Gae Polisner's Blog, page 18

Friday Feedback: *Looks Around*

Um. Friday Feedback. Right. That post was just here.

*looks frantically around*


Er, I may be on serious project overload.


First, there was the whole my-back-went-out fiasco that knocked me off track for a week (don't panic, I have finally returned, as of yesterday, to the open water);


 Yesterday, at the Dix Hills Diner....Then there was the movie script that arrived in my email box Monday (?! Tuesday?!) that needed fast reading (at 97 pages, taking notes, took many hours...);



and, the "quick" Blogger Appreciation Week post that took me almost 4 hours  *coughs* (so, please, hang on its every word and visit every link!)



and, um, of course, there was the unexpected hour lost when my son, not immediately finding the correct dishwasher detergent,

Brady-Bunched the dishwasher...

That is my hubby scooping suds out with a plastic pitcher...Anyway, I promise you, next week, we're back on track with a lovely guest-blogger you won't want to miss, but for this week,

we go all loosey-goosey again with a
Friday Feedback free-for-all.

In fact, you don't even need to read any of my crap this week; I'll just read yours. ;)

Go ahead, you know you want to.

Here are the RULES:

Please post between 3 -5 paragraphs, and no more -- 3 if the paragraphs are longer, no more than 5 if they are short .

If there's more, I reserve the right not to read.** I will offer some very basic feedback -- the only reasonable feedback that can actually be given from a brief excerpt:

• Does the piece "hook" me enough to make me want to keep reading;

• What else works for me and/or what doesn't;

• If you're super lucky (or super unlucky?) I may be moved to do a superspeed flash edit -- I will never change your words... only omit unneeded ones and/or change tenses to show how even a small edit like that can truly make a piece shine. As Orwell once said, "If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out." I believe this is mostly true.



Happy Friday. Happy writing. Hop to it.

- gae

A Very Bloggy Lovefest, with Thanks

So, apparently, this week is BOOK BLOGGER APPRECIATION WEEK .
 
Now, I might live under a rock, but I'm not an unappreciative b*tch, so when I found out it was (thank you, Universe, for making me see that tweet!), I did really want to do something about it.

Quick aside: For those of you who are not uniquely acquainted to the inner workings of the book world, and, maybe especially, the YA book world, bloggers are a huge thing. They can spread the word about a book with more passion and enthusiasm than most other mere mortals. They eat, sleep and breathe books. And they want to share this passion. If you are looking for good books to read, the links below are FANTASTIC places to check for recommendations, especially for your kids.
 
I am grateful for --  and, ahem, appreciative of -- each and every blogger that has taken the time to read and review my book. So, thank you. 
 
But, there are a small handful of bloggers, especially, who have really gone above and beyond reviewing The Pull of Gravity, making it a sort of loving mission (?) to spread the word about it, and, in some cases to literally make people read it *coughs at Kelly* or, at least, put it in others' hands. And, to those, I am especially indebted.
 
These are most BUT NOT ALL of them, partly because my mind is just scattered and feeble these days, and partly because I sometimes inadvertantly compartmentalize people, so if you're a teacher who blogs, I may think of you as the former and have forgotten the latter. At any rate, if you have been left out and shouldn't have been, don't hate me, instead, please send me an email (below) asking me to add you in**.

Please know that I am truly grateful to every person who has helped -- and continues to help -- The Pull of Gravity find an audience.
 
So, without further ado, and in NO particular order, I've asked each person to tell me

1. a bit about their site,
2. why they blog. What they get from it, or hope to give, 
3. what drew them so strongly to my book, The Pull of Gravity.
 
Please (please, please!) click on the name of their blog and check each one out when you have a chance! They are all pretty amazing, dedicated and funny people. :)  


Colby fighting with Jen over my book...
Colby Sharp, SHARPREAD:

"A little blog from a dude that digs spreading the love of reading in his fourth grade classroom."
*My blog gives me an opportunity to show my appreciation for the authors and illustrators that make my job as a reader teacher so darn fun.
"I liked TPoG because it didn't suck. It was the bomb. Seriously, all the books that I was forced to read in high school totally sucked. Books like TPoG would have helped me not skip out on four years of reading." 
Kelly tweeting my book for a change...
Kelly Hager, KELLYVISION :
"My blog is focused almost exclusively on fiction. It goes back and forth between adult/mystery/chick lit and young adult/contemporary/dystopian."*I love blogging because it helps me promote the books I love. I don't love every book I review but when I do find one, I love that I have a forum to basically shout it from the rooftops. :)*

"I think TPoG was sort of the perfect storm (in a good way). I love stories about friendship and first love and road trips, and it has all of those. But it's also so real and genuine and has characters you can't help but love." Kelly, somewhere else on the interwebs touting my book...
 
