Sarah Skilton's Blog, page 5

Hello My Little Neglecterinos

Blogging's taken a backseat at the moment while I finish up edits for Bruised. And, you know, raise my kid and stuff. The good news is I've gotten a sneak peek at my book's design layout and cover ideas and they're amazing!

I also have a couple of guest posts and an ARC giveaway lined up for the fall.

Happy back-to-school to those who celebrate, and come back soon for a cover reveal!

P.S. Is anyone else reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn? (Obviously many people are reading it, as it's a bestsell...

Red Letter Week - A Sleeping Baby and a Book Cover Teaser

On Wednesday night, my almost six-month-old baby slept through the night for the very first time, from 6pm to 6am.

So why didn't I sleep?

My mind was racing, in a good way. I was thinking about the extradorinarily cool cover concepts my editor had emailed me earlier in the day. I kept going back and forth over them, and reordering my favorites in my head.

To see some of Amulet's past covers, check out designer Maria T. Middleton's blog, and watch this space for my cover reveal later this year!

This is One of Those Posts Where I Just Send You to Other Posts

Here's what I did this week instead of writing this blog post (which I am doing now):

1) Los Angeles Review of Books published an essay I wrote for its Revisiting Fairytales series, in which I discuss ASH, Malinda Lo's young adult retelling of Cinderella.

2) Sophia the Writer graciously allowed me to join her Day in the Life series. So here it is, a Day in Sarah Skilton's Life. (Normally, that is summarized as "dishes-laundry-dishes-laundry," but I chose an idealized version to showcase here.)

Recommended Read: Where it Began by Ann Stampler

Where it Began by Ann Redisch Stampler opens with a fairly simple premise: a teenage girl wakes up in the hospital, having barely survived a car accident. She has no memory of the night in question, but she's certain she's to blame.

The narrative voice is fresh, crisp, and incredibly witty. I absolutely loved it. (Also, there is BILLY NASH. BILLY NAAAAAAAAAAAASH.)

What makes the book stand out so much? I shall tell you!

Narrative Voice
Gabby's narration is fabulously sarcastic. She considers her...

My Biggest Fear About Being Published

I harbor many irrational fears. As New Yorker film critic Anthony Lane puts it, "Sometimes the brain is a dungeon." Just ask my husband about the phase I went through in college when I became convinced that a cinder block was going to hit me on the head (thrown off a dorm balcony during spring cleaning, of course).

Here's the thing: I'm not scared people will hate my book. (I hope they don't, but if they do, I can accept that. Everyone has different taste in stories. It's really okay.)

No. Wha...

Purposeful Errors

If you knew a book had purposeful errors, would you still read it?

No?

Well, guess what -- you already have. Hahaha!

That was kind of a mean trick question. You see, every single book has purposeful errors.

Let me explain. There comes a time in an author's life when he or she will face copyedits (copy edits?). For me, that time was this week. Copyeditors (or copy editors? I DON'T KNOW ANYMORE) are brilliant, detail-oriented people who not only spot and fix typos, grammar mistakes, and spelling er...

Observations During a Walk - A Mystery

1. Hipster boy at the elementary school pre-first bell, outside in the recess/lunch area, wearing a baseball cap, tres cool sunglasses, and a necktie over jeans and a T. I'm kind of obsessed. Who is this kid? Is he the school fixer? Where does he fit in the hierarchy, or does he not play those reindeer games? Also: am pleased to see that Converse are still in, for both genders.

2. Tiny sock, missing its mate, under a bit of shrubbery at the edge of the lake. Normally this would've looked sinis...

Odds & Ends

Today's the last day to bid at Brenda Novak's charity auction for Diabetes research. As of this second, you still have eight hours to win from me a full screenplay critique or 50 pages of a novel critique (presumably the first 50 pages but you know, I'm flexible). Thanks and good luck! If it's too rich for your blood, I'll be participating in another auction next week.

Also I'm writing this from beyond the grave because the latest episode of Mad Men was so depressing I would've given it 5 out...

Los Angeles Novels for Every Mood

I started Jennifer Bosworth's STRUCK this week, a YA book about a teenage lightning addict living in post-Apocalyptic Los Angeles. The setting is pitch perfect and Bosworth clearly knows her L.A. stuff.  It got me thinking about my other favorite novels set in L.A. -- novels that absolutely couldn't be set anywhere else:

1. THE LONG GOODBYE by Raymond Chandler (classic hardboiled mystery)

2. DOGTOWN by Mercedes Lambert (gritty, unglamorous East L.A. of the 1980s)

3. MY HOLLYWOOD by Mona Sim...

What Having A Baby Has Taught me About Life, The Universe, and Everything

1. Turns out it's possible to function on 4 hours of sleep a night. Had I known this sooner, I could've written twice the number of manuscripts currently under my bed.

2. Babies appreciate every minor sensation the world has to offer because it's all new to them. As a writer, this can be invaluable to observe. (Yes, you know what, Elliot? You're right: The way light comes through the window and creates shadows along the wall IS beautiful and worth staring at.)

2a) What once seemed like minor sc...