Authors Ask: More Questions for Natalie Dias Lorenzi (on surviving submissions & what kids want to read!)

One of my favorite parts of doing interviews for the Teen Lit Authors group is the follow-up questions other authors ask. When I posted my Q&A with Natalie Dias Lorenzi, a couple of great ones came up, and I've asked those authors if I can share them here. If you want to see my original interview with Natalie, it's here.

Q: It sounds like it took a while from the time the book went out on submission until you sold. I'm curious--did you start something new while you were waiting? (That's something we're always encouraged to do--keep writing. But it's hard when your mind is so focused on a project that's on submission!) How did you handle the wait? 

– Amy Fellner Dominy, author of OyMG 

and AUDITION & SUBTRACTION

Natalie Dias Lorenzi

Natalie: Hi Amy! Thanks for your question--it's a good one! When my manuscript first went out on submission, it seemed like all I did when I sat down at the keyboard was to check my email. It was *so* hard to focus on anything else during those first months on submission. But eventually I did get back to writing, and I started working on my second manuscript, a YA novel. That manuscript placed in a contest that caught an editor's eye, and it came very close to a "yes," but ultimately got shot down later on. That YA manuscript is still in a drawer, but I'm hoping to go back to it one day and give it another look. But even if it stays in a drawer forever, it definitely made me a better writer. While FLYING THE DRAGON was getting one "no thanks" after the other, my YA manuscript not only was a welcome distraction, but it gave my writing chops a workout, particularly with voice. Once my agent and I pulled DRAGON from the submission list and started talking revisions, I was in a better place to do those revisions because I'd kept writing during the long submission process. I could now look at DRAGON through the lens of a more experienced writer, and that was a plus.

I know the wait is hard, but since waiting is so much a part of the path to publication, it's helpful to fill that time with another project. After awhile, days will pass with scarcely a thought about your manuscript on submission, and that's when your brain will be free to enter the world of other characters and situations. 

Q: I'm curious about whether you think about specific students in your library as you make your plans for your next project. For example, you see a lot of kids demanding a type of story that is hard to find, or you think about a particular student who you know would be the perfect reader for your idea. And for those who don't know, FLYING THE DRAGON is a great story, well worth the read!

– Jennifer Nielsen, author of THE FALSE PRINSE 

and THE UNDERWORLD CHRONICLES trilogy

Natalie: Thanks, Jen. Being a school librarian, I try to pay close attention to what kids are asking for, and I find it so interesting to see what really grabs them. We have a high immigrant population at our school with about half of our kids reading below grade level. Graphic novels fly off the shelves, but I do see lots of kids who can't necessarily read them yet, but think it's cool to carry them around. :-) The most telling part of a library session, for me, is not while I'm teaching or even while the kids are looking for and checking books out--it's that 5-8 minutes they have between check-out and the time their teacher comes to pick them up and take them back to class. We have bean bags and chairs where kids can get comfortable, and I can always tell when kids get "into the zone," as we like to call it. Those are the kids who are so into their books that they don't hear me when I say it's time to line up because their teacher has arrived. These are the books I pay attention to, and I often ask kids why a particular book brought them into that magical zone.

For some kids it's graphic novels, for other it's fantasy. We have about 4 or 5 copies of your ELLIOT AND THE GOBLIN WAR, Jen, and those consistently put kids into the zone, I'm happy to report. :-) One interesting trend I've noticed lately is with 9-, 10-, and 11-year-old girls, many of whom come up to me and whisper, "Um, Mrs. Lorenzi? Do you have any books with, you know, some romance?" ;-) So middle grade characters with a crush or two will keep readers turning pages. Ultimately, readers love books that have characters with whom they connect. And since kids have such different tastes, we need authors to write books with a wide, wide variety of characters--those with different quirks, ethnicities, and life experiences. So keep writing, all of you!

Thank you, Natalie, and Amy, and Jennifer! 

More questions are always welcome... post them in the comments below.  

Authors Ask: More Questions for Amy Fellner Dominy (about writing that first draft FAST!)

My Q&A with Amy Fellner Dominy, posted here and on the Teen Lit Authors group on Monday, generated some additional questions about fast-drafting from other YA authors on the loop. Amy was kind enough to check in with answers:

Q: I'm always curious about how authors find time to write and juggle writing time with family time, running errands time––and all of those other sorts of things authors have to do. You seem to write pretty quick. How many pages do you write in an hour? Any secrets/systems/tips for getting the story down quickly?

– Janette Rallison, author of MY UNFAIR GODMOTHER 

and BLUE EYES AND OTHER TEENAGE HAZARDS

Amy Fellner Dominy

A: Thanks for the question!! Probably the best thing that happened to me was that I used to write slowly. I wanted to make everything "perfect" so I would edit as I wrote and contemplate the best word choice and craft my sentences just right. As a result, I had some very nice chapters finished and no books. (By the time I got halfway into the story, I'd forget where I was headed!) I knew that method wasn't working. Then I met another writer (Robin Brande) who sold me on the idea of writing a first draft FAST. I tried it, and I gotta tell you -- it really works. Once I start a first draft now, I don't stop until it's finished--I don't miss a single day without adding at least 1,000 new words. It keeps the book fresh in my mind and I don't lose my way, or my enthusiasm. (Just my sanity.) :-) 

Of course, the first draft is a mess. It takes me months to rewrite, fill in the gaps, and do the crafting I skipped the first time around. I still don't think I'm a "fast" writer--but I don't spend 2 years on a book anymore, so that's progress. 

Q: Speaking of revisions, what is your process like? How long do revisions usually take you? Any suggestions for people who are new to fast-drafting and now have a huge mess to revise?

– Caryn Caldwell, author of FLYING OBJECTS, 
FALLING IN LOVE, AND OTHER CATASTROPHES

A: It helps me to think of the revisions in stages so it's not so overwhelming. My first draft is really rough--just the bones of the story. For instance, I'll leave notes for myself that say "Describe the school here"--that kind of thing. I might spend a month on that first draft and then I'll spend 2 months filling in the story, fixing plot threads and adding the details. I'm still not worried about making it "pretty." At this point, I usually hand it off to a critique partner and don't touch it for a month! I really like the clarity I get from the time away. My third revision might be minor fixes or a plot overhaul if I've got bigger problems. Then, it'll be time to polish. Every book is different, but my revisions on the last couple of projects have taken 3 to 6 months. (And that's just to get it ready for my agent -- she'll have more revisions or my editor will.)

I think of it like a manicure--you start with a basecoat (which doesn't look like much of anything.) Then you add a coat of color and it starts looking nice. Then you add the second coat and it's suddenly much richer. Finally, you put on the top coat and it shines. It all happens in stages.

Hope that helps--but everyone has such a different process. You really have to experiment with what will work for you. 

Thanks again, Amy! 

Readers, more questions are most welcome! If you have one of your own for Amy, please post it in the comments.