Eric Devine's Blog, page 11
September 10, 2014
The Vibe for Press Play
Maybe it’s the start of the school year, and the change that it brings, but there’s something different about the vibe for Press Play that I haven’t felt before.
I’ve already had students and colleagues ask, “When’s your next book coming out?” And they’re not asking in a blasé manner. There’s hunger in their eyes. They want to read what I have next in store. Therefore, it’s very awesome and very fortunate that I get to say, “The end of October.” I think they might hurt me if they had to wait longer.
Additionally, there’s been some great support and interest over Teen Reader Con. Quite frankly, I’m as excited to meet these authors as everyone else. There has never been such an event in our area devoted to Young Adult literature, and I look forward to how successful it will be, and hopefully for an invite to return next year :)
There’s also the fact that my trailer is due at the end of the week. It will be blasted on 9/24, and I have little doubt that it will be gripping and heart-stopping and tantalizing. The fact that I used the high school where I work as setting, along with my students as extras, and a longtime friend as the main character, just adds to the excitement. My hand even makes a cameo. And of course, the fact that it will run at the Regal theaters in Colonie from 10/24 through 10/30, only ratchets up the thrill.
Oh yeah, and then there’s all the local events scheduled (included below), along with my attendance at the ALAN workshop, which I consider quite an honor. Getting out and seeing fans and signing books is the best part of the job. And the fact that I get to do so here, as well as on a larger, industry stage is phenomenal.
And, honestly, fans like you, the people who read my novels, my posts and tweets and Facebook updates, you’ve created this. So many people still have the notion of author in office, typing away, and that’s the long and short of the job. Today, that’s only a fraction. The awesome stories are a given. All the behind-the-scenes work to get recognized is completed in concert with my publisher. And we work hard. And it’s paying off.
So thank you for recognizing that, and for staying with me. I know Press Play is going to take you for one hell of a ride. But I also know you’ve enjoyed the rest of the ride, thus far. Awesome. Keep cheering and spreading the word, because up around the bend is going to blow your mind.
Local Events (as currently scheduled)
Event Release party & Signing
Location McGreivey’s Restaurant, 91 Broad St, Waterford, NY 12188
Date & Time 10/24, 4-7 pm
Event Signing
Location Barnes & Noble, 131 Colonie Center #355, Albany, NY 12205
Date & Time 10/25, 2-5 pm
Event Teen Reader Con (Full-day convention devoted to Young Adult Lit)
Location Shenendehowa Middle Schools, 970 Route 146, Clifton Park, NY 12065
Date & Time 11/8, 8:30 am – 4 pm
Event Fundraising Book Fair (for BHBL) & Signing
Location Barnes & Noble, 131 Colonie Center #355, Albany, NY 12205
Date & Time 11/14, 4-7 pm
Event Signing
Location Market Block Books, 290 River St, Troy, NY 12180
Date & Time 11/15, 11-1 pm
Event ALAN Workshop
Location National Harbor, MD
Date & Time 11/24-25
Event Signing
Location The Open Door Bookstore, 128 Jay St., Schenectady, N.Y. 12305
Date & Time 12/6, 1-2:30 pm
September 4, 2014
Booklist Likes PRESS PLAY
Both of these articles are from an author and reviewer I admire, Daniel Kraus. He has reviewed Tap Out and Dare Me, and now Press Play. Additionally, as you’ll see below, he has included Press Play in a round up of titles regarding hazing. Both the review and the inclusion in the round up have me thrilled. I hope you enjoy :)
Press Play, by Eric Devine | Booklist Online.
Press Play.
Devine, Eric (author).
Oct. 2014. 368p. Running Press, paperback, $9.95 (9780762455126). Grades 9-12.
REVIEW. First published September 1, 2014 (Booklist).
