Sarah Guillory's Blog, page 5

Writer vs Author

Before I was published, I read several articles by authors who encouraged unpublished writers to enjoy their time without deadlines and expectations. To enjoy getting to just be a writer, someone who polishes words and crafts stories and spends time prancing around in their characters’ heads.

Every time I saw an article like that, I thought: Easy for you to say. I assumed they didn’t remember the rejections, the worry, the doubt that the words they had bled over, the characters they loved so much, would never be seen by anyone else. I assumed they forgot what it felt like to doubt themselves.
They had not.
Both writers and authors still deal with self-doubt. They still aren’t as good as they want to be, and they worry they never will be. They still hate their first drafts (or maybe that’s just me).
Maybe what I’m saying isn’t true for everyone, but it is true for me. In my mind, the difference between being an author and being a writer is the business part. And for me, I love being a writer.
I want to immerse myself in my fictional world. I want to write new words, discover new characters, follow them on new journeys. I want to revise. (I really love that part.) I want to take the mess I’ve created and make it better. Smooth it out. Erase the wrinkles. Tuck in the corners. Tidy everything up.
I want to be a writer.
But sometimes I’m an author. Sometimes I have to answer interview questions. And work on marketing. (I’m not very good at that part.) I’ve done book talks and signings and Skype chats with classrooms. And I loved every single minute of it. I’m grateful for bloggers who are willing to interview me. I want people to hear about Reclaimed and read it. I adore my readers and am so very thankful.
And I absolutely love meeting with and talking to teens. They ask the best questions.
But if I’m not careful, being an author will start to siphon away the time I need to be a writer.
At the end of the day, it’s hard to take your art and make it a career. I’ve always had to horde my writing time, but that’s even more true now that I also have to carve out time for the author side of the equation.
Reclaimed has been out in the world almost two months now. I am so very grateful for readers, and bloggers, those who’ve emailed me how much they loved the book, and those who’ve written reviews. I’ve had a blast meeting you, answering your questions, sharing book recommendations. Thank you for taking this journey for me.
But now, I have to go write. It’s who I am after all.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2013 has been an incredible year, and I have so many things to be thankful for. I have an amazingly supportive family and wonderful friends. I’m healthy and happy. None of the year’s accomplishments can trump that. But this year my childhood dream came true – my debut novel was published.
Failure is not the worst thing that can happen. Never trying, never chasing down that dream – that’s the true tragedy. That’s the most important thing I learned from this process, and I’m so thankful I had to courage to try.
I’m thankful for my critique partners, who went through Reclaimedline-by-line, squealed over my cover, and recommended it to everyone they know. I’m grateful for my editor, Danielle Ellison, who helped make Reclaimed what she knew it could be. I’m so lucky to be able to work with Spencer Hill Contemporary and amazing people like Patricia Riley, Cindy Thomas, Patrice Caldwell, the Reading With Me Team, and everyone else who had a hand in shaping, polishing, and prepping Reclaimed.
And for the first time in my life, I have readers, and for that, I am truly thankful. Thanks for reading. Thanks for the reviews, the notes, the tweets, the excitement. Thanks for standing in line to have your book signed. For begging me to write a sequel. For sharing your favorite lines. Thanks for the support.
More than anything, I want to thank readers for sharing their stories with me. A sixteen-year-old girl wrote me a letter telling me how much she connected with Jenna because how Jenna feels about running is exactly how she feels about ice skating. She wrote about knowing what it’s like to want to escape a small town and how Jenna spoke to her. That meant more than I can express.
Just last week I signed a copy of Reclaimed for a 60+ year old woman who told me she’d already read the first chapter and that it reminded her of when she was a teenager. When she was younger, her father was very sick and in the hospital. When the tension was too much for her to take, she would ride up and down the hospital elevator, trying to catch her breath, trying to escape everything. While she was there, she met a boy. They flirted back and forth often, and after that, she never saw him again. If you’ve read Reclaimed, you know how similar that is to the opening chapter of the book, and I loved hearing her version of a similar tale.
I’m thankful for everyone who had a hand in getting Reclaimed to readers, and to readers who, because you picked up the book, became a part of the story.
Happy Thanksgiving!

