Susane Colasanti - Journal

I got a call late yesterday from a representative from Foxwoods Resort and Casino. They are interested in me doing a few signings for both BIG SLICK and BUG BOY at their casino before the holidays. Poker book, horse racing book, perfect fit. According to the people of Foxwoods, I'll be signing in the World Poker Tour room and the Race Book rooms. Both are huge venues and I am super excited about this event.

This is Foxwoods:



Here is the wicked cool poker room:



And the wicked cool Race Book:



Not to mention the uber-famous performer who will also be there that night.

Maybe my name will be on one of those mega-big jumbo-trons! Fingers crossed.

So, here are the deets:

Date: December 5th and 6th, 2009
Location: Foxwoods Resort and Casino
City: Mashantucket, CT

Gonna be around? I'd love to see some familiar faces!

I have a fun interview up on Deborah Lynn Jacobs's website today. She asks some great questions about BUG BOY and horseracing that I had not been asked before. So, in case you're interested, here is the link!

Water towers are cool.





That is all.

http://www.megcabot.com/diary/?p=1220

NEW MOON!!! AHHHH!!!!

Ha, no, I didn’t go to New Moon last night at 12:01. I was doing what I’m always doing lately at 12:01AM: waiting for my Ambien to kick in and going, “Why don’t they have Say Yes To The Dress on On Demand?”

If you’re ...

http://editorialanonymous.blogspot.com/2009/11/shnookiedoodlepoo-and-diaper.html

I'm wondering if it's important to have a super great title for my manuscript when I submit it to the slush pile. Should I spend a great deal of time and energy to get it just right, or do the majority of titles get changed along the way anyway?

Great title:
Ooo, that's catchy. Maybe the editor will take a little peek right now, instead of days or weeks from now.

Ok title:
Manuscript gets in line. No special treatment.

Bad/cliched title:
Without realizing it, the editor keeps sifting manuscript to the bottom of the pile. Months go by. Eventually, editor reads it and maybe realizes it's great! It just needs a new title. No problem.

Horrifying title: No answer because the editor didn't want to touch the manuscript long enough to reject it.


If you can come up with a super title, then do-- it can encourage prompt responses.

But do not overthink this, and if you aren't good at recognizing the difference between an awkwardly overwrought title and something that sparks reader interest (and many writers are not!), go ahead and give your MS a blah, vanilla-flavored title that can be easily changed and that at least won't hurt it during submission.

1. Tomorrow, I leave for Philadelphia and NCTE, which means today I am running around trying to get ready. I was telling one of my babysitters about this trip, and how I'd be doing two talks and signings and author dinners, and she just shook her head. "I just don't see you like that!" she said. "It's like you have an alter ego!" And she's right. Days like today, when I'm loading up my Nice Clothes and Cute Shoes and getting into Work Mode, it does feel kind of strange. Worlds colliding, and all that. To my babysitters, I am just the neurotic person who always collapses, exhausted, the minute they arrive. I disappear upstairs, do something for a few hours, and then return. Little do they know! It's like my little secret. Anyway, the events at NCTE are for attendees only, but on Sunday, the 22nd, I'm doing two public events. At 9am I'll be at Chester County Books and Music to do an author breakfast with the fab Laurie Halse Anderson (go here for more info). And for more info on the benefit at Children's Book World, where I'll be from 1-3, go here and scroll down a bit.

2. Ever since my daughter was born, she has looked JUST like her father. The only people who think she takes after me in any way have never met him. People keep telling me that this will change, that eventually she may take on more of my features. In the meantime, though, I am seeing little hints that she is, in fact, a lot like me. Such as the fact that lately, she's REALLY into two things: shoes and cupcakes. And, of course, books. Genetics works, folks. That's my girl!