Greg Dunsmore is 16, but here’s the more relevant number: 352. That’s his weight, which over the years has earned him the nickname Dun the Ton, but not a whole lot of friends. Fortunately, the one pal he has, Quinn, is a fitness fanatic and has begun to train Greg every day after school. It’s during a workout that they stumble upon the horrible hazing rituals of the championship lacrosse team, everything from stick beatings to being force-fed feces. Greg is a budding filmmaker, and with his new buddies Oliver (who is even bigger than Greg) and Ella (a hard-as-nails fellow video auteur), he takes to secretly filming the crimes. This is definitely a Devine novel; there’s so much sweat, blood, and adrenaline that you almost need to wring out the pages. Readers will need to forgive a late hard-to-swallow plot point, but once they do, it’s thrilling to watch Greg enter the lion’s den himself—the lacrosse team’s Hell Week—for the bruising finale. A tough, smart look at weight issues, self-respect, and our intrinsic desire to belong at all costs.— Daniel Kraus
Read-alikes: Hazing—the Game Nobody Wins, by Daniel Kraus | Booklist Online.
Read-alikes: Hazing—the Game Nobody Wins.
Kraus, Daniel (author).
FEATURE. First published September 1, 2014 (Booklist).
Eric Devine’s Press Play is the newest from an author whose characters often fight from the fringe. Though Devine’s books frequently center upon sports, this is the first to focus squarely on hazing, which makes it the latest addition to a strong list of YA novels on the topic. These books are gutsy, gritty, bloody, and often shocking—but so is the crime of hazing.
Freefall. By Ariela Anhalt. 2010. Harcourt, $17 (9780152065676). Gr. 10–12.
Sure, it’s an uppity boarding school (the jocks here are fencers), but that doesn’t mean that all is cozy. Luke’s best buddy, Hayden, has always been the reckless top dog, but then a new hotshot arrives and steals his thunder. Soon after, the new kid is pushed from a cliff to his death by Hayden—either a hazing ritual gone wrong or a flat-out murder. With credibly written turmoil, Luke, the sole witness, is left to sort through his feelings and admit to himself the truth of what he saw.
If You’re Reading This. By Trent Reedy. 2014. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, $17.99 (9780545433426). Gr. 7–10.
Seven years after his dad died in Afghanistan, Mike begins receiving letters from him, delivered by an anonymous member of Dad’s former unit. These missives encourage Mike to embrace the glory days of high school, and so he tries, until a bully on the football teams begins to haze him. This is a literary, nuanced, respectful treatment of a number of complicated themes, from sports dynamics to the military, many of which hinge upon secrets that, should they surface, would have ramifications for everyone.
Inexcusable. By Chris Lynch. 2005. Atheneum, $16.95 (9781416939726). Gr. 10–12.
It could be argued that Lynch’s landmark book, told from the point of view of an accused rapist, is a foundational text of these sorts of books: fueled by adrenaline, morally inconclusive, and offering more questions than answers. Keir, a most unreliable narrator, is trying to defend himself against the accusation. But to the reader, it feels like the culmination of a long string of overaggression, which stretches back to a football-team hazing incident caught on tape. An unnerving study of how permissiveness of violence can spread ever outward.
Leverage. By Joshua C. Cohen. 2011. Dutton, $16.99 (9780689847899). Gr. 10–12.
Cohen’s stunning debut focuses on Danny, a star on the gymnastics team but a pipsqueak as far as the hormone-pumped, college-scouted footballers are concerned. A competition erupts between the two squads, leading to a horrifying instance of hazing dealt out to one of Danny’s teammates. Told from the alternating perspectives of Danny and Kurt, a quiet new fullback, this is a rich, disturbing tale of being trapped inside expectations and forced to continue the established order—or pay the price.
Press Play. By Eric Devine. 2014. Running Press. $9.95 (9780762455126). Gr. 9–12.
Greg Dunsmore is 16, but here’s the more relevant number: 352. That’s his weight, which over the years has earned him the nickname Dun the Ton, but not a whole lot of friends. Fortunately, the one pal he has, Quinn, is a fitness fanatic and has begun to train Greg every day after school. It’s during a workout that they stumble upon the horrible hazing rituals of the championship lacrosse team, everything from stick beatings to being force-fed feces. A tough, smart look at weight issues, self-respect, and our intrinsic desire to belong at all costs.
Rookie. By Lorna Schultz Nicholson. 2012. Lorimer, paper, $9.95 (9781459400245 ). Gr. 10–12.
