First, all the nominated authors got on stage with two student volunteers apiece. One volunteer was holding a big sign with our name, while the others went up in turn to introduce us and our books. (My two had come all the way from Ottawa!) And then the authors had to get up and say a few words, mainly about how amazing it had been to be a part of the Forest of Reading program…

After which the winner was announced. Congrats to Jeyn Roberts and The Dark Inside!

Then I did a signing for the many enthusiastic readers who’d shown up. I heard from a lot of teens who’d loved The Way We Fall and were excited about the rest of the trilogy (which I will never get tired of hearing!), and got some great questions. For the many who asked about my tips for aspiring writers, here’s the longer blog post I mentioned to go with the advice I was able to give you in person.

After a tasty lunch, Lena Coakley and I split an hour with two short workshops and some avid writers-in-the-making, and then I got to have a quick chat with a few librarians and industry folk before I had to run off to the day job.

So glad I got to meet so many other authors, and join in the festivities!

(And thanks to my Canadian publicist Melanie for taking the photos!)

1) Focus on the writing first. The idea of getting published and having your book reach readers beyond your circle of friends is incredibly exciting. I get it, I do. But the most important factor in getting a book published is having a damn good book.

Most of us don’t start out writing great books. Like any other skill, writing well takes practice. I know very few authors who published the first book they wrote (and then, only after lots of revising, to the point that it’s almost as if they had written multiple books). Most don’t reach that publishable level until their second, or third, or (in my case) tenth attempt. And that’s okay. Each story you write is a chance to learn your strengths (to play to) and your weaknesses (to work on); a chance to get a deeper understanding of what stories matter most to you and thus what stories you are most uniquely qualified to tell, that will get readers excited too. It’s time to experiment and play around with formats and styles. To prove to yourself that you can finish a whole book at all, which is an accomplishment in itself.

So let yourself have that time. When you’re starting out, focus as much as possible on writing things you love, things you’re excited about, and try to shut out the inner voice that wants to speculate about whether an idea is high concept enough or how it’ll compete in the marketplace. There’ll be tons of time for that later, believe me. Write the story that’s calling to you the most as well as you can write it, and once you have that, then consider what you’re going to do with it now.

2) Learn to let go. One of the most important skills you need to pick up as an author is the ability to let go of things you love: characters, scenes, plot points, turns of phrase… Just as your first book is unlikely to be a great book because of lack of practice, the first time you write any given book is unlikely to be the best version of that book. You will have made missteps. There will be elements — often major ones — you need to take out or add or vastly change to make the story stronger. And again, that’s okay. It doesn’t mean you’re not a good enough writer. Everyone has to do this. I had to replace an entire subplot and take out more than one minor character in Give Up the Ghost, just as an example.

It takes a far better writer to look at something you love dearly, and pick apart what’s not working and put it back together better, than to refuse to budge from your original vision no matter how it’s come out on the page.

3) Open yourself to feedback. It’s hard for you on your own to look at your writing objectively and see it as a reader who knows nothing about the story other than what’s on the page. So find like-minded people, avid readers and/or fellow writers, in “real life” and/or online, and trade stories. Encourage them to give you their honest impressions, and give them yours.

Not everything other people say is going to be right for your story. And usually when you hear any criticism, your natural response will be to defend what you did. Try to hold that in, and let the feedback sit. Consider it. Consider what other people have said. Consider what’s important to you about this book. And if you’re willing to let go where you need to, you’ll start to see what criticism you need to take — and which people provide you with that criticism most often, for you to go back to.

4) Expose yourself to other worlds. By which I mean, read lots, of lots of different sorts of things. Read lots of the sort of stories you like to write, so you know what’s already been done, and how it’s been done, and how to do it well… or not so well. Read lots of other types of stories too, so you can learn techniques and find inspirations beyond what’s “standard” in your chosen genre. Think about what you read, what you liked about it, what you didn’t, what you’ve seen that you’d like to be able to do in your own work. There are lots of great writing craft books out there that can be very helpful, but personally, I learned most of what I know about writing fiction from reading fiction.