Destiny Philipose, TOTALLY BOOKALICIOUS

"My blog is unique and fun because I am based in the US and Siobhan is in the UK and together we have a lot of fun comparing and reviewing books together. Its great having one of us book worms on each side of the pond. She is my long lost book sister :)"

*I love blogging and reviewing because I LOVE BOOKS. Plain and simple - I want to be able to share with (literally sometimes) the world which books I think are so fantastic. Its also a great way for me to meet new authors and discover books I never would have come across otherwise. And the friends - bloggers, followers, authors - the friendships I have made extend beyond my expectations and are priceless!*

"The Pull of Gravity. This was my favorite read of 2011 and one of my favorites of all time. The characters are real, they are flawed, but they draw you in and you root for them from start to finish. Gae writes in such a way you feel like you *know* the characters, the places, and are actually a part of the story. It is real, charming, funny, and even a bit bittersweet, but definitely a book that will stay with you long after you read the last page."

 Mindy Janicke, BOOKS COMPLETE ME   Never mind. No caption needed... :) ·  "Books Complete Me is a great group of gals that enjoy reading and want to introduce YOU to the best books out there!"

*Blogging gave me the WORLD! I have read books and met authors that I would have NEVER had the chance if not for blogging. Blogging has turned me into TEAM INDIE 100%. So much talent out there not being recognized enough so I make it a point to spread the word. *

"When you get to the end of a book and it does not end the way you expect it to makes me giddy. This book made me GIDDY!"
 



  Cari is a fan of making me draw silly
pictures for her love... Cari Soto, CARI's BOOK BLOG

"Cari's Book Blog is my piece of cyberspace where I share my love of books. I write reviews, share what I'm reading, giveaway books, post book trailers, and interview authors."

 *My blog is my platform for spotlighting amazing books. I love giving undiscovered books a place to shine!*

"I love and miss TPOG! Scoot, Nick and Jaycee felt like real people and as a reader you wanted to make the world a better place for them so they wouldn't hurt." 


David Etkin, { EAT THE BOOK }
 
"I use my blog with my students to celebrate the world of books--what we've read, what we are reading, what we plan to read--and try to advertise the Next Best Book. In between I post fun stuff for my blog/Twitter friends; share videos, pictures, and write-ups of things going on in my school; and occasionally sprinkle in a serious post."
 
*My blog gives me a voice and a way to CONNECT with other Nerds like me, but also connect with students and parents. It is a showcase.*

"The characters were real and believable--warts and all. Life doesn't always resolve."

I literally happened upon this woman on the NYC subway reading my book!
I asked how she came by it: David Etkin had recommended it to her...  
 
A teen blogger named Grace who I refer to as "Little Penguin," PEACE, LOVE, TEEN FICTION

"It's a fun place where I can share my thoughts on books and interact with people who love to read as much as I do."  *My blog allows me to interact with people from all around the world who love reading too, which is so great because sometimes I feel like no one I hang out with understands my obsession.*

"I liked TPoG because it was a story that was numerous, fresh, and really had heart to it, which is something I think that a lot of books are missing now."


Yes, those are Pull of Gravity earrings that
my Little Penguin made for me! 
Kay McGriff, MRS. McGRIFF'S READING BLOG

"My blog is a place to join a conversation about great books for my eighth grade students, their parents, and anyone else who wants to share their love of reading.  I also give a peek as to what happens in my classroom with hopefully helpful resources for my students." 
*I love being able to interact with other book lovers through my blog.  I love when my students come and and say "I want to read the book you put on your blog" or a parent tells me they print off the book reviews to share with their child.  I've been able to connect with other teachers around the world and hope to connect my students with some of their classes, too. *  "You should hear me squeal when a real, live author (like Gae) visits my blog and leaves a comment.  I treasure the appreciation most YA writers (ALL I've ever interacted with) show to teachers and librarians."   "I first was drawn to The Pull of Gravity with the book trailer.  I knew I would love a story that had a road trip, quirky characters, Yoda, and Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.  I was right.  I was even more sold when I read it aloud to one of my classes last year.  When I walked to the front of the classroom with the book in hand, a hush settled over 35 very chatty 8th graders.  They hung on every word and begged for more.  This year, I talked about the book and have a long (and ever growing list) of students who want to read it.  Not only did the book connect with me, but it also connects with my students."

  That's Jen Vincent, upper right, having a little virtual party
with me and some other participants of Teachers Write! this summer.
 Jen Vincent, TEACH MENTOR TEXTS
"Teach Mentor Texts is a literacy resource for teachers and parents. Kellee Moye and I review books and give ideas for using them as mentor texts for reading and writing. We also share insight into teaching and literacy."*On Wednesday, Kellee and I talked about how much blogging together at Teach Mentor Texts really does mean to us. We strive to share but by sharing and being part of the blogging community, we have learned so much ourselves. (BBAW - What Book Blogging Means to Us)*

