Scholastic News Kids Press Corps opened its call for applications for the 2017–2018 school year! Students ages 10–14 from across the country and around the world with a “nose for news,” a passion for writing, and a strong interest in journalism are encouraged to apply.
 
Students can download the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps application online at www.scholastic.com/kidreporters. Applications must be received by May 31, 2017.

For other writing resources specifically for Teens and Tweens, visit my Resources for Teen Writers page. Happy Writing!

The Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life anthology will be released on May 2nd. If you'd like to help get the word out, you can  sign up to participate in our blog tour here.

In honor of the anthology, I'll be spotlighting different contributors between now and its release in May. Today's blog post features fellow author Jen Chandler, who contributed the eponymous story "Mysteries of Death and Life" to the anthology. Read on for an interview with Jen. You can find the Celebrate the Small Things Blog Hop further below.

​Do you have any tips for getting work done around other obligations? Do you have a writing routine you’d like to share? Any fun/useful writing habits? Any advice for other writers?

This is the hardest part for me. I have a slew of hobbies and "want tos" and, of course, the part time job, the husband, the cats, and the other "have tos". There is a constant battle inside me between WRITE and CLEAN and LEARN and CRAFT. I envy those who have one interest or, better yet, those who work in their chosen field, turn off the light, leave the workspace, and go home to relax and not thing about ANYTHING else! Alas, I am not that person.
 
The best writing routine I learned was several years ago when I (finally) finished college. One of my writing professors introduced me to the practice of Stream of Consciousness writing. The easiest way to describe SoC writing is this: it's where you sit down, preferably with pen and paper but I have done it on a computer, set a timer for 5, 10, 30 minutes, whatever suits your current schedule, and write. You don't stop until the buzzer goes off. You don't edit; you don't even go back and fix spelling. You just writing. Then you put it away for a month.

We did focused SoC's (those with a "prompt") and unfocused ones. The unfocused sessions were amazing exercises at emptying the main. I was amazed at what came out when I pushed aside my inner critic and just let the words fly! By the end of that eight week class, I had a slew of new story ideas!

The only advice I can give you is passed through me from my favorite writer Madeleine L'Engle. She taught that writers should concentrate on three things in order to properly "serve the work" as she called it: keep an honest, uncensored and -preferably- unpublished journal; read the great works of literature and read often; write every day. It really is as simple as that.
 
What do you like to write about or what drew you to this anthology? Is there anything interesting about your background as a writer you’d like to share?

I have always enjoyed ghost stories and Southern Gothic. I'm from Georgia. We like our ghosts down here. The topic of the anthology drew me in. I saw it as a good way to try out some light horror that had been floating around in my head. I've always been fascinated with the concept of an Angel of Death. Why he came to me for this anthology, at this particular time, I'll never know but I'm awfully glad he did :)

What’s your favorite recent book and/or one from your teen years or something from your to-read pile?

Oh, this is a hard one. I read voraciously. If I'm not reading at least three books at one time my husband thinks something is wrong with me! My favorite recent read is Italo Calvino's "If on a Winter's Night a Traveler". It's a beautiful work of experimental fiction. It twists and turns through multiple tales but all have a single, similar thread that ties you and the book together. To say any more would be to spoil the fun! Currently I'm reading James Joyce's "Ulysses" for the first time. I'm ashamed to say I've never read it but I am having so much fun! This book is fantastic! It's brilliant, rambling, hilarious, bawdy, and hypnotic. Once you fall into Joyce's rabbit hole, you'll never want to come back. I could go on and on about my favorite books but I won't. It would take up way too much time!

It's time to Celebrate the Small Things! This is a blog hop hosted by Lexa Cain, L.G. Keltner, and Tonja Drecker. 

What I'm celebrating: ​I had the chance to read to 6th grade students at Temple Hill Academy this week in honor of Read Across America Day.

By Yvonne Ventresca

It's the first of the month, which means it's time for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group's blog hop. IWSG was founded by author Alex J Cavanaugh, and this month's co-hosts are Tamara Narayan, Patsy Collins, M.J. Fifield, and Nicohle Christopherson!

This month's question: ​
Have you ever pulled out a really old story and reworked it? Did it work out?

Yes! Sometimes leaving a story to work on something else and returning to it later can lead to success...

​Black Flowers, White Lies went through many incarnations over the years before it evolved into my second published novel (Sky Pony Press, 2016). I actually wrote the first draft of the psychological thriller in 2006. I had a hard time getting the plot to come together, so after many rewrites, I put that manuscript aside and began a story about deadly bird flu, which became my debut novel, Pandemic (Sky Pony Press, 2014). Pandemic’s success reenergized me, and I started a new version of what became ​Black Flowers, White Lies. BuzzFeed’s included ​Black Flowers, White Lies on their list of 23 YA Books That, Without a Doubt, You’ll Want to Read This Fall, which was a gratifying moment. I’m glad I didn’t give up on the story!
​

Do you ever feel refreshed after leaving a project alone for some time?
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If you're interested in reading other answers to the IWSG monthly question, follow the blog hop links below.  (If they don't show up due to tech issues, please visit the IWSG website to access the links.)

