Gilda Joyce

Alicia Gonzalez drafting ideas for a mystery.

Announcing our April/May reader of the month: ten-year-old Alicia Gonzalez! Be sure to keep reading for some fabulous suggestions to add to your book list!

So who is Alicia Gonzalez, and why did I pick her? Well, Alicia is just like many other smart girls you might meet: she studies hard and pursues lots of extracurricular activities like soccer and girl scouts. You would never guess that a year and a half ago, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor that has required repeated courses of chemotherapy. In fact, if you had a conversation with her she probably wouldn’t even mention it; she would probably tell you about a play she’s writing, or a party she’s planning for her friends.

Alicia’s determination to pursue her dreams despite adversity has inspired everyone who knows her. And like many readers of this blog, she finds inspiration and strength through connections with good friends, good books, and from the creative process.

GILDA JOYCE: Alicia, you’ve been through some extreme mental and physical challenges during the past couple years, and you’ve set an amazing example of courage and determination to get through a difficult time. What has been hardest about this experience, and what helps you cope?

ALICIA: I think the hardest part has been missing some school and other activities.  My family and friends have been immensely supportive and that has helped me a lot.

GJ: Are there any books that you have found particularly inspiring, comforting, or helpful?

AG: Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper is one book that I have found very inspiring.  It shows that people with disabilities can make as big an impact as anyone on the lives of others.

GJ: Any other favorites you love that you can recommend to other readers?

AG: Books I’ve really enjoyed:  Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, So B It by Sarah Weeks, The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding, 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass, and of course the Gilda Joyce series!

GJ: What do you love most about your favorite books?

AG: All of these books feature an admirably brave female protagonist.

GJ: Thanks for such good suggestions! You’re a writer as well as a reader. What types of stories (or other genres) do you like to write? What do you enjoy most about the writing process?

AG: I really enjoy writing poetry because there really is no wrong way to do it.  That’s why I also enjoy the drafting stage of a writing project where I know that if I make a mistake I can always fix it.

GJ: I know exactly what you mean. All the same, Olympic athletes have been known to collapse from exhaustion when asked to write a short essay or story, yet you recently chose to have a creative writing workshop. Did anyone at Make-A-Wish explain that Disney World was another possible option? Do you ever find writing tiring or difficult – or is it mostly fun?

AG: What?! Someone should have told me about the Disney option!  (haha)  I usually have fun while writing, but often I get writer’s block when presented with the task of writing an essay.

GJ: A little bird told me that you recently started writing a mystery. Can you tell us anything about it, or any other writing goals?

AG: My mystery is still a work-in-progress, but I have just completed another project:  I co-wrote a play called Stand Up, Speak Out with my friend Caroline for our Girl Scout troop.  We all performed it for our leaders and parents in mid-March.

GJ: I look forward to reading (or maybe watching!) your literary works in the future, Alicia. Your courageous approach to life and your dedication to the craft of writing is an inspiration!

Read about Alicia’s Make-A-Wish Foundation-sponsored book party and mystery-writing workshop in Bethesda Magazine:

http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Magazine/March-April-2012/Make-A-Wish-helps-10-year-old-aspiring-writers-wish-come-true/

Jennifer Allison and "reader extraordinaire" Kaleigh Young

Once again, more than thousands hundreds seven readers have been left wondering what happened to me. And once again, I can only explain that if you knew you would run to your bedroom and hide under your mattress for the rest of the week. Luckily, I’m keeping my own life to myself, and tactfully turning my attention to the media’s favorite means of avoiding the craft of writing – the “interview with an expert.”

In that spirit, today marks the launch of a new feature on the GILDA JOYCE website – Our “Gilda Joyce Reader-of-the-Month” (or possibly “Reader-of-the-year” or “decade” depending on how long it takes me to find my way back to this blog once I sign off).

Today I am honored to feature 5^th grader Kaleigh Young, who is a GILDA JOYCE reader extraordinaire and an aspiring writer!

GJ: So Kaleigh, tell us why you are featured as our first GILDA JOYCE reader-of-the-month.

K: I have read all of the Gilda Joyce books 5 times.

GJ: Did you say FIVE times for each book?

K: Yes! I especially like to reread my favorite – The Ladies of the Lake and The Bones of the Holy. I also listen to them on audio books.

GJ: What makes you want to re-read a favorite book? Do you notice different details at the second (or third, or fifth!) reading? Why go back and experience the same story again?

