Book Birthday Blog with Melanie Hooyenga

 

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

Where we celebrate new books from Michigan's authors, illustrators and translators.

 

Congratulations to Melanie Hooyenga on the release of The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway

 

How did you come up with the idea for your book?

This is my first published book that didn’t come to me in a flash — I actually spent time brainstorming ideas. I don’t recall what I had just finished reading, but it made me want to write a book about twins. Since I don’t have a twin, I decided the twin could be missing.
 
TQUEE is about a family in the wake of their infant daughter being kidnapped, but I didn’t want this to be a story about a family missing their daughter, I wanted to take it in a completely unexpected direction. As I thought about the different ways people react to tragedy, I went to mental illness and how some people’s brains block trauma to protect them. In this situation, Eve’s mother refuses to accept that one of her daughters is missing, and so rather than get her the help she needs, Eve’s dad raises her as both girls.
 
The story begins in the spring of Eve’s senior year of high school. She’s been compartmentalizing her life for as long as she can remember, which is expressed in one of my favorite lines: “I’ve been pretending to be my sister for so long I don’t know how else to live.”
 
While several of my other series began with the intention of being a standalone novel and turned into a series, this book will not have a sequel. 

What is something you hope your readers will take away from your book? 

I’ll be honest, this is not a feel-good book. Eve is dealing with a host of mental problems caused by a lifetime of mental abuse from her father. Her primary goal is to go to college so she can escape her current situation and start life over on her own terms. That said, there are still things readers can take away from the story.
 
Everyone is worried about how they’re perceived, even though most of the time people are more worried about themselves than anyone else. Eve spends most of her energy keeping her secret from people at school, and while they do wonder about her, everyone has their own issues.
 
Things may not turn out as planned, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be happy. I’m avoiding spoilers here, but if you’ve read the book, you’ll hopefully understand. Eve is very focused on what her life will look like once she leaves home and while BIG THINGS HAPPEN, the book has a satisfying ending.
 
Being near the water is calming. Okay, that might be just me, haha. TQUEE is set in Grand Haven, where I live and grew up, and spending just a few minutes watching the waves recenters me and slows the churn in my brain. Eve finds solace there, whether running on the beach or just watching the waves from her car.

What inspires you to write?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved to tell stories. As soon as I knew how to write, my imagination found an outlet with words. (And art—I’m a very visual person as well.) But simply writing is not where it ends for me. My favorite part is hearing or seeing my readers’ reactions. I crave feedback!
 
I know a lot of authors refuse to read reviews, and I completely understand that inclination, but I love them. TQUEE was on NetGalley for several months and I refreshed Goodreads throughout the day to see if new reviews were posted. There will always be people who don’t like what I write, and some of the comments can sting, but the good reviews? Those are magical. They make me want to keep going. 
 
If you happen to have my phone number and want to text me while you’re reading? Even better.

What are your marketing plans for the book and where can we find it?

I’m going all out for TQUEE. I slacked off on my last series (all three were released during the pandemic), so I built a 9-month plan that included:

• Kickstarter – I raised $4000 toward marketing and audiobook production costs

• Kirkus review – I didn’t get a star rating, but I received a positive review and Kirkus flagged it with the “Get it” checkmark

• Other top-rated review services (School Library Journal)

• NetGalley listing – listed for 3 months to get early reviews

• Goodreads giveaway – my first time running a giveaway since it stopped being free

• Blog tour – I paid for a 2-week blog/social media tour that includes 30-40 posts

 
Last summer, SCBWI shared that members get a reduced membership to IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association), which has discounts for other services I wanted, like Kirkus, NetGalley, and IngramSpark (IG waives the upload fee!). It took some serious mathing to determine it was a good deal, and I’ve been happy with the results.
 
Other parts of my marketing plan:

• Requesting bookstore and library visits

• Press release to media outlets, including local/regional newspapers, radio stations, and TV Stations

• Sending eARCs to anyone who asks via Bookfunnel

• Requesting blurbs from authors in my genre, including a few stretch asks

• Reaching out to Bookstagram and Booktokkers and actually sending print copies. In the past I’ve only offered ebooks

• Planning a book launch party at one of my local indie bookstores

• Creating my first book trailer using iMovie

• Offering a preorder gift (signed postcard with an excerpt)



This is on top of my newsletter, blog, and social media accounts. I do have a street team, but I’m really bad at utilizing them. I’ll keep trying though!

