It’s a Confidence Thing

So I've been asked to post a blog on the HarperTeen site—as an author? Is this really happening to me?

You see, when I was your age, I wouldn't have dared admit that I longed to be a writer. For a girl like me from a small (very small) town, it seemed like too big a dream. I thought that to be a writer, you had to be a genius—like Charlotte Brontë. Or failing that, you had to be sophisticated, glamorous, and miraculously intelligent. Anything but me.

What I was really telling myself was that I didn’t have the confidence to try. So I admire you guys with the guts to submit your work to this competition. You’ve made the first step!

Where did I eventually find the confidence to dig out my hidden scraps of stories and let them grow? When I realized I had to get on with it now, and not just dream about it. When I had the support of my fantastic husband. When I knew I had life experience that I wanted to write about. When I allowed myself to think of writing as fun, not some impossible goal. And then I wrote The Actual Real Reality of Jennifer James, in which the heroine finds her own inner confidence by surviving a series of comical mishaps on a reality TV show.…

Have you got the confidence to say, "I’m going to be a published writer?" If not, where are you going to find it? Are the people around you building your confidence up, or bringing it down?

Gillian Shields
Author of The Actual Real Reality of Jennifer James

On Writer's Block

I have a confession. Very recently, I suffered from a devastating bout of "writer's block." I include the quotation marks to imply (unsubtly) that I'm not a huge fan of the term. In fact, I dislike the term so much that until this summer, I refused to acknowledge that it even existed. I scoffed at colleagues who claimed to have suffered from this…whatever-you-want-to-call-this-awful-thing.

Then I caught it. It starts insidiously. I used to tell people who asked: "Come on! If you're having trouble writing, crack open a novel—just read—and you'll get inspired!" I still believe the advice has some validity, at least when not proclaimed by me with an idiotic smile. But when I found myself reading fourteen hours a day and writing zero hours, I became concerned. (On the plus side, I did read a lot of great books.) It's sort of like those "Expect Delays" signs you see on the highway when you've already been stuck in traffic for five hours…Yeah, no kidding. We're delayed.

So now I pose: Have any of you ever suffered writer’s block? Please share. You know…if only to make me feel better about myself.

Daniel Ehrenhaft
Author of Drawing a Blank

The Writer's Life

Writers need to live the writer's life not only when they're writing, but even when they're eating dinner, riding the bus, and talking to their friends on the phone. But how is a "writer's life" different than anyone else's life?

Writers have to pay attention. As a writer, you have to be the person in the room mentally jotting down the interesting exchanges between people, and the way the light falls on the wall-to-wall carpet. The great writer Henry James said, "Be one on whom nothing is lost." How?

First, look around yourself in search of new things, all the time. Listen for startling ideas, bits of information. Watch people to see what kinds of quirks make them unique. Carry a notebook and write down your observations immediately before you forget them. Be alert for moments when something ordinary, like standing in a line, seems suddenly strange: Those are the times when the curtain is torn for just a moment between yourself and a bigger reality. And that's where writing comes from—that place where you and the bigger world intersect.

Start your writer's life today, and send me a post telling me what surprising things you noticed!

Laura Kasischke
Author of Boy Heaven

Three Chapters Down, Three More to Go

That's right, everyone, we're at the halfway point and the submissions are getting better and better. It's great to see that we have some regulars hitting the top 10 week after week, but it's also really cool that each week, the top 10 has some new faces (er, screennames). It shows that everyone really does have a chance in this competition and hard work pays off. Just look at this week's winner, MerryDay. She was So Close last week, but was edged out in the final voting. Did she give up? Nope. She came back this week with an even stronger chapter, scoring two author picks, and the popular vote. Not too shabby.

Speaking of So Close, although they didn't make it to the top 10, the ThisClose chapters in this round had a lot of fantastic qualities, like strong openings (including a proposed club with Rip Van Winkle — very funny), creative ways to explain talking to the mirror (Energy Expulsion, anyone? Apparently it's all the rage), and astute methods for getting rid of Dave (the mirror using every negative thought Jane has ever had about Dave was a particularly smart tactic — clever, realistic and heartbreaking all at the same time).