"When I read The Pull of Gravity, I read it for my I-94 book club with Colby Sharp. We read it looking for themes and then discussed these. I had the hardest time understanding and connecting with the main character's dad. We had a hugely heated discussion about this man. It helped me learn about myself and about how I interpret people. It was seriously like therapy for me to read and discuss the book. It's almost as if by not being able to connect with him I ended up learning about myself and him and how it's such a learning experience when we don't connect with a character."  Three other bloggers MUST be mentioned:  (The incomparable) Paul Hankins,  RAW INK ONLINE  and MR. HANKINS IS READING and WRITING IN KENTUCKIANA Raw Ink is a "Reading and Writing Community hosted by the Juniors of Silver Creek High School that now hosts members from all across America!"It would take me a year to tell you all the phenomenal things there are to say about Paul Hankins, and explain to you the enormous riches he brings to literature and education. If you are an author especially, please go join Raw Ink Online! * * * Sarah Andersen, of YA LOVE BLOG, a high school English teacher extraordinaire who was the first teacher to rally to pick up The Pull of Gravity into her school's core curriculum. In addition to book reviews, she runs a terrific feature on her blog called Students Want to Know, where her students ask questions of a featured YA author after reading their book, and Books Guys Dig, where you just might find TPoG; * * * and, last but so not least, Cindy Beth Minnich (and all the other wonderful teachers & librarians at), THE NERDY BOOK CLUB .  They say: "If you love books, especially those written for children and young adults, then you are an honorary member of The Nerdy Book Club. Like us, you probably always have a book along to read, a title to recommend, and time to talk about works held dear."I say: There is truly not enough good I can say about Independent Blogger Award Winner of 2012 Nerdy Book Club. When they bestowed their first-ever Nerdy Book Award on my book, they legitimized my book, and, quite simply, blew me away. They're the most smart, wonderful, passionate group of children's and young adult readers, sharers, teachers, and bloggers you will ever find. If you are a teacher or librarian, you need to be a member. If you are a parent who wants to instill a love of reading in your kids and needs a go-to resource, this is your place. 'Nuff said.   Me, proudly sporting my Nerdy shirt.
 ** if you're not here and should be (some of you are not because you didn't send me the info!), please send me an email at g.polisner@gmail.com and I will add you in! I plan to repost this each Thursday in September, and will update as I go.

A Longer Fork

So, back in April, I shared a little exciting, but very Pie-In-the-Sky, news: The Pull of Gravity had been optioned for film.

And in August, I even showed you a tiny snippet of the first page of the script that was being worked on.

Well, yesterday, the full-blown script -- The Pull of Gravity, the Movie -- arrived in my email box!!!**

Dude. It was actually really hard to open it.

My heart pounded with fear and excitement. What if I hated it? What if they hadn't captured my book at all?!?

But the minute I opened it, I breathed a sigh of relief. It was a small thing, but it told me a whole lot:



The screenwriter, Chris Youngless, had put the Yoda quote that grounds the story at top: as if to ground him, too, and keep him mindful of my story.

At least I took it this way. It comforted me. It helped me to breathe and start reading.

I haven't read a lot. It's a crazy busy week and I want to give it my undivided focus and attention. But already I can see (and I was warned and knew ahead of time) that there are going to be places where the script veers a bit from my exact words and presentation -- to some extent it must. Film is visual; scenes that are exposition in books, or easily summarized in a quick sentence or two, must be shown in film.

But there are also places where I can't help but smile, and feel the intense excitement well up, because my exact characters, my exact presentation, are there, coming alive on the page in this new format:


Over the next few days, I'll read the full script, try to be thoughtful and open minded (!!), and offer input only where it feels needed or necessary. **I have creative consultation on the project (and intend to use it), but I also want to honor the guys who have taken the project on with great intentions, great effort, and with their own creative vision as well.

Anyway, that's it for now. The pie is still way, way up in the sky, but my fork just got a tiny bit longer. ;)

- gae

Friday Feedback: Ready, Set, Action!

Hey Friday Feedbackers!
I am definitely not in this position today.
We're having some fun today, all about action -- which is kind of ironic since I pulled my back out on Tuesday and have been the picture of unhappy inaction this week.


But no worries about lame old me . . .  ;)


My friend Ian T. Healy * joins us today in conjunction with the release of his new novel  The Archmage ("The would-be Archmage has slain nearly all the magic-users in the world, taking their power for himself. If he succeeds in killing the Lucky Seven’s own mage Stratocaster, the Archmage’s power will become absolute and plunge the world into darkness under his cruel reign. But not if Mustang Sally and the rest of the Just Cause superheroes have anything to say about it. OUT OF TIME Only time will tell if Sally can run fast enough to escape the Archmage’s clutches, fast enough to outwit his evil plan, fast enough to save the world."), book 2 in his Just Cause Universe series.

Ian was with me once before for the launch of his first Just Cause book. He is also the creator of the Writing Better Action Through Cinematic Techniques workshop, which helps writers to improve their action scenes.

So, I asked Ian to share with us his top 5 tips for writing effective action scenes. I must say, I thought these were pretty darn helpful, and one of them even surprised me. I've added a few of my own comments in pink (because I'm a girl, yes, sue me).

See what you think, and if you have an action scene to share today, Ian is your guy! (of course, share any excerpt you want!)

Ian's Top Five Tips for Writing Authentic and Awesome Action:

    1. Set your scene before the action begins .

    -As writers, description is important. But there is a time and a place for everything, and that place is before your action sequence begins. Putting lengthy description into the middle of an action    sequence bogs it down to a standstill.