You can find bookseller options here.

What's next for you?

I’m glad you asked! I recently signed with an agent (Michelle Grajkowski with 3 Seas Literary) and I’m working on a YA romantic suspense that she plans to send on submission this spring.
 
The partnership came about in a completely unconventional way: we met when my friend/her agent-mate invited me to present about self-publishing at an online writers’ workshop during the pandemic. Michelle and I hit it off but lost touch for a bit, then she reached out last fall when she heard about TQUEE. I had already started plans to publish it, so she asked to read anything I’d yet to publish. I nervously sent her two unfinished first drafts, and a week later she signed me.
 
My dream is to be a hybrid author, and representation put me one step closer to making that dream a reality!

More about the book . . .

All Eve Ellaway wants is to escape to college, start a life of her own, and finally sever the connection to her twin sister Gen who disappeared when they were babies. Because while the rest of the world moved on from the kidnapping, Gen’s still very much alive at home.
 
Most families would grieve their missing child. Some families might create a shrine for their lost daughter. But the Ellaways are not most families.
 
Every night, Eve pretends to be Gen to protect her mother's delicate grasp on reality — dividing her life, her stories, and her dreams so there’s enough for two sisters. Eve’s forced to maintain her father’s lie to ease his guilt over Gen’s disappearance, but is she sacrificing the last threads of her identity and any hope for a normal future?
 
As the lies propping up Eve’s life start to crumble, she no longer knows what she wants. But Gen does, and she’s ready to take it.

Publisher: Left-Handed Mitten Publications

More about the author . . .

Multi-award winning young adult author Melanie Hooyenga writes about strong girls who learn to navigate life despite its challenges. She first started writing as a teenager and finds she still relates best to that age group. When not writing books, you can find her wrangling her Miniature Schnauzer Gus and playing every sport imaginable with her husband Jeremy. The Quiet Unraveling of Eve Ellaway is her tenth novel.

melaniehooyenga@gmail.com

https://www.melaniehoo.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MelanieHooyenga 

https://www.instagram.com/melaniehoo/

https://www.threads.net/@melaniehoo 

https://bsky.app/profile/melaniehoo.bsky.social

https://www.tiktok.com/@melaniehooyenga 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6572696.Melanie_Hooyenga

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/melanie-hooyenga 

 

Book Birthday Blog with Melanie Hooyenga

 

 

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

Where we celebrate new books from Michigan's authors, illustrators and translators. 

 

Congratulations to Melanie Hooyenga on the release of Chasing the Moon

 

 

 

How did you come up with the idea for your book? Is this part of a series?

Chasing the Moon is the third and final book in the Campfire series, so the inspiration for this book was a bit different than the start of the series. One of the main characters, Melody, tried to steal the spotlight in book two, Chasing the Stars, and I knew I wanted to tell a story with her perspective.

The series follows teens as they camp and fall in love during celestial events (solar eclipse, camping at a dark park, and now a lunar eclipse) and I’ve had my heart set on throwing people into the Grand Canyon and seeing what happens. SPOILER: lots of good and lots of bad happens. 

What is something you hope your readers will take away from your book?

There are several themes in this book, but a key thing I hope readers take away is that life is full of surprises and most likely won’t go exactly as you plan — no matter how determined you are to stay on track. And that’s okay. Because the fun comes in the unexpected moments and that’s what makes things interesting. 

What inspires you to write? 

At the heart of everything I do, I love telling stories. Since I was a little kid, I’ve loved seeing the crack of a smile or hint of tears in someone’s eyes over something my brain came up with, and even though it can take months before I get that payoff because novels take so long to write, those reactions are what keep me going.   

What are your marketing plans for the book?

As with all my books, I have a list of things planned:

• sending advanced copies of the book to early readers in exchange for honest reviews
• having a book launch party at my local independent bookstore (The Bookman in Grand Haven)
• enlisting fellow YA authors to share news of my launch in their newsletters
• submitting a press release to local newspapers
• radio interviews at my two local stations
• running Facebook and Amazon ads
• posting on my social accounts

It's a little tricky with the end of a series, because as authors, we really want people to start with the first book, but it's important to share the news of each release!