So, enjoy your Thanksgiving leftovers while dreaming up brilliant chapters for Jane's continuing story.

See you next week (and can't wait to see where Jane ends up).

Farrin Jacobs
Executive Editor, HarperTeen

Where Did That Come From?

The first day of my 7th-grade English class, the teacher assigned us a short story to read. The next day, we had a quiz. The first question was, "Who is the author of the story?"

I didn't know. It had never occurred to me to think about who wrote the things that I read. I just sort of assumed that books and stories magically appeared on shelves for me to pick up. Like milk. I mean, who drinks milk and thinks about the cows who made it, right? You just buy it and dunk your Oreos in it.

That short story was "The Lottery," and the author was Shirley Jackson. Once I knew her name, I started thinking about her. What was she like? Why did she write "The Lottery" (which, if you haven't read it, is only the best short story ever)?

Later, I read a biography of Shirley Jackson and found out a lot more about this fascinating writer. Then I went back and re-read a lot of her work, looking for ways her life found its way into her books. And I've done it with other authors I love: John Steinbeck, Flannery O'Connor, Carson McCullers, just to name a few. Knowing something about the people who write the books that are important to you can make reading them a whole new experience.

Something else happens when you learn more about the authors of your favorite books—you see that they're real people. Just like you. Sure, some of them have unusual lives. But most of them are people who simply see the world in extraordinary ways and write about it. And that's what writing is, putting your story on paper and letting people know how you see the world.

Who are some of your favorite authors, and what can you find out about their lives? And, more important, what do you have to say about the world you live in?

Jenny Collins
Author of First Kisses 3: Puppy Love (Coming soon!)

What I'm Thankful For

It's Thanksgiving, and you know what that means—being thankful…for pumpkin pie.

I'm also thankful that there are so many amazing books for teens out there. As much as I loved those girl detectives and wacky blonde twins, I always felt like there was something missing from the teen section of my bookstore when I was younger.

Now, that section is huge. There's something for everyone, and it's all so good. Even now that I'm an "adult," I still shop in the teen section for all the fantastic books. I'm thankful that when I do, I only get weird looks once in a while.

I'm also thankful for this contest, because now you guys get to create exactly the kind of fiction you want to find in the bookstore—a story you've tailor-made, through voting and writing, to be exactly right for you. I didn't think anything could be better than pumpkin pie, but this might beat it. Or at least tie.

So, thank you, FanLit members! Keep writing and voting! And tell me—what are you thankful for this year?

Amanda Maciel
Editor, HarperTeen

luv/h8

Hey guys and gals!

I'm working on my latest book, Waking Up to Boys (the title's kind of a pun, since the main character, Chelsea, is a kick-ass wakeboarder), and I'm thinking a lot about, well, boys. You may notice that the word "boys" is in the titles of most of my books. So maybe I'm a little boy-crazy, no surprise there!

Anyway… In the book, Chelsea's big conflict is this love-hate situation she's got with a (ridiculously hot) wakeboarding instructor. She is head-over-heels for him, but thinks they could never be together because he's just as competitive as she is. And if she spends too much time staring at his biceps while he drives the boat, she's likely to fall heels-over-head into the lake.

And then I got to thinking about all the great romances based on the love-hate dynamic…Elizabeth and Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, Patrick and Katarina in 10 Things I Hate About You, oh it's great stuff. Seriously, if you're ever stuck in a story, try writing a love-hate relationship—it doesn't have to be romantic (it works on friends, family, you name it!), and it's got a built-in objective (what you love) and obstacle (what you hate) all in one. Sweet!!!

So then I thought about FanLit, and writing in general, and how the love-hate thing kind of applies here, too. I mean, you all love writing—that's why you're here! But at the same time, it's tons of work and you have to face things like rejection, or self-doubt, or editors who want to change everything you liked about your book in the first place.