K: I think that by rereading you can see more details and enjoy the descriptive writing over and over again. I can read my favorite parts knowing what is going to happen next, and sometimes by pretending that I don’t know.

GJ: I think re-reading shows that you’re sensitive to language – not just what happens in the story.

K: Yes.

GJ:  You have said that THE LADIES OF THE LAKE and THE BONES OF THE HOLY are your favorite GILDA JOYCE books. Why these two?

K: I like The Bones of the Holy because it takes place in one of my favorite cities to visit, St. Augustine, Florida. I like how the ghost stories in the book remind me of the ghost tours that I have gone on in St. Augustine while visiting there. I like Ladies of the Lake because I feel like that is one of the most descriptive books. For example, the part when the girl is stumbling through the woods blindfolded…. I can almost feel how cold and uncomfortable she was.

GJ: How have the Gilda Joyce mysteries and other favorite books inspired you in your own life?

K: The Gilda Joyce series has inspired me in my own life in many ways. One of them being, as soon as I read my first book I immediately wanted a typewriter and to be a psychic investigator! I got my typewriter for Christmas and I still use it often today for my writing. I feel like I can express my ideas better on a typewriter than on a computer. I also rarely by department-store clothes anymore; most of my clothes come from vintage clothing shops.

GJ: Kaleigh, I applaud both your fashion sense and your writing methods.

K: Thank you!

GJ: Can you suggest some other books that Gilda Joyce fans like you might enjoy?

K: I would have to recommend Jerry Spinelli (Stargirl) and Sharon Creech (Ruby Holler). They are my other two favorite authors (But don’t tell Jennifer Allison that I have other favorites!)

GJ: It’s just between you and me, Kaleigh. Thanks so much for sharing some sources of inspiration for us today; I’ll look forward to reading one of your novels in the future!

K: I hope so!

A Gilda Joyce fan in costume

Finally, my favorite holiday of the year has arrived! This year, I’m thinking of dressing up as my best friend Wendy Choy (partly just to annoy her) or my neighbor, Mrs. Frickle. (And yes, Mrs. Frickle still owns that pink wig!) I’m leaning toward Mrs. Frickle for obvious reasons.

Some inspired readers have emailed me wondering how they can create their own Gilda Joyce costume. To them, I say: congratulations on picking one of the most fun and flexible costumes you can find!

As you probably know, I am a sleuth of many styles. In fact, a Gilda Joyce spy-girl costume is truly a “dress-up-at-the-last-minute-and-still-look-fabulous” solution for those of us who need to “shop in our own closets.”

HOW TO DRESS UP LIKE GILDA JOYCE:

1. A must: cat’s-eye sunglasses (you can find these at lots of party stores or costume stores)

2. A wig of some kind (kind of messy-looking is best, although I like ALL wigs)

3. Long strand of fake pearls or other inexpensive costume jewelry

4. A reporter’s notebook and pen and/or pair of binoculars as a prop.

5. Fancy shoes with heels (but make sure you can walk!)

6. Something with leopard print if you can find it, or some other flamboyant accessory, like a colorful scarf.

7. A vintage dress if you can find one — or something that resembles an old evening gown that you found in someone’s attic. A tip: Gilda readers know that I love to make discoveries in unexpected places. When looking for a Gilda Joyce costume, you might make some great “finds” in your grandma’s closet as well as at vintage clothing stores and costume stores.

8. Some red lipstick, fake fingernails, and/or false eyelashes if you want to be Gilda-in-disguise.

9. Finally, be sure to take along one of your favorite Gilda Joyce mysteries so that when people ask you, “Who are you supposed to be?” you can pull out your book and point to the cover!

Finally, and don’t forget to send me a picture once you’re wearing your costume! I can’t wait to see it!

Happy haunting!

Love,

Gilda Joyce

Eric Kahn Gale has just landed a book deal for his great first novel, THE BULLY BOOK!

GILDA: How would you describe your first novel, THE BULLY BOOK, to new readers?

