure until she finally heard a pop under the tissue. But, once she let it go, the body fell onto the coffee table right in front of me, still alive. Its legs and fangs flailing wildly as it seemed to try to crawl towards me. The only thing slowing it down was the fact that its abdomen was completely flat, squished beyond recognition.

I screamed, falling back into the couch. My mum jumped off the table, scooped up the creature, and quickly threw it into the toilet, sending it down to its watery grave. My adrenaline continued to rush through my system. All I could think about was its flailing legs, and the fangs! I could see its fangs! Lashing in the air as it seemed to scream! It should have been dead! It's lower body was completely gone! There was no way it should have been alive!

DM: It's amazing how a tiny moment leaves such a huge impact. But let's focus on this one moment in a million of moments that we have growing up. What a great catalyst to launch a story or give to your character. The fear of spiders is universal but the moment is captivating, especially to a young reader. Capturing universal fears and making them personal is what takes the good writing to great writing. Capture a moment of fear that you experienced and work it into your story. Give the reader something to keep them on the edge of their seat.

What scares you? We want to know! Please come back and join Kelsey and I as we continue to talk about fear and writing. We promise to make your skin crawl with delight.

Crow Toes Flies No More - RIP

2011-03-01T11:22:00.000-08:00

Incredibly heartbreaking news that makes you want to cry. My favorite children's literary magazine is stopping the presses. I only wish I had the backing to help them or even take over. This is such a sad day. Here is the press release from their website.

The Final Word

Monday, February 28th, 2011 – My name is Christopher Millin. You may or may not know me as CTQ’s Christopher. I am also the creator and publisher of Crow Toes Quarterly. I am stepping in for The Narrator today, because he doesn’t quite know how to put this into words. So I will try for him. After more than four years and after sixteen unbelievable issues, we have decided to stop the presses, turn off the computers and set the crow free. To be more precise, we have decided to bring our little adventure to an end. This decision was not made lightly. In fact, it was made with a hundred and twenty pounds of rocks on our backs.

Crow Toes Quarterly chose to stay pure, my friends... to make it all about the words and the art and not about selling someone’s shiny new toy (yes, we strayed a few times, but it is only human nature to try new things). And though our stance (and the lack of money this stance brings in) may be one of the big reasons we are bringing this to THE END, it is not something we would have changed.

You see, Crow Toes Quarterly was created out of a love of “playfully dark” children’s literature and the delightful artwork that often accompanies it. It was created to showcase the amazing artists, poets and authors out there who aren’t being recognized by major publishers. And I think we succeeded in showcasing some of the greatest writers and artists in the world (even if you’ve never seen their books on the shelves at Chapters or Barnes & Noble).

I look at the pile of stories sitting in front of me waiting to be read... to be published, and it breaks my heart that most of them never will... But putting out a magazine like CTQ with essentially a staff of one (even if it’s only 4 times a year) is a time consuming and costly thing. If passion paid well, this magazine would be published till the end of time and I’d be living in a mansion on my own private island, but passion can only take you so far. My hope is that there are people out there who can take this concept and continue on with it. I can assure those people that there is more than enough quality content available to do something like this until the end of time.

So what will we do now? Well, I will return to my other (less costly) passion, writing, and I will work on getting my second novel in The Hole Stories published. It is called Fowl, Swine and Things That Send Shivers Down Your Spine and it is exactly as the title claims: terrifying and full of birds and pigs. If you’re interested in looking at it, please email me at christopher@crowtoesquarterly.com (wink wink nudge nudge). I will also return to the world of espionage from where I came. Oh, how I missed those spying days! The Narrator has signed on with a company that records readings of public domain books and posts them online for free. Ogilvy will return to the grape farm and learn the art of making great grape jelly. Our Staff Villain will be returning to his northern underground lair where he’ll continue to work on taking over the Internet. And Poinsettia will be doing what she does best... travelling around the world and writing about all her many travel adventures. Don’t you worry, the CTQ Staff will be just fine.