But, like when you meet the right someone, no matter how wrong for you they may seem, you just know. And it's the same thing with writing. You have to deal with all the angst and with those "hatas" telling you that you should choose a more stable career (like becoming a lawyer) or better yet, that you should marry rich. And you have to go to crazy lengths to overcome your own fears and insecurities and toss your pride to the wind. But it's worth it, to be doing what you love. Right?

Ever had a love-hate relationship? Spill the beans!

Hailey Abbott
Author of The Secrets of Boys

A Majorly Great Writing Lesson

I didn't think of it myself; a writer friend of mine figured it out, then shared it with me.

"It's not 'write what you know,'" she told me. "It's 'write what you love.'"

At first I thought, that can't be right. Everybody knows you can only write accurately about something that you've lived through or experienced firsthand.

But then I realized something: I can tell, when I'm reading a book, whether the author loved what s/he was writing. And when authors do love what they write, those books are the ones that sweep me up and take me into their world. And it's true that when I write something I don't love, I get bored and quit. Whereas if I love what I'm working on, I get in a frenzy to learn all I can about how a football player's hip pads are attached, or how much blood a vampire can drink before his victim passes out. If I love my story, I'm only happy when I'm immersed in the same world that my characters live in.

So it turns out my friend was 100% right.

Which imaginary worlds or characters do you love?

A. M. Jenkins
Author of Beating Heart: A Ghost Story

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

Like most authors, I'm often asked where I get my ideas. One of my novels was inspired by a movie I had seen. Another was inspired by an article in a magazine. Another time it was a "What if?" question that popped into my head. Sometimes I'll come up with a title first and try to create a plot around that.

For my novel Is He Or Isn't He?, the premise of the book was given to me by my editor. She called me up and said, "Would you like to write a book about two best friends—a gay guy and a straight girl—who both develop crushes on the new guy at their high school and they don't know if he's gay or straight?" Of course my answer was yes!

From that point, it was like building a house. Who would the gay guy be? Who would the straight girl be? Why were they friends? As the questions kept popping into my head, so did the answers. I'd scribble them down, and soon I had pages of notes which I then shaped into an outline.

So, where do you get your ideas?

John Hall
Author of Is He Or Isn't He?

Color Me Impressed

And you guys were worried about writing in a funny first-person voice. Pfft. I can't tell you how many times I laughed out loud while perusing the submissions. There were so many funny descriptions, exchanges and situations. You all are an impressive lot.

What's especially neat about this week's top 10 is how varied the group was. We had writers from age 21 on down to 14 – and, not only did we even have a 16-year-old guy among the ranks, but that guy won. (Congrats, Jesse!)

One of the great things about HarperTeen FanLit is that the story can truly go anywhere. Whatever pops into your head and then out onto the page (er, screen) can dictate what happens to Jane. In the winning chapter, Jane skipped a year of her life. But this week’s ThisClose chapters included a game of hoops, some helpful acrobatics (backflip into Max's arms, anyone? Or perhaps sliding down the stairwell railing is an easier way to go?), the Wicked Witch of the West, a clairvoyant, friends and family members who aren’t exactly solid... Basically, a lot of really fun, inventive stuff.

So, keep those chapters coming, everyone. The prizes are awesome, sure. But what's really important is that Jane can't find out what happens next unless you help her!

Farrin Jacobs
Executive Editor, HarperTeen

I Spy

Most of the writers I know have at least one bizarre habit. One locks his manuscripts in the freezer so that, if the house burns down, at least his work is safe. Another refuses to speak a word until she’s finished her ten pages of the day. As for me, I spy on people. I know it’s wrong, but I just can’t help myself; I spy, I snoop, I eavesdrop, and then – even worse – I write down everything I’ve learned.

I think I started spying after I moved to New York and started riding the subways, which are always populated by a great collection of characters: people fighting or making up, people on their way to dates or visiting the city from distant continents. In fact, several of the people I’ve spied on in the subway have become characters in my books – the teenage boy with the septum ring and the violin case, the well-dressed woman accusing her boyfriend of liking someone else.

