Jennifer R. Hubbard's Blog, page 82
January 30, 2012
You're invited
You're all invited to the launch party for Try Not to Breathe, this Saturday (Feb. 4) at Children's Book World, Haverford, PA, from 1 to 3 PM. (For directions, go here.)
If you'd like a signed book but don't live nearby, you can call the store at 610-642-6274 to order one.
There will be refreshments, and there will be a few other local authors in the house, who may be persuaded to sign their own books!
This book is about recovering from pain, about putting a life back together. It would mean a lot if you could celebrate with me. :-)
In case of snowy or icy weather, I'll post alternate instructions here on my blog, but let's hope it doesn't come to that, all righty? Especially since it snowed during the launch party for my first book. I've paid my weather dues!
If you'd like a signed book but don't live nearby, you can call the store at 610-642-6274 to order one.
There will be refreshments, and there will be a few other local authors in the house, who may be persuaded to sign their own books!
This book is about recovering from pain, about putting a life back together. It would mean a lot if you could celebrate with me. :-)
In case of snowy or icy weather, I'll post alternate instructions here on my blog, but let's hope it doesn't come to that, all righty? Especially since it snowed during the launch party for my first book. I've paid my weather dues!
January 28, 2012
What editing is
I often see misconceptions about what editing is. There's a tendency to associate it with proofreading or copy editing, which is the phase of editing that focuses on grammar, punctuation, spelling, basic consistency problems, word repetition, and the like. Copy editors know the difference between faze and phase. They know that you can't have two Saturdays in a row (unless that is one of the quirks of your invented world).
But this is not the whole world of editing--far from it. Applying only this layer of editing to a manuscript is like frosting a bowl of cake batter, instead of waiting for the cake to come out of the oven.
Editing is about looking at the manuscript on a global level as well. Does the pacing work, or does it drag in some places and race in others? Is there a central conflict, and is it resolved? Are there subplots, and do they relate to the central plot in a meaningful way, or are they just kind of stuck on as extras? Will readers become invested in these characters? Does the plot make sense; is it believable? Is there a theme or some answer to the "so what?" question? Is every scene necessary? Are we missing part of the story? And so on. This is the kind of editing that may result in adding or subtracting characters, moving scenes or chapters around, rewriting whole sections, chopping out other sections, adding scenes, introducing new events or deleting old ones. Yet a good editor doesn't impose a vision on a story, but rather suggests approaches that could enhance the author's vision. A good editor is open to the multiple approaches that an author can use in fixing a story.
I never hand in a manuscript until I'm confident in it, until it has no flaws that I can see. And then the editorial letter opens doors in my mind. What I thought was a smoothly painted surface turns out, on closer inspection, to have chips and scratches and uneven spots. And sometimes I realize that the whole wall would look better if painted a different shade.
But this is not the whole world of editing--far from it. Applying only this layer of editing to a manuscript is like frosting a bowl of cake batter, instead of waiting for the cake to come out of the oven.
Editing is about looking at the manuscript on a global level as well. Does the pacing work, or does it drag in some places and race in others? Is there a central conflict, and is it resolved? Are there subplots, and do they relate to the central plot in a meaningful way, or are they just kind of stuck on as extras? Will readers become invested in these characters? Does the plot make sense; is it believable? Is there a theme or some answer to the "so what?" question? Is every scene necessary? Are we missing part of the story? And so on. This is the kind of editing that may result in adding or subtracting characters, moving scenes or chapters around, rewriting whole sections, chopping out other sections, adding scenes, introducing new events or deleting old ones. Yet a good editor doesn't impose a vision on a story, but rather suggests approaches that could enhance the author's vision. A good editor is open to the multiple approaches that an author can use in fixing a story.
I never hand in a manuscript until I'm confident in it, until it has no flaws that I can see. And then the editorial letter opens doors in my mind. What I thought was a smoothly painted surface turns out, on closer inspection, to have chips and scratches and uneven spots. And sometimes I realize that the whole wall would look better if painted a different shade.
January 26, 2012
YA Giveaway Hop
This giveaway will run from now until January 31 (midnight EDT), as part of the Young Adult Giveaway Hop.
If you'd like a signed copy of Try Not to Breathe, just leave a comment below including a way to reach you. One entry per person.
Synopsis: In the summer after his suicide attempt, sixteen-year-old Ryan struggles with guilty secrets and befriends a girl who's visiting psychics to try to reach her dead father. Young adult, contemporary.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 years old and able to receive mail in the US.
I reserve the right to pick another winner if the original winner does not claim the book, and to cancel the contest if backup winner fails to claim the prize.
