First Drafts

I distinctly remember reading that Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series and Host, wrote the first draft of Twilight over the summer. And I thought, how the F-CK did she do that? She has kids and a husband right? How did she write all those words, craft scenes, and write a book in two months?

And then Francesca Lia Block taught a class on how to write a first draft in three months and I thought, how is that possible? I could never do that!!!

And then, this spring, I wanted to start writing Dear Dead Drunk Girl. I had a few fits and starts. Wrote some scenes but nothing felt right and I scrapped it all. Then I had a conversation with Lorin Oberweger and she got it. She totally understood what it was that I wanted to accomplish with my second book, she even ever so graciously and GENEROUSLY gave me my title and we set up a time and date to work together. Not wanting to waste money, an editor’s time or my time I set a schedule for myself. If I wrote 834 words per day Monday through Friday, from June through August I’d have a 50,000 word first draft. I then reminded myself that all first drafts are “shitty first drafts” (famous quote from Anne Lamont, in her book Bird by Bird: some instruction s on writing and life) I got to work. and you know what?…I’m doing it!

It didn’t come easy at first. There were a few days when I felt very confused. Why wasn’t the story working? I knew my main character, Mary. She’s one hundred percent flushed out and living in my head, her vodka soaked personality is vivid, but the story was flat. I stepped away from my keyboard and pulled out my new notebook, and a blue pen, (I hate writing in black ink) and started writing.

That’s when the second miracle happened. An outline sprang forth out of me. I am a self-proclaimed panster. (a fly by the seat of your pants writer) But oh no, not this time. I wrote and wrote and wrote- five pages of outline. And then I picked a chapter and started writing. And every day since then, I have done the same thing. Today I wrote 2,077 words.

I want to live in the ecstasy of this impossible dream come true. I set a goal, I am meeting, and exceeding it. I know I will have to go in and do some heavy lifting during my rewrites, but it’s joyous to have pages to revise. It’s amazing to me that maybe I can do this. Book two won’t take years and years to write. That I too, can write a first draft of a world-wide (aim high – go big- dream wildly- I always say) bestseller during the summer even with my little girl and husband’s demands on my time.

I hope you too are meeting a goal. Happy summer writing everyone!

Best thing about being 40…

There are posts going up among my Facebook friends quoting the bests things about being forty…my favorite among them is: there was internet when I was twenty – so there is no evidence of my stupidity.

The Huffington post ran this one yesterday by Amy Wruble: 40 Effed Up Things About Being 40

I’d like to add my own neurosis to the list…there are huge benefits and not so much things I like to think about…ready, here we go.

THE GOOD:

1. I know myself.

2. I am a Mom.

3. I’m in a good relationship and married to my best friend. (that part takes work people)

4. I am pretty comfortable in my own skin.

5. I feel good. aka (knock on wood) I’m healthy.

6. I’m still ambitious.

7. I have great friends.

8. I have a past and a future.

9. I have my own money.

10. I have acquired nice things, art, jewelry, shoes and clothes, and appreciate them all.

11. I’m thinner than I was when I was 20.

THE NOT SO GOOD:

1. I can see myself aging. My skin wrinkles inside the crease of my elbow, laugh lines and forehead perfection lines require bangs or Botox, dark circles have appeared beneath my eyes and my lids are heavier.

2. There are coarse hairs growing from places I don’t approve of and I’m afraid of losing my sight and having no one pull them!

3. My daughter is young, and I’m afraid before she creates a permanent memory of me, I’ll be old and she’ll never know me as young. My mother stopped agin at 42-years-old for me in my mind, I was 14. I am forty-four, if my little girl stops aging me in her mind at 14-years-old I’ll be 53. Don’t know what that’ll look like, but I’m worried!

