"If you can dream it, you can do it" - Walt Disney
I love this quote; it's one of my favorites. And I never realized just how true it is until I read this cool-beans ARTICLE about wealth-magnets accruing fortunes from real snoozetastic DREAMS. That's right, you heard it here first (or second, depending on if you've already read the article in question) -- If you DREAM it, you really CAN do it... and make boatloads of moolah while you're at it!
By this point, you'd have to be living under a partially unearthed rock not to have heard the story about Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series coming to fruition from a dream. (For all you living under those partially unearthed rocks, I'm sure your homes are lovely...and I'm very impressed that you get an internet connection underground). So Stephenie's dream that started it all is old (albeit fascinating) news, I know. BUT, did you know that James Cameron got the idea for Avatar from a dream? Or that the legendary Paul McCartney came up with the song Yesterday while in a dream-state? Or how about the Declaration of Independence? Yep, I'm declaring that it might be thanks to a snorefest. Cool, right?
This is precisely why I think we should wear pajamas to work/school...and snooze every time we're supposed to come up with a good idea. We should start a snoozing revolution... and soon we'll be sleeping on wads of cash. Who's with me?
If you're not fully on the pajama bandwagon, you could always wear these pajama jeans. That way, only you will know you're snooze-ready:
I hope the past five days of interviews inspired, entertained and/or encouraged you to chase your own dreams. If you haven't already, please remember to read some or all of the other inspirational interviews on these blogs:
Today, I'm closing this wonderful week of inspirational interviews with debut author Denise Jaden. Her young adult novel, Losing Faith, will be available this fall.
Tell us about your book. Losing Faith is due out September 7, 2010 from Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster. After Brie’s sister, Faith, dies in a mysterious accident, Brie uncovers her sister’s role in a dark and twisted religious cult…a cult that now wants Brie as a member.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publication? The road to finding an agent was definitely an arduous one for me. I queried three different novels over several years and now have enough rejections (yes, I kept them!) to easily wallpaper a room. I always kept about five queries out with agents and replaced those (or reworked my query and book) as rejections rolled in. At the time, I was also submitting short stories to magazines, and though I don’t believe you can ever actually become immune to rejection, it certainly became easier for me because of the regularity of it. The first offer I received for representation is still the moment I consider the most rewarding of my career so far. It was the first time I felt truly validated as a writer, the first time an industry professional used the “L” word about my writing. I still have her message saved on my answering machine.
Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? Why didn't you? I think anyone who seriously pursues publication will feel like giving up from time to time. It’s a hard business! And to be honest, I did give up on the idea of getting published several times. What made me continue to write, and eventually submit again, was learning to fall back into love with words and sentences, characters and stories. I believe that this process of embracing the creative side and temporarily forgetting the business side is what helps breathe life into my stories. I’m in a better mood when I write and express my creativity every day, and what I always have to do is come back to the writing for the sake of writing. Publication is a secondary goal for me, and I won’t regret any of my writing, even the pieces that will never see the light of day.
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and telling us about Losing Faith and your publication journey, Denise!
Today, the inspiration continues from this interview with debut author Gae Polisner. Her young adult novel, The Pull of Gravity, will be available in 2011.
Tell us about your book. The Pull of Gravity is my first YA novel. It’s about two kids who go on a brief road trip to keep a promise to a dying friend and maybe fall in love and learn a little bit about Steinbeck in the process. It’s slated to be released spring 2011, by Farrar Straus & Giroux, Books for Young Readers. I love the kids in it – Nick & Jaycee – they’re really funny and real together. And a piece of trivia, the title comes from a Yoda quote that appears in the book, but you’ll have to read it to know where and why.
Can you tell us a little about your road to publication? It took me about six years of shopping my first manuscript, a piece of women’s fiction called The Jetty to get agented. You heard me, six years! The Jetty got some great editorial feedback (and was a Top Semifinalist in the first Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest), but never got published. In the meantime, I wrote The Pull of Gravity and another women’s fiction novel. Gravity got picked up first (a deal, finally, eight years after I set out to get one!), but I still have huge hopes for my women’s fiction. And, fyi, the editor who ultimately fell in love with and bought The Pull of Gravity came my way through a stroke of pure luck (not my agent). These days, I believe getting published almost always takes some luck, plus the talent to back it up when it comes your way.
Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? Why didn't you? Not really. I’m a lawyer, a mother, a wife. I’ve been around a long while. And I knew I wanted this more than anything. In my many years on this planet, I’ve learned I’ll pretty much accomplish anything I want to, as long as I keep trying. So, the only option was to keep trying. And, see, voila!
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and telling us about The Pull of Gravity and your publication journey, Gae!
Today, I'm continuing this week of inspirational interviews with author Bettina Restrepo. Her young adult debut, Illegal, will be available in 2011.
Tell us about your book. Illegal is the story of Nora, a Mexican immigrant who crosses the border illegally to find her missing father in Houston. We are all immigrants, so this story just isn’t about one nationality looking for family in a Texas town. It’s about how we love and survive.
I started Illegal in 2002, and it was accepted by Katherine Tegen Books, Harper Collins, in April 2009. Illegal will be in stores in January 2011. Nine years.
Can you tell us a little about your path to publication? Illegal was the book that taught me how to write, because I had to write it over and over again. My main character, Nora, began her “life” as a nine year old searching for a lost book. She grew into a 14 year old searching for her missing father across the border in Texas. This happened through revision. Lots of it.
Illegal was also rejected by twelve publishing houses (including Harper Collins in 2004) and over thirty literary agents during its pre-acceptance life – and I am grateful. The book wasn’t ready and had not found its proper home. I NEEDED the no (although each time it hurt). Now, I know have the best book I could write.
When I was first starting out, Cynthia Leitich Smith told me, “You don’t want to be published fast. You want to be published well.” It is my mantra today – because I am impatient.
While I was working on the book, I did lots of other things; magazine articles for children and adults, a monthly column for a glossy under different names, fired an agent, found another agent, published a picture book, quit my “paying” job to be a mommy, became a mom to a learning difference child, and read thousands of books. It helped that all of my eggs were not in one basket. When one egg broke, I didn’t feel like the entire henhouse was coming down. Today, I feel like a juggler of eggs.
How did I find my agent? The first time – a conference. We didn’t work out- which sometimes happens. The second time - a query letter.
After my first agent and I parted ways, I knew that I wanted someone with an editorial eye and a nurturing spirit.
I researched a long list and was received many full manuscript requests – but I wanted someone who was looking at me as a career writer, not just a quick sell. That person became my forever agent - Blair Hewes, of Dunham Literary.
Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? Why didn't you? Yep. I convince myself that I am an utter failure and tie myself into knots. After a considerable amount of self torture, I look back at what I have accomplished in one year, three years, nine years. I re-read the rejections letters. I re-read some of my terrible stories. I realize that I have matured. I savor the fact that skills I wished for years ago are now turning into my writer muscles. Feel the pain and then decide it won’t kill you. Take a nap, walk outside, pet the dog…. Then start again.
Then, occasionally, I pick up an application from Starbucks. Just. In. Case.
My advice to writers: Your story does not have to be on a bookshelf to have meaning. Write for the craft and the art of the story well told.
This is a picture of Bettina's "little man" saying, "Put down the manuscript and PLAY!"
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and telling us about Illegal and your publication journey, Bettina!
Today, I'm continuing this week of inspirational interviews with debut author Sara Bennett Wealer. Her young adult novel, Rival, will be available in 2011.
Tell us about your Book. RIVAL is a high-stakes duet between two seniors--once friends, now enemies--who are preparing to go up against each other in a major singing competition. To Brooke, winning means escaping the in-crowd for life as a professional musician. Kathryn, meanwhile, sees victory as the key to a much-needed college scholarship. As the big day nears, each girl must face her fears about the future, her scars from the past, and the fact that the person she hates most might just be the best friend she ever had.