Aaron may be small, but his speed, drive, and wits have earned him a place on the hockey team at an elite academy. There, however, he falls victim to a grueling hazing incident involving sexual assault. In the aftermath, his world is thrown off balance, and he chooses not to report it—until a second attack lands him in the hospital. This may be a short novel aimed at reluctant readers, but Aaron’s tortured decisions, none of which are tidy, contribute to the complicated, agonized feel.
August 28, 2014
The Itch of Summer
I’m getting itchy. Not like the sand-in-your-bathing-suit-been-sweating-it-out-in-the-sun-and-can’t-wait-for-a-shower kind. No, I’m twitchy all over because it’s the end of August.
This month is always chuck full for me, from birthdays to vacations to school prep, and so I get very little writing done. In fact, this August, I haven’t written any fiction. I’ve fallen off social media. I don’t even have a good book I’m reading (although I do intend to pick up Meg Abbott’s Fever).
And all this lack of schedule, where every day is Saturday, is getting to me. I need my structure back. I need my schedule of writing and then teaching and then reading and repeat. Within a week I’ll be back to work, and some of the schedule will fall into place. But there’s still no writing until the following week. I put my all into teaching and so the first week is all panic and excitement, which eventually leads to exhaustion. But by that next week, I’ve got a groove going, and I can usually get back to my other work.
The writing is paramount, but I’m also at the verge of promotion for Press Play. I think I have all my signing dates lined up. The trailer should be ready any minute, and there are other pieces under construction that I can’t wait to deliver. But not yet. And so the itch deepens.
As does the story I feel is tumbling around my head. I have a desire to speak about this topic, and I already have notes for characters and plot, and every time I encounter something that reminds me of the story, I email myself a note. Of which I have too many already.
So, in essence, it’s time. Summer is dying in the empty streets of town, as people squeeze out another trip or daylong excursion. And I’m watching, mind racing, itching to put everything in place and start my cycle again.
Summer’s over, and I have another story to tell.
August 21, 2014
So, how was your summer?
This is how writing felt from June through August.
And now that I’m recovering, I realize school begins in two weeks and feel like this kid.
I’m ready, but I’m not ready, for all things Press Play and teaching related.
Enjoy what remains of summer. Fall is going to be glorious.
August 7, 2014
TLT: Teen Librarian’s Toolbox: Breaking the Gender Molds, a guest post and giveaway by author Eric Devine
Reblogged from Teen Librarian’s Toolbox (Which is a phenomenal site. Head over there to enter the giveaway)
Breaking the Gender Molds, a guest post and giveaway by author Eric Devine
I’m a 36-year-old, cisgendered, heterosexual, white male, who writes Young Adult novels that are boy-centric, and I’m bothered by the slim definition of what it means to be a man.
I was raised under very stereotypical precepts about manhood, and I was always bothered by them. Instead of watching sports, I read. Shyness overtook bravery. I did not demand, I accepted, and it was problematic.
Until I flipped the switch during middle school and played the part. It was instantly apparent how much easier it was to be a loud-mouthed punk than it was to be me. But in spite of the ease, I was unsettled, because I knew who I had abandoned.
Painful, yes, but excellent training for the work I do today. Because those expectations, those norms of masculinity, still exist, are extremely pervasive, and put boys and teens into extremely uncomfortable situations where they either have to behave the part or suffer the consequences. The pressure is real and terrifying, and something I try to address in my work.
In summary: Tap Out is about what one does as a very stereotypical “tough” male in a hostile and violent environment that has only one use for him. One he doesn’t want, but is hamstrung to escape.
Dare Me explores what it’s like to want to break the profile of “nothingman” and win acclaim, earn money, and come out on top by succeeding at feats of valor––or more commonly known today as YouTube stunts.
Press Play is about pushing back against the dominant, violent culture, by fighting with technology and intelligence, instead of fists. It’s about choosing not to hide, in spite of the enormous danger of exposure.
Much of my decisions regarding what I write and how I address issues of gender, in particular masculinity, are informed by my own experience, but equally by my students. We talk. A lot. And I tell stories of my youth because they want to understand how I’ve arrived at my perspectives. I’ve addressed aspects of drug use, sexuality, violence, suicide, rape, privilege, and any number of humorous/disgusting combinations about life you can think of. Often we talk about expectations placed on girls and boys, even if my students don’t realize that’s what they’re talking about.