Watching people and listening to them trains me to pay attention to the way real people act, the things they say, the way they approach the world. It’s fascinating, and it’s great research for a writer.

Have I been caught? Sure. Yelled at? Um, once or twice. But I think that, in order to create believable characters, it’s worth the risk of embarrassing myself and even invading someone else’s privacy a little bit. I tell myself it’s valuable investigation work – but even if it weren’t, I don’t think I’d be able to stop. Strangers are just too interesting to ignore!

Have any good spying stories?

Jessie Elliot
Author of Girls Dinner Club

I Thought I Had Pickles

Instead of working on this book that’s due yesterday, I thought I'd write a little bit about FANS. First, I gotta say that writing for me is like this: You spend day after day alone in your small house/apartment/shanty (depending on how well your books are selling), but usually we are talking shanty, developing the habit of saying things out loud like "I thought I had pickles." You turn the book in to your editor and avoid your e-mail for a few days because you're not sure how one can get fired from being an author, but you're pretty sure it happens via e-mail. You sit on the stoop and look very cynical and world-weary, which you imagine is a writerly way to look. Then, if things are going well, your editor tells you your book is great and you feel really good until the idea occurs to you that because you are such a mediocre writer they must have stuck you with an editor who has no idea what he/she is doing (note to my editors: sorry).

So, you may ask, what does this have to do with fans?

Because somewhere between writing and the long process in which you begin to see your book in stores and wonder, who is the person who actually wrote that because I do remember something about someone in pajamas with crazy hair, but it certainly couldn't have been me, there is a genuine, bright, true and lasting moment, and that is when you meet (or hear from) someone to whom your book means something. I doubt many fans realize how much difference they make to the writers they like. I'm here to tell you, it matters more than just about anything else. So thanks for being book fans.

How do you feel about sharing your writing with other people?

Jodi Lynn Anderson
Author of The Secrets of Peaches

Take that, Writer's Block!

Homer: Marge, I'm confused. Is this a happy ending or a sad ending?
Marge: It's an ending, that's enough.

Whenever I think of Writer's Block, I’m always reminded of this exchange at the end of one of my favorite episodes of The Simpsons.

I'd love to tell you that I wake every morning, fresh as a petunia, and the words just pour out onto the page with no problem. No way. We’ve all suffered from a case of W.B. You reach that point where you can't, for the life of you, think of anything to write down. Whether it's an email to a friend, a blog (wink, wink), or your continuation of The Peril of Persephone. You've got Max and Jane alone in a room together and then... BLANK. The Creativity Gods pull the rug out from under you.

So, though I'm not expert, I thought I'd pass along my Top Four Ways to Whip Writer's Block.

1) Napping – Seriously, who doesn't love a good nap? Sometimes the best thing to do when you can't go on is to lie down and let your subconscious take care of the rest. You may just wake up with that great idea at your fingertips.

2) Vomit on the Page/Screen – Don't worry, I'm speaking figuratively here. If you take me literarily, it'll be very messy and you'll probably end up with a malfunctioning computer. Sometimes the best thing you can do is to just write whatever comes to mind. Get it down, even if it feels like you're just vomiting on the page, and revise later.

3) Do Jumping Jacks – If you get out of your writer's chair and begin doing this, make sure you're all alone. You don't want to be labeled the "freak" of the household. But there's nothing that clears the head like cardio. So pick your poison: pilates, yoga, jumping jacks, or Tae Bo.

4) Chatter with Best Friends – Go to coffee. Or lunch. A little giggling goes a long way. Maybe someone will say something that strikes a chord or gives you an idea or maybe you'll see someone at Starbucks who looks exactly like the character that's going to move your story along to its fantastic finish.

Anybody else have any tips?

Anyway, keep writing. And when you're finished, pat yourself on the back. Because Marge is right. Writing is hard. Just getting to the end is enough of an accomplishment.