RIVAL will be released in Jan/Feb 2011 by HarperTeen.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publication? When I started querying agents (for a book I wrote before RIVAL), I actually landed the first one I ever contacted. But it turned out we weren't the right fit, which proves what everybody always says about taking your time and making sure you partner with the agent who's right for you. I know that folks who feel stuck in the query trenches right now are reading that going, "Easy for you to say! You're agented and have a book deal!" I know how it feels to be so desperate you think you'll take anybody who comes along with an offer, because my second agent search took a lot longer than the first one did. But I still ended up turning a couple of agents down because I'd learned my lesson the first time. When I finally hooked up with Holly (Root at Waxman Literary), I'd done my research and knew she'd be a great advocate for my work, and I was right!
Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? Why didn't you? I felt like giving up several times! Even after I'd landed an agent. Because getting a good agent doesn't automatically mean you'll get a book deal. Holly and I did a lot of work to get me to this point, and there were never any guarantees that all of the revisions and submissons were going to lead anywhere in the end. The urge to give up was even worse during those long, dark days when I was checking my email every half hour and either getting rejections or no responses, all the while struggling to keep myself motivated to write something new. When you're working toward publication, you have tons of opportunities to walk away. You're the one who sets your schedule (work on the book tonight or watch Dancing with the Stars?) and let's face it - if you let the dream fizzle out, nobody else really cares. You're only letting yourself down. So you have to talk yourself into continuing to move forward. In my case, I figured I'd come too far to give up. I believed in my books and in myself as a writer, and I'd read enough in my genre to know my work could stand up to most of what was out there. I tell people it's like banging your head against a brick wall. You get to a certain point where the next blow could be the one that knocks it down, so you tell yourself you're either going to end up with brain damage or you're going to make it to the other side. But either way, you are NOT going to stop.
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and telling us about Rival and your publication journey, Sara!
I'm beginning this week of inspirational interviews with debut author Kathy McCullough. Her young adult novel, Delaney Collins, F.G., will be available in 2011.
Tell us about your book. The book is called “Delaney Collins, F.G.” and it’s being published in November of 2011 by Random House/Delacorte. It’s the story of a teenage girl who discovers that her estranged father is a fairy godmother – and that she’s destined to become one as well.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publication? I began as a screenwriter and went to film school at Columbia University in New York City. After many years in Hollywood, working a little as a screenwriter (mostly in TV) and a lot reading other people’s scripts and books for different film production companies, I decided to try writing a novel. I’ve always loved young adult and middle-grade fiction, and I was reading a lot of popular kids books for companies like Walden Media, which spurred me on further. I signed up for a children’s writing class with author Karen D’Arc, and the first thing she told us to do was to join the SCBWI, which I did. I attended their conferences, which were always inspiring, and after a lot of stops and starts on various stories, I finally forced myself to finish something – and then I rewrote it about 8,347 times. But, as they say, the 8,347th time is the charm, and I landed agents and they sent it out – and it sold!
Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? Why didn't you? I constantly despair while I’m working on something new that I’ve lost any talent I ever had, and that what I’m writing is a stupid idea, badly written. But I’ve never really seriously considered doing anything else, because I don’t want to. I’ve learned to live on very little money for the long stretches of time that “starving artists” often experience, because it’s more important to me to have time to write than to buy a new car, for example. (Proof: I drive a used 1990 Honda Civic – but mostly I take the bus...in Los Angeles!) As many writers have said before me: no one who does this is sane. You write because you have to. If you could possibly do anything else, you would. So that’s the short answer: I’m insane.
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and telling us about Delaney Collins, F.G. and your publication journey, Kathy!
This week, I'll be interviewing five fabulous writers and debut authors who have successfully traveled down the long and bumpy road toward publication. I'm spotlighting one of them every day this week to hopefully inspire, entertain and/or encourage you to chase your dreams.
Just when you thought this week couldn't get any better, it does! The best part of this interview bonanza is that I'm not alone in spreading this positive beam of writerly light. Check out these other blogs (links below) each day this week for more inspirational interviews from writers who have book deals or agents, or both.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
I'm the author of THE LIPSTICK LAWS, a young adult novel published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on April 4, 2011. I'm repped by Sarah Davies of Greenhouse Literary Agency.
