In the summer of 2009 I got the call that Michael Green at Philomel wanted my book. I think I may have blacked out for a second or two. I managed to contain myself because I was on the phone with Agent Richard and was, at that point, still concerned that I not be too weird around my agents.
Fast forward: October 2010
Tomorrow my debut novel, Nightshade, hits stores. Agent Richard and Agent Charlie now both now how absolutely crazy I am and seem to like me anyway. Michael Green is still my hero and Jill Santopolo, my editor, is not only brilliant - she's also my friend.
Nightshade started at Penguin but it's making it's way around the world thanks to Foreign Agent Lyndsey who is an absolute star.
I've had the chance to travel all over the country meeting librarians, booksellers, and readers and each place I've been makes me more thrilled about my book's release date. And the more I'm drawn into the writing and publishing world, the more I know this is a collaborative work of love and I am deeply indebted to Penguin, Inkwell, librarians, booksellers, and fans for bringing Nightshade to the wider world.
I will never have enough thanks. The Nightshade pack is growing - thank you for running wild with me.
Then it was on to the signing. Thanks to Editor Jill and Publicist Sarah for shuttling me around and getting everything set Thanks to Agent Richard for cheering me on and letting me get him to pose with giant Nightshade. I am officially obsessed with giant Nightshade. And a HUGE thanks to all the lovely BEA goers who came to say hello!
Signing was fun
I signed 150 books in 50 minutes - there was a line! Amazing!
But my hand didn't cramp up And it was pretty much a hoot and a half :) Thanks, Jill Bailey, for the fabulous purple Sharpie - the perfect Nightshade signing implement!
I'll be posting more about BEA after I've had a chance to catch my breath. Also coming soon: I visit an aircraft carrier (yes for real) and do trapeze without dying (also for real).
Thanks for all the great questions! Here are answers:
From Anya:
How do you go about writing? Do you outline? The story arc or maybe each chapter and how do you develop your ideas/story and your characters?
My writing process is not so much a process as a reaction. A certain character or scene will get stuck in my head and I'll free write from there. I don't write in order, but write scenes as they come to me and then pull the scenes together.
In terms of arc and character development, I tend to think of my books as webs, not lines. The narrative spirals around a central character and her/his problem and then the web represents all the relationships - personal and environmental - connecting to that main problem.
The first time I outlined was for BLOODROSE and in that case I felt I had to outline because I already had so many scenes floating in my head I didn't want to forget anything.
Also..do you listen to music while writing?
Yes!
And do you feel like your characters "speak" to you and tell you what to write? :P
Ha! And, yes. While I wouldn't say they are dictating their dialogue to me, each character's voice is distinct and I'm often surprised by what they say. That happens to be one of my favorite parts of writing.
From Tina:
From what I can tell Niteshade is about Wolves and magic? Are these the only two elements that surround the universe or are there any other paranormal in this series?
It's about wolf warriors, called Guardians, and two factions of witches - Keepers and Searchers, who've been at war since the Middle Ages. That's all I can say without getting spoilery!
Do you have a playlist for the books? If yes, can you put it on your site for us to listen too?
What kind of love story can we expect? A triangle perhaps? Or something complicated and juicy? ( Okay this one might be a spoiler one, so I don't expect an answer, but I had to ask;))
Yes, this is a bit spoilery and I have a strict no spoiler policy. What I will say is that there are two boys, Ren and Shay, and they make Calla's life very, very complicated.
Are you like any of the characters written in your work? Which one is your favorite?
I'm deeply attached to the whole pack, so picking a favorite is hard. I'd have to go with Ansel though. He's Calla's younger brother and is loosely based on my own younger brother. I also think Ansel is the character most like me because my brother and I are a lot alike!
I know that this series is only just starting and I think it's safe to say that your fans are already jumping up and down for October to come, but I was wondering if you have any plans or ideas to write something after this series?
Thanks so much! I'm jumping up and down for October to come too! There are three books and a prequel thus far in the Nightshade series. I'm also working on a YA steampunk series that you can read about here. But my writing time is nearly 100% consumed by Nightshade right now (which I love so it's fine), and it's likely that series will be a while in coming.
