Fireside Chat: n. The fireside chats were a series of thirty evening radio addresses given by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt between 1933 and 1944...."fireside chats" were the first media development that facilitated intimate and direct communication between the president and the citizens of the United States. Roosevelt's cheery voice and demeanor played him into the favor of citizens and he soon became one of the most popular presidents ever, often affectionately compared to Abraham Lincoln. (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireside_chats)
Hiya everyone! I was thrilled to meet Adi Rule, author of Strange Sweet Song yesterday at the local library. Adi was soooo nice and friendly :-) I, along with some other fellow readers, were lucky enough to pick at Adi's brain for a good hour or so and ask any questions we wanted. We talked about a huge variety of topics, ranging from the steps it takes to get a book published to Adi's cat named Scooter.
I've organized this posts into sections discussing different topics for ease of reading.
My Impression of Adi Rule
Adi was such a sweet and friendly person! She didn't mind answering questions and was very funny. She answered each question very earnestly and didn't mind us asking some strange questions either :-) Plus, she also has a good narrator voice (she read a few chapters from her book out loud.)
Bookish "What Ifs" and Other Book Related Stuff
Have you ever read one of those choose your own adventure books? (I used to read them a lot...unfortunately I ended up dead in most scenarios) Now imagine a choose your own adventure series. Let me clarify: instead of making decisions every few pages in the book, readers are presented two options at the end of book one. For example, after finishing the first book in a choose your own adventure series, readers could choose whether the main character joins the rebels or the government. And from there, readers can read one version of book two, depending on the choice the reader makes at the end of book one. In other words, if you choose to join the rebels after reading book one, you would read the version of book number two in which the character joins the rebels. Think of it like a bunch of alternate endings!
I mean....how cool would that be? Haven't you ever wondered "What if Katniss chose to runaway after returning back to District 13 from the Games?" or "What if Harry Potter decided to attend Hogwarts in his 7th year?"
We also discussed why aren't YA books generally written in 2nd person? My reasoning was that readers will become more engaged in the story because they are the character. Like, you would feel more invested in the novel since you are essentially a character witnessing whatever is going on in the book. But then Adi made a very good point in that authors would be taking a huge risk by writing in 2nd POV because what if you and the character you are suppose to embody simply don't click? Ie. What if you read something in a 2nd POV book like "You bang on the door, but it remains locked. Light seeps out from beneath the cracks. Suddenly, you hear a yell further down the hallway. You ditch the locked door and sprint towards the shout" and end up thinking I would never do that! The yell is probably a trap! Then readers would probably end up hating the book. So, in conclusion, readers will either love (because they can connect to the character's action) or hate (because they can't) a novel if it's written in 2nd POV and isn't a choose your own adventure type of book.
To Publish a Book
If you're like me, the steps to publish a book is probably a huge mystery. Adi was able to shed some light and explains the steps she took to get Strange Sweet Song onto the shelves.
1. Write
2. Write some more
3. Write even more (some authors get their first manuscript accepted; for others, it may be several drafts/manuscripts before they find a willing agent or publisher to back it up)
4. Edit! Although a professional editor is preferred, not everyone can afford one. This is where a good support group becomes very important. Don't be afraid of critiques! Also, make sure feedback is honest and unbiased.
5. Now you can query out your novel to agents. Some agents will also act as editors and vice versa. Although an agent is not necessary to break into the publishing world, it never helps to have a guide and representative for your book! Agent Query is a good site to start searching for a literary agent....
6. Send out queries to publishers and hopefully one of them will pick you up! Once again, querying to publishers may be done by the author or by the agent.
Some things that are good to know once a book is picked up by the publisher is that the author loses some of the control he/she has over the book. For example, the original title for Strange Sweet Song was Sing. The publishers decided to change it because Sing was attention grabbing enough (and Adi agrees with this.) Also, it is also the publisher that decides what the book cover looks like. In Adi's case, she didn't like the first proposed cover for her book, so the publishers proposed the second (and final) design (I personally love the final result--the cover evokes a fairytale atmosphere to me.) I think Adi puts it best in words regarding the control authors have once a publisher has picked up their writing, "The material between the covers is what [an author] has control of." (Okay, so maybe that wasn't exactly what she said, but close enough...lol)
About Writing in General
Just write and don't look back. "Write to edit," as Adi puts it (and I am 100% sure that is what Adi said...because I thought it was a really good quote when she said it and decided to make note of it.) In other words, produce word vomit (haha, I know, that's isn't exactly a pretty description.) Spew out all your ideas and thoughts....get them onto paper (or Microsoft Word) before you forget! It's always easier to cut, rearrange or change your writing when you actually have something to work with.
We also discussed writing longhand vs. typing. Pros of writing longhand: slows down your writing, so you have to put more thought into the words your penning. Cons of writing longhand: your fingers can get cramped and sometimes writing longhand takes too much time (plus you kill a bunch of trees.) Pros of typing: you can get your ideas onto (virtual) paper faster and it is easy to make copies and distribute your writing. Cons: you're screwed if your computer crashes and you don't have backup. Also, it've very easy to get distracted by the internet.
Speaking of getting distracted by the internet, I learned about an app called MacFreedom which basically cuts off internet on a computer/laptop for a set amount of time. For example, if you downloaded the app on your laptop and set it for 2 hours, then for 2 hours there is no way you can access the internet on your laptop. You can't "undo" the programming; shutting down and restarting the laptop won't grant you internet access. In other words, you actually have to be productive! *gasps*
Alright...so it's getting kind of late (ugh...still have school tomorrow) so I will try to wrap up this post quickly by bullet pointing the following topics discussed:
- the increase of how everyday words are being used as names in novels (ie. the main character in Strange Sweet Song is named "Sing"; other character names I can think of that fit this category: Fade, Digger, Cinder, Blue and Four)
- how names from fantasy novels are often "normal" names with an extra letter here or there
- the "gimmick" hook that many books start out with; how the book will hook readers in with heart-stopping action in the first few pages, then backtrack in time, and then catch up to the present again
- "bad" writing teaches us a lesson and often end up seeming funny in hindsight
- video games are like choose your own adventure books
- Adi's cat named Scooter that doesn't have any paws!
So that basically wraps up my post! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them below or shoot me an email and I will do my best to answer them!
I will be back soon with a review for Strange Sweet Song, so be sure to check back!
Book Description:
A young soprano enrolls in a remote music academy where nothing, not even her mysterious young vocal coach, is as it seems
Outside Dunhammond Conservatory, there lies a dark forest. And in the forest, they say, lives a great beast called the Felix. But Sing da Navelli never put much faith in the rumors and myths surrounding the school; music flows in her blood, and she is there to sing for real. This prestigious academy will finally give her the chance to prove her worth—not as the daughter of world-renowned musicians—but as an artist and leading lady in her own right.
Yet despite her best efforts, there seems to be something missing from her voice. Her doubts about her own talent are underscored by the fact that she is cast as the understudy in the school's production of her favorite opera, Angelique. Angelique was written at Dunhammond, and the legend says that the composer was inspired by forest surrounding the school, a place steeped in history, magic, and danger. But was it all a figment of his imagination, or are the fantastic figures in the opera more than imaginary?
Sing must work with the mysterious Apprentice Nathan Daysmoor as her vocal coach, who is both her harshest critic and staunchest advocate. But Nathan has secrets of his own, secrets that are entwined with the myths and legends surrounding Dunhammond, and the great creature they say lives there.
Lyrical, gothic, and magical, Strange Sweet Song by Adi Rule will captivate and enchant readers.
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