4. It takes me longer to recover from injury.(back pain or when I hurt myself from dancing too hard in Zumba!)

5. It takes me longer to recover from a drink or two.

6. I can’t stay out late and hang with my younger friends.

7. The skin on my back, above my bra is sagging – seriously WTF!

8. I’m not on the New York Times Bestseller list…yet. (see ambition on the plus side of things)

9. Menopause will not be my friend.

10. Despite aging I am now also battling breakouts.

Overall, things in my life are downright awesome. I am thankful for it all, the good and not so good. Anything freaking you out? Do tell.

 

 

 

 

 

Win a critique on pages or a query

Stephen Messer turned me onto this fabulous contest. Follow the link to: PROJECT MAYHEM

700 Reader Project Mayhem Blowout Giveaway!

Hello, everyone! Project Mayhem DJ cat is back to kick off our 700 Reader Project Mayhem Blowout Giveaway!!! We have tons of prizes from Agents, Authors, Book Bloggers, and even an Illustrator Portfolio Critique!

We have prizes from agents Marietta Zacker (Nancy Gallt) andStephen Fraser (Jennifer de Chiara Lit). Amazing illustrator,Kevan Atteberry will be critiquing one lucky illustrator’s online portfolio. Cynthia Leitich Smith and Stephen Messerhave graciously donated
a 10 page critique to two lucky writers!
Project Mayhem authors, Paul Greci, Marissa Burt, Michael Winchell, Matt Rush, Michael Gettel-Gilmartin, Hilary Wagner, James Milhaley, Lee Wardlaw, Chri Eboch, and Dianne Salerni will all be giving critiques as well! Check out our Team Mayhem Profiles to know what you’re getting into! We’ll also be giving out new books too, many signed, so if you’re a writer, illustrator, or reader, we’ve got you covered!

Good luck~!

 

Gayle Forman, Just One Day

I met Gayle Forman at the LA times Festival of Books, years ago, when it was still held on the UCLA campus, when my daughter was still a baby, in 2009. She was part of a YA panel that included Jandy Nelson and Sonya Sones. It was a panel on death in YA. I was dipping my toe into the genre, finding my way and learning all I could because I had an idea and I was attempting to write that idea into a book.

I settled into a middle row early on and watched as the room filled with other eager writers. Sonya snapped a photo of the audience, I smiled big and waved at the camera and became a face in the crowd of her memory. Little did she know, that this panel and its authors would fuel a growing fire inside me to follow my dream.

Sonya was the moderator and dove into the role with gusto that was refreshing and informative. I listened to Gayle, Jandy and Sonya wishing I could know each of them better. Gayle and Jandy had chemistry, a connection based on ideas and perspectives of the world.

Their connection was genuine and contagious and I wanted to be connected to that free flow of ideas and liked-mindedness. To be friends with them too, to sit and talk about how plants could tell moods, how the number eleven is everywhere in my life, that I speak to dragonflies and how hawks circle me, and wasn’t that was similar to them? Symbols and character voices are a part of the world I live in, but they were new and I wanted to affix to those who successfully tamed their sensory perceptions and  wrote engaging, heartfelt, sometimes joyful and then heart-wrenching stories.

However, since I’m not a stalker, I did what I could. I bought their books and waited in line to have them autographed. I remember the smell of the books. Jandy Nelson’s The Sky is Everywhere, thick hard cover with a heart and bold type artwork. The dark hair and blue eyes peering upward from the bottom of the soft cover of Gayle Foreman’s if i stay,  and Sonya Sone’s One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies, and I thought, my mother dies too. Torn between finding some shade and breaking into all the books at once and the desire to meet them and have them sign my books, I gave into the second and got into the long winding line, had my name written on a post-it so they could autograph my book especially to me, without misspelling my name.

As I inched toward the white pop up tent where they sat, joking with each other, their inside jokes and secret language easy to spot twenty people back, I began getting nervous. Would I say something? And if I do…what???? I was new at the whole YA thing. I hadn’t found my voice, figured out my story or have an inkling if I could write a whole book.