One day we discussed fighting. There had recently been one, and based on the details, I innocently asked about a broken nose. The class sensed I knew more about this topic than I was letting on and asked me to tell a story of what I knew of breaking someone’s nose.
I did, briefly, but more importantly, then asked, “What are the expectations for males in our society, especially contact sport athletes, when it comes to fighting?”
This led to an engaging conversation that quickly turned from only males in sports to males and females broadly. And it was an interesting experience for many of the girls to hear the boys talk about the pressure of fitting in. They deftly detailed that on some level the dirty jokes and swearing and fighting are part of the roles in which they are asked to play (Yes, they struggled to word it this way––they’re teens––but the message was clear: forced stereotypes are universal).
I was so proud of our conversation because it was obvious that I had provided a space for my students to think about concepts they’d never fully entertained, which is exactly what I try to do in my stories. Yet, the issue stuck with me. Because what didn’t emerge in that conversation was that those pressures don’t go away. They morph and become stronger. And in light of very recent events of parties and rape and fight clubs, I felt a bit hopeless. How is a male, today, supposed to successfully navigate the pressures of being “a man” and evolve into someone who is unafraid to embrace a balance of masculine and feminine traits? In essence, how are they to succeed where I failed?
I won’t say books are the answer, because that’s naive. Parents, adult figures, older brothers and sisters, and by very large measure peers and pop culture all have a hand in shaping boys and girls. Books are a part of that, and a significant one if they flip preconceived notions on their heads. If they challenge the stereotypes. If they offer alternatives to the norm of cisgendered, heterosexual, white protagonist. Or if they expose and explore the trappings of how and why the stereotypes abound.
And they already exist. But the audience needs to be wider. I know men and women who haven’t read a book since high school, and so for all the good that I can do by writing novels that challenge societal assumptions, how are my stories ever going to find a way into the hands of the sons and daughters of these adults, who do not value reading, who may be completely comfortable with the expectations of the standard male and female models because they were never challenged to think otherwise, and who have not had conversations with their children about the fact that “being a man” or “being a woman” is an ever-evolving process that is a paramount pursuit in order to have a fulfilling life?
But there are others. Like me, and not at all like me, who are having these conversations, who are reading and helping teens navigate. There are teachers and librarians and adult figures in various capacities who are open and willing and helpful. There are allies in every struggle. And I feel that the issue of redefining both masculinity and femininity is a pressing and important concern. Not so that we can foist new roles on boys and girls, but so that we can accept the traits of masculinity and femininity, the fact that they are a part of us all, regardless of gender or sexuality. If only so that the “boys will be boys” mentality, that is one of the most ignorant concepts in our culture, can die.
And so with it, some of that pressure. I say “some” because there will always be pressure. But it is up to us to decide how it is applied, and to what end. Do we want to continue the binary opposition of male versus female in our culture, or do we want to move forward with a better understanding of humanity and of ourselves?
Because in the end, even my freshman understand the pressures are they same, they just manifest differently. Therefore, we should be seeking virtues of behavior and not categories. Because breaking the mold is beautiful, but never again having to fill one is stunning.
Eric Devine is a high school teacher and the author of Tap Out, Dare Me and the upcoming Press Play, all from Running Press Kids. He blogs here at Teen Librarian Occasionally and wrote a chapter in The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services, edited by myself and Heather Booth and published in July from ALA Editions. You can follow Eric online:
Blog
Win Eric Devine’s Books!
Eric and Running Press Kids have generously donated a copy of Tap Out which I am putting together with my arc copies of Tap Out and Dare Me picked up at various library conferences to give to you as a prize. You can win a complete set of Eric Devine books! If you live in the U. S. you can do the Rafflecopter thingy below until Saturday the 23rd, The Tween’s birthday and the debut of the new Doctor, to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
More on Gender Issues at TLT:
I’m Just a Girl? Gender issues in YA Lit
Girls Against Girls
Teach Me How to Live: talking with guys about ya lit with Eric Devine
Let’s Hear It for the Boys: Boys and body image
Who Will Save You? Boundaries, Rescue and the Role of Adults in the Lives of Teens
The Curious Case of the Gender Based Assignment
Let Children Be Who They Are
Let’s Talk Gender Diversity, Shall We
July 30, 2014
When Revision Becomes Starting Over
I began my summer vacation last weekend. Yes, I know, you all realize that I’m a teacher and have been on break since the end of June, so what gives?