RECLAIMED's Solitude Point

One of the things that I love about writing is creating setting. I want readers to fully inhabit my fictional world, and I create that world by piecing together reality and imagination. I actually talked about writing setting just last month over at Book Savvy. I’ll wait while you check it out.

 This past summer I filmed a video in Arkansas at Jack Creek, the bluff that served as the inspiration for Solitude Point in Reclaimed. Just yesterday I talked with my high school book club, and several of them told me that the scene where Jenna jumps off the point is their favorite. While my Point in the novel looks very different from the one in the video, I thought readers might enjoy a glimpse of Solitude Point’s real-life inspiration.

  Thanks to my dad for videoing it, and to my student Trent for the editing. :)  

RECLAIMED Common Core Unit

As many of you may know, in addition to being an author, I’m a high school English teacher. I began teaching English in December of 2000, one day after finishing student teaching and one week before graduation. I have Master’s degree in Education, and I am Nationally Board Certified.
I became an English teacher because I wanted my life to be filled with books. I always thought I would get my PhD and teach college, but once I started teaching high school, I knew I had found my place. I love my job. I love teaching and talking books all day long. I love interacting with teens. They are so fun and interesting and have incredible possibility. They teach me so much each and every day.
I had a blast putting together this unit for RECLAIMED. It was created using the Common Core Standards for English. Teaching novels is my favorite part of my job, and I especially love figuring out new ways to look at a text and discovering supplemental texts to use to connect theme, character, plot, etc. This unit uses RECLAIMED as a sort of anticipatory set, then takes students into readings of classic literature. Of course, this is just a start, a skeleton. Take what I’ve done and add to it. Shape and mold it to fit your classroom.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. If you do use it in your classroom, I would love to hear from you. How did it work? What extra things did you do? I am available to Skype with classes, providing I can fit it around my own teaching. J

RECLAIMED Common Core Unit

RECLAIMED's Release Week

Sorry for the blog silence, but life has been crazy hectic. But oh so good. I want to thank everyone for the support, cheers, reviews, excitement, etc since Reclaimed released. This has been such a phenomenal and surreal experience.
Reclaimed released on Tuesday, October 15th. I woke up to buzz already on Twitter (thanks to all of you for that) and a sweet email from my amazing editor. (It would cause the first of what would be many happy tears on release day.)
When I walked into school, I was overwhelmed. The students and faculty had hung posters and bought balloons. They created what was essentially a “victory line” and cheered and clapped for me when I walked in. I was speechless. Everyone at the high school where I teach has been incredible. They really are my extended family.

 
I left work a little early to come home and enjoy the day. I filmed a flails video (which I may regret J). My husband and I went to Baton Rouge to see my book in a bookstore, then to a nice dinner.


 
Release day was more than I expected it to be, and I have all of y’all to thank.
On Friday and into Saturday we had the Reclaimedread-along. For twenty-four hours people were reading, tweeting favorite lines, and using Tumblr to post reactions. I posted early drafts and notes. Thanks so much to the Reading with Me Team for heading that up. It was so much fun to interact with readers and see which parts were their favorites. (Most often, they tweeted my favorite lines too.)
My launch party was on Saturday, October 19th. I arrived at the bookstore thirty minutes early with cupcakes and candy, to find that a crowd had already formed. I set everything up with the help of my best friend Leslie and my husband. Eric, the manager of the Books-a-Million, was amazing and had everything put together. He encouraged everyone to buy their books before I started signing. Seven minutes before the event, Reclaimed  sold out. I felt badly for everyone who didn’t get a book, but what a great problem to have! Some left and went to the other two bookstores in town, but they were all sold out as well. The bookstore started a list of people who wanted books, and it ended up being two pages long.