I was worried about starting out so late in life, I was forty, was that too old to begin a career in young adult publishing? I handed a book to Jandy first, she has soft eyes and an inviting smile. Gayle took her books too and I see both of their eyes on me. And before I have the thought to speak, I hear my nervous voice, the higher pitch version coming out of my throat and saying,”I’m trying to write a YA book too. Do you think it’s too late to start?” To which both Gayle and Jandy say, “NO!”

Jandy tells me she’s forty-four and this is her first book. And Gayle says something that I can’t quite recall, but it’s as if they give me permission to get over myself and do it, because they do it. She smiles at me. Jandy takes a picture of Gayle, and Gayle uses it as her author photo for a while. And for an instant I’m in on an inside joke.

I read Gayle’s work voraciously. I wonder how she uses such clear simple language and yet conveys so much to the reader. I’m in awe. I find her first book, Sisters in Sanity, and study how her writing has evolved, and see what makes her voice ping my heart every time I read it.

Then yesterday, I finished Just One Day and the book is full of moments that change a girl’s life. And I think, yes, in a way Gayle did that for me.

“…He said that earlier, about accidents, about never knowing which one is just a kind in the road and which one is a fork, about never knowing your life is changing until it’s already happened.”

I love this, and she had that same effect on me. The idea I had when I showed up at the LA Times Festival of Books was the seed for What Death has Touched. It took me a while to find my way, and figure out the story and work my craft to shape it, but I did it. And if weren’t for the kindness of a stranger, a woman I admire, along with a smile and a “yes you can” I don’t know if my dream of writing a young adult novel would come true. I wouldn’t have met all the authors, agents and editors I call my friends. My life would be less complete, definitely less rich, because all I ever wanted to do was write stories, it’s just I got sidetracked by another career for a while.

I hope that you too have those encounters in your life. The small moments when the click happens and a shift occurs, quietly or even with a bang. I hope you ride out the storm and find yourself happier because of it. Because for me life it about growth and change, without those what’s the point? And without happy accidents the jourey less fun.

So thank you Gayle Forman for continuing to inspire me. And I can’t wait to read Willem’s side of the story!

Expressing Motherhood and Maria Shriver

In October 2010 I got the most exciting phone call of my life. Lindsay Kavet, the producer of Expressing Motherhood had selected me, because of my Dear Baby essay, to be part of Expressing Motherhood in January 2011. As she spoke, I paced the deck in my house across the country in Charlotte, NC, and thought about the irony of being asked to participate in a play in Los Angeles just a few weeks after moving away from the city I spent eighteen years in. Then she threw me a curve ball, she wanted me to write another essay about leaving LA and perform it to an Angelino audience. I was scared and wanted to do it bt told her I’d have to talk it over with my husband because 1) the show ran over two weeks in La and 2) I’d NEVER been away from my daughter, then two-and-a-half-years-old, for more than a night. Could I leave her that long? Who would help him take care of her? Oh, and did I mention that I was trying to get pregnant and take all sorts of make me crazy hormones? My husband, told me there was no way I shouldn’t do it. My mother said the same. And so, for the first time in my mommy life I was being recognized by people who never met me because of my writing. And it felt awesome.

It took a little while to write my new essay. It took me longer to memorize it, I called an actress friend of mine and asked her, “How do you do it????!??!?!?!??” And the most ironic thing was, that although I am a big personality in front of friends and even strangers, when you put me on a stage, point a bright light at me and say, “Go!” my voice leaves me. Jessica Cribbs and Lindsay Kavet had to really push and teach me how to be on stage. With their help and encouragement I did it, along with my cast mates whose stories made me laugh, cry, think, and nod my head in agreement. I made friends backstage. I was inspired to continue writing. I am in awe of the hard work that goes into this production and thankful that Expressing Motherhood exists.

