Career Day at Valley Middle School

I just have to post about the great day I had at Valley Middle School, where I was a student once upon a time. It was Career Day, and I was honored to be invited by Math teacher Melissa Frame. It was my first experience going into a classroom and talking about my writing.

I was paired up with Jon Burnett, a weather anchor for KDKA TV in Pittsburgh. Jon gave a great talk and although I'm not the kind of girl who watches TV in real time, I'll be recording his broadcasts in the future.

During the day, I had five groups of students that rotated through the classroom, and I was pleasantly surprised by how many of them want to be writers.

I told the groups the great things about my job: working from home (I'm writing this blog in the hammock under the gorgeous afternoon sun), a dress code of pajamas, my only co-worker being my dog (who's a few yards away right now barking at the neighbors), freedom to make my own schedule, the ability to be creative, and the chance to do what I love.

But I also told the kids about the downside of writing. I've just finished my first book, and there's no guarantee it will ever be published. I believe it will be. You have to have faith, but realism is an important quality as well. I also talked about freelance writing as basically hunting for your own food. If you're not up for the hunt, you better not be looking to eat anytime soon.

That led to the main focus of the discussion - the ambition and motivation writers must have, especially in the beginning. If I don't finish my latest book, there isn't an agent or publisher in the world who will care. A published writer (sometimes) has a contract to fulfill, so the pressure of a deadline is a motivator. But right now, the only person hurt by laziness is me (and the readers out there who will love my books, but just don't know it yet ;-).

At the end of our discussion, I challenged the students to write a "What if..." question for a book they would like to write. The idea is that a book starts from that specific question. What if....happened?

Of those students willing to share their questions, there were some pretty good ones. Students, if you're out there, feel free to post your questions here, anonymously if you wish.

Since I write young adult stories, I'm hoping to come back to Valley Middle School to talk to the eighth graders in the fall. Until then...thanks for the invitation and best wishes to all of you.

Defending my Delusions of Grandeur

Drunk Writer Talk is one of the blogs I check out regularly. Yesterday, writer and co-blogger of the site Maureen McGowan commented on the QueryFail/AgentFail explosion that has yet to be doused.

The issue began when an agent began a Twitter discussion about the silliest things writers have written in query letters to agents. Writers were then infuriated and took the opportunity to discuss (or rant) about agents' shortcomings.

Point of information: I participated in this writerly discussion, but my comments bordered advice and requests, not blatant disgust.

In any case, Maureen linked her blog to this essay, Five Reasons Good Writers Fail in the hope of enlightening said ranting writers.

Eager for good advice (and wondering if I was doomed to failure), I clicked the link and cyber traveled to an essay that made me laugh out loud. I wasn't cackling at the points writer Jennie Nash made, though.

According to the essay, the first reason good writers fail is: Delusions of Grandeur.

Jennie writes: "A lot of first-time writers believe that they’re going to sell their book for several million dollars, lure Julia Roberts into taking an option on film rights, and land a spot on Oprah — all within a few hours of finishing their manuscript."

Ha hemm. Sound familiar?

No? Let me refresh your memory. On March 23, I wrote on this blog:

"I've been dreaming of seeing my name on the New York Times bestsellers list for the better part of a decade. I've imagined my fabulous stories turned into Hollywood blockbusters with A-list celebrities telling me how much they like my work. It takes a pompous person to think people I've admired for my whole life would be moved by my presence. Either that, or I've really bought into this idea of dreaming big...

"Why not imagine that agents are going to swoon over my book? That they'll fight to represent me. That I'll score a huge advance on royalties despite the current economic climate (allowing me to spend summers writing in a French chateau, an Italian villa, or an English cottage). That my book will open the gates with huge sales. That hesitant teen readers will pick up my book and discover the love for reading I've had my entire life."

My delusions of grandeur are actually worse than the ones Jennie mentions in her essay. And I'm okay with that. If you're going to delude yourself, might as well go all out.

For the record, a Nicholas Sparks-like advance would be great. (He earned a $1,000,000 advance for his first book, The Notebook). However, I do believe I have a grasp on reality.

That said, I kind of enjoy my delusions. They're fun. And it's all possible, right? Nicholas Sparks wasn't always a writer. A decade ago, Stephenie Meyer wasn't an international phenomenon. Stephen King began his career in a closet (literally, that was his office), and now his web site features his virtual office, which dwarfs a closet, obviously.

I'm not writing this to compare my writing to the works of those writers listed above - that would be delusional. But I do defend my desire to dream big, and I would encourage other writers and artists to do the same. The key is knowing the difference between the dream and the reality.

"I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." - Henry David Thoreau

French Chateaus and English Cottages

Ironically, someone who never left her hometown of about 14,000 residents has told me several times, "If you're going to dream, dream big." That someone is my grandmother. When I was younger, she was a traditional matriarch organizing family gatherings for her three children, six step-children, and about 24 grandchildren.

In her older age, though, she became a more sedentary figure, organizing only evenings with Alex Trebek, Pat Sajak, and a pile of Circle-A-Word books. For such a humble figure, it's surprising that she frequently offered advice to dream big.

But now that I've actually finished a book, I find myself following Grandma's advice.

Who am I kidding? I've been dreaming of seeing my name on the New York Times bestsellers list for the better part of a decade. I've imagined my fabulous stories turned into Hollywood blockbusters with A-list celebrities telling me how much they like my work. It takes a pompous person to think people I've admired for my whole life would be moved by my presence.

Either that, or I've really bought into this idea of dreaming big. And like Grandma always said, why not?

Why not imagine that agents are going to swoon over my book? That they'll fight to represent me. That I'll score a huge advance on royalties despite the current economic climate (allowing me to spend summers writing in a French chateau, an Italian villa, or an English cottage). That my book will open the gates with huge sales. That hesitant teen readers will pick up my book and discover the love for reading I've had my entire life.

Aaaah, here's to dreaming big.