3. They're talking about this huge cruise ship right now on GMA, and it's SO making me remember my Love Boat obsession when I was a kid. I used to watch it every Saturday night, and I totally wanted to be Julie McCoy, cruise director. She got to carry a clipboard and eat at the captain's table and go to exotic locales! It seemed like the best job ever. I bet this huge new ship would blow Julie McCoy's mind. There' s a mall! A spa! Manufactured waves so you can surf onboard! And I have a feeling the cruise directors, if they even still exist, do not carry clipboards. That's so 70's. They're probably all robots by now.

4. There was a story in the news yesterday with this shocking truth: movie popcorn is NOT good for you. As Seth and Amy would say, "Really?" I mean, come on. It's loaded with butter and oil and we eat it by the tubful. Did you really think you could tell yourself the fact that it's high in fiber somehow cancels that out? (Can you tell I have tried this argument myself, before?) I've written here recently about my obsession with microwave popcorn, but that is a whole different thing. Movie popcorn is like dessert. But man, is it good. I haven't been to the movies in FOREVER but I honestly miss the food more than the films themselves. If Netflix could figure out a way to ship a tub right to your door, they'd make millions. Not that it would a good thing, necessarily. I'm just saying.

5. Speaking of movies, New Moon opens today, and MAN talk about media saturation. It's everywhere! I missed Stefanie Meyer on Oprah the other day---I'm hoping they'll re-run it---but I do wonder what she's doing today. I mean, talk about having an alter ego. She's a mom, and a regular person, but also this total DEITY as far as readers are concerned. It's not like it's her first movie or anything, but whoa, it's gotta be a little overwhelming. I hope she is having a nice, big cup of coffee right now, or green tea, or whatever is her morning drink of choice. Maybe she'll go buy some cute shoes or something, to celebrate. Have some ice cream. Or movie popcorn. Whatever she's doing, I hope she's getting to enjoy it. What a crazy ride. I can't even imagine.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

IBM has developed a super computer that is smarter than a cat.
Apparently, it is able to slink outside the box.

[Edited to add:] It doesn't come with a mouse.

http://www.sparksflyup.com/2009/11/on-liking-twilight.php

Okay, briefly, because I'm trying to do NaNoWriMo:

The Washington Post* has published a story that basically argues that enjoying Twilight, like getting your period, is just an unfortunate fact of womanhood. (The piece also argues, albeit subtly, that women are weak-will creatures who will cannot help but give in to their lesser, shameful urges.)

And I just want to say: I am a man. I am a reasonably intelligent, well-educated adult man, and I think Twilight is insanely fun to read. Of course, I am glad we do not actually live in a world where it is socially acceptable for 107-year-old pedophiles** to have romantic relationships with high-school students, and I think Edward and Bella's relationship too often confuses obsession with love. But the books are fun and sexy and incredibly engrossing, and you don't have to be a woman (or ashamed!) to know that.

And I have not arrived at that conclusion because I have become light-headed in my oh-so-tight corset. I am a dude. I like sports.***

Nor am I embarrassed to admit that Edward is a well-drawn idealized other. (You don't have to be attracted to individuals who share his genitalia to recognize that; in fact, if you change Edward's name and gave him slightly larger pecs, he'd have a lot in common with some of my more celebrated ex-girlfriends.)

There are books that teach us something about the world in which we find ourselves, and then there are books that help us to escape for a few hours the crushing pain of humanness. To deny that these books have value is to deny the reality of suffering (or, to argue, as the WaPo story seems to, that suffering is limited to young and/or uneducated people).




* The Washington Post was a newspaper. Newspapers were these paper-based ways of distributing information.

** Which Edward is, make no mistake about it. The reason it's wrong for old people to have sexual relationships with children is not because we old people LOOK old. It's because we ARE old.

*** I particularly like soccer, and off topic, but I am so disappointed to see a great match between France and Ireland end with a flagrant handball, and while I'm disappointed in Thierry Henry for failing to tell the ref he cheated, it seems to me that the bigger problem is that no one in soccer ever owns up to violating the rules unless s/he is caught. It's as if a rules violation isn't a rules violation unless an official notices it.

