Carolyn Mackler: Ten Things I've Learned About Novel Writing

Carolyn Mackler is the acclaimed author of the Printz Honor YA novel The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things and its brand-new sequel The Universe is Expanding and So Am I as well as many others.


Even though Carolyn has written 10 novels, she still feels like she doesn't know what she's doing. But if she has a vague clue it is this, her ten things she's learned:

1. Write what you love.
2. Do your research.
3. Don't copy trends.
4. Always love to read.
5. Pay attention to your children, families, and yourself.
6. Know that you sometimes think your writing suck. Keep going.
7. Put things away for a while (the magic of the drawer).
8. Groom good readers (to get the feedback you need from them in order to improve story).
9. Start a new project.
10. Send a freakin' thank you note. (Remember you are hopefully in this field for a long time and it depends on building relationships. Keep track of people along they way who have helped you.)

Panel: Truth vs. Innocence in Children's Books - Carolyn Mackler

Carolyn Mackler is the author of Printz Honor Book THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS and many many more. Linda Sue Park introduces each author by reading a first line from their books, Carolyn gets two:

From THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS:

"Froggy Welsh the Fourth is trying to get up my shirt."

And from THE UNIVERSE IS EXPANDING AND SO AM I:

"Froggy Welsh the Fourth is trying to get in my jeans."

Linda Sue asks the panel what they think 'dark' means to them in literature. 

"I see dark as just part of life," says Carolyn, "Shit happens, and it sucks. When I'm writing those themes come up. Leaning into the sadness that happens in life is like leaning into the light of life and finding humor in the sadness."

Did you like reading dark books as a child?

"I liked reading real." says Carolyn.

Carolyn mentions AUTUMN STREET by Lois Lowry as a book that she loved as a kid. A book that has so much sadness in it. Carolyn says she never read FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC type books, she wanted 'real sad.' Carolyn was so compelled by the complexity of the main character, who's only six, because she was feeling all of those complexities as a kid, too.

How did you get the idea for your book?

With EARTH, Carolyn wrote most of it in the summer of 2001, pre-9/11. She was coming out of her teens and twenties, and thinking about how rough her relationship was with her brother growing up.

So the kernel of that turned into the idea of a curvy teenager in a family of Manhattanite, image-obsessed pretty people and how their family interactions go.

With UNIVERSE she wanted to get beyond fine for Virginia. Carolyn had gotten beyond "I'm fine, I survived my childhood/family" she had gotten to awesome. "I wanted to get Virginia to awesome. I wanted to give Virginia more. Carolyn also mentioned there was a guy elected president that has done and said a lot of terrible things to and about women, and Carolyn felt Virginia had a lot to say about all of THAT.

Linda Sue asks how do you write the dark stuff? 

Carolyn says she's with 'the dark' all the time, so writing 'dark' is no different than thinking about whether or not your kids are safe or near death in real life. And that after she does write the tough fictional scenes, she can at least go spoon her dog or eat a sandwich, it's not 'real,' you can pull yourself out of it, so that's pretty great.

About the reception of the books:

EARTH is one of the most banned books in America—it's been called anti-family, having sexual content, inappropriate for age levels...

Carolyn didn't plan on needing to do public statements debating book censors when she wrote her book, but she can, and more importantly, she can pull out the hundreds of emails and letters from girls and boys who say Virginia helped them feel good about their bodies for the first time in their lives, or that they stopped cutting, or that it even helped them grieve through a parent's passing. Parents, too, have written to Carolyn to tell her her books helped them see how they were treating their plus-sized daughter poorly and inspired them to be better.

The rule around our house is you read what you want. We don't know what teens are going through, it's our job to provide real honest stories and let them reach who they need to reach.

Takeaway from Carolyn:

Don't be discouraged, life is hopefully long. Continue trying.

Panel: Truth vs. Innocence in Children's Books Panel Begins

The panelists before starting the panel

Moderated by Linda Sue Park, the panel features, left to right: Brandy Colbert, Elana K. Arnold, Carolyn Mackler, and Erin Entrada Kelly.

Carolyn Mackler: Writing, My Life, and Other Insanely Overwhelming Things

Carolyn Mackler is the best-selling author of the teen novels, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, Tangled, Vegan Virgin Valentine, and her most recent novel, The Future of Us which was co-written with best-selling author Jay Asher. Carolyn's novel The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things was one of the most challenged/banned books of the past decade.

"It's not a SCBWI conference if you don't read from your high school journal."

Carolyn started her speech with a story from her high school journal, one where she met a Canadian rock band on a plane. She gave the singer her number, and it was a short-lived whirlwind adventure. It was exactly like being a teen. Like anything can happen. And sometimes it does. You can meet a rocker and he can come visit you.

A few years later, Carolyn received a fedex package. She played it for the audience: a rock song that was written for her. Sometimes, when she's overwhelmed with everyday tasks of life and motherhood, she finds herself humming her song. She misses the wonderment of the teen years. Life can be draining, and sometimes to recharge--she writes.

After college, Carolyn interned at a magazine, took a class on Beginning Your Novel. She published a few books and her career was going well. And then... she got pregnant. "It is impossible to be a hands-on parent and get lost in your stories. Okay, not impossible. But they'll eat a lot of frozen pizza."

Carolyn talked about writing a book with Jay Asher--The Future of Us. After a nine-day tour, Carolyn realized she wanted to change her life to be happier. She missed her kids and wanted to spend more time with them. So she readjusted her schedule, changed her writing times. Now she doesn't finish books as quickly as she used to. And that's okay. One day her children will lead their own lives, and she'll be able to lose herself in writing again.