  I didn’t get to visit with people as much as I wanted, as I was signing books for over an hour. It was so amazing to see my students, both past and present, as well as friends and even a few strangers who came out to the event. Eric told me that the store had never had that big of a turn-out for an event – not even when Sarah Palin was in town. J

 
Monday was the live chat. While it started off a bit rocky (dang technology), it ended up being a blast. Readers sent in great questions, and if any of you know me in real life, you know I’m quite chatty. I loved talking about the book, my characters, inspiration, and what’s coming next. Again, the Reading with Me Team did an outstanding job, and thanks to everyone who participated.
 On Thursday, October 24th, my school had another signing for me. It was in our school library, and was a small gathering for those who couldn’t attend the launch party (though a few people came to both). What I really loved about this event was that I was able to really interact with attendees. I answered questions about Reclaimed, my writing process, my ideas, my current manuscript, and how a book becomes published. There were also several people there who had already finished the book, so I was able to have a spoiler chat with them. And there was cake, which always makes everything better.
 

 The final event in my release whirlwind was the Houston Book Rave. I drove to Houston on Friday afternoon and met up with Mary Gray and Stacy Wells. These ladies are so much fun! Trini and Damaris of TrinDee events put on an incredible event. Meeting readers was the highlight of the weekend, particularly the middle school girls I talked with. I teach high school, so I don’t spend much time with middle schoolers, but they were so excited about the book and I had a lot of fun just chatting with them, both at the signing and then again at the after party. I also really enjoyed meeting other authors.

 
If you’ve read this far, thanks! Life has been rushing along ever since the release, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. I’ve also had a Google Hangout with students (shoutout to Lavaca High) and have library events coming up. If you are in the Fort Smith, Arkansas, area, I will be signing at the Books-a-Million at 7 PM on Wednesday, November 27, 2013.

Thank you to all of the readers, bloggers, students, and friends for an amazing week. It wouldn't have been as special without you. <3

Teen Read Week and Giveaway

Picture courtesy of ALA.I became a teacher because I love books. I love the feel of them in my hands, the way they smell, and the fact that I get to live a thousand different lives within their pages. I love that they make me think, make me cry, make me laugh so hard my stomach hurts. I love the truths they reveal and the lies they tell. I became a teacher because I want to encourage others to love them too.

It’s always surprising to me to discover students who live in literature-free homes. I grew up surrounded by books – I read my parents’ books, borrowed from friends, and collected my own. I remember one Christmas I was most excited about receiving The Hounds of the Morrigan. I remember another Christmas where I spent the entire break reading Gone with the Wind. But I have students who don’t have a single book in their house, who’ve never seen a parent read, who can’t understand the draw of books.
When a student tells me they don’t like to read, I tell them they just haven’t met the right book yet.
And that’s my goal in life – to introduce my students to the right books, to help them find their literature soul-mates.
In order to do that, student must have access to books. Often the idea of going to a bookstore to buy a book is a completely foreign concept to them. It’s why classroom libraries, school libraries, and public libraries are so important.
I keep books in my classroom library and help the school librarian choose high-interest reads. The public librarian in charge of YA now comes to our school a few times a month so students can check books out. It’s so important to have books readily available for kids. Everything else is at their fingertips these days – books should be too.
So in honor of Teen Read Week, I’m donating several copies of RECLAIMED to school libraries. I would love for you to do the same – donate to school or public libraries, give to a teacher to keep in her classroom, leave it at a coffee shop with a note. Let’s put books in the hands of teens.
I’m giving away a $100 gift card to the bookstore of your choice. When you buy RECLAIMED this week, enter the rafflecopter and email your receipt to shcpreorder@gmail.com. If you choose to donate one, please let me know that. (I’ll be doing a post on how many books were donated during Teen Read Week.) In addition to the gift card, I will be giving away a thirty minute Skype chat with me. If you win, you are welcome to chat with me about the book, about writing, about knitting, whatever. Or, in honor of Teen Read Week, you can donate the chat to the school or library of your choice.
The giveaway runs through Sunday. I would love it if you would spread the word. The more books we can get in the hands of teens, the better.
When you give a book, you give so much more. a Rafflecopter giveaway

