Things have been busy at the Fitch Tavern lately. Book Two finally achieved some pen to paper (instead of rattling around in my head). And I'm happy to report the book was picked up for a couple of reviews by national sites, which should increase the visibility to librarians and teachers. Be sure to pick up a copy of Bay State Parents, where the book got a nice mention in the April issue.
Most exciting, however, is the launch of the new website. No longer just a blog, the new Fitch Tavern Tales website includes activities for kids, guides for teachers and lots of room for expansion. Oh, I'll miss the old blog site with its colonial look and feel, but now that I'm a published author (ahem.) I needed an author's website. Kudos to Sue Mildrum at Linio Group for all of her hard work and creativity in getting this new one up and running!
When you have a few minutes, spend some time on the Kids page and let me know what you think of the activities there. I had a lot of fun finding them, but it would also be fun to see if any of the activities actually work the way they are supposed to...and if you or your young readers have a comment OR question, be sure to post it on the site. I've had a lot of great questions offline so far and would love to capture the answers for all to see.
On a final note, due to some technical difficulties, we couldn't automatically transfer my blog subscribers from WordPress to the new site, so be sure to sign up again through the Email link on the Home page. You'll get an email from Feedburner to confirm you are who you say you are (be sure to confirm) and then you'll be all set to continue receiving future blog posts as they occur.
Thanks once again for following my journey!
Well, it was bound to happen. The first negative comments about the book. I knew if it got read widely enough, some people wouldn't like it and some of those people would tell me about it. Every author has to have a thick skin and a willingness to acknowledge different opinions about his or her work. Having gone through multiple rounds of editing with three very different writing professionals, I thought I was pretty adept at listening to contrary opinions. But the email I received this week from 20-year old Megan Friel at Sparrow Tree Square has been distracting me ever since I received it.
Sparrow Tree Square (aka Ms. Friel) collaborates with her sister to review books for children and posts those reviews on a page of her website, Under the Apple Tree. She expressed interest in reading my book. After sending it to her, here's the email I received:
We haven't yet finished reading the book, but unfortunately there are a few aspects of the book that would prevent us from giving it a positive review. In light of the recent tragedy in Arizona, we feel that we cannot wholeheartedly recommend a book for young readers that depicts a gun on its cover. We also feel that the discussions of boyfriends, even in the context of a mean girl's taunting, are not appropriate for readers of a book with a ten year-old heroine. We would also recommend that, if possible, instances where the eighteenth-characters use the word "okay" be removed, since this word didn't come into common usage until the mid-nineteenth century.
I'll get to her individual criticisms in a minute, but I think what disturbed me about this email is her misuse of the word "review". A review used to mean what's good and bad about a book. Sounds like Ms. Friel really meant to say she can't give it a positive RECOMMENDATION. And therefore, if she can't say something positive, she just won't say anything at all on her website. Therein lies what irks me - books should provoke a discussion, good or bad, not be censored because they aren't nice and innocent enough for her version of a ten year old. If she didn't like the plot or the characters or even my writing style, that's okay. She is certainly entitled to leave it off her website. But don't say your website provides reviews when all it's really providing are a few personal book recommendations.
And, just because it makes me feel better, here are my responses to her three criticisms:
I get the gun on the cover will keep some parents from allowing their children to read the book. I think it's unfortunate, since the gun is a Revolutionary pistol that probably couldn't hit the side of a barn and no one gets shot in my book, but I get it. Of course, I've been pleasantly surprised at how many BOYS who are known to be reluctant readers at this age have picked up and READ this book precisely because there was a gun on the cover. It was a risk I took and one I'd choose to take again.
I laughed out loud when I read that mention of boyfriends isn't appropriate for a ten year old. It's very clear that Ms. Friel doesn't have ten year old girls. This is exactly the age when some girls get interested in boys and others aren't and bullying around this subject starts. Which is why I put it in the book. Oh, and by the way - the book is not about boyfriends...
As to her final comment about the word "okay" - she may be right. But if she is referring to the times that Skip, our twenty first century protagonist, says "okay" while she is back in time, then Ms. Friel has missed the point of the whole book - what's it like for an "okay" speaking ten year old to go back in time and COMPARE how things are the same or different with her own way of life. Now if I inadvertently had one of the other characters say it, well shame on me. Next time I'll be more diligent about my linguistic research.
There, I feel better now getting that off my chest. Criticism? Bring it on...
Just a quick thank you to all for the great support and encouragement you've given me these last two years! I've created a couple of new pages, so you can continue to follow the adventure - be sure to check them out -
News & Events - I'm starting to get some coverage of the book, so I will be posting the mentions here. There was a nice article on Complete New England recently. And look for the article in the Bedford Minuteman this coming week - Reporter Patrick Ball spent an afternoon at the Fitch Tavern recently, peppering me with great questions.
