Sealy's Write Game

Check out the great interview that Cynthia Jaynes posted. Her site is excellent.

Something very weird is happening. I think of a person--even one I haven't thought of in a long while-- and suddenly they call or they email or they bump into me at the fish market! What is this? Three times this month I've re-connected with people I haven't seen in years.

Maybe some kind of cosmic re-alignment. How about Global Warming? It gets blamed for everything else.

Once Upon a Time
I remember when "Once Upon a Time" lured me into stories where I could be guaranteed a handsome prince, a few elves, and maybe a unicorn. These words promised an adventure and hours of enjoyment.

I still read the beginning of books that I consider buying and it's those opening words that either capture my interest or don't. I thought it might be interesting to see what kinds of openings grab people.

So, here's a challenge. Once a month (this is not a contract, but a goal) I'll post a story type: Young Adult Adventure or Romance or Fantasy. And then I'll write an opening (no more than one sentence, but it doesn't have to be a sentence).

I'd love to see what kinds of other opening lines you'll contribute. Hey, maybe I'll think of a prize for the BEST STORY OPENING--one I won't be eligible to win.

So how about this month we play with that YA Adventure story? Here's how my story would start.

I've kept the secret for almost three months, but I have to tell someone soon because I've only got another week before it'll be too late.

I'm waiting and not very patiently for Heather Duffy-Stone's YA ARC, This Is What I Want to Tell You. Come on ARC!

At VK's site, Erin Fanning has shared some new markets for YA writers. I want to be sure writers see the opps, so I'm adding her link here. Take a look. http://www.erinfanning.com/ya_spec_markets

The 2009 Deb's Tour is quite and interesting event. This month it's all about those Debs making their splash in January and February. Come over to The Write Game at http://writegame.blogspot.com and take a quick peek at today's featured author.

Jim Averbeck's book, "In a Blue Room" was one of
the nominations for the 2008 Cybil's award. Nothing could make me happier. He's a super guy with talent that these awards has certainly validated.

Yeah, Jim.

Well, I've spent the day scratching my head and wondering where I am in all of this writing, publishing, marketing business. Then I landed on a site called Book Divas and had some fun. Great site for connecting with your YA readers and enjoying their take on what is hot and what is not. Have to say the reviews I read are spot on.

ARCs Cometh
When I opened the box it was kind of a head rush; then it didn't seem real, like if I opened the cover nothing would be inside. It took a little getting used to seeing my words in such a different format--not scribbled notes on lined paper, not on a computer screen, not on loose manuscript pages.

Before I don my chef's hat and pull out the mixer from the back of the cupboard I have to share a couple of things in an about the world of writing for young readers.

Jen Robinson has a great post about The True Story of Thanksgiving, an upper middle grade non-fiction book that would be a wonderful addition to anyone's T'day celebration. Just from the description you can tell how much richer the history of our special day really is. I'm off to the bookstore this afternoon, so I can share this around our table tomorrow.

Laurie Halse Anderson's book, "Thank you Sarah:The Woman who Saved Thanksgiving," is another source to begin reading about the true background to our national holiday. It made me want to know more about this woman, so after the holiday flurry I plan to do a bit more digging into Sarah Hale.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Since I'm still in twist about this picture on my book thing, I was trying to remember how I used to look at pictures of writers on books when I was young. Did their age or lack of it have any bearing on my choosing to read their writing? I can't remember.

Then I went to my book shelves and studied the pictures of authors. Stephen King always looks eerie, so that fits. Wallace Stegner looks old and authorly. Robert Penn Warren looks like he just came out of a cave. Carl Sagan looks international which is good even though he probably should look more universal. And I loved Nora Ephron's picture on the back of her book, I Feel Bad About My Neck. She has pulled up a turtle neck to just below her eyes!! I'm wondering if I can do that? It would certainly save on air-brushing!

Love Blog It! Now I can post to one place and all my blogs are updated.

I'm hacking away at a new synopsis and as usual it's a wrenching experience. Condensing a 60k book onto a single page without boring the reader is like trying to pull on a wet wool sweater--at least for me.