"There will never be another you. You are the star of your own rock song." 

Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler: Cowriting a Novel

Bestselling authors Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler held a workshop about coauthoring called: Two Authors, One Voice: Cowriting a Novel from First Word to Publication.

Jay Asher's debut teen novel Thirteen Reasons Why, spent over two and a half years on the New York Times bestsellers list (and began as a SCBWI Work-in-Progress Grant).

Carolyn Mackler is the best selling author of teen novels including The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, Tangled, and Vegan Virgin Valentine.

Together, Jay and Carolyn wrote The Future of Us, and their workshop focused on how the process worked for them. They offered some helpful advice, and they were both hilarious and kept the audience entertained.

"Cowriting a book is like chewing someone else's gum for them."

Carolyn started by telling the audience how she and Jay met (which she kind of remembers) eight years ago. Since then, they've always taken turns editing each other. Jay edited a line in one of her books and Carolyn edited his blurb.

One comment that really resonated was when Carolyn said that she and Jay were not friends when they started writing together, and she thinks that's part of why it worked. The benefit was that they came in with mutual respect for the other author without baggage or other motives.

"I have a crazy idea. Do you want to hear it?"

Carolyn and Jay started their book journey by brainstorming ideas, both wanting a story that was plot driven. They spent time developing a coauthored voice so that the book would read as if it was written by one author. The process became part workshop as they wrote because in the back and forth they were teaching each other.

Carolyn stressed that their process is worked for them, but it may not work for everyone. Before writing, they worked out the message, tone, and level of seriousness the story would need.

They also suggest authors consider their agents since they will have to collaborate too when it comes to selling the book.

Jay talked about other coauthored books, including JUST LIKE FATE by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young and NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, and explained how the writing approach or style was different. When coauthoring, it's important to find what will work for both of you.

In the end, Carolyn and Jay read a passage from THE FUTURE OF US from first draft to final revision. It was hilarious to see how the little tweaks changed and ultimately improved their book.

Carolyn Mackler: The Pre-#LA13SCBWI Conference Interviews

Team Blogger Jolie Stekly interviews award-winning author Carolyn Mackler in advance of the upcoming 2013 SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles.

Carolyn shares her favorite part of the writing process (it made me laugh) and even the best piece of advice that was shared with her that she still follows (from Judy Blume!)  It's a great taste of what we're going to hear when Carolyn gives her Saturday August 3rd conference keynote, "Writing, My Life, and Other Insanely Overwhelming Things."

We hope you can join us - the conference is almost sold out and there are only a few spaces left!  You can find out more and register here.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Carolyn Mackler (continued)

Carolyn is reading summer goals she wrote in her journal when she was in her early 20s. Among them:

• look in to psychology as a career
• become an au pair in Italy
• rent a house with a guy
• live in NYC with her mom
• get a dog.
• go to Africa

Instead she wrote her first book, fell in love with her husband, and wrote eight hours a day on THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS. The following January she won a Printz Honor, and suddenly she began getting big royalty checks and being asked to speak.

And then, she said, her words dried up.

She got to a point where she tought, I can't write a book.

After encouragement from her friend, and the passing of a little time, she got through her hard time and began writing again.

Then THE EARTH got pulled from an entire school district and got TONS of press. It was the 4th most challenged book in America in 2008, and continues to stay on the list. (And it made her father very proud.)

At first, Carolyn was stunted by the censorship, second guessing herself. Then she let herself go with her writing, and came up with her latest novel TANGLED.

KEYNOTE: Carolyn Mackler--For Richer or Poorer: Writing Through Good Times or Bad

Carolyn Mackler recieved a Printz Award for her novel THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS. She's currently working on her sixth YA novel. Her lastest book is TANGLED.

Carolyn said she spent her teen years tyring to blend in. ("If I were a J. Crew color, I would be ecru.") And the feeling never subsided that she had to blend in. This year, she decided she wanted to be "hot."

Marital vows, she said, are simialr to making the committment to be a writer. You have to stick with it even through the more difficult times.

As a teen, writing in her jounral and reading helped her from feeling alone or like a misfit.

After college she interned at Ms. Magazine, and did whatever she could to make money writing.

For her first book, she tapped into her own life and finished a draft of her first novel. She got an agent at age 25 and got her first book published.

Caroylyn Mackler: Creating Characters That Come to Life

Warning: DO NOT read to the end of this post if you DON'T want a couple of great questions to ask yourself about your character.

When starting a novel, one of the first things she thinks about when creating character, are the details and the quirks that make a person (a character) who they are; those things they continuously do that make them them.

We're writers. We don't film it. We write it. So the language around the character is important. Each character has their own way of speaking.

Carolyn suggests reading your book out loud for many reasons related to language. "Nothing beats reading your book out loud."

Another essential piece is research. Research was very important while writing TANGLED. She wanted all four characters to have distinct voices. She spent time speaking to a teenage wrestler for hours to help her write a teen boy (Dakota). She also spoke with a teen actress, as well as sat in on an audition for a teen role to help her write the character Skye.

Carolyn asks questions about her characters. If she has a day when she gets stuck, she does something she calls Questions. She once heard Paula Danziger say she wants to know what the inside a characters closet looks like.

Questions:
1. What does you character keep hidden in his or her underwear drawer? If nothing, then where do they hide things?
2. Who would your character call/text/email/send smoke signals to when something good happens? And what would that good thing be?