Where's Skip? - I thought it might be fun to track where my readers are, since middle grade readers far and wide study the American Revolution. If you've bought a book for someone outside of Bedford, be sure to comment so we can track Skip's journey around the globe. Again, thank you and have a wonderful holiday!
Giving birth to a book is eerily similar to having a baby. Creating the baby/book is the fun part. And the easiest. The next 18 months (yes, 18 months – my book is more like a baby elephant than a human baby-ugh. How’d you like to be pregnant for 18 months? ) of editing, looking for an agent or publisher, and re-writing is filled with moments of hormonal euphoria followed by bouts of nausea. Someone really should have warned me. I gave birth to three real babies already; I wasn’t planning on going through it again.
SIDEBAR: I remember long ago, when I was pregnant with my first daughter (9 lbs, 12 oz; 26 hours of labor), going to all the birthing classes. I even made my husband go to a class to learn how to bathe a baby (hey – they are slippery!) We did Lamaze where the instructor tried to convince me to give birth naturally, without painkillers. I pretended I couldn’t understand her New York accent. Then I started hyperventilating. One fellow mom-to-be was even planning to deliver her baby at home. This intrigued me because it was so far from where I wanted to be.
But then, just when you think you can’t stand this huge weight you are carrying around one minute longer and you are begging the doctor to induce_ labor starts. Pushing a book through its final stages of production also has you tearing your hair; screaming at your husband about whose stupid idea was this anyway; and swearing you will never, never do this again. It’s painful, it’s emotional, and it’s definitely not pretty. You want to give up on ever getting the thing published.
SIDEBAR #2: I distinctly remember telling Mike about two hours into trying to push that 9lb 12 oz baby that I was giving up and we were just going to have to go back home. I was okay with being pregnant forever. I could eat whatever I wanted and wear a muu-muu.
But I digress. Sort of. I don’t want to be that forever-pregnant writer of a book that isn’t published. So, like the mom giving birth at home – I too am taking matters into my own hands. In the current turmoil that is the publishing industry I am joining in the fray. As the proud owner of a small publishing company of my own, I'd like to introduce you to Stone Croft Press.
And coincidentally, here’s the first book that Stone Croft Press will publish:
Some will say that I gave up on the big publishers too easily. Maybe. But after all the research and discussions and workshops and conferences, it is pretty clear that regardless of who publishes the book, I’m the only one who will be doing the marketing, the school visits, the book signings. Therefore, let’s get on with it!
A Colonial Adventure is slated for release November 15, 2010.
It makes a great holiday gift for everyone in your orbit. Would you like a signed first edition? ;-) Pre-order a Copy Today! Woo Hoo!!!
Have you notice the Glenn Campbell resurgence? Having grown up on hearing the man croon from my Dad's turntable in OK City, I love that smooth, silky voice emanating from the hotel lobby as I write.
Today, I attended the most delightful workshop on Plot. Given by children's author, Julia Durango, it was an elegant treatise on how plot is really just a math equation. For a numbers gal like myself, it was huge validation that us quantitative, non-English majors can still write good stories. But now, the SCBWI conference is officially over. I met and heard from so many amazing writers. It's incredibly intimidating and inspiring - at the same time. What is it about writing a book that motivates 1, 139 people to sit through 4 days of uncomfortable chairs, freezing air conditioning, overpriced food and escalating anxiety about the quality of their own work? For me, it was the chance to learn how this book industry works, how to be a better writer and how to work the TV remote all by myself.
As I wait to get on a plane home, did I mention how much I love California? I know I can't stay. My beloved family awaits my return. I have adventures with mermaids and pugs to write; middle grade novels to read and even a job to get back to. BUT If I had known what awaited me when I moved from LA to New York for a TWO-YEAR assignment 16 years ago...
But that's another story to be written, right? For now, stay tuned. There are more Fitch Tavern Tales ahead!
Oh yeah. I am absolutely wiped out after Day 3 of this marathon conference. No wonder writers drink. Heavily. I did figure out today why so many of them write fantasy. They are so tired they become delusional after sitting through writer's conferences. And from the delusion comes brilliance. Evidently.
It is another great day here in the land of sunshine and no mosquitoes. Not that I would know because I've been sitting in a conference room on my chair all day that is locked to the next chair in a row of twenty chairs in a room of a zillion locked-together chairs. Did I mention these chairs are extremely uncomfortable?
I did manage to take a half hour walk after today's activities. It's a weird feeling to be the only one walking on these big empty sidewalks in Los Angeles. People probably thought I was an escaped mental patient. It probably didn't help that I had a glazed look in my eyes and was muttering book revisions to myself.