Since June 16th, when my agent sent me an email tearing my Work In Progress to pieces, I’ve been mulling over the remains, trying to figure out how to repair my story. My conclusion: Rewrite the entire thing.
This is not typical for me. Yes, a first draft is just that, a draft, something that will inherently be rewritten. But pieces of it, or strands of the story. Large segments, yes, but not close to 300 pages’ worth.
Because that’s what happened. In the end, I saved maybe five scenes from the original draft.
Prior to that, I analyzed the story like I was back in college. I created over 30 pages of notes on character motivation, plot structure, theme, and on and on. I researched aspects of the story that needed more detail, and once that was all in place, then I got to work.
Around the end of June, with the expanse of summer fully before me, I closed myself off in my office and wrote, on average, for five hours a day. All brand new material. That may not seem like a lot of work, but creating something out of nothing for five hours is exhausting. Doing so for a month, with characters and a plot that you already tried out once and failed with, is a testament to the endurance necessary for this line of work.
I’m happy about the experience. One, because I had the time to work. Two, because I had to go back and rethink a lot of what I know as a writer. Three, because the story is so much better than the original. Here’s a direct quote from the email I sent to my agent regarding this version: “The story’s disturbing, but it also feels very vulnerable and emotional. I put my heart on my sleeve with this one.”
It is disturbing, in ways I have yet to write (which may shock those of you who have read all my work). But most importantly, it is all of the latter from that quote. I have put myself so far out there with this story that I am terrified of the reaction. Which is exactly where I need to be. If I want to live up to my “fearless” moniker, then I’d better “walk the walk.”
Or more aptly, write the story.
I’ll know if I’ve succeeded at some point. But part of me already knows I have.
P.S.
Keep enjoying your summer. I’m preparing events for Press Play and will have a schedule soon. Additionally, if you’d like to pre-order for friends and family who are not in the area, please order direct from Running Press, use Indiebound or Barnes and Noble.
Thanks!
July 15, 2014
Wherein I Call Bullsh*t on a Commonly-Held Belief
Eric Devine Calls Bullsh*t on a Commonly-Held Belief
07/11/2014
by Eric DevineThere’s a notion about creative types that I’d like to call bullshit on. The one in which weare depicted as suddenly inspired by the muse and from thereare propelled to create. Sure, life inspires, but not in the rush of singular understanding that allows one, as if by magic, to pull beauty out of thin air.I’m calling out this falsehood because it’s damaging to anyone who is tryingto be creative. The idea demands that it’s all or nothing with creation, and that inspiration is thisall powerful force guiding us down the paved road. The flip side is that without such magnitude of creative energy, we’re left stranded, in the middle of nowhere. That’s a lie.Inspiration comes in many forms, but I see it mostly as a map, one that can only be seen a piece at a time. And this damn map loops back around, takes wrong turns, and is woefully inadequate compared to a GPS. But how much beauty is found in the precision of satellite directions?Therefore, step one of inspiration is embracing the meandering process that is creation. Yes, you will see a glimpse of the picture, but then it quickly fades. So move onto the next step, figuring out how to maintain your story, how to keep motivated once you’ve passed that first intersection, and the roads are all dark.
For an author this is the terrain you must be comfortable with. You are the guide and have now suddenly found yourself in a back alley that reeks of urine and beer. When the wind picks up there’s a hint of blood and malice. What do you do?
This was Tap Out for me. I wrote, by hand, in the semi dark, outside my infant’s bedroom. I was inspired to write my story of poverty and violence and possible salvation after watching teens at the school where I teach. However, that glimpse of them and the idea of what their lives could be like with absolutely zero resources would have only gotten me through the first chapter. I didn’t sit, sandwiched around early morning feedings (why I was outside her door), and miraculously spill the novel from my pen. Far from it.
I got stuck. Someone from that back alley emerged. A bottle was broken and I was in danger. But I fought for the next scene, and the next, until I was into a book so dark I was terrified of it. But I was also in love with what I was doing.
