16 Favorite Things

Hi guys!

We just got word that LYKY is still on the top 10 of the New York Times bestseller list.

That's 16 weeks, people!

As in...four months!



So, to celebrate...

My 16 Favorite Things (sort of)

1. food: tough one...probably pork roast with mashed potatoes and gravy

2. movie: really tough one...but I think either Roman Holiday or To Kill a Mockingbird. Either way, I love me some Gregory Peck.

3. book: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

4. reality show: Project Runway

5. thing I've purchased recently: a really small TV that hangs over my treadmill.

6: season: spring

7. holiday: Easter

8. article of clothing: STRETCHY PANTS!!!

9. luxury item: Netflix

10: sport: (to play or to watch? Oh, who am I kidding? I'm not going to play, so I'll say watch) college basketball. Or college football. I have no use whatsoever for the pros.

11. part of any of my books: the ruby slippers scene in Cross My Heart

12: line in any of my books: "Crying is like everything else we do--it's best if you don't get caught."

13: author working today: too many to count, so I'll just say Rick Riordan since the Percy books just keep getting better and better (and, let me tell you, that's waaaaay easier said than done!)

14. place I've ever been: I went to Scotland once when I was in high school and it seemed very much like the kind of place where a person could be supremely happy.

15. compliment: two way tie between "I couldn't put your books down" and "it's nice to have found books that my daughter and I can read together."

16. flower: Zinnias



Thanks for another amazing week being among amazing company, gang!


-Ally


ps...bonus thing that made me happy: I saw both LYKY and CMH at Target today. Somehow this made me giddier than almost anything to-date. Yay!

Mini blog: Mother's Day

I have no idea what to get my mom for Mother's Day.

Now taking suggestions in the comments section.

--Ally

Mini blog: Why George Clooney is still my fictional boyfriend

I took some time off to refuel the creative fires by watching MICHAEL CLAYTON. I still love George Clooney. Seriously--love him.

I'm also quite smitten with Tony Gilroy, who wrote at least two of the Bourne Identity films AND the ice skating masterpiece THE CUTTING EDGE. How can I NOT love him with those particular films under his belt, I say!

And the whole time I was watching George in Michael Clayton, I was thinking "whoever wrote this is good. I mean seriously good. Whoever wrote this has got some serious chops!"

And then the credits rolled:

Written and directed by Tony Gilroy.

And I screamed "Aha!"

And then I called George:

Me: Hey.

GC: Hey back.

Me: So I just watched a really good movie.

GC: Anything I've seen?

Me: Maybe?

GC: So you really liked it, huh?

Me: Yeah. In fact, I think I don't want you to be my fictional boyfriend anymore.

GC: I thought you liked it?

Me: I think I'm dumping you and Tony Gilroy can be my new fictional boyfriend.

GC: You both have my blessings.

Me: Thank you.

GC: But I'm making a spy/hitman movie with the Coen brothers and Brad Pitt... So...you'll be back.



-Ally

Mini blog: Help E. Out

Hi Gang,

Mini blog time!

Good friend and super-author E. Lockhart is in the process of finishing her third book in the Ruby Oliver series. (Book one was THE BOYFRIEND LIST; book two was THE BOY BOOK.)

Anyway, E. has some questions for readers under 18, so if you've got a chance, please pop over to her blog, read the instructions carefully, and help her out. It should only take a minute.

thanks!
Ally

Mini blog: GREAT SERIES

Hey gang,

No time these days for SERIOUS blogging, so how about a mini-blog?

Do you know what my favorite series is these days? Hands down it's the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan.

Hands. Down.

These books are smart, hilarious, and very, very tightly crafted. A lesson in pacing (and fun to boot.)

And the fourth one will be out very, very soon! (I know because I've been begging my editors for an early copy for weeks!)

So, that's it: another GREAT recommended read to tide you over until GG3.

-Ally

15 Little Pieces of Random

Yep. LYKY will soon be enjoying its 15th week on the New York Times Bestseller list. Forgive me if I pass out now.

In honor of the occasion...


15 LITTLE PIECES OF RANDOM:

1. I know heat rises (duh) but I had no idea how much hotter the second story of my house would stay than the first story. At one point this week I was honestly tempted to run the air conditioner upstairs and the heater downstairs. I didn't. But I was tempted.

2. people who have problems focusing should not try editing their books at Panera Bread while, at the next table, somebody else interviews for a job.

