YA Highway

The other day, I was talking with a friend about the whole writing thing, and he was like, "Why would you do that to yourself?" and I was like, "Fair question. Hmm."

In the end, I could have gone on and on about all the things that make writing the Best Hobby-Dream-Mutant-Hybrid EVER, but said friend's eyes probs would have glazed over like delicious donuts. After all, it ain't clear to everyone how interrupted sleep patterns and constant obsessing can make life worth living. It takes a special breed to find fun in coming up with similes as creative as "glazed over like delicious donuts." Fo shiz!

Despite all the fun, being a writer can be stressful at times. A lot of times. You don't get the ice cream without milkin' the calf (huh?). So here are five totally weird techniques for dealing with writer-stress - and beyond!

1. Nap. Okay, so this isn't that weird - at least, for me, it's written in my DNA. But some people seem averse to the wonder that is The Nap, and if you're one of those stressed few, this needs to be remedied immediately! Take one no less than 6 hours before bedtime to prevent later insomnia, and sleep for about 20 minutes, 1.5 hours, or 3 hours. (That is sleep science, right there.)

In truth, a nap can go both ways: you can wake up with worries of queries/chapters/books seeming eons away, or your cat could wake you up too early and leave you more miserable than before. But if you ask me, it's a risk worth taking. Mmm, sleep.

2. Use flashcards. Or, you know, pieces of paper, since I know I don't always have notecards ready to be whipped out (alas, it's why I'm a horrible student). The idea here is: compartmentalize. Identify exactly what's stressing you, whether it's a plot hole, deadline, or unwanted emotion like jealousy. Then write down each thing separately. All of a sudden, instead of a giant must-not-be-named demon of angst floating over your head, each stressor is contained to a fragment of dead tree. Holla!

As you complete tasks, you can rip up the card! Or, if it's one those you-can't-really-control-it things - say, your well-meaning aunt's insistence that the process would go much more smoothly if you just self-published - limit your "worry time" to a fake notecard study session. This could even lead to your brain not caring about the material. Err, unless you were/are a good student. Gold star!

3. Take up a self-calming mantra. Like a monk! Only sexier. Anytime you feel that writer-blood pressure rising, whip out your chant. It can be short, like "I am awesome" (you are), or long, like "My percievance of this situation has been generated by my own neural passageways and will have no significant effect on the universe as a unit of space-time." Uh-huh.

4. Visualize! Imagine a snarling dog who wants to maul you. Or a cat, or a female angler fish, whatever. That animal is your writing stress. Now: tie it up to a post. With a rope made of titanium unicorn hair. There is no way that baby's getting at chya. It can only watch as you fly off on that generous unicorn into the land of inner peace. Sayonara! Hells yeah.

5. Enlist quotes. When you're stressed, the last thing you might want to hear is someone else's opinion on the subject. But the advice of old dead white men can be GREAT in this situation. Same goes for the wisdom of dead revolutionaries. And of one other person... Trust me on this one.

• "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson (Translation: Those double chocolate fudge cookies may or may not make the query responses come faster. But oh Lord, we can try, we can try!)

• "There is more to life than increasing its speed." ~ Mohandas K. Gandhi (Translation: 10,000 words in a day = freakin' epic! The next-day hangover = not quite as epic. Though still epic.)

• "Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no trouble, noise, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." ~ Lady Gaga (Translation: Gaga kicks butt, dude.)

Whoa, sorry about that last translation. How'd that get in there? Weird. The real question is... What are your offbeat techniques for dealing with writer-stress? It might be a hard-knock life, but it's the best life there is. And that is pretty much worth all the must-not-be-named demons in the world. (Besides, we've got unicorns on our side!)

~ Emilia

5 Totally Weird Techniques for Dealing with Writer-Stress

Road Trip Wednesday is a "Blog Carnival," where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link in the comments - or, if you prefer, you can include your answer in the comments.

Road Trip Wednesday #47: Best Book of September

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 We've blogged about why you should do it and how it benefits your own writing. But if you've never been a beta before, you might not be sure how you do it. Depending on how well you know the writer you'll be betaing for, it's a good idea to decide on a  few things before you start.
Is the writer looking for feedback in the next week or two? Or are they okay waiting a month or longer? Take a glance at your own schedule and see if you'll be able to finish the MS for them in the time frame they're looking for. Of course, we all know life rarely goes as planned. If something comes up and you're taking longer than you wanted in returning the beta, just send an email to let them know you haven't forgotten.