Best of all, I am thrilled to say they are receiving the recognition they deserve. Earlier this week, Maria Shriver, for the NBC Today Show, interviewed Jessica Cribbs and Lindsay Kavet. Here’s what they have to say about it:

To be interviewed by Maria Shriver was amazing. To see our show represented so well is a gift.
Thank you Maria Shriver and the Today Show.

http://www.today.com/video/today/51801074/#51801074

I want you to know these amazing women better and it was fun to turn the tables on them and get the interview:

What made you initially start Expressing Motherhood?

We had both come to LA to pursue our creative passions and then stopped working to become mothers. When my son was 1 1/2 years I wanted to challenge myself to become uncomfortable and doing something creative. I was looking into a writing course at UCLA at night but I was too tired to even go to the class at night. I wanted to write a play but realized I didn’t have the time or even perhaps talent so I thought how about a group collaboration? I called Jessica and she was in and we fine tuned the idea and Expressing Motherhood was born. A platform for people to share their stories about motherhood.

What keeps you going back?
The absolute joy of producing and directing the show. Directing has been my dream since I was a little girl. So this fulfills my dreams really.

How did you come up with the title?
I produced a lot of milk with my first.
I think milk was on our minds but my husband came up with the idea. A great title.

How do you go about selecting stories?
Everything was based around the internet.
We literally worked on this while our children napped.
The power has always been in the story, that’s why there are no auditions. I don’t even know what most of the people look like.
Stories are sent to me and they are selected to all fit together like a puzzle.

Tell me everything about being contacted by Maria Shriver’s people?
We were contacted on thursday at 2PM and I think we were both thrilled and scared. I was very concerned that the show would not be represented in the best light. Not because of the Today Show or Maria Shriver but because of my lack of being able to express myself on national TV!
I was very pleased with the outcome.

Did you believe it?
No!

Who turned her onto Expressing Motherhood?
Her producer, a fellow mom, found us somehow and pitched us to Maria. Maria said, done deal. She loved the shows concept.

How many times did you pinch yourself while being interviewed?

I can’t imagine the number of stories you’ll receive now…I’m so glad I got to be a part of Expressing Motherhood in 2011.
How many shows are you producing this year?
TBD.

Would you ever take the show on the road?
We have taken the show on the road. In 2009 we went to NYC and in 2010 Boston. But we’ve had so many babies we’ve stayed local now for awhile.

What is the biggest surprise about the show?
The success. We had no fear in the beginning because we had nothing to lose or prove. This has been built on passion and just completely taken off.

The biggest reward for putting it on?
The camaraderie and the community the show has built. 100% rewarding.

What story do you remember most?
I remember them all. Honestly they are all very important to me.

What do you want people to take away from the show?
Just a feeling of being normal and being one with one another. Might sound cheesy but it is true.

my cast:  

submissions:

tickets:click to see Expressing Motherhood THIS MOTHERS DAY

Mayday

I remember watching movies and hearing, “Mayday, mayday!” as an actor clutched a handset yelling for help into the great unknown.

This May has been a whirlwind. I’ve been working hard on the Charlotte Leukemia Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Man of the Year campaign. We were tapped to participate a handful of days prior to kickoff and we are a team of 2 competing against others who are fundraising for the LLS. Other people have teams of ten or more and planned events for months, which is very impressive. But I got to tell you…I’m exhausted. I think I could have been a professional fundraiser if I wasn’t a writer, it employs many of the same specialities as film and television production- tenacity and not taking no for an answer. But it hasn’t left me much mind space for writing.

Until now. We’re at the home stretch. Tomorrow we are hosting a wine tasting, next Saturday, May 18 is the LLS Gala and then (hands flew up over my head) I’m done. My creative mind knows it will have my full attention. It’s bubbling with story ideas and plot points for TWO stories. I can’t believe it. I have two more book ideas in mind. I’m so excited! I can’t believe I can write more than one book.

