“I read FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB by Antony John this week:

And OMG: AWESOME. I didnt expect it to be so emotional! Holy crap, I got choked up like, every other chapter.  Yet not in a depressing way at all– in that hopeful, rooting for a character you love kind of way. I’ll review it in full when it hits shelves this fall.”

My only question is: how did she find time to read it while fielding offers for her clients’ novels, writing her own (she’s under contract for, like, 287 novels herself), and bracing for the launch of YOU WISH on August 5th? Seriously, I’m completely in awe.

I guess I’m placing too much emphasis on sleep these days.

©2010 Antony John. All Rights Reserved.

“Read it aloud to yourself because that’s the only way to be sure the rhythms of the sentences are OK (prose rhythms are too complex and subtle to be thought out – they can be got right only by ear)” — Diana Athill

“Finish the day’s writing when you still want to continue.” — Helen Dunmore

There’s tons more, too.

As an interesting contrast, here’s Mandy Hubbard’s take on Nine Rules to Break. It’s a super cool list, and is very freeing (unlike the Guardian’s line-up of literary heavyweights, which is likely to have you throwing up your arms in surrender).

So what do I think? Well, it’s like this . . .

In a former life, I taught undergraduate music theory, including the really hardcore stuff that has its own terminology, set of symbols, and looks suspiciously like it wants to be quantum physics, only it’s not. So anyway, one day, I had everyone in my class analyze a particularly gnarly Bach chorale, and someone found hidden octaves. I know, I know! You’re thinking: “Bach had hidden octaves!? What a LOSER!” And I’d agree with you, really I would, only I couldn’t for the life of me HEAR the darn things. And the lesson of the, um . . . lesson, was that CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING.

Seriously, kill your darlings, or don’t kill your darlings. I really don’t mind. You made them up, after all, so you should be allowed to determine the precise, grisly details of their demise.

Yes, overuse of adverbs is grating after a while. So is routine avoidance of “said” in favor of “hissed” and “whispered” and “cried.” But there’s a place for all these things, and it has everything to do with context.

What Bach taught me, and what I’d have said if the Guardian had asked me to write some rules, is that rules are frequently not rules at all: they are successful techniques that have been used often enough in the past that we would be wise to take note of them now. But if Bach can break them, then I sure as heck intend to. And so should you.

Well, except for hidden octaves. You have to draw the line somewhere.

©2010 Antony John. All Rights Reserved.

She says: “Doesn’t this sound amazing? I think so! I love how Piper, the main character, is deaf because you really don’t see that often in YA. Plus, I love the title!”

Okay, so first off, I’m thrilled she likes the title. It’s a little out there, but so is the book, so it’s all good. And although there are several great YA books with deaf characters, I’m really hoping mine will appeal to deaf and hearing readers alike. It’s certainly not an “issue” book, in any case, so don’t expect anything too serious in this one!

Finally, thanks to those who weighed in with comments. It’s so cool to know people are already excited to read DUMB. YA readers rock.

©2010 Antony John. All Rights Reserved.

It’s a good question, too. I’ve never had trouble working on two projects simultaneously — it’s a necessity for authors, after all — but switching gears from YA to fantasy is a different matter entirely. Suddenly the characters and the plot aren’t the only things that change. The mood and the voice (heck, even the WORLD) changes in fantasy, and sometimes it’s kind of hard to get my head around it all. But I think I’ve managed it, even if I wasn’t aware of HOW I managed it.

Well, about ten minutes ago I moved from my YA project to my fantasy one. Instinctively I changed my iPod mix from “rock” to “classical,” and it hit me that (yet again) music is the way I access certain moods and states of mind. I’ve always been amazed at how music acts as a trigger for all sorts of things, and it’s so cool to be reminded yet again that even though I’m no longer making a living as a musician, music continues to impact everything I do.

Now I should get back to writing again, before the mix ends!

©2010 Antony John. All Rights Reserved.

I think Mandy’s list is great, and almost identical to what I would have written. (I’m not quite as overcome with envy, to be honest, but I know that most authors are.) But there are a couple of other things I’ve noticed that she doesn’t mention, and because it’s an interesting topic, I thought I’d weigh in.

