Writeous magazine by Emily Soetaert

writeous writeous MARCH 2011 MARCH 2011

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS Three authors, combining powers to create a new kind of storytelling

Tips to make your query letter stand out PLUS: Must-Have Tech Gadgets This Season You’ll Love

GETTING TO THE POINT

+ 7 one-liners to take to the next level

PLAGIARISM

One writer’s nightmare come to life

SPECIAL INTERVIEWS WITH:

Suzanne Collins, Orson Scott Card, Stephenie Meyer, Rachelle Gardner, and more!

Grab a Post-It

contents march 2010 | volume 1

features

columns/departments

05 tech deck

An exclusive interview with the three women that make up the Merry Sisters of Fate. Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton and Brenna Yovanoff talk about using networking to their advantages.

07 housekeeping

Friends with Benefits BY CAITLIN BUSS

Must-Have Gadgets This Season Apps for Writers

Pitch Perfect

Top 10

The Dos and Don’ts

Clean It Up

11 writer’s roost

Interview with Orson Scott Card

True Life: Plagiarized How one man fought to keep ownership of his work when one woman determined to take it all away. BY KATHRYN HOGAN

Jane of all Trades

One woman does it all. A look into the life of Jane Morris — wife, mother, author and agent. BY ANDREA CRAMER

The Game Changer

Author Suzanne Collins explains her inspiration behind the world-famous Hunger Games Trilogy. BY EMILY CARR

Setting Self-Publishing Myths Straight

13 pointers One-Liners

15 setting Mood Muse-ic

Feng Shui in the Office

17 spotlight Stories from contest winners Alex Folsom and Kollin Black

31 noteworthy Advice from agent Rachelle Gardener on how to write the perfect query letter

32 end scene

Author Stephenie Meyer talks about her first rejection letters before her initial successes

on the cover

writeous MARCH 2011

05 Top 10 Must-Have Gadgets 20 Friends with Benefits 31 Query Experts 13 7 Ways to Start a Story 11 Exclusive Orson Scott Card Interview

How to make it work to your advantage and why it’s sometimes more beneficial than the traditional route. BY COREY THIBODEAUX

Writeous is published 10 times a year( which may include an occasional special, combined or expanded issue that may count as two issues) by The Writers Group, 16290 E. 22nd Street, New York, NY 11040. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Writeous, 11392 W. 15th Street, Portland, OR 97201. Subscription rates: one year, $30.00. Canadian subscriptions add $10 per year for GST/HST tax and postage via surface mail. Foreign subscriptions add $10 for surface mail or $40 per year for air mail. Remit in U.S. funds. writeous.com | 1

writeous

editor’s letter

march 2010 | volume 1

EDITOR

Emily Soetaert

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kathryn Hogan

ART DIRECTOR Caitlin Buss

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Kacie Pauls, Scott Combs, Elizabeth Filkins, Tali David, Samantha Collins, Corey Thibodeaux, Andrea Cramer, Emily Carr

WRITEOUS EDITORIAL OFFICES 16290 E. 22nd St., New York, NY 11040 917.865.7320 write@writeous.com

THE WRITERS GROUP EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER Emily Soetaert

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Holly Snyder

ADVERTISING DISTRIBUTOR Cierha Berry

PRODUCTION MANAGER Sarah Quinn

ATTENTION RETAILERS To carry Writeous in your store, call Newsstand Sales Supervisor Paul Wetzel toll free at (800)573-3423 ext. 2143

WHY WE WRITE

There comes a time in every girl’s life when she wants to design a magazine. For me, the time is now. After putting together a business plan and researching target markets, I present you with Writeous, a magazine for aspiring novelists with the dreams and hopes of one day getting published. It may not be glitzy and glamorous, but it’s meant to give all you new writers out there a sense of how the industry works. Think of it this way - we’re getting you aquainted with the publishing world, one page at a time. From top industry analysts to submissions from you, our readers, we’ve managed to compile things that are not only useful, but things we think are interesting, too. Get your foot in the door. Try new things. Don’t be afraid to fail. Especially the last part. Failing is part of writing fiction. Without it, you can’t learn and progress. And then what? You’re just moving backwards. We here at Writeous are excited to see what submissions you provide us with as time continues. We’re excited to progress with you. At the end of the day, isn’t that all that matters? Moving forward involves taking risks, obviously. And the best way to do that is to simply put yourself out there. We’re here to help. As we continue to sniff around in search of new opportunities, we hope that you follow suit. Give us a heads up if you know something is happening that we haven’t covered. Send us your questions, concerns, announcements. We want to be in the loop. When becoming immersed in writing culture, it’s crucial to join up with a writing community. Bouncing ideas off of others and getting positive and negative feedback alike help to improve your ability. We like to think of Writeous as its own writing community, too. Stay tuned and the rest will fall into place. Happy writing, everyone, from all of us here at Writeous magazine.

housekeeping

Pitch Perfect

Nothing annoys agents more than receiving a poorly written query letter — don’t let dumb mistakes keep you from publishing your work

our best point of reference is to read as many successful and sample query letters as you can, write yours, and then get feedback on yours from other writers. Feedback is important, and it’s beyond the “expertise” your friends and family can give you, unless they’re better writers than you. For the most part, query letters are about 250 words, which is approximately 1 page. There are about two short paragraphs that tell what the story is about - focus on the main plot, and don’t get into any details about how the character feels and definitely don’t delve into background info. Your job with the query letter is to entice the agent to read sample pages, adding background info isn’t going to do that. focus on the plot: Who the character is, what s/he wants, what happens if s/he fails? The last paragraph should be any bio info about yourself, such as any publishing credits. No one cares if you’ve been writing your whole life. Most writers have, so including that info doesn’t make you stand out, but it does make you look amateur. Also, include the book’s specs in the last paragraph (word count, title in all caps, and genre). If you don’t have any legit publishing credits, like getting work published in PAID magazines or anthologies, then you don’t need to include a bio. Don’t worry about getting this right on your first try. Unless you’ve been writing queries your whole life, you’re going to go through several drafts with feedback. I suggest you read every post in the Query Shark blog ( http://queryshark.blogspot.com ) to learn how to write an effective query letter. Writersdigest.com has a query series that you

queries posted are of books that have been recently published). And, I disagree with SK. The literary agents I’ve seen speak about queries and manuscripts say they look for a reason to accept the work. Unfortunately, most people write dreck (manuscripts) and equally awful query letters. Literary agents want desperately to find those good query letters and great manuscripts, so they look for reasons to keep on reading, but they can also tell if something is awful just from the first paragraph and it usually has to do with the lack of writing skill.Your best point of reference is to read as many successful and sample query letters as you can, write yours, and then get feedback on yours from other writers. Feedback is important, and it’s beyond the “expertise” your friends and family can give you, unless they’re better writers than you. For the most part, query letters are about 250 words, which is approximately 1 page. There are about two short paragraphs that tell what the story is about - focus on the main plot, and don’t get into any details about how the character feels and definitely don’t delve into background info. Your job with the query letter is to entice the agent to read sample pages, adding background info isn’t going to do that. focus on the plot: Who the character is, what s/he wants, what happens if s/he fails? No one cares if you’ve been writing your whole life. Most writers have, so including that info doesn’t make you stand out, but it does make you look amateur. Also, include the book’s specs in the last paragraph (word count, title in all caps, and genre). Don’t worry about getting this right on your first try. Unless you’ve been writing queries your whole life, you’re going to go through several drafts with feedback.

might want to look over. Literary agents post successful queries of their clients and explain why the query was successful (all the

For the most part, query letters are about 250 words, which is approximately 1 page. There are about two short paragraphs. writeous.com | 3

kodak moment

housekeeping

>> Do . . .

The last paragraph should be any bio info about yourself, such as any publishing credits. No one cares if you’ve been writing your whole life. Most writers have, so including that info doesn’t make you stand out, but it does make you look amateur. Also, include the book’s specs in the last paragraph (word count, title in all caps, and genre). If you don’t have any legit publishing credits, like getting work published in PAID magazines or anthologies, then you don’t need to include a bio. The last paragraph should be any bio info about yourself, such as any publishing credits. No one cares if you’ve been writing your whole life. Most writers have, so including that info doesn’t make you stand out, but it does make you look amateur. The literary agents I’ve seen speak about queries and manuscripts say they look for a reason to accept the work.