And then another thought creeps into my mind. Mother’s Day. In my household I have a simple request. My husband has to take over Mommy duties for the day. I don’t want overpriced flowers- get them for me all year not on one day- I don’t want an expensive brunch. I want him to make the coffee, challah french toast, cook and clean, go to the grocery store and do the laundry including taking it out of the drier and folding it! I want him to be reminded of how hard it is to do it all. And I am happy to say, he does it.

But then I think about my struggle to have another child and remember there are women in our world who haven’t been able to fulfill their desire to have a family. I imagine Mother’s Day is hard for them. My heart breaks knowing a little bit of how they feel.

And now the story of the three girls and their child held captive comes out. I can’t wrap my brain around the horror they survived. The pain and grief their captivity caused their mother’s and families. I am thankful they are once again with their families. But I for one will be chaperoning my daughter for a long long long long long time.

And this is why I am calling, “Mayday!” There is so much good and bad, happy and sad going on this month. I am torn, elated, pushed and pulled, and I want to pause and take a breath. Hope this month has been a good one for you.

 

Auction items for the LLS Gala, join us, do some good and place a bid!

Put the finishing touches on a overnight stay at the Andrew Pinckney Inn including dinner for two at Anson Restaraunt in Charleston. Want to experience this luxury getaway? Attend the LLS Gala May 18th and place a bid! I’ve also secured jewelry from Diamonds Direct, chezelle, artwork from Priscilla Balbinder, and the Furniture Connector, a teeth whitening package, an electric piano care of Music and Arts, a gift ceritificate from Carriage Dry Cleaners, a gift ceritifcate to Ageless Remedies, a day at the range and shooting lessons and let’s not forget 4 tickets to Jimmy Kimmel Live! What you waiting for? Join us for some nosh and cocktails…follow the link and click on ATTEND THE GRAND FINALE 
http://www.mwoy.org/pages/nc/clt13/rhughes

 

Leukemia Lymphoma Society of Charlotte

Dead Girls Aren’t Passé in YA and I’ll tell you why

I’ve been doing a lot of learning about the business of young adult publishing. And I am fascinated by it. After receiving several query responses from agents that included the notes: we like the voice, the story, the quirk of your world but it’s not right for my list (translation, I like it but don’t love it enough to sell it) I wanted to find out why. And the other day I learned something new from Lorin Oberweger, and it was reinforced by another friend who sold a book similar to mine a few years ago (dam and I thought I was completely original!) that the “paranormal” genre is done, passé, not interesting enough to sell unless it offers something new. First off, I never categorized What Death has Touched as paranormal. Liv isn’t a ghost, she’s a soul lost and trapped in limbo unaware of the fact she was killed. To me it was always clearly high concept…Liv is dead but doesn’t know it and is having one hell of a day figuring it out…in other what if words: what if a girl died and didn’t know it but thought her mother died then set off to save her from deteriorating into a maternal apparition that would haunt her forever and  gets the chance to save her from dying in the first place?

I believe this story serves a higher purpose. 

Our country is grieving murdered children, innocent victims of a terrible bombing and unimaginable “why did it have to happen” deaths. People, no matter what their age, need help processing grief. They need to be reminded each day is precious and to live without regret. What Death has Touched, gives the reader an opportunity to save one life, a mother’s life, and gives a seventeen-year-old girl a chance to say “I love you!” for the first and last time. It’s empowering and inspiring, and dare I say it…has a spiritual message as its subtext.

Dead girls in YA aren’t passé because our country is dealing with the horror in Boston, Sandy Hook, Texas, and all the senseless  horrendous shit life deals out with and dead girls are one way to deal with it.

I believe What Death has Touched is an important message to share. I hope to find others who agree with me soon. #whyiwanttosharemystory

And the winner is…

Congratulations Rachel B. You are the winner of an autographed copy of When the Butterflies Came by Kimberley Griffiths Little.

Kimberley Griffiths Little interview and autographed book giveaway!