At this point in my career I had no major publications, had parted ways with two agents and was dangerously close to absolute failure. But Tony, Rob, the trailer park, Chaz and Cameron and Dave and the crew, they weren’t mere figments. They were as alive as I was, and mattered to me almost as much as my baby girl. It did not matter whether I sold this story. What mattered was that I write the story, that I saw it through and gave these characters the finality they deserved. And while doing so, I realized I had surpassed step two, and was blissfully unaware of the third step of inspiration: not giving a f@%k.
It’s true. Who’s inspired by the safe story, the quiet novel? Not me. I want the edge, the thrill. And I also know that with this desire comes enormous risk. I could have bombed with Tap Out. And, in fact, I had a critique group tell me it was too much, too real. It’s obvious how I dealt with that opinion. Step three is not about being arrogant, however; it’s about respecting your story and yourself enough not to fold.
And this lesson, these steps, of dropping into a story and losing my way, fighting hard to find a path through, and then falling in love with forging that path is what keeps me coming back. I am constantly inspired, moment after moment, by every creative turn of phrase, every slick plot twist, and every heartbreaking moment of honesty. And just as quickly, I am lost, but understanding I need to work for the next insight.
This is writing. It doesn’t happen because of a light bulb moment. It comes from being unafraid of sitting in the dark and stitching a map, one word at a time.
Kirkus Reviews for Tap Out:
“A boy who knows only grinding despair finds hope within the walls of a gym. . . . This is bound to have huge appeal.” School Library Journal Teen
“Devine instantly captures your attention and holds it until the very end. . . . The storyline, the drama and the characters were all thoroughly put together.” Publishers Weekly
What people are saying about Dare Me:
“Devine doesn’t pull any punches.”http://foreveryoungadult.com/2013/10/09/whats-the-matter-mcfly-chicken/
Tap Out: a 2013 YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers AND a 2013 Top 10 Sports Book for Youth: BooklistPress Play (Running Press, 2014)
Dare Me (Running Press, October, 2013)
Tap Out (Running Press, 2012)
This Side of Normal, (Long Tale Press, 2009)
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Eric Devine Author Page, Facebook
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Bio:
Eric Devine is the Young Adult fiction author of Dare Me, Tap Out and This Side of Normal. He is also a high school English teacher and education consultant. Eric married his high school sweetheart, and together they are raising two daughters in Upstate, NY. He is represented by Kate McKean of the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency. He can be found on Twitter, Facebook and at ericdevine.org.
July 7, 2014
How revision looks this time around
Just because you write one novel doesn’t mean you have a clue about how to write the next one. That’s where I am, having written what I thought was a decent, if not a particularly good novel, which truly stretched my abilities as a writer.
And then I received my agent’s take on said novel.
It wasn’t as awesome as I had thought.
Which is why I haven’t been blogging or on social media as much as I’d like. I’m obsessing over how to get this story to where I want it to be, and fortunately, where my agent believes it can go. Because it is a damn fine story, it’s just a hunk of hell right now.
And obsessing is how I solve most anything. I’ve been reading for pleasure, but mostly for analysis. Remember taking apart stories in school? It’s like that, but to the minute degree, all so I can try to do the same with my characters and my plot, but in my own unique way. Good times.
I also picked up and loved a book on writing that I’ve been meaning to read for a while. Writing 21st Century Fiction by Donald Maass was as fulfilling as I had expected, and it suggested to me just the ways in which I needed to go in order to pull my manuscript upright and breathe life into it.
Which means a lot of time thinking about my story while doing other things; emailing myself notes for the next day of writing; re-reading and consulting the fifteen pages of notes I already have on a legal pad; rushing to a piece of paper, dripping from the shower because I’ve had an idea. Yup, I’m in the zone.
And in the first 100 pages I’ve written, possibly 10 of the original have been retained. If this continues, which it seems to be, I’ll have to essentially rewrite the entire 300 + page story. But it will be worth it. Because that’s the one thing I know that is true about revision, whether it’s this involved or not. Seeing your story with fresh eyes should change things. This time around, it’s a gutting.
But you watch, when I’m through, It will be magnificent, and I’ll have the shoddy first attempt and my agent’s appropriate murder of it to thank.
Until then, I’ll keep revising away.