RECLAIMED READ-ALONG

On Friday, October 18th, at 5:00 PM EST, we will begin the 24-hour Reclaimed read-along. This is the time for everyone to be reading, tweeting, and reacting to Reclaimed. (But absolutely no spoilers. Let everyone enjoy the ride!) The times are just for us to be following along – you can join in at any time! 
Tweet spoiler-free lines you love, thoughts, selfies of your reactions, using the hashtags #RECLAIMED and #RWM. I’ll also be doing a live online chat on Monday, October 21st, at 9:00 EST so tweet your spoiler-free questions using the hashtags #RECLAIMED and #askGuillory. You can also leave your questions below in the comments.
I can’t wait to share this book with y’all.

RECLAIMED Blog Tour!

Below you'll find my blog tour schedule. I'm so grateful to the bloggers for hosting me and for reading and reviewing Reclaimed. I'll link to the posts once they're up. (Y'all, it's really happening.)
 
October 1 -  Book Review - Jenuine Cupcake Blogspot
October 2 - Book Review - WhoRuBlog
October 3 - Author Interview - Queen Ella Bee
October 4 - Book Review - K-Books
October 5 - Guest Post - A Dream Within A Dream
October 6 -  Guest Post - Wastepaper Prose
October 7 - Guest Post - Supernatural Snark
October 8 -  Author Interview - A Book and a Latte
October 9 -  Book Review - Fiction Fare
October 10 -  Author Interview - Met In Eleven
October 11 -  Guest Post - Book Savvy
October 12 -  Guest Post - Reading Lark
October 13 - Guest Post - Portrait of a Book
October 14 -  Character Interview & Review - Swoony Boys Podcast

Surviving the Debut

I'm so grateful for the support of the writing community. I would not have been able to survive this process without help from the wonderful people I've met along the way. Today I'm thrilled to have authors Tiffany Schmidt, Mindi Scott, and Charlotte Bennardo, who all survived their debuts and were gracious enough to tell us just how they did that, as well as offer up advice to those of us who have yet to walk through that fire.

When did it feel real?
Tiffany: I’m still waiting for this one! I sometimes have lingering nightmares about query-letter rejections.
It felt real when I received my ARCs, and when strangers started Tweeting about reading SEND ME A SIGN. It felt more real when I held my finished copies, then saw them in bookstores. It felt even more real when I had interactions with readers at various signings.  Then surreal when I received my first fan mail and email, or when I had a blogger walk up to me at a bookstore event for a different author and tell me she was having a ‘fangirl moment,’ just seeing me.
I’m still living in a constant state of ‘pinch me’ because oftentimes it just doesn’t seem like this can possibly be true!
Mindi: I can’t think of a single moment that helped define it as “real.” More, I think it was a series of moments (seeing my ARCs for the first time, reading pro reviews of my work, having readers ask me to sign their books, bloggers using my book in their posts, receiving emails from fans) that all built upon one another in such a way that it became impossible to NOT believe.
Charlotte: When we got the call from Brian Farrey, our editor at Flux, it was a scream fest (really, the neighbors heard us screaming) so it felt real to me; I’d never had that “We want to offer you a contract” call before. Of course I worried until the contract was signed, sent, received, and copy returned that they’d change their mind. Once I had that binding contract, it was super REAL.
 What would you tell your former self?
Tiffany: I’d tell my former self (and current self, since I still really struggle with this) to remember to enjoy the journey. Publishing is a slow, slow process, and release day willeventually arrive, but it’s so important to take time to enjoy and celebrate each step along the way.
Mindi: Watching time-travel movies has made it so that I can’t allow myself to even consider talking to my former self. Ha! Not to mention that my former self is such a skeptic that any needed words of encouragement would be wasted on her. ;-) 
Charlotte: I would say “Savor and remember this moment because there are going to be a lot of ups and downs, but this is a dream come true.”
 How is the experience different? The same?
Tiffany: I’m still as impatient as can be, but there’s a little less of the breathless panic/anticipation of what’s next? As a debut, everything is new and scary and exciting. Things are still exciting (and sometimes scary) —I hope I never stop being thrilled and terrified of this industry— but the second time around, there’s a little less panic, a little less fear about “am I doing everything right?” Because there is no single ‘right’ way to be an author or handle promotions.  It’s all about finding a balance between life and writing and all the other non-writing writer stuff.
Mindi: Compared with my expectations? I thought getting published would change me in some huge way. It hasn’t. Small ways, sure, but not in big ways. I think the ways that is the same as what I expected is that having readers say that my book changed them in some way really is the most gratifying thing in all the world.
Charlotte: I get excited about all the contracts, although the one for Sirenz Back In Fashion was bittersweet; it originally was to be for books 2 and 3, not just 2. Things happen. The contract for my 3rd book, Blonde Ops, with a new publisher, made me just as giddy because there was competition and guess who got selected?