My ninja agent friend Tracey Adams of Adams Literary, the world-class boutique literary agency exclusively representing children’s and young adult authors and artists, introduced me to Kimberley Griffiths Little a little over one year ago and she and I have been forging a friendship ever since. We originally bonded over yorkshire pudding, (I made some and posted about how I added bacon to the top) and then slowly discovered the similarities in our lives despite the fact we have never met face to face and she lives in New Mexico and I’m in North Carolina. Our husbands are both named Rusty, her son is Aaron my brother has the same name- spelled different, Arin. She generously read a draft or two of my book and gave me notes, mentoring me in the art of writing. Our friendship grew and we discovered more similarities- including a spooky one…my book, What Death has Touched, deals with a terrible car crash that kills a mother and her seventeen-year-old daughter on December 18th, Kimberley had a parallel real-life experience on December 19th when her father was killed in an airplane accident when she was a young teenager. I tell you, our friendship was meant to be.

And now after reading her newest release When the Butterflies Came, I see we have more in common. I have keys, all sorts of keys and I talk to butterflies. No doubt she and I were sisters in another life or parallel universe.

When the Butterflies Came weaves a mystery with clues left from grandma in letters and magical butterflies that take the reader from a crumbling mansion in New Orleans to the exotic island of Chuuk in the South Pacific.

I’m delighted to share this Kimberley Griffiths Little interview with you- and announce we are giving away  an autographed copy of When the Butterflies Came to one lucky reader.

All you have to do is leave a comment about a butterfly or key in the comments section and I will randomly select a winner on April 18th, 2013.(I promise to be fair and use a program to select the winner  :))

Q: Tell us how this idea of When the Butterflies Came came to you?

A. It all started one day when my mind kept turning to one of the minor character from my book Circle of Secrets (a bayou/swamp ghost story). I found myself wanting to know more about her. She’s a 7^th generation *Pantene Princess* of the Doucet family who lives in an old plantation house in the South. I mean, who doesn’t want to be Scarlett O’Hara! As I started to think about her, a very curious picture began to emerge—not one I’d originally, on the surface, assumed. The most popular girl at school with silky waterfall hair was actually living in a crumbling mansion house (the trust fund is gone and they’re trying to “keep up appearances”) with a bratty older sister—and she’s got a touch of OCD. The rug fringe in the front hall must be perfectly laid!

The person Tara is closest to, her Grammy Claire, is a research scientist studying some unusual butterflies in Micronesia. She’s even got a laboratory in a tree house. I also *love* the name for butterfly on the island of Chuuk: nipwisipwis – and with that word ideas for the story began to burst forth. Tara receives a set of mysterious letters and keys, which leads her on a dangerous journey as she discovers more and more about the butterflies. There are bad guys, too! Tara finds out she’s smarter and tougher than she ever thought, and, of course, the relationships of the characters is always a big component in my books as well as the magical realism.

Q: Did you always know you would tie the characters of Circle of Secrets to When the Butterflies Came?

A. Nope! I NEVER planned for any of my books after The Healing Spell to end up having connections with each other. Each book can be independently read and they are about completely different characters and stories (a ghost story, a mystery, and time travel), but its fun to create those little connections – because in a small town people *are* going to know each other!

Q: Do butterflies ever follow you? Only on sunny, happy days. Or maybe butterflies *create* sunny, happy days!

A. I think that’s exactly right. When you see butterflies, or even pictures of butterflies you automatically feel good! Butterflies are magical to us because they go through this incredible metamorphosis, changing from a green, slimy caterpillar into a peculiar chrysalis and then bursting out of their cocoon into a gorgeous colorful butterfly. Sort of like reincarnation or resurrection!

Q: What excerpt do you read when you visit a school?

A. Usually, I read the first chapter or part of the first chapter. I think it sets the tone of the book and the MC’s personality as well as setting up the mystery right away.

Q: How did you discover the island of Chuuk?