One comment per person. Winner will be selected randomly from the entries received on or before midnight EDT on January 31 (i.e., the minute February 1 starts).
I reserve the right to cancel the contest if technical difficulties (e.g., caused by internet or software failures) interfere with my ability to receive and track the entries.
Other blogs giving away free stuff this weekend:
If you'd like a signed copy of Try Not to Breathe, just leave a comment below including a way to reach you. One entry per person.
Synopsis: In the summer after his suicide attempt, sixteen-year-old Ryan struggles with guilty secrets and befriends a girl who's visiting psychics to try to reach her dead father. Young adult, contemporary.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 years old and able to receive mail in the US.
I reserve the right to pick another winner if the original winner does not claim the book, and to cancel the contest if backup winner fails to claim the prize.
One comment per person. Winner will be selected randomly from the entries received on or before midnight EDT on January 31 (i.e., the minute February 1 starts).
I reserve the right to cancel the contest if technical difficulties (e.g., caused by internet or software failures) interfere with my ability to receive and track the entries.
Other blogs giving away free stuff this weekend:
Bookish bits
I have many nuggets to share with you today:
In a must-read for any introverted writer who does public appearances, Jim Hines discusses the disorienting second-guessing and fatigue that can follow. Judging by the comment thread (which is also a must-read), a LOT of us do this: blurt, feel awkward, wonder how we come across. My take-home conclusion is that most people will never notice your awkward statement because they're too busy cringing over their own awkward statements.
When I recently recommended David Levithan's The Lover's Dictionary, I forgot to include this quote from the book, which I suspect will resonate with many writers:
But no matter how I try, I still can't write in my journal when you're in the room. It's not even that I'm writing about you ... I just need to know that nobody's reading over my shoulder, about to ask me what I'm writing. I want to sequester this one part of me from everyone else.
Speaking of quotes, I also liked this one from Matt Norman in an interview at Three Guys One Book:
I think the difficulty [of writing a second book] comes from being reminded ... of how horrible and agonizing first drafts are. By the time your first novel comes out, it exists in your mind as this completed, fully polished thing, and so you fool yourself into thinking that the next one should come out like that, too. Artistic amnesia somehow makes you forget that before your first novel was sitting on the NEW FICTION shelf at a bookstore, it was an aimless train wreck of a Microsoft Word document that kept you up at night wishing you'd gotten a degree in accounting.
And now for some comic relief: My books tend to be on the serious side (although not without some humor and hope). So just to change things up, I thought it would be fun to write a silly guest post for Jon Gibbs. The topic is "You may be a writer if ..." and includes such symptoms as, "You find yourself correcting the grammar and punctuation on signs, in song lyrics, and in advertisements." If you click over there, enjoy!
Now, for your chance at some free stuff:
The charming Tracy D. is giving away a finished copy of Try Not to Breathe. I don't know whether to be more flattered by the fact that she purchased a copy to give away, or by the comparison to Ordinary People, but I'm thankful for both.
In other giveaway news, Fire and Ice is giving away an advance copy of Try Not to Breathe (with the earlier cover).
I'll also be giving away a copy of my latest book on this blog this weekend.
In a must-read for any introverted writer who does public appearances, Jim Hines discusses the disorienting second-guessing and fatigue that can follow. Judging by the comment thread (which is also a must-read), a LOT of us do this: blurt, feel awkward, wonder how we come across. My take-home conclusion is that most people will never notice your awkward statement because they're too busy cringing over their own awkward statements.
When I recently recommended David Levithan's The Lover's Dictionary, I forgot to include this quote from the book, which I suspect will resonate with many writers:
But no matter how I try, I still can't write in my journal when you're in the room. It's not even that I'm writing about you ... I just need to know that nobody's reading over my shoulder, about to ask me what I'm writing. I want to sequester this one part of me from everyone else.
Speaking of quotes, I also liked this one from Matt Norman in an interview at Three Guys One Book:
I think the difficulty [of writing a second book] comes from being reminded ... of how horrible and agonizing first drafts are. By the time your first novel comes out, it exists in your mind as this completed, fully polished thing, and so you fool yourself into thinking that the next one should come out like that, too. Artistic amnesia somehow makes you forget that before your first novel was sitting on the NEW FICTION shelf at a bookstore, it was an aimless train wreck of a Microsoft Word document that kept you up at night wishing you'd gotten a degree in accounting.
And now for some comic relief: My books tend to be on the serious side (although not without some humor and hope). So just to change things up, I thought it would be fun to write a silly guest post for Jon Gibbs. The topic is "You may be a writer if ..." and includes such symptoms as, "You find yourself correcting the grammar and punctuation on signs, in song lyrics, and in advertisements." If you click over there, enjoy!