What's next for you?

I’m torn between two book ideas. I’ve had one idea for well over a year now and that’s what I’ve planned on writing next, but then a shiny new idea interrupted my plans as I was finishing edits for Chasing the Moon, so now I’m not sure which I’ll write first.
 
I have a couple events in the last quarter of the year, including teaching a session called How to Write a Novel at a workshop hosted by my local library. I’m hoping that after a dozen novels, I have a few thoughts worth sharing. I’ll also be with SCBWI-MI in Ann Arbor at the beginning of December!  

A little bit about the book . . .

Two best friends. One tiny tent. An attraction that's impossible to ignore.

Melody
Being a semi-famous science tokker epically rocks because I get to make science accessible for girls. Until I make a mistake and a jerkface tokker ridicules me to his fans. I need to prove I’m not a hack before my followers bail and I ruin my credibility—all before I graduate from high school.
 
Just one problem: my family’s hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, where I won’t have signal for a week. Oh, and I’m sharing a tent with the Bestie Brigade—my two best friends—and I’ve crushed on one of them for longer than trends last on TikTok.
 
Dating Steph would make Jess feel left out and I vowed I’d never do that to her again. Do I risk hurting my closest friend for a chance at love?
 
Stephanie
Senior year was rolling along just great until my parents announced they’re getting divorced the same night I broke up with my girlfriend.
 
Spending a week offline in the Grand Canyon to watch the lunar eclipse with Jess and Mel is the perfect way to pretend my life isn’t falling apart. Except we’re camping with people who insist on talking through EVERY FREAKING PROBLEM around the campfire.
 
And I’m not ready to share.
 
The time away with Mel makes our connection even stronger, but I’m scared whatever she’s hiding could change our friendship forever.
 
Book 3 in the Campfire Series is filled with grand adventures, secret kisses, and an epic eclipse you won’t soon forget.

A little bit about the author . . .

Multi-award winning young adult author Melanie Hooyenga writes books about strong girls who learn to navigate life despite its challenges. She first started writing as a teenager and finds she still relates best to that age group.

Her award-winning YA sports romance series, The Rules Series, is about girls from Colorado falling in love and learning to stand up on their own. Her YA time travel trilogy, The Flicker Effect, is about a teen who uses sunlight to travel back to yesterday. The first book, Flicker, won first place for Middle Grade/Young Adult in the Writer’s Digest 2015 Self-Published eBook awards, and The Rules Series has won ten awards, including Finalist for MG/YA in the 2019 BookLife Prize. The first book in her newest series, Chasing the Sun, won gold for young adult general fiction in the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards and was named one of the Best Indie eBooks of 2020 by Barnes & Noble Press.

When not writing books, you can find her wrangling her Miniature Schnauzer Gus and playing every sport imaginable with her husband Jeremy.

 

Website: https://www.melaniehoo.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelanieHooyenga 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelanieHoo

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melaniehoo/ 

 

 

 
     

Indie Trailblazers by David Stricklen

 

Artwork by Melissa Bailey

You may have noticed our beautiful new Indie Trailblazers Icon on the SCBWI-MI website.

Indie stands for independent publishing. Authors have chosen independent publishing for a variety of reasons. Full creative control, frustration with the query process, and a quick turnaround to name a few.

As your Michigan indie coordinator, I thought that we could do a bit more for the indies who are trying to find their way. The trouble with working on an independently published project is that there is more than one way. The traditional path is well worn but the indie path is like cutting your way through the literary wilderness. That is why we call our indie authors, trailblazers.

There is an obvious need to point inquiring authors in the right direction. A helpful suggestion by someone who has already been down that path (and learned from trial and error) can save time and costly mistakes.

Indie publishing would include hybrid publishing (combines aspects of traditional and self-publishing – you hire your dream team), vanity publishing (publishers do it all for you for a price), self-publishing (the author does it all) and digital. All of these various publishing methods would fall under the indie umbrella. 

In an effort to provide the most current and accurate information for our members we have acquired three award winning or Kirkus review recommended indie authors to be our advisors: 

Melissa Bailey - Picture Book 

David Stricklen - Middle Grade

Melanie Hooyenga – Young Adult

Depending on the indie path that you are considering, you may contact one of our three advisors above that best fits your intended direction. Please keep in mind that they are not intended to take the place of a critique group. They are here to make helpful suggestions regarding the path you wish to take depending on your particular goals.