Line Edits or General Feedback
General feedback usually means a writer is  looking for an overall feel of the book--if character arcs felt completed, if there were any plot holes, if the pacing was good throughout. Line edits (like copy edits) take a little more time and focus. Line edits usually include word choice, grammar, punctuation, paragraph breaks, out of character dialogue or thoughts, etc.

Once you know what the writer expects from your beta keep a few things in mind.

Be Consistent
Most people use the review tab in MS Word to leave comment bubbles for the document. Some people use the highlight function to indicate where they think a paragraph break should go and change font color to red for spelling errors or incomplete sentences. Whatever way you choose to beta, make sure you're consistent throughout the document.

Being a writer, you know how hard it can be hearing that your beautiful MS has some problems. Which might make it hard to point out things you think need improvement. But that's exactly what someone wants from a beta reader. They're looking for ways to make their work better and need your honest opinions. It's up to the writer to decide which advice to take and which to ignore. That being said, it doesn't hurt to point out things you love in the work as well.

Most, if not all writers, are simply grateful for someone to take the time to beta their book. But be professional and do a good job. When it's your MSs turn, you'll be glad you did.

Being a Good Beta

Winner: A BLUE SO DARK

The winner of the ARC of BLUE FIRE by Janice Hardy (signed!) is Melanie Vautour--chosen using random.org. Please email yahighway (at) gmail.com with your address so I can mail it to you. Congrats!

Winner: Blue Fire ARC

The graphic novel continues to see growth in readership and availability. Once relegated to comic book stores and "struggling" readers, graphic novels now serve a community of readers appreciative of the beauty of art combined with carefully sparse storytelling and can be found at mainstream bookstores, libraries and schools. What is a graphic novel? Definitions abound on the internet. For example:

1. A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using comic form. The term is employed in a broad manner, encompassing non-fiction works and thematically linked short stories as well as fictional stories across a number of genres.

2. A comic book that is longer in format than the usual “pamphlet,” and typically contains a complete story unto itself. Graphic novels usually have higher production values than the typical stapled comic; ie hardcover volumes, squarebound, or dust-jacketed.

3. A square bound comic with a long, complete story. Sometimes it is a reprint of several comic books.

4. Quite simply, a novel with graphics or images. Graphic novels are much like comic books with a panel presentation and text within the image panels. Several pieces of classic literature are available as graphic novels.

Yes, Japanese manga are graphic novels, as are compilations of shorter comic books a la super hero stories. But graphic novels are more than that: they are non-fiction, they are humorous, they are gritty, they are light, they will cause a smile to break out, they will break your heart. Here are three reviews of three very different graphic novels:

YUMMY: THE LAST DAYS OF A SOUTHSIDE SHORTY by G. Neri, ill. by Randy DuBurke

review by kristin miller


Based on the life and death of Robert "Yummy" Sandifer, YUMMY: THE LAST DAYS OF A SOUTHSIDE SHORTY chronicles and questions the environment that turned the 11-year old Chicago boy into a killer. The main character, eleven year old Roger, wants to make sense of the death of Yummy and the 14-year old girl he killed. But before he can figure out the whys of Yummy's death, he has to sort through the murk of Yummy's life; of the life of his own brother, Black Disciples gang member Gary; and of the multiple tentacles of the social community and state reaching in to attempt to make things better for Yummy - and failing. The artwork is as gritty and well-done as warrants a story like this, with a fantastic noir vibe, but it's the sparse and effective text that truly broke my heart. The brilliant two page spread of "professional" opinions about Yummy, including pieces from President Clinton's speech about the murder, contrasted poignantly with the close community of friends and family trying to come to terms with how and why an 11-year old boy ends up accused of murder. And Roger's honest and oft-times confused thoughts mirrored my own. Roger doesn't come up with an easy answer because there isn't one. But readers will appreciate the various ways he questions the life and death of a boy who was both bully and victim. YUMMY is one of the most difficult and beautiful graphic novels I've seen and will linger with me for a long time.