    2. Pacing, pacing, pacing .

    -Action sequences move at a rapid pace. Think about the great movie action sequences you've seen. Try to duplicate that kind of energy in your writing by keeping things and people moving, reacting, and taking action. Remember that all action scenes have an ultimate goal, like Escape The Bad Guys or Catch The Robbers or Kill The Other Guy Before He Kills You. Your characters should always be working toward that goal. An action scene without a goal is like a fish with a bicycle.

    3. No shaky-cam or jumpcuts

    -It's important to keep your scene flowing from one event to the next. Keep the action centered on one character. Moving your focus between multiple characters makes a scene read as choppy and hard to follow. Imagine if you were a film director and tried to do an action sequence with as few cuts as possible. (Me: this is great advice. I've seen some of my action writers on here make this mistake. Focus on too many characters in the scene, which definitely confuses the reader and slows down the scene!)

    4. Long sentences read faster than short ones .

    -This one is tricky, because it seems to go against common sense. (Me: It does! It does!) But when you read a sentence out loud, the way many people read in their minds, every time you come to a period, you pause. You pause with commas, too, but it doesn't feel as slow. The effect of this in an action scene is that short sentences feel like stuttered pacing - the literary equivalent of the shaky-cam. Longer sentences feel like smooth, fast action, and increase both the pacing of the scene and the tension. Save your short sentences for things that need to be highlighted, or events that might be filmed in slow motion.

    5. Use words that imply motion, movement, and action .

-Don't let your characters walk or crawl or step aside. Instead, make them sprint or scramble or leap clear. Say you had to describe someone going from one end of an obstacle course to the other as fast as possible. You would use words like climb and jump and duck. Now give that person a gun and set up a couple other people shooting at them. That adds a whole new spectrum of potential terms. Don't be afraid to use words that add a sense of energy, excitement, and danger. They're an important part of your writer's toolbox.

So, now that Ian's given you some pointers, are you curious to read an excerpt from him? Okay, well, it's Friday Feedback, so you know the RULES.

Here's a short action scene from early in Ian T. Healy's The Archmage:


Doublecharge had said speed was of the essence, and nobody was faster than Sally.
Nobody.
She ran down the line of guards and pushed clip releases with one hand while she popped the chambered rounds out of the slides with the other. She’d practiced the technique for hours until she could perform it faster than even a seasoned gunman like Jack could pull a trigger.  In spite of her speed, one guard got a surprised round off.  Sally cursed and changed direction instantly, something she could do no matter how fast she was running. She could see the bullet spiraling through the air right toward a hostage. She slapped it aside with one of her horseshoes to send it toward a wall.
She paused in front of the guard who’d fired just long enough to disable his gun and waggle a reproachful finger in his face. Then she sped away and headed for the three villains who held civilian hostages. One of them twitched suddenly in her direction faster than anyone should have been able to with a motion almost a blur even to Sally.
Something wrapped around her legs, constricted, and she skidded hard into a printing press. Her goggles cracked with the impact. At least it wasn’t my skull, she thought in a daze. Blotchy stars danced in her visions from the force of the impact. What the hell was that? She looked down toward her feet. A sinuous ribbon of ruby-colored energy wrapped around her ankles and held them fast. The end of the ribbon curled away to end in the fist of a tall, reedy cowboy with a real soup-strainer of a mustache.---- Ian (& gae)

p.s. If you want to get in touch with Ian you can find him here:

on Twitter as @ianthealyon Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorIanThomasHealyAuthor website: www.ianthealy.com

Friday Feedback: Unruly & Ten Rules

Boo hiss: All my dread in the world couldn't keep it away: the unofficial last weekend of summer is here.

And, next Wednesday, my kids go back to school.

The days are getting shorter, the morning's, colder, and all my wishing and hoping won't keep fall at bay.

The only good part is that I have a lot of fun book stuff coming up: my first Canadian Book Club, a school visit in PA, a Kids Read stint at the esteemed Center for Fiction in NYC, and an evening at Pen Parentis, to name a few.

Also, my "Frankie" revisions are due to my editor, after a big thumbs up from my agent, so I'm hopeful they'll go over well. If only the publication date weren't so very faaaaaar away.

As for my Frankie revisions, I'm feeling a bit lovey dovey with my hubby these days* (that's him ranking a blog appearance up there) because, unbeknowst to me, he took it upon himself to read the revised draft. Now, let's just say he's not always my best, most attentive reader. *coughs* And let's just say that, if he doesn't love something, he's not particularly great at hiding that fact. *weeps a little*

And let's just say he hasn't stopped gushing about this book!

Seriously, that's like getting rave reviews from Kirkus. Plus, he's kinda looking at me all starry-eyed. ;)

Anyway, I have some fun guest authors and writing and revision tips coming up in the next several weeks, but this week, and especially for those readers who are regulars, I do want to parade out my very short bible of writing for you once again... Got 10 Rules?

