Friday, June 14, 2013

Teen Writers: Preparing For Your Publication Journey

photo credit: Dia™ via photopin cc
You’ve probably heard it said plenty of times: a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. However, if you hope to walk a thousand miles, I’d hope that you were in shape to do so—or else, you may not make it through the first strides. Publication is very similar. Just because you love writing doesn’t necessarily mean that you should pursue publication right away. And as a teenage writer, there is no better time to prepare for your publication journey than now.

I think there are many advantages of not seeking publication until after high school. However, you should still treat your writing as if it’s a job. Your teenage years are prime time for developing and honing your craft.

So if you’d like to do your future self a favor by getting a head start in your publication journey, here are some ways to prepare for your writing career:
  1. Pretend as if you will be published one day. If you have that attitude, then it is likely that your perseverance, determination, and dedication will pay off one day. Also—rather than wishing that you were already an author, learn to appreciate the time you have now. Because once you do become an author, you will have deadlines to meet. Don’t take the freedom you have now for granted. You might look back at the time you have now and wish that you could have that freedom again.
  2. Spend less of your free time watching television and more time reading and writing. Experience is a great teacher—that applies with our craft of writing as well. If you want to be a writer, you have to write.
  3. Build a platform. If you decide not to pursue publication until you’re in your twenties, but you already have a platform and following established by blogging and tweeting, agents and editors will be very impressed.
  4. Know how the publication process works. Going back to the illustration of a journey of a thousand miles—if the person doesn’t know the destination of his journey beforehand and how to reach it, then it is very likely that he will become lost and very confused. Make sure that you know the business before diving in order to avoid coming across as an amateur.
  5. Learn more about the craft by reading writing craft books, industry blogs, attending a writers conference, etc. Many writers tend to skip this step. They might assume that they already know how to write, or believe that writing is a craft that can only be learned through experience. While it is true that experience is a great teacher, you also come across as an amateur if an agent or editor can tell that you have yet to study the craft of writing. There are rules you may not be aware of and helpful writing tips you can learn from professionals. Just because writing is an art doesn’t necessarily mean that you shouldn’t take the time it takes to study the craft.
  6. Keep a story idea file on hand. You never know—one of the ideas you come up with now may just end up on the best-seller list in the future. Keep a collection of story-starters as well—such as pictures that could strike up a story idea, songs, news articles, experiences in your own life, etc.
  7. Write your book as if it will get published one day. This is important, because many aspiring authors think they’re just wasting their time working on their book, especially when they have no idea if it’ll be published. However, that’s not the point. Even if your story never gets published, then at least you’ll be able to say that you finished a book. You’ll learn a lot about writing a book simply by writing one. Continue working on your story, and refuse to quit until you’ve reached the end.
  8. Write to make money. Just because you’re not an author doesn’t mean you can’t receive an income by freelance writing. There are several opportunities you can find through Craigslist or Google. Even if it’s just a small income, it’s a discipline, it’s practice, and you get paid without having to leave your house.
  9. Create a schedule and stick with it. It may be difficult to find time to write as a teenager. However, treat yourself as if you are already an author by squeezing in time and forcing yourself to get the work done without any distractions.
  10. Be professional. This is true with any job, and writing is no different. Even if it’s not technically your career yet, treat it like it is. Make sure that your blog and website are clean and professional. Don’t slack. Stay organized.