June 17, 2014
How Eric Devine overcame gun-shyness and landed rock star agent, Kate McKean
How Eric Devine overcame gun-shyness and landed rock star agent, Kate McKean
06/17/2014
I have no idea how I got so lucky. Kate McKean took me on back in 2009, after a query for a novel about party-hearty teens, who get in way over their heads. At that point, I had already lost two agents, and I was as gun-shy about repeating the process as you’d expect. But after THE CALL, I knew I was in good hands. Kate is down-to-earth and relaxed, and managed to guide me through the disappointment of not selling the novel I had queried, toward answering the question, “What else are you working on?”That answer was Tap Out , but it wasn’t in the glorious condition it exists in today. It was a mess, but Kate had no problem digging in and beating the story and me into shape. That process was one of the most difficult of my life, but also the most rewarding. I learned the two most important mantras from Kate for my writing: 1. The stakesmust be high from the start, and they must stay that way. 2. The clock hasto be ticking from page one.Clearly this advice is not advisable for all forms of literature, but for the kind of high-octane YA lit I write, it is quintessential. And now, whenever I write, I have those two constants running through my head, and they have proven worthwhile: Dare Me and Press Play are evidence.
I know many agents aren’t as hands on, aren’t as involved with the editorial process. I don’t know if Kate is this way with her other clients, but she was with me, because I needed it. And I am forever grateful, because Kate’s career has vaulted since she took me on. I couldn’t even query her today if I wanted to. She’s closed for submissions. Yeah, she’s that awesome. Howard Morhaim Literary Agency is as lucky as I am to have her.
And in addition to being an awesome agent and champion of my work, she is also a writer. She is currently finalizing a YA novel and has had multiple articles published, including this beautifully nostalgic memorial to her father for The Toast.
Do I gush? Yes. As I should. And I hope for all writers that you find an agent with whom you can believe in as much as she or he believes in you. Kate is the person you hope for in an agent, and I don’t ever want to disappoint her. And that, right there, is the sign of a beautiful working relationship.
Want to know more about this rock-star agent? Links are below.
Howard Morhaim Literary Agency
June 12, 2014
Let Me Clarify…
First thing you should know: no one’s making a movie out of any of my books. Not yet, at least. My wife and I posted pics from the book trailer for PRESS PLAY on Facebook, and a fair amount of people have reached out to say, “What? I had no idea!”
That’s my fault, because as my wife said, “No one outside your book world understands that book trailers are a thing.” She’s right. And so I apologize. But know this, that trailer will be released in September, online. During October 24th through the 30th the trailer will be playing in the Regal theaters at Colonie Center. Along with boring ads, you’ll get to see my exciting trailer on the big screen :) Barnes and Noble will also be running a cross promotion for my novel, which releases on the 28th. I have a signing scheduled for the 26th as well.
Now, the reason I haven’t posted recently shouldn’t surprise any of you. I’m neck deep in end-of-the-year exams and grading at work, but I’ve also had my nose to the grindstone on a current project. And when I write, there’s barely room for the rest of my life. The filmmaker, while in between takes was asking about my schedule, and I told him my standard, 4:30-6:30, Monday through Friday, during the school year. He thought that was good, until it dawned on him later that I meant AM. 4:30 AM. That, he thought, was insane.
I don’t. I love it. And I love that my ten or so hours a week are going to explode into as many as I’d like because of July and August and being a teacher. I look forward to finalizing this one project and returning to another, all while considering and then starting the next. And so maybe the filmmaker’s right, maybe I am insane to look forward to going from part-time to overtime. So it goes.
I’m thrilled for where my writing is going and what is on the horizon for all of you––stories that only my agent and I know. Trust me, they will be worth your while. And in the meantime, I am starting to get my head around signing dates for the fall, and the conferences I will be attending, like the unbelievable opportunity of being invited to ALAN.
It’s all good, and I look forward to sharing it with you. Feel free to get a jump start on pre-orders for PRESS PLAY. I’m asking people to avoid Amazon because of their recent, nasty dealing with the publishing industry. So reach out to Market Block or The Book House or Barnes and Noble.
In the meantime, I have exams to grade, and a summer vacation to plan, and miles of writing and dreaming.