3. I love pretty flowerbeds.

4. I'm the world's worst person at planting and maintaining pretty flowerbeds.

5. The Hostess 100 calorie chocolate cupcake packs will probably be the death of me.

6. I have a new "no stretchy pants before 7 p.m." rule.

7. It's now 7:02.

8. Care to guess what I'm already wearing?

9. Two GREAT books just came out in paperback this week: THE BOY BOOK by E. Lockhart and SPELLS AND SLEEPINGBAGS by Sarah Mlynowski. Check them out!

10. I think I've finally realized why I LOVE Dancing with the Stars!

11. It's because it's the only thing I can think of in this day and age where even the AUDIENCE dresses up! I swear, there's a little Madame Dabney inside of me, and she loooooooves that!

12. Trying to set up new health insurance can SERIOUSLY cramp a girl's day. (Especially if she's not allowed to wear stretchy pants!)

13. Spring has officially begun. Not because there have been tornadoes. Not because the dogwoods are in bloom. Nope. I have had my first Diet Cherry Limeade of the year from Sonic, so spring is here.

14. 15 is a big number. Bigger than you'd think.

15. But I'm so, so, so grateful!



-Ally

The ickies

I've got a bad case of the ickies.

Note that this is not quite severe enough to say that I'm really, truly sick. But I'm ick. Hence, the ickies.

Sore throat.

Horrendous cough.

And I think I slept about 42 of the 48 hours last weekend.

But there is no real rest for a Gallagher Girl...especially one on a deadline.


later gators,
Ally

14 things about Donna

Hey Gang,

Yep. Week 14 on the TIMES list. I'm floored. And in honor of this, I give you...

14 THINGS ABOUT DONNA BRAY

1. Donna Bray is my editor at Hyperion Books for Children

2. Way back when Love You Kill You was in its infancy, Donna was at a conference in Texas when the sample chapters ended up on her desk, and her assistant at the time, Ari, called and said "You have to read these chapters", so Donna downloaded the files and had the hotel print them out for her. But the hotel charged A LOT for printing, so she had them print them out in a teeny tiny font so that it wouldn't be too expensive. She later told me that any book that could make her excited to read it in 8 pt. font was a book she needed to publish.

3. In totally unrelated news, I have complete and utter faith in Donna's taste in books. (Case in point: she was one of the first U.S. editors to see and bid on Harry Potter.)

4. Donna is a fabulous mentor. (As is evidenced by the fact that Ari, from #2 above, is now a kick butt editor in her own right.)

5. Donna is kind. (Did you know she sent me flowers both when I finished CMH AND when it debuted on the TIMES list?)

6. Donna has gone through every single GG book line by line, word by word, to help them to be as good as they can possibly be.

7. Donna has the rare ability to both see the big picture and the small details--the forest AND the trees, so to speak.

8. Donna frequently makes me cry. (Not because she's mean...at all! But because when you've been killing yourself for a book and there's a little part of you that says "it could be 10% better...but maybe no one will notice"...well, Donna always notices.)

9. Donna is also the editor of my favorite book of the year, THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS by E. Lockhart.

10. The Gallagher Girl books are what they are because Donna Bray is my editor, but sadly, as of Monday morning, Donna won't be my editor anymore.

11. Because Donna is so spectacular that she and her colleague, Alessandra Balzar will soon be launching their own imprint (fancy publishing word for subdivision) at HarperCollins.

12. I can't think of anyone more deserving of an opportunity like that than Donna Bray.

13. Because she made me a better writer.

14. So even though I can't tell you much about GG3 at the moment, I can tell you three words that will most definitely appear in it:

Dedication
For Donna

-Ally



ps...I have it on good authority that there is another AMAZING editor waiting in the wings (I'll share more details when I can, but for now know that she edits one of my favorite series ever--like, a seriously AMAZING series--and I can't wait to see what phenomenal things I will learn next.)

A request

Hey gang,

As you probably know I'm really, really busy these days trying to finish GG3--which is a good thing, right?

And as you may or may not know, finishing a book requires a lot of TIME.

So I'm going to ask that you do me a favor and help me out with a couple of things, okay?

First, please don't include me in the address books of your email software--especially if you're someone who likes to forward messages to everyone in your address books.

Because every minute out of my day that I have to use deleting tons of forwarded messages is a minute I'm not writing, right?