From Katarinasmama:
How many revisions did you do? And how did NIGHTSHADE's story change from it's initial version?
Hmmmmm. I did one round of revisions for my agent and another two for my editor...I think. It might have been three, but each time the revisions got lighter so the there were really two big rounds of revision.
I can't go into detail without revealing plot, but most of the changes were about offering more of Calla's inner dialogue (she doesn't like to share her feelings, so it was tough for even me to get them out of her) and switching up some timing of events in the narrative. The story itself is essentially the same.
From Anya:
How long did it take you to write the first draft of Nightshade? And then how long did the revisions take?:)
I wrote the first draft of Nightshade between Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2008. My agent, Charlie, requested the full ms in February 2009 and I got 'the call' from him at the beginning of March. I was at a conference in Seattle and it was 6:30 a.m. Pacific time (usually I'm in the central time zone) - that is by far the best early morning phone call I've ever gotten. I worked with Charlie on the manuscript in the spring and it went on submission that summer. Michael Green at Philomel pre-empted the series in August. My editor, Jill Santopolo, and I worked on revisions in September and then the book was off to copy edits!
Just an FYI - this pace is light-speed for publishing, I'm still amazed that I was so lucky to have my work picked up and moved onto the fall 2010 list so quickly as I'm terribly impatient. Waiting until October is hard enough! But it's much more usual to wait 18+ months for publication from the point of acquisition.
From Voidwalker:
Has there been any changes offered by your editor that made you cringe, but you did them anyway?
Are you trying to get me in trouble, Void? LOL. Seriously, I have an amazing editor who I trust completely. Jill understands my characters and the world of Nightshade so well and her suggestions are spot on. Whenever I have a question or am on the fence about an idea I can talk to her about it and we've never had trouble arriving at a solution we're both happy with. She is a rock star and I adore her.
On a related note to aspiring authors - you must be open to taking revision suggestions from critique partners, agents, and editors. Keep in mind that if you've done you're homework and found partners you trust, and an agent and publishing house that are the right fit for you, then everyone is on the same team. Everyone wants your book to be a success. Too often I think writers take an adversarial stance against agents and editors as if everyone is for some reason out to ruin their perfect book. There is no perfect book. Writing is a craft, you always are growing and improving with time. Your agents and editors are there to help you along the way. Be open minded to their ideas - you don't have to take them all, but you should listen with sincerity and realize that they are often right.
From Lynsey:
Andrea, as an aspiring writer who is currently working on my WIP, I'm really interested in your writing process. I've decided that I'm a bit of a "Pantser" but then I run into a brick wall and think "Hmm...I need an outline of where this is going I think". I also think that I struggle with dialogue scenes and I have to work on this. So, in conclusion - any advice and tips on the writing process please. Thank you! :)
It's awesome that you're writing Lynsey - keep at it! I've written a bit about my process above, but my advice is that it's pivotal to find your own process. Every writer I know works differently. Writing is such a personal craft that it's much better to learn what your style is and go with it. As much as there are writing advice manuals out there, I think at the end of the day it's really a matter of trial and error. It's also a great idea to find critique partners who you trust. I met my amazing critique partner, Lisa Desrochers, at the San Francisco Writers Conference. I don't know what I'd do without her!
As far as hitting a brick wall - it happens to all of us. When I run into that wall I turn to my number one scene creator: music. I either lay on my couch listening to music, or take a walk with my book's playlist on my iPod, it usually only takes a few minutes before new scenes or dialogue are filling my head.
Thanks so much for all the great questions guys! Watch for the next ARC giveaway coming soon!!
You know you're working with the right folks when they send you links like this. (Thanks awesome agent Lyndsey.) Lyndsey, the InkWell foreign rights agent tipped me off to the lunar news and also gave me some secret super news, which I'll share when I can.
I've been a moon follower for a long, long time. Considering how frigid and clear the sky is in Minnesota today, we'll be basking in luminescence tonight. Wherever you are tonight, may the first and brightest full moon of the year rain blessings on you and yours.