When choosing one of our indie advisors to answer your questions, you should not only look at their genre but also their process. 

• Do you plan to completely self-publish? 
• Are you going to enlist a dream team to complete the different aspects of publishing? 
• Pay a vanity publishing company? 
• Are you going to do your own artwork? 

Has one of our advisors already blazed that trail and done it successfully? It is my hope that you find this opportunity helpful as you take the first step in blazing a trail of your own.

You will find information about each of our indie advisors, as well as their published work and their step by step publishing process by simply clicking on the link below to the SCBWI-MI website:

https://michigan.scbwi.org/files/2020/08/Indie-for-info-Web-Page.pdf

Coming up on the SCBWI-MI Blog:

A new post from our Equity and Inclusion Team, a special book drive, Pinterest tips, Webtoons, a Writer Spotlight, Book Birthdays, and more! The Mitten blog is always looking for guest posts from SCBWI-MI members. Find our Submission Guidelines here.

Did you notice we have a new blog banner? Thanks to our new Featured Illustrator, Wendy Berry! Read her interview here.

SCBWI-MI Happenings:

Virtual Shop Talks and Workshops will continue in the months ahead. Information is posted on the calendar at the SCBWI-MI website. Follow our chapter on social media and subscribe to the MichKids listserv for reminders, updated information, and ongoing conversation. Everything you need to stay connected is here: https://michigan.scbwi.org/online/.

Save the date! 

April 23-25, 2021, more details to come.

Self-Publishing Success

We asked two indie authors from SCBWI-MI to share their success stories. Thanks to Melanie Hooyenga for sharing her experience with contests and to David Stricklen for his experience with professional reviews. Read on for their hard-earned perspectives.

Enter At Your Own Risk
by Melanie Hooyenga

I’ve been writing novels for twelve years, am currently writing my tenth, and have self-published six since 2012—and I’ve learned a lot over the years. One of the hardest things writers face, aside from actually writing the book, is marketing. You could spend every waking hour learning everything there is to know about how to market your book, and before you got to the end of the list, everything will change.

One option that I don’t feel gets enough attention is contests. Like most anything else in the world, not all contests are created equal, and you have to a) do your research, and b) know what you hope to get out of entering.

My first novel, Flicker, had been out for over a year when I heard about the Writer’s Digest Self-Published eBook Awards. A writer friend encouraged me to enter, so I submitted my book, paid my $99 entry fee, and promptly put it out of my mind—as you do with anything in the publishing industry because it’s soooo slooooowwww.

Imagine my surprise when I learned I’d won the YA/MG category! Winning came with a mention in Writer’s Digest, a review that I could blurb, $100 in writing-craft books, and a $1000 cash prize. All of this was more than I ever expected, and the one part that I felt helped me the most was the blurb. Having Writer’s Digest say that I was good enough boosted my confidence in the decisions I’d made with my writing career.

My marketing efforts for my first series were lackadaisical at best, so when I published the first book in my second series, The Slope Rules, I decided to follow a marketing plan. Aside from boosted posts, blog hops, and creating an ARC group, I researched contests.

I started with contests my friends had won, and came up with six. My criterion:

• They allowed self-published books 
• The covers of past winners were well-done and didn’t scream “self-published”
• The entry fee was under $100
• All books received a review, regardless if they won

Let me repeat that last one, because that’s the most important thing for me: all books received a review, regardless if they won. There are a lot of services that provide reviews for a fee, but I decided to spend my money on contests that came with a review.

That first year, I won or placed in three of the six contests I entered (hooray!!) so with my next book, I only entered the contests where the previous book had been successful. And I won or placed in those as well! With The Edge Rules, the last book in the series, I only won/placed in two of those three, but I entered several new contests and have won a couple of those. AND, for the first time, I was a finalist in the BookLife Prize, which is the self-publishing arm of Publishers Weekly! I won the YA/MG category and best-selling author Amanda Hocking read and blurbed my book.