Next, please acquaint yourselves with the little "SEARCH BLOG" box at the top of the blog.

Go look for it.

I'll wait.

There, did you find it? Well, it's pretty awesome, and just by using that you can get answers to probably 95% of the email/blog comment questions I receive.

For example: what are some good books I can read?

Well, by typing in "recommend books" and scrolling down a bit you get TWO DIFFERENT posts that include other books I think you guys would like.

This one.

And this one.

And if, for example, you get confused about whether or not I'm writing a new series, you could always search for "NEW SERIES" or "Kat" and, guess what, you'll find A LOT of posts on the subject and get all of your questions answered and then some.

So see, it's a very handy little box, that SEARCH BLOG box. And that's why we put it there, to...

1. get you guys the information you need in a timely manner, and

2. free up my time to do what's most important--write the books!

I still try to answer personal emails that are not already answered on the website/blog, but if your question is about territory that's well-covered here...

Well, then writing time is going to have to take priority, I'm afraid.

By the way, this post is something I've been thinking about for a while, but I've finally decided to post it for two reasons:

1. my time is getting more and more valuable as we get down to deadline time for GG3.

and

2. this is a really important life lesson, gang. I'm betting a lot of you want to go to college someday, right? Well, it's going to be really important that you be able to read the instructions for your college applications and follow them. It's going to be important that you show initiative in classes and find information for yourselves.

Self-reliance is a GOOD thing.

Trust me.


-Ally


ps...another good rule of thumb for questions--especially questions about blog posts--is to always RE-read the post before you comment asking for clarification. I'm as guilty of skim-reading and not letting things sink in as the next person, but I think if you will slow down and REALLY read then a lot of your questions will be answered.

pps...of course I'm not dating George Clooney. If I were really dating George Clooney do you think I'd be wasting my time blogging? When I could be dragging George to every event in my hometown and rubbing it in the noses of all the girls who were (and likely still are) skinnier than me? Please, people? I totally have my priorities in order here.

Some things about Kat

Okay, since you guys are soooo excited about GG3 (and your excitement is contagious), I thought I'd share some cryptic facts about the new series as well.

1. it still doesn't have a title. I call it "Kat" (after the main character) or "Heist" (after what happens) when I talk about it. But I don't know what it'll say on the actual cover.

2. it will probably have more boys than any book I've written yet since I kind of grew up in a very male-dominated field, and that's one part of my life that I think will creep into Kat's life--she's used to being the only girl in the room.

3. bad people are fun to write

4. I think Kat's dad might give Mr. Solomon a run for his money in the "yummy" department.

5. To really write Kat well I should probably spend six weeks in Europe. Darn it.

6. Of all the books I've written, Kat is the one that I'd most like to adapt into a screenplay.

7. I have no idea if there will be future Kat books. There very well COULD be--there most likely WILL be--but I don't have any under contract because...well...I don't want to bite off more than I can chew.

8. Kat would fit right in at the Gallagher Academy.

9. And I really, really can't wait to write this book!



-Ally


ps...I've read and re-read the post to try to determine what about it was so confusing, but I guess it's my turn to be confused.

When I say "the new series" I'm talking about a new series.

Yes! NEW!!!!

This year I will write one Gallagher Girls book (GG3) and the NEW book, Kat.

Kat will not be a character in the Gallagher Girls books. She will not be replacing Cammie.

They are two DIFFERENT series.

Hopefully that will clear things up.

13 things about book 3

Well, we got the great news last week that Love You Kill You is STILL on the NY Times Bestseller list. This is really starting to freak me out, guys.

But in a good way. Sort of. Most of the time.

In honor of this monumental occasion I'm going to give you 13 things about book 3.

Please note: I'm not going to give away major plot elements. I'm not going to tell you if any of the loves of Cammie's life will be back or if there will be NEW loves.

I WILL NOT spoil the book for you!

So don't even ask.

Also, I don't know the release date yet, and I don't have permission to share the title yet. And things are happening at my publishing house that might make that information harder to come by in the next few weeks.

I'm truly sorry this is the case, but in the grand scheme of things, waiting a little while longer won't hurt us.

So...with those ground rules behind us...I give you...