Jennifer Anne Kogler
Author of Ruby Tuesday

On the Chopping Block

Okay, this can only be 200 words, which brings me to my advice:

Cut. It. Out.

Yes, you.

Do not be afraid to cut stuff that you've written, if it isn't working for your story.

Think of your non-working scene or character as someone tall sitting in front of you at the movies. That person might be great, funny, hilarious even, or maybe not so much, actually, but so what. He or she is in your way! And you totally want to see the movie, not the back of someone’s head.

You can't ever be so in love with what you've written that you can't let it go for the benefit of your BIG story. Cutting is like setting your work free. You open up this big hole in your book, which is scary. The area needs to be roped off so your characters don't fall into it.

Leave it for a few days. See what happens. See what emerges to take its place. See what other scenes and characters can now breathe.

Now. How do you feel about your powers to create, destroy, and re-create? Kinda...goddess-like?

(Wait--should I cut that last part...?)

Catherine Clark
Author of Icing on the Lake

One Chapter Down… the Whole Rest of the Story to Go!

Wow. I mean, really, wow. When we started this whole HarperTeenFanLit thing, we knew it was going to be fun. We thought for sure it would be popular. We hoped we'd get some great submissions... But over 2,000 chapters??? What a happy surprise! You guys are the best.

I'm sure you could tell from watching the top 10 battle royale, where three of the chapters were pretty much locked in one-point-difference combat the whole time, that this can be a close race. You have no idea just how close. You know all about the top 10 though; I want to spend a little time talking about some of the other chapters. So many good submissions came in and of course they couldn't all make it to the top 10. Among the elements of the thisclose chapters were a bikini malfunction, a clown troupe, an Evil Clan of cheerleaders, a mysterious ring, Mirror Max, a water-resistant Jane, some Chickettes, the story told from Max's point of view... and too many more fantastic ideas to call out. Don't be discouraged if your submission didn't make it this time. Each chapter is a brand-new round in the game, and yours has as good a chance as anyone's to make it to the top this time.

As you start on chapter 2, keep in mind what's already been established: the characters, the story, the tone. Just because you're not EllaEnchanted, this week's winner, doesn't mean you can't carry on her story. The fun and the challenge is to take what she started and develop it further, putting your own spin on it while making sure that it reads like a new chapter in the same story. Remember: This is your story. You and you and you and you and... well, you get the idea, right?

Now get writing. This story isn't going to write itself!

Farrin Jacobs
Executive Editor, HarperTeen

It Takes Two

We know, we know: the word "coauthor" sounds weird. Peeps don't get it. Well hey, that's because it is weird. Writing together can be challenge or it can be easy—it all depends on the team's sensibility. Just because it's different, don't let that stop you and your BFF from cowriting a story or novel or movie together! Here are some frequently asked questions from our book tours and readings and maybe the answers will clarify the process and inspire you to team up with a pal and make your funny observations, romantic stories, adventures, or fantasies available for others to share.

I don't get it—How the eff can two people write together?

Crazy-sounding, right? But we think alike in so many ways and can literally complete each other's sentences. Our method basically could not exist without e-mail. Before writing each novel, we sit down together and map out a really succinct, air-tight outline—usually about 20 pages, with the entire story, each little plot turn, etc. Then we get crackin'—each will do a chapter and e-mail it to the other. Then, because we do not get bruised egos, we give each other free reign o' the red pencil and edit the chapters to our hearts’ content. The result is a layered voice with both of our styles everywhere and people really can't tell who wrote what.

So without e-mail people can't write together?

No. In fact, when we started our first project together, a crappy indie film called Intern that went to Sundance, we wrote it side by side on Carrie's mom's dining room table. We took turns typing and walking around the room. That method was actually more fun because we'd laugh hysterically as we'd basically act out the conversations and dialogue. But realistically, it does take way more time. It's much faster to bang out a chapter solo without distractions and laughter, and then have the other person edit and then add their own chapter.

My BFF and I spend all our time together. Does that mean we could cowrite something?

