I was as shocked as anyone yesterday to hear that MIDNIGHT SUN, the re-telling of TWILIGHT from the hero's point of view, has been postponed indefinitely.
If you haven't yet read Stephenie Meyer's letter to fans, then please go here first.
Finished reading? Okay.
I suppose my reaction to this could probably best be summed up by eavesdropping on my phone conversation this afternoon with Jennifer Lynn Barnes.
PHONE RINGS
Me: Hello?
Jen: It's me. Did you hear about--
Me: Midnight Sun getting posted by Internet pirates!?!
Jen: YES!
Me: I would die.
Jen: It's awful. I won't even go read the pages she went ahead and posted because I would never want anyone reading MY first drafts.
Me: I would die.
Jen: What a terrible situation. She must feel so violated.
Me: I would die.
(fast forward through five minutes of Jen making very knowledgeable and well-formed statements and me saying "I would die" fifty more times.)
Jen: So what are you doing?
Me: I've got to dry my hair and then go buy puff pastry so that I can make apple turnovers.
Jen: Okay. Well, I better let you get back to that then.
JEN HANGS UP AND THEN GOES AND DOES SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T INVOLVE PUFF PASTRY.
I've spent a lot of today thinking about Internet piracy and author's rights and--perhaps most importantly--the ROLE of the first draft.
1. Internet piracy: it's shoplifting. Pure and simple. It's no different than walking into a bookstore, shoving a book down your pants and then leaving. So it's bad, in other words. Don't do it.
2. Author's rights: An author's ownership of their work is an incredibly important and personal thing.
This situation is not unlike having someone post pictures of you in your underwear on the Internet. It's not so bad as truly indecent pictures, but it's definitely not showing a person in their best light or even the light that they choose to leave the house in.
I don't know who leaked the draft or why or how. I have met Stephenie--once. For about two and a half minutes, so I'm not saying this as her friend--I wouldn't presume to use such a label. I'll say it simply as an author: I would die.
Some people might point out that I have, in fact, posted draft versions of deleted scenes for my books to this blog from time to time, but this is different. So very different.
I chose what scenes to post. And when to post them. And how to set readers up for them. I made those decisions. The thought of having someone else make those decisions for me is terrifying.
Also, those drafts were posted AFTER the final book was in place.
It's one thing to show readers a finished product and then show them what the book looked like in its rough form. It's a very, very different thing to see a rough draft and then try to imagine what the finished book will be.
Most people never get past first perceptions.
I can't even get past first perceptions.
(CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY entered this world as an incredibly bad book. In my mind it will always be an incredibly bad book even though 99% of readers, my editors, my agent, my friends, and my mom all say they like it better than Love You Kill You.)
So that's why I would die.
Because something very, very personal was taken from me without my permission.
And because I would be so humiliated that the world saw me (and my work) when it was at its worst.
3. And that brings us to the role of a first draft...
I don't know how Stephenie works, but I do know that very few writers write first drafts as if they're supposed to be finished drafts.
For example, it's not uncommon at all for my drafts to say something like "insert something funny here" or "come up with a way for Bob to get the magic crystal"...
And then just skip to the part where Bob is looking at the magic crystal.
And you know what? THAT'S OKAY. That's the role first drafts serve for me and my writing process.
But if BOB AND THE MAGIC CRYSTAL was slated to be the biggest book of 2010...
And if millions of people around the world loved the most recent book in the series, BOB AND THE ENCHANTED EMERALD...
And if the BOB AND THE PSYCHEDELIC SAPPHIRE movie was about to come out...
Then I highly doubt that people would "get" that first drafts and finished drafts are incredibly different things that serve incredibly different purposes. People would instead just talk about how crappy BOB AND THE MAGIC CRYSTAL is and about how I must really be slipping as a writer.
Books are like people--they will change a lot between the ages of one and thirteen and thirty—they’re supposed to.
At least my books do.
And that’s why if the draft of Kat/Heist I’m working on right now made it onto the Internet…
There are two apple trees on my grandparents' old farm. We had a very wet summer.
For those of you who may not have agricultural backgrounds, let me help you with the math.
2 apple trees X very wet summer = 9 bazillion apples.
So far my mother has frozen enough cobbler fillings to feed the entire country on the fourth of July. Tonight, I recommended she make some apple butter (which I LOVE and haven't had in ages.)
(If you don't know, apple butter is kind of like apple jelly. But not quite. It's AWESOME!)
And I'm looking up recipes for apple cakes and apple muffins and pretty much all things apple related.
Hi gang. It's one a.m. and I'm 180 pages into the GG3 copyedits--you know, the time when I sit in a room the size of a closet with a manuscript, a colored pencil and pencil sharpener and the big orange eraser that I've had since my days at OSU.
Oh, and there's usually Diet Coke.
LOTS of Diet Coke.
And little mini Kit Kat bars.
And some banana bread.
And microwave popcorn.