In the past four years, we have made a lot of great friends and it would be unwise for us to leave without thanking them for their support. Firstly, I’d like to thank Bonnie and John Millin, who helped us get off the ground. Without their financial contribution and unending support, we would’ve remained a great idea never to have been. I’d like to thank Richard and Jane Stapleton, for allowing us to use their home as our warehouse and mailing facility. I’d like to thank Laura Millin for her support through the highs and the lows of the magazine... for promoting the magazine whenever she could and for dealing with all the money stuff (and with me). She was (and is) an unbelievable woman! I’d like to thank BCAMP for helping us get our name out there during those early days and for teaching us the ins and outs of being a small Canadian publisher. I’d like to thank Magazines Canada for seeing something in us and pushing to get us into stores right from the get go. I’d like to thank Michael Sasi (M.S.T. Company) for being a great contributor over the years (starting with our very first issue) and for continuing to be a great friend. He is the type of author I envisioned for the magazine before I started soliciting submissions. I still consider our paths crossing some sort of otherworldly intervention. In that same vein, I’d like to thank Kristian Adam, CTQ cover artist (five times), M.S.T. Company collaborator and another good friend to come out of this. His artwork is awe-inspiring and again, exactly what I envisioned when I was putting the magazine together. I’d like to thank all the other authors and artists that have contributed to CTQ over the years. Your work will continue to inspire young readers for years to come. And it will continue to inspire me! Lastly, I’d like to thank the readers and supporters of CTQ. Without you, we would’ve disappeared after our second or third issue. Thank you for helping make CTQ the best darn children's literature magazine in the Milky Way (my humble opinion)! Thank you! Thank you!

We will continue to sell back issues until they’re gone...and until that time, the website will stay up. If you want a little piece of CTQ, make sure you head over to our online store and buy a few copies. There aren’t many copies left, so don’t waste any time thinking about it. And If you’d like to take stroll down memory lane (just watch out for the garbage bins on the right) and remember all the zany things that went on here over the years, head on over to The Narrator’s Blog and start reading. Ahh reading! It was reading that got us into this and now it is reading that will take us out.
Read always, my friends, and always enjoy!

Sincerly,
Christopher Millin

PS. Our back issues (issue 1 to issue 9) are on sale right now for only $5 each and our "special" print edition back issues are on sale for only $8 each. That price includes shipping, handling and all those pesky little taxes. Now is definitely the time to complete your collection or to start a collection for someone you know. For more information, put on your galoshes and head on over to our online store. It's not far from here.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE CTQ ONLINE STORE

Stories for Children Magazine Is Now A Paying Market

2011-02-28T18:30:00.000-08:00

Great news for anyone wanting to write and submit stories for children. Check out the press release below. Good luck!

The exciting growth and changes continue to occur at Stories for Children Magazine and we are pleased to announce it is now a paying market for its contributors. This award-winning Ezine has been working hard to become a paying market and after three years of publication, the dream has become a reality.

“Since the beginning, I have always wanted to make Stories for Children Magazine a paying market for writers. I’m glad to see my dream has become a reality. We have worked hard along with the volunteer SFC Team to make this happen,” states VS Grenier. “We will be contacting contributors already selected for publication with this news and a contract for payment in the upcoming weeks. This is only the beginning and we are planning more exciting changes over the new few months and years.”

Stories for Children Magazine’s re-launch issue is planned for April 2011. They are open to submissions and are looking for fiction, nonfiction, poems, crafts, activities, puzzles and youth submissions. You can find their guidelines at http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org under the contributors section. Grenier did state the new guidelines reflecting the changes from a nonpaying market to a paying market for contributors is being finalized and should be up on the website within a week.

Even though the relaunch issue is not until April 2011, you can still visit this fun, family friendly Ezine each month. “We’ll be posting book reviews, crafts, coloring pages and more for FREE each month,” states Grenier.

Stories for Children Magazine placed in the Top Ten for Best Magazine in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry in the Preditors & Editors Readers Poll 2008. So come take an adventure in the World of Ink with Stories for Children Magazine – http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org.

There will be ink

2011-02-17T11:24:00.000-08:00

Recently I have been buried under lots of work (you know the thing that you have to do during the day to pay the bills) and haven't had much time to focus on the blog. Which is more like a bog right now just sitting and listening to flies buzz around its lifeless self. Today's post is brief but filled with gobs of enthusiasm. There are a few books coming out that I am so excited about I can barely stand without passing out or screaming like a Bieber fan.

On March 13th, Lisa Yee will be hosting the launch party for WARP SPEED at Vromin's in Pasadena, CA. I guess it is probably okay to say a few early words about this book. It is awesome. There, those are a few words, but they are true. I love this book. And upon its release you will see there is a wink and nod to little ole me in the book. That is all I can say at this moment. If you are in the LA area, please stop by the release party, say hi and pick up a copy of the book. If you are a Star Trek, Star Wars or Batman fan you will love this book.

The next book that has me doing cartwheels is another middle grade work of art by my friend and stupendously awesome writer, Tom Angleberger. Horton Halfpott: Or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset (Amulet Books, May 1, 2011) is, if I may be so bold, going to be one of my favorite books of the year.