>> Don’t . . .

Don’t worry about getting this right on your first try. Unless you’ve been writing queries your whole life, you’re going to go through several drafts with feedback. For the most part, query letters are about 250 words, which is approximately 1 page. There are about two short paragraphs that tell what the story is about - focus on the main plot, and don’t get into any details about how the character feels and definitely don’t delve into background info. Your job with the query letter is to entice the agent to read sample pages, adding background info isn’t going to do that. focus on the plot: Who the character is, what s/he wants, what happens if s/he fails? The last paragraph should be any bio info about yourself, such as any publishing credits. No one cares if you’ve been writing your whole life. Most writers have, so including that info doesn’t make you stand out, but it does make you look amateur. Also, include the book’s specs in the last paragraph. If you don’t have any legit publishing credits, like getting work published in PAID magazines or anthologies, then you don’t need to include a bio.

4 | writeous | march 2011

Don’t worry about getting this right on your first try. Unless you’ve been writing queries your whole life, you’re going to go through several drafts with feedback.

Tech Deck

Must-Have Gadgets This Season

From smartphones to laptop computers, here’s how to keep up with the latest and greatest

he examination of Apple’s iPad 2 continues, and now benchmarks of its graphics performance compare it favorably with both its predecessor and one of its most capable rivals, the Motorola Xoom. Apple’s claim of the iPad 2’s nine-times-faster graphics performance over the iPad 1 might be exaggerated, according to AnandTech’s reviewer Daniel Dilger, who said he’s “not sure that you’ll ever see 9x running real game code.” In fact, AnandTech compared the iPad 2′s graphics performance with the original iPad and the Motorola Xoom, and using GLBenchmark 2.0, the iPad 2 was between 3 and 7 times faster than the iPad 1, and was a surprising 2 to 7 times faster than the Tegra 2-packing Motorola Xoom tablet. Our benchmarks also showed Apple to be stretching the truth in its speed quotes. Comparing the iPad 1’s single-core A4 processor with the iPad 2’s dual-core A5, and we found the newer A5 to be 66% faster, short of Apple’s claim that it was twice as fast. Another part of the initiation of the iPad 2 is its teardown by iSuppli, the company that dissects gadgetry and figures out the price of each of its individual components. Releasing some preliminary numbers iSuppli says a 32GB 3G iPad 2 that retails for $729 has parts that are worth $326.60 in the AT&T version, and the Verizon version’s parts cost $323.35. The examination of Apple’s iPad 2 continues, and now benchmarks of its graphics performance compare it favorably with both its predecessor and one of its most capable rivals, the Motorola Xoom. Apple’s claim of the iPad 2′s nine-times-faster graphics performance over the iPad 1 might be exaggerated, according to AnandTech’s reviewer Daniel Dilger, who said he’s “not sure that you’ll ever see 9x running real game code.” In fact, AnandTech compared the iPad.s also showed. Another part of the initiation of the iPad 2 is its teardown by iSuppli, the company that dissects gadgetry and figures out the price of each of its individual components. iSuppli, the company that dissects gadgetry and figures out the price of each of its individual components.

1) Many bookstores have invested in digital platform campaigns, making books more accesssible to the avid reader. 2) Apple recently released the iPad 2, retailing at $729. It’s nine times faster than its predecessor. writeous.com | 5

Tech Deck

Top 10 Apps for Writers Here are quick ways to keep the pace going full force

Merriam Webster

OmmWriter

B-Rhymes

Figment

Additional features include the popular Word of the Day, example sentences, audio pronunciations, and recent lookup history. It is an essential app for any writer.

The app is a dictionary for finding near rhymes — words that almost, but don’t quite rhyme — which are also known as ‘false rhymes’ or ‘off rhymes’ or ‘slant rhymes.’

With pop-ups, multiple tabs and instant messages all vying for our attention, we’ve sadly served ourselves with attention deficit disorder. OmmWriter is a zen attempt to recapture our ability to concentrate.

Figment is a free online platform where anyone can share their writing, connect with readers and discover new stories by young authors.

Words with Friends

WordPress

Dragon Dictation

Google Docs

Digital Platforms

Evernote

Words with Friends is a game for word lovers. It is essentially mobile scrabble and allows you to play with your friends, and play with people who aren’t your friends.

The app features voice to text transcriptions that can be sent as texts, e-mail or can be used to update your status on Twitter and Facebook.

Books sold through the Kindle store participate in the 70% royalty program and are available for purchase on Kindle devices and Kindle apps.

6 | writeous | march 2011

A simple, easy to use web software that writers can use to create a beautiful website (such as this one) or an informal blog. It is in fact, the Internet’s largest blogging platform with over 10 million blogs and 25 million users.

Forget your flash drive and don’t worry about toting your computer around everywhere. You can work on your novel from any coffee shop in the world or make last minute updates right in your mobile web browser.

Its Windows desktop app with a number of back-end improvements as well as one key new feature: taking notes with your laptop’s webcam.

logging

Dear Diary . . . One reader spends a year writing her first dystopian novel. Aspiring author Holly Snyder corresponds with Writeous, keeping journal entries of her weekly progress.

or three years now, I’ve made a habit out of writing fiction. I mean fiction in every sense of the word. In essence, I’ve become quite good at essentially making things up to create a story. That changed after certain events took place last year. I began exploring certain aspects of my own life, translating them to fiction. Using pieces of my own experiences has given many of my recent stories a definite sense of authenticity. They’re more real. Literally and figuratively. Now that another semester of writing classes is in full swing, I’m submitting stuff to be workshopped. The funny thing? I’m nervous, post-submission. The reason? My own dirty little secrets are spilled all over pages for people to critique. The stories may be more authentic, but hearing analysis on my own life is just plain personal. Classmates aren’t just criticizing my protagonists, they’re criticizing versions of me. And they don’t even know it. It’s exhilarating, terrifying, stressful and opportunistic all at the same time. That being said, I find myself wondering about boundaries. How far is too far? Where is the line and when is it not appropriate to cross? I suppose I’ll figure it out when my work gets discussed in class. Writers, discuss. For three years now, I’ve made a habit out of writing fiction. I mean fiction in every sense of the word. In essence, I’ve become quite good at essentially making things up to create a story. That changed after certain events took place last year. I began exploring certain aspects of my own life, translating them to fiction.

photo by Kate Hogan

Using pieces of my own experiences has given many of my recent stories a definite sense of authenticity. They’re more real. Literally and figuratively. Now that another semester of writing classes is in full swing, I’m submitting stuff to be workshopped. The funny thing? I’m nervous, post-submission. The reason? My own dirty little secrets are spilled all over pages for people to critique. The stories may be more authentic, but hearing analysis on my own life is just plain personal. Classmates aren’t just criticizing my protagonists, they’re criticizing versions of me. And they don’t even know it. It’s exhilarating, terrifying, stressful and opportunistic all at the same time. That being said, I find myself wondering about writeous.com | 7

logging

10 Things to Remember: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

It’s as hard as it looks. Everyone gets rejected. Multiple times. In fact, if you haven’t gotten rejected, go ahead and forget about calling yourself a real writer. Writing is half the battle. Motivation is the other half. It’s OK to take a break - as long as you force yourself to go back to that stopping point. Goals mean everything. Stick to them. They’re your friends. Sometimes you’re better off away from a computer screen. Proofread, but don’t let it distract you from the story. When given the opportunity to network, take it. Organizing the unused folders on your desktop can save so much time in the future.

If at first you don’t succeed - WHO CARES. Do it again. And again. And again. Have I made my point? Take my advice and you’ll go far. Shoot for the moon and you’ll someday get it. Anyway, here’s advice from one writer to another.