And I continue to follow this advice myself. Even though I write YA, I try to read at least 50% not-YA (so, adult or middle grade; right now I’m reading Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life). Even though I write speculative fiction, I make sure to read mainstream and other genre fiction as well. As a rule, there is no genre I won’t read — a good story is a good story. And I think my own stories are better for it.

5) Experiment, but trust yourself. Every time I talk about creativity, I emphasize that it’s a strange and mysterious process, and it works a little differently for everyone. An approach that may help one author write amazing stories may leave you stuck three chapters in — and vice versa. When you hear a suggestion that might improve your productivity or craft, by all means, give it a shot! But if it feels wrong, if it’s making the writing harder instead of easier… it doesn’t matter how many famous authors did it. That way doesn’t work for you. Don’t feel guilty about it, or try to force it. I did that in the past, and it always just made me feel worse — and made the writing stop flowing.

What’s important isn’t following any set path, but finding the ways that let you write the best that you can. If you’re finishing stories, and feeling happy with your progress, you’re doing things right, regardless of how anyone else does it.

6) Beware those who would take advantage of your yearning. Once you get to the point of looking into publication, it’s easy, when you want so badly to see your work out there in the world, to ignore red flags and accept offers that really aren’t good for your writing or you. The most basic rule is, the money always flows to the writer. Do not pay an agent to represent your book (reputable agents make their money when you do — they get a percentage of your sales). Do not pay a publisher to publish your book. Anyone who encourages you to pay them for one or the other is almost 100% guaranteed to be a scam artist of some sort who makes all their money by fleecing eager authors like you, not through actually selling books to readers.

If you get an offer that sounds too good to be true, or that you’re simply unsure about, be thankful we live in the internet age! Google the name of the person or company. Google it along with the word “scam”. See what people are saying. (If they’re saying nothing, that’s a bad sign too. How is someone going to get your book out there if no one even knows they exist?) Don’t be afraid to ask questions. This is your writing, your story. You have every right to be careful who you give control over it to.

So says me… Anyone else have beginning author advice they’d like to share?

I wish she was still here to be announcing this herself. Since she’s not, I hope you’ll help her friends in spreading the word. One of our fellow 2009 Debs, Rhonda Helms, with permission from Lisa’s husband, has edited and arranged for the publication of a book Lisa had finished but not yet sold before she passed away. I’m pleased to introduce you to Project: Boy Next Door…

Being the son of a mega-famous mogul isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, which is why super-smart but socially awkward teen Melvin Pepper wants to try something new: anonymity. To attend a regular high school, get a normal job, meet real people. A break from the pressure and facade that come with crazy wealth and a world-renowned last name.

But Mel quickly realizes that being Mike, his alter ego, isn’t as easy as he’d assumed. He gradually makes friends at work and school and becomes involved in the radio club, plus navigates the rocky waters of first crushes and first kisses. However, he discovers someone out there is on to his secret and is threatening to expose it.

And that’s not all. One of Mel’s new work friends is hiding a dark secret of her own, and Mel feels helpless to make things better for her. He struggles with juggling two very different identities, balancing jealous old friends and nosy new ones. Yup, Mel’s in way over his head… and the only chance he has to make everything right is to be true to himself.

Doesn’t that sound awesome? The book will be released later this week, and you can preorder from Amazon here. Why not add it on GoodReads too? Let’s help Lisa’s words reach even more readers!

Miriam Juskowicz at Amazon Children’s Publishing’s Skyscape imprint acquired world English rights (excluding Canada), and Lynne Missen at Razorbill/Penguin Canada acquired Canadian rights, in a three-book deal for Megan Crewe’s Earth & Sky, a romantic SF adventure about a girl who discovers that visitors from beyond the stars have been altering Earth’s history, and she teams up with an alien rebel to save the world as she knows it. Publication will begin in fall 2014. Josh Adams at Adams Literary was the agent.