Come on, Elmore makes it easy:


Yeah, okay, maybe those last two rules are tricky. . .  ;)

Anyway, it is Friday Feedback. . . so, without further ado, you know my rules. Here's another bit from my Work In Progress I posted from last week -- an upper YA called In Sight of Stars. The MC is a 17-year-old boy named Klee (pronounced Clay). He's in a bit of a (very) bad way:


At 5:15 pm, I walk out to the nurses’ station to call Mom, which is bad timing to begin with, because the smell of puked-up chicken noodle soup or some other shit wafts from the cafeteria down the halls. I’ve avoided a meal there since Monday, but I’m not sure how much longer they’ll let me.            The nurse at the desk’s name is Shelly. She’s the blond one who sometimes brings me my meds.             “I need to call my mom,” I say. She nods and moves away, to give me some privacy, I think.It still feels weird to dial our home number, like it’s somebody else’s, not ours. The sound of the ringing makes my heart race. I don’t know whether I want her to answer, or not. Not means she’s out gallivanting.
Then again, what does it matter?Another ring, a third, then voicemail. “You’ve reached Klee and Marielle, please leave a message. We’ll get back to you as soon as we’re able.” Nice. Creative. Original. The machine beeps in my ear, gratefully cutting off my thoughts.  “Hey, Mom, it’s me. I’m doing better. So, yeah, when you get this, you can call. Or, I guess you don’t have to call, you can just come by tomorrow if you want to. Oh yeah, if you do, could you bring me some clean clothes and, I guess maybe my school books, since I really don’t know how long I’m in for. They’re in my backpack, well, you know. Okay, thanks. See you then.” I hang up. My stomach roils. I can’t even wrap my head around school.Then again, I can’t wrap my head around having to see my mother either.
***

Looking forward to reading you!
- gae

*I'm almost always feeling lovey dovey with my hubby.

Swimming Book to Book

That's me, mid-photo far right behind the blue paddleboard, at about mile 2As many (most? all?) of you know, when I'm not writing, I'm usually swimming, and, indeed, while I'm swimming, I'm often writing in my head.

Last weekend was a milestone in my open-water swim career:

At 48, I swam my first 5-mile swim.

Honestly, it amazed me, even though I wasn't surprised.

I've done several 3-mile swims this summer (having done my first official 5K two summers ago), and knew I'd have no problem -- absent some major unforseen occurrence -- making it.

Still, 5 miles is a lot more than 3-miles (well, 2 more, to be exact -- see, I can do maths!) and, the morning of, missing one of my two usual swim cohorts, I arrived at the beach with an abundance of butterflies in my stomach.

Did I make it? Yes.

Was it harder than I thought? Yes.

Do I plan to do it again soon? Hell, yes! I can't wait to try longer than that.

If you're interested, here's my quiet, spare account of the swim on my other blog. And here's a more detailed account on the blog of our West Neck "Fairy Pod Mother," The Water-blog.

In the meantime, the morning temps are dropping here in NY, and I've got lots of swimming left to do before the winter sets in.

The beach at around 11:30 am on 8/25/12, after my 5-mile swim.
The resident (un) friendly swans were waiting for me when I got back to home base.

xox gae

Friday Feedback: Free-4-All

Me, and a bunch of TPoG things...
Um.

I forgot it was Friday.

Or remembered, but forgot about Feedback.

Or remembered, but was too busy swimming.

And writing.

And parenting.

And working.

And playing * Settlers of Catan.



After weeks of lamenting, it's here: it's truly the last two weeks of summer here in NY.

My older son enters his senior year of high school. My younger his first year.

I'm having a hard time fathoming that.

And tomorrow I attempt my first-ever five mile swim.




So, yeah, I'm a bit distracted. ;) But, I'm here, it's just a bit of a free-for-all! So, do what you want in the comments, though follow the RULES if you're new (Just don't be that guy who posts how he hates American women. Because YOU I will delete. ;))

Otherwise, post a snippet. Ask a question. Tell me your favorite book.
 
Here's a still-rough bit from the part of the ms I'm working on now called (before John Green's last book came out) In Sight of Stars (bite me, John Green, I'm not changing it).
 
 
 
 
 
            As we head through the park, she’s still holding my hand.
I keep waiting for her to extract her fingers, to realize she’s made some mistake, being with me here, this way. But she doesn’t. She keeps it there, squeezes her fingers in mine. At Bethesda Terrace, I lead her over to the winged sculpture, Angel of the Waters.  It’s my favorite place in the city.As the mist falls on our faces, I explain how the angel is supposed to represent the purification of the city’s water supply, and how there’s a guy whose job it is to clean out the coins from the bottom of the fountain every day.“It’s kind of crazy how you know all this stuff. Good crazy, not bad crazy. But still, crazy.” She smiles, which kills me, then she walks, trawling her fingers along the edge of the fountain’s coping. I follow her, watching the spray catch in her hair like tiny crystals. At the far side, she stops, sits on the coping, and leans so far over the edge, I’m sure she’s going to fall in. “Hey, Klee,” she says, over her shoulder, “all those wishes, how many of them do you think actually come true?” I hold to the corner of her sweater, but she ignores me, leans further, pushes her sleeve up and reaches in. She swishes her hand in the water. “I mean, there must be thousands of coins in there, right? I sure hope some of them come true.”- gaep.s. the next two Fridays as summer wraps, my kids go back to school, and my revisions are due to my editor will also be free-for-alls. I'll return to some structure September 8!  xox to all * losing

Friday Feedback: If I Can't Go In Reverse, I'll Settle for Verse

okay, fine, that's really me swooning in winter
so what?Meh. Groan all you want at the title of this post, I like it ;)

Anyway.