Here is a bit about the book - Tom Angleberger's latest, loopiest middle-grade novel begins when M'Lady Luggertuck loosens her corset (it's never been loosened before!), thereby setting off a chain of events in which all the strict rules of Smugwick Manor are abandoned. When, as a result of "the Loosening," the precious family heirloom, the Luggertuck Lump (quite literally a lump), goes missing, the Luggertucks look for someone to blame. Is it Horton Halfpott, the good-natured but lowly kitchen boy who can't tell a lie? Or one of the many colorful cast members in this silly romp of a mystery.

I know, sounds awesome. Better put that on the pre-order right now! You can visit the Horton site here - http://hortonhalfpott.wordpress.com/

Finding Chris Rylander in The 4th Stall

2011-02-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

When you're always on the lookout for cool new middle grade books you often find yourself digging through the sites of your favorite publishers for new gems. One publisher that has really caught my eye lately is Walden Pond Press (an imprint of Harper Collins). The books and talent coming out of the same place that brought us Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce is also launching a debut book today by debut author Chris Rylander. Chris's book THE 4TH STALL is a send up to one of the greatest mob movies of all time, The Godfather. I know what you are thinking right now - that sounds amazing! Of course it is. But don't let me convince you. Let's talk to the man behind the stall door and see what he has to say.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what brought you to writing for children?

Chris Rylander: Well, I could tell you a lot about myself, such as my collection of broken Mickey Mouse watches, or my penchant for eating frosting with a spoon, but to save time, I’ll keep it writing related. I’ve always been a reader. But writing was something I always thought I’d try when I was older, like in my 50’s. But then one day I just decided, why wait? The agent who eventually signed me actually brought me into the children’s literature world. I queried him with an adult novel, and he suggested I give writing for children a try. And I did, and I loved it.

I'm glad I'm not the only one collecting broken watches. Your debut novel sounds hilarious, can you tell us about it?

CR: Sure, it’s about a sixth-grade kid who runs a business in the fourth stall of an unused bathroom in his school. Test answers, help with bullies, etc. You name it, he’s your guy. Then a rival high school dropout moves into his territory and a turf-war of sorts ensues. Also throw in a mystery, the torture of being a Chicago Cubs fan, his best friend’s crazy and quotable grandma, and the school’s nine most dangerous bullies and you’ve got THE FOURTH STALL.

What made you choose the 4th Stall as your first book to write? (what inspired it)

CR: THE FOURTH STALL was inspired mainly by the simple idea that I just thought it might be kind of cool and fun to put a kid-friendly spin on organized crime, and that it had a lot of potential for action and humor.

Can you talk to us about what you have learned as an author about the process of what happens once you get the offer of publication?

CR: Well, I did a ton of research as I went along, so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect going in. One thing, though, that you really learn to do well is to let go of things you can’t control. You quickly learn to stop worrying about things which you have no power over – otherwise, you’d drive yourself crazy.

Can you talk to me about your writing habits (what your routine is), and if you have any rituals when writing (like keeping a rubber chicken in the 3rd drawer of the desk)?

CR: My routine is that I don’t have one. I am a very sporadic writer. I might write 80% of a whole novel in three weeks, and then not write anything at all for the next five months. Then, suddenly, I’ll start another novel. I know this probably sounds unfocused and chaotic, and it is. But I never want to force myself to write. Because when I do that, I’m never happy with the results. So, if I don’t feel like writing, I don’t. If I do, then I do. The one really consistent thing is that when I do write, it’s almost always during my lunch breaks at my day job. THE FOURTH STALL was written entirely on lunch breaks.

What do you love about writing? What do you hate about it?

CR: I love the freedom to do whatever I want with characters I created. There’s something so fun about that. Plus, it’s a venue in which I can be as strange as I want to be and it’s usually acceptable. I don’t really hate anything about writing. Though, if I had to pick something, I’d say it’s that I know I’ll never have the time to write all of the stories I want to and that’s kind of heartbreaking to me.

One of my favorite questions to ask writer/authors - If you were stranding on an island with only on book to read, what would it be and why?

CR: Ooh, good question. I want to say A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES, since that’s my favorite novel of all-time. However, because of the variety of stories and characters you get with it, I’d have to go with Flannery O’Connor’s THE COMPLETE STORIES.

Here's Chris answering some questions about things he would need if stranded and more information about the book.

