Susan Uhlig

Fascinating problem

2012-05-16T02:57:58Z

14 year old Alex wakes up. He can't remember how he got home last night. Wait, this isn't his bed or his room. Or his body! He's not in London any more and 6 months have disappeared from his life. He tries to contact home and discovers something terrible has happened to him. His body is in a coma. He has to figure out a way to get himself back into his own body.

How could you not read this book? It's called Flip (Wendy Lamb Books, 2011) by Martyn Bedford and I loved it and the fascinating problem. The character is sympathetic. Great read. I'm not the only one to think so...

Flip has been named one of the 2012 Best Children's Books of the Year by Bank Street College of Education, and has been tagged as one of the novels of "outstanding merit" on the list.

This is Martyn's first YA book, but he has five adult novels out. Plus he has a second YA coming out next year. Read more about him, and even some fan mail about Flip on his website. You also might enjoy his Not The Home Page page.

Whose life?

2012-05-16T02:34:44Z

I love how the title of this book, How to save a life (Little, Brown and Company, 2011) by Sara Zarr, applies to multiple situations and characters in this story. Told in two viewpoints from two teen girls from very different backgrounds we see the world through them in very different ways. I love how the author has made me sympathetic for both girls even though they have opposing needs.

Here's a brief intro to the girls:

There's Jill, who has lost her father, and whose mother is doing this crazy thing of taking in a girl to adopt the girl's baby, like that will replace Dad.

And there's Mandy, who is pregnant, hopefully because of the wonderful experience she had at the fair, and not something else, is looking for a home for a child and a place to stay while she waits for him to be born.

Throw in Jill's boyfriend, who is bonding with Mandy, and the tension rises.

Don't pass on this very good award winning book by the wonderful Sara Zarr. Her website has been re-designed, so if you haven't been there for a while, check it out. You might also be interested in her blog where she's been posting episodes of "This Creative Life."

What is reading, but silent

2012-05-14T07:01:00Z

What is reading, but silent conversation.
Walter Savage Landor

Perfecting Dialogue Punctuation

2012-05-09T15:02:14Z

Do you struggle with the proper punctuation for what people say in your stories? You're not alone. Many writers labor to get this right. Let's start with a review of the rules.

Punctuation Rules for Dialogue

1. Start with a quote (") when someone begins speaking.

2. If what the person said is followed by an attribution (i.e. he said), end the dialogue with a comma and another quote mark(,").

"I went to the store," Ralph said.

3. When what was said is a question, use a question mark, quote mark (?").

"Would you please buy milk?" Mom asked.

4. If instead of an attribution (i.e. she said), there's an action, the dialogue will end with a period and a quote. (.")

"Look what I found at the mall." Mary pulled earrings out of the paper sack.

5. If a question has an action, still use the question mark, quote mark (?").

"Would you please buy milk?" Mom handed me a five.

6. After an action or an attribution when the same person starts speaking again, use another beginning quote.

"I went to the gym," Hector said. "Manuel and I played horse."

7. Quotation marks come in pairs, a left and a right. ("...") A quote mark without it's mate is incorrect.
8. If the person speaking addresses someone by name, their name is separated by a comma.

"Hey, John, come here."

9. Each sentence does NOT have a quote mark at the beginning and end when the same person continues speaking, unless interrupted by an action or an attribution.

"We went to Grandma's house. I played with her dog. The cat ran."

10. Generally, what one person says is all in one paragraph.

"I took my basketball to the gym," Hector said. "Manuel and I played horse. Then Tommy and Kate showed up so we played two on two." Hector smiled. "Manuel and I won."

11. Start a new paragraph when a new person speaks.

"Hey, Mama?" I asked. "Can I go to the park?"

"Yes, you may." She looked at her watch. "Dinner is in an hour. Make sure you are back in time, Danika."

"My stomach will remind me." I grinned and she grinned back.

Mainly, it takes practice, practice, practice to get the rules set in your brain. Here are a few suggestions that might help you engrain these rules.

Practicing Dialogue Punctuation

1. Print out your short story or chapter of your book. Take different colored highlighters or colored pencils and mark what one person says in one color. Exclude any actions, punctuation, or he said or asked, etc. Use another color for another person's dialogue. When everyone's dialogue is colored, look for these things:
• Quote marks at beginning and end of what each person says.
• Comma or question mark within quote mark right before an attribution (i.e. he asked, she shouted).
• Period, question mark or exclamation mark--use the latter sparingly--within quote mark when it is followed by an action (i.e. Dad slammed the door.).
• Is what someone says all in one paragraph before someone else speaks? Or before a change of scene?
• Comma(s) separating the name of a person being spoken to.