<------ This is me.

Swooning.

Lamenting the almost-end of summer.

I should really stop whining, but I can't.


Waaaaaah. I want my whole summer back.
But if it has to slip away, no one better to edge us gracefully toward fall and Back-to-School than the lovely, adorable, talented Caroline Starr Rose.

Trust me.

This is Caroline:


See what I mean?Her first novel in verse, May B., was released to starred Kirkus and PW reviews:

I've known it since last night:
It's been too long to expect them to return.
Something's happened.

May is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned. Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, May must prepare for the oncoming winter. While fighting to survive, May's memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But she's determined to find her way home again. Show More Show Less



"If May is a brave, stubborn fighter, the short, free-verse lines are one-two punches in this Laura Ingalls Wilder–inspired ode to the human spirit."  - Kirkus Reviews

       
I confess: My first writer-self was a poet. I didn't attempt stories or novels till adulthood.

My childhood, adolescence, and college years were spent writing poetry. I've even started two novels in verse -- well, one in verse, one with a verse component.

Yet, somehow, I'm scared of it now.


How does one turn a story from a bunch of poems to plot?
a poetic little spot in my father's gardens. . .
Well, here's the awesome thing for you (me). We've got Caroline here today, sharing just that. How she takes her stories from Poem to Plot. Here she is:


The more I write, the more I firmly believe there is no one way to write a book. I have yet to approach any of my manuscripts the same way. Here, though, are some things I’ve learned from both reading and writing verse novels:


Subject matter must be right for poetry

Some topics lend themselves more easily to poetry than others. Some subjects refuse to be written as prose. Many times an author will use verse to mimic the rhythm of the story. Here are a few books that come to mind:
Sharon Creech’s HEARTBEAT, about a girl who loves to run
Karen Hesse’s OUT OF THE DUST, where the spare language reflects the stark Dust Bowl setting
Lisa Schroeder’s FAR FROM YOU, about a girl who sings and and writes songs         
Protagonists must be right for poetry
Often (though not always) verse novels are told from a very close first-person point of view. Such writing calls for a lot of introspection on the protagonist's part.  Other times verse is used as a way for multiple voices to be heard, almost like a Greek chorus. Here are some examples:
Thanhha Lai’s INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN, about a Vietnamese girl’s efforts to understand her new American home
Karen Hesse’s WITNESS, where the Ku Klux Klan moves into a quiet Vermont town, and citizens reflect on the change they bring

Poems should be able stand alone
Each poem in a verse novel must capture one moment, scene, idea, mark of change in your character's life. Poems should also be able to function separately from the rest of the story.

Poems must contribute to the whole
When I worked through my own verse novel, MAY B., I kept a quilt in mind, treating each poem like its own square of fabric. Each patch had to be able to function separately while at the same time move the story forward. I trusted that if certain patterns and shades in my story quilt were repeated (think themes or story strands), eventually the interconnectedness would surface -- a much more organic approach than is normally taken with prose. 

Varied poem lengths

Some scenes flow, some end abruptly. Some thoughts wander, some jab. Without the structure of chapters, verse novels are simultaneously abrupt and fluid -- poem lengths can be jagged yet aide the plot in moving through scenes swiftly. It is often difficult to find a place to stop reading, as one poem often bleeds into the next.


Varied line lengths
Verse novelists play with key phrases or words they want to bring to their reader’s attention by the way they arrange words on the page. Line breaks can be used to slow down reading, to draw the eye to important phrases, and to best "speak" the poem.


Emotion and structure
The structure of a poem often communicates to readers a character’s emotional state.
How might fear look structurally?  A verse novelist might use little punctuation or words tightly packed together. Maybe the language of the poem will unfold in short bursts, reminiscent of a child peeking into a darkened room and quickly slamming the door.


Poetic form
Some verse novelists use specific types of poetry (sonnets, for example), as Pat Brisson did with her book, THE BEST AND HARDEST THING. In writing about Sylvia Plath in YOUR OWN, SLYVIA, author Stephanie Hemphill chose to mirror the format of several of Plath's poems, giving her readers a sense of the poet's style, subject matter, intensity, and character.

The visual and the aural
When I was a teacher, I used to tell my students that poetry should be seen and heard. There is something special that happens when a reader experiences seeing, hearing, and saying a poem all at once -- the fullness of the poem is discovered this way.

*If you ever feel stuck with a verse novel, find a private corner and try reading it aloud.*

Verse novels aren’t books with strange line breaks. They are stories best communicated through the language, rhythm, imagery and structure of poetry. I hope you’ve found something here that sparks your imagination and helps you move from individual poems to a complete novel in verse.