As usual, happy writing!

logging

James Dashner on the blog

completed my final edit/ proofread on Monday, February 22. Now the 116,500 word novel is in the capable hands of my mother. While she isn’t a trained editor, she has an eye for mistakes and has been an invaluable helper over the course of my writing process. Not only did she help me hash out ideas for the novel, but this will be her third (or fourth…I may have lost count) read through. How she still enjoys it is beyond me. I was feeling quite confident with the completeness of my Contributed Photo book, and the fact that I was able to cut out 22,000 words. That is, until I picked up a book called the 13th Reality by James Dashner. I had read his novel The Maze Runner which I really enjoyed. So I decided to try his earlier work. And after about a chapter I realized that his writing style sounds a lot like my own. A lot of his phrases, word choices and character voices were the same as mine. So I googled his literary agent, thinking that if they enjoyed his 13th Reality series, they’d enjoy novel too. But I came across an article that pretty much knocked the wind out of me. It was written by James Dashner himself, entitled “7 Things I’ve Learned So Far.” And most of the things he mentions in this article are issues that I’ve already noticed about my own writing. The first point that struck home was his mention of characters. He says that in his early work, all his characters were the same person. All were him in disguise. And I’ve worried about that with my own writing. My secondary characters are all drastically different one or two-dimensional characters. But my four protagonists are the problem. They all have different interests, fears and motivations, but I feel that they’re all a part of me. And I’m sure that would be just fine as long as readers don’t pick up on that. The next point that stood out was when he said his previous works were written in the style of a quick bedtime story. “This happened, then this happened” and so on. While I have tried to have more patience with my plots by adding more internal thoughts and emotions, I find that I often run out of words to describe what they’re feeling. If the my novel were written in first person, the internal dialogue would be much simpler for me. But I chose to

logging Contributed Photo

“It’s crucial to stay involved in the online community. After all, your fans surf the Web, too.” - James Dashner

A world of sound awaits you.

It was written by James Dashner himself, entitled “7 Things I’ve Learned So Far.” And most of the things he mentions in this article are issues that I’ve already noticed about my own writing. The first point that struck home was his mention of characters. He says that in his early work, all his characters were the same person. All were him in disguise. And I’ve worried about that with my own writing. My secondary characters are all drastically different one or two-dimensional characters. But my four protagonists are the problem. They all have different interests, fears and motivations, but I feel that they’re all a part of me. And I’m sure that would be just fine as long as readers don’t pick up on that. The next point that stood out was when he said his previous works were written in the style of a quick bedtime story. “This happened, then this happened” and so on. While I have tried to have more patience with my plots by adding more internal thoughts and emotions, I find that I often run out of words to describe what they’re feeling. If the my novel were written in first person, the internal dialogue would be much simpler for me. But I chose to go third person. And because there are four main characters (meaning four different perspectives), it really needs to be from third person. Last he talks about heros and villains being more than two-dimensional. This is a lot harder than I ever expected it to be. Probably harder than anything I’ve had to learn. I read so much, and experienced so many threedimensional heros and villains, yet its hard to translate that inbe much simpler for me.

writer’s roost

Orson Scott Card AUTHOR OF THE SCI-FI ENDER’S

BOOKS

Word is out that ENDER’S GAME is in the works as a movie. Are you at liberty to talk about that?

“Everything important in sci-fi showed up in the magazines first. It’s the proving ground for new writers and new ideas.”

Oh, I’m at complete liberty. I’ve written the screenplay in conjunction with a producer, Robert Chartoff, who was co-producer of the “Rocky” movies, “The Right Stuff,” and “Raging Bull.” But he was out of the business for awhile, semi-retired, and now he’s coming back.

How far along is the script? I’m happy with the script as it stands, though there are some things that will drive readers of ENDER’S GAME crazy because you have to adapt it. The book is written relentlessly from Ender’s point of view except for those brief passages that are quite obscure at the beginning of each chapter where you don’t know who’s talking to whom, and you get some of the adult point of view through dialogue only.

What are some of the other problems writing the script versus the novel? There’s no guarantee that I’ll do the movie well just because I’m the author of the book. I think I’ve done it right, and even if we have to find someone else to do it, the writer will still have to make some of those same decisions. Sometimes the worst job is when people try to be too faithful to the book.

Whom do you visualize in the lead roles? The problem right now is there’s no way to do ENDER’S GAME so that it needs a star. Even though we have taken most of what Graf does and given it to Mazer and turned the character of Graf into a woman.

Okay, time for a stock author-interview question. Where do you get your ideas? The good resource is to read history, and to read competing histories of the same event so that you get different viewpoints and you begin to find your own way. of underwriteous.com | 11

writer’s roost Word is out that ENDER’S GAME is in the works as a movie. Are you at liberty to talk about that? Oh, I’m at complete liberty. I’ve written the screenplay in conjunction with a producer, Robert Chartoff, who was co-producer of the “Rocky” movies, “The Right Stuff,” and “Raging Bull.” But he was out of the business for awhile, semi-retired, and now he’s coming back.

“I wonder sometimes if the motivation for writers ought to be contempt, not admiration.” -orson scott card Whom do you visualize in the lead roles? The problem right now is there’s no way to do ENDER’S GAME so that it needs a star. Even though we have taken most of what Graf does and given it to Mazer and turned the character of Graf into a woman, to give good adult contrast between the ones who are trying to win the war and the ones who are trying to preserve the humanity of the children. So the ethical dilemmas are pointed out very well and I think we have good characters.

Did having success early in your writing career give you creative freedom, or did it become a burden to live up to high expectations? The funny thing is, I’ve always had complete freedom. I’ve been real lucky with the publishers I’ve had. There are very few projects that I wanted to do that I didn’t get to do. I’ve never had publishers who ended up interfering with the stories that I wanted to tell.

How far along is the script?

Write out loud. 12 | writeous Sharpie

I’m happy with the script as it stands, though there are some things that will drive readers of ENDER’S GAME crazy because you have to adapt it. The book is written relentlessly from Ender’s point of view except for those brief passages that are quite obscure at the beginning of each chapter where you don’t know who’s talking to whom, and you get some of the adult point of view through dialogue only. | march 2011

pointers

One-Liners

It’s easier to start a story when someone else does it for you photo by Kate Hogan

“I’m an engine driver on a long run, but if you don’t love me let me go.” “In the time it takes for you to

2 make love, you can break love, waste love and throw it all away.”

always buzzing like neon, 3 “She’s the trail of ruby red and dynamite.”

you’re ready or not, this 4 “Whether is me standing before you.” “Tonight she’s out to lose herself,

5 flying high on peach tree street.”

got it right, he’s got a better 6 “He’s life coming his way.” “I’m really not complaining, I re-

7 alize it’s just a job.”

Every writer has to start somewhere. It all begins with one sentence.

writeous.com | 13

one click. thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all it takes. www.tigerdirect.com

setting

Mood Muse-ic

Strike a chord with these inspiring scene-setters

hether you admit it or not, music imbeds our daily life, weaving its beauty and emotion through our thoughts, activities and memories. So if you’re interested in music theory, music appreciation, Beethoven, Mozart, or other composers, artists and performers, we hope you’ll spend some time with here and learn from these music articles of note for all ages and tastes. When I first started studying the history of music, I did not realize what I was getting into. I had thought that music history was somewhat of a trivial pursuit. You see, in our culture many of us do not really learn to understand music. For much of the world, music is a language, but for us it is something that we consumed passively. When I began to learn about the history of Western music, however, it changed all that for me. I have had some experience playing musical instruments, but I have never mastered one enough to really understand what music is all about. This class showed me. When most of us think about the history of music, we think of the history of rock music. We assume that the history is simple because the music is simple. In fact, neither is the case. The history of music, whether you’re talking about classical music, rock music, jazz music, or any other kind, is always complicated. New chord structures are introduced. Even when the class was over, I could not stop learning about the history of music. It had whetted my appetite, and I wanted more. I got all the music history books that I could find. I even began to research forms of music that had not interested me before in the hopes of enhancing my musical knowledge further. When I first started studying the history of music, I did not realize what I was getting into. I had thought that music history was somewhat of a trivial pursuit. In fact, I only took my history of classical music class because I needed the credits. I did not realize how completely fascinating music history is. You see, in our culture many of us do not really learn to understand music. For much of the world, music is a language, but for us it is something that we consumed passively.