I can assure you that—if you spend your time preparing for your publication journey, you will be far ahead of many writers who don’t decide to do so until they’re out of college. Many people tend to skip this preparation period. They may write a book without building platform or even informing themselves about the industry before sending out their proposal. It might take a while for them to find success, if they ever do. However, if you spend the time you have now wisely by using it to prepare for your career, then it is likely that your publication journey won’t take extremely long once you take that first step.



~~~

Do you think it’s best for teenagers to pursue publication as a teen or wait until they’re in their twenties? Are there any other steps that I left out? How has (or would have) preparing for publication been an advantage for you? 

PS: Be sure to stay tuned for the launch of my video blog on June 28th! Also, I was interviewed recently by Brittney Breakey at Author Turf. Click here to learn about what inspired me to write Purple Moon, the books that have influenced my life the most, the thing I find most challenging in writing, etc. 

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

"Perfect Clouds" Blog Tour: "Perfect Glass" by Laura Anderson Kurk Book Review


Back Cover Blurb:

Things get messy when Meg Kavanagh gets involved—first with Jo Russell, the eccentric old artist, and then with Quinn O’Neill, the intriguing loner who can’t hide how he feels about Meg. Her senior year isn’t turning out like she planned it, but sometimes the best parts of life happen in the in-between moments. And Henry will be home soon, right?

He commits to one year in an orphanage that needs him more than he ever dreamed. Thousands of miles from Meg and the new punk who has fallen for her, and absent from the ranch that’s in his blood, Henry Whitmire finds out what it means to trust. When you’re so far from home, it’s terrifying to realize you’re not who you thought. But the perfect glass of calamity makes the best mirror.

An identity crisis, long distance love, new temptation, and growing pains teach Henry and Meg how to hang onto each other and to what really matters.

From YA author Laura Anderson Kurk comes the sequel to Glass Girl, a lyrical, multi-generational story about love that teaches, loss that haunts empty rooms, and reunions that feel like redemption.

My Thoughts:

While reading Glass Girl a couple of years ago, I fell in love with it. Now, Perfect Glass—the much anticipated sequel to Glass Girl—had me head over heels in love all over again.

Laura Anderson Kurk's writing is so genuine that I actually found myself completely convinced that I was either watching a movie, or watching the story play out in real life. Perfect Glass couldn't have been a more "perfect" continuation of Henry and Meg's love story. Many authors can't conquer the art of writing in multiple POVs—however, Laura has mastered the art of staying true to each character's voice while telling the story through both Meg and Henry's POV. Her writing was also very quotable. In fact, I found myself trying to highlight a few sentences while I read on my Kindle, only to remember that I was reading the PDF version of this book.

Laura Kurk has a knack for creating characters that will completely capture your heart, including the secondary characters. You will not find any cliché characters or plot threads while reading Glass Girl or Perfect Glass. Laura’s stories are like a breath of fresh air in the YA market. She seems to understand and relate to what it's truly like to be a teenager and portrays that with such skill and finesse. So if you are looking for a clean YA Christian book that is far from preachy, I highly recommend this sequel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why Nicaragua?: Behind the Scenes Blurb

Readers of Glass Girl and Perfect Glass invariably ask me “Why Nicaragua?” It’s a valid question. Henry’s sister and brother-in-law are heavily invested in that country, and Henry devotes the year after his high school graduation to the children at a Nicaraguan orphanage.
When I was plotting Glass Girl, and ultimately Perfect Glass, I had friends who had just been devastated by the same thing that happens to the orphanage in Perfect Glass. They were directing an orphanage in that country when the government began enforcing Programa Amor or the “Program of Love.” Their children were removed and their orphanage had to morph into something entirely different—a school for the community and for preachers in training. I remember the prayers that went up for this situation and the desperate feeling of not knowing where the children they loved had been taken.
At the same time, we were supporting others who were attempting to hold orphanages together in the country and watching them go through really difficult situations that were out of their hands.  Watching God work through these people to help this country and to bring peace was a moving experience for me.
I wanted to see what would happen to Henry, the all-American boy accustomed to being able to do anything, if I put him in an impossible situation like that. Is it true that leaders in American will be leaders elsewhere in the world? Does being an American give us a free pass in our work in other countries? What happens to a boy like Henry when his citizenship doesn’t make a difference and his ability to lead is made less effective?
Henry learns so much about himself as a man and as a servant while in Nicaragua. He learns that it’s when we face calamity that we truly see ourselves. He learned that God saves one soul at a time and His work is powerful and personal.

Putting him in Nicaragua, out of his comfort zone, made all the difference.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Secret Message:

At each stop of the tour, Laura Anderson Kurk is giving a secret letter for the day. Collect the letters at each stop on the tour so you can put them together for the final secret message reveal!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 About the author:

Laura Anderson Kurk writes unconventional and bittersweet contemporary YA. Her debut novel, Glass Girl, and its sequel, Perfect Glass, are available now from Playlist Young Adult Fiction. Laura lives in Texas with her husband and two children.

Buy "Perfect Glass" on Amazon or Smashwords

Learn more about the author via her websiteTwitterFacebookPinterestPlaylist FictionGoodreads, or Amazon author page.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Giveaway:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Perfect Clouds" Tour Stops:

Saturday, June 1 –  Laura Anderson Kurk

Sunday, June 2 –  Rajdeep Paulus
Monday, June 3 –  Melanie Brasher


Tuesday, June 4 –  Tessa Emily Hall YOU ARE HERE!

Wednesday, June 5 – 
Melissa Tagg

Thursday, June 6 –  ReganStar McBeigh

Friday, June 7 –  April Hamrick

Monday, June 10 –  Diana Garner

Tuesday, June11 –  Stephanie Karfelt

Wednesday, June 12 – Bethany Baldwin

Thursday, June 13 –  Kim Vandel

Friday, June 14 –  Sarah Tipton

Monday, June 17 –  Jennifer Watrous

Tuesday, June 18 – Marni Jarman

Wednesday, June 19 –  Peggy Warren

Thursday, June 20 –  Bethany Jett

Friday, June 21 –   Cynthia Toney

Monday, June 24 –  Summer Andrews

Tuesday, June 25 –  Arlette Geuverink

Wednesday, June 26 – Jennifer Murgia

Thursday, June 27 - JoJo Sutis