SERENITY: THOSE LEFT BEHIND written by Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews, ill. by Will Conrad and Laura Martin

review by amanda hannah


It’s 2517 and the plant Earth, no longer able to sustain the heavy population, is but one of many different planets that have undergone terraformation to become inhabitable. Malcom Reynolds, a staunch Independent and veteran Brown Coat, defies the Alliance’s forced unification. Instead of settling onto one of the new planets and abiding by their rules, he assembles a crew aboard his ship Firefly. Somewhat directionless after the war, their only goal is to keep flying and stay out of the Alliance’s view. Their main work? Smuggling.
The novel opens with the crew in the middle of a job gone bad, and steadily getting worse. Narrowly making it back to the ship alive, Malcom is contacted by Badger. He claims the bloody Battle of Sturgis had all been started over a crate of cash—cash that’s still hidden among the wreckage. And he’s got the exact coordinates of its location. Against protests from some of his crew, Malcom calls for the coordinates to be set.
THOSE LEFT BEHIND was written to serve as a bridge between the short-lived television series, “Firefly”, and the movie, “Serenity”, that would later be released. The graphic novel perfectly captures the show’s Western flair of gun slinging and the futuristic battle of the stars. People familiar with the show will see the characters brought to life on the page with their quick, well-timed dialogue and spot on drawings.



Happyface by Stephen Emond

review by emilia plater


When awkward high school sophomore Happyface (that's his alias) has to change schools in the wake of his parents' divorce, he decides to reinvent himself as the popular, outgoing happy kid - even though he's grieving inside. What follows is a roller-coaster ride of unrequited crushes, hardball emotions, and thought-provoking themes. The story is doled out with a deft hand, accompanied by some really gorgeous drawings, hilarious doodles and comics, and IM chat sessions that reminded me like crazy of conversations I've had with my own friends. I could see this book in the hands of any guy, but even as a girl I felt like I was in Happyface's shoes. The character of Happyface is beyond endearing, someone we've all met before or have been ourselves. He's sarcastic, funny, insightful, and most importantly, real. This is a graphic novel that leaves you with a story to consider, some great art to marvel at, and a protagonist fall in love with.

The YA Graphic Novel

• Laurie Halse Anderson's original call to action and follow up
• Authors Myra McEntire, Veronica Roth, M.G. Buehrline and Lindsay Roth Culli with a Christian rebuttal
• Author Michelle Hodkin with a look at the legal workings of book banning
• Truly, truly heartbreaking and brave stories from authors Cheryl Rainfield, CJ Redwine, Saundra Mitchell and Valerie Kemp.
• "Truth is not pornography. I believe that with all my heart," says agent Janet Reid.
• Author Jo Knowles examines the term "dirty book."
• God I love The Rejectionist, who offers Dr. Scroggins her editorial services - free of charge!

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"Do you want to write or don’t you? If your answer is 'yes, but,' then here’s a small editing tip: what you’re doing is using six letters and two words to say 'no.' And that’s fine. Just don’t kid yourself as to what 'yes, but' means."

“All I would ask you to consider is the fact that as a female writer, I was raised on a steady and unvaried diet of male writers. I read about impotence before I knew what menopause was.”

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• Will Write For Cake 
• The Hate-Mongering Tart
• Sarah Ockler
• Tahereh Mafi
• Claire Dawn
• Jennifer Wood

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Field Trip Friday: September 24

Interview: Brenna Yovanoff, author of THE REPLACEMENT

Welcome to our 46th Road Trip Wednesday!

Road Trip Wednesday is a "Blog Carnival," where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link in the comments - or, if you prefer, you can include your answer in the comments.

Road Trip Wednesday Special Feature! To celebrate how supportive you guys have been of RTW since it started, this week we're featuring your fab participant posts! The links you leave for us in the comments before 6:00pm CST will have their day in the (highly deserved) sun. If your post isn't highlighted, don't worry - we'll continue to highlight participants in future features!

Pam Harris & Quita Hockaday: "I still want to tell certain people to shove it, but I digress..."

KT: "I think I'd actually be intimidated by him..."

Alicia Gregoire: "The short answer of 'no' has nothing to do with my characters as people..."

Sarah Nicolas: "I recently announced on Twitter that I’m kinda sorta in love with him..."

Katy Upperman: "I often tell my husband that if I’d known him in high school, we wouldn’t have been friends..."

Bri: "I love all of my characters dearly, but there are only three that I might have been friends with."

Aleeza: "Dude, this is a question I've asked myself numerous times before, because it's just SO MUCH FUN pondering over!"

Heather Howland: "Um… no."

Mariam Maarouf: "Mmm... that depends."

Holly Dodson: "Honestly, she's the kind of friend I wish I'd found when I was fourteen."

Kirsten Rice: "He's kind of out of my league."

