Helping Your Author Friends: Where the Staircase Ends Edition

As you're probably aware, our very own Stacy Stokes's debut YA novel published last week! Let me tell you, guys—I love this book. The writing is beautiful, and the characters are so complex and interesting that I couldn't put the book down.

My shiny new copy of Where the Staircase Ends now has a place of honor on my bookshelf. I was admiring it today, and I started thinking about how many teens I know who would love this book. I talk to a few voracious readers on a fairly regular basis, so I made a mental note to mention it to them.

And that got me thinking about ways the members of the YA writing community can get the word out about their friends' books. Sure, buying the book yourself is nice, but what then? What's the most effective way to get the word out?

Luckily, for those feeling overwhelmed by all the options out there (social media? bookstores? libraries? reviews?), there are some great resources out there to help you narrow down the most effective strategy.

First, author Erin Bowman has this excellent breakdown of what you can do in addition to buying the book here on Pub Crawl: Support an Author Beyond Buying Their Book. A couple of suggestions I love: gifting the novel to friends and family for special occasions and reading the book in public (because I know I always check out what people are reading when I see them on public transportation or in the coffeeshop).

This similarly titled post from author Jen Malone on Writer's Rumpus focuses specifically on social media: Help an Author (Beyond Buying the Book): Part Three. Jen points out that tweeting, posting pics to Instagram, or posting on Facebook are some of the easiest and most effective ways to get the word out. People trust personal recommendations above all else, so this can vastly increase the likelihood that someone will pick up your friend's book.

And last but certainly not least, Stacy herself wrote a post a few months ago: 12 Easy Ways to Support Your Soon-to-Be-Published Author Friend. She points out that leaving reviews, requesting the book at the library, and asking about the book at your local bookstore (on my to-do list the next time I'm in the neighborhood!) are all good ways to support your friend.

Congratulations again, Stacy!

Two Years and Counting!

Stacy wrote it perfectly last week - what an incredible two years it's been for this little blog that could.  To think, it all started with four wide-eyed writers who met at the Big Sur Writing Workshop back in Spring 2012.  I'm so proud of all these talented ladies and want to thank all our dedicated readers whose support and comments are what keep us posting along. 

Today marks the first day of Thinking To Inking's Birthday month and we're counting down some of our favourite posts from blog days past.  I thought what better way to start than to recount one of my favourite posts from fellow blog mate Stacy.  I remember the day she emailed all of us to let us know that there was something major brewing.  Only a year out from our weekend in Big Sur and she was the first of our crew to land a publishing deal for WHERE THE STAIRCASE ENDS with Month9Books.  We laughed, we cried, and since we are all in different cities, we virtually hugged and jumped for joy while sharing glasses of emoticon champagne.  

Click here to check out Stacy's post on "How She Got Her Publishing Deal".  Always humble and honest, Stacy does a great job of mapping the perilous and exciting road on her journey to publication. 

Also, don't forget to check out our rafflecopter below. It's live which means you've got a great chance to win great prizes!  Come back every Monday and Wednesday this June for more trips down blog lane and chances to win. 


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Wow. Just, wow.

If you've read some of my older posts, you probably know I've been lacking on the writing  motivation front.  It's not that I don't love my WIP - I do. It's just that I'm tired. After two years of diligently writing, revising and submitting WHERE THE STAIRCASE ENDS, I was in major need of a break. So I took one. And ever since then I've been writing at a snail's pace.

But every now and then I have a moment of pure inspiration, usually triggered by reading a book that's so well written it makes me get off my @$$ and write. (Most recently this happened while reading Maggie Stiefvaten's The Dream Thieves. So. Effing. Good.)

But a few week's ago my inspiration came from an unexpected source - Youtube.  My husband sent me the below video and all I can say is...wow. Just, wow.  It's such a great reminder that words are for more than stories - they can be cause for change. For expelling emotion. For bringing real world problems to life in a relateable way. For making people stop and take notice.

So without further ado, here is my most recent cause for writing motivation. I hope you're as moved by her vivid words as I am.

In case you need the direct link, click here.

Happy writing!

The Next Big Thing (Week 23)

Today I'm part of a blog tag where writers talk about their work in progress. Last week, I was tagged by Sakura Q. Eries, a friend of mine that I met through Agent QueryConnect. This week, I'll pass the baton to a few other writer friends. I've had the privilege of reading some of their work, and can attest to the fact that they are both wonderfully talented.  They will blog about Their Next Big Thing on November 14, but for now, here's the scoop on mine.

1.  What is the working title of your book?  Where the Staircase Ends

2.  Where did the idea come from for the book?  I had a dream and a girl walking up a staircase that lead into the sky. When I woke up, I had a compulsion to write the story down. I felt like I couldn't sleep until I did.

3.  What genre does your book fall under?  I originally thought it was YA Magical Realism, but I've since changed it to YA Supernatural Mystery following some advice from an agent.

4.  Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
For Taylor, my MC, I think Chloe Moretz would be perfect.

While she's probably a bit too old, Deborah Ann Wall is a nice match for Sunny, Taylor's best friend.

I'm still on the hunt for the perfect Justin Cobb (the love interest de jour).

5.  What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?  After an accident, high school student Taylor Anderson must climb a seemingly endless staircase into the sky; a journey that reveals the surprising truth about her best friend's betrayal and the life Taylor thought she wanted to leave behind.

6.  Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?  My hope is that I will be repped by an agency and/or publishing house.

7.  How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?  The first draft took me just under three months.  Revising took a lot longer, but largely because I was researching the publishing industry and learning about the process.

8.  What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?  I've often had it compared to Gayle Forman's IF I STAY and Lauren Oliver's BEFORE I FALL.  I sometimes say that if THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN had a love child with the movie EASY A, it may have turned out a bit like my story.  :)

       

9.  Who or what inspired you to write this book?  I was inspired by friendships I had when I was in high school and junior high. No matter how good the friend, I remember that jealousy - over guys, over things, over situations - often caused tension in our relationships. Sunny and Taylor's relationship feels very real to me, and I wanted to capture that complexity in an honest and relatable way.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?  The story weaves two mysteries together - the mystery of the stairs and the mystery of why Taylor and Sunny's relationship crumbled. The scenes on the stairs are filled with magic and intrigue, while the contemporary portion of the story will hopefully have readers ripping through pages to find out what Sunny did to Taylor (and why) that ruined their friendship.

That's all I've got for now!

Tagged for next week (week 24) are some of my very talented writer friends. Check out their blogs next Wednesday, November 14, when it's their turn to post answers to these same questions about their own works in progress!

Tamara over at One Magic Bean Buyer
Lauren Monahan from right here at Thinking To Inking