Amanda Hosch On First Lines That Appear From Nowhere

Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview. Always including in the WHAT is one random question to really dig down into the interviewees mind, and probably supply some illumination into my own as well.

Today's guest for the WHAT is Amanda Hosch, author of Mabel Opal Pear and the Rules For Spying, which releases October 1. Amanda loves writing, travel, and coffee. She lived abroad for almost a decade, teaching English as a Foreign Language. A fifth generation New Orleanian, Amanda now lives in Seattle with her husband, their two daughters, and a ghost cat. When not writing, she’s a reading tutor for elementary school kids or volunteering at the school library.

Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book?

I was doing dishes when this strong voice popped into my head to say, “My parents swear they don’t hate me, but all the evidence contradicts their feeble denials.” Intrigued, I jotted the sentence down on a piece of paper. I didn’t know her name, but I knew her nickname was Moppet (after the kitten in Beatrix Potter), her parents were spies, and she knew their secret. It was summer so I didn’t have a lot of free time and I was querying a middle grade adventure. However, every time I sat down to manage my queries, Moppet shared more of her secrets. When my kids went back to school in September, I really knew Moppet’s backstory. I finished the rough draft in six weeks writing in three-hour intervals, three times a week. 

Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?

Mabel knows that her parents love her, despite her constant complaints at being left home when they are out on a mission. One of the first things I did was rewrite and expand the Moscow Rules from Mabel’s point-of-view. Once I had her Rules for a Successful Life as an Undercover Secret Agent, I build the plot around the question of how would an eleven-year-old act as a spy in her own home/hometown when the enemy was estranged family members who were eating up all of her favorite food?

Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?

For other books, yes. But MOPRS, while changing and growing, stayed remarkably similar to how I envisioned it. If I were to physically plot out on a map the actions/places of MOPRS, it would look remarkably the same from the first draft to the final. However, the motives, reasons, and even how the characters move about changed so much. Plus, the HEGs went from being mean girls to being super-nice and friendly (way too friendly). Also, Mabel’s cousin Victoria changed a lot. She’s a much richer and fuller character now (thanks to amazing guidance from my amazing editor).

Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?

Sometime, the shiny new ideas come at me like a fire hose. Other times, it’s nothing.

How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?

I’m currently working on two WIPs right now. One is a hot mess YA (historical) that breaks me all the time. Seriously, some days, I’m writing through the tears. However, it’s a story that I’ve felt compelled to tell for years and years. I never thought I was quite up to writing it until last year (see answer 6.) I probably would have quit writing it many times except for my writing group who are so encouraging.

The other one is a fun MG, which brings me joy to write. It’s similar to MOPRS in that I love the characters and the world. I haven’t shown it to anyone yet because I sort of need to keep it to myself for a bit. In many ways, it’s my reward to write the MG.

2016 was not an easy year. Do you draw any inspiration from the world around you, or do you use writing as pure escapism?

Oh, yes! I remember how I felt at the beginning of 2016—so optimistic and happy! I had a book deal (finally!) and my editor was a joy to work with. However, 2016 took a very bleak turn on Valentine’s Day morning. Got a call from a New Orleans police detective. As soon as she introduced herself, I knew what she was going to say. By the time she contacted me, my older brother had been dead for a few days. I flew out as soon as possible to officially identify his body. Before I left home, I wrote my brother’s obituary as an act of service to him. It took half a day, but I wanted to highlight the good he had done as a public school teacher.

This all happened when I was doing the final edits of MOPRS. It was only afterwards that I realized if I could write my brother’s obit, I could write anything—no matter how difficult (see hot mess of YA historical).

And then there was the election, which broke me all over again. So, yes, I’ve used my rage from the last year (and on-going rage this year) to fuel my writing, to keep me going when I feel like stopping, and remind myself that stories are needed.

However, writing and reading are also refuges for me, places of joy and replenishment. So, I try to honor that also.

Lorna Hollifield On Processing Feedback

If there's one thing that many aspiring writers have few clues about, it's the submission process. There are good reasons for that; authors aren't exactly encouraged to talk in detail about our own submission experiences, and - just like agent hunting - everyone's story is different. I managed to cobble together a few non-specific questions that some debut authors have agreed to
answer (bless them). And so I bring you the submission interview series - Submission Hell - It's True. Yes, it's the SHIT.

Today's guest for the SHIT is Lorna Hollifield, who began her professional writing journey as a tourism and travel blogger, before finally deciding to pursue her dream of publishing fiction. Her first novel, Tobacco Sun, released June 13th from Pen Name Publishing.