2. Take a published short story or book chapter with lots of dialogue and retype it to get the flow of how punctuation, action, dialogue, etc. mix in.

3. Turn on your word processor's "Grammar Checker." It can be very annoying as it usually isn't set up for fiction, but it may help point out where your punctuation is wrong. Use the help option in your word processor to find out how to turn it on and how to customize it for your version of the software.

A lot of work? Yes. But work on it enough and the rules of dialogue punctuation will come automatically to your fingertips.

*picture courtesy of Mary R. Vogt and morguefile.com

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I have to have lots

2012-05-07T07:01:00Z

I have to have lots of quiet around me when I work, and lots of peace in my life when I'm in the middle of a book. It's a weird sensation, living your own life and also the life of your main character, simultaneously!
Vicki Grove

In revision, as a rough

2012-04-30T07:01:00Z

In revision, as a rough rule, if the beginning can be cut, cut it.
Ursula K. Le Guin

Ouch! Thin Skin!

2012-04-26T20:02:21Z

Guest post by Authoress
Excerpts* from her Miss Snark's Next Victim blog on April 23rd:

-----

Lots of people in this business won't mince their words. If it's something you're not used to, it's time to get used to it.

It doesn't mean you suck.

It doesn't mean you should give up.

It doesn't mean the universe is ending.

What it means is: Some people won't mince their words. That is all. You may be expecting something other than what you receive. You may feel stunned or numb or flabbergasted when you read someone's response to your work--especially if that "someone" is an agent or editor with whom you were hoping to find some level of favor.

Welcome to the World of Showing People What You've Written.

It's not fun. It's not something that most of us can get used to overnight. But the Thick Skin is an important part of our journey, so if you haven't started growing yours yet, now's the time.

I don't have a big magenta eraser for editing less-than-tactful critiques and comments. I may not like them, but they are a reality for us as writers.

We need to reel them in with the rest of the fish, and cast them away if they don't serve a purpose.

Interestingly, often they do serve a purpose--if only to teach us to rise above our emotions and keep pressing on.

*photo above and text used by permission
-picture to right courtesy of morguefile.com

Isn't that well said? I especially love the line about reeling those comments in with the rest of the fish.

I'd like to add this quote by another writer, Julia Sorel: "If you're never scared or embarrassed or hurt, it means you never take any chances." So take the chances that come your way, sort through the fish that are caught, and keep the ones that improve your writing. (Remember, they may not be the easy ones.)

Writing has laws of perspective,

2012-04-23T07:01:00Z

Writing has laws of perspective, of light and shade just as painting does, or music. If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then rearrange the rules to suit yourself.
Truman Capote

Fun Title - story with humor and drama

2012-04-20T22:24:59Z

Clicks, Hicks and Ugly Sticks (Thomas Nelson, 2011) by KD McCrite is the second in a series, but not having read the first isn't a hindrance to enjoying this story. Look at the opening lines:

Isabel St. James is a recovering hypochondriac.
She once thought she had hoof-and-mouth disease just because she skittered through the barnyard while the cows were there waiting to be milked.

It makes me want to know more about 11-year-old April Grace who obviously must live on a farm. In the first chapter we learn so much about her--not just age, family, hair color--but that she has compassion, and is opinionated and funny. Here's a brief introduction to the story:

April has had to move in with her sister, Myra Sue, to give up her room for Isabel (the drama queen) and Ian St. James. Her sister is trailing after dumb ol' Isabel like she's the best thing since sliced bread. If that's not bad enough, April's starting Junior High and discovering how friends change, and not in a good way. Then her mother starts being grouchy all the time. And then there's that boy at school who keeps eyeing her... What's a girl to do? Especially when she has to spend so much time helping Isabel and Myra Sue?

Preteen girls will enjoy April Grace. (It may be Christian, but it sure isn't preachy!)

The first book in the "Confessions of April Grace" series is called In Front of God and Everybody. The third book, Chocolate Covered Baloney is coming out this fall.

