Gwenda, Author at Gwenda Bond

Monday Hangovers

Hangovers / By Gwenda / February 20, 2012

A few quick links to close tabs.
I always love Jennifer Crusie's writing chats with her friends–the latest one is about the difficulty of writing sex scenes in first person.
Lisa Lutz in the Wall Street Journal on (the breaking of) writing rules: "Readers are a curious lot; they want answers. Give them a really good question and they'll keep turning the page."
Deborah Biancotti on writing 80,000 words in a month…don't try this at home, unless you want to. If so, she has provided helpful tips.
A great obituary of John Fairfax in the NYT: "At 9, he settled a dispute with a pistol. At 13, he lit out for the Amazon jungle. At 20, he attempted suicide-by-jaguar. Afterward he was apprenticed to a pirate. To please his mother, who did not take kindly to his being a pirate, he briefly managed a mink farm, one of the few truly dull entries on his otherwise crackling résumé, which lately included a career as a professional gambler."
Editor Amanda posts about the process of reading manuscripts over at the Strange Chemistry blog: "Because here’s the thing: we have to pick the novels that we are prepared to champion to the hilt. We can’t waver in our belief of them. These are novels that we will be closely working with for the foreseeable future – we will have to read them a number of times, to a great depth of detail, and we will have to shout about them to the whole world. We can’t take on a novel that we have any uncertainty about, because we can’t then do the best job for the author and their book. But another publisher might – what you’re uncertain about, another editor will have read and gone into raptures over. It’s all subjective." Good stuff.
A friend just sent me a pointer to Scape, a YA SFF-focused webzine now on its third issue. It's a truly gorgeous site, and I look forward to checking out the stories. We need more YA short fiction markets.
And last but most! exciting! of! all! What a great Nebula and Norton ballet this year. Congratulations to all the nominees–so excited to see many people (and works by those people!) that I adore on the ballot.

Sunny Days, Home Again

Nattering / By Gwenda / February 19, 2012

We're home, and a catch-up on posting is in the offing in the next day or two. In the meantime, I put up some photos on flickr that Christopher and I took on our last full (and sunniest) day, part of my resolution to take more photos this year. Here are my new cowboy boots, aka my book sale present to myself.

They are divinely comfortable, and were purchased on a fun adventure into the wilds of the market of San Miguel led by adventurer-in-chief Theo. My thanks to Robin Wasserman (whose fabulous The Book of Blood and Shadow is out in April and just got a starred PW review) and Sarah Rees Brennan (who has not one but TWO fabulous new books due out later this year) for helping select just the right pair. Said boots have already proved their magic in a mad dash through the Dallas airport, in which we made the flight but our bag did not.

The rest of the photo set is here.

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Travel Check-In

Nattering / By Gwenda / February 15, 2012

So we're down in Mexico on a writing vacation (a vacation for writing, not from it). The weather isn't entirely cooperating; it's been warm-ish and cloudy-ish most days. But the company more than makes up for that. Many writing talks being had, about specific projects and more generally, in that way that kicks the story brain into gear. I just finished my revision pass and sent it in to editor Amanda, managed a couple other nervous-making business-y emails, and tomorrow will start thinking in detail about the plot of the book I'm writing next. I'm hoping to get a synopsis written in the next couple of days, so that I can get into the real work of it once we're home.

There is guacamole with most every meal, and later there will be margaritas. The pool is warm, even if the outdoors isn't quite.

Basically: I can't complain. I wouldn't even dream of it.

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The Future Will Be Here Before You Know It

Blackwood, Books / By Gwenda / February 9, 2012

So…here's the thing they tell you: Publishing moves slow. It takes FOREVER.

And this is usually true. Certainly there is a large amount of waiting involved for every writer on earth (and probably on any other planets with publishing industries). But since Strange Chemistry is a brand new imprint and launching later this year, things are moving at lightning speed comparable to the norm. From interest to offer to announcement happened pretty fast, but that's not unusual. (I know these things because I hang around with a lot of writers, so indulge first-time me here.) My contract showed up yesterday and is now winging its way across the ocean, and editor Amanda emailed me ISBNs for the US, UK and e-book editions of Blackwood first thing yesterday morning, and even now their digits are making their way into the machinery that feeds Nielsen and Amazon and such. The book already exists on Goodreads. Coverless, of course, but exists.

Today or tomorrow, I'll get my edits. And also today I'm thinking about blurb s. (That is just as nauseous-making as expected, and there's no time to wait! Or waste! September is coming! Ack! Nothing like a time crunch to induce bravery. Still nauseous-making. Send bourbon.) AND I have a few lines from a Bowerbirds song I really would love to use as an epigraph, and so I need to contact the band and their label and see if there's any possible way that permission can happen, and quickly. (Luckily, I also have a non-copyrighted snippet from a Sir Walter Raleigh letter on epigraph standby.)