Horserider: "We're both shy and we both love horses."

Road Trip Wednesday #46: (Fictional) Friends Forever

We're excited to present a guest post from Holly Schindler, author of Booklist-starred A BLUE SO DARK. Be sure to read through to find out how to win your own signed copy of A BLUE SO DARK!

About A BLUE SO DARK:
Fifteen-year-old Aura Ambrose has been hiding a secret. Her mother, a talented artist and art teacher, is slowly being consumed by schizophrenia, and Aura has been her sole caretaker ever since Aura's dad left them. Convinced that "creative" equals crazy, Aura shuns her own artistic talent. But as her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet draws Aura toward the depths of her imagination. Just as desperation threatens to swallow her whole, Aura discovers that art, love, and family are profoundly linked—and together may offer an escape from her fears.

by Holly Schindler


My debut novel, A BLUE SO DARK, was released last May to positive reviews…including a STARRED review in BOOKLIST! But three, four years ago? Those positive reviews seemed about as far away as the moon. My path to publication was a long and winding one.

I graduated with my master’s in the spring of ’01. A lifelong book nut, my ultimate dream was to write. So I jumped at the chance to take my mom up on her offer to feed me while I devoted full-time effort to my writing.

At the time, naïve ol’ me, I figured, a year, year and a half tops, and I have a book written, and of COURSE it would sell right off…probably even be an auction…

Yeah. Sure. The reality? Seven and a half years. I’d write a manuscript, send it out. While I waited for response, I’d write another. While I waited, I’d write yet another…After a few years, I was in a constant cycle of writing new stuff, revising old manuscripts, and pitching my ideas to potential editors and agents.

In seven and a half years, I racked up the rejections. Hundreds of them. But what was actually the hardest to bear wasn’t really the number of rejections but the amount of time it was taking to get started. Friends I’d gone to college with were wrapping up PhDs, getting gigs as professors, and I was still just banging my head against the wall. All I really had to show for it was a stack of unpublished manuscripts that LITERALLY stretched from the floor to the ceiling of my office.

Along about 2006, though, I was really beginning to get GOOD rejections. Not just notes thanking me for submitting, but long-winded emails from editors or agents as to why my work hadn’t been accepted, and how she (or he) felt I could improve my book. I was even getting invitations to resubmit.

It’s REALLY easy, after years of don’t-call-me, we’ll-(never)-call-you messages, to think of an offer to resubmit as lip service. A bunch of bull to help an editor get you out of their inbox. But they MEAN it. Believe me, editors really are busy. (I’m in awe of everything my editor at Flux gets done. Seriously—complete awe.) Agents are just as busy. And if one of them has taken time out of their day to tell you what’s lacking in your manuscript, LISTEN. They’re not taking time to write because they think you stink. They’re taking time to write because they see potential in your work. It’s a compliment.

SEEING rejections as compliments is the key to getting a book deal. In all honesty, it’s how I got mine. I revised A BLUE SO DARK globally at least four times in two years. By the time I approached the acquisitions editor at Flux about the book, it was in shape to BE acquired.

The thing is, writing takes time. And not just the time it takes to type some words on a computer keyboard. It takes time to polish, to understand how to pitch, to know how to develop a story, to create memorable characters. If I hadn’t had all that time (really—seven and a half years of full-time effort! That’s a luxury most writers only dream of), I doubt I’d have a book on the shelves today. But if I’d tossed rejections in the trash, if I’d insisted I was always right, if I’d never been willing to recognize the flaws in my stuff, I still doubt I’d ever get a book on the shelf, even after FIFTY years.

Nobody’s born knowing how to write a book. So don’t assume you have a clue what you’re doing the first time you put your fingers to the keyboard. Know that it will take time—but keep your antennae out for those positive rejections! Good rejections will help you revise with purpose, and cut down on the amount of time it will take to GET to that first publication!

Learn more about Holly at hollyschindler.com and hollyschindler.blogspot.com.

Want to win your own copy of A BLUE SO DARK? Leave a comment on this post to enter. Each comment is worth one point. Add +1 point for tweeting this contest and +1 for linking to this on your blog or facebook, for a total of 3 possible entries. Add up your totals and leave them with your comment. Good luck!

Also, don't forget to enter Monday's contest for Janice Hardy's BLUE FIRE. It's BLUE BOOK WEEK at YA Highway!