How much did you know about the submission process before you were out on subs yourself?

Umm. Nothing. I had this finished manuscript, with no idea how to get it published. I learned quickly though, because I was hungry to get it done. I started reading articles, researching how my favorite authors did it, and reading books on the process. I did a lot of research, but still made it a priority not to get lost in the planning stage.

Did anything about the process surprise you?

The rejection. I mean, I knew I would get it. I knew it would sting and I knew it was normal. But it still sucked. But, silver lining - I was just as surprised when I got the YES! That was the best feeling in the world!

What was the average amount of time it took to hear back from editors?

The average agent might not even respond if they aren’t interested. However, the more professional ones will at least send a form letter out in about 6-8 weeks. Some are quicker, some are slower. I’ve noticed the ones that are interested tend to respond after a couple weeks, but that’s just my experience.

What do you think is the best way for an author out on submission to deal with the anxiety?

For me it helped to feel like I was always moving forward. I would busy myself with going to conferences, writing groups, book signings, events, ANYTHING where I might meet someone who could get me close to my goal. I’m most anxious if I’m still too long.

If you had any rejections, how did that feel emotionally?  How did that compare with query rejections?

Query rejections hurt, but become common pretty fast. The worst is when you start actually working with an agent or editor, and something falls apart. It’s like you are about to get married, you’ve already said the vows, and right before “I do,” he calls the whole thing off. When that happens I take the advice my mother gave me: “You can cry for a day. Feel sorry for yourself, stay in your pajamas. But you only get a day. Then you clean up, put a smile on your face, and try again.”

If you got feedback on a rejection, how did you process it?  How do you compare processing an editor’s feedback to a beta’s feedback?

I take an editor’s feedback very seriously because they know the business. I would only revolt against it if it were just completely horrifying creative differences that changed the work. With beta readers, I tend to take everything with a grain of salt. However, if everyone says the same thing, it’s definitely worth looking into. One or two people can be wrong. But usually 10 in agreement are onto something.

When you got your YES, how did that feel?  How did you find out?  Email?  Telephone?  Smoke signal?

Haha! It was amazing. I was crying so hard that my husband thought someone had died. I couldn’t speak to tell him they were tears of joy. I received an email expressing their desire to pick up the novel. It was 10 days after I submitted, and they were so excited about the project. It made everything worth it!

Did you have to wait a period of time before sharing your big news, because of details being ironed out? Was that difficult

Yes, and yes. I shared it with my closest friends and family because I couldn’t hold it in. But I wanted to shout it from the rooftops! I was finally able to let the cat out of the bag after about a month and it was thrilling. I was blessed to have a lot of people rooting for me!

Emily Arsenault On How Writing Can Be A Comfort... It's Publishing That's Stressful

I'm lucky (or cunning) enough to have lured yet another successful writer over to my blog for an SAT - Successful Author Talk. SAT authors have conquered the query, slain the synopsis and attained the pinnacle of published. How'd they do it? Let's ask 'em!

Today's guest for the SAT (Successful Author Talk) is Emily Arsenault, author of the upcoming novel THE LEAF READER, which released June 13 from Soho Teen. Emily studied philosophy in college, and worked as an editorial assistant at Merriam-Webster from 1998-2002, helping write definitions for their dictionaries. She has served in the Peace Corps, working in rural South Africa.

Are you a Planner or Pantster?

I’m more of a pantser but I always come up with a vague plan (describing the ending and the most important reveals or secrets) to help me get through. Sometimes I’m just telling myself I have a plan to work up the confidence to drive toward the middle and ending of the book. Often I change the ending and must go back and revise everything. But telling myself I know where I’m going (even if I’m lying to myself) always helps to motivate me and get a lot of good character information and scenes down on paper before having to go back and reconsider plot points.

How long does it typically take you to write a novel, start to finish?

It depends, but on average it usually takes about nine or ten months for me to write a first draft. Then I usually revise for a couple of months.

Do you work on one project at a time, or are you a multi-tasker?

I used to always write only one project at a time, when I was doing adult books exclusively. Now I’m trying to switch back and forth between adult and young adult. I can’t really draft two projects at once. I can revise one while drafting another. Or start brainstorming for the next book while finishing up the last. But I can’t imagine being right in the messy middle of two books at once.

Did you have to overcome any fears that first time you sat down to write?

Not really. I started writing when I was about ten. At the time, I always found it much less scary than, say, speaking in public or social situations. Writing is very comforting to me. It’s the publishing part that gets a little scary. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, haunted by ill-advised sentences or plot points that are now published and I can’t take back.