On Saturday morning, we leave for a week's writing retreat with a bunch of wise and lovely writers, and the timing couldn't be better. A whole week to concentrate on edits and figuring out the next book. In the sunshine. Bliss. Perhaps they will also talk me down when I lapse into hysterics. The universe was smiling when the timing worked out this way.

Small aside: I have a cold, which I re-gave myself by not switching out my toothbrush head after I was sick a week and a half ago, so perhaps am a bit loopy. Am attempting to think cold into submission; maybe not the best strategy since last time I self-germ warfared. Anyway. All this by way of saying, it hit me yesterday:

September will be here before you know it.

Sure, in the meantime there will be edits to do, and other people will be reading the book (some of them reallly soon–hold me), and other Exciting! Things! and, soon enough, probably within the month, I'll be back at work on another book due later this year, even while Exciting! Things! happen. But I'll blink and it'll be September.

The future is tricksy. It sneaks up.

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Tuesday Hangovers, aka A Few Little Links

Hangovers / By Gwenda / February 7, 2012

Laura Miller and Maud Newton are combining forces at The Chimerist. Color me intrigued.
The stories behind the animal logos for various publishers. (Love. Via Sarah Weinman.)
Charles Tan interviews Delia Sherman about The Freedom Maze: "Now I come to think about it, probably one of the main reasons I needed to write this book was because I’ve never been comfortable with talking about politics. I think the arguments of racism are stupid and short-sighted, that the justifications of the prejudiced are irrational, that oppression of any kind rots the souls of the oppressors, and that people are much stronger when they work together than when they work against each other. But I don’t often say so, not in so many words. I don’t actually say any of that in The Freedom Maze. But I try to show it in every way I could think of."
Sherman Alexie and Neko Case talking in The Believer. So much fabulous.
An interesting post from Jordyn at Ten Cent Notes about book appeal, aka what makes her pick something up. I always find such discussions fascinating.
Writing rules from various luminaries–Henry Miller's are far more charming than I expected.
A look at Myrna Loy's career.

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Welcome…

Uncategorized / By Gwenda / February 6, 2012

…to the online home of Gwenda Bond, author of books for young adults and possible escapee from a classic screwball comedy.

My latest is Girl on a Wire, a novel about a daredevil heroine who discovers magic and mystery lurking beneath the big top. Next up is Lois Lane: Fallout in May 2015. Find out more about me, my other books, and other spots I frequent online (psst: twitter and tumblr).

Sign up for my author newsletter and never miss news.

New blog posts are below.

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The Fast-Talking Smarties

Books, Children's Lit Fabulosity, Nattering / By Gwenda / February 6, 2012

So…I was trying to think of something to post about, and I thought I'd tackle one of the complaints that bugs me greatly (and that I see again and again) about certain types of characters in YA. The contention in question is that given characters aren't "how teens really are," usually said to mean that teens don't think or talk in a complex or sophisticated way, and almost universally applied to bright, precocious characters or a certain type of stylized dialogue. Maggie Stiefvater did a great post about this some time back, on the myth of the "teen voice."

This complaint tends to surface more frequently whenever John Green has a new book out, which is why the topic came to mind. Let me say right off the bat: I haven't read The Fault in Our Stars yet*. I'm definitely going to; I love all John's books with great and huge buckets of love. In fact, one of the reasons I loved Looking for Alaska so much was because I had an immediate sense of recognition when I read it. THESE were the smart Southern** teenagers I grew up around.

But I digress. The problem, of course, being that teens aren't a monolithic group. They–just like adults–are individuals. If a character doesn't work and isn't believable, that's one thing. But I will buy just about any type of speech or action from a character as long as it feels developed, specific, and honest to that character or story. And for every person who has trouble buying into hyper-verbal or branier-than-the-norm characters, I think there's also a counterbalancing number of us who adored, say, Buffy, Gilmore Girls or Veronica Mars because of those qualities (among others).

My suggested rule of thumb is that if you'd never say, "That's just not how adults are" about an adult character (and, really, you wouldn't, would you?), then don't vary the same theme about teen characters in YA.

*This is primarily because I lost a good friend to cancer when we were both 16. I'm so glad that TFiOS exists, because being a bookish girl as I was, back then I really wanted to find a book that might help me understand that loss. And I couldn't. Because most were too saccharine, and not at all funny, and I hated saccharine inspirational (not least because so did my friend) and my people are funny people. So I know this book needed to be written, and believe John was the perfect writer for the job, and I can't wait. I just need a weekend when I can be Completely and Utterly Wrecked, and retroactively grateful.