​Earlier this month, I attended the “Professional Author Forum” at the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) Winter Conference. While it’s hard to summarize this jam-packed day, here are a few takeaways.

Connection within the kidlit community and beyond. In his talk about Grassroots Marketing, children’s librarian Matthew Winner provided some helpful ideas for participating in the book community online, including using twitter chat hashtags, commenting on blogs, skyping with libraries, and writing unique guest posts. Author Andrea Beaty talked about getting outside of the “kidlit bubble” and how she reached out to scientists while marketing her picture book. 

Career-building for writers. Cynthia Leitich Smith offered wisdom and advice around the concept of a creative career. She differentiated between acting as the author/ambassador of your work versus the creative writer, and stressed that you need to protect your writing time. Another bit of helpful advice that she gave (besides “don’t drink and tweet”!) is to focus on what you can control (craft, productivity) instead of what is out of your control (sales, awards).

Creativity and the importance of working on the next book. This came up during agent Marcia Wernick’s talk and again in Cynthia's. Andrea also spoke about balancing time, money, and energy and how she outsourced certain tasks (like researching online “influencers” and their contact info) so that she could focus her time on other things. Author Erica Perl mentioned saying no to say yes, because that “no” allows time and opportunities for other pursuits (like writing!). Maybe this caught my attention because I'm currently trying to balance marketing and writing, but it was affirming to hear "do the writing!" message multiple ways.

For this week's blog post, here are a few quick productivity tips.

1. Do you have an old laptop or computer that's not connected to the Internet? Consider using that for your writing so you won't be distracted by social media and email. This idea comes from 10 Productivity Tips for Writers by Bamidele. (You can use a thumb drive to transfer your writing when you're ready.)

2. Need some motivation to clean your desk? The Productivity Ninja offers some decluttering tips.

​3. James Clear recommends starting each day with a small positive action. " . . . I find that if I get something positive done within the first five minutes of the day, then I naturally carry that productive momentum into the rest of my day," he says.

It's time to Celebrate the Small Things! This is a blog hop hosted by Lexa Cain, L.G. Keltner, and Tonja Drecker. 

What I'm celebrating: If things go according to plan, despite yesterday's snowstorm, I'll be in NYC at the SCBWI Professional Authors Forum today.

By Yvonne Ventresca

This is my first month participating in the IWSG blog hop! The question is: 

I often find myself analyzing for craft as I read. For example, if the story contains a satisfying twist, I go back to figure out how it was executed. If a scene is particularly suspenseful, what makes it so? What makes a character unique or compelling? 

This can work for negatives, too. If I'm losing interest in a story, why is that? What diminishes the tension?

A few years ago, I took a "Reading as a Writer" workshop given by Ann de Forest at an SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) Conference.  “Books that we read can be our teachers,” Ann explained then, and I still find that to be true. (I wrote a summary of the workshop if you're interested.)

In other news, the brand new website for the IWSG Anthology, Heroes Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life is now live! You can check it out here. Thanks to my fellow anthologists for being such an organized, motivated group of writers, and a special shout-out to Renee Cheung for creating the website. I'm looking forward to reading everyone else's stories, and I hope you'll follow the group blog to learn more.

If you are reading this on February 1st and live in the NYC area, consider coming to the Jefferson Market Branch of the NYPL for a Teen Author Reading Night! I'll be reading, along with the an amazing lineup of young adult authors, from 6 PM to 7:30 PM:
Crissa-Jean Chappell (Snowbirds), Tiffany D. Jackson (Allegedly), Pam Laskin (Ronit and Jamil), Shani Petroff (Romeo & What’s His Name), Matthue Roth (Rules of My Best Friend’s Body), Mary Thompson (Flicker and Mist), and me (Black Flowers, White Lies)

What's the last book you read that you learned something from?
​

If you're interested in reading other answers to the IWSG monthly question, follow the blog hop links below.  (If they don't show up due to tech issues, please visit the IWSG website to access the links.)

It's cover reveal day for the upcoming anthology, Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life!  I love the shadow image and look forward to reading the other stories.

Here is a list of the authors included in the anthology:
L. Nahay – Breath Between Seconds
Roland Yeomans - Sometimes They Come Back
Elizabeth Seckman - Mind Body Soul
Olga Godim - Captain Bulat
Ellen Jacobson - The Silvering
Erika Beebe - The Wheat Witch
Yvonne Ventresca – The Art of Remaining Bitter
Sean McLachlan - The Witch Bottle
Sarah Foster - The Last Dragon
Renee Cheung - Memoirs of a Forgotten Knight
Tyrean Martinson - Of Words and Swords

The anthology will be released on May 2, 2017 from Dancing Lemur Press and was created based on a contest through the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We'll have an anthology-specific website and blog available soon.  In the meantime, here's a description: 

Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life
An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology
Can a lost hero find redemption? 