You might want to wonder over to KD McCrite's website, where there are book excerpts, book trailers and more.

Lovely Picture Book

2012-04-20T21:44:52Z

Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku (Henry Holt and Co, 2011) by Lee Wardlaw, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin has won the 2012 Lee Bennett Hopkins/Penn State University Poetry Award. Not a surprise really. Lee Wardlaw is quite the award-winning author, and Won Ton is so darn cute! It's a sweet story of a kitty at an animal shelter. We learn what he thinks and feels about it and follow him as he is adopted and adjusts to his new house, where he finally reveals his true name. I love the illustrations. This is a definite book choice for cat lovers and one easy to read over and over.

I also like how the author gave a bonus in her note where she explains senryu and haiku.

Writers should go check out Lee's "101 Ways to Bug Children's Book Author Lee Wardlaw" on her About Me page. Take a look at how many other books she has published, too--you'll find others you want to read.

Illustrators should check out the beautiful art on Eugene Yelchin's site. Wow!

The smallest actual goal is

2012-04-16T07:01:00Z

The smallest actual goal is better than the most magnificent promise of impossibilities.
Thomas Macauley

Agents Telling What They Want

2012-04-12T23:42:36Z

It's not a secret. Agents tell what they are interested in. They tell at conferences, on sites such as querytracker and publishers marketplace, their agency websites, on blogs, and even on twitter chats such as #askagent. Here's a collection of recent "what agents want" for you.

Amanda Luedeke with MacGregor Literary was interviewed by Janet Fogg on the Chiseled in Rock blog on April 9th.

Ammi-Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Agency was interviewed by Authoress on her Miss Snark's First Victim blog on April 12th. Did you know she's an author, too?

During an #askagent on March 20, 2012 Bree Ogden at D4EO Literary Agency‏ (@breeogden) replied to a question with this: "I rep children's, YA, graphic novels & art books. I prefer dark and realistic NO paranormal."

Erzsi Deàk of HEN & ink was interviewed here by Nicky Schmidt in midFebruary 2012.

Marie Lamba, an assistant agent at the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency was interviewed in early February 2012 by Tori Bond.

Nicole Resciniti of the Seymour Agency was interviewed in early February by Melissa Landers.

Sara Sciuto, new at Full Circle, was interviewed by Stacey O'Neale in early February.

Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary does so with an early February 2012 post: The things I see (and don't see) and it has some good book recommendations, too.

Agent Susan Hawk Talks Picture Books - this is an interview done by Heather Ayris Burnell's blog on February 21, 2012. l AND on her blog Susan shares her novel wish list. Susan is with The Bent Agency.

Do you have any agent sightings to share?

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The most valuable of all

2012-04-09T07:01:00Z

The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.
Thomas Jefferson

Historical YA Giveaway

2012-04-02T23:08:00Z

hardcover image

You won't want to miss out on the chance to read this great book yourself! Author Rosanne Parry has graciously given me two autographed paperback copies of Second Fiddle (Random House Children's Books, 2011) to award to two lucky people.

First, let me tell you about this book:

Jody and her two musician friends, Vivian and Giselle, will be separated soon. The Berlin Wall has come down and the kids' army families will all be sent to different places in the US. But first they have an Ensemble Contest in Paris. But now their music teacher has to cancel, so how will they get there? The answer involves attempted murder, rescue, lies, danger, and betrayal.

I love, love the first sentence: "If we had known it would eventually involve the KGB, the French National Police, and the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, we would have left the body in the river and called the Polizei like any normal German citizen; but we were Americans and addicted to solving other people's problems, so naturally, we got involved." Don't you want to read more? Of course, you do!

To enter for a chance to win the giveaway, comment below* with one of your favorite book lines. Tell me the title and author. I'll throw your name in the hat with others and draw the winners. You must enter by April 16th at midnight Pacific Standard Time. (Please make sure you give me a way to contact you, so I can get your mailing address privately...)

After you enter, read more about Rosanne here. Her next book is called Written in Stone and will be out in June 2013! Rosanne says, "This is a story I've been working on for many years and is particularly dear to me as it is set on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State among the Quinault and Makah where I spent my very first years as a teacher." And, yes, if you read YA, you've heard about the Quinaults before...

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The harder you work, the

2012-04-02T07:01:00Z

The harder you work, the more luck you have.
Thomas Jefferson