A. While I was researching butterflies, I did a search for butterfly in various languages around the world. I adored the word for butterfly in Chuukese and the rest is history. I live in the desert of the Southwest so I miss the ocean of California where I grew up and it was great fun to set half of the book on the island and the beach, using some underground, spooky grottos as part of the plot. Luckily, I found a few people that had lived on the Island of Chuuk and I was able to interview them and see their pictures and ask lots of questions. Plus I watched a lot of Youtube videos set on Chuuk. It’s got a very intriguing history from the WWII era, too. Dozens of Japanese ships were sunk in the last year of the war and now lie off the coastline in their watery graves. People from around the world travel there to scuba dive and see the ships.

Q: Where can someone meet you? Are you currently on a book tour?

A. I’m not on a physical book tour, but I’m being featured on various book blogs over the next month. Go here to see an interview at Literary Rambles with LOTS of book writing advice:
http://www.literaryrambles.com/2013/04/kimberley-griffiths-little-interview.html?

And the amazing story of Me and Richard Peck here:
http://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/me-and-richard-peck-yes-the-richard-peck-by-kimberley-griffiths-little/

I’m also presenting and critiquing at the Niagara Falls Writer’s Conference May 2-5. It’s a fantastic conference with an incredible line-up of bestselling authors like Ellen Hopkins and Sara Zarr and several agents and editors. There are still slots available, and it’s very affordable since the price includes hotel room and meals. Check it out here:
http://niagararetreatandconference.com/the-faculty/

Q: Do you classify this book as MG or YA? How do you decide how old to make a character?

It’s MG and I adore MG books because they’re the kind of books that turn kids into life-long readers. It’s such an important and pivotal age for kids, but they still view the world as magical and wondrous and they love a good mystery and action story. I try to oblige that love. J

Q: Did you plot the story before ever writing a word?

A. Yes, I do. It’s not a super detailed outline, but after a few weeks or months of thinking about my characters and ideas I’ll finally get serious about putting it into something that makes sense instead of trying to keep track inside my random and often very scattered brain. I grab a stack of 3×5 cards to get the main plot points down on paper. 3×5 cards aren’t very intimidating, which is one reason I like them. Once I have 20-40 cards with scenes, snippet of ideas or plot points written on them, it’s helpful to shuffle the cards around on the floor or my dining room table, which helps me put things in order. You can *see* your whole book spread out in front of you. Doing that also shows me where I have holes or weaknesses so I just brainstorm and add more cards. I love this method and have used it for my last several books. I even did a video about 3×5 Card Plotting for WriteOnCon’s online conference last summer and they put it on Youtube.

Q: Have you ever thrown out a plot?

A. Of course! Some ideas come when I’m noodling around with a new book that end up just not working in the *big picture* of where the characters are taking me. The idea or plot doesn’t go anywhere significant, or it doesn’t make sense for that particular character or setting so it’s *tossed* – or saved and kept in a folder for a future book . . .

Q: What’s the most rewarding part of being a writer?

A. Fan Mail from kids. Some of it makes me weepy.

Q: What is the most frustrating thing about being a writer?

A. Revisions! I’m constantly trying to become a better writer and it’s frustrating when my words aren’t as good as what I want them to be.

Q: What can fans expect next?

A. I’ll have another middle-grade novel with Scholastic published Summer of 2014 (time-slipping and a cursed doll!) and then Fall of 2014 will be my YA DEBUT with Harpercollins. (We don’t have a firm title yet so I’ll stay mum on that). I’m excited, thrilled, and terrified all at once. It’s a project I’ve been researching and working on for ten years so to sell it to such a wonderful publisher is incredibly satisfying. The trilogy is about belly dance in the women’s world of the ancient Middle East, including the Goddess Temples of Ashtoreth, a forbidden romance and tribal warfare.

Thank you so much for having me, Holly! These were great questions and a lot of fun.

Here are a few links:

http://www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com/

http://www.kimberleygriffithslittle.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @KimberleyGLittl

And I’m very active on Facebook.