Amy Scripps

Posts Tagged ‘YA lit’

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To My Agent in the Caribbean: Enjoy

In 1 on January 18, 2010 at 9:37 pm

I feel sorry for my agent Bri, being on vacation when an event so horrible errupts that you must interrupt your bliss to tune in on the news. I happened to be in Positano, Italy when the Columbine disaster happened and remember dreading the news but feeling obligated to stay updated. Adding to that quandry, Bri is in the Caribbean, which much feel strange.. to know that besieged Haiti shores occupy the same sea as her chosen island paradise.

Knowing how hard she works, I hope she is thinking about little other than the gentle waves breaking on her pedicured toes. I do have to admit, however, my nagging need to obsess about the fate of my manuscript creeps in from time to time. Specifically, I wonder about her e-mail account & wonder what would happen if an e-mail about my manuscript came in while she is gone. Is someone looking them over in case an acceptance letter from an editor is gathering dust in her in-box? Can someone else reply if one does come in? Do I sound self-centered?

Tomorrow she comes back and no matter how hard I try, I will not be able to resist checking my e-mail every two seconds all day long. Dusty acceptance letter, take heart: we will get you, we will reply, and most importantly, we love you…

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Girls in Movies Face Horrors of a Personal Nature

In 1 on January 6, 2010 at 3:30 am

(exerpted from the LA Times)

“The young heroines of ‘Precious,’ ‘New Moon’ and ‘The Lovely Bones’ try to lead ordinary lives but instead face harrowing experiences. But the movies are more restrained than the books on which they are based.

By Lizzie Skurnick

January 2, 2010

At first blush, the heroines of the films “Precious,” “New Moon” and “The Lovely Bones” seem to have little in common — except that they all started out as characters in novels.

Precious is an abused, teenage mother who can barely read. “New Moon’s” Bella is a vampire-in-waiting who lives to be courted by a glittering heartthrob of the undead. Susie, the narrator of “The Lovely Bones,” is the product of the kind of suburban idyll for which Kodachrome was invented.

Yet despite these diverging narratives, these girls are deeply, sweetly ordinary. All three want to feel comfortable with what they see in the mirror. All three want the boy they like to kiss them. All three would prefer not to be social outcasts, all three want happy family lives and all three will never, ever get any of these things.

It is, to put it mildly, not a great season to be a girl on screen. If we take the three books-to-films as a rule, sheer carnage is the order of the day.

In “The Lovely Bones,” Susie is raped and killed by a neighbor… Bella is always a kiss or paw swipe away from being slaughtered by a boyfriend — if she’s not hurling herself over a cliff in pursuit of one. Precious is the victim of beatings and incest by mother and father.”

I am heartened by the fact that current films are not sugar coating the experience of being a teenage girl in the modern world. The juxtaposition of adult pathos and youthful innocence is what intrigues me about YA stories. Now I need to quit blogging and get back to my new book– and my young heroine in harrowing circumstances…

click on photo for full story

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Seven Things Teens Love About the Cinnamon Girls

In 1 on December 23, 2009 at 8:59 pm

1. They are brutally honest about their problems (bulemia, drug use, etc.) but never preachy
2. They are free to do as they damn well please (for a summer)
3. They call the shots when it comes to boys, not the other way around
4. They are brave
5. They stick together
6. They wear late 70s garb like bandannas tied into halter tops and overalls fashioned into mini dresses
7. They drive a jeep that is older than they are

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Late 1970s Portrayed in The Lovely Bones, The Runaways

In 1 on December 17, 2009 at 4:43 pm

My YA novel Cinnamon Girls is set in 1979. Lately the movie world is demonstrating much teen interest in that oh-so-different era. The Lovely Bones movie has been marketed to the teen audience – with much success (see below.) I believe that it is a fantasy era for teens, with the almost bizarre amount of freedom and experimentation going on, and the tendency for parents to chuck the rules and try something new. Very different from the tight restrictions placed on teens today, although these freedoms of the late 70s often came at a high price.