“Origin of Symmetry” by Muse Whether you admit it or not, music imbeds our daily life, weaving its beauty and emotion through our thoughts, activities and memories. or much of the world, music is a language, but for us it is something that we consumed passively.

“Parachute” by Ingrid Michaelson New chord structures are introduced bringing with them new ways of understanding the world. New rhythmic patterns are introduced, bringing with them new ways of understanding time.

“Adventures of Bobby Ray” by B.o.B. Although I was in school studying toward something very different – a degree in engineering – I had thought about giving it up and going back to get a degree in musicology.

“Fleet Foxes” by Fleet Foxes We assume that the history is simple because the music is simple. In fact, neither is the case. The history of music, whether you’re talking about classical music, rock music, jazz music, or any other kind, is always complicated. “Give Up” by The Postal Service New rhythmic patterns are introduced, bringing with them new ways of understanding time. And music reflects all of it. I could not stop learning about the history of music. It had whetted my appetite, and I wanted more. writeous.com | 15

setting

Feng Shui in the Office

Easy ways to pick up the writing pace

photo by Kate Hogan A simple refurnishing and switching up colors can make a dramatic difference in writing performance. Replace the office chairs. Bring in a plant or two. A little bit goes a long way. Photo by Kate Hogan

Lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waiting. Nikon

eng shui is all about alignment. Originally it was used by the Chinese to determine the correct alignment for such things as temples and tombs. Alignment though meant far more than just pointing things in the right direction; it was the fundamental method of correlating the universe with the human beings that populate it. The practice of feng shui goes back to at least 4000 BC when the Neolithic inhabitants of what is now Banpo in China aligned their dwellings to certain star constellations; markings similar to those used in feng shui today have been found in tombs dating back to 3000BC and all major Chinese cities have been planned using it. Proponents of feng shui believe in qi, a life force which can be either positive or negative. Certain locations have good qi and others have bad. In order to divine these a Luopan is used. Feng shui is all about alignment. Originally it was used by the Chinese to determine the correct alignment for such things as temples and tombs. Alignment though meant far more than just pointing things in the right direction. The practice of feng shui goes back to at least 4000 BC when the Neolithic inhabitants of what is now Banpo in China aligned their dwellings to certain star constellations; markings similar to those used in feng shui today have been found in tombs dating back to 3000BC and all major Chinese cities have been planned using it.

spotlight

The Saddest Porch M

Contest Winner: Alex Folsom

ona sits alone on a melancholy porch with the sidewalk just a few feet from her folded legs and her hunched over shoulders. Slowly and silently a few stray tears leak from Mona’s eyes and grace the fringes of her faded jeans. The weight of the world is beginning to push down on Mona and her strength is steadily breaking. A young man passes Mona’s stoop of sadness and continues down the street without a backward glance. Suddenly Mona’s tears have increased. Though no one has told her anything, she is positive her dog has just run away to never return. The tears begin to fall more heavily as a woman in her mid-forties glances at Mona, but decides it isn’t worth her time to help someone today and Mona’s grief only grows. This time she is positive that her boyfriend has left her for someone else. He’s left no note and no reason, but he is gone for good. Mona’s tears are suddenly a river. She can no longer keep them at the level of a stream. Her makeup colors her face with a black trail fading out just past her dimples, sliding into oblivion off her chin. With the approaching of another stranger Mona dreads what could happen next. If only someone would stop to console her everything would instantly be better. She has no idea why, but knows that her salvation is in humanity. The new stranger is a young child. Children care more than anyone else in this world Mona thinks. She knows she is saved. The child approaches the porch, but realizes something is wrong and quickly continues on his way as Mona’s house burns somewhere across town. At this Mona is distraught. Her crying is no longer a faint makeup trail

photo by Kate Hogan on her face; it has blossomed into a full-fledged wail. She throws her head back and cries at the sky and begins to lose all hope in humanity. As Mona’s jeans soak in the tears, Oliver makes a turn onto this street of sorrow. He spots Mona and wonders how someone could be so sad on such a beautiful day. Oliver steps onto the porch and sits next to Mona. to stop her sobbing. “What seems to ail you miss?” said Oliver. Instantly Mona’s tears dry up and the world shifts its weight from her. Suddenly Mona cannot be bothered with sorrow. Her life is starting new. Without a word Mona descends from the porch and makes her way down the street as Oliver sits down unable to move. Suddenly he has a horrible feeling that the world is ending. A single tear graces his cheek and he marvels at his sorrow. Oliver has never felt this way before.

writeous.com | 17

spotlight The Saddest Porch (continued) People continue to make their way down the lane as Oliver sits alone and woeful. As each passes, Oliver cries harder and with each passing person he becomes more desperate. He is positive that the next person that passes without stopping to help will only ensure that his brother will be killed in a horrible accident. It is his own brother. Oliver is now afraid of what his brother will think. Oddly his brother seems to take no notice. How can his own brother not stop to help? Is his brother oblivious to his Oliver’s sorrow? Does he not know that Oliver knows he may be in real danger? At this Oliver hears a horrible sound of screeching tires and breaking glass. A sadness like he has never felt smashes

What do you see? Business Inc, Co.

18 | writeous | march 2011

through his body crushing to dust every ounce of hope that was still clinging to his bones. Oliver will never smile again. Unable to rush to his brother’s aide Oliver can only cry and wish his brother had not been so cold to the emotions of others. His brother was not alone in not caring. No one has even gone to accident scene to help. Oliver can only cry and wish his brother had not been so cold to the emotions of others. No one has even gone to accident scene to help. It’s as if everyone believes that they are too busy to help and that someone else who is more caring so. They have too much faith in their fellow man.

Of End Days

Runner-up: Kollin Black

wilight gripped the land as three men gathered around a crooked dinner table in a broken, boarded up cottage. Gunshots, burning vehicles, and a loudspeaker blurting propaganda surrounded them, taunting them, demoralizing them. A small meal was the only bit of peace that these men could look forward to day to day. Three men bound by terrible circumstance. So many lost, so many scenes of horror, so many injuries to the body and mind. Each looked sickly, distorted fingers and noses picked and sniffed the food, licking the air in between in an effort to obtain more calories, to stay alive one day longer, to glimpse the end. “What’d ya year about those fellas up north Shifty? They make it through October ok?” The youngest of them spoke in a cracking voice. “The funniest thing actually. I went to radio them this morning, and after trying

a few times I received the most peculiar noises…screaming and crying if I’m not mistaken…probably just picking up one of those tele signals I’m sure… damn kids and their violent programs.” Shifty was the oldest, craziest son of a bitch that they had met. “If I had it my way there would only one channel like the news or weather. Oh and Hambone you will most definitely need to help me find my marbles later, I seem to have misplaced them…” “There was screaming and crying on the radio?! Shit, Camp Abendale is kaput. That means we need to find another supply line to tap into. Deaf boy how much food do we have?” Ordered Hambone Deaf boy signed to Shifty, who would relay the message back to Hambone, whose lips were being read by deaf boy’s. “He says maybe two cups of rice.” “What the fuck why didn’t you say were so low on food?” “He said he tried but we didn’t listen.” “Well either way we need to decide

spotlight Of End Days (continued) He had drawn the short straw once before. Back then there were ten of them at the cottage, and he was accompanied by his wife on the supply run. The vicious enemy had gassed her, taken her, killed her. He will be successful in this venture, he will not fail again. Only his quick thinking and scars accompany him this time. ‘I can make it through this…I just have to be smart and quick with my decisions.’ Thinking was all that Hambone could do. His body stood frozen in the doorway brightened by moonlight. It appeared grey in the moonlight, prison-like against the overgrowth of grasses and trees. A part of him relished in the air, the sweet moist air that filled his lungs to capacity and revived him with every breath. The air in the cottage was that of rotting feces and sweaty feet. He remembered what they looked liked, their scarred faces and evil eyes. Gun wielding radicals using carnage as holy sacrament. They appeared more like beasts than men, they showed no mercy in their persistent campaign against the free peoples of this world. It was many years ago that they first came, their numbers were too many to count,

and their tactics were precise and deadly. Mainland was powerless in less than two years. Now, there is just a small group of insurgents that plague the enemy now. Men, women, children…all are subject to death in times like these. Hambone had made it three miles down the road when the first encounter took place. The ground trembled, a convoy neared, and Hambone needed to act quickly. Simply hiding behind or climbing a tree would do no good. Whenever a convoy came there was always poisonous gas close behind. To eliminate any chance or insurgent ambushes on supply convoys the enemy deployed what is known as carpet gassing. It would blanket the area in and around the vehicles. Hambone ripped off a piece of cloth from his shirt and covered his mouth and moved as rapidly as he could away from the trembling of machines. Before he knew it he was completely off trail, without compass or any defining landmark. Hambone scratched and crawled through the thick brush to find himself on the edge of a vast clearing pronounced by a huge mound of fresh soil. Fresh cemeteries are bountiful in this new land.