Sit down to craft that outline and make sure you truly think the same way. There are plenty of close friends—even sisters—who love and adore each other to death, but may not be cut out to be writing partners. The voices have to be very similar, so you literally can weave together the two styles and have the end result be seamless. But if you have someone who completes your thoughts, writing can be twice as fun!

Jill Kargmanand Carrie Karasyov
Authors of Bittersweet Sixteen

Hollaback, Girl! We’re All Ears

Writing a magazine feature is kind of a strange plan when you think about it. There's something a little off. I write it and you read it, each of us in a solitary vacuum. You tell other people if you liked it. But not me. I'll never know if a) you read it; b) you liked it; c) what it made you think about; d) if it had any impact on you whatsoever. I could spend hours crafting what I think is the world's most flawless sentence but really, who cares (except me, maybe). Which is why, when we planned the recent relaunch of ELLEgirl.com, I jumped at the chance to change the way editors, writers, and readers relate to each other.

On the new site, when a writer posts a story, readers can instantly say exactly what they think of it, share it with friends, or talk to each other about some of the issues raised in the story. And, as an editor, I can learn from readers' responses! It seems so simple, yet this is the first time as an editor that I can finally get on the other side of that wall to talk with readers. Now that makes some sense, I think. Maybe I'll write about it…good idea?

How do you feel about getting feedback on what you write about?

Anne Sachs
Executive Editor, ELLEgirl

You Are Staring at a Blank Page

"Ha, ha, ha!" the blank page laughs. "What have you got, chicken??!!!"

Do not be intimidated by the blank page, though, for you have Ideas. And everyone knows how dangerous those can be. You are powerful, persuasive, armed with a pen—okay, a keyboard. While many believe you are unresponsive, ungrateful, and worst of all…undressed, and it’s past noon on a Sunday, thoughts swirl in your head. Little do they know that these thoughts hold massive influence, that they are unrelenting vortices of energy behind your bedroom door, and you are going to change the world with your words, because they hold…The Truth.

The Truth about that girl who accidentally-on-purpose bumped into you yesterday in Hallway A, or how half your sophomore class deserves little mustaches drawn on their yearbook pictures. Mwa-ha-ha-ha…

But then, The Voice of When You Were in Kindergarten and Fell Down in Front of a Whole Class of Second Graders as They Laughed at You creeps in. This voice loves to torture you, make you feel like you cannot write. But you know The Truth—that you can write. Because you are. Because you think. Because you are an Author, and nobody has to validate this for you. You’ve always been one, ever since you started writing in that diary with a real lock and key, even before you signed up for this writing contest on HarperTeenFanLit.com.

So send The Voice into Time-Out, and show the Blank Page who’s in charge.

You are.

So do it.

Get writing.

Gaby Triana
Author of Cubanita

What I Know

I write about a pretentious world. But the truth is that I'm actually a basic kind of girl. So of course a lot of people have asked me why this is what I choose to write about. Well, I'll tell you. I grew up surrounded by extremely rich people, and I have to admit that sometimes I had a very hard time sorting out what was really normal for the rest of the world. Most people don't go shopping for a car at sixteen, and when they can't decide between two, buy both. Right? But that was something I saw . . . a lot.

This was the world I knew about, and as I got older I started to realize that it was filled with incredible stories, too many to go untold—and only someone on the inside could do them any justice. I really wanted to capture as much of that world as I could and as many of the people in it as possible. As I writer, I learned that to make a story work, I had to use what I know. So I took all the juicy details from my life and thought about all the crazy characters I've known—myself included—and gave them all my own twist.

"If your characters are based on real people, which one are you" readers ask me all the time. "Are you Liz or Adrienne" Well, it's not as simple as that. I love to think I'm like Liz: cool, responsible, elegant, and organized. But one look at my closet will tell you I'm actually a big chunk of Adrienne: messy, flirty, and spontaneous. And I guess I have a little bad-girl Cameron in me, too—I certainly know my way around the accessories floor at Bergdorf's like Cam, and yes, I know a lot of famous people. But unlike Cam, I'm a good friend and I value honesty and decent behavior. I've definitely learned that getting what you want isn't as important as keeping what is real and grounded in your life, no matter how crazy that life is.