Since Laurie is running around like a Mad Woman, and being true to her inner Mad Woman in the Forest, I thought I would share, once again, her bookstore schedule for this weekend! Yes, it is time for her to travel to Philly for NCTE (no, she is NOT packed yet!). Besides the wonderful conference, she is scheduled to appear tomorrow (Friday) night at a Public Event at Doylestown Bookshop from 7PM until 9PM!! Can you be there? If you are in the area, please stop in and say hello! She would LOVE to see all her friends!

On Saturday, Laurie will be doing conference book signings and an Author Blog Panel: Please see her post here.

On Sunday, Laurie will be at an author breakfast with Sarah Dessen held at Chester County Book & Music Company beginning at 9AM until 12PM. If you plan on attending, please RSVP to their Children's Department. Come on, admit it, you always wanted to know what Laurie has for breakfast, check it out!!!

Also on Sunday, Laurie will be one author out of NINE at a super event at Children's Book World from 1PM until 3PM. The event is called "A Novel Idea", a Teen Event/Benefit for Philadelphia Free Library's Summer Reading Program. Philadelphia Free Library is faced with the possibility of NOT having it's book budget restored next year, so Children's Book World has teamed up with them to raise money for books! Go here, and scroll down to read more on the event. Seeing your favorite author and helping a local library, two great reasons to stop in to Children's Book World.

We received some awesome book award news in the Forest recently: WINTERGIRLS and CHAINS were both named to the 2010 Tayshas High School Reading List in Texas!! We send a TEXAS sized Thank You to the Tayshas Committee and the teachers and librarians of Texas!! ::Whoop, Whoop::

Believe me, Laurie would absolutely L O V E to see You at her events. Just tell her the Queen sent you! Ta Ta....

First: Thanks all for your responses to my last post. Group hug.

Second: I really like this review of Once Was Lost over at Elle Strauss' blog. Among other things, she writes (when taking a moment to reflect on how religious people are often portrayed), "[The] characters are flawed because they are human, not because they choose to have faith in God."

Third: Happy 40th birthday to Mark Miller, who was the inspiration for Cameron Quick in Sweethearts. You don't look a moment over 39! Here we are in Feb 08 at our old elementary school:



And now, the details about my time in Philadelphia this weekend. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, you're probably not registered for the conference, and if you're not registered you can't see me! Unless you stand on the street outside my hotel, which would be creepy.)

Sunday

10:30 a.m. - Signing at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers booth #613

11:30 a.m. - Signing at Anderson's Bookshop booth

Evening - ALAN/Joint Publisher Reception

Monday

2:45 p.m. - Panel - "Veterans in the YA Lit Business: Successful Authors & Their Editors" (I'm not sure three books makes me a veteran, but I'm looking forward to being a part of this.)

If you see me, signing or at the panel or walking the floor or loitering by the coffee stand, please say hello. I'm friendly.

http://www.theboyfriendlist.com/e_lockhart_blog/2009/11/this-and-that.html

Sorry haven't blogged in so long.  I bought an apartment and am supervising the work being done on it and it is a VERY BUSY time.

Paint colors!  Why do you obsess me so?

And feast your eyes on this wallpaper:

Trees of mystery, you are mine!!!

On another note, have you checked out The Amanda Project?  My friend Melissa Kantor wrote the first book in this wild interactive mystery, and the site has a lot of very cool things you can do in addition to reading the story.

Also, I will be at ALAN this Sunday - Monday, so please catch up with me at the cocktail party thing Sunday night, if you're going to be there, too!

In December, I'll be answering questions at a bunch of blogs out there -- and will reveal ALL FOUR OF THE NEW Ruby Oliver COVERS!  The series is being redesigned with the launch of Real Live Boyfriends in December, 2010. 