13 THINGS ABOUT BOOK 3


1. It will start during summer break after GG2 ended.

2. The book will cover (most of) the fall semester of Cammie's junior year.

3. We spend more time outside of school in this book than we have of any so far.

4. There are new characters.

5. Some of these characters are male and some are female.

6. Some of these new characters are teens and some are adults.

7. I don't know how long it will be yet, but my gut feeling right now is that it is the biggest story so far. I don't know if that will also translate into the biggest book.

8. Mr. Solomon is still dreamy.

9. The girls do, in fact, see Sublevel Two.

10. The stakes are the highest yet.

11. The first draft of this book was the easiest to write of the three so far.

12. The second draft is kicking my butt.

13. But it's going to be worth it.


-Ally

A conversation with Jennifer Lynn Barnes

So my good friend (and fellow YA author) Jennifer Lynn Barnes called the other day.

It went something like this.


Me: Hello?

JLB: Hey, it's Jen.

Me: Hey, Jen! How's Yale?

(Have I mentioned lately that Jen is really, really smart?)

JLB: It's good. I was just calling because I can't believe how many of your blog readers actually believe you're dating George Clooney!

Me: Um...am I to take it from your tone that YOU don't think I could be dating George Clooney?

JLB: No, I don't think you could be dating George Clooney AND NOT TELL ME ABOUT IT!

(Note to self: this is why Jen is a good friend.)

Me: Well, George and I could be trying to keep our love a secret, you know. He IS a public figure and a very private man.

JLB: Your secret love is why you blogged about it?

Me: (choosing to ignore this perfectly valid argument) Besides, if I were really dating George Clooney, do you really think I'd introduce him to my younger, skinnier, hotter friends?

JLB: Of course you would! Otherwise how would I meet all of HIS hot friends?

(Have I mentioned yet that Jen is very, very smart?)

Me: Why do you need me for access to hot friends? Doesn't your roommate know a guy on the FBI soccer team? Is there a more potentially hot group of men in the world than the FBI SOCCER TEAM?

Jen: I've been thinking about that. I wonder...

Me: Who does the FBI soccer team play?

Jen: Yeah.

Me: Because if it's the CIA soccer team...

Jen: Then...yeah...hot.

Me: But if it's like the team from some accounting firm or something...

Jen: So see...THIS is why you have to introduce me to Clooney!

Me: If I'm dating him.

Jen: Yeah.

Me: I think you'd better stick to the soccer team.

Writing vs. Publishing...the difference

Many thanks to all of you who have shared your opinions (both positive and negative) about my last post. I think this is a really important topic, and feedback is good.

It's gotten me to thinking, though, about something that I think a lot about but have never blogged about here:

The difference between writing and publishing.

Writing is creative. It can be fun, frustrating, exhilarating, perplexing, challenging, stimulating, and very, very satisfying.

Writing is you in a room with all of your imaginary friends, playing massive games of "what if"...

"What if Lisa and Bob get stuck in an elevator!"
"What if Mona and Mindy find out they bought the same dress!"
"What if Mr. Solomon were real and he moved in next door to me!"

Like that.

Writing is what writers do. Period. If you write, you're a writer. It doesn't matter if you're 12 or 20 or 92...if you put pen to paper or fingers to keys or whatever your method of choice is...you're a writer.

Publishing is the business of creating, distributing, and selling books. The key word in that sentence is business.

Publishing means taking the work of a few writers and crafting that work very, very carefully and then positioning it in the marketplace in a way that will hopefully appeal to as many book buyers as possible.

It's like those ACT questions that go something like all sunflowers are yellow, but not all yellow things are sunflowers.

So all writers write, but not all writers publish.

And that's okay.

In my opinion, there are three reasons why some writers are not published:



1. They don't want to be.

When I first started getting serious about writing I discovered that the local junior college had a writers' group that met once a week, so I went a couple of times.

These were very nice, interesting people, but I was the only person there who was really interested in making a living with words someday. Almost everyone else in the group was writing their life story or memoirs for their friends and family. They weren't doing it to get published. They were doing it for themselves. And that, if you ask me, is where ALL writers start.

Which brings us to number 2.



2. They just aren't ready.

Yes, this is what I was getting at with a lot of my last post. It takes a long time to be an overnight success in any business--especially this one.

Almost every writer I know wrote for years--yes, literally years--before they became published.

Me, I started my first screenplay when I was twenty. I sold my first book when I was twenty-nine.

Nine years.

