“Surround yourself with people who know more than you and soak up knowledge like a sponge!” P.K. Witte

 

Love is in the air…

Sweet kisses, soft caresses, sighs upon angst-filled teenage sighs. Writing romance is natural, easy, simple, or is it? Gate Crashers everywhere want to know how YA and MG writers get their heads in the game. That first kiss, second base, under the shirt-over the bra, or going for the home run… How do you write it when just thinking about it makes you blush and go all sweaty palms?

It’s easy, super simple. Just do what I do. Grab your best romance writerly hat, your giant pencil and your paper…

What? Not feeling it? Me either.

Writing romance can be tricky. Luckily for Gate Crashers everywhere a group of amazingly talented writers were happy to share their feelings about writing the ROMANTIC STUFF with us!

Come on in, have a look around, have fun, learn something that just might help you with your own sloppy teen kiss scenes. Remember, keep it real. Be honest and true to your readers and they’ll love you forever.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Click the pics for these author’s writerly links!

  

Chelsea Pitcher

THE S-WORD

1. What is the most challenging romantic situation you’ve had to face with your characters? I’ve always really enjoyed writing complicated romantic situations: faeries of the Dark Court falling in love with humans; mortals becoming entangled with gods. It’s not so difficult to bring these characters together. After all, they know their love is real. It’s the rest of the world that doesn’t get it. But when it comes to two emotionally damaged humans who are masters at sabotaging their own happiness, the task becomes a bit more difficult. (Or nearly impossible!)

2. How did you get your head in the game? In “The S-Word” I found myself facing my most difficult romantic/emotional situation yet. How do I get a girl who’s closed herself off from the world to open up, even a little bit? I wasn’t looking for her to have a full-blown love affair; I just wanted her to remember that love exists. But to do this, I had to introduce her to the right kind of person. I couldn’t push her toward someone confident and invulnerable. That was exactly the type of person who’d hurt her before. I needed someone with his own deep-seated problems, someone who wanted friendship and nothing more. That way, Angie didn’t have to fear being used or manipulated. She could feel safe. And, just like that, a deeper connection was formed.

3. What is your favorite romantic book/scene from a book?There is a scene in “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” that is just perfection (though I’m not going to say when, or with who, for spoilery reasons). The kiss! Perfection. There is so much more than just physical chemistry at play (although that can be a lot of fun too!) There is sweetness, and desire. There is longing bleeding into necessity. No matter how many fabulous love scenes I read, this will always be one of my favorites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mindy Raf

THE SYMPTOMS OF MY INSANITY

1. What is the most challenging romantic situation you’ve had to face with your characters?

Without giving too much away, there’s one scene that could be romantic, but ends up being really awkward and a little skeevy psychically and emotionally. It was a challenge to keep it funny and squirm- inducing. Also maintaining likability with a character when the action goes from swoon-worthy to a little shady is always a challenge.

Sarah Skilton

BRUISED

1. What is your favorite romantic book/scene from a book?

I adore the scene in Jane Austen’s Persuasion when Captain Wentworth presents Anne with a love letter he’s written, prompted by a conversation he overheard in which Anne spoke about women’s ability of “loving longest even when all hope is gone.” It’s the culmination of 8 years of longing on both their parts, and the scene never ceases to make me sigh and/or tear up.

K.A. (Kelly) Barson

45 POUNDS (MORE OR LESS)

1. What is the most challenging romantic situation you’ve had to face with your characters? Overall, romantic scenes–both in real life and in stories–make giggle awkwardly. (Yes, deep down I’m still twelve.) So pretty much every romantic scene I write is challenging.

2. How did you get your head in the game? I think about what could possibly go wrong. I add catastrophe to the scene to add real humor and to diffuse my inappropriate giggling.

3. What is your favorite romantic book/scene from a book? Since I relate more to awkward romance, probably LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green or STONER AND SPAZ by Ron Koertge. Is it a coincidence that neither of these ended “happily ever after”? No. I’m weird, I guess. 

Elle Cosimano

NEARLY GONE

1. What is the most challenging romantic situation you’ve had to face with your characters? In one of my stories, the love interests can’t touch. Trying to capture the sense of intimacy between them without falling back on physical connectedness meant getting deep in their heads and hearts. It was exhausting, but a fantastic exercise in interiority.

2. How did you get your head in the game? Music helps me set the mood. Also, a good babysitter.

3. What is your favorite romantic book/scene from a book? No contest. Sarah Rees-Brennan wrote the hottest kiss scene I’ve ever read, hands down! The rooftop kiss in the rain in The Demon’s Covenant will forever set the bar as far as I’m concerned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chelsey Flood

INFINITE SKY

1. What is the most challenging romantic situation you’ve had to face with your characters? I think the most challenging romantic situation I’ve had to face with my characters is when Iris and Trick begin opening up to each other. I wanted to make their relationship about friendship as well as first love, and so I was always trying to keep the balance between confiding and intimacy and romance. I wanted them to be good friends before they ventured into the territory of kissing. I hope I got it right.

2. How did you get your head in the game? I got my head in the game very easily – perhaps worryingly so! Because my protagonist, Iris, is a sort of idealized version of teen me, I find it very easy to get into her head space. I simply remembered my teen crushes, and then wrote the scenes that I would have loved to have played out with them – if only I’d have dared initiate a conversation with them in the first place! That’s what’s so lovely about Trick – he actually moves into Iris’s garden – he really couldn’t make it any easier for her at all. Or so it seems…

 3.What is your favorite romantic book/scene from a book? It’s a bit obvious, but I’m struggling to remember any that I love more, so therefore, my favorite romantic book is Pride and Prejudice. The way that Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett misjudge each other, and hurt each other’s feelings before finally coming to understand each other (enough to get married at least!) is quite, quite satisfactory.

 

 

 

Kit Grindstaff

THE FLAME IN THE MIST

1. How did you get your head in the game? The Flame in the Mist’s main character, thirteen-year-old Jemma, has a budding romance with her loyal pal, Digby. Though it’s years since I was her age (though not quite as far back as the book’s medieval-ish setting), getting into her emotions wasn’t hard; a quick trip down memory lane to a specific day, a specific boy, a specific moment…I’d be there in a heartbeat. Keeping in mind the prescriptions for Middle Grade—no steam, nothing that pushes the boundaries of adolescence—once I started molding my experiences into Jemma’s, words made memory even sharper: a gasp-worthy glance, tentative hand-holding, the anticipation of a first kiss…Describing those things made them fresh all over again—hopefully as much for the reader as for me. So to get into the game? Close eyes, drift away, remember the sweetness, then paddle ashore and seal it—maybe with a kiss—onto the page.

2. What is your favorite romantic book/scene from a book? Before I Die by Jenny Downham… With only a few months of life left, sixteen-year-old Tessa…(has) made a list… —ten things she wants to do before she dies. Number one is sex. Starting tonight. The blurb of Jenny Downham’s Before I Die almost put me off, since the “starting tonight” makes it so obviously a marketing hook. Sex sells. But the book delves far deeper than its blurb implies. Beautifully written and moving on every page, the development of Tessa and Adam’s relationship is just part of the emotional ride, weaving sweetness into a painful story. To go into detail would be spoiler-ish, but more tender, loving and extraordinary scenes would be hard to imagine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                     Janci Patterson

CHASINIG THE SKIP

1. What is the most challenging romantic situation you’ve had to face with your characters? For me, all romance is hard to write. It’s not easy to write attraction that feels real, without falling back on clichés or being overdramatic. Romance is drama, but it has to feel compelling and fresh to the reader, so that they’ll fall in love right along with the characters. It’s always a careful balancing act.

2. How did you get your head in the game? In CHASING THE SKIP, the most challenging part of the romantic tension was for me to write Ricki’s immediate attraction to Ian–and have the reader take her seriously. The first time I wrote the scene where Ricki first meets Ian, it was terrible. I ran it through my writing group, and they pointed out all the places where I was telling the reader how Ricki felt instead of showing it with visceral detail, and all the places where the phrases I used were tired or unimaginative. So I went back through and tried to replace the overdramatic with the dramatic, the cliché with the sensory, and the tired with the fresh. It took several passes for me to get it right, but when I was finished with the final draft of the scene, I was pleased with it. I suppose that’s always how I get my head in the game: I fail in the first draft and then rework and rework until it shines.

Polly Holyoke

THE NEPTUNE PROJECT

1. What is the most challenging romantic situation you’ve had to face with your characters? In THE NEPTUNE PROJECT my heroine Nere finally gets to kiss Cam, the boy who has always been her best friend. I wanted to explore that moment when friendship can turn into something deeper, when HE finally admits he really cares about her, and SHE finally wakes up and realizes that she might truly love him. But just when Nere gets into kissing Cam, government soldiers charge down a hillside, and moments later they cut Cam down. Poor Nere doesn’t even know if Cam is going to survive as she has to leave the beach and enter the ocean forever.

2. How did you get your head in the game? I tried thinking back to my first kiss (ninth grade while off stage during a musical) but it was WAY too wet and clumsy to be an inspiration for a great first kiss. So, I fell back on my imagination and wrote the kind of kiss I wish I’d experienced that first time around.

3. What is your favorite romantic book/scene from a book? I love OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon, and that book is so full of romantic scenes, it’s hard to choose just one. I probably like the scene when the time traveling heroine tries to return to the present, but she can’t leave Jamie, the young highlander she’s fallen in love with in the past. When she returns to him, prepared to stay with him forever, he’s fallen asleep in an abandoned croft, and it’s clear he fell asleep crying. That sweet scene makes me tear up just thinking about it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liz Fichera

HOOKED

1. What is the most challenging romantic situation you’ve had to face with your characters? Every romantic situation is a challenge unless you understand what’s in the head of your characters. I think the biggest challenge is the detail, and the best romantic scenes are the ones of subtleties. They’re the ones with a lot of lead-up, conflict and tension before the couple shares that special first kiss, that special first anything. As a reader (and writer), I don’t want the mechanics. I know how it’s done, for crying out loud. I want to understand the emotion and angst behind the build-up because that’s where the intrigue, the compelling reason to keep turning the pages, reside. In other words, I don’t want to read how they kiss or roll in the hay; I want to understand and be shown why they want more than anything in the world to be together.

2. How did you get your head in the game?Music is key. I love New Country for their love songs. Every song tells a little story, and I love that.

3. What is your favorite romantic book/scene from a book? I adore and respect any author that gets me emotionally invested in his/her characters and writes great angsty build-up while still leaving a little for my own imagination. Yes, please.

Hilary Weisman Graham

REUNITED

What is the most challenging romantic situation you’ve had to face with your characters?

Well, I’m about to face it in the new MS I’m writing. It’s a light sci-fi that features a romance between two teens of different races, both of whom have pressure from their families and/or communities to “stick to their own kind.” The romance part will be fun when I get to it, it’s writing the racism in their backgrounds that’s agonizing.

How did you get your head in the game?

When I’m writing a romantic scene, I find myself getting totally get wrapped up in the romantic tension. I think all authors vicariously experience their characters’ emotions, but as an old married lady, it’s especially nice to feel all swoony and starry-eyed again.

What is your favorite romantic book/scene from a book?

There are so many great romances in books, but I have to say that I’m partial to the ones that end tragically, like in John Green’s THE FAULT IN OUR STARS or LITTLE CHILDREN by Tom Perotta. Though I’m not quite sure what this says about me psychologically.

There you have it! Thoughtful words of wisdom on the craft of writing romance for the youth reader. Is it simple, easy? Not exactly. But it is possible and fun and really makes you get your head in the game. Try it. Keep it real. Be true to your readers. Just do it.

Spread the love of reading and writing!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

“Surround yourself with people who know more than you and soak up knowledge like a sponge!” P.K. Witte

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year, Happy Holidays of your choice from everyone at Gate Crashers!

Greetings Gate Crashers! Come on in.

Every month I invite authors to stop by, Crash The Gate, and share a bit of awesome writerly advice. But this month marks the season of goodwill. Giving. Dreaming. Hoping. Being jolly. And asking Santa (or whomever you like) for a little something special. So lots of fantastic writers stopped by and filled our elf’s ear with their wonderful writerly wishes!

Fun, funny, poignant, perfect!

Spend a little cozy time learning what these authors are hoping for. You’ll have a sleigh full of fun. Keep on scrolling, leave no author unvisited. We’re celebrating together. One BIG merry family!

Here we go- a jingling all the way!

Hilary Weisman Graham  

REUNITED

This holiday season, the greatest gift I could get would be to learn that one of my projects is moving forward. I have multiple things out in the world right now—a manuscript on sub, some screenplays and new ideas in the hands of various TV and movie producers—and I’d really like a yes. Or multiple yesses. Or even just one tiny yes. Or possibly even a maybe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kit Grindstaff

FLAME IN THE MIST

Well, I wrote my letter to Mr Clause, and it all became clear.

I’m happy to say I have my 2 front teeth. And am incredibly fortunate enough to have the most fabulous editor at my dream publishing house, and a BOOK! Coming out in April 2013!! But what I don’t have…gasp!…is an agent. A batting-for-me, go-to-in-confusing-times, understanding, incisive, chocolate-providing (ok, I guess I can handle the chocolate) champion of my books and writing. I have someone in particular in mind…so how about it, Santa? But listen, I also know that if one apparent Ideal Person falls through, they probably weren’t Ideal after all. So, in the event that happens, I’m open. Really. My stocking is ready!

 

 

Miriam Forster

CITY OF A THOUSAND DOLLS

Really easy edits? No? Fine. I’ll take a puppy then. That way I can at least cuddle away the editing angst.

 

Gina Damico

CROAK, SCORCH

What I want for Christmas: a solid two weeks to take care of all the books on my to-be-read shelf. So many are books that I’ve wanted to get to for MONTHS now, but just haven’t been able to, for one reason or another. Like, if someone could figure out how to pause the march of time and just let me get some friggin’ reading done, that would be great. So I guess what I’m really asking for here is a time machine. I want a time machine for Christmas.

Liz Fichera

HOOKED

My tastes are pretty simple. For Christmas, I would love a few days of peace and quiet around a roaring fire place, sipping tea and reading, intermixed with the occasional nap in the middle of the day. A girl can dream, right?

Nicole McInnes

BRIANNA ON THE BRINK

Honestly, what I most want for Christmas is some time to visit with family and reflect on the past year. While I can’t imagine a better job than writing books for a living, being an author definitely requires regular chunks of non-family time and solitude. Having just wrapped up another manuscript not too long ago, I’m really looking forward to some serious snuggling time with my kids and dogs, some baking time in the kitchen and some ski time on the slopes. I’m also hoping to be able to take some time out to just think about and be grateful for all the wonderful developments over the past year, including everything leading up to the very near future publication (next month – yikes!) of my Contemporary YA novel, BRIANNA ON THE BRINK!

Tara Sullivan

GOLDEN BOY

ARCs! I’m really hoping that I’ll get to see the ARCs for GOLDEN BOY in time for the holidays. Based on my (admittedly fuzzy) sense of the timing of publishing I think this is just possible. Seeing my own ARCs would not only be one of the best Christmas presents ever for me, but it would allow me to show every poor unsuspecting soul who visits me/ talks to me/ bumps into me in the grocery store over the holidays that my story is a *real* book and that it will *actually* look like one… soon!

 Polly Holyoke

THE NEPTUNE PROJECT

Could Santa possibly lend me an energetic elf for a few months? Like many writer/moms, I’m always short on time, and my house is looking pretty disorganized these days. I could really use an elf to stock our pantry, cook some excellent meals, organize our closets, and get my car’s oil and tires changed. And if the elf could answer some emails, send out some clever  tweets and write a few profound and erudite-sounding blogs for me on the side,  that would be heavenly.

 

K.M. Walton

                           EMPTY, CRACKED

As a writer, all I want for Christmas is for my WIP to be in the best shape possible and ready to share with my agent. And then she can work her agenty magic on it.

 

Kimberley Griffiths Little

THE HEALING SPELL, CIRCLE OF SECRETS
WHEN THE BUTTERFLIES CAME  

“I hope to be able to keep learning and growing as a writer (and person!), and to enjoy the writing and publishing journey more and not fret so much about how much I blog/Twitter/Facebook, etc. Stop and smell the roses, right? We only have one life, one day, this moment, and I want to make the most of them.”

Claire M. Caterer

THE KEY & THE FLAME

Writer gifts are the best to get as well as give. I would love to have the new Kindle, but I’m reluctant to ask for it because my current Kindle is only two years old. Still, the brighter screen, the built-in light, the slim design—it calls to me like a siren on a rock. I may just have to swim out to meet it.

  

Cynthia Grady

I Lay My Stitches Down

I am hoping for lots and lots of snow days, so I can read and write during the day!

Helen Williams

DELROY AND THE MAROG PRINCESS

For Christmas I would like a time machine that I can go into to write. While in the time machine, I could write for as long as I like without any disturbance and when I come out, only five minutes would have passed in normal time since I went in. I could also use this machine for anything else I do on the computer such as research, facebook and twitter.

 

Cynthia Leitich Smith

TANTALIZE, BLESSED, DIABOLICAL, ETERNAL

What else? More bookshelves. We have an over-sized TV cabinet (from when TVs where thick) that’s taking up too much room in the sun room. It desperately needs to be replaced by shelves. And I could use a class on how to create a book trailer!

 

INFINITE SKY

Chelsey Flood

“For Christmas I would really like to have completed the first draft of my second novel. That might not seem like a gift to anyone else, but to me, it would be better than a puppy that never grew up or needed expensive veterinary care.”

 

Elsie Chapman

DUALED

Being an author whose book is making its debut in 2013, this upcoming year is going to be incredible. Of course I’m hoping for DUALED to do well, and for readers to discover it and enjoy it. I’m also really looking forward to finishing up work on the sequel, DIVIDED, and to see it to start making its way into the world before its release in 2014. So it’s nothing but great things for the New Year, and I couldn’t be more thankful or excited!

SEND ME A SIGN  Tiffany T Schmidt

Scrivener for iPad! I know they’re working on developing it, but I cannot wait to have my favorite writing program in such a portable form. CanNOT wait! 

Ginjer Clarke

GROSS OUT

What I want for Christmas is a contract for the proposal I have been anxiously awaiting approval on for more than a year, and if not, then some more patience to keep waiting and hoping.

K.A. (Kelly) Barson

45 POUNDS (MORE OR LESS)

What I want for Christmas? Another perfectly healthy granddaughter. My daughter is due around New Year’s, so my gift may be a bit belated, but all good things are worth the wait, right?

Lydia Kang

CONTROL

For the holidays, my biggest wish is for people to think of others. More empathy, please! Because in this day of bullying gone out of control, we need to think more of others. What we say when we write a snarky comment on the internet. What others feel when they are put down for a laugh. It needs to change.

Mindee Arnett

THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR

All I want for Christmas is the same thing every writer wants–a TARDIS. Heck, I’d even settle for a Delorean, or any other type of time machine that can give me more time to write.

Jay Kristoff

STORMDANCER

Around five days of no writing, no emails, blogging, tweeting, facebooking – hells, lets just say no internet and no computers. Replace all of that with bourbon. Five days should do it.

That, or maybe some jet-powered rocket pants.

K.M. Weiland

BEHOLD THE DAWN, DREAMLANDER, A MAN CALLED OUTLAW, OUTLINING YOUR NOVEL

I love just-for-fun gifts. Anything quirky and writing-related would make me happy with Santa. For instance, these pen-nib earrings are just too fab.

 

Rachele Alpine

          CANARY

I have a YA novel and MG novel that my agent is sending out on submission, so it would be great if Santa could bring me sales of my books! I’ve been really really good this year, so I’m hoping that happens!

 

 Linda Boyden           GIVEAWAYS 

For Christmas I would like a BIG box of time so I can keep on writing/illustrating for many years to come!

I& A’s very own

Elle Cosimano
NEARLY GONE

I would like to ask Santa to write my sequel for me. Hahaha! But in all seriousness, I’d wish to have all of my writing friends in one place, for one day. We are all scattered across a social network that can’t truly convey the warmth of a hug. The rare moments I get to spend with them — really spend with them — are the very best kind of blessings.

And there you have it. Pretty wonderful, right? All these amazing, Gate Crashing, authors sharing their holiday wishes makes me feel pretty warm and fuzzy, and I hope it does the same for you! Think I’ll curl up beside the fire with a steamy mug of hot chocolate and dream about what I’d like for Christmas…

Pamela K. Witte

Head Gate Crasher

Maybe an agent and an awesome book!  Oh, and peace on earth and love. 

 

 

Stuck with us clear to the end did you? Please, leave a comment. Number 25 will receive a Gate Crashers’ gift so quintessentially Christmas they’ll smile bigger than Santa on Christmas Eve!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

“Surround yourself with people who know more than you and soak up knowledge like a sponge!” P.K. Witte

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone Crashing the Gate!

Greetings Gate Crashers! Come on in. You know how it works. Every month I invite authors to stop on by, crash the gate and leave a little something behind. Usually, it’s a bit of wonderful writerly advice to share with other folks learning how to thrive in the kidlit industry. This month is a little bit different.

Because it’s Thanksgiving, I’ve invited authors to share what they’re thankful for. And Wow, lots of fantastic writers stopped by full of writerly thoughts!

Fun, funny, poignant, perfect!

Spend some time learning what these authors are thankful for. You’ll have a cornucopia (okay I couldn’t help being a little bit corny) full of fun learning more about them.  Keep on scrolling, leave no author unvisited There’s only one Thanksgiving and we’re celebrating it together. One BIG happy family!

Click on the pics for excellent writerly links.

Chris Howard

ROOTLESS

November 1st was the official release day of my debut novel ROOTLESS (Scholastic Press). I’m so grateful for the opportunity to share this story with the world, and am thankful beyond words to the beautiful people who’ve inspired and supported me along the way… family, friends, artists and teachers… THANK YOU for joining me on this adventure, and for all your help and love along the way!

(To Gate Crashers) I LOVE that you are helping spread some GRATITUDE around, because too often it’s all too lacking! (Thank you very much, Chris!)

Kimberley Griffiths Little

THE HEALING SPELL, CIRCLE OF SECRETS,
WHEN THE BUTTERFLIES CAME

“Right now I’m especially thankful for my wonderful editors at both Scholastic and Harpercollins. My family has been in a heart-wrenching crisis as my baby brother is dying from brain cancer and my editors as well as my agent have sent me many loving and supportive emails and phone calls and have rearranged deadlines and book schedules for me. It’s easy to think of the publishing world as a “hurry-up” business and mostly worried about the bottom line and their bestsellers, but both my editors have been incredibly generous and told me that family is the most important thing right now and that I need to take care of myself. They’ve told me that the books can wait and all will be well. That’s given me such peace of mind and room to breathe and do my best work.”

Nicole McInnes

BRIANNA ON THE BRINK

During this season of giving thanks, I am incredibly grateful for all the people who have supported my writing over the years. The list includes my parents, my editor and publishing team, teachers from grade school through graduate school, my students over the years, the writing community at large and authors of the amazing books that first made me start dreaming of writing my own novels some day.

I heart your Gate Crashers features, Pam! (Thanks bunches, Nicole!)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Jay Kristoff

STORMDANCER

Book bloggers. Which totally sounds like I’m butt-kissery, I know. But the enthusiasm and energy and commitment of those guys is totally mind-blowing. They’re absolutely awesome, and I’m not sure we (authors) say thank you enough. (Not butt-kissery at all!)

Ink & Angst’s very own…

Elle Cosimano
NEARLY GONE

I’m thankful for veteran authors who share their time and experience with new and debut authors. I am continually amazed, and made grateful by, the openness and generosity within the YA community. My special thanks go out to Ellen Hopkins and Holly Black for the gift of their mentorship and guidance this year. To the Apocalypsies who reach back and offer advice and support to the Lucky 13s. And most of all, to my brilliant and talented crit partner, Megan Miranda, for taking me underwing (and occasionally absorbing my crazy). I am so, so lucky.

Rachele Alpine

CANARY

Coffee…endless supplies of coffee…it’s what keeps me writing!

Okay, okay, in actuality, while coffee is great, I’m especially thankful that I’m surrounded by such a supportive group of people who encourage me to write and understand my love of writing. My husband and family always make sure I have time to write, the school where I work at allows me to participate in opportunities that will improve my writing, and my students are excited about my book. I’m also thankful for such a great online community of bloggers, writers, and readers. When you have so many people cheering you on, you can’t help but feel inspired!

                                                                                                                                                                                                              Gina Damico

CROAK, SCORCH

What I’m thankful for: my bigass dry erase board. I bought it while working on my third book this summer, in order to help out with plotting and brainstorming, and it has been a godsend. Doodles, arrows, flow charts – this puppy does it all. And when you invariably write something absolutely ridiculous that might get you committed to a mental institution under any other circumstance, you can just wipe it away! Evidence destroyed!

And Pam, thanks for all your promoting prowess! (Any time, Gina!)

 

Cynthia Leitich Smith 

TANTALIZE, BLESSED, DIABOLICAL, ETERNAL

I’m most thankful that I get to belong in this magical, inspiring, stressful, changing, intellectual, fun world of books for young readers, that I get to skip among its stars and learn on bended knee from both its newest voices and living legends.

Thanks for this opportunity! (You bet, Cynthia!)

K.M. Weiland

BEHOLD THE DAWN, DREAMLANDER,A MAN CALLED OUTLAW, OUTLINING YOUR NOVEL

This year, I have found myself thinking over and over again how blessed I have been by the kindness, generosity, and enthusiasm of fellow authors. The online writing community, in particular, overwhelms me with their general wonderfulness. I am extraordinarily thankful for those among my writer acquaintances who selflessly make time to help me (and others) with critiquing, proofreading, networking, and just general opiniating and supporting.

Polly Holyoke

THE NEPTUNE PROJECT

I’m so grateful to be under contract to two fabulous publishers for the Neptune series. These books are SO much fun to write because they contain plenty of action and I get to do cool research every day on all kinds of fascinating sea topics. I had a real dry spell before the sale to Hyperion, so first and foremost I appreciate being employed! The basic premise of these books contains a strong environment message. I’m also grateful that I may have a chance to reach kids around the world and let them know that they should care about our climate and our seas before it’s too late.

Liz Fichera

HOOKED

I am most thankful for my parents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Linda Boyden

GIVEAWAYS

As a Native American writer, I am most thankful for being alive at a time when my work can be published by mainstream publishers. Books written and/or illustrated by Native people diminish the hurtful stereotypes of Native Americans that still lurk in many places. Our books give non-Indian children a true picture of our country’s Native people; they empower Indian children of all tribal nations, but most of all they help all children realize how similar they are.

Kit Grindstaff

THE FLAME IN THE MIST

For one, people like you who make our road to publication so much more fun and easy! Thank you so much. (It’s always a pleasure!)

So many people have helped shape my book, and me as writer. Having a pool of mutually supportive author Peeps that I can dip into and give back to, and the social media that makes so much of it possible, is invaluable in navigating the hurdles, pitfalls and joys leading up to that ever-closer Publication Date. I’m grateful for them all, and don’t know what I’d do without them. But there is one, overriding person without whom all of it would still be a seemingly out-of-reach dream, and that’s the Delacorte editor who believed in my book. Her thorough insights and questions have made it sooo much better, plus she’s given me the opportunity of a lifetime. I am So. Very. Grateful.

 

Claire M. Caterer

THE KEY & THE FLAME

This year I’m incredibly thankful that I was able to complete the sequel to THE KEY& THE FLAME (working title: THE WAND & THE SEA). I had no idea how much stress I would feel trying to write the second book in about a third of the time I took to write the first book. In the spring I broke out in stress hives; in the summer I sweated through every page; in the fall I cut my behemoth down to size. And it’s finally just about ready to go to my editor, for publication in summer 2014!

Cynthia Grady

I LAY MY STITCHES DOWN

I am eternally thankful for my writing buddies who give time, support, tissues, and car rides at a moment’s notice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helen Williams

DELROY AND THE MAROG PRINCESS

I have so many things to be thankful for. I have a loving and supportive husband and family, and enjoy good health. I live in the beautiful, inspirational country of Jamaica with a tropical climate, white sand beaches and warm seas. I have the glorious freedom of retirement in which to follow my passion of writing for children. Modern technology allows me to make new friends and keep up with old ones; research the world without leaving my house; and write and rewrite with ease, unlike the days when I wrote by hand and typed on a manual typewriter. I give thanks for my online critique group, Pam and Melanie, without whose help I would not have been published. Their remarkable insights and creative suggestions have helped me to grow as a writer. Right now I’m thankful for having been spared the wrath of Hurricane Sandy.

Tiffany T. Schmidt

SEND ME A SIGN

I am so thankful for the support of the book blogger community. I’ve been so thrilled and frequently moved to tears of gratitude by the way book bloggers have embraced Send Me a Sign and reached out to tell other readers about the book. I’ve also been so touched by the number of readers who have shared their own cancer experiences with me and told me that they felt comfort or a connection when reading Send Me a Sign. I cannot even begin to express how much this has meant to me, how much I appreciate them, and how they’ve all become a part of my dream-come-true.

 

Lydia Kang

CONTROL

I am most thankful for the internet. I know, it’s a horrible time suck, yada yada yada. But without the internet, I would have never met the amazing bloggers and forums that taught me so much about fiction writing. I would have never met my crit partners, or some of the friends who have my back, in good times and bad.

Ginjer Clarke

GROSS OUT

As a writer, I am most thankful for the opportunities I get to connect with readers in schools and the enthusiastic feedback I get from them in person and in writing. Seeing that so many students love to read and write and love learning about science is encouraging, gratifying, and humbling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

K.M. Walton

EMPTY, CRACKED

I am most thankful for the unending love and support of my family and friends. When those who you love and respect, love and respect you back, it kind of gives you superpowers and makes you believe that anything is possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miriam Forster

CITY OF A THOUSAND DOLLS

I think this year I’m most thankful for other people’s stories. It’s very tempting as a debut author to get so focused on your book, your edits, your promotion, that you lose sight of what you loved about storytelling in the first place. Anytime I can read a great book by someone else, or listen to someone tell me a funny story, that grounds me. It widens my world back up and helps keep me sane. 

 

 

 

 

K.A. (Kelly) Barson

45 POUNDS (MORE OR LESS)

What I’m most thankful for: Spanx. Seriously, though, I know it sounds trite, but I’m thankful for my family and friends. Through all the ups and downs–triumphs and rejections–that writing brings, they support me. Come to think of it, Spanx does, too, only in a different way. Family, friends, and Spanx–I need all three to keep it together.

Mindy McGinnis

NOT A DROP TO DRINK

As a writer I want to say that I’m super thankful for my CP’s (critique partners). They are professional, thorough, inspiring – and not afraid to tell me when I fail at something… (RC Lewis can tell you all about my comma issues).

Pamela K. Witte

Head

Gate Crasher

                                   

And for me, I’m thankful for the opportunity to promote writers, for the friendships I have made, and the lessons I’ve learned from each and every Gate Crasher over the past year. I’m thankful for the gift of storytelling, my love of writing, the joy of reading, my passion for adventure and life. Most of all I’m thankful for my family and my critique partners, who never, ever give up on me or allow me to give up on my dreams!

And there you have it. Pretty wonderful, isn’t it?

Almost as good as sitting down at the same giant table and sharing Thanksgiving wishes all around.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

“Surround yourself with people who know more than you and soak up knowledge like a sponge!” P.K. Witte

Welcome to, The Dreaded Elevator Pitch Part Two! 

Do you really want to avoid the elevator pitch? No Way!

 

Developing your elevator pitch, one-liner or opening sentences of your query is often tough, a bugger, a brain teaser extraordinaire. Sometimes it’s totally complicated or even just plain Hell! Most writers dread the process of encapsulating their entire WIP into a simple statement. All those beautiful words condensed into a tiny pitch, ugh! But, we’ve all had to do it. Yes, it’s stressful. Sure, we fear the worst. But, come on? We’re writers, isn’t that we do best? We live to suck our readers in and hold their attention for better or worse (hopefully better)!                            

If you dread the elevator pitch, don’t worry. If it gives you cold shivers just thinking about it, have faith, you’re in the same boat with a lot of your friends!

When I went asking writers in the know if they’d share their pitches and their feelings with Gate Crashers the response was amazing! Tons of wonderful writerly folk jumped aboard. So dig in. Enjoy. Learn. And know that you are NOT alone!

The elevator pitch is a short summary used to quickly and simply define a product (your book).

The Elevator Pitch Otherwise Known as the One-liner or the Opening of Your Query!

Click the pics for awesome writerly links!

Elsie Chapman

DUALED

“When space and resources are limited and everyone has a genetic Alt, only one is permitted to survive. For fifteen year old West Grayer to face hers, she must find strength in her skills as an assassin…even as she’s made vulnerable by a love she can’t refuse.” 

 About the pitch:

 I never did have to officially “elevator pitch” DUALED, but I think it’s a great idea to have a pitch worked out in your head for when it might be needed. I can’t be the only writer who freezes when it comes to actually talking about their book to someone else, no matter how easily words tend to come on paper. A good pitch is so hard to nail down—you want to entice without giving too much away; to have that what they call that “hook” to make it impossible to not want more. When you’re only given a sentence or two with which to work, it really forces you to strip your book down to its main themes, its core and heart. The truly important stuff.

 

Polly Holyoke

THE NEPTUNE PROJECT

 

 

 

 

 

 

I started out writing romance novels and went to a bunch of RWA conferences. There we often had to pitch our books in group sessions with editors. I remember I spent hours writing my first perfectly-worded pitch. Then I spent hours more practicing it in front of a mirror, and then when my big moment came, I completely MASSACRED the sentence I had labored over! The follow-up pitch likewise came out all garbled, and I sat there with my face BURNING while everyone else pitched their books with total poise. The good news is, at the end of the session, the editor requested that we all send our projects to her, and I learned afterwards, that’s pretty much what they always do at group pitch sessions!

For the children’s book I recently sold to Disney/Hyperion, the perfect pitch line just came to me out of the blue. “When the sea has become mankind’s last hope, a group of teens struggles to survive beneath the waves.” I think a great pitch needs to sum up the essence of your story, but it also needs to convey what’s DIFFERENT and unique. That is what is going to pique an editor’s interest. There are a gazillion different coming of age stories out there, but not so many set in the sea.

My only regret is I never got to use this great pitch line for THE NEPTUNE PROJECT at a conference because Douglas Stewart at Sterling Lord Literistic offered to represent it, and he promptly sold it two weeks later. So now I use it as my tag line beneath my email signature instead!

April Genevieve Tucholke

BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA

 

I never actually pitched my book at a conference, etc, but here’s what it might have looked like:

BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA is a voice-driven literary horror, part Stephen King, part THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE. An eccentric, lonely bookworm named Violet lives with her twin brother in a rotting mansion on the sea. When a new boy comes to town and rents her guesthouse, she finds herself drawn to him, despite his lying, despite his mysterious past, despite all the eerie, horrifying things that begin happening around her.

Jenn R. Johansson

INSOMNIA

“Parker spends every night trapped in the dreams of the last person he made eye contact with, and it’s killing him…until he meets Mia. Finding ways to make eye contact every night isn’t easy and when Mia starts receiving threatening emails, her dreams transform into scenes of a horror movie, with Parker cast as the villain. He must discover who is truly tormenting her, and clear his name, before the real stalker makes good on his threats to end her dreams forever.”

I had a few versions of this. As you can see, mine is more than one line, but I use the first line if I only have enough time for one. I think between my one line pitch and full query, I must have 6 different lengths that I use depending on the situation, but this one is the most common. It gives a full idea of the plot without wasting any words or details and I can say the whole thing in about 20 seconds…can you tell I’ve practiced this in the real world? This length is actually perfect for an elevator ride. Anyway, I think having different pitches for different occasions is a great way to stay prepared for when people ask the inevitable (and often terrifying) question, “What is your book about?”

 

Erin Jade Lange

BUTTER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the time I needed an elevator pitch, I had already sold a book. But I was attending my first conference and wanted to tell people about my work. I couldn’t figure out how to do it in one line, so I came up with a whole paragraph and just settled for saying it as fast as I could to make it go by quickly.