And when it does, be sure to howl your joy to the heavens. It is the Wolf Moon, after all.
10. Manhattan (sorry, San Francisco - if it helps, you came in 2nd) remains my favorite place to eat. They have everything and it is all so frickin' delicious.
9. The Algonquin has a luggage cat. Her name is Matilda and the only time I saw her leave the baggage cart was to leap on top of a suitcase and settle into her newly selected perch. 8. The New York Public Library is research heaven. I saw this exhibit while I was there.
7. West Side Story on Broadway was amazing, but I liked watching ice skaters in Bryant Park even better.My favorite moment: witnessing a man in a business suit skate around with his son, who looked about 8 and was sporting a Rangers jersey.
6. The Philomel offices at Penguin Young Readers Group have a brilliant view. (Like this, but a bit further away) 5. My editor is Carrie Bradshaw. (No joke, Editor Jill arrived to meet us in the lobby and I did a double take). I think if I lived in Manhattan she would be my BFF (see #4). 4. Next time I visit I will take trapeze lessons - the school is one more cool place you can see from the Philomel offices. (See #5, she promised we'd go!)
3. As I suspected, everyone at InkWell and Penguin dresses oh-so-stylishly (I hope they liked my outfit).Though garbed like fashionistas, everyone I met was really, really nice and super, super fun. And I happily discovered at InkWell - though I had guessed it would be so - Agent Richard is even more impressive and wonderful in person as he is on the phone and Agent Charlie would be my other BFF if I lived in New York. (More comics' chat soon, Charlie!)
2. I have the most talented, wonderful collection of people working on Nightshade. Thank you so much for an incredible visit!! I can't wait to see you again :)1. Going away for a week is much nicer when you have a wonderful husband and two ecstatic dogs welcoming you back. Even if the dogs took over the bed while you were gone. It's nice to be home.
I'm here! I'll be updating this post as events transpire, but here's what we have so far:
Last night, arrived at JFK 30 minutes earlier than expected courtesy of a 'strong tail wind,' I guess Mother Nature knew how much I wanted to get here. Thanks, Mama!
Had a lovely dinner with friend from childhood. He may be a corporate lawyer in Manhattan now, but I still have fond memories of gathering frog eggs and chasing through the woods with him when we were six.
Managed to get a good night's sleep despite the fact that Army of Darkness tried to tempt me to watch it at 1 a.m. Headed out for a morning bagel, only to run into Agent Charlie at the cafe. Surprise!! So much fun to meet him unexpectedly and also, he bought me breakfast. Mmmm, delicious everything bagel with veggie cream cheese. Thanks, Charlie!
Now I'm realizing that one cup of coffee is not enough, so I'll be going out in search of further caffeination prior to my meeting at InkWell at 10:30.
More to come!
UPDATE: 3:03 p.m. EST
Wow. Okay, just wow. I am still too dazed from the incrediawesomfabulosity that was my meeting at Penguin. They took me out for lunch and toasted me (aaaaaaaaa!!!!!) What's more I can't imagine a more wonderful, fantastic, brilliant group of people to partner with on this book. They are amazing and now I consider them my extended family - big hugs Penguin family!!! (Though I didn't have a camera, my agent kindly snapped this photo. Yay - me and Winnie-the-Pooh at Penguin! Ahem and that expression = me trying to smile and yet not scream whilst jumping up and down)
I didn't have to worry about running into my publisher's arms shrieking, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" because he immediately ran over and hugged me :)
I'm still floating a little too high above the ground to post coherently but I'll send more soon. For now: Hooray, hooray, hooray!
Oooh, AND they gave me a board of the cover (aaaaaaa!!!) and an ARC (aaaaaaaa!!!!)
Update: 10:05 a.m., Friday, January 15
Woke up this morning to discover that yesterday's blur of fabulous times was in fact NOT a dream. Hooray!
This morning - work beckons, research at the New York Public Library. Hopefully I won't run into any problems like this:
Have a great weekend everyone! A New York trip run-down will be posted Monday :)
Thanks so much for the great questions in yesterday's Q&A. I had so much fun and I hope you did too! If you came up with a question that you didn't ask, have no fear. I'll host another Q&A on random Monday next month.
