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A Happy-Go-Lucky Giveaway

By on February 11, 2014   /   Giveaways  

 

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Debut middle grade author Holly Schindler is here to brighten up these dreary, mid-winter days with a novel full of sunshine and hope. She dropped by The Files to give us this peek into how the book came to be:

HOW FRUSTRATION AND DISAPPOINTMENT BECAME A PUBLICATION OR: THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY 

When I wrote the first draft of THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY, I was—if I’m to be honest—a little heartbroken.  Tired.  Disappointed.  Frustrated…And more determined than ever.

Four years earlier, in the spring of ’01, I’d graduated with my master’s.  I was encouraged to stay home and devote full-time attention to getting my writing career off the ground.  I’d published short work previously—fiction, poetry, and lit critique.  I thought for sure that the only thing standing between me and a full-time writing career was the time it would take to get a book on the page.

But there I was, four years into it.  I hadn’t had much in the way of nibbles or “good” rejections—agents and editors offering some advice with their “no.”  I was still getting form rejections.  I had friends from college who were wrapping up PhDs, moving on with their lives, and there I was, still banging my head against the wall.

I won’t lie—it was a bad time.  The kind of bad time when you have to look yourself in the mirror, figure out what you want, what you’re doing.  At the end of some soul-searching, I knew I could never give up on writing.  It was my lifelong dream—and truly the love of my life.

So I put my rear in the chair.  I needed to get back to work—which also meant that I needed a new story.  A new direction.  As I brainstormed, I saw a man’s face—Grampa Gus’s face.  And I heard a voice—the voice of a little girl talking about her grandfather.  As the story took shape, it became the tale of a young girl finding her way as a folk artist—and standing up for her art, when her hometown declares what she’s created isn’t art at all, but junk.

In a lot of respects, that book is me standing up for my own art.  Me saying I wasn’t going to back down form a life writing.  While I have never written specifically about events or people in my own life, I do think that coming up with a fictional situation and characters that allow you to work through your own hopes and fears can absolutely be a powerful tool—important for you as an artist, and also good for the mental health!  Sometimes, it makes for the most honest work you can produce.

Readers can contact me through my website, hollyschindler.com, or through this site specially created for MG readers: hollyschindlermiddles.weebly.com. I’m devoting a page on the site to reviews from young readers themselves!  Be sure to send your young reader’s review through the Contact Me page.

Thanks for spreading the sunshine and inspiration, Holly!

Giveaway: One winner will choose between 1) a signed bookplate and bookmark and 2) a free Skype visit. Leave a comment below to be entered into the drawing. 

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Tricks to Defeat Writer’s Block

By on February 10, 2014   /   Book Lists  

Does a deadline, blank page, or difficult scene make you break into a sweat, yank your hair out, or start cleaning everything in your house so you’ll have an excuse not to write? Don’t worry, we’ve all had times when it’s hard to write, but you can do something about it.

Writer's Block

  • Time yourself and type nonstop for twenty minutes or whatever amount of time works for you. Try to shut off any distractions (like ringing phones). You’ll have lots of editing to do later, but at least you’ll have something to mold into shape.
  • Remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect! Diving into a new project can be hard, especially when you’re leaving characters you love and know at least as well as your family. First drafts aren’t supposed to sparkle. Just get your ideas down. There’s plenty of time to make them sing.
  • Give yourself a small task. Sometimes, the project can intimidate you by seeming too big. Try working on a smaller goal first. Some authors have a word count per day in mind, others make a goal, such as two or five pages a day. The trick is to find a number that isn’t too hard to work into your day. A lot of times, writers get caught up and produce way more than the daily goal. Hopefully, that will happen to you, too!
  • Find a candle scent that reminds you of your manuscript, calms you, or gives you energy—whatever aroma makes it easier for you to plunge into your project.
  • Play music that makes it easier for you to dive into your character’s life. I happen to work best when it’s totally quiet, but many of my writing friends make a playlist for their characters and say it helps them immediately leap back into the manuscript.
  • Try writing late at night, when your internal editor is too tired to bug you. You can also experiment with writing during different times of the day or night to see what works best for you.
  • Word war with friends—you can even give winner a prize! Everyone can start at same time and write for twenty minutes, an hour…whatever works best for the group. Or you can have a contest over an entire day or weekend to see who can log in the most words. Again, you’ll have tons of revising to do later, but every first draft usually needs some hefty revisions.
  • Find others with the same goal you have, and start a group somewhere, like Facebook, where you can cheer each other on and log in your progress.
  • Get to know your characters better. Interview them or write journal entries from their point of view. Find out what scares them the most, and you could end up with some great ideas.
  • Think about your manuscript when you’re showering, exercising, driving, or lying in bed. It’s amazing how many issues you can work out in your mind while doing other activities! I had the idea for this blog post in mind when I showered, and by the time I got out, I knew what I wanted to say. Of course, I was almost late driving my daughter to her bus stop. Oops! But I made it in time, then rushed home to start typing.
  • Make a goal (or several smaller goals) and reward yourself when you hit it. Splurge on some music, get a massage, take a well-deserved TV break—whatever will motivate you to write, write, write.
  • Don’t let shiny new ideas distract you. If another idea starts screaming for attention, take a few minutes to jot down notes so you’ll be ready to plunge into it later, then get back to your current project.
  • If you have trouble getting back into your manuscript each day, write down a few things that should happen next before you leave your computer. That should help you leap back into it!
  • I had mentioned turning off the phone when participating in a word war, but it’s also great to get rid of as many distractions as possible when you write. I love feeling like I’m in the zone, and cringe when the doorbell rings. Do what you can to block the outside world—put a note on your door, turn off your e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and other notifications.
  • You can collect pictures that remind you of your characters or the world you created, or place encouraging sayings around your writing area.
  • Realize that you CAN do it. That you WILL do it. And then glue your butt to your chair and write, write, write.

