New Class: Children's Book Writing

I've enjoyed my memoir writing class so much, I've decided to sign up for another course at the Gotham Writers' Workshop: children's book writing.

Much as I've liked writing about my own life, I'm not sure how eager I am to share my experiences with the world. It's one thing to have them read about by 10 or so classmates -- and it's one thing to blog about one particular aspect of my life. But I don't think I'm ready to divulge every painful, humiliating memory from my 40 years. I'd rather keep some things to myself.

It's no secret that I draw from my experiences, though. I love YA and coming-of-age stories in general, so it should come as no surprise that much of my writing is inspired by things which happened to me when I was a teen or young adult. As I said in my last post, my classmates and teacher were impressed by my ability to write realistic depictions of kids and so I'd like to continue with that... in a fiction setting.

I'm not sure exactly which type of children's books we'll be covering. I don't have any desire to write a picture book or a book geared toward very young kids, but I would love to create something for the middle grade/tween set. Judy Blume's Fudge series and Beverly Cleary's Ramona books helped me get through some difficult times in my childhood. It would be amazing if my words could help some girls get through theirs.

What I especially like about these classes is that they're forcing me to write on a deadline. I find the more I write, the more my creativity is stimulated. At first, it was tough to follow someone else's writing schedule, but it's gotten easier. Now I look forward to doing assignments. I'm hoping that this latest class will inspire my next big idea for a novel.

Meantime, please read and review my YA novel REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD.

How I Fell In Love With YA Literature

When I decided to write a novel, it was no question that it was going to be a book about teens. What can be more angsty than being at an age where you're old enough to make some adult decisions, but are still so young that you haven't experienced much of the world?

I actually began reading YA books before I was a teen. As I've said before, I'm a huge fan of Judy Blume. While I loved her books aimed toward younger kids, like the Fudge series, I really enjoyed reading her books for older girls like, "Are You There God? It's Me Margaret." I read that when I was 9 and LEARNED things from that story. I wanted to hang out with Margaret and her friends.

A few years later, I got into the Sweet Valley High series. My grandmother had a friend whose son worked for a big publishing house -- Random House, I think -- and he'd send me stacks of free books. So for the next few years, I'd receive stacks and stacks of free Sweet Valley Highs and various other teen romances. My parents had always encouraged me to read classic authors like Mark Twain and Dickens, but I worked really hard in school and they understood that these books were my not-so-guilty pleasure. I devoured these YA novels, wishing that I could be as cool as Liz and Jessica, and wishing that I could be as pretty as the girls who were hired to model for the books' covers.

Whenever I read these books, I'd make up stories to go along with them. Much as I loved SVH, some of the books seemed to be a little thin for me so I'd think, "Hmmm... I would've had Jessica do this or Liz say that..." In the back of my mind, I always had a plan for writing a teen book of my own.

What's great is that YA books have really evolved. When I was a teen, most of the books that were considered to be strictly for teens were romances or series like SVH or All That Glitters. These days, you have many YA books that cover heavy topics like rape, abuse, etc. In my opinion, they're more sophisticated. Even the series like Gossip Girl are edgier. Let's face it -- Blair Waldorf would eat Jessica Wakefield for lunch!

Recently, I went back and read some of the books I had from my teen days. SVH still held up; it was fluffy and fun, and that's what it was meant to be. As one of my Soap Opera Digest colleagues once stated, SVH was basically a teen soap in book form. But some of the other YA books I had were AWFUL! And yet, I loved every one.

We really have come a long way in the YA industry. I hope that my novel entertains readers the way YA books entertained me in my youth.

Please read and review REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD, now 99 cents!

Young Adult Books: Some Great Books For Teens

I'v always been an avid reader. I'm also a very fast reader. That comes from having been a journalist for so long. When you're working against a deadline, you don't have time to waste when it comes to doing research. So I've learned to plow through articles, books, newspapers, etc. very quickly.

That said, I average about three books a week. I was against ereaders at first because I do like the feel of physically holding a book in my hands. However, I love my Kindle because if I crave a book, I can download it right away and have it in my library. Plus, it saves a lot of space. My husband has a bad habit of leaving stacks of books all over the house. A good chunk of my books are now on my laptop.

I love to read all different types of genres -- horror, women's fiction, historical fiction. I also adore young adult books. I read plenty of these, partially because as a YA writer myself, I believe that it's my job to do so... but I really do enjoy teen literature when it's written well. As I said earlier in this blog, I like coming-of-age stories and the idea of characters experiencing things for the first time.

There are many, many wonderful YA books out there, but here are a few recent ones that I've read and think are worth checking out:

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver: This follows a day in the life on a mean girl on her last day alive before she's killed in a car accident. She then gets six more chances to live out that day, Groundhog Day-style, before making things right. At first, the character is rather unlikeable, but by Day 7, you're really rooting for her and praying for her to somehow stay alive. Each section is one (repeated) day; it's just a very fast-paced and intriguing story.

Farsighted by Emlyn Chand: This is the first in a series about a group of teens with special powers. That's been done before, but what's interesting about Chand's tale is that the lead character, who is able to "see" the future, is blind. What I also love about this story is that it's very character-driven. There is a lot of action, but a big portion of the book centers on the narrator's relationship with his father and love interest. It's a very well-writtern, realistic tale, which is quite a feat considering the fact that it's paranormal.

The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot: This series has been around for a while, but is one of my faves. It centers around Suze, a "mediator," who can see the dead and her love interest, Jesse, who's a ghost. Suze is a kick-ass narrator and heroine and Jesse is hot and sweet. Their romance takes time to develop and they make a great team. Meg Cabot's written many wonderful books over the years, but this series in her best, in my opinion.

Just As Long As We're Together by Judy Blume: This one's an oldie, but goody! I think I feel a special connection to it because it came out in 1987, when I was 13, and the characters were 13. Also, the narrator Stephanie's birthday is February 2 and mine is February 3... which would mean that if she were alive, she'd be a day older than me. But I digress. Though the book is 25 years old, the story itself it still very modern. It's basically about Steph's life as she drifts away from her old best friend, Rachel, and becomes close with a new best friend, Alison. Meanwhile, Stephanie also deals with her parents' divorce and her first crush. It's a very simple, sweet family/friendship drama, but this is something that we can all relate to, regardless of our ages. Still, I do laugh whenever they talk about old tech things like the idea of computers being a novelty. This also makes me feel very old!

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: I finally read this fabulous book this year, right before Jon and I went to see the movie. Both were great, but the book is slightly better. This was seriously one of the best teen novels I've ever read. It follows the life of Charlie as he deals with his freshman year of high school. He tells his story through letters to a never-named "friend" and the book reads like a journal. Charlie is hardly perfect, but is basically a sweet, good kid who's just trying to fit into the world and find his place in it. The story is raw and heartbreaking at points and you'll be thinking about it long after you're finished reading.

I could go on and on with recommendations, but I'm going to save more books for another blog entry. Meanwhile, please check out and review my book REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD.