Author Archives: Ronni

Meeting Authors!

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At the end of April, Adam and I went to the International Reading Association convention. He went to do a book signing event, I went to tag along and look at the exhibits. Exhibits are FUN. Lots of information, pretty displays, and free stuff. I knew there would be author events sprinkled about, but I had NO idea the authors would be people like:

Adam, Jerry Spinelli, and Me

Jerry Spinelli

Me and Ann M. Martin

Ann M. Martin

Shannon Hale and Me

Shannon Hale

… and even fun online friends like:

Kate Messner and Me

Kate Messner!!!!

I had no idea that publishers put out ARCs and ARCs and ARCs. Seriously, I kept walking by a few choice booths because they’d not only put out loads of ARCs, but they’d ROTATE them, so there were different ones almost every time I walked by; I came home with about 40 new books to read. And if that’s not enough, Little Brown had sheets where you could check off the ARCs you want and they’ll mail them to you. I am most excited about my SISTERS RED and THE GUARDIAN OF THE GATE ARCs. I also enjoyed seeing books by people I know on display or advertised with big posters.

Meeting Jerry Spinelli was such a treat. He has the kindest eyes and he was so soft-spoken and sweet. Meeting Ann M. Martin was a blast. When I first realized that there was something set up, and I saw the line, I thought to myself “not even close.” The line was SUPER long! But I wandered by about 45 minutes later. The line had calmed down, but I noticed that the people in line had on yellow wristbands. I thought that meant you had to pre-purchase or somehow have signed up for the event in advance, but there was a lady there handing out wristbands! So I got in line, freaking out with excitement now. THEN I found out that I didn’t have to buy the book–they were giving them away free (a hardbound AND and ARC), and that I was allowed to get my picture with her. Plus they were passing out free cookies. Ann was very sweet and gracious. It was fun talking to her. She probably thought I was crazy, cause I was fangirling all over the place. She signed my book “BSC 4-ever!”

After that, they had a photo booth set up where people could get their pictures taken, then Scholastic would give a printout so it looked like we were on the cover of KRISTY’S GREAT IDEA. I will not be posting that, as I think I look quite creepy in the picture! :)

Rumor has it that Holly Black and Scott Westerfeld were wandering around the convention as well, but I didn’t see them. And I am kind of bummed that I missed running into Julie Halpern, because I absolutely loved her book GET WELL SOON and would have liked to tell her so. I did get to meet Jane Yolen, so that was all right. Still, it’s all good, BECAUSE I FREAKING MET ANN M. MARTIN AND JERRY SPINELLI WHAT!

I love being part of this author/writing/YA book world.

(I blogged about this on my other sites last week, but seeing as it’s book/author related, I thought I’d post it here too!)

Writing Meme #4

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I’ve really dropped the ball on this, haven’t I? Well, I’m back in the saddle for now. So for all three of you who’s reading this, here goes!

Tell us about one of your first stories/characters!

Most of my very first stories and characters were based on real people. OK, they WERE real people–namely, my friends, or people I wanted to be my friends. The first story I wrote was in a Michael Jackson notebook. I was in sixth grade, and it was a story about myself and a bunch of classmates getting stuck in a haunted house. I sat at the table and wrote it in such a short amount of time.

In eighth grade, I wrote stories about my friends and our crushes and called it As The Bell Rings (which I think is the name of a real show now). These stories were written in play form, not prose, and were simple sheets of notebook paper stapled together. Most of the writing I did after that was in play form, especially if I’d somehow inserted myself in the story. And I almost always did.

During high school, most of my writing was an early form of fan-fic, only starring my friends and me along with New Kids on the Block and the Mousketeers from the 1990s MMC. I was always with Joe, Jon, or Ricky Luna. Some of them, my friends and I told verbally over super long phone conversations. Others, I wrote on my own. I wrote all those stories in these 100 page notebooks I got from the school store for 50¢ each. The only non-play one I remember writing was one called The Paperboy.

I wish I still had them.

I didn’t start writing stories with people I actually made up until I got to college. I’d stay up all hours, just writing. Longhand! I have an unfinished novel in the biggest binder ever. There’s even a paper on the front that says “Ronni’s Big Ass Notebook.”

I have loads of stories now. MANY false starts. A couple of finished ones that will never see the light of day (again). But that first one, that haunted house one, is what seems to have started it all.

Writing Meme #3

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How do you come up with names for characters (and for places if you’re writing about fictional places)?

Character names. This one is a major one for me. If I don’t have the right name for my main characters, I can’t write the book. I spend a lot of time trying to get the right name for the main character. Everyone else is pretty easy.

Years ago, I worked at a financial services company, and I used to enter lots of data. Applications. I saw loads of names that way–street names, people names, city names. It was a great resource for information. Now, I use baby name books, I listen to songs, I get inspiration from other books, or people. I keep a list of Possible Character Names every time I hear something I like.

Names of fictional places comes a LOT easier. Every once in a while I have to ask people for help or ideas, but for the most part, I can make up a town/street/school name with no problem. I have a lot of fun doing that, actually. 🙂