With the Twilight-targeted movie The Runaways coming out this spring, starring Twilight’s Kristen Stewart, teen interest in the 1970s will hit an all time high (view the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbctJ2BqgZQ )

click on photo for full story

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What I want for Christmas: Ultraviolet: 69 Classic Blacklight Posters from the Aquaria

In 1 on December 9, 2009 at 7:19 pm

click on pic to go to book

A coffee table book called “Ultraviolet: 69 Classic Blacklight Posters from the Aquarian Age and Beyond” offers excellent psychedelia, reminiscent of my childhood in the 70s. Now, in cynical and jaded 2009, these day glo images of the peace and love era are quaint, altruistic and oddly inspiring. Although much of the movement came to naught (we still have too little peace and love in the world), it was brave for an entire generation of young people to openly pursue these ideals. It wouldn’t hurt to recapture some idealism given the disturbing problems our country faces today. So switch on your blacklight, slip on your chunky mood ring and enjoy…

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Writer’s voices everywhere

In 1 on December 6, 2009 at 5:15 am

I feel lucky to be writing in a time of unprecedented kibitzing among writers, on their blogs and on Twitter. I can see agents and editors trading insider barbs, writers being themselves on their blogs and reviews and profiles galore on blogs such as http://www.thedebutanteball.com/

Writers also help each other with the craft. There is a real feeling of enthusiasm and support out there on the internet which is refreshing in such a competitive milieu. Recently shared by Greg P. on SCBWI socal are the following blog posts offering tips from children’s book writers, including Laurie Halse Anderson, whose book “Speak” I’m currently reading. Laurie is also represented by Writers House.

Michael Stearns (once editor, currently Upstart Crow Literary agent) wrote about picture books on the Upstart Crow blog. He covers everything from the art of writing one to the economics of them:

http://upstartcrowliterary.com/blog/?p=921

Laurie Halse Anderson had a good post with her Revision Tip #3. I hope to follow this advice so that I can write as well as she does :-) .

http://halseanderson.livejournal.com/273868.html

And then from Rebecca Ryals Russell was a post with 50 useful sites for writers. It’s not children’s book specific, so some links might not be of interest, but there’s a ton of info to be found:

http://rebeccaryalsrussell.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/50-awesome-resources-for-writers/

These helpful voices are out there, cheering us on. It’s a great time to be a writer, despite frightening transitions in publishing. I choose to believe that the world of books is just morphing. Writers have always been a scrappy lot, and I trust that, as a community, we will find a way to adapt.

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New book

In 1 on December 4, 2009 at 8:14 pm

My new novel is a contemporary story about a teenage girl who is addicted to people. Her inability to focus on herself is pretty comical- until it drastically endangers someone she really cares about.

Writing about someone whose mind is elsewhere is not such a stretch for me. My husband says I’m the only person he knows who routinely pauses for an entire minute before answering a question…

Social networking has turned even the most well adjusted teens into junkies for Facebook walls, texting and photo sharing. We’re all so busy sharing we have no time to engage in activities worth sharing about. I heard that someone wrote an entire YA book based on tweets from the various characters. It’s fodder, no doubt, but I prefer to explore more timeless conflicts, such as what early life conditions produce a child who is overly absorbed in, and affected by, the behavior of others? Why do some people develop hyper-sensitive antennae for every social nuance, whereas others have an almost narcissistic focus on themselves? Of the two types, who is ultimately better off?

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The playlist

In 1 on November 30, 2009 at 7:35 am

I just added the songs from Cinnamon Girls to the blog. Some are older songs that we listened to from earlier in the 70s, some are from 1979, the year the story takes place. The Sony Walkman came out that year, an event which is a plot point in the story. Life was forever transformed by the personal listening device, which allowed teens to bring their music everywhere. It also allowed them to literally tune others out…

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Stephenie Meyer – a very successful mom

In 1 on November 28, 2009 at 9:31 am

She currently has four out of the top ten best sellers. She is Mormon and lives with her husband Christian Meyer and their three sons: Gabe, Seth, and Eli. The couple has been married since 1994. She is a master of capturing the obsessive thought process of teenage girls in love for the first time. Some credit her for making teen abstinence “sexy.” The movie based on her novel “New Moon” broke “Harry Potter’s” box office record for midnight showings. She is also represented by Writer’s House…

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Who Are You?

In 1 on November 24, 2009 at 12:17 am

This is the most important question a 15 year old girl faces. Her ability to formulate an answer during her teenage years will radically affect the course of her life…

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