Cheryl Herbsman wrote a great post on the muse and how different writers approach the art of writing. She also included some links to other good ideas on the subject. Her post got me to thinking about this muse business again, so I did a bit of an Internet search to pull together some handy tips for calling those little minxes when you need one of them. That’s not what I found, but I did find lots of tips for putting those thoughts down with or without Calliope, Erato, Melpomene, or Thalia on your shoulder. I guess if you get them all you can put something down paper that’s worthy.

How to Call in Your Writing Muse offers some very sensible ways to move ahead in that W.I.P.

Here’s something that I found interesting, an interview with writing teacher, Mark David Gerson.

I liked these 7 Writers Muse Kickers to Fill Up That Blank Page.Starting is sometimes the hardest part. In fact, I’ve sometimes resorted to writing the end first. It’s sort of like setting up a target, and then going back and taking aim.

Do you have a muse? Do you wait for inspiration before you sit down to write or do you sit down and hope that your brain will offer up what you need that day?

Poetry is not to communicate information. It is to give us a sense and a perception of life. It is not to tell us about experience, but to allow us to participate in it fully.

Poetry is the most concentrated form of literature. It tells us, more is not better.

Poetry is active and rhythmic. It draws on resources to deepen our experiences. We use all of our senses to absorb it: intellect, imagination, emotion.

Poetry is alive. Its function is to allow us to live more meaningful, richer lives.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Writers work on deadlines all the time: submissions, revisions, galleys, contests, conferences, blog posts. Then there’s the “other part of life:” family birthdays, home maintenance, groceries, hair. Last year with my debut novel, my calendar looked a lot like a strategic plan for war. I think I’ll frame it to read in my retirement years.

This year I’ve tired to think about reorganizing just enough to slow my heart rate and still blow dry my hair when necessary. Here’s my plan: Internet-blog twice a week on my own blog, then post on fb, do Connect here as promised on lucky 13 every month, post twice a month on Verla Kay and 2009 Debs as long as there’s posting happening, Twitter on Fridays and Sunday afternoons.  Events-do two a month and that includes anything for my book. Other life-Yoga three times a week, hike two times a week, weights two times a week, graze during the week, dine on the weekends, hire a housekeeper.

Most of the people I talk to have the same feeling about the speed of time and trying to meet the deadlines in their lives. How about you? How do you feel about deadlines? Do they scare you or motivate you? Do you have enough time to do all that you need or want to do?

Here’s something that I found interesting when I was thinking about not having the time I need to fit everything in. In 1620 it took 101 days for the Pilgrims to sail from England to Plymouth, Mass. It takes 7.25 hours to fly from London to Boston today. With those facts in mind, I should have no problem meeting any deadline. I should have much more “free” time since it take much less time to do anything with all of our modern conveniences, like this computer for example.  Anyone find this humorous?

1. Betsy Birney on school visits: Be sure students are prepped for your visit. Nothing worse than to arrive in front of a classroom filled with kids who don’t who you are or anything about your book(s).

2. Another Betsy Birney tip: If possible make sure the teacher and the librarian are looking forward to your visit. Avoid interesting complications.

3. Elizabeth Law likes funny MG fiction.

4. Buy a Flip Video to use at all your events.

5. Jenn Bailey Frames and Flash are super, but right now they won’t go to Mobil Me.

6. Fill in you profile on Twitter–completely. (Oops! Gotta make a note to do that.)

7. Wendy Loggia won’t take a chance on debut author with good writing, but poor story development.

8. Keep your blogs up to date (look who’s talking), be yourself so your style shines through, and whatever you do be polite. Editors do Google you.

9. Michael Reisman: If you are optioned by a studio or production company be sure to get a lawyer who knows the movie/tv business. Those contracts are mine fields.

10. Read Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why.

11. Kathleen Duey: ASAP after a conference write a note on each business card you collected that will recall that person.

The next two are from me.

12. Eat at least one dinner at Sugar Rock Restaurant near the Hyatt Regency. (Thanks to Cindy Pon for making those plans!)