ERIC: When you’re submitting a book to publishers, you get very good at summarizing your book; in order to get editors interested I had to get my summary down to 7 sentences:

In The Bully Book, there’s a book that teaches kids “how to be a bully” – a book that’s about to ruin Eric Haskins life. Upon entering 5th grade, he is mercilessly tormented by a group of boys who turn the entire class against him. Eric learns of a conspiracy theory about “The Bully Book,” a manual that has been passed down from 5th grader to 5th grader throughout the years, teaching how to be the coolest kid in school. The lynchpin of the system is the selection of “the Grunt,” — one kid to be “lowest of the low.” Eric investigates the mystery behind the Bully Book: like a detective, he follows a paper trail and seeks out older Grunts, hoping to discover why he was chosen to be the victim of bullying. If he can discover why he’s the Grunt, maybe he can change himself and escape from his terrible fate.

GILDA: Can you tell us a little about the inspiration for this story and your writing process?

ERIC: I was bullied pretty severely in 5th grade, and I always wanted to write about it but hesitated because I felt it would be too boring. It would just be a regular story about a kid. There was no “big concept” to make it dramatic.

Writing about yourself can be great, it’s probably where you have the most to say, but there’s a trap there because you don’t have much perspective on what you’re writing, you’re too close to it.

Listening to an episode of the radio show “This American Life” gave me the Big Concept that I needed. The episode was about “The Cruelty of Children” and in the first piece, a 2nd grader told the interviewer that he’d seen his bully with a book that taught you how to be mean to people. The interviewer was surprised that such a book could exist and asked the kids teacher and librarian about it. They both said the book was probably in the kid’s imagination.

Yeah, I thought listening to the story, that kind of book could never be published; it would be something that kids made and passed around amongst themselves. The Bully Book.

Holy crap. I pulled off my headphones, got off the street and immediately went into the nearest Starbucks. I wrote out the first paragraph of “The Bully Book” on my iPhone. It was the story of me in 5th grade but my bullies had this mysterious book.

Later that night, I talked out the entire outline with a good friend of mine. It was in that conversation that we discovered the book would be a mystery novel and crafted the twist ending.

If this sounds like one of those fairy-tale stories of a great idea coming right out of the blue—it totally is. But you need to keep in mind that I then spent the next year or so writing it. And it went through a lot more changes during that process.

GILDA: I understand you have a background in the performing arts. How has this helped you as a writer?

ERIC: The main thing I learned from writing movies and plays is how to keep things tight. In screenplay writing, “formula” is not seen as a bad thing; it’s considered an achievement to make an original and exciting story that is still tight, structured, and hits all the “beats.” (You can find countless books on screenwriting structure; my favorite is Save the Cat)

The culture of novel writing is considerably more “loose,” but most published writers still pay incredible attention to story structure. It’s just a question of perspective.

GILDA: You found a literary agent to represent you through the usual process [find more info about how to contact literary agents below], but your path to publication took an unusual turn: when your agent shopped around your novel, publishers initially failed to snap up THE BULLY BOOK. Many writers would have given up at that point, but you thought “outside the box”; you generated an e-book audience independently, and then landed a book contract with traditional publisher. Some of us are still hiding our brilliant manuscripts in the back of our closets and hoping to be discovered by virtue of our fashion sense alone (not naming any names, but we know who we are). Can you share with us exactly how you succeeded?

ERIC: My literary agent and I sent the book out to 8 publishers in the first round, and over the course of 2 painful months, they all rejected the book. They were kind about it and most professed to liking the book themselves. They often said they were on the fence about it because the book seemed too dark or mean for a young audience.

Years previous, I had read Malcolm Gladwell’s excellent book Blink, where he analyzes the way people make decisions. In one chapter, he describes experiments that demonstrated people’s difficulty deciding what someone else would like. Often, the act of deciding whether another person would like something altered your own view of it. Gladwell was referring to focus groups advertisers would use, but I had a feeling something similar was happening with The Bully Book.

So before we decided to send it out to a second round of 8 eight editors, I decided to put the book up for sale online.

I’m not sure this is for everyone. I’m lucky because some of my best friends have an insanely popular youtube channel that they graciously allowed me to sell my book through. The Bully Book (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPvgXKX9Szo)

We got some impressive sales data and a lot of really nice blogging/twittering from readers that we sent out with the next round of publishers. Half of the editors didn’t even have time to read the manuscript before we had 2 publishing houses making offers.

GILDA: Backing up a bit, what advice would you have for young writers who have a finished manuscript and feel they are ready to get published, but don’t know how to go about it? What should I (ahem, I mean *they*) do first?

ERIC: The first thing you should do is try to take a few writing workshops – ideally with a published author. My workshop with Jennifer Allison at the University of Michigan turned out to be really helpful to me in navigating the publishing process, for example.

