Cynthia Leitich Smith's Blog, page 139

Young Readers & Author Insights

Photo of Judy Blume by Carl LenderBy Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Of late, a law school classmate mentioned how learning about an author enriched his reading experience.

As an author, I have mixed feelings about this.

Part of me feels self-conscious, yearns for privacy and wants the work to speak for itself.

But maybe because I write for young readers, because I used to be one, a bigger part wants to provide that sense of connection and role modeling.

I'm familiar with the limits of litera...

Guest Post: Holly Schindler on The Power of Sticking With It

By Holly Schindler
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

I got my master’s degree in the spring of ’01. Basking in the glow of a few short publications (poetry, fiction, lit critique), and armed with the belief that a life as a novelist was mine for the taking, I decided to dive headfirst into my writing career.

This was made possible, of course, because of support from my family—Mom knew it had been a lifetime dream, and encouraged me to stay home, turn the spare bedroom into an office, and de...

New Voice: Heather Demetrios on Something Real

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Heather Demetrios is the first-time author of Something Real (Henry Holt, 2014)(excerpt). From the promotional copy:

Seventeen-year-old Bonnie™ Baker has grown up on TV—she and her twelve siblings are the stars of one-time hit reality show "Baker’s Dozen". 

Since the show’s cancellation and the scandal surrounding it, Bonnie™ has tried to live a normal life, under the radar and out of the spotlight. But it’s about to fall apart…because "Baker’s Dozen...

Feral Curse: Giant Steps Through the Ashes

Now available!By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Are you struggling with a novel?

Is there a manuscript in a drawer that's still haunting you?

Consider my latest story-behind-the-story:

Feral Curse (Candlewick, 2014) is a novel that rose from the ashes in more ways than one.

In February 2000, I began writing a story inspired by my favorite Halloween decoration. A spooky carousel, complete with lights, motion and music. The story was sometimes called "The Arrivals" and sometimes called simply...

Guest Post: Alison L. Randall on Resolve to Conference

By Alison L. Randall
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

So you’ve made some New Year’s resolutions for your writing.

You want to add sparkle to your voice or make your characters more real.

You’ve vowed to network more with other writers and you’d love to learn what’s really going on in the publishing market.

As for an agent, you’re still trying to decide. It would be nice to find out more about the agent/client relationship.

If these, or others like them, are your goals, you may have already d...

Cynsational News

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

28 Days Later: Interview with Jason Reynolds by Varian Johnson from The Brown Bookshelf. Peek: "I told him (Christopher Myers, son of Walter Dean Myers) that I was done. No more writing. What he said next changed my life. He asked me, 'When my father is done, who’s going to carry that banner, that tradition?' I suggested he do it. He suggested I do it. He told me to take one more swing...." Note: see more entries from the Brown Bookshelf's 28 Days Later...

Guest Post: Chris Barton on Staying Connected, Author Newsletters & Bartography Express

Chris, Jennifer Ziegler & Cyn at a RIF event.By Chris Barton
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Just because literary-minded people can discuss an author’s books and get news about them at the speed of Twitter doesn’t mean that all of them want to.

Some surely find that even daily updates on Facebook or weekly blog posts showing up in their feed reader are too much of a good thing.

For these folks, an occasional email newsletter from a particular author may provide all the connection they...

Video: Bridge to Terabithia a Lifeline for Soldier-Turned-Author Trent Reedy

Compiled by Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Children's Novel a Lifeline for American Soldier from CBS This Morning:

"A used paperback of Bridge to Terabithia was sent to Corporal Trent Reedy in Afghanistan.

"CBS This Morning contributor Lee Woodruff reports on how the book changed the lives of Reedy, the author and a young Afghan girl."



Cynsational Notes 

Trent's new release is Divided We Fall (Levine/Scholastic, 2014). From the promotional copy:

Danny Wright never thought he'd be the ma...

Guest Post: Gail Giles on Writing with a Co-Author & Why Faust?

By Gail Giles
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

The question is asked: why did we (Deb Vanasse and I) decide to use Faust as the central theme of our book No Returns, the first book of our Battleband series (Running Fox, 2014)?

We actually didn’t.

I had an idea that came from dealing with a student of mine who was repeatedly drawing Satanic symbols on his papers. I asked why. He said he was calling up the Devil.

I asked what he would do if it worked and the Devil was busy or asleep and when h...

Guest Post: Kallie George on What Being an Editor Taught Me as a Writer

By Kallie George
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

For over eight years, I have been an editor at Simply Read Books, alongside writing and authoring my own books.

There is no doubt in my mind that editing has helped me become a better writer, albeit with much more to learn still.

Deal with Big Stuff First

I think it is very hard to have written a book, especially a long book, only to discover there is something crucially, substantially wrong with the plot, something that means you have to re...