What is the best part about debut?
Tiffany: Besides the part where I got to see my dream come true and my story turned into a book? I loved being part of debut group (Yay, Apocalypsies!) and was so grateful to have a cohort of people going through the same challenges and fears and celebrations. And nothing is better than meeting bloggers, readers, librarians, teachers, or other writers. It’s so great to be a part of a community that loves books!
Mindi: Everything is exciting! There are so many firsts happening and so much that you don’t know what to expect.
Charlotte: That feeling of exhilaration- ‘I’m published! Someone likes my writing enough to pay me! I’ll see my book in bookstores and libraries!’ You only get that breathless, one-of-a-kind joy once.
 
What were you most afraid of? What are you most afraid of now?
Tiffany: Hmm. I think it was a toss-up between terrified of everyone hating my book or everyone ignoring it. I’m still not sure which would be worse, loathing or obscurity. On one hand, it’s so hard to handle criticism, but on the other, inspiring hatred means you’re at least provoking a reaction, whereas being unnoticed means you’ve put your heart on a page and no one cares?
I’m not sure I have a good, clear answer for this one. I’m also not sure that my answer has changed.
 Mindi: I think my biggest fear is the same now as it was then: That I’ll have put so much into my writing and no one out there will care.
Charlotte: Initially, the thing I was most afraid of was that they’d change their minds, say they ‘made a mistake.’ Now I worry about sales, the next contract, the next manuscript, the next query.
 What advice would you give debut authors?
Tiffany: First, celebrate yourself. You’ve achieved something spectacular and no one can ever take that away from you. Your book, your story, has earned a spot between covers and on bookshelves. While it can be so easy to get caught up in stresses about print runs, reviews, sales, and such, whenever you find yourself spiraling down the not-good-enoughrabbit hole, stop and pat yourself on the back for what you’ve accomplished.
Second, don’t be afraid of the word ‘no.’ Use it when you need to. It’s remarkably easy to burn yourself out by saying yes to every request that comes your way. Make sure you know your limits. Make sure you protect your sanity and writing time. Remember: if you don’t leave yourself time to sit down to write your next novel, then we won’t get to read it.
…and that would be criminal!
Mindi: Some authors don’t read reviews of their work. Others read every single review. That’s a choice that everyone has to make. My advice is that you occasionally reevaluate your choice—especially if it starts getting in the way of your new writing. 
Charlotte: Enjoy the moment. Take pictures. Save posters announcing your debut. Save reviews (yes, even the bad ones!). Let people approach you to talk about the book- savor the spotlight because it’s all too brief and people quickly move on to the next debut.
 
 

Tiffany Schmidt is the author of Send me a Sign and  Bright Before Sunrise , which comes out February 18, 2014 from Walker-Bloomsbury.
 






Mindi Scott is the author of Freefall and Live Through This.
 








Charlotte Bennardo is the co-author of the Sirenz series, as well as Blond Ops, which will be released by Thomas Dunn/St. Martins in April 2014.