Now, of course, I wasn't just writing all that time (there were college classes, and jobs, and life stuff), but that's how long I carried notebooks around with me and scribbled in my spare time.

But I'm a writer...writers write!

My job at that point was become a better writer, and it took me nine years at that job before I got my first pay day.



3. They just haven't found the right fit yet.

Publishing is a business, remember? And that means you have to have written something that an editor thinks a lot of people are going to want to lay down their hard-earned money to buy.

And that means 1. writing that something. And 2. finding that editor (and an agent, but that's another discussion).

There are a lot of amazing stories about books that were rejected by a lot of people before they found a business partner who was the right match for the project. (a little book called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone comes to mind.)

My first book was rejected by 20 agents before the 21st said yes.

Love You Kill You was rejected by several editors who just didn't think Cammie and Co. were " ________" enough. (Fill in the blank with anything from "edgy" to "believable" to "interesting" to "compelling"...you get the picture.)

So the third class of unpublished writers are people who will be...just as soon as the pieces (projects and people) fall into place.




Writing is a fun, great, and rewarding hobby.

Publishing is a challenging, stressful, and complex business.

When young people ask me whether or not they can get published at a young age, they need to understand that they're not talking to me about writing; they're asking about publishing...

They're talking about going pro.

My next door neighbors have an adorable daughter who is ten. Every day after school she spends about thirty minutes in their driveway playing basketball--dribbling, shooting, practicing bounce-passes off the garage door.

Do I think this is a good, healthy, positive thing for her to have an interest in? Absolutely.

Do I think she should try out for the NBA? Probably not.

And believe it or not, that's exactly what we're talking about.

Publishing isn't writing. Publishing is writing at a professional level with professional stakes, pressures, and consequences. And people get hurt.

So the moral of the story is this, gang: no matter how old you are, write if you're a writer. Nothing can take that away from you.

But don't say that you're only going to shoot hoops in your driveway if you think you'll go to the NBA. Shoot hoops because you love shooting hoops.

And if you do it long enough and well enough then you may have a chance to go pro someday. If you want to.


-Ally

3 Reasons why 13-year-olds really shouldn't be concerned about finding a publisher for their novel

I'm blogging late tonight because...well...deadlines screw up my sleep cycles. See, I sort of work by inertia: when I'm at rest, I tend to stay at rest; when I'm in motion, I stay in motion.

So deadlines = weird hours.

And that's the excuse I'm going to use for what will probably sound like a really, really rude post.

I apologize in advance. Seriously, I do. What I'm aiming for is honest and helpful, but at one a.m. that might cross over into rude and I really hope not.

Why risk it then, you might ask.

Well, the reason is this: I am getting A LOT of emails from you guys lately--particularly those of you who would like to be writers someday.

And that's GREAT.

Awesome, even.

But I find it a little upsetting that most of you are writing to find out how, once your book is finished, you can get it published since you're only 13. (or 12 or 14 or... fill in the blank.)

Well, if you guys want my honest opinion, I think you're asking the wrong question. The question isn't "will my book get published even though I'm only 13 (or 12 or 14...)?"

The question should be "how do I write a book good enough to be published?" (That advice, by the way, is available at the FOR WRITERS section of the website.)

The short answer to the "can I be published if I'm only 12" question is yes. There is no minimum age to be a published writer. You just have to have a book worth publishing.

I'd like to take it one step farther, however, (after all, you asked for my honest opinion, remember?) and add that if I were you I'd think long and hard about whether or not you should be published--are you mentally and emotionally ready for the life of a published author.

And that's why I wrote the following: three reasons why 13-year-olds really shouldn't be concerned about getting their novel published.

Note: I didn't say 13-year-olds shouldn't write; I certainly didn't say 13-year-olds shouldn't dream. I'm saying that publishing--the business--isn't probably the best use of a 13-year-old's time.

And here's why:


REASON #1:

Questions like "Once I finish my novel can I get it published if I'm only 13?" always remind me of a great quote by one of the guys who wrote PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. (There are two of them and, unfortunately, I'm drawing a blank on which one.)

Anyway, this guy was talking about how aspiring screenwriters are always bugging him about where/how he got his agent.

This wise/savvy/uber-successful writer's response?

"Asking a working writer how they got their agent is like going to a Pete Rose baseball camp and asking where he bought his glove."

Do you get the analogy? If not, stop right there, you're not ready to be a published writer.