That's it for now. I have a rewrite to finish.

xo

E

P.S. Ruby Oliver's newest advice column is out. Why anyone wants advice from Roo, I'm not sure -- but she dishes it out without worrying too much. :)

http://elizabethwrites.com/blog/2009/11/just-realized-its-almost-time-to-start.php

This just in: I've found out Grace is going to be published in September 2010, and have updated the books page to show that. (yay!) And as soon as I have the release date and the cover, you can bu sure I'll share that with you as well!

I'm also very happy to announce that Harmony's ARC blog tour of the third ARC of The Unwritten Rule is now open to sign-ups for US residents--no mailing to or from Canada required!

Sign up here (and make sure you join Harmony's tour, which you can do by sending an email to: onearctours[at]yahoo[dot]com with “ARC Tour” in subject line)

For feeds that strip out links, sign up to read the ARC of The Unwritten Rule here: http://onearctours.blogspot.com/2009/11/unwritten-rule-by-elizabeth-scott.html

And here are today's links:

Nathan Bransford on waiting--this time from the writer's point of view

Justine Musk talks about one thing you will most definitely need if you want to be a writer

Over at Genreality, a great blog post about Paying The Writer - "I have a very practical take on the art and business of writing. Note I say art and business. A successful author must be very good at both. To become an artist, one must learn the craft of writing. To be successful as an artist one must learn the business in which the art is sold."

Agent Rachelle Gardner answers reader questions about earning out on first novels, advances, and more

More NaNoWriMo tips from Justine Larbalestier

And speaking of NaNoWriMo--if you're doing it, how's it going? What's been your favorite part about writing this month? Or what's been your least favorite? (One of my least favorite writing memories of all time is how I once lost ten pages of something I was working on and could not get it back no matter what I did. That was the day I started backing everything up!)

http://editorialanonymous.blogspot.com/2009/11/go-to-your-happy-place-your-writing.html

I’m an aspiring author with one magazine credit and a fabulous agent. I’ve recently had some good news, an editor from a major publishing house is interested in my manuscript (the joy, the terror). She’s currently circulating copies to her colleagues and I’m waiting for news and trying not to hold my breath. I’ve had a lot of positive feedback from other editors (via said fabulous agent); however, the outstanding concern is that the manuscript might not be long enough for the age group (I aimed it at 8-12, though some publishers felt it would be better as a 9+). The manuscript is 32,000 words long. I do know this is short, however it felt like the natural length for this specific story. It’s a long preamble, but I would love an editor’s honest take on this situation. Is a short story just too costly to print? are they unpopular/unsaleable? or are they trying to let me down easy? I’ve indicated that I’d be more than happy to write more (provided it was more that added to the story, not just more words to bulk out each chapter), and that I would be thrilled to have an editor’s opinion/brainstorming power to help me with some ideas. Besides that, is there anything I can do?

No, that's the right approach to take. In your position, I would assume that those editors who simply rejected it on the grounds that it's too short didn't have any particular ideas (or at least, ones they wanted to share) for how it might be longer.

It's possible you will find an editor who will be willing to publish this at its current length (it's on the short side, but I can think of shorter things published for middle school), or you will find an editor who's interested in brainstorming ways to make it longer.

If I were you, I would be thinking hard now about how you might make it longer (in a way that, as you say, serves the story rather than just padding it). If you're feeling stuck, ask your agent what she feels are the primary strengths of the manuscript and then concentrate on what you could do to develop those more.

Waiting and worrying are probably the couple of worst things for authors, but the good news is you have something to do that prevents both of them! That is: writing.

I adore Laurie Faria Stolarz. She is soooooooo nice and really kind and cool, so I was psyched to post a couple interview questions with her here on my blog. Excuse me while I go all fan girl.
Here she is looking cute.

My Quickie Interview with Laurie.

What captivates you?
A really good movie, really good trash TV.

Do you have any super sekrit phobias?
I can’t watch scary movies, does that count? I also can’t go into any spooky “haunted” houses, or walk alone at night.

Would you ever fall in love with a werewolf?
No, I prefer my men human. Unless of course he looked exactly like John Cusack or Jude Law.