SO. MUCH. POPCORN.
hey, maybe that's why I'm feeling a little loopy?
Anyway, I just finished watching a (mostly) fast forwarded version of tonight's Olympics coverage and I'm seriously trying to decide what Olympic event I should try for in 2012.
I mean, I know that a 33 year-old woman took home a medal on the vault (YAY HER!) but seriously, she's probably been doing gymnastics for years and I don't think I could really learn it at this point in my life.
And I've pretty much ruled out track because...well...it appears to involve an awful lot of running.
And obviously beach volleyball is a non-starter because of the offensive bikinis (that I would rather have root canal than wear). Plus, I'm not big on sand. And I don't live near any beaches.
I've considered speed walking since walking is a skill that I currently posses.
Also, competitive table tennis holds a great deal of appeal since I think it would be incredibly handy to participate in a sport for which you can train in your garage.
I saw a clip of the women's air pistol competition and frankly that looked like something that I could totally do and not have it take away from my banana bread/Kit Kat obsession, so that's a huge plus.
Oh, and let's not forget archery. I don't know anything about archery, but I know a lot of men who hunt deer so I'm thinking I could pick it up.
So what do you guys think? Because to be honest I should probably decide pretty soon if I'm going to make the London games.
The most important Olympic observation yet...and an anniversary
First things first...
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MOM AND DAD!
That's right. My parents have been married 44 years (I think) today. Yep, you read that right--44 years.
THEY ROCK.
Can we have a round of applause for my parents please? (And, just so you know, they routinely read the comments section of this blog.)
What's the secret to their success, some may ask. Well, I think it's that they never let the romance die.
For example, I asked my mom a day or two ago what they had planned to celebrate the big day and she said, "Oh, we'll probably go out to dinner."
"Where?" I asked.
"I don't know," she said. "Maybe Subway."
Which is probably slightly less exciting than the year he got her the manure spreader. Nothing says true love like a machine that is built to hurl...manure.
Oh, and one time I asked my father what he was going to get Mom for Valentine's Day and he said, "Well, I was thinking about maybe taking her to Wal-Mart and letting her read a card. Heck, I might even let her read two."
(Am I starting to make more sense to you guys now? Because, seriously, this explains A LOT about me.)
So happy anniversary, Mom and Dad. Just don't go too crazy with the celebrating.
And now on to the Olympic moment of the day...
Last night I watched the women's gymnastics all-around finals with bated breath as Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson flew and flipped and forged their way into history. It was a thing of beauty.
And then, during the medals ceremony, I cried. Again.
And not because two American women stood atop the medals stand in this event for the first time ever.
And not because, as happy as I was for Nastia, a part of me couldn't help but feel bad for Shawn because no matter what, they couldn't both come home with gold.
And not because I'm way too old (and fat) to fulfill my Olympic dream of medaling on the beam.
Nope. The reason I cried last night was because as I sat there I remembered something that I've known all along and hope the world never forgets: the power of the teenage girl.
All you have to do is look at the sheer single-mindedness that all of the competitors exhibited for not only that night but for their entire lives to know that this is not a group to be taken lightly.
YA authors frequently get asked when we're going to write for "grown ups" or when we're going to write "real book" or whether or not we want to stretch our muscles by writing for someone other than teenage girls.
To this, I've always shook my head felt a little sorry for people who have never seen the precision with which a teenager can see through a book's mistakes--who have never witnessed the voraciousness with which a teenager can latch on to the things that they value most and the strength with which they will work to meet their goals.
So to the critics of YA fiction I have to say I write books for the Nastia Luikins and Shawn Johnsons of the world... Is there anyone better to write for?
1. I now really, really want to go to London in 2012. Or maybe Vancouver for the winter games! I know I never will, but it's something I can talk about in vain and google for a while.
2. Why is it that every four years ordinary people become experts on things they only see every four years? I know I don't actually know anything about the gymnastics, for example, but that doesn't keep me from commenting (very loudly. and to no one.) on whether or not someone actually "stuck" their landing.
3. If those little Chinese gymnasts are all 16 I will eat my socks.
4. I still really like Michael Phelps--he seems like a very hard working and admirable young man. But I can't help but feel a little sorry for all the other swimmers because...come on...they're swimming hard too.
5. How did people watch the Olympics before TiVo? Seriously? I'm asking.
6. Is it just me, or does Bob Costas get a little loopy after a while?
7. The medal ceremonies make me cry now, too. Even when it's for a country other than my own. If you ask me, it's just really hard to give up on world peace when watching a medal ceremony.
8. I think someone (maybe Bob Costas when he's loopy) should do a montage or tribute or something to little metal hair clips and their role in gymnastics through the ages.
The U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team celebrates their silver medal. They also showcase the age-old pairing of gymnastics and little metal clips.
9. My sister and I have decided to boycott beach volleyball because the men get to wear shorts and tank tops and the women have to wear teeny tiny bikinis.