GILDA: Never heard of her.

ERIC: You should check her books out; you’d probably like them.

GILDA: Will do.

ERIC: The next thing is to try to get a literary agent. There are a ton of books on how to do this; just ask your librarian if you need help.

GILDA: Other than wearing stiletto heels, what is the key to confidence as a writer? In other words, how did you know that you had a book on your hands that was worth investing so much of your time in even after being told “NO!”

ERIC: Since deciding that I wanted to be a writer 7 years ago, I’ve had 4 of what I consider to be Good ideas. I’ve had a lot of Bad ideas. But in those 7 years just 4 were good.

For each idea, I’ve had prophetic and, borderline maniacal, faith that:

1. This was something I COULD write.
2. This was something I WOULD write.
3. This would be a SUCCESS.

GILDA: Sounds like my approach to becoming a psychic investigator.

ERIC: Exactly. Each time I spent a little more or less than a year of my life on the project and each ended up being a success. But it always took an insane amount of time.

My 1st good idea was a play called Marlin and the Jaguar. All my friends loved it, but it didn’t even place in the University of Michigan’s (insanely big money) annual writing contest, The Hopwoods.

The next year, I changed ONE WORD of the manuscript (which implied a different ending) and the play won TOP PRIZE, the most money any play had won in the Hopwood’s history up to that point.

My 2nd good idea was a play that went through several incarnations and only became realized YEARS after the original concept. (There are now plans to stage this play in New York.)

My 3rd good idea was a webseries called Little White Lie my friends and I made with money we’d won in a contest hosted by Disney. We spent our entire senior year of college writing, shooting and editing this monster, and in the end Disney didn’t even put it up on their website. It languished on youtube for 2 years until something else my friends made became popular, (again Starkid) and now the series has millions of views and thousands of fans have bought the sound track.

The 4th good idea was The Bully Book, and you already know that story. So I guess the point is, if you don’t like the idea enough to spend a year working on it and years waiting for it to be successful, you should maybe look for another idea.

GILDA: You’ve said that you like reading the Gilda Joyce mysteries (otherwise I would have gently escorted you to the exit – haha), so I’m guessing that lots of my friends will also enjoy checking out The Bully Book! What other books would you recommend to young readers? Any favorites?

ERIC: I love kid detectives. I wish I had been one. That’s what makes Gilda so cool (aside from being psychic and a writer, of course). There are so many restrictions placed on you when you’re a kid and the world can seem like a closed-off place. I love the way that Gilda dives into the mysteries of the world, (especially of her school in Ladies of the Lake) and takes charge of her own experience.
As far as other great books about kids, Harry Potter is a favorite, as well as A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Graveyard Book, and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

Thanks for chatting with us, Eric, and sharing your interesting perspective on the writing and publishing process! I’m sure lots of Gilda Joyce readers who are working on their own stories and books will be grateful for the time you took to share this helpful info! We’re all excited to see THE BULLY BOOK in our favorite libraries and bookstores!

P.S. For more information on approaching literary agents and book publishers, we recommend asking the ever-helpful (really! Don’t be scared!) reference librarian at your local library and/or taking a look at the following resources:

\”How to Write a Bad Query Letter\” (article by a young literary agent-in-training)

Literary Marketplace 2011(this directory of literary agents and publishers is available at most public libraries) http://books.infotoday.com/directories/lmp.shtml

Society of Children\’s Book Writers and Illustrators (the children’s book author’s source of information on workshops, conferences, and publishers:

http://www.scbwi.org/

Okay, I’ve been gone for a while, and I appreciate the many notes asking whether I fell into a ditch, whether I was hit by a bus, and other gentle and not-so-gentle inquiries as to my whereabouts.

Suffice it to say, ladies and gentlemen, that when you read my next adventure (my fingers are still sore from typing it), those questions will be answered, and you will be AMAZED that I am even still here to type at all. And the answer to one of the above questions is “yes,” by the way. But probably not in the way you’d expect.

How’s that for being vague? Read THE BONES OF THE HOLY on June 10th to find out more….

But on to more important matters. For those of you who are studying for final exams or getting “spring fever,” and just plain tired of doing your homework, I thought I’d offer you something to help you stay perky during the final weeks of the school year.

That’s right, I told you I would post some recipes, and I didn’t lie. It took me a lifetime to get the work done, but I’m finally going to reveal…. TA DA!

