If You Want to Write...

The latest in our weekly blog series about... hmm.... writing, maybe?

Therapeutic Writing

Write it out.

The sort-of sad part about developing yourself as a writer, is that nothing is sacred in your personal life. Or rather: nothing should be sacred. Are you dealing with depression? are your parents divorced? is your little sister demon-possessed? do you have a wonderful home life? is school your passion?

You need to write about it.

I'm not a great short story writer. Novels work better for me. But still I write short stories because the medium allows me to express something within five pages. My diary is another place to do this. Giving therapy-- or merely creative outlet-- on paper (or virtual, Microsoft Word paper) is so much easier than talking to people, and it can help you realize what you love or hate about a given situation.

This also makes for much better writing.

Jennifer Weiner is the highly successful women's fiction writer who writes constantly about divorce. She pokes fun at herself, knowing that this is a common theme because of her own parents' divorce. Her books, on the surface, seem like chicklit, but you can still cry whenever you read her because the pain that comes with a dysfunctional family relationship is still there, and you feel it as much as her protagonists do.

Keep it real, man. And I know the posts have been on vaguely depressing topics. We'll cheer up next week, or Sunday because... Robin Wasserman is interviewed!

Contest-- Another Form of Earning Points

If you write about Innovative on your blog, that's +3 points. Make sure to tell me that you do!

Ahoy, Guy WriTeens!

So, I was gathering research (i.e., idling time) by looking for debut YA authors that would be good potential people to interview for bookshelf. I'm booked through January at this point, but I love interviewing authors and I think others enjoy them as well. I was browsing through the www.classof2k7.com website. It's brilliant, because it's made up of thirty or forty debut young adult and children's authors, and I've gotten a lot of names to look up.

However, it made me realize... I don't like reading stereotypical "boy" books. I'm sorry. I'm much more chick flick or girl drama. But boy WriTeens make up a sizable minority of our subscription, and it's no fair that you have to suffer through thousands of books and interviews with chicky authors.

So: a brainstorm.

Would you, Guy WriTeens, be interested in becoming a reviewer/interviewer for Innovative? This is just an idea. I would make all initial contact with the authors, but you would get to interview the said "guy" authors and chat with them about their books. I would also love to receive book reviews of said "guy" books.

I'd be looking for someone 15 or older, who likes (and has time) to read and is inquisitive enough to ask different kinds of questions. You'd have to get back to me fairly quickly (no month-long wait) but you'd be published, you'd get to "meet" cool authors, you can say you are a book reviewer and interviewer for Innovative: A Word for the WriTeen.

What do you think? Girls, feel free to put in your two cents or nominate someone, too. This wouldn't get going until January, but a thought to mull over.

Happy Thanksgiving!

If You Want to Write...

The latest in our weekly blog series about little things you can do to build a writing life...

I want to thank all the people who have entered the Spread the WORD! contest so far. You guys have been amazing. It's still anyone's win at this point, but everyone else: catch up so at least you can get your Post-Its! And the prizes can be interchangeable. If, for example, you already have a copy of Lady of Sherwood, you can have the Surprise Gift instead.

Now, back to "If You Want to Write...."

Burnout happens.

Burnout is kind of happening right now. Susan Johnston (www.theurbanmuse.blogspot.com) posted about it a week or so ago, and got me thinking. Burnout is when you feel like a car running on no gas, when inspiration is visiting a different address, when you're tired and you hate your characters and feel like quitting.

That's burnout.

Burnout is different from inspiration-loss. Look, if you wait to write until you're inspired, you'll be waiting a long time. You won't write, actually. The discipline of writing is writing anyway, always, whenever, however. Burnout is when you are really empty, not just tired.

But fear not! Burnout is neither forever, nor untreatable. The best cures, I've found, are below.

- Take a short break or
- THROW yourself into your book or short-term project.
- Listen to lots of music.
- Take long nature walks.
- Read an article you really disagree with
- Eat really good food.
- Watch a lot of cheesy, feel-good movies
- Or watch one gripping drama
And the best way:
- Read a really, really, really badly written book. I have lots of recommendations but am not going to post them here.

The basic idea is that you want to stimulate and rejuvenate yourself. Remember why you love to write. Remember what excites you. Remember to relax and let your creative pores soak. Remember that burnout's not forever, and soon you'll be flaming to go.

Interview with Mark Peter Hughes

bookshelf

Interview with Mark Peter Hughes, author of Lemonade Mouth and I am the Wallpaper

A former member of an alternative rock band, Mark Peter Hughes was once kicked out of eighth grade music class for throwing a spitball. His novel Lemonade Mouth is a Top 10 BookSense Pick and is nominated as a 2008 ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. His first novel, I am the Wallpaper , was selected as one of the New York Public Library's Best Books for the Teen Age 2006, a BookSense Summer Pick and a finalist in the Delacorte Press Young Adult Novel Competition. Mark lives in Massachusetts with his wife, three young children, and a wild mountain cockapoo.

INN: Where did you get the idea for Lemonade Mouth?

MPH: The idea for Lemonade Mouth came from being in a band. I'm a musician and I've been in a few bands so I know what being in a band feels like. It seems to meet that a band takes on a personality of its own, apart from that of the individual members. It also has its own story arch, with a beginning, middle and ending.

INN: Do you love frozen lemonade, or is there another frozen beverage that's a hidden fave?

MPH: I grew up in Rhode Island, so Del's frozen lemonade has been a summer staple all my life. I love, love, love it. :-)

INN: What was the hardest part about writing this book?

MPH: The hardest part about writing this book was making one story out of five stories. Keeping each of the band-members stories alive and vibrant throughout, while never losing focus on the band itself. This was the challenge I set out for myself when I began.

INN: How did you first break into publishing?

MPH: My first novel, I am the Wallpaper, ended up getting published through the Delacorte Press Young Adult Novel competition.

INN: Any advice for teens who write?

MPH: The best writing tip, I think, is the most obvious—and, unfortunately, likely the dullest. If you want to become a better writer, you have to sit down in a chair and write, write, write. That's the only true way to get better – and it is guaranteed to work.

Thanks, Mark!

You can buy Lemonade Mouth on Amazon by clicking http://www.amazon.com/Lemonade-Mouth-Mark-Peter-Hughes/dp/0385733925/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195360961&sr=1-1.

To learn more about Mark and his books, check out www.markpeterhughes.com .

Stories for Children update

Virginia S. Grenier, editor of Stories for Children (www.storiesforchildren.tripod.com), just sent an email saying that Stories for Children now has two submission editors. If you have a piece to submit, make sure to check the guidelines so you submit it to the correct editor.

Bookshelf Squeals of Excitement

So, tomorrow we're publishing our first author interview, with Mark Peter Hughes (www.markpeterhughes.com) and I'm very, very excited. We'll have two more before the holidays (December 2nd and December 16th) and again, I'm very, very excited.

It's been fabulous to talk to authors about their work; authors of books I enjoy and want to pass around to all of you. I hope all of you enjoy this as much as I have.

If there's an author that you would love to see interviewed, drop a comment or an email to innovativeteen@gmail.com .