When researching contests, it’s important to determine what’s in it for you. Some have awards ceremonies, some give trophies or certificates, others award money or an equivalent, and some feature winners in their publications. Ultimately it comes down to what you want out of the process. Since my number one goal has always been an industry review, that’s what I’ve focused on.

Contests in which I’ve won or placed:

• Indie Reader http://indiereader.com/
• Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards http://www.moonbeamawards.com/
• Readers Favorite Book Awards https://readersfavorite.com/annual-book-award-contest.htm
• Children’s Literary Classics http://www.clcawards.org/
• Writer’s Digest Self-Published eBook Awards https://www.writersdigest.com/writers-digest-competitions/self-published-book-awards
• BookLife Prize https://booklife.com/about-us/the-booklife-prize.html
• Orange County RWA Book Buyers Best Awards http://occrwa.org/contests/book-buyers-best/

Contests I considered, but passed on mainly because of price:

• Indie Excellence http://www.indieexcellence.com/
• IBPA Ben Franklin Awards http://ibpabenjaminfranklinawards.com/
• International Book Awards http://www.internationalbookawards.com/
• Next Generation Indie Book Awards https://indiebookawards.com/enter/entryform
• Independent Publisher Book Awards (Ippy) http://www.ippyawards.com/

This article has a good breakdown of contests for self-published, traditionally published, debut, genre-specific, and more: https://insights.bookbub.com/book-awards/.

If you belong to writing organizations, look into their contests—including regional chapters, even if you aren’t a member of those specific groups. I heard about the Orange County RWA contest through the national newsletter. The Slope Rules won a cover contest in Alaska that I entered that because they said all entries would be displayed at their annual convention—which meant the $15 entry fee placed my book in front of hundreds of people who might never have heard of my book. (And I took a chance that readers in Alaska would like a book with snow on the cover.)

I’ve had success entering contests where past books have been well-received, but that hasn’t worked every time. Like everything else in publishing, tastes are subjective and winning is never a guarantee.

Multi-award winning young adult author Melanie Hooyenga writes books about strong girls who learn to navigate life despite its challenges. She first started writing as a teenager and finds she still relates best to that age group. When not at her day job as Communications Director at a local nonprofit, you can find her wrangling her Miniature Schnauzer Owen and playing every sport imaginable with her husband Jeremy.

You can see the full list of her books and awards here: https://www.melaniehoo.com/media/awards/.

Editor's note: SCBWI provides numerous competitions/awards/grants for members (learn more here) and has not endorsed the contests listed above. Melanie has shared many pros and cons based on her own experience, but as she noted, it's important for every author to do their own research to make the best decisions for their own work. Want to learn more? Here's another post about book awards for self-published authors: https://www.thebookdesigner.com/book-awards/


Melanie discussed the importance of book reviews in her experience with contests. Now, here's David Stricklen, SCBWI-MI's Indie Publishing Coordinator, to share his experience with reviews for his popular self-published books.

REVIEWS FROM AN INDIE PERSPECTIVE
by David Stricklen 

It is all about validation. If you are an indie published author, it will generally be assumed that you are second best until you prove otherwise. I submitted my newest book, Ripley Robinson and the Worm Charmer, to Kirkus Review at a cost of $425.00. Remember, you are paying for an honest review, you are not paying for a good review. What you get is what you get. You will receive a one page review from a respected professional who will read the entire work. You can only hope there is a positive sentence in there somewhere that can be used in promoting your work in a brochure or slide presentation with the Kirkus name on it.

In this case, I lucked out. Kirkus liked it. I received a personal phone call from them and was told that it was a recommended review. My work had also been chosen (at no additional charge) as one of the reviews to go into the October 2019 issue of Kirkus Review magazine. I received a free copy of the magazine and on page 137 was the entire review with a picture of the cover. Let the book orders flow, right? Wrong, there are hundreds of reviews in the magazine and I didn’t see a jump in my website book sales.

What is the benefit then? Again, as stated above, it is for validation. I am able to mention during school visits and seminar presentations that Ripley is a Kirkus recommended book. In this way, I am validated by a respected industry professional and yes, this does help sell books. I routinely outsell the traditional titles at school visits.

Below are a few to try: Midwest Book Review and PW Booklife are free but they may not do a review for you because of the high demand. PW Booklife does have the option to pay for a guaranteed review. I hope this helps.