**My "Southern" cliché rant will be saved for another day.

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You Guys Are The Best, Officially

Blackwood / By Gwenda / February 3, 2012

I've said this elsewhere already, but wanted to put it here too (in the more permanent record and all):

Thanks to everyone for making an excellent week that much more so. Your congratzies and excitement for my news made it all the better. ♥

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Friday Hangovers, aka All The Links Fit To Link (Well, Not Really)

2 Comments / Hangovers / By Gwenda / February 3, 2012

Nova Ren Suma's fabulous Turning Points Blog series continues; today is Courtney Summers and there's a list of all the essays so far at the end of the entry.
Cyn Leitich Smith has a fascinating summary of a talk by Canadian book wholesaler Maria Martella.
Two interactive storytelling/enhanced ebook-related posts worth reading: Rachel Stark on Sleep No More and the potential of nonlinear narratives and Laura Miller on some of the issues with adding bells and whistles and music and video.
Jennifer Paull at Book Riot on her genre kryptonite: Girls in Crumbling Estates. I second the ones mentioned and add We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
Austin Grossman on the new Watchmen and the need for more innovation in the halls of DC.
Two writing posts I endorse: the value of taking a walk to your writing (YES! I do it daily, unless prevented by weather–walk, then writing time) and Toby Buckell on productivity in bursts.
The fully wonderful A.N. Devers interviewed about Writers Houses at the Big Read Blog. A snippet, in response to where she still wants to visit: "I’d say all of them, but it makes me sound like some kind of cheap writers’ houses floozy. It’s really a tie between The Bronte Parsonage and Virginia Woolf’s Monk House. Woolf visited The Bronte Parsonage and wrote an incredible essay about it called “Haworth, November 1904.” Rounding out the tipsy-top of my wish list: Dostoevsky’s house in Saint Petersburg and the Japanese horror and mystery writer Edogawa Rampo’s house in Tokyo. Oh, and that guy Shakespeare. Here’s a fun fact: P. T. Barnum actually tried to purchase Shakespeare’s birthplace and move it to America."
The Boston Herald on the popularity of fantasy, particularly among younger readers, including comments from the lovely and wise Dora Goss, whose The Thorn and the Blossom is just out.
The Astrobiology Magazine images of the day are GORGEOUS. (Thanks to Tiffany for the pointer.)
"The 20 Most Beautiful Bookstores in the World."
Interesting piece on The Power of Introverts.
And, finally, if you don't read Kate Hart's Friday round-up of YA publishing wisdom and wit from twitter, why not? This week's is here.

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Wednesday Hangovers: Or, All The Open Links In My Tabs

8 Comments / Blackwood, Hangovers / By Gwenda / February 1, 2012

I think it's time for some links! so it's not all mememe around here. But…

A couple of little housekeeping items first. I FINALLY mapped my domain; your old links will work, but so will https://www.gwendabond.com. (When I say I mapped it, I mean the Web Bunny (aka Richard) and Christopher managed to fix the process I had begun in my typical flailing manner with all things technical.) Also, you may notice the book recommendations sidebar isn't on this page–but it is not gone. I gave it and the blogroll I'm in the process of recreating a page of their very own instead, which is also linked in the nav bar.

And last, I awoke to a tweet this morning from the lovely Strange Chemistry twitter account that you can add Blackwood (and Shift and Poltergeeks) to your to-read list on goodreads. So, if you're on goodreads and you'd like to, it would make me do a little chair dance. Am doing a lot of that of late. And now on to OTHER things.

There's a brand new shiny online literary magazine devoted to YA short fiction called Sucker. Their first issue has just been posted, and the delightful Mima Tipper (who has a story in the issue) has interviewed the editor, Hannah Goodman, at Hen & Ink.
Jenny Davidson asks Colleen Mondor about The Map of My Dead Pilots: two of my favorite people talking about fascinating things. What could be better?
Sara Zarr posted a link to a serial movie that you will want to watch if you like dancing and happy things, Girl Walk//All Day. And it solves the mystery of the riveting dancing tutor from this season of The Good Wife, who is Anne Marsen, the star. HAPPINESS.
Elaine Showalter in the Guardian on some of the best literary novelists working today: women all. A snippet: "But the main reason why women do not figure in American literary history is because they haven't written it. Women writers need to be seen in larger contexts than their most recent novel, placed in relation to their contemporaries and their precursors, understood in terms of the themes and issues of their generations. Only then can we rewrite American literary history overall to reflect its full evolution and significance."
A letter from a freed slave to his former master, upon being requested to come back to work. Via everybody.
A great post from Diana Renn about challenges young sleuths face in mysteries at Sleuths, Spies, and Alibis.
Victoria Schwab with an honest and wonderful post about her move to New York. I bet she gets an A in everything she samples from that course catalogue.
Lindsay Goldwert at the NY Daily News on Sassy's impact as a recommender of literary wonderfulness (they were also indispensable in forming my tastes in music and movies), especially Weetzie Bat. I very much discovered those books because of Sassy, and our wonderful h.s. librarian ordered them, and they stayed checked out constantly. Anyway, must get the Weetzie prequel.
Genevieve on Dermot Mulroney being an idiot about the fact he's gotten to act opposite so many fantastic ladies.
Kristin Bell's sloth love. It is a beautiful and hilarious thing.

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