I have heard so many amazing kid lit authors these last three days. They had the Golden Kite awards luncheon today and the non-fiction winner was an 87 year old author, Ashley Bryan, who had been up half the night dancing at last night's party. While I was sleeping. Soundly. He made us shout a Langston Hughes poem with him as his acceptance speech. His 87-year old voice is very loud.
My day actually started with an awesome panel of non-fiction authors. Did you know that stories about dogs are always popular? I am now contemplating a true-life story of Jack the Pug, the dog from hell. I'll detail his eye surgeries, his inability to make it from the second floor to the backyard in time for you-know-what, his silent but deadly aroma, and his need for a sleep apnea mask. I think kids will love Jack the Pug, don't you?
The final speaker was Rubin Pfeffer, an industry veteran. It was refreshing to hear him talk of the e-book revolution and the changing face of publishing platforms. It was the first time someone here admitted that the agent-publisher bottleneck might be preventing a lot of good writers from being published. I have lots of options available for my book, I think....
So, one more day. I can't imagine what else they can talk about, but I'm sure I'll take even more notes and slide further down that slope of incoherence by day's end. It's clearly going to take me all week to recover from this. I'll leave you with one of winners of the Jokes contest that's been running throughout the conference:
The contest was - what is the memoir that hasn't been written? Answer: Devil With the Blue Dress, by Bill Clinton. TTFN.
Day 2 at the SCBWI Conference. If I had a non-fiction, apocalyptic mermaid book, I could submit it to agents RIGHT NOW. Angels are already so done and the books haven't even been launched yet. I've decided that if I wait long enough, time-traveling historical fiction will make a resurgence, right?
Here are some terms I've learned today:
High Concept:
Official definition - a book idea that can be easily understood in a sentence or two and has lots of commercial appeal. A comment given to me in my ms critique. My definition - Love the idea, re-write the book.
Dystopia:
Official definition - the opposite of a utopia, i.e. a futuristic society that has turned evil and repressive. Books with this premise are in-demand. My definition - an incurable eye disease contracted from poking my eye out while trying to write a fantasy book instead.
Rebus:
Official definition - a word puzzle that uses pictures to represent words. Children's magazines love them.
My definition - a country and western singer.
Can you tell I'm on information overload? I heard some more really great speakers today. First up was a panel of agents who did give me some encouraging news - the last few years have been all about Young Adult books like Twilight, etc. Agents are now seeing a stronger interest in Middle Grade (8-12 yr olds) which is the genre for Fitch Tavern Tales. Series books are strong, which is also good news if I could ever get started on writing the second Fitch Tavern Tale.
I then attended a workshop with an Editor from Disney/Hyperion who gave a detailed list of what is missing in their "lists". Contrary to the agent advice earlier, she didn't want apocalyptic novels. Go figure.
And the highlight of the evening was an advice-filled talk by Gail Carson Levine, author of Ella Enchanted and other books I love. She had so many great examples of character and plot development that I could have written a novel if I knew shorthand.
Off to dinner and dancing (?) at the Heart and Soul Celebration. Well, maybe dinner anyway. I'm still on East Coast time...
No, I'm not in Delaware - but one of the wonderful keynote speakers today at the SCBWI conference has written a whole series of madcap adventures that take place in Delaware - of all places. His name is M.T. Anderson and he was a delightful speaker this morning, along with Jon Scieszka, another popular (and published) author.
Day One of this madcap adventure of my own has been full of laughter, feedback and just plain awe at the sheer volume of writers jockeying for a place on the proverbial bookshelf. There are over1,000 attendees at this shindig and 90% of them are middle-age women. Yikes! Turns out a lot of them have been librarians or teachers or moms. There are a few men dotted around here and there, but most of the men are the agents, editors and speakers. Coming from the financial/investment world, this may be the first conference I've ever been to where I had to wait in line for the bathroom.
Mid-day I had my manuscript review with Claudia Gabel, a senior editor with Harper Collins. She may not be 30 yet. Why is someone who was probably born when I was in college determining my fate? I can only imagine the conversations these agents have at the bar when all of us grey-haired old ladies retire early....
Okay, I have to admit that her comments were insightful and helpful and definitely appreciated. But I did have a teensy-weensy issue when she suggested I find a bigger historical event to focus on...Bigger than the beginning of the American Revolution? Really?
Already overwhelmed with information by lunchtime, I sauntered out to the pool for sandwiches. Did I mention that I love California? 80 degrees, no humidity, abundant sunshine and really good food. What could be better than that, I ask you? Actually I often ask my husband that very question...
Afternoon brought more speakers about what's hot, what's not in children's literature. Good news - I think the whole fantasy, vampire thingy may have about run its course. Evidently, NON FICTION is really hot in kid lit these days. Maybe I'll turn my book into a tell-all autobiography of Nina, the time traveling 10-year old. That way I won' t have to change much - just the spin...