David Stricklen is the SCBWI-MI Indie Coordinator, Grand Rapids Shop Talk Coordinator and the overall MI Shop Talk Coordinator. Learn more about his middle-grade novels at www.blackwaterpond.com.

Learn more about reviews for self-published books at:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/indie-reviews/

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/

https://booklife.com/about-us/publishers-weekly-reviews-and-booklife-reviews.html

Registration opens today at 6pm for the SCBWI-MI Spring Conference: Building Your Nonfiction Toolbox.

Don't delay, registration is limited to 100 participants!

A variety of critiques are available, and they will sell out quickly. Go here to find the registration link and everything you need to know: https://michigan.scbwi.org/2020/01/07/building-your-nonfiction-toolbox-michigan-scbwi-spring-one-day-event/

Breaking Out of Your Circle by Melanie Hooyenga

I’ve been a self-published author for over three years, and while I’ve had great reviews and enthusiasm over my books, my sales left something to be desired. At the beginning of 2015, I challenged myself to break out of my circle—to get myself and my books in front of people I didn't know through book reviews, guest blogging, interviews, personal appearances, book signings, etc.—and in one year, my sales increased eight-fold.

Here’s what worked for me:

Make Goals

If you’re starting from nothing like I was, aim for getting yourself in front of one new audience per month. Take an afternoon to scour the internet for bloggers and review sites, then designate one day per week to contact them. Keep your list on a physical calendar or whiteboard to hold yourself accountable—it’s harder to ignore goals when they’re staring at you from the wall.

Make Connections

Reach out to book bloggers. Talk to your local bookstore. Join Facebook groups, both local and national. I found book fairs, art fairs, and farmers’ markets through those groups, and while they weren’t all successful in terms of sales, they helped me hone my pitch and meet more authors, teachers, and librarians—the people you want to know. Book reviewers and bloggers looking for authors to interview frequent these pages as well.

Have a book coming out soon? Write a press release and send it to the local newspapers and radios—and don’t forget high school papers and college alumni magazines! Stop by the local bookstore when they aren’t busy and ask if they’d be willing to host a book launch party.

Watch the Sales Roll In

I wish it were that easy, but it takes a lot of time and persistence. The connections I made at the smaller events led to invitations at larger venues, and it’s snowballed from there. But don’t be afraid to think differently. I live in craft-beer land, so I approached the owner of a brewery to host a book event there. I met a radio station manager at a work event and asked if he’d be interested in interviewing a local author. (He was.) Brainstorm with other authors.

Final Tips

Looking back, I was quite pitiful at my first event. I had my books, my autograph pen, and my credit card reader—what else did I need? Let me tell you what’s in my “event box” now:

• Black tablecloth (some places provide one but you don’t want to the only author stuck with the bare table)
• Newsletter sign-up sheet (and depending on how large the crowd will be, a sign stating they’ll be entered to win a $25 Amazon gift card for signing up). TIP: add a signature or two to the top of the list. No one likes to be the first name.
• Candy (Bonus if it ties into your books)
• A sign with book prices
• Display copies of each book so people only handle one copy—this also keeps the table neater.
• An 18x12 poster with book covers that clearly says author name & genre
• Postcards! (YOU MUST HAVE TAKEAWAYS.)
• I plan to add a pop-up banner to my arsenal this year.

My biggest advice is don’t be afraid to speak up and tell people about yourself—especially at events. Make eye contact, smile, and be friendly. There’s a fine line between being persistent and being obnoxious, but when you find it, good things will happen.

Melanie Hooyenga first started writing as a teenager and finds she still relates best to that age group. She has lived in Washington DC, Chicago, and Mexico, but has finally settled down in her home state of Michigan with her husband Jeremy. When not at her day job as Communications Director, you can find Melanie attempting to wrangle her Miniature Schnauzer Owen and playing every sport imaginable with Jeremy.

Learn more at http://www.melaniehoo.com/ 

Coming up on the Mitten blog: We're still recovering from the jam-packed weekend at the Wild, Wild Midwest SCBWI Conference, but we'll have a recap soon. You can help by sending your conference photos and take-aways (a few sentences about what you learned, or an ah-ha moment) to kristinbartleylenz@gmail.com. 

But first, Patti Richards is coordinating another Writer's Spotlight. Who will it be? Find out next Friday.