Guest Post: Holly Schindler and the Path to Publication

The summary from the back cover of the ARC:

Part fugitive, part hero, fifteen-year-old Nya is barely staying ahead of the Duke of Baseer's trackers. Wanted for a crime she didn't mean to commit, she risks capture to protect every Taker she can find, determined to prevent the Duke from using them in his fiendish experiments. But resolve isn't enough to protect any of them, and Nya soon realizes that the only way to keep them all out of the Duke's clutches is to flee Geveg. Unfortunately, the Duke's best tracker has other ideas.
Nya finds herself trapped in the last place she ever wanted to be, forced to trust the last people she ever thought she could. More is at stake than just the people of Geveg, and the closer she gets to uncovering the Duke's plan, the more she discovers how critical she is to his victory. To save Geveg, she just might have to save Baseer--if she doesn't destroy it first.


Since this is the second book in Janice Hardy's Healing Wars trilogy, my review is going to be a bit vague and brief, because if you haven't read book one, THE SHIFTER, well, I don't know what you're waiting for but regardless, I don't want to spoil you on that book if I can help it!

I adored THE SHIFTER, so I was really excited to get the ARC of BLUE FIRE. So excited that after we picked it up at the post office, I gave my fiancé the evil eye when he put it in the backseat of the car and then explained how excited I was to have it, in great depth, the whole way home.

And it didn't disappoint. One of the best things about THE SHIFTER was the world building, and it was just as good in BLUE FIRE. It isn't easy to build an entire world from the ground up, incorporate a bit of magic, and make it totally believable. But this world feels not only believable, but real. The characters and their relationships continued to be wonderful in this second book. I love how Nya manages to be a fiery little thing while also maintaining some really good relationships. She knows that she can't always do everything alone, and isn't too proud to enlist others in helping her, but she's also scrappy and never gives up.

This book sees Nya having to make a lot of really difficult choices, especially with her world starting to get messy with war-like stuff (the trilogy is called the Healing WARS, after all...) and it's all handled so well. Vivid enough that you're getting the horrors of what it's like to be Nya in a bad situation right now, but subtle enough so as not to give a MG aged reader nightmares.

BLUE FIRE is a really strong follow-up to THE SHIFTER, and even if you aren't an avid fantasy reader, this trilogy is worth reading.

If you'd like to win a (signed!) ARC of BLUE FIRE, all you have to do is comment on this post. I'll give you +1 entry for tweeting about the contest, and +1 for blogging about it or linking it on your blog, if you link to your tweet and/or blog entry in the comments as well. Giveaway will close at midnight (eastern time) on Sunday, September 26th and I'll announce a winner the next morning. US/Canadian residents only for this one (sorry).

Visit author Holly Schindler's guest post for another opportunity to win a book. She's giving away a signed copy of her starred-novel, A BLUE SO DARK.

Review and Giveaway: Blue Fire by Janice Hardy

But I didn't die. I was lost to a sea of cold, and then I was reborn into a world of warmth.

Resonance even extends to paragraph breaks.

But I didn't die. I was lost to a sea of cold, and then I was reborn into a world of warmth.


I thought I'd never see them again.

Previous topics:

Sentence Strengthening Sunday--Making Sentences Sing

In this Saturday series, YA Highway writers share the query letters that landed their agents -- and why the queries worked, from the agents themselves. Next up...

from Kaitlin:

Query writing, for me, is stressful, to put it delicately. Succinctness is not one of my best skills. But somehow, I managed to pull together a query for this manuscript that my amazing query critiquers didn’t think needed too much work, so with a few tweaks, it was ready to go. It got a reasonable request rate, much better than the manuscript I’d queried unsuccessfully before it.

Liz called me without warning when she’d had the full for about three weeks, which was terrifying, but ultimately worked out better because the idea of waiting for a scheduled phone call gives me hives. She was easy to talk to, enthusiastic, and answered all my follow-up questions via email quickly and perfectly. A week later, she became my agent.


the query:

Sixteen-year-old Olivia Stern is dead—and loving it. Now that she’s over the initial shock, she’s basking in the perks of the Good District. Maybe a little too much. A series of bad choices earn her the ultimate punishment: a temporary return to the life she thought she was so over. Before she can even complain, she’s back in her comatose body, seeming like some kind of miracle.

Olivia misses the comforts of the Afterlife, but she doesn’t want to waste her second chance at living. Especially when she attracts the attention of sweet, slightly neurotic Grayson. She’s also determined to find out what happened the night she died. Which would probably be a lot easier if she could remember any of it.