Gilda Joyce’s “UP ALL NIGHT” Famous Chocolate Fudge Cookie Recipe
Note: We writers should give credit to our sources, and my “Up All Night” cookies are not solely the result of my own late-night, chocolate-fueled writing sessions. My favorite chocolate cookie recipe is based on a recipe in Craig Common’s wonderful cookbook, The Common Grill Cookbook, which I highly recommend. And hey – if you visit Chelsea, Michigan, make sure to eat at the Common Grill! You’ll no longer believe people when they insist that the words “Michigan” and “yummy” don’t fit in the same sentence!

NOTE: for best results, consume two cookies along with a double latte. Now—get back to that term paper or the last chapter of that novel-in-progress!

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
½ cup unsweetened chocolate
1 2/3 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup butter
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Sift together four, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

Over medium heat, in bottom half of double boiler, heat 1 inch of water; do not boil. (Set aside.)
Place semisweet chocolate pieces and unsweetened chocolate in top half of double boiler and melt slowly. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. (Set aside.)

Set mixer to medium speed and cream brown sugar and butter in large mixing bowl for 1 minute. Scrape sides of bowl and continue mixing while adding eggs one at a time, until combined. Add vanilla and beat for 30 seconds. Add melted chocolate and beat for 10 seconds.

Slowly add sifted flour mixture to creamed mixture and continue to beat for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides with rubber spatula.

Drop 2 tablespoons per cookie onto cookie sheet, spaced 2 inches apart, and bake for 15 minutes. Cool.

If you don’t know what to do next, I can’t help you.

From time to time in this blog, I will turn my attention to some of the letters and requests for advice I’ve received. One of the more familiar questions goes something like this:

“Dear Gilda,

I think you’re awesome! More importantly:

HOW DO I GET PUBLISHED?”

To which I respond: “Are you sure you’re READY to be published?”

“Of course I am, Gilda!” you answer. “I have such a cute idea for a novel, and I’ve heard that people like J.K. Rowling and the writer of those Twilight books make millions. I would have no problem spending that cash, Gilda, and I wouldn’t blow it all on Twinkies and lip gloss, either.

The Bones of the Holy will be published in June, 2011.

“So how about it, Gilda?” you say. “When is it going to be MY turn? HOW ABOUT ME?!”

“Fine,” I reply, “I will tell you how to get published, but first you must perform five feats of superhuman strength.”

Just kidding. What I actually tell you is: “Before you think about how to get published, you should first be able to few simple but oh-so-difficult and crucial steps”:

BEFORE SEEKING A PUBLISHER, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU CAN CHECK OFF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ON YOUR “TO-DO” LIST:

1. You have finished writing your entire first book (for a novel, this will usually be approximately 200 pages in length or longer).

2. You are aware that most authors do not publish the first draft of their manuscript, and you have faced the gruesome task of revising your own work. (See my previous blog entry on REVISION MADE EASY for tips on revising your work.)

3. You have shown your manuscript to several avid readers (meaning people who actually read entire books for fun) including at least one trustworthy adult who is not related to you. Seek out opinions from young readers, but include people who are not your closest friends. Your friends know they have to love your manuscript; otherwise you’ll stop texting them and sitting next to them in the cafeteria. (Note: see the website www.spillinginkthebook.com for great tips on how to start a writing club.)

4. You are willing to listen to and consider the comments and feedback you receive without storming out of the room or dissolving into tears.  (Believe me, this is harder than it sounds. But you’ll hear even more comments from a real editor, so toughen up and get used to it!)

“But Gilda,” you say, “This is your most depressing blog entry ever. I can’t check off anything on that list yet! Are you saying that I’m not a writer?!”

Of course not. You’re a writer when you actively work at the craft of writing, not merely because you’re published. There’s one thing that we writers all have in common: we write. And every time we start a new book, we’re starting over, from ground zero. In fact, sometimes book number five is even harder than book number one.

“But darn it, Gilda,” you say, stomping your foot, “I REALLY WANT TO GET PUBLISHED RIGHT NOW!”

“Of course you do,” I say, wiping the ink stains from your fingers and the drool from your chin. “But have you ever considered that what you really want—and what you could have right now—is an audience for your writing?”

We writers can be reclusive creatures, and personally, I love knowing that my secret stash of unpublished manuscripts is hiding in my closet, just waiting to be discovered someday. Still, there comes a point when you need to share your stories with other demented individuals. (That was a joke, for those of you who don’t know my sense of humor.)