Tell me the goofiest thing you've ever done, or the bravest.
I once broke into a mini-golf course at night, climbing over a 10-foot chain link fence, and hurtling up a mountain of plastic waterfalls to have my picture taken with a giant pink dinosaur. I was pledging a sorority when I did this (wink, wink).

( Read More About Laurie and her new book BLACK IS FOR BEGINNINGS here )

1. Thank gawd it lasted "only" an hour and a half, down from its usual two hours.

2. For Danny's makeover, Tim Gunn put him in an argyle vest last seen on a five-year-old boy fifty years ago and a flowery pastel blouse like my grandma's, may she rest in peace. Why, Tim Gunn, why?

3. Liz is catty and holds a grudge. So I love her.

4. I watched the show while splayed on my couch, eating spoonfuls of Nutella straight from the jar. Don't judge me.

These three darkest months of the year are hard times for me. I miss the sunlight. I'm not a fan of sunset being at 4:35. So I'm looking for light within the darkness. Some of you mentioned tricks you use to get happy on my Facebook, like music and cake and friends. All of these are good. There's much to be said for indoor entertainment.

Like how in recent Netflix adventures I've been watching last season of Private Practice. I never hear people talking about this show so I don't know how popular it is, but I think it's really good. It may not have that overwhelming intense thing Grey's Anatomy does, but some of their story lines rival Grey's. I'd watched that Grey's ep where Addison takes her brother to Seattle Grace a while ago, so it was cool to see the tie-in from Private Practice's side. The characters are sweet and it's always interesting. Recommended.

In movie news, I just saw The Men Who Stare at Goats. Dude, it was so much better than I thought it was going to be! It's the best movie I've seen in a long while. Recommended, especially if your sense of humor is kind of weird like mine. Now I'm waiting for Brothers. I used to have a husband list when I was a teacher, where every year I'd list my Top Five Husbands and students could call me by any of those names if they wanted. Anything to make the day more fun for them, you know? And, um, me. For several years, my #1 and #2 husbands were Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal. I've been saying that those boys look alike for years, and now they're playing brothers! Totally brill.



Books I want to read keep piling up. I like to read in bed, but sometimes I'm so tired that I can't read more than a chapter. This means it takes me a ridiculous amount of time to read books these days. I'm finally reading Jonathan Tropper's This Is Where I Leave You, which is just so freaking good. Highly recommended. I've been a fan since Plan B, so I'm thrilled about all of his success. You deserve every bit of it, Jonathan!

Of course, the only music I'm playing these days is the new John Mayer album. I scored floor seats for his concert at Madison Square Garden! Excellent ones, yo. It's a good thing I'm into anticipation, because the concert isn't until the end of February. Which is perfect, since February is the coldest month and I don't do cold. So I'll look forward to this concert and let it be my light at the end of the darkness. I feel warmer already.

http://editorialanonymous.blogspot.com/2009/11/november-lovehate.html

Know what I love? The way when a lot of people donate a leeetle money to a good cause, it becomes a LOT of money for the cause.

Know what I hate? Adam Rex's moustache.


HERE, the fantabulous Bridget Zinn auction is going on. Bridget, you'll recall, got a book deal and a cancer diagnosis in the same month. She's doing ok, but her treatment is hellishly expensive. Happily, she has lots of fellow children's book people who don't know her and yet who care about her.


HERE, Adam Rex is raising money for schoolchildren. Last year he raised a bunch of funds for Philadelphia schools; this year it's Tucson schools. (And you have the option of donating to schools in YOUR immediate area.) Please, donate some money and help us make him shave.


(What I love most: that the community of children's book people is so generous. You, my readers and your friends and colleagues: you're awesome.)

Okay, Monday night I had one of those dreams where you force yourself to wake up because you just CAN NOT handle dreaming your dream any more.

Do you know what I mean?


Like you know the ghosts are about to eat you .... so you wake up. (I was going to put zombies in here, but the picture was too scary.)