But as true as a lot of the stories are, the most important thing to remember is that I didn't only write "Confessions" to tell you what I know, but also to give you a good time. I wanted to show you a world most people never see and share the real-life lessons that I learned (like Liz and Adrienne) way too late: value your friends, stay loyal, and keep a good head on your shoulders.

Oh, and only hit Barneys during the warehouse sale, and NEVER forget to moisturize.

Victoria Ashton
Author of Confessions of a Teen Nanny #3: Juicy Secrets

My Best Friend Is a Superhero, and All I Got Was This Lousy Near-Death Experience

Willow Rosenberg. Neville Longbottom. Calvin O'Keefe. Lilly Moscovitz. Logan Echolls (dreamy sigh).

Sure, they're not the ones who save the world or inherit the kingdom. They're not the stars of the story (although sometimes they might think they are!). Imagine if your best friend was Buffy or Harry or Mia—you'd probably be thinking, ruh-roh...I might be a sidekick!

But being a sidekick doesn't necessarily mean you're boring, right? We love them all because the authors (or TV show writers) made them hilarious or surprising or adorable in a way we hadn't seen before. They're not empty nobodies who only say: "You're so right about how to kill that vampire" or "No, it doesn't make you look fat." They have personalities of their own. So take a minute and think about your smaller characters. How can you make them as fun to write about as your hero?

Some things to think about:

What are they obsessed with?
Who do they love? (This could be the answer to the first question, too!)
Do they have any secrets they're hiding from the main character?
Would they want to be the hero of the story, if they could?
What makes them mad?
Why are they friends with the hero? (Or. . . why are they not?)
What would their theme song be?

Of course your hero/heroine is the first character you have to develop. . . but don't forget the little people! I love writing about these side characters because they can be as funny or weird or important as I want them to be. Think about Jane's friends, or her annoying sibling, or the mysterious Max. What makes them unique, too? (Do any of them also have paranormal powers?)

Who are your favorite supporting characters? They can be from books, TV, or movies. What made them stand out? Why do you like them? Who in your life would make a great supporting character in a story?

Tui Sutherland
Author of Avatars, Book One: So This Is How It Ends

Amazing Writers!!!!

I really admire all of you for joining this contest—writing is SO hard! I guess that's why I'm an editor instead of an author : ). I thought I'd share a little about my own writing endeavors...

I once signed up for this comp class where we'd read and discuss each other's short stories. I had an easy time telling OTHER people what would make their writing better, but when it came to my own stories, there is no pretty way to say this: they sucked. I got really embarrassed whenever it was my turn.

One was supposed to be about this guy who finds out his girlfriend is cheating on him. At that point in my life, I hadn't exactly had a billion boyfriends. (I was shy!) Now I can safely say that I had NO IDEA what I was talking about in that story. I think the best praise I got was that I described the girl's eyelashes well. So, yeah, writing what you don't know? That was mistake #1.

Anyway, the teacher would call me into his office and say things like "Now Lexa. What would Lexa say if she read Lexa's story?" I'd be like "I don't know. I guess that's why I'm TAKING YOUR STUPID CLASS." He never helped me learn how to make my stories better, he just made me feel like an idiot.

Mistake number 2? Caring what he thought.

I finally went to another teacher I liked and I told her how frustrated I was. She said it isn't your fault if you don't click with a teacher. Kinda like relationships—they just don't always work out. You have to move on. So I signed up for a poetry class the next year. And I even got a couple of my poems published!

Then I got a job at HarperCollins that I LOVE. So all I'm saying is, keep on trying and if one thing isn't working, move on to the next. . . song lyrics, movie reviews, epic verse, whathaveyou!

Did any of you ever have an experience that made you think you should just give up?