Chris it has been a real pleasure having you here at the Asylum and I am so excited for what comes next (maybe a 5th Stall? Hmmmm). The book hits shelves today so go get it or I might have some people who know some people help you go get it. Get it? Good.To learn more about Chris you can check him out here: http://www.chrisrylander.com/ and if you are on Twitter be sure to follow him @chris_rylander

The effects of social-site-soapboxing

2011-01-29T12:59:00.000-08:00

I'm watching a documentary the other night about the affects of Facebook on peoples personal lives. One teacher was fired over her postings about her students being "snot nose punks" and another woman finally found her birth mother that she was on the search for some twenty odd years. All through the power of Facebook. Good and bad things. As of late I have noticed some aspiring writer/authors making comments on their Facebook pages and tweets that are rather colorful and not in a rainbows and unicorns sort of way. Then I got to thinking about your responsibility as an emerging writer/author and what kind of impact these social sites can have on your potential or continuing career.

Whether some of us realize it or not, agents, editors, publishers, marketing people and book sellers all look at these sites. And yes, they even read your posts or tweets. Great, some one is finally listening! So what's the big deal you ask?

The teacher who was fired over her posts believed that her rants on her Facebook page were private to only her friends. Well, they weren't. Many of the parents read her posts and it lead to her termination after many years on the job. She made a poor decision and it backfired. Unfortunately for many people these sites have become a soapbox. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about freedom of speech. We all have a right to say what is on our mind. But what did we do before we had these sites? We used to pick up a phone and call our friends and loved ones to discuss our woes instead of unleashing them upon the world (where they are almost impossible to get back). The lesson. Some things are better left unsaid.

As writers we face a lot of rejection and comments about our writing. As writers we like to be heard and at times we get carried away and use these social sites to rant about those rejections or the people rejecting us. Most likely, anything said in poor fashion is going to get back to that agent, editor or publisher. And word of your swift tongue-sword will be damaging. It's okay to look for support on these sites. Many of us are there to support each other, cheer each other on and celebrate the little victories. We should exercise caution when ranting though. I know many employers and potential employers that use these sites to monitor those working for them and those under consideration for employment.

What does this all mean? If you are an agent or editor looking at a potential client and they discover that your tweets and posts are derogatory and negative and all you ever do is rant, this is going to give them pause. Who wants to work with someone so poisonous? Not them. Trust me, I've seen it happen to many talented people.

In a way it is like an audition. They can watch you from the dark seats while you stand under the spotlight.

Now, for many of you this seems obvious and something you've heard before. You would be surprised how many people read and hear these warnings and yet they have a complete lapse in etiquette and carry on like a raving lunatic.

What can you do to make sure that you don't snap like a pea? First of all, common sense is the greatest gift we have been given as human beings. Although many of us forget to click that on switch from time to time. Flick the switch before you tweet or post to Facebook. Think about what you're saying and how it may be received.

If you face rejections take the notes and learn from them and share with the rest of us even if you don't think they are valid points, they may hold some truth and wisdom for the rest of us. We are all going to experience these moments along our journey so why not share them in a positive way. Build friendships and not just numbers. Give people a reason to want to keep coming back to read your posts and tweets. Use it to promote others and not just yourself. One of my biggest pet peeves is a writer who only posts about his book or writings. Building working relationships from these sites are so powerful and helpful it is astounding. However, if you only talk about yourself then the result is one-sided. These are not set rules but a guide to help you navigate the waters. And if I may humbly give one kernel of advice to aspiring writers. Don't friend agents, editors and publishers purely out of the hopes that they will do something for you. It's obvious and for the most part they won't respond to it. Support the team and give praise to those giants of the industry because you truly want too. Not because you think it will return to you. You don't donate books to sick kids because you hope you will get them back.

Remember, you are the captain of your boat. It is up to you whether it sinks or sails. I hope you choose to sail.

And so it begins...

2011-01-23T21:49:00.000-08:00

Hopefully many of you readers are still with me. I have been a bit silent because I have started a new job/gig. I'm back digging into the trenches of truth (is out there) trying to uncover mysteries of Ancient Alien theory and connect them to all the happenings and mysteries of the world. Yes, season 3 of the show is upon us again and we will have much more wisdom to unleash upon you faithful viewers. For those of you that don't watch the show or television for that matter, well, that's okay. You would just be more confused about myth and legend and the evolution of everything.