Now, for your chance at some free stuff:
The charming Tracy D. is giving away a finished copy of Try Not to Breathe. I don't know whether to be more flattered by the fact that she purchased a copy to give away, or by the comparison to Ordinary People, but I'm thankful for both.
In other giveaway news, Fire and Ice is giving away an advance copy of Try Not to Breathe (with the earlier cover).
I'll also be giving away a copy of my latest book on this blog this weekend.
January 24, 2012
The Truth
Jo Knowles just blogged at engchat about a topic that's been on my mind since Try Not to Breathe came out--since before it came out, actually. Even though people know that novelists are writing fiction, i.e., stories that are not literally true, we seem to have a great hunger to know how much of a novel is based on true-life experience. As a reader, I know that hunger; I've felt it myself. We ask questions such as, This person who writes about the Gobi desert so evocatively ... has she ever really been there? And Jo points out another reason readers may be curious: because if the book tells the story of a problem they've lived through, they feel a connection with the teller of that story and want to know, Can I trust this connection? Is it real?
Try Not to Breathe is the story of a boy's recovery from a suicide attempt, and his friendship with a girl who is seeking answers about her father's suicide. It is not my--or anyone's--literal life story. But the book was informed by my experiences living in this world, as well as by research. I made every word of the book as true and authentic as I could. Not at the surface level, with biographical facts about real people. But true on a deeper level. I used imaginary characters and an invented plotline to convey things I know and feel to be true, emotionally true, about life.
I suspect that some people who find this book may read it because they are thinking about, or have thought about, suicide. And I urge anyone thinking that way to reach out for help, at once. (One source of help: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK).)
For me, Try Not to Breathe is more about life and hope than anything else. That's the reality.
Try Not to Breathe is the story of a boy's recovery from a suicide attempt, and his friendship with a girl who is seeking answers about her father's suicide. It is not my--or anyone's--literal life story. But the book was informed by my experiences living in this world, as well as by research. I made every word of the book as true and authentic as I could. Not at the surface level, with biographical facts about real people. But true on a deeper level. I used imaginary characters and an invented plotline to convey things I know and feel to be true, emotionally true, about life.
I suspect that some people who find this book may read it because they are thinking about, or have thought about, suicide. And I urge anyone thinking that way to reach out for help, at once. (One source of help: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK).)
For me, Try Not to Breathe is more about life and hope than anything else. That's the reality.
January 22, 2012
The Lover's Dictionary
My friend Kelly Fineman recommended this book to me first, and then I heard good things about it from a few other sources. Now that I've finally read it, I can officially say, Good call, Kelly.
The Lover's Dictionary, by David Levithan, is a novel written in the form of dictionary entries. The dictionary entries are like little prose poems or pieces of connected flash fiction, all of which relate to the main characters' love story. They capture the full sweep of a romantic relationship, from the good:
"It was welcome, so welcome, and in my rush to say that I loved you, too, I left the television on, I let that light bathe us for a little longer, as I returned to the couch, to you. We held there for awhile, not really sure what would happen next."
to the bad:
"I would be standing right there, and you would walk out of the bathroom without putting the cap back on the toothpaste."
to the really ugly:
"It was the way you said, 'I have something to tell you.' I could feel the magic drain from the room."
I love the way the entries cover the full spectrum of a relationship's big and small moments: the giddiness of new love; the uncertainty of wondering whether it will last; the awkwardness of meeting each other's families; the quiet times throughout a relationship when love renews itself; the picky little idiosyncrasies through which lovers annoy each other; the joy of sharing inside jokes; the devastating times when the whole relationship is at risk of collapsing.
For writers, it's also a good example of an unusual format, and an effective use of second person.
The Lover's Dictionary, by David Levithan, is a novel written in the form of dictionary entries. The dictionary entries are like little prose poems or pieces of connected flash fiction, all of which relate to the main characters' love story. They capture the full sweep of a romantic relationship, from the good:
"It was welcome, so welcome, and in my rush to say that I loved you, too, I left the television on, I let that light bathe us for a little longer, as I returned to the couch, to you. We held there for awhile, not really sure what would happen next."
to the bad:
"I would be standing right there, and you would walk out of the bathroom without putting the cap back on the toothpaste."
to the really ugly:
"It was the way you said, 'I have something to tell you.' I could feel the magic drain from the room."