Tomorrow I will be in New York. I'm so excited I have a bad feeling that I won't sleep tonight because I'll be too wired about the trip.
I love New York. On my first trip at age 16, the city stole my heart. I try to visit once a year both to see friends and to spend time in the city itself. My favorite thing to do in Manhattan - just walk. Streets filled with people, shops, restaurants, the distinct character of each neighborhood. Manhattan is a feast for the sense.
Though I'm happy for any excuse to visit, this trip is particularly special. It's the first time I'll meet my agents at InkWell and my editor and publisher at Penguin. I've been practicing my 'calm' voice because I'm worried as soon as I see them I'll throw myself into their arms shrieking, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!" And then they will run away, which wouldn't bode well for my future as a writer.
Sadly I won't have a camera with which to document my trip, but I'll keep you updated via blog posts sans photos. Since I won't have a photo or video guide to share, just assume it will be something like this:
It's a weekend full of happy dancing - to Ma Vie En Rose, of course. I'm thrilled to announce that NIGHTSHADE and WOLFSBANE will be published in France by Gallimard! I'm thrilled to be working with this fantastic publisher, who are also the French publishers of a certain wizardly series that rhymes with Mary Cotter. Thanks for the enthusiasm of Gallimard for the books and to my marvelous agenting team at InkWell!
Am I ecstatic? Mais oui!
If you need me, I'll be dancing to my new favorite song. Bonus: Minnesota pride - Owl City is a local band that's hitting the big time!
All my best intentions of blogging more about characters have been railroaded by big book news. BIG BOOK NEWS. One piece of which I can share, the other of which I have to be mean and just post a teaser, leaving you all annoyed (sorry!)
Let's start with sharable joy: NIGHTSHADE and WOLFSBANE sold in Brazil! Eek! The publisher is Grupo Editorial Record and I'm thrilled to be rubbing elbows with the likes of Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, Eoin Colfer, and LJ Smith at this house. Carnaval here I come! And don't get me started on how incredible it will be to see my book in Portugese! Squeee!
So onto what I cannot share - I have seen NIGHTSHADE's cover...and it is phenomenal. But if I showed it to you, I'd have to kill you. So for now, know that it is wonderful. I'm dying to share it with the world and will do when able.
Happy weekend (I swear there will be substantive discussion of characters very, very soon).
Fifty followers! Hooray (and thank you!) From my first post, I loved blogging (because hey, it's writing) but wondered whether anyone would ever read what I'd written. Thank you so much for sharing this journey with me. I sincerely hope each of you can say in the future "well, I was a follower before she was famous!" (See my last post on the danger of delusions - I'm not good at taking my own advice.)
Speaking of delusions, have just gotten news from editor Jill and publisher Michael about absolutely fabulous cover plans!! Top secret for now, but will share as soon as I'm able. Speaking of amazing, but creepy artistry check out this Wolf Parade video. Happy Wednesday!
The good: My fever finally broke, I am on the road to recovery!
The better: Great news from agent Charlie about the buzz the PW announcement has created for my novels. Exciting things in the works!!
The best: Editor Jill loves my revisions!!!! She is so wonderful, we make a great team. I can't wait to start working with her on the sequel to Nightshade.
Celebration time :)
Here's a fabu remix I love by one of my favorite bands, Shiny Toy Guns. And I love the video, an homage to the awesome Hubble telescope - I love Hubble!! I have so much love right now!!!
Richard Pine and Charlie Olsen of Inkwell sold North American rights to the first book in a new supernatural series by debut author Andrea Cremer. Michael Green and Jill Santopolo at Philomel pre-empted Nightshade and plan on publishing the book, about a female teen wolf, in fall 2010. According to Inkwell, the book blends “supernatural action, drama, and a subtle dose of dangerous magic.” Cremer, who has a Ph.D. in history, lives in Minneapolis and teaches at Macalester College
If it weren't for the fever and body aches I'd be doing my best Bring It On moves right now.