The point is, of course, that if you're going to play ball like an all-star it's not about gloves--the gloves are just the .... things. There's no magic there, no talent. Nothing that will separate you from the masses.

If you want to be a published writer you don't worry about how to find a publisher.

You worry about how to be a better writer!

There's nothing anywhere that says you have to be X-years-old to be a published writer.

If you wrote a masterpiece at 12, then that masterpiece would probably get published, and not only that but I bet that "12-year-old pens Great American Novel" would probably be the headline in a few national papers. You might even get to go on Oprah, who knows?

But to be really, really honest, the reason most 12-year-old's novels won't get published is because they just aren't good enough.

How do I know this?

Because that's almost always why novels don't get published.

It doesn't matter at all how old the writer is.



REASON #2:


The second part of the question that bothers me is the "when I finish my novel" part.

Guys, listen up:

Getting the idea isn't the hard part.

Talking about the idea with your friends isn't the hard part.

Writing a few pages and letting someone you love read them isn't the hard part.

FINISHING a novel is hard.

PUBLISHING a novel is a whole different kind of hard.

Without a doubt, I recommend dealing with the first before you tackle the second. Otherwise, it's like telling an Olympic gold medalist that you have an idea for a gymnastics routine (you haven't actually performed the routine yet, but you know it'll be good), and you're wondering if the Olympic medalist can tell you what you need to do to make the 2008 Olympic team.

Do you see a problem with that? Do you think maybe mastering the routine--heck, maybe mastering a dozen routines--might leave you better prepared for a chance at gold in Beijing?


REASON #3:

If I had a time machine (which I don't), and I could go back to when I was 12 (which I wouldn't if you paid me), and I could take a copy of LYKY with me, and present to 12-year-old me a book which is "publishable"...would I?

NO. WAY.

12-year-old me is sooooooooooo not ready for this business!

Adult (sort-of), experienced (kind of) me can hardly take this business sometimes.

12-year-old me thought writing a draft of a school assignment once and then reading it over for mistakes was going above-and-beyond.

There's NO WAY 12-year-old me is going to grasp the concept of reading a 250 page manuscript and analyzing every word/sentence/paragraph until you've turned it into a faster-paced 235 page manuscript.

There's NO WAY 12-year-old me who worries endlessly about what the girls in her grade think about her hair is going to be able to handle having THOUSANDS of copies of her book out there and people passing judgment over whether she's a hack or not.

12-year-old me sees only what is happening to her right then--she doesn't have the luxury of being able to look back in time and realize how things turn out.

12-year-old me doesn't know how to hold her tongue and will probably spout her mouth off and make a lot of really important people mad.

And, most importantly, 12-year-old me is just starting to figure out that writing can be fun. I'd like for that to last as long as possible before the business of publishing starts sucking the fun out of one of her favorite hobbies.



So there. Those are three reasons why I don't think teens and pre-teens should be concerned about where/how to publish their novels.

(please note that publishing and writing are two very, very, very different things. If you want to write me and ask "should I spend my time reading and writing?" then my answer would be absolutely. But these questions lately haven't been about writing--they've been about writing FOR MONEY. Which is a whole different deal entirely.)

And, having said that, I'm going to bed!

Nighty night,



-Ally

PS...I almost forgot about...

REASON#4:

Worrying about "publishing" at a young age will take away time when you should be worrying about learning how to write.

It's about priorities, gang. Every minute you spend talking about how you're going to write a book and you're going to be published is a minute you're not writing.

Now is when you're learning how words work.

Now is when you're starting to notice that there are some books that keep you reading way into the night and some you put down and never think of again.

Now is when you start noticing that great characters always seem so real it's as if you really know them.

Now is when you should be reading AND writing as much as you can--which is a BIG job.

And it's a GREAT job.

And there are many, many days when I wish I could trade you guys jobs.

So why do you want to hurry to grow up? Take this time to read and write and enjoy the fun stuff. Why don't you leave worrying about co-op and sell-through and printruns and copyedits and all the not-fun part of publishing for later?

Okay?

Why I should be dating George Clooney

So I just saw on Eonline that Beyonce and Jayz got married. Congratulations to them. I have to admit, however, that one part of the initial story left me very upset.

It said that George Clooney was in attendance.

And I wasn't with him!

So, of course, I called him.

Me: George?

GC: (recognizing my voice immediately) Ally? What's wrong?