If you have any tips to share, I’d love to hear them!

Mindy Alyse Weiss writes humorous middle-grade novels with heart and quirky picture books. She’s constantly inspired by her two daughters, an adventurous Bullmasador adopted from The Humane Society, and an adorable Beagle/Pointer mix who was rescued from the Everglades. Visit Mindy’s Twitter, Facebook, or blog to read more about her writing life, conference experiences, and writing tips.

 

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Welcome Super Librarian and Author Louise Simone!

By on February 7, 2014   /   Author Interviews, For Librarians  

Nobody knows the books kids love better than someone who’s surrounded by lots and lots of kids and lots and lots of wonderful books, which is exactly how I’d describe elementary and middle school librarian and author Louise P. Simone. What’s more, Louise is on the homestretch of her doctorate, on fantasy literature for children and young adults.

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Today I’m delighted to welcome Louise to From The Mixed-Up Files! Let’s get down to business, Louise. How do your students select great books- cover design, word of mouth, reading the first page or a random interior page, other?

In my experience the cover has a lot to do with which books go out and which don’t. Since I updated our copies of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House Series, which had 1970s era covers (the books were still in great shape, by the way, despite being loved by hundreds of students over the 35 years the library housed them), the books have been in almost constant circulation.  Same thing with the Box Car series. So much for not judging a book by its cover…

But just as important is another child/classmate’s recommendation. I can stand there talking up a book until I’m blue in the face, and get blank stares, until another student who I have managed to entice to read the story steps in to second my recommendation. Many kids are happy to take my word for the story’s worth, but when a friend recommends one, it’s gold.  I suppose the last thing a potential reader looks at is the jacket copy or the back cover’s description.  It has to be intriguing  and come almost to spoiling the story. Of course every publisher and writer knows the importance of a hook…I’m here to tell you they really, really work.

What surprises you about your students’ selections?

I must admit I take a great deal of time finding a book to meet my students tastes. I know who likes to cry, or who likes a fast paced adventure, or a mystery with just the right amount of puzzle to decipher. I don’t carry a lot of the really short, quick read series because they take up a lot of shelf space and kids go through them so fast I can’t keep them in the library long enough for them to check out the next one when they are ready. But because of the school’s demographics, most parents are happy to keep their children in reading material, so I am off the hook about purchasing those. But what surprises me is that even when I think I’ve figured out a kid’s preference, it changes, Which is great because then I have a whole new pile to recommend. I love watching a student venture off the mainstream into a new genre. It makes my job more interesting and keeps me thinking.

How do you go about steering kids to a just right book?

I use all the usual tricks: a five finger rule, grade level, and asking them what books he or she recently read and really loved. I also ask which books they hated and why, so I don’t offer those up, but it also helps me narrow down their tastes. Sometimes, when I get an especially tough reader, I ask what they like to watch on television or what video games they play. That helps me focus on the kind of things that keep them interested and focused over longer periods of time, and it really surprises kids when the Librarian asks about things most teachers don’t. Also, I’ve found, that students who wouldn’t touch a serious piece of fiction with a ten-foot pole, will often read some of the most intense nonfiction or biographies. They might not like to fight through a made-up story, but give them one about real people facing real obstacles and you’ve reeled them in.

 I suppose the only other trick I use is to ask them to tell me if they could write a book, what would it be about. I try very hard to come up with one that matches their interests whether it be pirates and battles or pink hearts and dinosaurs.

What are some of your current favorites?

Anything by Kathi Appelt or Kate DiCamillo. I love The True Blue Scouts of Sugarman Swamp because it combines wit and adventure with an environmental message. Any time a book is both entertaining and makes a kid think, is great. Of course Rick Riordan is a perennial favorite. Recently, the 39 Clues series and The Seven Wonders series have been popular. Although I try to read new things each year, a few I go back to regularly are Lloyd Alexander’s The Book of Three, R. J. Palacio’s Wonder, and Christopher Paul Curtis’s Bud Not Buddy.  I also loved this year’s Newbery Winner, Flora and Ulysses, and Clair Vanderpool’s Navigating Early. Two of my favorite sleepers are Christopher Healy’s The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom and The Hero’s Guide to Storming Your Castle.  They are hilarious. Also, Grace Lin’s books are very popular, and Kekla Magoon’s, Walter Dean Myers’s, and Rita William’s Garcia’s books go out all the time.  For older students, John Green. 

Is setting aside time for read aloud important for middle grade readers?

Everybody loves to be read to. I especially love it when after a few minutes of reading, I’ll look up and the squirmy, fidgeting middle schooler who I have had my eye on is suddenly fully engaged, completely still, listening with his or her mouth open. You gotta love a story that can do that. 

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Louise is the author of the action packed upper middle-grade/YA thriller HEIR OF THE JAGUAR. Hailed by Kirkus for “nail-biting suspense” and “tight, sharp and intelligent” prose, it’s great for daring advanced readers who aren’t afraid to be a little bit scared when they read. JAGUAR was a finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book Award and is now available as a graphic novel.

Thanks Louise!

Tami Lewis Brown is all for nail-biting suspense… as long as it stays on the page. She’s now working on a middle-grade murder mystery with a historic twist.

 

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