Speaking of evolution. It is time that this blog starts to evolve and bring more to the table. Over the last year I have been asked on many occasions what middle grade books would I recommend for young readers. Most of those requests are for the horror, thriller, and campy genres. I always rattle off several of my favorites and then an hour or so later my brain floods with all these other amazing books I forgot to mention. So I have blathered on long enough and certainly thought about this long enough. I am going to start compiling a list of my favorite and your favorite scary middle grade books. I am also going to add in campy and over the top hilarious to this list because I love ridiculous humor as much as the scary. Sure, now and then there are going to be the sentimental reads because they are way too good not to mention. But for now we start with scary and books with great fart jokes (only partially kidding about that).

To kick it off I want to start with a few series that I really enjoy. I would love to hear from all of you out there what series you like so that we can make the ultimate list of mg monster books.

Monster Blood Tattoo Trilogy

Original release cover. Love it.

When this book first launched it was called Monster Blood Tattoo. Maybe that title scared too many people away and the series got re-released under the titles The Foundling, Lamplighter, and Factotum. I love the world created by D.M Cornish. It is one of my all time favorites in the last few years.

The Secrets of Dripping Fang Series

This series is chock full of creepy, funny, gross out humor and of course monsters.

Edgar & Ellen

These books are not so much about the spooky but more about creating mischief and mayhem. Twisted and delightful fun. There are strange creatures and weird settings a plenty. These books make me giggle. http://www.edgarandellen.com

This is small kick off I realize. It is going to be a huge work in progress. With your help I will build a great go to list for all of us to share and discuss. If you haven't heard of any of these, then enjoy. Until then, as George Romero loves to say. Stay Scared.

Stylish Blogging... not just for the runway

2011-01-14T15:10:00.000-08:00

My fellow podling (Bree Ogden client) and blogger, Kelsey Ketch, has bestowed me with a Stylish Blogger award, which I truly appreciate. This is not because I dress like Johnny Depp on or off screen, but an award to say "Hey kid, I like the style of your blog."

Of course, there are certain stipulations to accepting this award. I must give seven random facts about myself. So here we go:

1) My favorite television show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer

2) I once played guitar in a band named Peach Melba for a school dance
3) I haven't read all of the Goosebumps' books (but I'm working on it)
4) I prefer to listen to movie scores over most all kinds of music
5) My favorite video game is from the 80's called TEMPEST

6) My favorite meal is pancakes
7) I don't have any tattoos - although I get asked often what tats I have (weird). I guess I exude a certain kind of tattoo vibe (not sure what that means).

There you have it. Thanks for letting me randomize, and of course, thank you for listening and letting me be stylish.

Silent torture...

2011-01-12T14:13:00.000-08:00

As I sit here and write this posting my middle grade manuscript is going out on subs (submission) to editors. Moments ago I texted my amazing agent, Bree, that I was getting that screwy sensation in my gut that comes when you are about to put your work out there for hopeful adulation but most likely ridicule. Of course, like any great agent, she talked me off the edge of neurosis (which is partially why this blog aptly uses the word Asylum in the title).

Bree also said that I needed to distract myself. So I dove into my latest manuscript (which happens to my final assignment for school) and stared at the screen as my mind wandered. The manuscript is due at the end of the week and I am struggling with the last few chapters. Oddly enough, I know what has to happen. The characters know what has to happen and yet I'm partially paralyzed by the thoughts of what I may have done wrong or could have done better in the manuscript that is out making the rounds.

This is what I like to call silent torture. You put up a cool front to your family and friends while you are buzzing like an aggravated hornets nest on the inside. I recently read a great article in the February issue of Writer magazine by Jim Shepard and something he said gave me pause. When asked "When do you know you might be a writer?" His response was (and I'm altering it a bit for this post) "A writer needs to write to feel good about him/herself. But in doing so, it almost never makes them feel good about themselves." That sounds about as torturous as you can get. But that is exactly why I write, because I have too and it makes me feel good. If you asked my wife if I get a little cranky when I don't write she will give you a resounding YES!

It makes you realize that you are on the right path. Personally, I've never felt so sure about what I was meant to do than when I write. Like many of you, I would like to make my maddening hobby a career. Eventually you will have to send that writing out into the world to see if anyone enjoys it as much as you do and wants to take a chance on it. Of course you are going to sit in silent torture while waiting for their response. Good or bad. That is part of the process.

So as we all contemplate if the FDA is going to create a medication for this madness I am going to stick to Bree's advice and keep myself distracted. There is plenty of writing to do. Lots of perspiration to shed. Hours of creative play to be had while the literary gods decide the fate of my manuscript (hopefully they can see me down on my knees praying). Before I know it I will have been so busy not thinking about it that I may just come out the other side with a bunch of pages glued together between some amazing artwork. In all honesty, I'm not really sure there is anything else I would rather do.