Me: How was the wedding?

GC: What wedding?

Me: The wedding you were photographed attending. The wedding to which I was not your date!

GC: (laughing)

Me: WHAT is so funny?

GC: You're jealous.

Me: I am not.

GC: It looks good on you.

Me: WE'RE ON THE PHONE!

GC: I have a good imagination.

Me: That is beside the--

GC: Would you have come?

Me: What? Oh...I'm kind of in the middle of a--

GC: Rewrite, yeah. So that's why I asked. (slower now.) Would. You. Have. Come?

Me: I could have worked on the plane.

GC: You never work on planes. You always SAY you're going to work on the plane and then you either sleep or do the crossword puzzle in the in-flight magazine. So I ask you again: would you have come?

Me: I don't know. I'm at a pretty big part in GG3 where---

GC: na.na.na.na I told you I don't want to know what happens in GG3. I don't want it spoiled for me.

Me: But it's--

GC: (louder now. and singing.) I can't hear you. Hey Matt. (at this point I figured out he was with Matt Damon) I can't hear Ally. Can you hear Ally?

MD: (Screaming) If Clooney won't play Joe Solomon I've got dibbs!

GC (to MD): I never said I wouldn't play Solomon. I just said I've done CIA before.

MD: Yeah, and I can see how the Oscar might make you steer away from it.

Me: George? Do I really need to be here for this? Like I said, I'm to the part where--

GC: Charlie Rose.

Me: What?

GC: I didn't go to the wedding. I was in the building doing an interview with Charlie Rose.

Me: (nothing.)

GC: You're feeling pretty silly now. Aren't you?

Me: (nothing.)

GC: You're cute when you're silly.

Me: We're on the phone.

T-shirt advice

Hey Gang,

I'm busy. Crazy busy. We're talking they-fired- the- basketball -coach -of -my -team-and-I -didn't-even -know-it busy.

So I'll make this brief.

For those of you doing the t-shirt contest, I think it would be a good idea to spend some time on cafepress.com and other places to see what looks good and duplicates well. (Doing a search for Twilight, for example, gives a great understanding of the types of things that the judges will be looking for.)

Hope that helps,
Ally

Twelve

It's official. LYKY is looking at its 12th week on the TIMES list. This is getting sort of ridiculous.

But in order to celebrate, I give you...

TWELVE THINGS ABOUT MY NEW HOUSE!

1. I love my street. And my neighbors. Everyone is SO nice (which is SO different from what I'm used to), and people stand in their yards after work and talk to each other, and all their kids play basketball in my neighbor's driveway. It's like Wisteria Lane. Without the eating disorders.

2. I bought a 19 inch flatscreen TV and had it hung on the wall in front of my treadmill. It's the most awesome thing I've ever owned.

3. There are three bathrooms. And one of me. And yet, somehow, I use ALL the bathrooms. Which means I'm going to have to clean ALL the bathrooms. This is not good.

4. When the security system guy showed up to install my new system he said, "Hello there, it looks like you're getting..." pauses to look at clipboard "...the works." Which is what you'd expect from someone who spends all her time trying to think like spies and thieves.

5. My backyard appears to be much larger than my neighbors' yards. I wonder if they all secretly hate me for it and that's what they're all talking about in the street after work?

6. I now have hardwood floors. I have no idea how to clean hardwood floors. This is also a source of some concern.

7. I don't have a doorbell. Which is better than my parent's house, I guess, where there is a doorbell, but it doesn't work, so people come, ring the doorbell, and leave and we don't have a clue they've been there.

8. The cabinets are evil (but you guys already knew that.)

9. I have three closets in my bedroom. THREE. One is pretty big, and two are pretty small, but still three closets is two more closets than I had in my entire apartment in grad school.

10. there's a gas fireplace, and I know it works, but I haven't used it because, as I've documented here before, gas freaks me out.

11. I "live" downstairs and "work" upstairs. It's pretty great. Where I write there is no TV or internet or anything. Which is why I'm not up there nearly enough, I'm guessing.

12. I really, really like this house. It's not too big or too small; it's got all the cool "old house" stuff, but it's been updated enough that it works like a modern house should; and, most importantly, I love that it's close to family and friends, and that I wouldn't have it at all if it wasn't for all of you!


So, thanks guys! Thanks so much!

Back to the second draft!

-Ally