Have a great weekend!

Kristin Lenz

Things I Learned While Writing a Trilogy by Melanie Hooyenga

I recently published the third book in my YA trilogy, The Flicker Effect, and this release was far more stressful than the previous two. Writing a novel—not to mention publishing it—is a huge accomplishment, and I could have used this advice to avoid unexpected bumps along the way.

Planning to write a trilogy, or already in the middle? I hope this helps!

It’s very very important to keep a character bible.

When I wrote the first book, FLICKER, I hadn’t planned to write a trilogy. It was only after I finished that I realized it had series potential, and I’d neglected to take some very important notes while during the writing process. Case in point: Mid-way through the first draft of the second book, FRACTURE, I couldn’t remember my main character’s last name. I didn’t remember even GIVING her a last name. But since I never kept track of that HUGE detail, I had to skim through ALL OF FLICKER to make sure. Nope, I never called her anything beyond Biz, and her BFF Amelia refers to Biz’s dad as Mr. Biz.

I started a loose guide at that point, but with FADED, the third book, I ran into the same problem. I don’t spend a lot of time naming secondary characters—I often write the first name that pops into my head—so when a new character from chapter three resurfaces ten chapters later, there’s very little to help me recall that person’s name.

It’s difficult to promote books 2 and 3 without giving away THE BIG THING from books 1 and 2.

While working on the back cover copy for FADED, I was faced with this challenge: how do I refer to the BIG HUGE LIFE-CHANGING EVENT that was the climax of the previous book without giving away the ending to those who haven’t read it? You need to hook readers so they’ll want to read it, but for someone who’s never read any of my books, I don’t want them to skim through the descriptions of each one and be disappointed.

My solution? I stuck with vague details that focus on a big event that opens the book, with a few hints of trouble to come:

Biz didn’t think life could get worse after after the tragic events that surrounded her last flicker, but when she accidentally flickers on her eighteenth birthday after doing shots of vodka—she’s forced to face the consequences of her actions in a way she never imagined.

When an anonymous email threatens to reveal her secret, Biz must decide if flickering is all it’s cracked up to be, or if she needs to stop. Forever.

Generic adjectives like “tragic” and phrases like “forced to face the consequences” may not be the most elegant solution, but they allow a glimpse of what’s coming without giving away the ending of book two.

Ending a trilogy is much bigger than ending a stand-alone book.

Concluding a book has always been a challenge for me. I don’t want the ending to be trite or clichéd, or worse, leave readers feeling unsatisfied (well, except for the end of FRACTURE which was definitely a cliffhanger), and I often struggle with finding the perfect way to end a story.

Well, multiply that times a hundred for ending a series. Based on my outline, I was still several chapters from The End when I realized, “Hey, I’m already in the end.” Story lines that started in FLICKER were wrapping up without me realizing it (this is the stuff we writers say that annoys non-writers) so I had to back-track and make sure ALL the loose ends were tucked neatly away. The character arcs from books one and two had to close as well. As my husband teases me: ALL THE THINGS. There was a lot more than I expected, but I’m happy with how it came together.

You’ll both dread and look forward to saying goodbye to your characters.

FADED was published in June and I’ve said goodbye to Biz, Cameron, Amelia, and my new favorite character Quinn. They’ve been with me since 2010 and while it makes me sad to let them go, I’m excited to get to know the characters in my next book. I still need to do character development projects to learn what makes them tick (I know Cally loves to ski, but what’s her favorite subject in school, or her least-favorite food?) and I’m a little nervous I won’t love them the same.

Then again, they say there’s always a special place in your heart for your first love.

Melanie Hooyenga first started writing as a teenager and finds she still relates best to that age group. She has lived in Washington DC, Chicago, and Mexico, but has finally settled down in her home state of Michigan with her husband Jeremy. When not at her day job as a graphic designer, you can find Melanie attempting to wrangle her Miniature Schnauzer Owen and playing every sport imaginable with Jeremy.

Learn more at http://www.melaniehoo.com/ 

Coming up on the Mitten blog: We're heading back to school with a 3-part craft series on Voice, and Patti Richards is collecting your good news for another round of Hugs and Hurrahs. Email Patti at pgwrites5@gmail.com.

Cheers!
Kristin Lenz