And finally, a lovely wine and cheese (and I mean real cheese from lots of yummy places) reception & book signing where I picked up three books for each of my girls, signed for them personally by the authors. Maybe that will keep me in the "cool mom" zone for awhile longer. And now, I'm going to curl up with a good book of my own (Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon) and get some rest before Day 2!
Well, the manuscript is done. It's been edited and edited and edited some more. Parts of it have undoubtedly been memorized, I've read it so many times. So now I am off to the big SCBWI children's writer's conference today in Los Angeles to absorb as much as I can about publishing, marketing and yes, even writing my next one.
So, if all goes well with the technology, I'll be posting a short entry each day while I'm away. Here's the link to the conference schedule so you can see the choices of workshops & events:
At some point in the next four days, I'll have my ms critiqued at the conference. I hope I don't cry...
And, if you are on Twitter, I'll try to do some real time tweeting from my Twitter account, FitchTavernTale. Wish me luck!
Okay, this isn't my typical blog entry, but I know you are all waiting with bated breath (what is bated breath, anyway? is it stinky or minty-fresh?) to find out what's happening on the publishing front for Fitch Tavern Tales. Welllll...I still don't have a publisher. BUT I have been busy doing a few other things to enhance my chances, and I thought I'd share them with you. Mainly so you can see that I haven't given up and therefore you can a) encourage me to keep going and/or b)shake your head sadly and silently feel sorry for me. Either way, here goes:
First, I have had two wonderful consultations with Beth Glass, a PUBLISHED children's writer and Grub Street consultant who critiqued my book, helped me work through a couple of roadblocks and generally has been incredibly encouraging about the book and my quest to get it published. If you are looking for a clever picture book for your own kids or as a gift, check out Beth's book Noises At Night. Her website is www.bethglass.com.
Based on my discussions with Beth, I am off to Los Angeles at the end of July to attend the four-day SCWBI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) conference. It promises to be four full days of workshops, talks and hopefully, an introduction to an agent or two. As part of the conference I am even signed up for a one on one review of my book with an agent or editor. I'm a tad nervous but excited, too. Hmmm.... LA in July - hope the a/c is working!
As part of my push to publication, I have also added some enhancements to this blog site, which is now looking suspiciously more and more like a website. I'm also Twittering. The problem with all this social media stuff is that it starts to resemble yeast - you have to feed it, care for it, never let it die, as it slowly morphs into something a little bit out of control - all while doing your day job....I have a new appreciation for those who make their bread from scratch. Check out my For Kids page, where, over time, I will add all sorts of activities related to colonial life. I plan to also add a Just For Teachers page, as well - since I think this book would make a great addition to elementary school reading lists. And definitely follow my journey on Twitter @FitchTavernTale! Someone needs to.
The first (and only) activity page I've completed is How To Make A Colonial Broom. Now I KNOW this something every 9-year-old wants to do, so they can help sweep all the dirt floors at home. Any suggestions for these pages are clearly welcome. I'd love to add video demonstrations here as well, but the last time I tried to do any crafts with my kids, I ended up in the hospital...Let me know if you try to make the broom...Better yet, make a video of you and your kids making a broom and send it to me.
Speaking of videos, I did manage to embed a recent Bedford TV video on The Bedford Flag, which is actually kind of interesting to watch (Sharon McDonald, the narrator is pretty funny) and I learned a few things. While she doesn't mention The Fitch Tavern in the video, this is the flag those same minutemen used in the battle that morning of April 19, 1775.
Based on my continuing editing, the book has expanded to 21,000 words (about 65 pages) and I've rewritten the first chapter. Check out the new beginning to the story by reading Chapters 1 AND 2 here. I'm also contemplating changing the name of the book from A Colonial Adventure to something more, I don't know, snappy? Watch for a poll once I have a few suggestions to choose from. If you have a suggestion for a different title, PLEASE let me know.
On the agent front, I've received six rejections so far. I guess that's not really a lot, but each submission takes time to prepare and then you can wait up to three months before you hear anything, so I'm feeling what all writers feel I suppose - frustration at the snail's pace of traditional publishing when the rest of the world is moving in 4G speed. I'm currently waiting on one agent who required an exclusive submission, so no more mailings until I hear back from her.
And finally, I've spent some time over at The Bedford Historical Society, where all of the Fitch family papers reside. It's a fascinating place, boxes stacked to the ceiling. I found some great photographs and learned a thing or two about the Tavern. I've got a lot more research to do, but I am starting to feel the pull of Tale #2....did you know that the Fitch Tavern was supposedly part of the Underground Railroad? I think Nina may find her way to the 1800's next time she goes exploring.
So there you have it, dear readers - I really have been busy, even if my "weekly" posts have become more "monthly" posts as of late. As they say, I'll continue to keep you "posted"!