It's official - my manuscript scampered off into the forest of editors TODAY in search of a happy, profitable home. (Commence nervous twitching now).
Charlie Olsen and Richard Pine of Inkwell are the agents who've put their stamp on the novel (thank you, thank you, thank you!); the agency has been amazing and I'm grateful for all the enthusiasm they have for my writing.
Wish me luck, folks, updates will appear on this blog. I'm not known for my patience, so waiting will be hard, but I do believe that dreams and wishes can come true. Waiting for the brightest of our hopes to take flight is well worth it.
Happy First of June! The leaves shine like emerald mirrors and irises stretch feathered petals towards the sun. Ahhhhhh, summer has arrived.
I know I've posted a lot lately about my new Bikram Yoga practice, but I can't help it. Aware as I am that yoga is meant to maximize a mind/body connection, I'm still amazed at how much I take away from each class beyond a strenuous workout.
One of the yoga poses (asanas) is shavasana (corpse pose). The point of this pose is complete relaxation and meditation. It's normally what ends a yoga class.
When leading us through this final pose, my teacher said: "It took me a long time to get shavasana. It's about surrender, and I just didn't understand. Then I realized that trying to understand surrender was the problem. You just have to let go."
Writing requires near absolute surrender. So much of what happens in the craft lies beyond our control.
In a recent conversation with my agent, we discussed the fact that my book could very well be sold as adult or YA; thus, he's doing a big submission to both YA and adult editors. In many ways this is great news. I do believe my book has broad appeal, it's what could be categorized as "crossover" and my beta readers, both teen and adult, all loved it.
In other ways this news makes me want to go into a fit of nail biting (as so much of this process does). The worry remains that my book could fall into the cracks between YA and adult genres and be dismissed by all editors as not clear enough for its intended audience.
So what's my recourse? Only surrender.
The book will find its way and its readers. All I can do is continue to write, and I remember how much I love the process of creating novels. The rest is out of my hands.
Within 24 hours of the call I had another agent interested in the novel, when I told her I'd accepted representation from another agency she said she was sorry she hadn't read my submission earlier because I was a "damn fine writer."
Wow. I'm all glitter and bells right now.
I subjected my husband, Will, to the Twilight DVD, which he found mildly amusing. He had a great take on the Bella discovers Edward's true identity dialogue:
Bella: Your skin is pale white and ice cold...sometimes you talk like you're from another time...I know what you are...
A number of folks have said they're worried it won't be like the book. It's clear to me that the film will NOT be like the book, but that's why I think it has so much promise. The narrative is about joy, loss of innocence, and the wildness of children's imaginations. I think it will be a wonderful interpretation of the spirit of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book.
Phone rang at 6:22 a.m. Seattle time. When the phone rings that early in the morning, several thoughts flash through my mind: Who is calling? Wrong number? Emergency? Errant fax machine (this happens too often)?
This morning's call was one of the best I've ever received, which is a strong statement in my case. I don't usually become coherent before 9 a.m. But in this scenario I was wide awake instantly: the phone call was from an agent who wants to represent my novel.
HOORAY is too flat a word to describe how thrilled I am. Said agent will remain anonymous since we're at the very beginning of this process, but I will say I couldn't be happier about this agent's enthusiasm for my project and the reputation of the agency. Now I'll ask for all your crossed-fingers that we find an editor who shares the excitement about the series.
In venerable Underpants Gnomes' tradition I'm handing off my work to this equation: Phase 1: Write novel Phase 2: ? (mysterious agent work) Phase 3: Published!
Of course this is an exaggeration; I understand an agent's role in this process and I'm ecstatic to have an industry pro invested in my work. I was too excited to return to sleep, so I got up and wandered around Seattle enjoying the soft gray morning light and the thrill of being a step closer to my dream of a writing career. Near Pike Place Market I came across this quote, stamped in bronze on the sidewalk:
"I always knew that at last I would take this road, but yesterday I did not know it would be today."
There are moments when everything in the world falls in place, and I'm dancing with the earth itself.