Spotlight

CONTEST Write the opening sentence (25 words or fewer) to a story based on the photo prompt to the left. You can be funny, poignant, etc., it is, after all your story.

TO ENTER: Send your sentence via

e-mail to spotlightcontest@writeous. com. Entires must be pasted directly into the body of the e-mail; attachments will not be opened. The winners will be published in a future issue of Writeous.

DEADLINE: April 2011

What do you see? Business Inc, Co.

photo by Kate Hogan

friends with

benefits

THREE WRITERS, THREE VISIONS. THEIR POWERS COMBINE TO CREATE THE IDEAL SOCIAL NETWORK AND STORIES TO SHARE WITH SUSPENSEFUL, WAITING FANS.

BY CONTRIBUTING WRITER CAITLIN BUSS

his week over at Merry Sisters Of Fate, Tessa Gratton, Maggie Stiefvater and Brenna Yovanoff invited readers to post their favorite Merry Fates short story. I don’t need much encouragement to rustle up a post like this since I am in hard love with their writing. The only dilemma I’ll have is narrowing down a favorite. First up is Tessa Gratton. I’ve always loved Tessa’s writing because she has such awesome plots and writes the most lovely love scenes, though no one seems to end up happily ever after. Anyone who can turn Ichabod Crane into a warm and sensitive love interest is a genius in my book (See Horseman’s Love). Although I love the bulk of her work, I keep coming back to The Cold That Flays The Skin. It’s a haunting story about a boy who sheds his physical 20 | writeous | march 2011

appearance every winter to become someone else. There’s something so melancholically heartbreaking and lonely about that piece that I must have read it a million times already. My favorite Maggie Stiefvater short story hands down is The Haunts We Choose, though Sky Full of Stars is a very close second. Haunts is a story about waiting; a man waiting to reunite with his dead wife at their favorite café a year after her death. To me, the story embodies everything that Maggie is as writer and as a person. She pays homage to her favorite book of all times The Time Traveler’s Wife and her love for tea. I believe that this is the closest we’ll ever come to hearing Maggie’s real voice. At the core, Maggie writes love stories and this is one of her best works.

This week over at Merry Sisters Of Fate, Tessa Gratton, Maggie Stiefvater and Brenna Yovanoff invited readers to post their favorite Merry Fates short story. I don’t need much encouragement to rustle up a post like this since I am in hard love with their writing. The only dilemma I’ll have is narrowing down a favorite. First up is Tessa Gratton. I’ve always loved Tessa’s writing because she has such awesome plots and writes the most lovely love scenes, though no one seems to end up happily ever after. Anyone who can turn Ichabod Crane into a warm and sensitive love interest is a genius in my book (See Horseman’s Love). Although I love the bulk of her work, I keep coming back to The Cold That Flays The Skin. It’s a haunting story about a boy who sheds his physical appearance every winter to become someone else. There’s something so melancholically heartbreaking and lonely about that piece that I must have read it a million times already. My favorite Maggie Stiefvater short story hands down is The Haunts We Choose, though Sky Full of Stars is a very close second. Haunts is a story about waiting; a man waiting to reunite with his dead wife at their favorite café a year after her death. To me, the story embodies everything that Maggie is as writer and as a person. At the core, Maggie writes love stories and this is one of her best works. To me, Brenna Yovanoff’s strength lies in her characters and her honest and unorthodox word choices. I’ve always marveled at the way she pays such close attention to the character’s psychological workings and the dynamics of their relationship with other people. And she has such a large reserve of characters. I’ve never been a short story kind of girl but reading Merry Fates has motivated me to write a few of my own and that in turn has led me to my current WIP. If I seem to be finding an excuse to break out with a Merry Fates post every few weeks, that’s because I owe them so much. Thank you ladies, for an awesome two years. his week over at Merry Sisters Of Fate, Tessa Gratton, Maggie Stiefvater and Brenna Yovanoff invited readers to post their favorite Merry Fates short story. First up is Tessa Gratton. I’ve always loved Tessa’s writing because she has such awesome plots and writes the most lovely love scenes, though no one seems to end up happily ever after. Anyone who can turn Ichabod Crane into a warm and sensitive love interest is a genius in my book (See Horseman’s Love). d lonely about that piece that I must have reMy favorite Maggie Stiefvater short story hands down is The Haunts We Choose, though Sky Full of Stars is a very close second. Haunts is a story about waiting; a man waiting to reunite with his dead wife at their favorite café a year after her death. To me, the story embodies everything that Maggie is as writer and as a person.

photo by Kate Hogan

Stiefvater, Gratton and Yovanoff meet bi-annually to critique each others’ works which can be found on their website for millions of Maggie writes love stories and this is one of her best works. To me, Brenna Yovanoff’s strength lies in her characters and her honest and unorthodox word choices. I’ve always marveled at the way she pays such close attention to the character’s psychological workings and the dynamics of their relationship. Thank you ladies, for an awesome two years. his week over at Merry Sisters Of Fate, Tessa Gratton, Maggie Stiefvater and Brenna Yovanoff invited readers to post their favorite Merry Fates short story. I don’t need much encouragement to rustle up a post like this since I am in hard love with their writing. The only dilemma I’ll have is narrowing down a favorite. First up is Tessa Gratton. I’ve always loved Tessa’s writing because she has such awesome plots and writes the most lovely love scenes, though no one seems to end up happily. Anyone who can turn Ichabod Crane into a warm and sensitive love interest.is a gewriteous.com | 21

One woman’s story of disappointment and the nightmare that haunts writers everywhere

he Washington Post published an editor’s note on its Web site Wednesday apologizing for two articles by a longtime Post reporter who used material from The Arizona Republic without crediting that newspaper or citing it as a source. The note said the articles “contained substantial material that was borrowed and duplicated, without attribution, from The Arizona Republic newspaper.” The articles were written by Sari Horwitz, an investigative reporter who has been at The Post for almost 30 years and has won two Pulitzer Prizes. The Post’s e-mail said the articles were reviewed immediately. “This is the most serious kind of matter for a news organization,” Mr. Brauchli said in the spokeswoman’s e-mail. “Taking information without attribution is unethical and not in keeping with The Post’s standards of journalism. There are no mitigating circumstances for plagiarism.” In an interview, Mr. Lovely said a reporter, Dennis Wagner, and an editor had told him about the similarities. While material for Ms. Horwitz’s articles came from various articles in The Republic, Mr. Lovely said an article by Mr. Wagner was the source of the “most egregious” borrowing. Ms. Horwitz’s article showed similar structure and contained material from “10 of 12” para22 | writeous | march 2011

PLAGIARIZED BY CONTRIBUTING WRITER KATHRYN HOGAN

graphs from Mr. Wagner’s original article, Mr. Lovely said. “I think it’s an unfortunate situation, and I have great respect for The Post,” he said. “Certainly it’s a very difficult situation when a reporter violates a basic tenet of our profession.” In a statement, Ms. Horwitz apologized and cited deadline pressure. “It was wrong. It was inexcusable,” she said. “And it is one of the cardinal sins in journalism. I apologize to The Arizona Republic and its reporters and editors.” The Post spokeswoman would not say what action was taken against Ms. Horwitz but said it was “immediate, severe and appropriate.” The Washington Post published an editor’s note on its Web site Wednesday apologizing for two articles by a longtime Post reporter who used material from The Arizona Republic without crediting that newspaper or citing it as a source. The note said the articles “contained substantial material that was borrowed and duplicated, without attribution, from The Arizona Republic newspaper.”