I love the way the entries cover the full spectrum of a relationship's big and small moments: the giddiness of new love; the uncertainty of wondering whether it will last; the awkwardness of meeting each other's families; the quiet times throughout a relationship when love renews itself; the picky little idiosyncrasies through which lovers annoy each other; the joy of sharing inside jokes; the devastating times when the whole relationship is at risk of collapsing.
For writers, it's also a good example of an unusual format, and an effective use of second person.
January 20, 2012
Readers and writers
When I came across this post at Three Guys One Book, the other day, these things especially struck me:
Wow, The Lights in the Tunnel has one freaky mesmerizing cover.
Interesting thesis about technology and employment. Does technology just change work, or does it actually reduce the amount of available work?
But my favorite part of the blog post is the third section, where Dennis Haritou gets into the concept of the intimate connection that happens between writer and reader. And these quotations ring especially true to me:
"I think that every writer is two persons. The writer creates a second identity for themselves when they create novels."
"Readers and writers need each other. They need to share the creative force that is the act of writing."
It's what I love about being a writer, and being a reader.
Wow, The Lights in the Tunnel has one freaky mesmerizing cover.
Interesting thesis about technology and employment. Does technology just change work, or does it actually reduce the amount of available work?
But my favorite part of the blog post is the third section, where Dennis Haritou gets into the concept of the intimate connection that happens between writer and reader. And these quotations ring especially true to me:
"I think that every writer is two persons. The writer creates a second identity for themselves when they create novels."
"Readers and writers need each other. They need to share the creative force that is the act of writing."
It's what I love about being a writer, and being a reader.
January 18, 2012
Thankful Thursday
I have a lot to be thankful for this Thursday.
I'm thankful for the support of readers and fellow writers, who do stuff like this:
That's Michelle Davidson Argyle, a Utah writer who took the time to get this photo of my first book in the wild and send it to me. It knocks me out that people do stuff like this. I'm thankful for every email and tweet and blog comment.
I'm thankful for the support of family, friends, and fellow writers who have listened to me whine about how hard it is to write a book, and who celebrate with me when things go well. I'm thankful for the writers whose work inspires me.
I'm thankful for the hard work done by my publisher and agency and booksellers and librarians to bring my stories to readers.
I'm thankful for my husband, who is the chief enabler of my writing habit.
I'm thankful that stories come to my brain, whether or not they ever get published or even finished. I'm thankful for the joy of writing.
I'm thankful that this January 19, a story that haunted me for months will finally be out in the world:
(And for your chance to win a copy, along with money for your local library, see my earlier blog post.)
I'm thankful for every one of you reading this.
I'm thankful for the support of readers and fellow writers, who do stuff like this:
That's Michelle Davidson Argyle, a Utah writer who took the time to get this photo of my first book in the wild and send it to me. It knocks me out that people do stuff like this. I'm thankful for every email and tweet and blog comment.
I'm thankful for the support of family, friends, and fellow writers who have listened to me whine about how hard it is to write a book, and who celebrate with me when things go well. I'm thankful for the writers whose work inspires me.
I'm thankful for the hard work done by my publisher and agency and booksellers and librarians to bring my stories to readers.
I'm thankful for my husband, who is the chief enabler of my writing habit.
I'm thankful that stories come to my brain, whether or not they ever get published or even finished. I'm thankful for the joy of writing.
I'm thankful that this January 19, a story that haunted me for months will finally be out in the world:
(And for your chance to win a copy, along with money for your local library, see my earlier blog post.)
I'm thankful for every one of you reading this.
January 16, 2012
Online launch party: Library love for you
I have something to celebrate this week, and I like to celebrate by giving stuff away. In the past, I've often marked writerly milestones by donating money to my local library (e.g., in comment challenges). This time around, I thought: I'd like to help your local library. (No offense to my library, which is lovely and will be getting some support from me later this year, as usual.)
To celebrate the launch of my second novel this Thursday, January 19, I'll be accepting comments on both of my blogs (LiveJournal and Blogger) all week on this post. Just leave a comment with a way to contact you by Friday night at 9 PM EST. I'll select a commenter at random to receive a $150 donation to your local library (or Friends of the Library, or literacy-related charity such as RIF). Also, the commenter will receive a signed copy of my book. More detailed rules are below. Also to celebrate: bookmarks for all! Just send an email to jennifer[at]jenniferhubbard[dot]com if you'd like a bookmark (rules on that below, too).
About Try Not to Breathe, a YA novel published by Viking (Penguin): In the summer after his suicide attempt, sixteen-year-old Ryan struggles with guilty secrets and befriends a girl who's visiting psychics to try to reach her dead father.