Okay, seriously, I barely want to finish this post. I want to go work on my verse novels instead. :)

Anyway, because she is not only lovely, talented and adorable, but also awesome, Caroline's Friday Feedback excerpt is, yep, a poem from one of her WIP's. A historical novel in verse. So, here we go! Friday Feedback. You know the RULES (if you've got a poem today and want to share it, go ahead! Otherwise, feel free to post 3-5 paragraphs of your WIP).

 


It’s just a pigeon, Uncle said,
his big hands folding the bit of wood into mine.
What he carved is graceful in the way
its wings rest so daintily,
its neck gently curves.
This Uncle Samuel promised me:
pigeons return to their homes
no matter how far they fly.

A bird set free might wander
but will rejoin his flock.


At first,
I believed this was Uncle’s pledge to come back to me,
but when Father said we too
would make our way to Virginia,
I thought of something else:
What if a flight of pigeons followed the wandering one,
joining him on a journey entirely new?
Returning would not mean going back
but traveling onward;
reuniting with the missing one
would make them whole again.


Home isn’t only where you live,
it is also whom you love,
like they that call across an ocean
for your return.

- Caroline (& gae)

The Pull of Gravity: A Very Authory Post

The moody hardcover with the too-young looking,
too-Justin Biebery Nick -
oh, I won't miss you hardover Nick... ;) SO,

this blog o' mine has had a one-track mind to Friday Feedback this summer ...
especially because of my involvement with the uber-amazing Teachers Write! program with Kate Messner, Jen Vincent and, really, Jo Knowles.
But, I've let other things lag.

So, I thought I'd take a few minutes to catch you all up on all my other authory stuff.

If you don't care about my other authory stuff and just want to hear about the movie stuff, scroll down . . . ;)


First, The Pull of Gravity will be out in paperback this winter (2/5/13!!).

I'm psyched and am loving and adoring the new cover:

What do you think?
If you like it, maybe you'll go click "like" on Amazon?
Other Cool TPoG things:

In addition to being a Bank Street, Nerdy Book Club, and PSLA pick for Best of YA fiction in 2011 and/or 2012, The Pull of Gravity will also be a National Battle of the Books book selection for 2013-14. If you are involved with a particular state's BOB, I would love to be included! If you're close enough, I'll come and participate! :)
I've noticed The Pull of Gravity on several summer assignment reading lists around the web. If you are a classroom teacher (or librarian) using the book, and read this post, please contact me!!! (g.polisner@gmail.com) I will be happy to Skype in for free (or pay another type of school visit, circumstances depending). Or, at the very least, send bookmarks! :)


That's me, the giant head of Oz, Skyping into an 8th grade classroom last spring :)
And, while I'm at it, thanks to Kate Messner, here is a list of other MG and YA authors who will Skype into your classroom for free: http://www.katemessner.com/authors-who-skype-with-classes-book-clubs-for-free/

In September, I will be Skyping in to my first CANADIAN book club -- the Chapters Kanata Youth Book Club in Ontario. I will also be paying an in-person visit to the Upper Dauphin Area High School in Elizabethville, Pennsylvania, because teacher extraordinaire and now friend, not to mention Nerdy Book Club co-facilitator, Cindy Beth Minnich, has also assigned TPoG as a summer companion to Of Mice and Men. I'm very excited about meeting her students in person, and hope they don't throw tomatoes at me for making them read over the summer. :\End of September, I'll also be at the Center for Fiction in New York City.
And, ta da! Some movie news. . .
Last, but definitely not least... I hear the second draft of the script for the TPoG movie is done. In fact, I've seen a sneak peek at the first page of the script ... Script being written by Chris Youngless. Movie: I Heart Math Productions.
It's really cool to see, no?! :)

As part of my option agreement, I've got creative consultation and will get to review the whole thing pretty soon. As far as I'm concerned, the movie stuff is still pie in the sky, but I know the team working on it is VERY gung-ho, and each day it seems a bit more real... if totally surreal. :)

In other book news...

My "Frankie" revisions are with my agent, and are due to my shiny, new editor, the wonderful Elise Howard of Algonguin Books, on September 1st. They took me almost all summer -- way longer than I anticipated -- but I think it's a much stronger, tighter manuscript. Let's hope my editor agrees. Next up, is coming up with a title that sticks.
My In Sight of Stars revisions are now underway. This manuscript has alternate endings, and I have no idea which one I like best. My option submission period opens with Algonquin in the beginning of next year. I'm crossing my fingers she likes it. It's a big departure from The Pull of Gravity and Frankie, especially in audience age. ISOS is definitely a 14 and up book.So, that's it for now. I think you're caught up with my authory things.


Self portrait - July 2012 As for personal things . . .

I'm flabbergasted that, in some places, summer is already over and school has begun.

Not here. Thank goodness, not here.

I'm still on a summer schedule, revising and yoga'ing and chauffering around my kids. Plus, swimming strong...

I plan to attempt my first 5-mile swim in less than two weeks, in the company of a bunch of my swim pals from the West Neck Pod.

A typically magnificent day at West Neck Beach.
So, if you need me, that's where I'll be. In the water, hanging onto summer for dear life. . .