The articles were written by Sari Horwitz, an investigative reporter who has been at The Post for almost 30 years and has won two Pulitzer Prizes. In an e-mail, a Post spokeswoman said it received word of the problem Monday, when Randy Lovely, the Arizona Republic editor, sent an e-mail to Marcus Brauchli, the Post’s executive editor, and to the paper’s ombudsman, noting “striking similarities” between Post and Republic articles about Jared Lee Loughner, the suspect in the shootings in Tucson in January. The Post’s e-mail said the articles were reviewed immediately. “This is the most serious kind of matter for a news organization,” Mr. Brauchli said in the spokeswoman’s e-mail. While material for Ms. Horwitz’s articles came from various articles in The Republic, Mr. Lovely said an article by Mr. Wagner was the source of the “most egregious” borrowing. Ms. Horwitz’s article showed similar structure and contained material from “10 of 12” paragraphs from Mr. Wagner’s original article, Mr. Lovely said. “I think it’s an unfortunate situation, and I have great respect for The Post,” he said.

The Washington Post published an editor’s note on its Web site Wednesday apologizing for two articles by a longtime Post reporter who used material from The Arizona Republic without crediting that newspaper or citing it as a source. The note said the articles “contained substantial material that was borrowed and duplicated, without attribution, from The Arizona Republic newspaper.” The articles were written by Sari Horwitz, an investigative reporter who has been at The Post for almost 30 years and has won two Pulitzer Prizes. The Post’s e-mail said the articles were reviewed immediately. “This is the most serious kind of matter for a news organization,” Mr. Brauchli said in the spokeswoman’s e-mail. “Taking information without attribution is unethical and not in keeping with The Post’s standards of journalism. There are no mitigating circumstances for plagiarism.” In an interview, Mr. Lovely said a reporter, Dennis Wagner, and an editor had told him about the similarities. While material for Ms. Horwitz’s articles came from various articles in The Republic, Mr. Lovely said an article by Mr. Wagner was the source of the “most egregious” borrowing. Ms. Horwitz’s article showed similar structure and contained material from “10 of 12” paragraphs from Mr. Wagner’s original article, Mr. Lovely said. “I think it’s an unfortunate situation, and I have great respect for The Post,” he said. “Certainly it’s a very difficult situation when a reporter violates a basic tenet of our profession.” In a statement, Ms. Horwitz apologized and cited deadline pressure. “It was wrong. It was inexcusable,” she said. “And it is one of the cardinal sins in journalism. I apologize to The Arizona Republic and its reporters and editors.” The Post spokeswoman would not say what action was taken against Ms. Horwitz but said it was “immediate, severe and appropriate.” The Washington Post published an editor’s note on its Web site Wednesday apologizing for two articles by a longtime Post reporter who used material from The Arizona Republic without crediting that news-

paper or citing it as a source. The note said the articles “contained substantial material that was borrowed and duplicated, without attribution, from The Arizona Republic newspaper.” The articles were written by Sari Horwitz, an investigative reporter who has been at The Post for almost 30 years and has won two Pulitzer Prizes. In an e-mail, a Post spokeswoman said it received word of the problem Monday, when Randy Lovely, the Arizona Republic editor, sent an e-mail to Marcus Brauchli, the Post’s executive editor, and to the paper’s ombudsman, noting “striking similarities” between Post and Republic articles about Jared Lee Loughner, the suspect in the shootings in Tucson in January. The Post’s e-mail said the articles were reviewed immediately. “This is the most serious kind of matter for a news organization,” Mr. Br-

The Post spokeswoman would not say what action was taken against Ms. Horwitz but said it was “immediate, severe and appropriate.” The Washington Post published an editor’s note on its Web site Wednesday apologizing for two articles by a longtime Post reporter who used material from The Arizona Republic without crediting that newspaper or citing it as a source. The note said the articles “contained substantial material that was borrowed and duplicated, without attribution, from The Arizona Republic newspaper.” The articles were written by Sari Horwitz, an investigative reporter who has been at The Post for almost 30 years and has won two Pulitzer Prizes. In an e-mail, a Post spokeswoman said it received word of the problem Monday, when Randy Lovely, the Arizona Republic editor, sent an e-mail to Marcus Brauchli, the Post’s executive editor, and to the paper’s ombudsman, noting “striking similarities” between Post and Republic articles about Jared Lee Loughner, the suspect in the shootings in Tucson in January. The Post’s e-mail said the articles were reviewed immediately. “This is the most serious kind of matter for a news organization,” Mr. Brauchli said in the spokeswoman’s e-mail. In an interview, Mr. Lovely said a reporter, Dennis Wagner, and an editor had told him about the similarities. In an interview, Mr. Lovely said a reporter, Dennis Wagner, and an editor had told him about the similarities. While material for Ms. Horwitz’s articles came from various articles in The Republic, Mr. Lovely said an article by Mr. Wagner was the source of the “most egregious” borrowing. Ms. Horwitz’s article showed similar structure and contained material from “10 of 12” paragraphs from Mr. Wagner’s original article, Mr. Lovely said. “I think it’s an unfortunate situation, and I have great respect for The Post,” he said. “Certainly it’s a very difficult situation when a reporter violates a basic tenet of our profession.”

“Taking information without attribution is unethical.” auchli said in the spokeswoman’s e-mail. “Taking information without attribution is unethical and not in keeping with The Post’s standards of journalism. There are no mitigating circumstances for plagiarism.” In an interview, Mr. Lovely said a reporter, Dennis Wagner, and an editor had told him about the similarities. While material for Ms. Horwitz’s articles came from various articles in The Republic, Mr. Lovely said an article by Mr. Wagner was the source of the “most egregious” borrowing. Ms. Horwitz’s article showed similar structure and contained material from “10 of 12” paragraphs from Mr. Wagner’s original article, Mr. Lovely said. “I think it’s an unfortunate situation, and I have great respect for The Post,” he said. “Certainly it’s a very difficult situation when a reporter violates a basic tenet of our profession.” In a statement, Ms. Horwitz apologized and cited deadline pressure. “It was wrong. It was inexcusable,” she said. “And it is one of the cardinal sins in journalism. I apologize to The Arizona Republic and its reporters and editors.”

writeous.com | 23

GAME CHANGER

THE

BY EMILY CARR

PHOTO BY MEGAN PASLEY

Author Suzanne Collins changed the concept of young adult fiction by showing a different side of dystopia in the Hunger Games Trilogy. Collins’ protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, turned the fiction world upside down. 24 | writeous | march 2011

erhaps that’s why so many of them are reading “The Hunger Games,” a trilogy of novels by Suzanne Collins, which take place at an unspecified time in North America’s future. Her heroine, Katniss Everdeen, lives in one of twelve numbered districts dominated by a decadent, exploitative central city called the Capitol. Every year, two children from each district are drafted by lottery to compete in a televised gladiatorial contest, the Hunger Games, which are held in a huge outdoor arena. The winner is the last child left alive. The fervently awaited third installment in the trilogy, “Mockingjay,” will be published by Scholastic in August, and there are currently in print more than 2.3 million copies of the previous two books, “The Hunger Games” and “Catching Fire.” Collins’s trilogy is only 22the | most visible example of a recent boom in dystopian fiction for young people. Many of these books come in series, spinning out extended narratives in intricately imagined worlds. In Scott Westerfeld’s popular “Uglies” series, for example, all sixteenyear-olds undergo surgery to

conform to a universal standard of prettiness determined by evolutionary biology; in James Dashner’s “The Maze Runner,” teen-age boys awaken, all memories of their previous lives wiped clean, in a walled compound surrounded by a monster-filled labyrinth. The books tend to end in cliff-hangers that provoke their readers to post half-mocking protestations of agony on Internet discussion boards. Publishers have signed up dozens of similar titles in the past year or two, and, as with any thriving genre, themes and motifs get swapped around from other genres and forms. There are, or will soon be, books about teen-agers slotted into governmentally arranged professions and marriages or harvested for spare parts or genetically engineered for particular skills or brainwashed by subliminal messages embedwriteous | march 2011 ded in music or outfitted with Internet connections in their brains. Then, there are the postapocalyptic scenarios in which humanity is reduced to subsistence farming or neo-feudalism, stuck in villages ruled by religious fanatics or surrounded by toxic wastelands, predatory

