Birthmarked
World Hopping
A few minutes ago, the rain started outside the window, waking me into this world, so I ran out to fetch the hammock off its poles and haul it to the back porch where it can rest on the rocking chair and stay dry. My daughter’s reading beside me on the couch, and my husband’s making lunch in the kitchen. I’ll join him soon.
In my novel, a girl sits on the bathroom floor, out of line from the cameras, skimming through images on the itablet she stole.… Continue reading
Mother’s Day Books
While we’re celebrating moms, think back to the books that you associate most with your mothers and grandmothers. Here are a few of my favorites:
Pat the Bunny, by Dorothy Kunhardt
I swear my Nonna read this to me every time I visited her house when I was little. I remember sitting side-by-side with her on her green couch and poking my finger through the ring page.
Kristin Lavrensdatter, by Sigrid Undset
Once I grew up, this was the novel Nonna urged me to… Continue reading
Telling Time
One of my worst memories of third grade was when Sr. Mary Frances asked me to go check what time it was for her. A small clock was on the counter near the sink, so I went over to look, but I couldn’t read what the hands were telling me. I didn’t yet know how to tell time. Sister sent over my friend Leslie to help me, and Leslie knew right away what time it was. She told me, I told the teacher, we went back… Continue reading
Agent Query Questions
Not so long ago, I had tons of my own questions about how the query process works and I wondered if I’d ever find representation. I speculated whether my query would stand out or get lost in the slush pile without being read. It was a time of careful research and cautious hope. Since then, I’ve corresponded with dozens of agents, and I have found they are genuinely nice people with a passion for books. Needless to say, they didn’t all want to represent Birthmarked,… Continue reading
Profanity: the Gateway to Evil in YA Lit?
I’m all for profanity in books when it suits the characters and the situation. Most of the teens I know employ a range of swear words and use them flexibly for humor, sarcasm, and rage in real life, so when I encounter teens in books who use obscenities, it doesn’t faze me much. It seems real.
So why don’t I use obscenities in the Birthmarked trilogy, and isn’t it inconsistent to be prudish about language when I’m writing about edgy concepts, like childbirth, hanging pregnant women, torture, murder,… Continue reading
Losing Tempers, Mine and Hers
I’m revising a scene today in which Gaia loses her temper. I don’t like losing my temper. It makes me unjust and unable to think clearly. I fight not to say hurtful things I’ll regret and yet I also want to be honest about my rage. In the moment, I want to lash out, and since only people I love have the ability to truly make me furious, they’re my targets.
Since I don’t like myself when I’m in a flare of anger, I don’t like… Continue reading