How many trunked books did you have before you were agented?

I have one trunked manuscript. I really should burn it because I don’t want anyone to find it and read it. It’s a YA book I wrote about fourteen years ago. After realizing that book was not publishable, I started The Broken Teaglass, which was (eventually—about four years later) my first published novel. Now, five books and more than a decade later, I’ve finally come out with my first YA—The Leaf Reader. I always knew I’d come back around to YA eventually.

Who is your agent and how did you get that "Yes!" out of them?  

My agent is Laura Langlie. She was one of the first agents to whom I sent a query letter. She asked for the manuscript almost immediately, and I sent it. Then I got a bunch of rejections from other agents and, based on some of their feedback, started a major revision of the book, changing the ending and some other fundamental things. Then this one Big Shot Agent (someone who had been in the industry a very long time, edited and agented all kinds of NYTimes Bestselling authors, etc.) called me and said she’d loved my first three chapters and wanted me to send the rest of the manuscript right away. I had to tell her I was in the middle of revising it. But, pumped by her interest, I amped up my revision and did it in three sleepless and caffeine-fueled weeks. 

While I was waiting for her response, I noticed Laura was still on my list as having the old manuscript. Going against advice I had read online, I wrote her asking if she wanted to see my new manuscript. She said yes. About a month later, Big Shot Agent sent me back my manuscript cover letter with “Not for me” scribbled on it, and I sank into a bit of a depression, telling my husband I wasn’t sure if I could handle this process anymore and wasn’t sure I had any more revisions in me. I stopped querying and decided to take a break from the whole process. A few weeks later Laura (who was one of two agents who still had the manuscript) called me and offered representation. Then she got an offer on the book practically the day she sent it out. I sometimes hesitate to tell this story because it is not really one of grit and endurance, and I’m not sure what aspiring writers can learn from it except that things can change quickly.

How long did you query before landing your agent?

I think it took about nine months. But I wasn’t querying straight through. I stopped occasionally to do revisions and adjustments—as I described above. I think sent about thirty queries in all. Mostly snail mail queries.

Any advice to aspiring writers out there on conquering query hell?

Something that worked for me was to query in small batches. That way, if you get any decent feedback, you can apply it to your next batch. Also, even if you don’t get much feedback, it gives you time to go back and reconsider things (like the wording of you query, or the pacing of your opening chapters) if it appears something isn’t working when you start getting responses. It gives you time to learn from the process and still have agents left to query.

How did it feel the first time you saw your book for sale?

I’m going to be honest. It felt very weird. I always feel sort of exposed, when a book goes on sale. Don’t get me wrong—I was ecstatic when my first book sold to a publisher, and still feel very, very lucky. But when a book comes out there is always this feeling that a little piece of your heart is up for sale on Amazon. Since my first book, I’ve tried to be more professional and less emotional about it, but I still have moments when I feel this way.

How much input do you have on cover art?

My adult publisher (William Morrow) is always great about asking me what I would like to see on the cover—and Soho Teen was as well for The Leaf Reader. Usually what they come up with is different from what I suggested but much cooler than anything I could’ve conceived of in my head. I’ve always been really happy with my covers even though they are often quite different from what I expected.

What's something you learned from the process that surprised you?

I think it might be that I almost always end up feeling grateful for things that initially look like setbacks. For example, one time my publisher was not satisfied with my title, and we were brainstorming for a new one. I was getting really frustrated and there was even talk of bumping the book to another season unless we came up with something decent soon. On a day when I thought there were not possible ideas left, I looked back at my list of ideas and quotes and something jumped out at me that I hadn’t considered before. (This was for my adult book What Strange Creatures.) I loved that title, and ended up being grateful that the publisher kept pushing until a better title emerged. I have a ton of examples like this, when something about the process felt crazy-making at first, but ended up being for the better.

How much of your own marketing do you?   

I always feel like I could do more marketing stuff, but sometimes I’m still not sure what is the best use of time and energy. I have a website, a Facebook page, and an e-mail newsletter. I do I try to do the occasional conference (especially when asked) but it can be difficult to budget for that. I do events at bookstores and libraries, and guest blog posts for various sites.

Do you think social media helps build your readership?

I think it can, if you’re willing to invest time in it and be yourself there. I don’t think I’ve taken full advantage of social media opportunities. But I feel like if I threw myself into Facebook and Twitter, I wouldn’t have much left for the actual writing. I admire and envy writers who can do both well on a regular basis.