“Prose is full of many challenges and unexplored territory for me because I came to it later in my life. Maybe it always feels that way for everybody, even if they started in prose in the beginning.” Collins’s trilogy is only the most visible example of a recent boom in dystopian fiction for young people. Many of these books come in series, spinning out extended narratives in intricately imagined worlds. In Scott Westerfeld’s popular “Uglies” series, for example, all sixteen-year-olds undergo surgery to conform to a universal standard of prettiness determined by evolutionary biology; in James Dashner’s “The Maze Runner.” Publishers have signed up dozens of similar titles in the past year or two, and, as with any thriving genre, themes and motifs get swapped around from other genres and forms. There are, or will soon be, books about teen-agers slotted into governmentally arranged professions and marriages or harvested for spare parts or genetically engineered for particular skills or brainwashed by subliminal messages embedded in music or outfitted with Internet connections in their brains. Readers of a certain age may remember having their young minds blown by William Sleator’s “House of Stairs,” the story of five teen-agers imprisoned in a seemingly infinite M. C. Escherstyle network of staircases that ultimately turns out to be a gigantic Skinner box designed to condition their behavior. John Christopher’s “The White Mountains,” or the drawbacks of engineering a too harmonious social order (Lois Lowry’s “The Giver”) or the consequences of resource exhaustion. The youth-centered versions of dystopia part company with their adult predecessors in some important respects. For one thing, the grownup ones are grimmer. In an essay for the 2003 collection “Utopian and Dystopian Writing for Children and Young Adults,” the British academic Kay Sambell argues that “the narrative closure of the protagonist’s final defeat and failure is absolutely crucial to the admonitory impulse of the classic adult dystopia.” The adult dystopia extrapolates from aspects of the present to show readers how terrible things will become if our de-

plorable behavior continues unchecked. The more utterly the protagonist is crushed, the more urgent and forceful the message. Because authors of children’s fiction are “reluctant to depict the extinction of hope within their stories,” Sambell writes, they equivocate when it comes to delivering a moral. Yes, our errors and delusions may lead to catastrophe, but if—as usually happens in dystopian novels for children—a new, better way of life can be assembled from the ruins would the apocalypse really be such a bad thing? Sambell’s observation implies that dystopian stories for adults and children have essentially the same purpose—to warn us about the dangers of some current trend. That’s certainly true of books like “1984” and “Brave New World”; they detail the consequences of political authoritarianism and feckless hedonism. This is what will happen if we don’t turn back now, they scold, and scolding makes sense when your readers have a shot at getting their hands on the wheel. Dystopian novels for middle-grade and young-adult readers (M.G. and Y.A., respectively, in publishing-industry lingo) have been around for decades. Readers of a certain age may remember having their young minds blown by William Sleator’s “House of Stairs,” the story of five teen-agers imprisoned in a seemingly infinite M. C. Escher-style network of staircases that ultimately turns out to be a gigantic Skinner box designed to condition their behavior. John Christopher’s “The White Mountains,” in which alien overlords install mind-control caps on the heads of all those over the age of thirteen, tore through my own sixth-grade classroom like a wicked strain of the flu. Depending on the anxieties and preoccupations of its time, a dystopian Y.A. novel might speculate about the aftermath of nuclear war. And, of course, most American schoolchildren are at some point also assigned to read one of the twentieth century’s dystopian classics for adults, such as “Brave New World” or “1984.”

writeous.com | 25

MYTHBUSTER:

Breaking Self-Publishing Rumors

BY COREY THIBODEAUX

know, I know. This is a column about cutting-edge electronics. So, apologies to gadget-heads as I take a brief sojourn into the land of self-publishing, which has become a lot more high-tech than a lot of people realize. The reason I’m here is that I have a book. A novel. Knife Music. Contrary to what you might think based on my day job, it’s not a cyber-thriller, though it is a mystery/thriller with a medical/ legal slant. Its short history is this: I worked on it for several years, acquired a high-powered agent, had some brushes with major publishers, then, crickets. Way back when, say, a dozen years ago, a single editor could acquire a book, but today a whole board is usually required to sign off on a project, especially when a big advance is involved. Worse yet, the traditional book-publishing business has fallen on hard times. In short, it’s ugly out there, particularly for new fiction writers. I could have tried to go for a small publisher, but I was told

26 | writeous | march 2011

mine was “a bigger book” with more commercial aspirations and prestigious small publishers were interested in more literary tomes. I also learned that many small publishers were being wiped out by the “self-publishing revolution,” a movement that’s not so unlike the “citizen journalism” or bloggers’ revolt of recent years that’s had a major impact on mainstream media, including this publication. The basic premise is anyone can become a small publisher. And you take home a bigger royalty than you’d normally get from a traditional publisher--if you sell any books. Against the advice of my agent, I began perusing the big selfpublishing companies’ Web sites and evaluating what they had to offer. What I found was a veritable minefield with roads that forked in every direction and very few clear answers. Here is another sentence to put here because I need the space to put something here about this article on self-publishing because I want it to look real. So self-publish, already. Not a big

After much deliberation, I chose BookSurge, a print-ondeal. demand (POD) outfit that Amazon owns along with the more After much deliberation, I chose BookSurge, a print-onno-frills POD operation CreateSpace. In 2009, after I published, demand (POD) outfit that Amazon owns along with the more Amazon merged BookSurge and CreateSpace under the Creno-frills POD operation CreateSpace. In 2009, after I published, ateSpace brand name, so when I say Booksurge going forward, Amazon merged BookSurge and CreateSpace under the Creyou should think CreateSpace. For those new to self-publishing, ateSpace brand name, so when I say Booksurge going forward, it’s worth noting that CreateSpace is considered a subsidy press you should think CreateSpace. For those new to self-publishing, or author-services company. The key to these companies--and it’s worth noting that CreateSpace is considered a subsidy press why POD is hot--is that books are printed only when someone or author-services company. The key to these companies--and orders a copy; neither author nor publisher is forced into buying why POD is hot--is that books are printed only when someone a bunch of books and having to hawk them. orders a copy; neither author nor publisher is forced into buying Royalties are better than what “real” publishers offer, but there a bunch of books and having to hawk them. are caveats, and true self-publishing pros prefer to cut out the Royalties are better than what “real” publishers offer, but subsidy press (which takes a cut) and go straight to a POD printthere are caveats, and true self-publishing pros prefer to cut out er like Lightning. the subsidy press (which takes a cut) and go straight to a POD Well, thanks to a little publicity courtesy of Apple and a rejectprinter like Lightning Source to maximize profits. But I was less ed--then accepted--free iPhone app, four and half months after I concerned about making money from this venture and more self-published Knife Music,” my agent sold it to The Overlook interested in putting together a well-packaged product that I Press, an independent publisher that will put out the book in wouldn’t be embarrassed to sell and some strangers might be hardcover in July. willing to buy. If I did it right, I thought, and managed to get The reason I’m here is that I have a book. Contrary to what you it some attention, some “real” publisher might come along and might think based on my day job, it’s not a cyber-thriller, though discover what a gem those 20 some odd publishers had passed it is a mystery/thriller with a medical/ legal slant. Its short history is this: I worked on it for several years, acquired a high-powered agent, had some brushes with major publishers, then, crickets. Way back when, say, a dozen years ago, a single editor could acquire a book, but today a whole board is usually required to sign off on a project, especially when a big advance is involved. Worse yet, the traditional book-publishing business has fallen on hard times. In short, it’s ugly out there, particularly for new fiction writers. I could have tried to go for a small publisher, but I was told mine was “a bigger book” with more commercial Sometimes self-publishing can provide more aspirations and prestigious small pubbenefits to writers than going the more lishers were interested in more literary traditional route. Photo by Kate Hogan tomes. I also learned that many small publishers were being wiped out by the “self-publishing revoluon. tion,” a movement that’s not so unlike the “citizen journalism” Well, thanks to a little publicity courtesy of Apple and a rejector bloggers.’ ed--then accepted--free iPhone app, four and half months after I Against the advice of my agent, I began perusing the big selfself-published Knife Music,” my agent sold it to The Overlook publishing companies’ Web sites and evaluating what they had Press, an independent publisher that will put out the book in to offer. What I found was a veritable minefield with roads that hardcover in July. forked in every direction and very few clear answers. The reason I’m here is that I have a book. A novel. Knife Music. Here is another sentence to put here because I need the space Contrary to what you might think based on my day job, it’s not to put something here about this article on self-publishing bea cyber-thriller, though it is a mystery/thriller with a medical/ cause I want it to look real. So self-publish, already. Not a big legal slant.

