Heather Demetrios's Blog, page 21

The Year in Review

Since it’s nearly 2014 and I’m about to get on a plane, I thought I’d do a quick reflection on everything that has happened in my life this past year. 2013 has been insane and amazing and stressful and utterly memorable and I sort of wanted to sort it out for a second, to look at it piece by piece, as though I’m going through my mother’s jewelry box, inspecting each item as though it’s buried treasure. This years feels kind of like that, a year of events that will glitter and sparkle forever, standing out in my memory, shining. The year before my very first book comes out. The year everything changed.

 

It started off with my second residency at VCFA, where I had the privilege of being in a special character workshop with Amanda Jenkins. By the time I left, I was ready to write EXQUISITE CAPTIVE. For the next six months, I worked on the book and my agent worked on trying to sell it: by June, we had a three-book deal with Harper Collins / Balzer + Bray, where I get to work with Donna Bray (who is phenomenal!). My second YA for Holt had been accepted in the spring, as well, AND I got to finally, finally, finally quit my day job. I can’t even begin to express how grateful I am to have the opportunity to be a full-time writer. I know there are so many artists out there struggling right now, trying to pay the bills and create their work and I just want you to know that it is possible. Keep the faith,…

Friday Goodness #10

It’s Friday Goodness – holiday edition! With Christmas next week and vacations starting, Friday has never looked so sparkly.
 

posting pics on Pinterest of their favorite book quotes and art.…

Story By Committee

If you haven’t seen the season finale of Homeland and you care about that not being spoiled, then read no further, for spoilers abound!

 

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to co-author a book, or write a story in a group, maybe like some fantastic version of the Exquisite Corpse parlor game the Surrealists played. One of my favorite parts of the writing process is sitting with writer friends and brainstorming plot ideas, whether it be for a book I’m working on or someone else’s. I know that some writers never seek out help or advice, but I think the vast majority have these brainstorming sessions, whether it be with a critique group, in a workshop, or with a friend or spouse. It’s so cool to see all this creativity flowing and then witness those Aha! moments in a writer (or feel them yourself—the most delicious kind of clicking into place, like your whole story is suddenly in alignment).

 

I’ve never written for TV, but I imagine big tables where writers sit and pitch ideas, keeping all the balls of a show’s plot in the air. Starbucks cups crowd the table’s surface, next to highlighted and dog-eared scripts, iPhones, and wrappers from hastily eaten lunches. I imagine the writers looking ahead to future seasons, taking into consideration the show’s ratings and how much money the producers will…

Friday Goodness #9

It’s Friday Goodness: Late Night Edition, catching you between binge-watching Breaking Bad and ordering a pizza…oh wait, that’s me.
 

 
Sneak Peek of SOMETHING REAL
 

The fab people at Macmillan snuck me the first two chapters of my debut novel, with super fun interior design and all the feels you could want.
  Good Old-Fashioned Snail Mail
 

One of the things I love best about the holiday season is that it’s a great excuse to send snail mail. I’m a dying breed: I actually use every excuse I can to send notes to people in the mail. I adore stationary and knowing that someone is going…

Friday Goodness #8

Another Friday, another list o’ goodness for you! Now that you’ve eaten all your Thanksgiving leftovers, it’s time to dig into the deliciousness of December. Whether it’s a badass paperweight or a killer T-shirt, one thing’s for sure: December never tasted better.

 

1. Fun Writer / Reader Gifts

Nothing says Christmas like buying stuff for yourself, right? (I can hear my mom yelling “Jesus is the reason for the season!” all the way from Cali right now). In my search for the perfect Christmas present for various people in my life, I came across some seriously drool-worthy items I wanted for myself (though, in *most* cases I resisted the urge to splurge). Some of my faves:

 

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Kirkus Review for SOMETHING REAL!

Today I got my review from Kirkus and it is AWESOME (*author modestly shouts from the rooftops of the world*). I really appreciate that the reviewer really gets what my book is about. Here it is:

 

This chilling satire follows one teenager’s efforts to escape from the reality TV franchise financially supporting her large family. Chloe’s suicide attempt abruptly ended her family’s 19 Kids and Counting–style reality show. During the following four camera-free years, she changed her name and overcame debilitating panic attacks, successfully concealing her fame. Now a high school senior on the cusp of a new romance, Chloe panics when an invasive new reality show contract exposes her identity. Genuinely terrified of exposing herself and her friends to public criticism and humiliation, Chloe begs for privacy. The convincingly malevolent program producer responds with threats of financial ruin for the entire family, and Chloe’s monstrous mother dismisses the requests as selfish teen rebellion—even implying that Chloe’s suicide attempt ruined the family. In her real life, Chloe longs for her family’s acceptance, but their continual refusal to consider her needs leads to periodic outbursts of frustrated rage—which are then cited as evidence of her instability. Throughout the frustrating cycle of absurdity, Chloe’s unflinchingly raw voice avoids didacticism as she grapples with privacy in the modern…

Friday Goodness #7

It’s Friday Goodness and this is the best Black Friday deal you will find anywhere because it’s FREE and you don’t have to wait in line or battle crowds to get to it.   1. Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving and not just because I get to drink mimosas during the Macy’s parade. I love that the holiday is all about sharing a meal with people you care about and focusing on what you have to be thankful for. Most of us have a helluva lot to be thankful for and it’s nice to really remember that, to have that be the focus of a day. It sucks that Black Friday might become Black Thursday, so we gotta hold onto this holiday like it’s the last life vest on the Titanic.

 

2.

Another great Adbuster’s meme. Download it for free on their website and chant OM when the Christmas crazy…

My First Review!

So, this week I got my first review and that was really exciting because it was from Publisher's Weekly and it was a good one!

 

My favorite line was that the book is an \"addictive yet thoughtful debut.\" I want to be a word dealer. Instead of selling you crack, I'll sell you my words and hope you can't get enough of them. :)

 

To read the full review, go here or read below:

 

Given the oversaturation of reality television and the strength of the celebrity gossip industrial complex, Demetrios’s addictive yet thoughtful debut, about a teenage TV star in search of normalcy, comes as a welcome reprieve. Chloe Baker (“Bonnie™” to viewing audiences) grew up as a young star of Baker’s Dozen, a cross between Big Brother and Jon & Kate Plus 8. MetaReel Productions tracked her family’s every move for years until Chloe attempted suicide at age 13; four years later, Chloe’s mother has agreed to let the cameras back into their lives. Unlike Chloe’s 11 siblings, many of whom were adopted from around the globe, Chloe and her closeted brother, Benny, aren’t ready to rejoin the media circus. Though there’s plenty of prime time–worthy drama, the book isn’t all paparazzi chases and trash-talk dished out in interviews with producers. Instead, Demetrios smartly focuses on Chloe and…

Friday Goodness #6

It's Friday Goodness time! And what a week it is. Below is some shameless self-promotion and a few non-narcissistic items of note. No TV's were injured in the making of this post, but they sure got dressed up.  

 

1. My New Website...

...which you are looking at right now. I love the work that Design Brooklyn came up with. It was such a joy to collaborate on just the right look. I SOMETHING REAL at NCTE 2013

My little book is all grown up and going out into the world without me (*sniff, sniff*). If you happen to be at the National Council of Teachers of English conference…

The Mushy Blog Post

 

 

Over the past year and a half, as I've tried to figure out what is means to have book contracts and deadlines and all the other things that go into having a book published (a real, live book!), I have begun to realize just how much heavy lifting my husband does. I think most, if not all, of my writer friends with spouses would agree with me on…