Or that Grover is lost and you'll never find him....so you wake up.

Last night I dreamed that I was sitting in this nice white house with all these windows and having a very fancy breakfast on a table covered with linen. There were a lot of people there. But it was the man next to me that was important to me. I kept leaning on his shoulder. I was so obviously so comfortable with him. Then I realized that I should not be leaning on him because he was married! Then I realized that I shouldn't be in love with him at all.

So, I said that to him.

And he said, "It's okay. Everyone knows about you already."

And he pointed out the window and there were all these cameras everywhere.

And I forced myself to wake up because I just couldn't deal with it.

So who was this guy?

Yeah.... Weird.....I don't even have a crush on him at all (No offense to people who do. I don't go for politicians.) and so I think he must represent something else in my dream.

http://editorialanonymous.blogspot.com/2009/11/suggestions-are-welcome-demands-not-so.html

I have a quick formatting question. If I want to set something off in my manuscript with a different font, how do I indicate that in my manuscript? I am going to have as part of my manuscript pages from another book and letters from characters in between chapters (not unlike Sarah Prineas did with THE MAGIC THIEF). Should I add something (a footnote? a note in brackets?) to indicate that this should be formatted differently?

A note in brackets phrased as a suggestion is acceptable. That's the designer's job, you know.

And out of curiosity--how would an author format a manuscript that needed some form of special illustration, like the comic book inset in Markus Zusak's THE BOOK THIEF or the ink blots and scribblings MT Anderson's OCTAVIAN NOTHING?

As a suggestion, again. That's money the publisher would have to spend on illustration.

First and foremost, a correction: my event at Chester County Books on Sunday, the 22nd, is at 9am, NOT 9:30. Whoops! And for those of you who asked, the events at NCTE on Friday and Monday are open to attendees of the conference ONLY. However, the events on Saturday are open to the public. For a full---and hopefully all correct---list of what I'm doing where, check out my appearances page.

Clearly, I am trying to do too many things at once. That's when I make mistakes. Witness what happened to me at the co-op in Carrboro yesterday, when I put the wrong PLU on a bag of bran muffins. The woman at the register looked at the bag, then at me. "I think you have the wrong code on here," she said. She seemed really disappointed in me. "You reversed some digits." I looked at the bag, and my squirming toddler in the cart, who I was trying to calm while juggling my own cup of coffee, and said, "Oh, sorry. It's bran muffins." She said, "I guess you have a bit of dyslexia this morning." I just looked at her: there were no words. I'd been up since 5:45! It was just two numbers! Honestly! Nothing like being scolded by a hippie. Oh, well. It WAS my mistake.

On a related note, Dear Whole Foods, I love you. From, Sarah.

You know who doesn't make mistakes like these? Laurie Halse Anderson, that's who. Luckily, we do have other things in common. Like the fact that we are BOTH in the process of getting brand new spaces to write, built by our awesome carpenter husbands (we also share that: writers and carpenters are a good match, apparently. At least, that's my experience). Anyway, Laurie's writing cottage is TOTALLY awesome. You can get the whole story by watching this super cool video she posted here.

I don't have a video---I can't even get my PLU right!---but I do have a couple of new pics from my still-in-progress office. The electrician is currently putting in the switches and fans and light fixtures, and the painters are done! Check it out:

Here's the main room, with the apricot/terra cotta color.

This the conference room. So Parker and I don't have to meet at Whole Foods or in our spare room, on the floor, anymore!

The stairs leading UP to my room, where you can see the blue we picked for the rest of the garage. Ahhhhh....soothing. The blue is also in the bathroom.

We still have to get the carpet in, the cabinets, and a bunch of other stuff. Finally, though, it doesn't feel so premature to start weeding out and boxing things up for the move over. And that is so nice, as I love anything that involves buying containers and organizing them. I might be PLU challenged, but I can ROCK my labelmaker. Step back, hippies!

Have a great day, everyone!