In the meanwhile, Olivia realizes there are some major aspects of her personality that need fixing, too, like the selfish tendencies she picked up in the Afterlife. As things get more serious with Grayson, she wonders if she’s being fair to him. Her foray into life isn’t permanent, after all, and Grayson’s life is unraveling enough without adding a dead girlfriend to the mix. And when the pieces of her murder puzzle unveil a darker side to some of her loved ones, she starts to wonder if the truth is worse than knowing nothing at all.

from Elizabeth:
A girl who gets kicked out of the Afterlife for being a brat temporarily comes back to the land of the living, only to fall in love, become a better person, and solve the mystery of her death? Yes, please! First off, did you notice that I was able to summarize the entire premise so easily? That, ladies and gentleman, is the stuff good pitches are made of.

Kaitlin’s active voice and succinct manner of explaining the deceptively simple plot made her query stand out from the pack. More importantly, those brief paragraphs gave me a strong sense of the promise that Kaitlin had as a writer. Her query hinted at world-building, romance, mystery, a ticking clock to move the plot along, and quirky characters without overselling the emotional points. I was immediately intrigued , but the proof is always in the manuscript.

Because YA is so dependent on trends, it can be easy to fall into the cliché ditch, which is why a strong teen voice is so vital to me. If an author has that, then nine times out of ten they won’t lead you, their premise, or their MC to a place everyone has already been. Kaitlin’s vision of the Afterlife was so distinctive that SO DEAD felt fresh to me. The dialogue was snappy, the characters were believable, and most of all no one ( not even Olivia) was perfect. Perfection of any sort is the knife that kills authentic teen characters. Characters that are too quirky can be murderous in the submission stage as well. Real people have highs and lows, and Kaitlin knew that. Kaitlin gave Olivia the greatest gift that any storyteller could give their characters; dimension. Olivia was a brat. She yelled, schemed and treated people badly, but I loved her anyway because at her core, she was good. She had a conscience and she acted on it. She had a true voice and heart, and that counts with me because both are things no edit note can ever give a writer. You can’t fake authenticity, someone has to come to that level of writing on their own through hard work.

I called Kaitlin after reading and gave my best pitch. When she agreed, I was thrilled and yapped about it all day ( much to the chagrin of my loved ones). When she sent me her WIP ideas, I was floored. We bounced ideas back and forth and she cherry picked the good ones. That kind of sense of self is very appealing to me as an agent because I prefer to agent like a cabbie ; you tell me where you want to go and I’ll decide the best route to get there. Kaitlin is very focused on where she wants to go as a writer, and what she would like to give to her eventual readership. I’m just happy to be along for the ride.


Want to query Elizabeth Jote? Guidelines can be found on her agentquery page.

Other installments in our query series:

• Kirsten Hubbard's query (with comments from Michelle Andelman)
• Lee Bross's query (with comments from Mandy Hubbard)
• Kody Keplinger's query (with comments from Joanna Stampfel-Volpe)
• Kristin Miller's query (with comments from Suzie Townsend)
• Kristin Otts's query (with comments from Michelle Andelman)
• Michelle Schusterman's query (with comments from Sarah Davies)
• Kate Hart's query (with comments from Michelle Andelman)
  

Query Series: Kaitlin Ward & Elizabeth Jote

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Field Trip Friday: September 17

I helped put together the very first [over]share video for The Contemps, the group of 21 contemporary young adult authors Kody Keplinger and I are a part of. Watch the vid, then head on over to The Contemps and share what day you'd do over from your teenage years!



And while I have your attention... I'm hosting my very first (signed!) Like Mandarin ARC giveaway at my blog. I'm also giving away query/page critiques and signed bookmarks. Come enter, it'll make me so happy! And stay tuned for a second Like Mandarin ARC giveaway right here on YA Highway in the next few weeks.

The Contemps [Over]Share: Do-Over Days!

Road Trip Wednesday is a "Blog Carnival," where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link in the comments - or, if you prefer, you can include your answer in the comments.


Emilia: "Man, it's mega cliche: 21st century youth idealizes a time when thangs went down...."

Kate: "In college, I managed to make almost every single paper relate to Indian issues..."

Kirsten: "I guess you could put me anywhere, among anyone, at any time, and that's where I'd hope to find a story..."

Road Trip Wednesday #45: Blast from the Past