Some suggestions for finding your audience:

1. Create a website or start a blog to share your writing and that of your friends. We live in an exciting, dynamic, and strange time in the history of publishing, so take advantage of it. (When in history could an “unpublished” writer reach such a large audience so quickly?)

2. Start an after-school or weekend writing club. Sometimes it’s heartwarming to meet with other writers in person –not just online.

3. Try sending chapters of your novel-in-progress to a friend in installments (I once sent my friend Wendy a novel in weekly chapters that kept her laughing all summer.My creative writing teacher hated the book, but Wendy is still begging me to write book #2 in the never-published Penelope Stunn series.)

So keep writing, but until you can check off each item on my handy list, my advice is to focus on finding your audience rather than “getting published.”

“But Gilda—” someone shouts from the back row. “What about those of us who CAN check off every item on that list?” A spitball whisks past my head as I turn to answer.

But just in time, the bell rings.

Sorry folks; another session has ended, and we’re out of time. But tune in to my next blog for yet another answer to the eternal question that has driven brilliant minds to near-insanity:

“HOW DO I GET PUBLISHED?”

cover sketch for GILDA JOYCE: THE BONES OF THE HOLY

Now that I’ve finally recovered from the New-Year’s-Eve revelry, I’m ready to get serious about my list of New-Year’s resolutions.

What, pray tell, could a young psychic investigator and novelist like me possibly need to improve?

Well, since we’re all friends here, I don’t mind sharing a few items from my ever-expanding list:

1.     Stop eating chocolate chips straight out of the bag.

2.     Time my angst-filled phone calls to my best friend during daylight hours instead of after midnight. (Aren’t you proud of me, Wendy?)

3.     Find more opportunities to wear my new velvet shoes with purple ribbons.

4.   Get a new notebook and keep it with me at all times. In other words, write more!

“But wait a minute, Gilda,” I can hear you saying, “You who have ‘diarrhea of the pen’ couldn’t possibly need to get more writing done!”
While it’s true that I’ve been known to type into the wee hours of the morning, it’s also true that the demands of my careers—not to mention my ever-growing pile of math homework—have a way of cutting into my writing habits these days.

However, it has also recently come to my attention that I have lots of little drab, linty bits of time that could be used to complete a new bestseller (or at least a new submission to the school newspaper) if only I could find a way to roll them into a giant dust-bunny of productivity.

For this reason, I am starting the year with – TA DA! –  a fresh new tiny notebook. It’s ever so cute and is small enough to hide quickly in a pocket if someone catches me scribbling away when I’m supposed to be doing trigonometry.

I usually hate tiny notebooks because they don’t give me room to sprawl and scribble as messily as I want. But my “idea notebook” reminds me that sometimes it’s okay to jot down an short observation, an idea for a story title, or even a little poem instead of a whole novel chapter or even a whole paragraph.

Later, when I finally have time to sit down at my typewriter and concentrate for a few hours, I’ll turn back to my tiny book of ideas for sources of inspiration and details to enhance my stories. If nothing else, I’ll be able to laugh at myself when I come across title ideas like my recent entry: “The Wig that Ate Detroit.”

Bus ride to school?

Perfect time to take notes on the sights, sounds and smells of the early-morning school day.

History class?

Perfect time to jot down that idea for a historical novel.

Lunchroom?

Great time to jot down that joke your best friend made about the corndogs and record it for posterity.

Commuter lane on the freeway?

Okay, let’s not go too far! Unless your mom or dad is driving, of course; in that case, scribble away!

So let’s get to it! Grab that little ideas notebook (preferably in leopard print or similar) and jot down those ideas whenever you have a minute! Sometimes less adds up to more, so let’s squeeze in time for writing, and stay inspired this year!

Now that it’s almost time to go back to school, it’s time for me to set aside my cat’s-eye sunglasses, SPF 200 sunscreen, spy stories (both real and imagined), and turn to a writing topic I usually avoid.

Revision.

There, I said it. Now that I see the word sitting there on the page all by itself, I see it’s not such a bad word after all. In fact, it almost sounds pretty.

Still, I avoid it.

Whenever one of my stories doesn’t work out I prefer to simply move on to the next idea—the next journey. To me, what’s interesting and fun about writing is inspiration, discovery, and self-expression. Sometimes I think the best part of writing is that exciting first moment—the moment you wonder WHAT IF…?