13.  Before a conference book a round trip on SuperShuttle. They know their way around the freeway (aka The Sargasso Sea), drop you at your Airline in plenty of time, and cost a fraction of a cab.

Since this is such a small sampling of great conference tips, I hope others will add to my short list.

Quick—if I say Sarah Dessen, what kind of books do you think of? Yep, contemporary fiction with a romantic bent. Neil Gaiman? Slightly-scary fantasy. R.L. LaFevers? Adventure, ancient curses and feisty girls (if you haven’t read any of the Theodosia books, shut down the computer and go get one now…we’ll wait). These authors all have a strong brand—pick up a book and you pretty much know what kind of book it will be. These authors also have readers who wait with excitement for the next book, even if it’s not part of a series.

Other writers sort of stumble into a brand when something suddenly takes off. Alyson Noel wrote books for adults and a romancy YA before starting the Immortals series where she has really found success (which gives us unbranded writers hope).

I have no brand, and I can’t seem to find one no matter how hard I try. Stories come to me in all different forms and if I like it, I’ll start writing it regardless of age group or genre. My first book is a picture book about time zones and the second book that will come out in February is an “edgy” YA about hoarding (and romance). I’m working on a follow-up book to the PB and in the middle of a YA romance (no hoarding or other mental/social disorders). We have a book out with editors that is a boy-centric MG and the book that wants to be written next is a YA with some supernatural elements. Ugh.

I constantly pester my agent with questions about what to write—should I abandon an idea that I like because it doesn’t fit in with the other book? Should I stick to writing books about teens in abusive living situations? As much as I adore her, she always says the same thing—write what you love. But what if you love it all?

This really came up when we were designing my new website. It had to be accessible to parents and teachers who wanted information about When It’s Six O’clock in San Francisco, but wouldn’t be too cutesy for those teens who wanted info about Dirty Little Secrets. In the end, we just made a site that reflected me and not the books that I write.

Ultimately, I guess I do think that a good, strong brand is the way to go. I hope I get one someday. In the meantime, I’ll just write the stories that appear and hope that people like them.

Fate now smirks when she sees me, as I am the only female in a house full of males – even the dog and both of the cats are boys. The presence of several Y chromosomes in my life has made me think harder about all things boy-related, including their reading preferences.

My oldest son is just about to turn 12. He still reads, but he has trouble finding things that interest him. He’s a bit “eh” about fantasy (he never really got excited about Harry Potter, something that he will never admit to his friends), he didn’t like Twilight because there was too much “love stuff” and he’s too young for books like Looking for Alaska by John Green. The past few months, he has found a few books that he really liked – Savvy by Ingrid Law was a big hit (even though it is sort of a “girl” book), and Feed by M.T. Anderson is a favorite. He’s always looking for things to read, but is quick to dismiss anything that is overly girlie.

I’ve been told by those who should know that boys don’t read. At least they don’t once they pass the age of 12. Oh, they might pick up an action/fantasy book or a good graphic novel on occasion, but as a species, they don’t read regular books. I’ve started to wonder if boys stopped reading regular books because there aren’t many regular books for them to read, or if writers and publishers have stopped marketing regular books to boys because it was a losing proposition.

With all this in mind, I have a confession to make – I write books for girls. Honestly, it didn’t start out that way. When It’s Six O’clock in San Francisco is coming out in July, and as a picture book, that is for both boys and girls, but my YA Dirty Little Secrets is being marketed to girls. The book I’m writing now is definitely for girls (too much love stuff, as my son would say), and the zygote that is percolating and may turn into the book after that also seems to have a girl main character.

I feel bad about this. I want boys to have great books that will give them other perspectives on life without having to leave home. Even though my main character is a girl, I still hope some boys will pick it up and enjoy it. As my son says, they can always take the jacket off when they carry it around so that the girl on the cover doesn’t look weird.

If a book comes to me that has a strong boy character, I’ll write it, but I’m not sure I’ll go out looking for one. If you write it, will boys come? Honestly, I don’t know.