10. To be an Olympic-caliber athlete you must travel...a lot.
1. It's waaaaay too late for me to go for the gold in anything gymnastics related.
2. If Michael Phelps's swim trunks get any lower, the Olympics might end up rated NC-17
Michael Phelps, world's greatest swimmer. World's most gravity-defying pants.
3. Seriously. Am I the only person who is constantly afraid that Michael Phelps is going to dive into the pool and lose his pants!?!?!
4. Whoever made those Visa commercials narrated by Morgan Freeman totally had me in mind as their target audience.
5. Have I mentioned that the Olympics MAKE ME CRY?
6. And the little Chinese boy from the opening ceremonies who survived the earthquake and then went back to his school to pull his classmates from the rubble and told people after that he wasn't a hero--he was a class leader and he was just doing his job?
7. HOW CAN THE OLYMPICS DO ANYTHING BUT MAKE ME CRY?
8. And perhaps my favorite Olympics moment wasn't even from the actual Olympics. Did anyone else see Project Runway last week when the challenge was to design an outfit for the opening ceremonies and that one guy made a purple cocktail dress? I almost died when Michael Kors said, "What's her sport? Drinking?" And then later, "It's great if she's representing the United Republic of Cocktail Land?"
9. And speaking of the opening ceremonies... I thought the U.S. athletes looked great. A little like they were getting ready to go sailing off the Cape, but great just the same.
10. And not only that, but their pants stayed on. (But Michael Phelps wasn't there, so it wasn't a true test of pantage.)
I feel like I should blog today, but I'm having trouble being clever. Or interesting. Perhaps that's because I haven't exactly left the house in a while.
Maybe I'll go see THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS 2 tomorrow.
But HEIST isn't going to finish itself, people! It simply WILL NOT.
I've tried staring at the keyboard and thinking TYPE, TYPE, TYPE really intently, but that didn't work.
And then I tried sleeping with my Alphasmart under my pillow. Nothing.
And then I tried going into a trance-like state...
But I just ended up falling asleep. Again.
Sigh.
Maybe I should just be like James Patterson and hire someone else to write my books FOR me!
YES! That is totally what I should do!!!!!
So there you have it, people. I'm now taking applications for people to write my books for me. Oh, yes. This is definitely going to be easier. Just imagine how many movies I could see then?!!?!?
Best. Idea. Ever.
-Ally
Progress on the book that someone else will hopefully soon be writing. Because it's kind of kicking my butt. And I'm pretty sure someone else could do it better.
It all started Wednesday night with the RWA literacy signing. There were over 520 authors in one room. Craziness!
But the really good news is that the signing raised something like $60,000 to help promote reading programs in the Bay Area.
Following the signing, my fabulous agent, Kristin Nelson, took all of her clients (who were at the conference) out to the kind of restaurant that mere mortals don't usually get to frequent.
You know, the kind where the food looks like this...
The next day my ultra cool roommate, Maggie Marr, and I hopped in a cab and went to Menlo Park for my signing at Kepler's. (Remember, if you're in the market for an autographed book Kepler's can help you out.)
The next day, we went to a lot of sessions and caught up with fellow Nelson Literacy Agency clients.
And a bunch of other amazingly cool authors from all over the world! Here I am with Kelly Parra, Sara Hantz and Amanda Ashby (who are from New Zealand!) and Teri Brown.
Then came Saturday night and The Ritas ceremony (which is kind of like "the Oscars". But with fewer real diamonds--Nora Roberts notwithstanding--and eating disorders) where we got all dolled up and waited to see if any of my agency sisters won (NLA had SIX nominees).
1. it's way freaking cold in San Francisco. I knew it would be colder, but I had no idea it would be like winter where I'm from.
2. RWA is huge. And sort of intimidating. 3,000 romance writers in one place? Yeah, there are a lot of funky shoes.
3. The RWA literacy signing was a blast. I even got to hang out with my fabulous agent Kristin Nelson, and thriller writer Barry Eisler whose daughter is a GG fan (and who proudly wore an "I'm a Gallagher Girl" pin.
This is especially important because Barry was a REAL CIA OPERATIVE.
Barry Eisler, real-live Joe Solomon
His books are also great. Please note, however, that they're definitely not for young teens.
4. I LOVE KEPLER'S BOOKSTORE.
5. There were so many incredibly cool readers and moms and grandmas at the Kepler's event. Two girls dressed up like Cam and Co. and drove 3 hours. Another girl came FROM FLORIDA. Yeah, the state. It was pretty crazy.
6. Did I mention that I LOVE KEPLER'S BOOKSTORE?
7. The awesome folks at Kepler's had me sign a couple of hundred books before I left, so if anyone wants to buy an autographed book, just contact Kepler's and they can arrange that for you!
Ally Carter is the author of the Gallagher Girls series. Right now she's hard at work on book three, the title of which is currently classified, and she could tell you more, but...well...you know...
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