What if that guy I’ve been staring at in chemistry class suddenly broke up with his girlfriend and asked me out on a date?

What if I suddenly sprouted wings during my sleep, and when I woke up, I could actually fly?

What if I discovered that I could hear everyone’s thoughts?

What if my best friend and I ran away to join the circus?

Compared to the “what if” stage of the writing process, the revision stage feels like the moment your mom announces that you aren’t allowed to attend the best party of the year. Instead, she hands you a toilet plunger and a broom and tells you to get busy cleaning the bathroom.

But before you stop reading this blog in disgust, I have a secret to share. Unlike cleaning the bathroom, revision actually gets EASIER if you wait a few days, weeks, or months before starting the job. Can you believe it? A case when procrastination actually pays off?

In fact, whenever I’ve just finished writing a fantastic story that I’m dying to share with Wendy and my English teacher, I stop myself. Even though I’m imagining everyone turning cartwheels, congratulating me and slapping me on the back, I remind myself that I could probably improve the story just a teensy bit if I wait a few days and then read it again. So I hide it at the bottom of my sock drawer (where nobody would ever bother to look) and take it out after two whole weeks.

When I re-read the story, I usually still love the characters, but I still find a bunch of things I could improve.

“What are you talking about, Gilda?” I can hear you asking me. “I don’t have two weeks to stick my writing in a sock drawer! My paper on the history of origami is due tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM!!”

In that case, I admit that the revision tips I’m about to share probably won’t help you very much. Instead, you need to read the recipe for “Gilda’s Up-All-Night Chocolate Cookie Surprise,” which I will post as soon as I find myself sitting at the computer at 10:00 PM with an English paper due the next day. Once school starts, you won’t have to wait long to read that one!

But for those two or three of you out there who have NOT waited until the very last minute to do your writing homework—or for those of you who are working on an independent writing project to make your New York publishing debut—do yourself a favor and check out the following GILDA’S GUIDE TO REVISION MADE EASY:

*GILDA’S GUIDE TO REVISION MADE EASY

Remember—your sock drawer is your friend.

I know: you’ve just finished your first novel and you’re so excited, you can’t even sit still. Your grandma loves the old lady character. Your dog can’t stop licking the pages in appreciation of all the popcorn you ate while writing that fifteenth chapter. You have the envelopes addressed—ready to send off to J.K. Rowling’s publisher, the president of the United States, and the Queen of England. In short, you’re sure your story is the best thing since whipped cream in a can.

STOP. Just stick the manuscript in that drawer. Not forever, of course! Just for two weeks. Okay, at least a few days. I promise it will still be there when you go back to look for it (unless, of course, a fire, flood, or snooping relative destroys it).

“But why would you say that, Gilda?” you ask. “Wasn’t it you who encouraged me to write? Nay, and share what I have written?!”

“Because,” I answer, wiping the crumbs of frustration from the corners of your mouth, “you have no emotional distance right now. You’re too close to what you’ve written, and you’re likely to punch anyone who dares to tell you that your baby isn’t perfect. Days from now, when you pull those pages from the drawer and clear away the dust bunnies, you’ll have more mental stability. You’ll either love that story or notice things that could actually be improved.

Two weeks later…. (Imagine that last line narrated in a French accent.)

Okay, now that you’ve had a chance to look over your own work, you’re ready to share it with a trusted friend or teacher. You’re ready to actually consider any constructive comments they give you. (For more information on how to find this elusive, helpful person, see my forthcoming blog entry on “ANGELS AND EDITORS.” And sorry – I haven’t posted that one yet either. Look, I can’t solve ALL your problems in one evening!)

But before handing it off for comments, first read through the story yourself:

Do you see anything that should be clarified?

Did you notice anything that sounded hard to believe?

Are character motivations believable? Is the dialogue colorful or boring?

Now take the plunge—pick a page and start writing: see and experience the work from a renewed perspective. (I personally love to scribble in the margins of my typewritten work, but you might prefer to get a new notebook page.)

That’s right—I said writing.

“But Gilda,” you say, “I just FINISHED writing a whole manuscript. I’m DONE.”

Listen, I know just how you feel when you hear me say you are definitely NOT finished with your work. You feel like Cinderella in the castle. It’s like you just worked your butt off to finish your housework, but instead of throwing a party to celebrate your effort, the world tears down the castle walls with a wrecking ball. You’re standing there with nothing but pieces of broken plaster, a glue stick, a vacuum cleaner, and of course that same old toilet plunger your mom gave you. And of course, you’re wondering how on earth you’re going to clean up this huge mess.