SELF-CRITIQUING

Talking about writing, Mandy says “I’m no longer to the point where I would even consider sending a first draft to critique partners, I’ve become increasingly aware of things I need to revise on my own first.” Ditto that. In fact, after FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB sold, I didn’t show anyone a single page until it was finished and thoroughly edited. There was no point in inviting criticism when I was still aware of a gazillion things that needed fixing. (Having said that, my readers still pulled it to pieces even after I’d fixed those gazillion problems, but that’s why I have readers, right?)

But I’ve noticed the same thing happening with my reading. I’m quickly able to pick up on details that I would have overlooked once. Things like: the organization of a complicated opening chapter so that it reads easily; the rhythm of sentences; techniques for sustaining tension in lengthy passages, etc. What’s funny is that I’ve had the ability to do that with music for years, but it’s taken longer (and more practice) with writing and reading.

OPPORTUNITIES

Mandy’s right. Opportunities abound for published writers. Only, it goes beyond librarians, teachers, conference talks, booksellers calling, etc. In fact, I’d add a whole subheading called “Research Help,” because once you’re published, experts from every field seem willing to spend time talking about their work. During my background work on FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB, I’ve:

* been invited to sit in on American Sign Language classes

* corresponded with an audiologist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital

* had a lawyer explain contract law as it applies to minors

* been given a personal tour of our local NBC station by the producer of a live TV show

* received a tutorial on “skewering” from a chess expert

* been educated on the finer points of hair dyeing

* gained insights into Jimi Hendrix’s early life from a rock music historian

* been given total access to Seattle’s famed Showbox theater

This doesn’t even include all the people who have generously read the ENTIRE novel to check for inaccuracies relating to their field of expertise. Now, I’m not saying that these wonderful people aren’t prepared to assist unpublished writers too–it’s just that announcing the book is scheduled for a fall 2010 release makes everything feel a little more certain and urgent.

By the way, if you don’t already read Mandy’s blog, now’s the time to start. She posts frequently about the experience of being a published author (and the world of writing and publishing in general), and her posts are really interesting, honest, and straightforward. And if you haven’t read PRADA AND PREJUDICE yet, well . . . shame on you!

©2010 Antony John. All Rights Reserved.

I have to admit, nothing’s quite so thrilling as getting genuine, unsolicited comments from teens that have read my book and actually liked it. It’s kind of crazy, I know, but even after finding favor with an agent and a publisher and several editors, I still half expected BUSTED to be dismissed by its target audience. The fact that it hasn’t been is terrific, and reminds me how incredibly fortunate I am to be a writer.

However, all is not sweetness and light in Brookbank (the setting for the novel). Rumblings are afoot that BUSTED has been falling into the wrong hands, and frankly, it’s terrifying.

Despite a cover that’s about as attractive to adults as a government health warning, rumor has it that BUSTED has been read, reread, and inwardly digested by People of Advancing Years. From middle-aged Americans to my 93-year-old great aunt in Toronto, adults everywhere have been procuring copies with little or no regard for the fact that I’m pathologically incapable of writing about anyone over the age of fifty. Don’t they know any better?

Worst of all, these “mature” readers say they actually like the book. Truly, these are dark, dark times.

©2010 Antony John. All Rights Reserved.

In celebration of this momentous event, I did what all neurotic authors do and checked my amazon.com rank. And you know what? I’d entered the world of the top one million. Yep, there are no longer a million books out there selling better than mine. If I had time, I’d write a speech to commemorate the occasion.

Trouble is, I wasn’t sure what that ranking really meant. So I searched for info on the amazon sales rankings, and discovered that my ranking means that amazon is shifting at least 0.5 copies per day. This confounds and disturbs me. I want to know which half of the book people are buying. And what is amazon doing with all the leftover halves? I’m wondering if they’ll tell me which half sold best, so that I can try to work out what I did wrong with the other half. Seriously, I’m the first to admit I still have a lot to learn.

But for now I’ll just enjoy the knowledge that it’s out there, its shiny blue cover enticing readers who still aren’t sure which half to buy. Hey, why not buy it all?

©2010 Antony John. All Rights Reserved.