Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About You...

[Greg R. Fishbone]

There's a new discussion thread in the forum where you can...

Introduce Yourself

...by posting a reply, and get to know your fellow MyNESCBWIans by reading their replies.

[Hilary Wagner]

Hi all! I'm new to the group! Hilary Wagner, Young Adult and Middle Grade Writer from Chicago. My first novel, Nightshade City, will be released Fall of 2010, Holiday House Books. Hope to get to know you all soon and find out what you're all writing!!

xoxo -- Hilary

[Maria Padian]

Whoops! I hit the add comment button while I was proofing ... there's a typo! "Brett" was published in 2008 ... not 2009.

[Maria Padian]

Hi!

I'm a YA novelist and brand new to this site! Trying to navigate the world of social media without getting sucked into a black hole, since I'm supposed to be using my time to write ... right?

My debut novel, published by Knopf, is called "Brett McCarthy: Work in Progress" and it launched March 2009. It had a not-so-great hardcover, but on October 13, 2009 the paperback will arrive in bookstores with a MUCH more kid-friendly cover. Hooray!

My editor (the marvelous Nancy Hinkel at Knopf) and I are in that wonderful back-and-forth revision stage with my new book, which I've titled "Jersey Tomatoes are the Best," and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that by the time the sales department gets hold of it, it will STILL be called "Jersey Tomatoes are the Best." Meanwhile, as I await my editorial letter from Nancy, I'm digging into another YA. No title yet, but it's set in Maine and this time my narrator is a teenage boy ... so I'm stepping into some new territory. Luckily, I'm surrounded by 17-year old boys, (my son is 17) so when I feel like I'm losing the narrative voice I volunteer to give the "guys" a lift to the Regal. Nothing like eavesdropping when the muse abandons you ...
I have a very, very wise and professional agent who is also a lot of fun to meet for lunch and share a laugh and glass of wine: Edite Kroll, based in Saco, Maine. I've also been very lucky to land at Knopf/Random House, where they have a group of editors who are not only fantastic critiquers but also friendly and fun. Above all, I'm lucky to have a supportive spouse who is also an honest, constructive reader, and two teenage children who tolerate my obsession with writing and reading. My daughter, in particular, has been a wonderful "partner" in all this. She has great insights, solid instincts, and speaks the truth.

[Carla Thomas]

Hello.

I am brand-spanking new to writing and illustrating for children and therefore extremely humble of having the opportunity to hob-nob with published authors and illustrators. I started my writing/illustrating career 3-months ago from ground zero so at this point there is only one way to go: UP! That is until I send my first book dummy and I am ready to endure my fair share of rejection letters and become a bonafide veteran of writing and illustrating for children.

[C R Willing McManis]