 I do not recommend this method. It was a rushed pitch, and listeners probably missed most of it. If I had taken more time to think about it, I would have come up with something like this:

An obese teenager’s plan to eat himself to death live on the internet makes him surprisingly popular – so popular he no longer wants to go through with it. But will the people who love his website love him without it?

 

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

PIRATE PRINCESS

 

There are two things you need to do to create a great elevator pitch: keep it simple and play coy. For my newest picture book, PIRATE PRINCESS, I used that formula — successfully, since the book has been on the shelves since May. Here’s the pitch: Princess Bea is not the kind of princess you’d expect — her dreams are of pirate ships, not pretty crowns. Can she earn a spot on Captain Jack’s crew — or will she walk the plank? In 34 words, this pitch tells you who my main character is (Princess Bea), how she is different (wants to be a pirate), who she’ll have to contend with to reach her goal (Captain Jack), and even hints at a bit of danger (walking the plank) — but you still have to read the book to know for sure how it will work out!

Ryan Graudin

ALL THAT GLOWS

Oh the elevator pitch. I actually never had to use an elevator pitch, since I never attended conferences and therefore never (knowingly) shared an elevator with an agent or editor. I found my agent through a full length query! I did, however, become very adept at describing my book in two sentences to the many, many people who ask the inevitable question, “What is your book about?”

ALL THAT GLOWS is about a Faery who’s forced to guard the partying Prince of England and accidentally falls in love with him. There are also assassins and paparazzi.

Of course, this isn’t the whole of the book. But it’s enough to get you salivating (hopefully!).

 

There you have it! The word on elevator pitches from seven amazing authors! And you know what? Although everyone has different experiences and different methods of dealing with the dreaded pitch, everyone shares similar emotions. As writer’s we’re all in the same boat, dreaming of the day our ship will come in. While we’re waiting, isn’t it wonderful to share experiences and learn from one another? That’s what Crashing the Gate is all about!

Don’t let those crazy elevator pitches get you down! No matter how attractive they may seem, avoid the stairs. Take the express route instead!

 

 

“Surround yourself with people who know more than you and soak up knowledge like a sponge!” P.K. Witte

The Elevator Pitch Otherwise Known as the One-liner or the Opening Lines of Your Query!

Yikes!!!

Click the pics for awesome writer’s links!

FYI- The elevator pitch is a short summary used to quickly and simply define a product (your book).

Developing your elevator pitch, one-liner or opening sentences of your query is often tough, a bugger, a real bear. Sometimes it’s tricky or even just plain Hell! Most writers dread the process of encapsulating their entire WIP into a simple statement. All those beautiful words condensed into a tiny pitch, ugh! But, we’ve all had to do it. Yes, it’s stressful. Sure, we fear the worst. But, come on? We’re writers, isn’t that we do best? We live to suck our readers in and hold their attention for better or worse (hopefully better)!                                

If you dread the elevator pitch, don’t worry. If it gives you cold shivers just thinking about it, have faith, you’re in the same boat with a lot of your friends! 

When I went asking writers in the know if they’d share their pitches and their feelings with Gate Crashers the response was amazing! Tons of wonderful writerly folk jumped aboard. So dig in. Enjoy. Learn. And know that you are NOT alone! 

Gate Crashers Tell All! The Dreaded Elevator Pitch

 

Katherine Longshore

GILT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The single-sentence synopsis has got to be the hardest piece of writing I’ve ever done.  I do not write short.  Give me 80,000 words and I’m happy.  Reduce me to a single sentence?  I’m done for.

I didn’t write an elevator pitch for GILT until after I had an agent.  Until after the book had sold.  Until I needed one to put up on a website and hand over to bloggers.  Even then, I had to ask my editor, Kendra Levin, for advice.  She gave me a formula that made the process so much easier, I share it whenever I can.

–”After [inciting incident], a [character description, without name] must [primary action] or risk/while risking [stakes] in order to [end goal].

The resulting sentence can morph and evolve over time, as you learn what parts of the story resonate with most people, and which words produce the greatest impact.  This is what I ended up with for GILT: When her best friend marries Henry VIII, a previously disregarded maid-in-waiting must learn to walk the fine line between secrets and treason, knowing that the price of gossip could literally be her head.

Mindee Arnett

THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For me writing an elevator pitch was little more than an exercise in personal torture. Shrink my novel down into a two line summary? Impossible. And yet for my book The Nightmare Affair I went one step harder—I wrote a twitter pitch. That’s right, my entire novel shrunk down to a 140 character sentence. Here’s what I wrote:

16-yr-old Dusty is a Nightmare who must identify a murderer at her magical high school by following clues in her crush’s dreams.

Overall it’s not a horrible pitch. It does capture the book’s main idea and hook. But its weakest point is that there’s no room for voice in it. Another weak point is that it requires a reader to figure out just what a Nightmare is exactly. In hindsight, I would recommend not writing twitter pitches. Instead, don’t be afraid to write something a tad longer—they’re called 30 second pitches for a reason. A good one should provide the basic hook of your story and express a little of the voice/feel. It could also easily serve as the opening paragraph in your query. Here’s what mine looked like:

16-year-old Dusty Everhart might make a regular habit of breaking into houses late at night, but she’s no criminal. She is a Nightmare, a magical being who must feed on the dreams of others, and in doing so experience those dreams, too. But when her latest dreamer, Eli Booker, the hot guy from her old high school, turns out to be dreaming about a murder which shortly comes true, she goes from non-criminal to reluctant crime fighter.

Short? Check. Basic idea of Nightmare explained? Check. The hook identified? Yes. A little of the voice showing through? Yep.

Good luck!

Kami Kinard

THE BOY PROJECT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My elevator pitch: THE BOY PROJECT is a funny MG novel about a girl who tries to figure out how to find a boyfriend by using the scientific method.

When writing my book, I knew I needed a device add humor to the usual first boyfriend story. I also looked for a device that would allow me to tell the story using a diary format, but with a twist. I’m not sure how I stumbled on the idea of using the scientific method for a framework (although we’ve done quite a few science fair projects at my house in the last few years), but once I did, I knew I had my hook. And once I had the hook, I had the elevator pitch.

The elevator pitch needs to answer two questions.