Consider this my contribution to increasing the amount of non-dystopian YA science fiction out there. Time travel! Aliens! Space technology! And a both smart and kick-ass protagonist named Skylar. I am so looking forward to introducing her to you.

One other thing I can tell you: the details haven’t been finalized yet, but you can expect there to be less wait between the books in this trilogy than usual!

It’s going to be a while before I have a lot of official information to pass on, but in the meantime, for the curious…

I offered a brief excerpt from the first chapter of book 1 in this Facebook meme (note: may change in editorial revisions).

I’ve been tagging posts for trilogy inspiration with “sky” on Tumblr.

And here are the two playlist songs I’ve had on repeat the most while writing the first book, which capture the main dynamics in the story quite well, I think:

Want to make sure you stay in the loop for Earth & Sky news, including opportunities to win advance copies and other fun stuff? I’m starting a new mailing list to keep avid readers in the loop:

Powered byEMF Contact Form

Any questions? Feel free to ask in the comments; I just can’t promise I can answer them.

RSVP on Facebook here!

On Saturday May 4th, from 2pm to 5pm, you can find me, Leah Bobet, Maureen McGowan, and Cheryl Rainfield at Chapters London, where we will be chatting about YA and apocalypses and dystopias and whatever else you’re interested in, as well as signing books and offering swag, of course. Facebook event page if you want to RSVP here.

On Sunday May 5th, from 2pm to 5pm, you can find me, Maureen McGowan, Cheryl Rainfield, and Courtney Summers at Chapters Oshawa, where we will be doing more of the same! Facebook event page if you want to RSVP here.

We are also in the process of setting up an event near Barrie, and possibly another Toronto one, which we will update you on as details become available.

Apologies to the Ottawa folks — we really wanted to make it out there, but our schedules just were not lining up to make that happen. And sadly Lesley Livingston is not able to join the tour this time around due to bookish commitments. Just remember that means we’re writing so that you can get more stories from us! Perhaps we can make it work next year.

Ontario readers and book fans: feel free to share the news and/or this post far and wide!

Getting critical feedback on one’s writing is one of the hardest parts of any creative career. In how many other jobs are you are expected to hear what you’ve done wrong and how you can do it better with every step in every piece of work? But it’s a necessary discomfort. We need outside feedback to make sure our stories are as good as they can be. The story in our head is never going to make it perfectly onto the page, and that story in our head can stop us from seeing clearly what really is on the page. Hearing from others what they see allows us correct weaknesses and errors that escaped our notice, and to adjust and revise so that we’re getting across the story we wanted to tell as accurately as possible.

To me, that last part is what’s most important. Sometimes, yes, you’ll realize that an element a story isn’t actually as strong as you thought, or you need to take your characters in a different direction than you originally intended to avoid a plot hole, or you’ve unintentionally included content that’s problematic, all of which you’ll want to address. But ultimately the best thing you can do is focus on that story you want to tell. Writing and revising can’t be about pleasing others. That’s the lesson I wish I’d learned sooner:

You can’t win.

You are never going to write a story so wonderful and flaw-free that everyone in the world adores it, or even likes it reasonably well. No such story exists. What’s the best-crafted book you can think of? What’s the most innocuous? Look them up GoodReads and if they have at least a couple dozen reviews, I guarantee there’ll be someone harshly criticizing them.

And it isn’t even a matter of perfection being just out of reach, if only you’d thought of X or done Y, you’d be okay. One of the first things you’ll notice (or will have noticed) when you offer your creative work to the world is that not only will there inevitably be people who are critical of it, the criticism you get from different sources will inevitably clash. Someone will say the pacing is too slow, and others will say it moves too quickly. Someone will find it too complex and others too shallow. Some will see this character as too selfish and others as too selfless. And so on. At this point I honestly believe that any criticism that can be leveled at a story, at some point there is someone who will make it at this story.

You can’t please everyone — it’s impossible, when your audience is made up of people with a huge variety of often-conflicting backgrounds, interests, and perspectives. You can’t win. At least not at that game.

You could see that idea depressing. But to me, and this is why I wanted to share it, it’s freeing. Once you accept that you can’t win, you can let go of trying to. Step away from the “game” of trying to please every editor, every critique partner, every reader. And let yourself delve into what really matters to you about whatever you’re working on. Write and revise not as an attempt to eliminate every hint of anything anyone might criticize, but to bolster the parts of the story that you feel are worth celebrating.

I think you’ll find that not only are you happier, but your work will be better for it. Stories aren’t loved for what they avoid doing, but for what they do. Read a few ecstatic reviews from readers of a popular book or series, and you’ll know that people can absolutely adore something no matter how many problems they notice it has. Make people think and feel, give them an experience that affects them, and that’ll matter more to them than almost any flaw.

So the advice I’d most want to give every writer is this: Make sure you’re telling the story you want to tell, and then tell that story with all the passion and conviction you have in you. You won’t win with everyone, but no one does. When you accept that, you won’t really be losing either.

The first song on my unofficial soundtrack for the second book in the Fallen World trilogy is “Our Hell” by Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton:

For whatever reason, Emily Haines’ solo music seems to fit the trilogy perfectly. I consider one of her songs the theme song of The Way We Fall, and “Our Hell” captures a lot of the tensions in its sequel.

There’s Haines’ haunting voice that easily evokes the desolation Kaelyn faces in the changed world of The Lives We Lost, and the march-like beat that echoes the long journey ahead of the group. And the lyrics… The title line, “Our hell is a good life”, could refer to both the survivors making the best of the awful situation they’re in, and those who cling to what security they have left, refusing to take further risks even though things could get much worse if they don’t. The repeated chorus of “What I thought it was it isn’t now” reminds me of the discoveries Kaelyn makes along the way, and on a more metaphorical level, of her realization that her dream of restoring the world to the way it once was may be impossible. Those who have read the book can imagine how mentions of being “on the road”, and knowing “what to forget, how to do right” relate to certain events.

But most affecting to me is the very last verse, which could almost be a reflection of the last few chapters: “There’s a pattern in the system/There’s a bullet in the gun/That’s why I tried to save you/But it can’t be done/It can’t be done.”

So stop by to read some tidbits about The Worlds We Make.

And you can also enter to win a copy of The Way We Fall if you’d like!

How long does it take a book to make it into stores?

If you follow your favorite authors at all closely, you’ve probably noticed that books tend to be announced way in advance of when they’re actually available to buy. Possibly you’ve assumed those books are just not finished being written yet, or are going through massive revisions, and they get sent to the printers pretty much as soon as they’re ready to go.

Not so. In my experience, and the experience of every other author I know releasing novels with a large or mid-sized traditional publisher*, the norm is for the final version of the manuscript — written and revised and finished all passes with the primary editor — to be due approximately one year before the intended release date. And if it’s not close to ready that one year in advance, the release date gets pushed back. I was asked to finish my last round of revisions on Give Up the Ghost by the end of August 2008; the book came out September 22, 2009. I was asked to finish my last round of revisions on The Way We Fall by the first week of January 2011; the release date was January 24, 2012.

The author still has opportunities to make changes after that point, of course. After editorial revisions come copyedits and page proofs. But the changes at those stages are intended to be minor–preferably no more than few sentences added or taken away here and there in copyedits, and preferably nothing more than error corrections and wording changes at the page proof stage, when the manuscript is already laid out for printing. Occasionally you’ll hear about someone making a major change so late in the game that the final book’s plot or characterization differs significantly from the advance reader copies (which are usually printed at the same time as page proofs, still several months before the release date), but that’s news because it’s so rare.