Hi. My name is Charlene . . and I’m . . . a writer.
I’ve been writing for over twenty years now. I started out writing a few sentences here. I dabbled with some children’s books there.
Lately, I have been staying up until 2 o’clock in the morning, rewriting my manuscript, typing out well-thought-out paragraphs on my laptop.
Recently, my husband discovered my stash.
“Honey. It’s not what you think. I’m not hooked,” I tell him. “After you went to bed I decided to write out the grocery list.”
“Five pages?”
“I was describing the fruit.”
I can’t pass by bookstores without entering. Once I walked into a Barnes and Nobles and didn’t come out for five hours. Five hours! Lost all track of time. On top of that, I spent $50.00 in used books! I know what you’re thinking. But I’m adding them to the “when I have time, I’m going to read” pile. I think I’m up to 75 books right now.
I didn’t start out writing. I used to play dodge ball or watch “Rocky and Bullwinkle” on my black and white television. But we all had to go to school right?
Beginning alphabet. A-B-C-D-E-F-G. How musical. How simple. How innocent. What harm could possibly come from a few letters? Then came intermediate spelling. C-A-T. Cat. D-O-G. Dog. S-A-S-E. Self-address stamped envelope.
It wasn’t long before I was into advanced composition. “How I spent my summer vacation.” “If I had three wishes, what would they be.” “Write a book jacket to the novel Fun with Dick and Jane.” In retrospect, it wasn’t my fault that I got hooked. It was the school system. All my teachers were pushers!
I have hundreds of writing journals crammed inside bookshelves. Seventy-five pounds of Xerox copies (labeled research) stuffed inside my two-drawer filing cabinet. Writers’ magazines. Six years worth are stacked on my desk, each one with an article I felt too important to throw out.
“How to beat procrastination.”
“How to beat the odds in publishing.”
“How to beat up a publisher.”
I knew I was falling deeper into the abyss. I started hanging out with other… “writers.” We meet once a month. Small stuff. Passed out copies of SCBWI newsletters. Shared each other’s rejection letters. But it wasn’t long before we were shooting up Judy Blume.
Then someone handed me a flyer on the sly. “Novel Writer’s Retreat at Vermont College”. Oh man. I was so bad by then, I actually hooked a friend of mine into writing.
I’m so ashamed.
I kept telling myself I could quit anytime. No biggie. So what if manuscripts cost money to mail. So what if the rejection letters cause me to eat three cartons of Ben & Jerry’s. I’m OK. I’m certainly not as bad as so-and-so who queries every week. Or what’s-her-name who pumps out five novels a year.
What finally convinced me I had a problem? I answered that questionnaire. You know the one.
Number one: Do you write alone?
Number two: Do you ever experience “writer’s block?”
Number three: Do you lose track of time due to writing?
And my favorite: Have you ever thought life would be more normal if you didn’t write.
So, I stand before you. A writer. I’ve been through the withdrawals, waking up from a cold sweat screaming “Show, don’t tell!” But I’m comforted knowing that I’m not alone. Many of you understand where I’m coming from. You sympathize. You’ve been there.
I’m working on recovering. I figure I’ll begin by crossing the street when I see a Waldenbooks store up ahead. Or maybe I’ll switch taking workshops in writing nonfiction to classes in bio-chemistry. Or maybe, the next time a fellow writer calls me up, asking me to attend a SCBWI conference, I’ll just…say…no.
Aw forget it. Let’s head on over to Borders. The books are on me.

I thank you for your time.

[Bambi Davis]

Hi Folks
I am a virgin author. I have written a children’s book about my 2-year-old granddaughter. I have been raising Bella since she was 3 months old. I have submitted my children's picture book manuscript to a couple of publishers. No luck so far, but I am hoping for the best. Tommy dePaola suggested this web site to help me get started. He also suggested I attend the upcoming conference in Nashua. My book, which I wrote and illustrated, is simple, educational, and has a surprise ending.
Marty, I also have a service dog. He is a Chihuahua that is a seizer detector. My dog, Puppa Chubba, has been in service for 9 years now. Due to my disability I thought I could maybe do some writing to help with the household income deficit.
I am currently working on a second book involving childhood experiences and a little ditty that used to be sung to me. I am hoping the more experienced writers of this site might be able to help me achieve my goals in the literary field.
Take care Bambi

[Marty Harris]

Hello All,
I am a rookie to writing children's book and look forward to talking to some veterans. This is a picture of me and my service dog Adele taken in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada over New Years. Adele is the first Cardiac Service dog and is the subject of my books I am working towards getting published. We look forward to meeting you, Marty and Adele.

[Greg R. Fishbone]

Waiting is the hardest part. Fingers crossed!

[Gina Rosati]

I'm Gina, and I'm writing this from The Waiting Room. I've written a YA paranormal romance (two, in fact), I signed with an amazing agent in late November, and my manuscript is in acquisitions with a publisher right now, but I'm waiting to hear if they will make an offer ...

I suppose I could clean my house while I'm waiting, but it's much more fun to lurk on the internet where I discovered this wonderful site, filled with people who can appreciate just how hard it is to wait.

Ice cream? My stepdad used to own a Brigham's restaurant, and after working there for two years, I can take or leave ice cream. Soda, on the other hand, I can guzzle all day and half the night, and not that diet stuff, either. My pacifier while I wait is that if my book sells, I promised myself I would give up Coke and switch to diet (and according to several popular womens' magazines, I should lose 30 pounds this year if I'm successful - wouldn't that be a nice bonus since I've gained ten pounds since I started writing full time).

So thank you, Greg, for setting up this Getting to Know You thread. I've been so busy with writing and then the query process, I never thought to reach out to find other writers in the area, but now that I'm looking, New England is home to so very many talented writers and illustrators! My next step will be to join a critique group so my agent doesn't have to work so hard next time!!