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Jane of all Trades

JUST ANOTHER DAY OF LIFE IN THE FAST LANE FOR AGENT, AUTHOR, WIFE AND MOTHER JANE MORRIS. LIVING ONE MOMENT AT A TIME IS STANDARD FOR THIS RISING TALENT IN THE WRITING INDUSTRY.

BY CONTRIBUTING WRITER ANDREA CRAMER

client typically establishes relationships with an agent through querying, although the two may meet at a writer’s conference, through a contest, or in other ways. A query is an unsolicited proposal for representation, either for a finished work or unfinished work. Various agents request different elements in a query packet, and most agencies list their specific submissions requirement on their Website or in their listing in major directories. It typically begins with a query letter (1-2 pages) explaining the purpose of the work and any writing qualifications of the author. Sometimes a synopsis or outline are requested as part of the query. Often, the author sends the first 3 chapters (equivilent to 50 pages)of their work. Lastly, for paper queries, a self-addressed stamped envelope must be included to receive a response. Though email submissions are becoming increasingly popular. 28 | writeous | march 2011

bers of the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR), but according to Writer’s Market listings, many agents in the United States are. To qualify for AAR membership, agents must have sold a minimum number of books and pledge to abide by a Canon of Ethics. Effective professional agents often learn their trade while working for another agent, though some cross over to agenting after working as editors. If a written query is rejected (which happens to the majority of queriers), the response is sent in the self-addressed stamped envelope. Typically the rejection is a form letter; getting a rejection which is not a form letter or has hand-written comments (especially a message to the effect of “query me for other projects”) is typically taken as a very good, even if disappointing, sign. Literary agencies can range in size from a single agent who represents perhaps a dozen authors, to a substantial firm with

If a written query is rejected (which happens to the majority of queriers), the response is sent in the self-addressed stamped envelope. Typically the rejection is a form letter; getting a rejection which is not a form letter or has hand-written comments (especially a message to the effect of “query me for other projects”) is typically taken as a very good, even if disappointing, sign. Literary agencies can range in size from a single agent who represents perhaps a dozen authors, to a substantial firm with senior partners, sub-agents, specialists in areas like foreign rights or licensed merchandise tie-ins, and clients numbering in the hundreds. Most agencies, especially the smaller ones, ly topical nonfiction. Very few agents will represent short stories or poetry. Legitimate agents and agencies in the book world are not required to be members of the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR), but according to Writer’s Market listings, many agents in the United States are. To qualify for AAR membership, agents must have sold a minimum number of books and pledge to abide by a Canon of Ethics. Effective professional agents often learn their trade while working for another agent, though some cross over to agenting after working as editors. If a written query is rejected (which happens to the majority of queriers), the response is sent in the self-addressed stamped envelope. Typically the rejection is a form letter; getting a rejection which is

not a form letter or has hand-written comments (especially a message to the effect of “query me for other projects”) is typi-

areas like foreign rights or licensed merchandise tie-ins, and clients numbering in the hundreds. Most agencies, especially the smaller ones, will specialize to some degree, representing authors who (for example) write science fiction, or mainstream thrillers and mysteries, or children’s books, or highly topical nonfiction. Very few agents will represent short stories or poetry. Legitimate agents and agencies in the book world are not required to be members of the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR), but according to Writer’s Market listings, many agents in the United States are. If a written query is rejected (which happens to the majority of queriers), the response is sent in the self-addressed stamped envelope. Typically the rejection is a form letter; getting a rejection as editors. If a written query is rejected (which happens to the majority of queriers), the response is sent in the self-addressed stamped envelope. Typically the rejection is a form letFor Morris, the key is finding a ter; getting a rejection balance. Work hard, play hard. which is not a form letPhoto by Kate Hogan ter or has hand-written comments. Typically the rejeccally taken as a very good, even if disaption is a form letter; getting a rejection pointing, sign. which is not a form letter or has handLiterary agencies can range in size from written comments. a single agent who represents perhaps a This is the last sentence of this story, so dozen authors, to a substantial firm with here we go so I can put an end mark in to senior partners, sub-agents, specialists in fit on the page perfectly. writeous.com | 29

Have you had your fix?

noteworthy

Q&A Rachelle Gardner To submit your latest short story, essay or poem, you need a query. get advice from the pros.

e all know that platform is very important. But this isn’t easy for agents and editors. We love great ideas. We love fantastic writing. So when we receive a wonderful proposal from an author who doesn’t have a platform, we struggle with it. Everything in us says, “This is a terrific book. I’ve got to have it!” But market realities tell us it could be a bad business decision. I’ve got a proposal out to several houses right now. Every one of them has said they love the book and the author is a terrific writer. But they’re all struggling with his lack of platform. They’re debating it in their pub board meetings. As of now, I still don’t know what’s going to happen.

Are there any advantages to living in the same state as one of your clients?

information that’s relevant. For fiction, the pitch is the most important part. Nonfiction authors need to give me a brief (one paragraph) overview of their platform in the query. Whether it’s fiction or nonfiction,

How often do you visit New York and how long do you usually stay? Since I’ve been focusing on the Christian market, New York hasn’t been all that important to my business. Christian publishers are primarily located in Colorado (where I live), Nashville and the Chicago area.

Are there any advantages to living in the same state as one of your clients?

My clients that live near me don’t have advantages over my other clients in a business sense, but I love being able to meet face-toface and talk with them.

My clients that live near me don’t have advantages over my other clients in a business sense, but I love being able to meet face-toface and talk with them. It definitely helps us to have a stronger relationship. I get to meet many of my other clients at conferences.

How often do you visit New York and how long do you usually stay?

When writers first contact you, what do you want them to send and how?

Since I’ve been focusing on the Christian market, New York hasn’t been all that important to my business. Christian publishers are primarily located in Colorado (where I live).

Nonfiction authors need to give me a brief (one paragraph) overview of their platform in the query. As of now, I still don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s an example of the primary importance of platform. It is just too hard to sell a book without one.

When writers first contact you, what do you want them to send and how? I ask for a query that includes a pitch for the book and any other

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End Scene

Stephenie Meyer making the switch from fulltime homemaker to vampiric genius one rejection letter at a time . . .

Writeous: What kind of research on vampires, if any, did you do before writing Twilight? Stephenie Meyer: The only time I really did any research on vampires was when the character Bella did research on vampires. Because I was creating my own world, I didn’t want to find out just how many rules I was breaking.

W: If you were a vampire, what would your special power be? SM: I have a hard time imagining that I would have one. I think I would just be happy with not having to sleep and not aging. That would be kind of cool.

W: How do you write in a way that attracts readers of all ages? SM: I didn’t write these books specifically for the young-adult audience. I wrote them for me. I don’t know why they span the ages so well, but I find it comforting that a lot of thirtysomethings with kids, like myself, respond to them as well.

W: Music is obviously a huge creative influence on you. Has music always been a part of your life? “I think you only get one dream like that in a lifetime, and it was all I needed. Once I unlocked the door, there were a lot of stories waiting to get out.”

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SM: Actually, growing up, I didn’t listen to a ton. My parents were pretty strict. I only discovered music as an inspiration later in life.

W: Did you think that your books would have such a huge impact on readers? SM: Gosh no! And I keep getting surprised. When Twilight hit the New York Times bestseller list at number 5, for me that was the pinnacle, that was the moment. I never thought I would be there.