 

Waiting on the Debut

I wanted to do a post on waiting on a debut because I myself am waiting on my debut and wanted both commiseration and consolation. For me, now at about twenty days away, there are times when it still doesn’t feel real. I wanted to know how others were dealing with the wait and how others have survived the wait. (Check back later this week for advice from those who survived their debuts.) I’m so grateful that two lovely and incredible writers, Dahlia Adler and Jaye Robin Brown, agreed to let us in on just how they are surviving that wait.

 


When did it feel real?
Dahlia: This is horribleto say, but the thing that really made it hit home for me was seeing it on Goodreads and realizing I was now open to bad reviews. Like, the offer and seeing it on Publisher’s Marketplace and signing the contract and all of that was amazing, but the real gut Oh my God, this is happening came with the bad review realization.
Jaye Robin: Honestly? It still feels surreal. But I suppose all the official things —signing a contract, getting an advance check, programming a Harper Collins’ editor’s phone number into my cell phone—all work towards making it feel like it will eventually happen. I’m supposed to receive cover art in the next month or so, now that will be a milestone!
 What are you most afraid of?
Dahlia: Oh, God, everything, pretty much. Mostly of letting people inside my head, I think. Not strangers—strangers are welcome!—but family, close friends… anyone who’s ever watched me kinda space out, writing in my head, or say no to plans because I have deadlines to make. I want them to read it and go “Ooookay, now I get it,” not, “Really? This is why she bailed on my party?” Writing is this thing everyone who loves me just assumes I’m good at, because I love it. But while passion and skill are both important, they aren’t the same thing. Having something out in the world will allow people to decide whether I only possess the former. It’s unnerving to think about. I’m trying not to!
Jaye Robin: Readers not connecting with my book.
 What is the one thing you’re most excited about?
Dahlia: Just seeing the thing. On a shelf. Preferably not my own. I imagine it’s miraculous.
Jaye Robin: Readers connecting with Amber and her dreams!
 What would tell your “before the book deal” self?
Dahlia: A lot of the “after” stuff is going to be like the “before”—a ton of hard work, and a ton of waiting. Only now, you have the pressure of having people invested in you, financially and otherwise. Appreciate this period right now when you’re only accountable to yourself.
Jaye Robin: Practice patience. And keep in mind that, to your editor, the manuscript you sweated and toiled over and had multiple beta readers and agent eyes on, is only a first draft. You’re starting from go again in many ways. Embrace it.
 What advice would you give those who are in the middle of the querying/submission process?
Dahlia: Take the time to knowwhat you really want, and to learn how things work. If you don’t understand why a bad agent is worse than no agent, or a bad contract worse than no contract, you are probably not ready to do this professionally yet. And that’s okay. You don’t automatically become ready to sign on the dotted line somewhere just because you finished writing a book. Research is part of the process. Don’t let anyone pressure you into going at a pace you’re not comfortable with, or a path you’re not comfortable with. It’s even okay to write for fun, I promise J
That said, if you do want to get published, don’t give up. It may be annoying to hear “Write something new!” or heartbreaking to realize it’s time to put that manuscript you love on a shelf, but the reality is, writing something new is always going to be part of being an author. Knowing when something doesn’t work right now? Always going to be part of being an author. And rejection? Always going to be part of being an author. So yeah, it pays to get accustomed to that early, and just keep going!
Jaye Robin: Work on other projects. Get invested in a new story. That way, if things don’t work out ideally, you’re not standing empty-handed! Always, always keep writing.
 
  Dahlia Adler's Behind the Scenes will be released June 24, 2014, by Spencer Hill Contemporary. You should also follow her on Twitter because she's awesome, wears many hats (including a tiara), and dispenses wise advice.


Jaye Robin Brown's No Place To Fall will be out Fall 2014 with Harper Teen. You should follow her on Twitter because she is phenomenal, loves dogs (just look at that face), and is up early with the 5 AM writers' club!