1. What is your book about?

2. How is it different from other books?

If you have a plot, this answers question number one. If you have a hook, it answers question number two. Once I answered these two questions in the elevator pitch, I tried it out on a few people. The sentence made everyone smile. So I knew I had it, and I felt great about it!

Lynne Kelly

CHAINED

I was caught off-guard about my elevator pitch just last week. I took my novel from the shelf in a bookstore and brought it to the information desk to sign it and have them put the shiny “Signed by the Author” sticker on it. They were carrying only that one copy, and the employee there hadn’t seen it before, so he was reading the back cover and then said, “Maybe we should order more. Pitch it to me.”

Pitch? Oh, right. Um. What was it again? I should remember this.

It’s hard not to ramble when someone asks you what your book is about. There’s so much you want to tell them, and boiling a whole book down to one sentence can be daunting. But people will get glassy-eyed if you go on for more than a few seconds, and won’t remember much of what you tell them anyway. So what do you want them to remember when they think back on your pitch?

Thankfully I was able to reach back into Pitchville and remember my one-liner: “Hastin is a 10-year-old in India who leaves home to work as an elephant keeper, and soon realizes that he and the elephant are both captives at the run-down circus.” I always want to add something about their friendship, and about how they’ll have to work together to escape, but I can always mention those things if the person I’m pitching to is interested in hearing more. In coming up with the pitch, I thought about what things in the story I’d want to stick with the listener. Elephants, obviously, since they’re an important part of the story and a lot of people love them. Also India, since the foreign setting might be of interest. And I always include something about the captivity, which implies the need for escape and lets the reader know they’re in for an adventure.

Nicole McInnes

BRIANNA ON THE BRINK

Holiday House March 2013

The elevator pitch was something I actually came up with after I’d written BRIANNA ON THE BRINK, and what might make my situation unique is that I already had my agent at the time. So, while my pitch was directed more toward the editors to whom we’d be submitting the manuscript, the general purpose was the same as a pitch for an agent query letter.

Basically, I needed to state, in as brief a way as possible, the main gist of the book. Incidentally, once I realized how key this exercise can be in ensuring a solid plot, I made sure to have the current WiP’s pitch in place before I got too far into the writing of it.

My secret for coming up with a solid pitch/pithy one-liner to encapsulate what a book is about? Read Publisher’s Weekly, or the New York Times Book Review, or any other major publication where a variety of books are listed and reviewed. Usually, you will see a great cornucopia of single-sentence descriptions, and it’s surprising how effective the good ones are at giving a real sense of the book’s heart. Once you’ve trained yourself to know a good pitch when you see one, you’ll hopefully be that much more confident at crafting your own. Good luck!

 

Janci Patterson

CHASING THE SKIP

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pitching doesn’t have to be scary.  It’s not some mystical thing whereby if you recite the right incantation, your book will sell.  Crafting a good pitch is a skill, just like everything else.  Here’s my pitch for CHASING THE SKIP, one I’ve given several hundred times over the last few years:

When Ricki’s mom abandons her, she goes to live with her bounty hunter father in his travel trailer.  While on the road with him, Ricki develops a crush on the guy Dad’s chasing.

The key to writing a good pitch is to tell something that makes your audience immediately think, “I want to read that!”  This means you want to get the ideas in your book with the most zing into your pitch.  For me, that was the bounty hunting, which implies adventure and excitement.  The other must-include is your conflict.  Whatever it is about your first few chapters that is going to make your readers feel like they must read on–that’s the information you must work into your pitch.

A lot of pitches I hear don’t enthrall me, because they either give me too much information, or too little.  When I hear a pitch, I want to come away asking specific questions that I want to have answered, because to find those answers, I’ll want to read the book.  I hope that you come away from my pitch wanting to know what will happen to Ricki when she goes after a felon, how that will affect her relationship with her dad, and why her mother abandoned her, and how Ricki will cope with all these things.  I also hope you want to read about bounty hunting, because, hey, fun!

Mindy McGinnis

NOT A DROP TO DRINK

Katherine Tegen / Harper Collins Fall, 2013

 

My first experience doing an elevator pitch actually went pretty well, despite the fact it grew from a bad place – genre confusion. The ms in question – a YA urban fantasy – was giving me fits when it came to genre. It had all the hallmarks of an urban fantasy, but the voice of chick-lit and a country setting. So I told the agent I was having dinner with that I’d decided to call it “rural fantasy.” I had my tongue jammed in my cheek firmly the whole time, so it also did a pretty good job of conveying the voice elements of the ms. I got a full request out of that. That particular meeting didn’t evolve into anything further, but it did give me the confidence I needed for future pitches.

I never had the chance to pitch NOT A DROP TO DRINK in person, but I was incredibly lucky when it came to the hook for my query. It also happened to be the first line of my book – “Lynn was nine the first time she killed to defend the pond.” And that sentence landed in my head one night out of nowhere. Thank you muse!!!

Claire M. Caterer

THE KEY & THE FLAME

When I went to my first SCBWI conference in January 2012, I met my agent, Chris Richman, for the first time in person. Chris is a great champion of my work and had just sold my novel to Ruta Rimas of Simon & Schuster. He introduced me to another author at the cocktail party and out came the dreaded question: “So, what’s your book about?”

I stood there with a stupid grin, assuming Chris would answer for me. But he said, “You have to learn to do this. I want to hear how you phrase it.” So I said what I’d rehearsed: “It’s a middle-grade fantasy about a group of kids who travel to a magical kingdom where magic is outlawed. The story involves the way they try to restore magic to its rightful place, incorporating elements of Celtic folklore and classic fantasy.”

My agent nodded and said, “Yeah. Not bad!” The other author said, “That sounds great!” I still felt like a dork saying it, and I was grateful that the muted lighting in the room hid my neckline-to-forehead blush.

There you have it! The word on elevator pitches from eight amazing authors! And you know what? Although everyone has different experiences and different methods of dealing with the dreaded pitch, everyone shares similar emotions. As writer’s we’re all in the same boat, dreaming of the day our ship will come in. While we’re waiting, isn’t wonderful to share experiences and learn from one another? That’s what Crashing the Gate is all about!

Stay tuned for Part Two, and don’t let those crazy elevator pitches get you down!