- gae

Friday Feedback: Take Your Advice and . . . Think About It?

So, a friend of mine -- a writer with several traditionally-published books under his belt -- asked if I would take a look at a YA manuscript of his (his first in the genre).

The manuscript has been getting great "plot" feedback from agents and editors alike, but they are, thereafter, rejecting it -- mostly on claimed issues with the story's "voice."

As such, he specifically asked me not to worry about little problems with story or structure or dialogue, but to just see if I could figure out what is wrong (if anything) with the voice.

So, here's the thing: I'm reading, knowing his credentials far exceed mine, and I'm seeing problems everywhere in the first 30 pages -- concrete problems that have nothing to do with voice (though might amount to why voice isn't working for them). And, so, I'm questioning myself.

"Who am I, compared to this more successful writer, compared to editors and agents alike, to think I might actually "see" more concrete things wrong with this manuscript?"

Worse, when I know that writing advice is subjective.

I like what I like, and I don't like what I don't like, and as objective as I try to be, that truth is going to seep in to any critique I offer.

Even professional reviewers can't avoid this truth, or how can one explain the same book getting a stellar Kirkus review, while the School Library Journal or VOYA review is, say, less so? (*coughs*). Doesn't it mean that those readings are subjective?

So, here's the million dollar question: when seeking feedback, Who do you believe?


What advice do you take?

IMHO, there are really no definitive answers, but I do have a rule of thumb. All well-intended, constructive criticism is, of course, food for thought . Sometimes, no more than that.

But, if two or more people I admire (writing or reading-wise) take issue with something in my manuscript (or, in the case of my agent or editor, it only needs to be that one person), I deem it more than food for thought. I deem it something that needs my focus and consideration.

I may not agree with how or why they've taken issue -- or their potential suggestion, if any, for how to fix it -- but I do believe that it means as the writer, I may not have done my job communicating what I was hoping to, as well as I thought I had.

I need to go back with fresh eyes and look at those parts again.


So, for example: In my current manuscript, one of the "bits" that plays out throughout the story happens to be a favorite part of several of my BETA readers. I got repeated positive feedback about those parts. My former agent loved them too.

So, imagine my surprise when my current (and forever) agent commented that he found those parts occasionally to be a bit "twee."

Twee?!

Blech.

My first thought was to ignore him -- I mean, it's like five against one, right?!

But as I thought more about it, and held sight of my rule -- I thought, maybe I just haven't done those parts quite as well as I thought I had. Maybe my BETA readers are forgiving, and my agent is rightfully not.

So, now, on revision, I will look again with fresh eyes and an open zen-like ( ;)) mind.


And, the best I can do for my friend, is offer up what I "see," how I feel when I read, and know he will take it for whatever it's worth.

But, here's the bottom line. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. WRITING IS SUBJECTIVE. Reading is too. Critiquing is too.

For as many readers (agents, editors, reviewers) as like your book, there will always be detractors, someone who doesn't. Some readers will connect with your book, and some just won't. It's personal, but it isn't. So, hold on to that. In the end it's your story. Your voice.

Only you can decide.

So, here we go, peeps. Just you and me and Friday Feedback. You know the RULES. Here's a bit from the manuscript I'm working on now. Just a rough bit from the early middle. The main character is a 17-yr old boy, and a very good artist.


"So, then. . .” She lifts my portfolio and rests it on the table. “I didn’t open it, but I really wanted to.” She laughs, apologetically. “It’s just that I hear that you’re good.”
I shift on the couch and press against the headache that’s forming at the bridge of my nose.“Ah, I see you’re not offering to help with my curiosity. Fair enough.” She winks to let me know she’s just playing, and slides the portfolio off to the side. There’s something real about it – her – how she’s honest, rather than therapist-like, which makes me feel badly that I’m not in the mood. She pulls her clipboard back onto her lap. “No worries, really, I’ll live. I promise. But, maybe Monday you’ll share?”  She flips the sheet over and writes a note on it. The portfolio sits there, its handle dangling over the table’s edge.
My eyes flash to the small piece of masking tape wrapped around its handle, the words Kee ha Wo scrawled in Sarah’s handwriting. My stomach twists. I’d forgotten about that piece of tape. It’s mostly brown smudge now, my grip erasing letters over time . Kee ha Wo. It reads like some cryptic Chinese phrase. But I know what it said. I remember.            It was a double entendre, the day of the MOMA, on the train. She had whispered it in my ear, and the next week, I found it taped there on the handle like that. She had burst out laughing when I found it, loud enough that Mrs. Tarantoli gave us a look from her desk.
Kee ha Woo. I remember every single word Sarah said.
- gae

p.s. if you missed Kate's Teachers Write! Quick Write yesterday, and you're a participant, you shouldn't have. You can find it, and chime in your letter here: http://www.katemessner.com/teachers-write-89-thursday-quick-write/

p.s.s. No sad goodbyes here from me to my Teachers Write! campers (I refuse!!). Friday Feedback isn't going anywhere just because summer may end. Come back and play any Friday, and your students are welcome too. xox