What if Death himself wanted to die? Can deliverance be found on a bloody battlefield? Could the gift of silvering become a prison for those who possessed it? Will an ancient warrior be forever the caretaker of a house of mystery?

Delving into the depths of the tortured hero, twelve authors explore the realms of fantasy in this enthralling and thought-provoking collection. Featuring the talents of Jen Chandler, L. Nahay, Renee Cheung, Roland Yeomans, Elizabeth Seckman, Olga Godim, Yvonne Ventresca, Ellen Jacobson, Sean McLachlan, Erika Beebe, Tyrean Martinson, and Sarah Foster.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these twelve tales will take you into the heart of heroes who have fallen from grace. Join the journey and discover a hero’s redemption! 

My story, "The Art of Remaining Bitter," is about a girl who recognizes the motivating power of sibling rivalry in a society that only values positive emotions. Can feeling jealous ever be a good thing? What do you think?

In my attempt to be more productive this week, I'm keeping this blog post extra brief. Here's a bit of advice from Laura Vanderkam: Climb your mountains on Monday morning.  She suggests tackling some of your most important work first thing on Monday. If your schedule allows, is that something you would try?

By Yvonne Ventresca

​I never feel like I get quite enough done. To combat that (and to occasionally procrastinate), I’ve been reading about productivity. Here are four productivity experiments I tried this week:

2. On Monday, I attempted to schedule the whole day by using half hour segments, as suggested in Deep Focus by Cal Newport. (See last week’s post about the book.) The morning went great, and I was very pleased with myself. Then I realized I forgot to schedule lunch, or account for a phone call to my mom, and then a doctor’s appointment got moved up by an hour and a half. Newport suggests re-planning the day to the right of your original schedule as it transforms (which it inevitably does), but I felt frustrated and gave up. But, on the bright side, it was still one of most productive days of the week. The rest of the week I used a modified approach and blocked out which chunks of time I would use for writing, letting the rest of the day flow, and leaving breaks between creative sessions. That seemed to work better for me.

3. I’m participating again in a monthly #WritingChallenge, something that’s helped me in the past.  It’s a Facebook group that includes a group Google document where you can track your wordcount or revision time for the month. Not everyone likes this type of public accountability—you could also try stickers on a private calendar.

4. I am currently revising a new story which is in a messy state, and it can be overwhelming. One thing I did was make a list of useful things to do when I get stuck, like research a certain drug’s effect on memory, read a chapter of nonfiction (I have a biography of a killer I’m using as a reference), or work on my character notes instead of an actual scene. Sometimes these tasks are enough to get me feeling creative again, while keeping me out of the social media time-suck. (For another author’s take on revision, check out Jody Casella’s latest blog post. I love her puzzle analogy.)

I hope you have a productive week! This quote from Sage Cohen's The Productive Writer can be applied to other pursuits as well:  "Writers make time for writing. And everyone does it her own way. Your job is to find your way."

It's time to Celebrate the Small Things! This is a blog hop hosted by Lexa Cain, L.G. Keltner, and Tonja Drecker. My celebration: ​I have a short story, "The Art of Remaining Bitter," included in the Insecure Writers Support Group anthology. The anthology, due out in May, is called Hero Lost: The Mysteries of Death and Life.  I recognize several blogger friends among the winning names -- congrats to all!

By Yvonne Ventresca

Happy New Year! ​Over the holidays, I read Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport, which I loved. The first part of the book is about why deep (vs shallow) work is important, but since I was already on board with that, I mostly skimmed and went on to part two, where he includes lots of helpful strategies. Deep work is defined on his website as the "act of focusing without distraction on a cognitively demanding task."

Newport outlines four philosophies (lifestyles?) for creating deep work. One way is to focus on a project to the exclusion of everything else, which isn’t necessarily practical for most people. A second way is to work seasonally, so an academic, for example, could research one semester and teach another. 

But what about us writers with families and other obligations? Another method is to work whenever you can to squeeze deep focus around other tasks, training yourself to shift gears quickly. But since I work from home and can somewhat schedule my time, I’m looking for something more predictable.

And ta da! There is a “rhythmic” philosophy, of which Newport says, “…the easiest way to consistently start deep work sessions is to transform them into a simple regular habit. The goal, in other words, is to generate a rhythm for this work that removes the need for you to invest energy in deciding if and when you’re going to go deep.”

Rituals, my friends. I’ve actually come across this answer before, but have somehow failed to successfully implement it. Newport mentions Seinfeld’s chain strategy, for example, which I blogged about in Quick Productivity Tips for Creative People. And I explored rituals during my productivity-themed A to Z Challenge with R is for Routines and Rituals. Obviously I'm not entirely following my own advice. But it’s a new year! Anything is possible!

I hope to explore being a productive writer in other blog posts, but for now I’ll leave you with a quote from author Mason Currey (Daily Rituals: How Artists Work) that was included in Deep Work.

 “. . . waiting for inspiration to strike is a terrible, terrible plan. In fact, perhaps the single best piece of advice I can offer to anyone trying to do creative work is to ignore inspiration.”