Lexa Hillyer
Associate Editor, HarperTeen

Making Plans

Once there was a girl who had a thing about planning. She hated having a set itinerary for Saturday night, and it annoyed her that school had to stick to a schedule. The girl's cousin, who mapped out everything in her life to fifteen-minute increments, made her break out in hives. She didn't like planning out her novels, either. While her writer friends often told her that they already knew the endings of novels they just started, she wanted the stories to be in control, as free as plastic bags caught in the wind. Knowing what was going to happen was boring, structured, predictable. So like her parents. Of course, it took her sixty times longer to finish a story. But that was the artiste way, right?

And then. . . someone bought her book project—a complicated book project with four main characters, a mystery, a killer, a stalker, tons of secrets, and flashbacks from past to present. She got a deadline and had to figure out a bunch of things fast. It didn't take long to realize that the plastic bag in the wind thing wasn't going to fly.

Outline, a voice whispered in her head. Just try it. So she reluctantly did. And within a few hours, she had mapped out chapter one. And two. And three and six and eleven. The outline helped her figure out how the characters would get from A to B, and it gave her moments to work toward. It didn't stifle her artistic process. And she got the book done on time.

OK, the girl is me. Now the outline and I are kind of friends. Sometimes I use an outline a lot, intricately planning each chapter. Other times I jot down just a couple of sentences to keep my story on track. It's not like the outline has solved all my problems—I still get stuck on plot, and sometimes I outline a story that, when writing, I realize doesn't work. And just because I write an outline doesn't mean it has to run my writing like a controlling boyfriend. I might think of a better scene that's not in the outline, and I just go with it. I use a 70-30 rule: 70% of my story sticks loosely to the outline, 30% can veer off somewhere else, if needed. And I'm not even breaking out in hives.

Do you outline your stories? Or do you like to just let stuff happen?

Sara Shepard
Author of Pretty Little Liars

The Other Characters in a Writer's Life

There are many characters you will meet in your career as a writer, not all of them on the page. Here are a few to watch out for:

The Encouraging Teacher
She sees your ink-stained form hunched over your Hilroy composition notebook and she says, "I do believe you're going to be a writer, Susan Juby!"
Keep her words close to your heart. You may need them later on.

The Less-Encouraging Teacher
He'll say things like, "Susan, would you please stop writing and pay attention or you're going to fail the quiz on equivalent fractions. Writing won't get you into college!"
He may have a point. So keep writing, but pay attention in math class.

The Concerned Parent
"You're going to be a what? In other words you're planning to live at home forever. Could someone PLEASE get me an aspirin?"
Don't worry about concerned parents. They'll come around, especially if you eventually move out. And pass your math exams.

The Discouraging Friend
"I didn't get your story at all. Are you sure you want to be a writer?"
Disregard. Note time and location of insult in order to remind so-called friend about it later, when you get published and win major literary award.

The Supportive Friend
"I loved it! OMIGOD you are a genius!"
Cultivate this friend like the precious flower she is, but keep in mind that she might not be completely objective. Temper her comments with those of the Less-Encouraging Teacher.

The Disinterested Publisher
"Thank you for sending us your work. Unfortunately, due to the volume of submissions, we are no longer accepting unsolicited manuscripts."
Weep quietly when not raging against the unfairness of it all. Then disregard and do things like participate in the HarperTeen FanLit project.

The Editor Who Eventually Publishes Your Work
"I love your story and we would like to publish it. I do have a few suggestions, however."
Dance, sing, shout with joy. You have found your greatest ally. Send flowers to the Encouraging Friend and get to work on your revisions.

The Reader Who Doesn't Like Your Story
"Dear Ms. Juby, I really didn't care for your story."
Rejoice that the hater got to read your story at all!

The Reader Who Loves Your Story
One of the most important characters you will meet in your whole writing life.

I have a whole group of people who read my stories at different stages (the most important, of course, is my editor). Who do you ask to read your work? Who encourages you in your writing—and who doesn't?

Susan Juby
Author of Alice MacLeod, Realist at Last