Don’t despair! There’s still hope! This is the moment that separates the A papers from the C-minus papers and the professional writers from the “wanna-be” writers. If you can bite the bullet and dig in to the work, a fairy godmother of inspiration may turn up to illuminate your darkest hour. Now just put aside your tears, seize that inspiration, and push through to the end of your revision.

Repeat the process as needed.

One more tip: a funny thing might happen if you’re actually brave enough to revise your writing. Once you reach the point where your teacher is actually writing an “A” on your paper or the point at which your publisher actually wants to throw a party to celebrate your book, you’ll be happy—but not as happy as you thought you’d be.
Why? Because it’s kind of like saying “great job!” to someone who’s just finished climbing Mount Everest. The journey speaks for itself. At this point, you’ll already take genuine pride in your work no matter what comments you get.

*The author of GILDA’S GUIDE TO REVISION-MADE-EASY does not guarantee results of these habits or claim to consistently adhere to any of the above guidelines.

Every now and then, we writers have what is commonly called a “blue day.” Maybe that story that we pictured becoming a NYT bestseller ended up getting rejected by the school magazine. Maybe that boy we’ve had a crush on for the past year decided he likes the very girl we can’t stand (or vice versa). Maybe something genuinely terrible or simply mortifying has happened, and we’re ready to catch the earliest train out of town. Or maybe we’re simply feeling uninspired and “stuck.”

Here, my dear reader and writer, are some of my favorite tried-and-true tips that will not only help you feel better; they’ll get you writing again!

1. My first suggestion is so simple it sounds ridiculous, but you should get a new writing pen. I personally prefer pens with pink or purple gel ink. Sparkles are good too. Will this magically transform your writing? No, but you’ll suddenly feel better as that sparkly pink ink flows onto the page. Or try using a typewriter for fun if you’re used to writing longhand or using a computer. True– it’s not for everyone, but I swear by it!

2. Treat yourself to a new notebook and decorate it. I just used some babysitting funds to purchase a pink leopard-print notebook that will house the next chapters of my “Penelope Stunn” mystery-in-progress. But I also have a stash of notebooks decorated with my own original book-cover art – stuff I’ve created from collages of magazine photos and even my own cartoons. (On those rare off-days when the words aren’t flowing, you’d be amazed at how proficient I remain at using scissors and glue.)

3. Hit the high road and go exploring.. Now might be a good time to take a walk in a new neighborhood or visit a new museum. It doesn’t really matter where you go so long as it’s unfamiliar. Whenever I visit a new place, I pay more attention to details. Suddenly, I find myself getting new ideas for stories and seeing old stories in a new light.

…Continue Reading

Those of you who know my work already know that I’m a writer and an investigator. And yes, in some circles, I’m considered a spy.

No – I don’t work for the CIA (although I wouldn’t be surprised if they ask for my help one of these days). But I have been known to use my spying skills to snoop out the characters and stories that lurk around my neighborhood just waiting to be turned into scintillating fiction.

I’ve discovered that the techniques that help spies sniff out crucial bits of intelligence can also help writers locate fascinating stories. So button up your trench coat and lower your dark shades; it’s time for GILDA’S GUIDE TO EAVESDROPPING AND WRITING!

1.    Always be curious. At the moment, your neighborhood may seem to be full of nothing but homework assignments, overcooked vegetables and Monday-morning blahs. But I assure you, it also containshidden mysteries. Who lives in that house with the overgrown garden down the street? Why does that elderly gentleman always walk his dog at midnight? Is there any truth to that ghost story about that stall in the girls’ bathroom? Clues abound around your home and at your school. Being a writer begins with simply being curious and paying attention at all times.

2.    Use all of your senses. NOTICE DETAILS. Spies are trained to remember tiny details: we notice the man wearing a baseball cap who stands waiting for a bus, the parked pick-up truck that sits at the curb, the mother and child who stroll down the street. We take a mental picture, memorizing information as detailed as license plate numbers when necessary.  In this way, the spy is more likely to recognize potential danger when that same man turns up in different parts of the city (“Am I being trailed?” we ask ourselves). Usually the answer is “No, you’re being paranoid.” Still, we pay attention.

…Continue Reading