Also rarely there are books that get pushed through the publishing line much more quickly. This most often happens with non-fiction, when there’s a pressing topic of the hour and the publisher wants to get in there while it’s still relevant. But it does also happen occasionally with fiction, usually when the publisher ends up with an opening in their schedule and/or a book they’re really excited about and want to get out before anyone publishes something too similar. But even in the few cases with novelists I know of, the book still had to be through to the copyedits no less than six months ahead of time.

Why on earth does it take so long?

Well, not actually working for a publishing house myself, I don’t know all the details. But I can tell you that a major part of the reason is buzz. Publishers want to have lots of time for word about upcoming books to trickle out and, where possible, build with increasing excitement. And one of the major ways they get word out is through those advance reader copies (ARCs). ARCs get passed out to the sorts of folks who talk up books (librarians, journalists, other writers) at industry conferences and conventions, they’re sent to magazines and blogs for review and to bookstores to encourage stocking the books.

(My first ARC for The Way We Fall)

Printing and distribution and then reading of those ARCs takes a fair bit of time. Publishers generally want to start offering them about six months before the release date (often even earlier–ARCs for Ghost arrived in March 2009 and for TWWF in May 2011), which means the manuscript needs to be typeset and sent to the printer well before then. And publishers prefer to put the book forward in as polished a state as possible, so they want copyedits done by that time. Which means the regular editorial revisions need to be done even further in advance to give the copyeditor time to look over the manuscript and the author time to go over the copyedits. In the cases where a manuscript is rushed through, what often happens is the last round of editorial revisions are done at the same time as copyedits, or copyedits at the same time as page proofs, to condense the process, but this gives the editors and authors less time to catch errors, so it’s not really ideal.

What does that mean for authors?

Authors are usually working in a somewhat staggered fashion. While promoting a book that’s just come out, we’re likely to be doing copyedits on a different book that’s on the way, and writing a totally different new book. With a series, our work is always way ahead of the reader.

When The Way We Fall appeared in stores, I had already written and finished editorial revisions on its sequel. I’d turned in the “final” (pre-copyedits and page proofs) manuscript to my editor at the beginning of January 2012. In fact, I’d already started writing book 3 at that point. The Worlds We Make has not yet gone through the last, line-editing stage of editorial revisions, mainly because there will be no ARCs printed for the last book in the trilogy so the schedule is somewhat relaxed, but I turned in my substantive edits at the beginning of this January, more than a month before The Lives We Lost was out.

The rest of Kaelyn’s story is already complete, and any further changes are going to be minor.

It can create kind of an odd feeling, to be talking to readers excited about the first book in a trilogy and have to remind yourself they don’t know the rest of the story that you’ve already written (and pretend you don’t already know everything that’s going to happen lest you give away spoilers).

What does that mean for readers?

Mainly it means, for better or for worse, the thoughts you share with authors on their books can have very little impact on the books themselves or the rest of the series.

Even if you get your hands on an ARC and read it immediately, by that time page proofs have probably been finished and the book is out of the author’s hands. And if you’re reading a book close to or after its release date, it’s very likely the text of any sequel is close to being finalized. Even if an author wanted to adjust something in a story to meet reader requests (which you have to realize is asking a lot as it is, given that we tend to get requests for completely opposite things on a regular basis, and of course we usually have pretty strong feelings about what story we want to tell), it’s generally impossible.

Every author I know still loves to hear from readers. Knowing what you loved about a book, especially if it’s what we loved about writing that book, is incredibly gratifying. Knowing what you didn’t like, even if we can’t make direct use of that info, can sometimes give us ideas on how to approach later projects. But sometimes I see readers commenting that they feel an author isn’t listening, or listened too much to the wrong responses, and I can tell you it really isn’t about that. The way publishing works, the choices we make for our stories have to be our own. Which is probably the way it should be, because that’s our job after all. And I have say, as a reader, I find the best twists and turns a story can take are ones I never would have thought of myself.

*Publishing timelines with self-publishing of course vary quite a bit from this–mainly because people self publishing tend not to announce books until they’re pretty close to releasing them. I assume they vary with small publishing houses as well; I don’t have a lot of experience there.