NYC Teen Author Festival - Genre and Adolescence panel

About 2 weeks ago I picked up a book I had been dying to read, and ended up getting so wrapped up in the story that I actually finished it in one sitting.  For as long as I can remember I've struggled with reading, but there are certain genres and story lines that have caught my attention in a way that has kept me reading a book at least every once in a while.  The first book I actually got wrapped up in was L.J. Smith's Vampire Diaries back in '91 and then Christopher Pike's The Last Vampire series, which kept me entertained while my dad and I drove cross country during a move from the west to the east in '98.  After that I only read when I had to.  Harry Potter was the next series to get me to read on a pretty regular basis, but I didn't get involved until after the first trailer aired on television.  Truth is, I HATED the first book.  It was sooooo slow, but once I got to Chamber of Secrets I could not put the books down.  But they still did not hold my interest long enough to keep me reading day after day.  It wasn't just the length of the books, but there was still something missing and I could not seem to finish any of the books in under a month. 

Once starting college I moved on from the YA fantasy to a more risque version of the same sort of stories.  Laurell K. Hamilton became my drug of choice with her Anita Blake series.  However I still found myself spending more time in the YA section at Barnes and Noble every weekend, looking for something to read.  Then came the Twilight series.  Yes I will confess I ate that up as well.  But it still took me at least a week to find the time to read.  That was of course until I finally broke down and gave into my desire to pick up a book whose cover had caught my attention time and time again.  I broke my budget plan for that week and purchased the one YA book I always found my hands reaching for when I'd spend my afternoons wondering around various Barnes and Nobles from NYC to Boston.  Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver was the first book that I could not put down, forfeited my favorite television shows for the night (of course putting my DVR to use so that I would be able to catch up as soon as I finished the book) and read straight through the night, only finishing in time to allow for 2 hours of sleep before having to go into work. 

Once I finished the book, I learned about an event that was taking place in the city and was very excited to find out that Maggie Stiefvater would be one of the authors participating in one of the panels for the NYC Teen Author Festival.  I found it to be a completely different experience being able to attend a reading by an author, and as I have been working on trying to complete my own YA novel it inspired me to strive that much higher with my own story.  In a way it was much like some experiences I've had while listening to directors talking about their methods and filmmaking.  Hearing their story, in their voice, the way they meant for it to be told is like a whole new way of experiencing a story you already had a connection with and adds to your respect for the story teller and excitement for the story. 

As an avid YA reader, avid genre reader, and aspiring filmmaker and writer I am grateful to directors and authors who take the time to participate in panel discussions and events like the film and book festivals.  It is their shared knowledge and experience that keeps me going.  Knowing that no matter what struggles there are along the path, or the dues one pays to get to that point, it is hearing the stories of those that have succeeded that inspire me.  So I guess that I should not only thank the authors who took the time to share with us, but also NYPL for putting together such an amazing event.  It is because of the Genre and Adolescence panel that I now have a full list of books that I am dying to find some way to pickup and read.  Now just to find a way to add in book expenses into my budget.  

Well, if you are in the NYC area, there are still 2 days of events remaining for the NYC Teen Author Festival, including an amazing book signing event for Sunday, March 21.  If you are interested in hearing the selection Maggie Stiefvater read from Shiver check out the video below, and if you are looking for something to read I would highly recommend checking it out before July as Linger, the followup to Shiver, will be hitting shelves this summer.

Happy reading and happy writings!

Maggie Stiefvater reading from Shiver at NYC Teen Author Festival

NYC Teen Author Festival -- A Writer's Thoughts

Last night kicked off the NYC Teen Author Festival, and although I've never been to an event quite like it with regards to writing, I was completely blown away.  I was so inspired by everything that was shared that I actually went home and started writing out some new ideas that had come to be during the subway ride back home.  The panel of authors included Gayle Forman, Daphne Grab, Carolyn Mackler, Sarah Mlynowski , Blake Nelson, Marie Rutkoski, Eliot Schrefer, Natalie Standiford and David Levithan.  Hearing about their writing process, and listening to pages from first drafts to finished products was a learning experience.  I sort of felt out of my element as I listened to them speak, and yet there was something familiar about it that reminded me of the many film panels I have sat in on.  For me it's comforting to hear about struggles from those that are established in the industry, and yet some of their answers and advice troubled me.

By the time the panel opened to general Q&A I was interested to see what type of questions would be asked and the answers the panel would give.  When a young girl asked about what their methods were to dealing with writers block I was actually taken back a little.  It was interesting hearing that every one of the authors said that it was total BS.  That writers block was just something made up, it was nothing more than an excuse.  It actually threw me.  Granted I had made several excuses of my own for about 6 months while writing my book, I was just not feeling it, had no inspiration or drive to finish.  I had written the first half of the book in about 6 months and then just froze.  I couldn't push myself to get up over that initial hump that had formed dead smack in the center of my story.  I wish I had heard that months ago.  It is the simplest of thoughts, that as a first time writer I just never considered.  It was something I did not want to recognize. I was doing nothing to help myself by making those excuses.

It has now been almost two years since I first started writing, and I am currently working on a second revision, but it took a friend to suggest I enter the NaNoWriMo contest to get me to this point.  I used that challenge to complete the last half of my story.  I knew where I needed to go, and what I wanted to do with the story, but I had no idea how to get it to that point.  Knowing that I had 30 days to write 50,000 words forced me to just sit down and get it out.  In the end I ended up trashing 2 chapters in their entirety as they ended up being completely useless, but setting that deadline for myself, and not letting writers block or mental shutdowns get the better of me was by far one of the most difficult challenges.

It is with the utmost respect that I now say, I totally agree.  Of course I feel like I will later regret agreeing, but for now I can't help thinking of all the time I wasted.  Granted the book would probably have turned out to be a totally different beast from what it is in its current state, but from everything that was shared last night I feel that is the most significant thing I heard.  Everyone will have a different writing style that works best for them, but as long as you remind yourself that there really is no such thing as writers block, you will get through the sticky areas.  So with that thought, I leave to consider my own options and get back to completing my revision.

Happy writings!

Starting Point

My life has been quite the roller coaster so far.  I have decided to use this blog to record ideas and thoughts.  A place to comment on things I've been reading and working on.  A place to record my struggles and journey towards completing a novel that I began working on about 2 years ago.  And a place to record events and activities I have planned for 2010.  This will be a place where I can keep in touch with friends and family along the unexpected journey of life.


Current Plans for 2010:
March -- complete 2nd revision of noveldraft
               NYC Teen Author Festival (15-21)  Link to Event Information
May -- prep for June and July
June -- MAs in LA
July -- road trip cross country
           San Diego Comic Con!
August -- try the LA scene with work
September -- VMAs... maybe