I wrote this book because I wanted to focus on recovery from a suicide attempt. What happens when someone steps back from that brink? How does he put his life back together? And so, while I certainly explore the darkness my character has walked through that brought him to that point, I see this book mostly as a story of learning how to live.
If you'd like a more detailed discussion of it, see this analysis by Susan Carpenter of the Los Angeles Times.
Winner will be randomly selected from the entries on both blogs, from comments left by 9 PM EST on Friday, January 20. If the winner does not claim the prize within a week, I reserve the right to select another winner or to cancel the giveaway. I reserve the right to cancel the giveaway in the event of computer or software glitches that interfere with it, or for any reason.
One entry per person.
Spam comments will not be eligible; I am the final arbiter of what constitutes spam.
The winning library or charity must be able to receive a donation of $150 US dollars by credit card or check. If the winner's library cannot do this, winner will be able to select another library or charity, unless and until a satisfactory recipient cannot be found.
I will be the final arbiter of what constitutes an eligible library or charity.
To celebrate the launch of my second novel this Thursday, January 19, I'll be accepting comments on both of my blogs (LiveJournal and Blogger) all week on this post. Just leave a comment with a way to contact you by Friday night at 9 PM EST. I'll select a commenter at random to receive a $150 donation to your local library (or Friends of the Library, or literacy-related charity such as RIF). Also, the commenter will receive a signed copy of my book. More detailed rules are below. Also to celebrate: bookmarks for all! Just send an email to jennifer[at]jenniferhubbard[dot]com if you'd like a bookmark (rules on that below, too).
About Try Not to Breathe, a YA novel published by Viking (Penguin): In the summer after his suicide attempt, sixteen-year-old Ryan struggles with guilty secrets and befriends a girl who's visiting psychics to try to reach her dead father.
I wrote this book because I wanted to focus on recovery from a suicide attempt. What happens when someone steps back from that brink? How does he put his life back together? And so, while I certainly explore the darkness my character has walked through that brought him to that point, I see this book mostly as a story of learning how to live.
If you'd like a more detailed discussion of it, see this analysis by Susan Carpenter of the Los Angeles Times.
Winner will be randomly selected from the entries on both blogs, from comments left by 9 PM EST on Friday, January 20. If the winner does not claim the prize within a week, I reserve the right to select another winner or to cancel the giveaway. I reserve the right to cancel the giveaway in the event of computer or software glitches that interfere with it, or for any reason.
One entry per person.
Spam comments will not be eligible; I am the final arbiter of what constitutes spam.
The winning library or charity must be able to receive a donation of $150 US dollars by credit card or check. If the winner's library cannot do this, winner will be able to select another library or charity, unless and until a satisfactory recipient cannot be found.
I will be the final arbiter of what constitutes an eligible library or charity.
January 14, 2012
A writer goes to the bookstore
Last weekend, I went book shopping, to use a gift card I'd gotten over the holidays. Browsing the shelves made me so happy, as did carrying home my selections.
I had heard that becoming a published author can ruin the bookstore experience. That authors can get upset if their books aren't stocked, and upset if they're stocked but are buried spine-out on a bottom shelf. The first few weeks after my book came out, I did have the weird sensation of blushing every time I crossed a bookstore threshold, as if spotlights were going to follow me while a loudspeaker blared: "THAT WOMAN IN AISLE 3 IS AN AUTHOR! SHE IS GOING TO CHECK AND SEE IF HER BOOK IS HERE! ISN'T THAT PATHETIC? AND CAN YOU BELIEVE SHE LEFT THE HOUSE IN THOSE PANTS?!"
I'll be honest: I still do get a little blush-y if my book is there, and a little stomach-drop if it's not. But mostly, bookstores are still the places they always were: some of my favorite places on earth. I am, first and foremost, a reader. I'm still in love with the written word, and with other people's books.
I had heard that becoming a published author can ruin the bookstore experience. That authors can get upset if their books aren't stocked, and upset if they're stocked but are buried spine-out on a bottom shelf. The first few weeks after my book came out, I did have the weird sensation of blushing every time I crossed a bookstore threshold, as if spotlights were going to follow me while a loudspeaker blared: "THAT WOMAN IN AISLE 3 IS AN AUTHOR! SHE IS GOING TO CHECK AND SEE IF HER BOOK IS HERE! ISN'T THAT PATHETIC? AND CAN YOU BELIEVE SHE LEFT THE HOUSE IN THOSE PANTS?!"
I'll be honest: I still do get a little blush-y if my book is there, and a little stomach-drop if it's not. But mostly, bookstores are still the places they always were: some of my favorite places on earth. I am, first and foremost, a reader. I'm still in love with the written word, and with other people's books.
