Some of you have dreams of becoming published authors with a bestseller or two under your belt. And some of you are just starting to get comfortable with the idea of writing a piece with a substantial word count. No matter what your novel writing aspirations are, just know that they don’t need to remain aspirations! For our Novel Writing Competition, we’re encouraging all of you, regardless of your novel writing experience, to submit an excerpt of either a larger work or a piece that might turn into a larger work. To help light the way, we’ve enlisted the help of YA author Annabel Monaghan who shares her tips for how to plan (and when not to plan) your plot lines, as well asher thoughts on the importance of working with an editor.
For this competition, writers are asked to submit an excerpt of a larger work. So, this could be a piece from a novel they’ve written, one they’re working on, or one they hope to write. Do you have any advice for how to choose the best excerpt to submit to the contest?
It’s been my experience that if I’m crying when I’m writing something, then it’s sad; if I’m laughing, it’s funny. And if I’m bored, it’s boring. Choose the piece of your novel that made you feel something while you were writing it. Did you start to sweat a little? That’s likely the part that comes from your heart and will connect with your reader.
Students will have the option to submit their work halfway through the competition to have it reviewed by one of our experts. What are some of the most useful things you’ve learned from your editor(s)?
Every time I’ve ever given my stuff to an editor, I secretly dream that they’ll say “Great job!” and move on. They generally have a little more to say than that. The most useful thing I’ve learned from my editors is that nothing is ever done on the first go. The process of editing is as crucial as writing a first draft, so you might as well embrace it.
When you are really engaged with what you’re writing, it becomes a part of your whole being. When this happens, the characters and the setting are so clear in your head that it’s easy to forget to paint part of the picture. Editors (and friends who are willing to read) are your best defense against this. If they ask, “Wait. What did I miss?” that’s really valuable feedback. It just means you forgot to get something onto the page.
Writing a novel, or penning a piece of writing that could ultimately turn into a full length work, can seem scary. What advice do you have for a writer who has never written a larger work? Do you have any planning or organizational tools you’d suggest in terms of creating the characters, scene and overall narrative arc of the story?
It’s so scary! I’ve written four books, and it’s still scary! Think about it like a backpacking trip through Europe. It’s pretty much the most exciting thing you’re ever going to do. There’s a 100% chance it’s going to change your life. You know who you’re bringing with you, and you know a few cities you might visit. So wheeeeeee… you head to Europe. This trip will go a lot more smoothly if you’ve done a little planning. You don’t want to be unspontaneous, but you might want to have the names of a few places where you might rest your head. Maybe you’ve decided that the halfway point will be in Vienna. Also you need to know where you’ll end up so you can board your flight home.
Before I start a book I like to have a good sense for who my main character is, what her major problem is, what she wants, and if she’s going to get it at the end. Other than that, I like to put on my backpack and go discovering. The discovering of the story is the real joy of writing, and if you have those four points worked out you’re less likely to get lost.
What advice do you have for young writers who are interested in turning their passion for the written word into a career?
The obvious: write and read every single day. Keep a journal of story ideas and interesting questions that pop into your head. Writing is a muscle and if you are in shape for writing you will be ready to go when the opportunity presents itself, either as a job at a publication or in the form of time to write your novel. I am astounded by how paralyzed non-writers can be about writing even the smallest thing. I have friends that ask me to write their thank you notes! There will always be a need for writers, so stay in shape.
What’s next for you? Can we expect another book in the Digit series?
I’m currently working on a book for adults, which is a total departure from Digit. But when I am done, I will get back at it. Double Digit ends with Digit starting a new adventure, and I’d really love to see how that pans out. Again, before I really dig in to Digit 3, I need to have a clear sense of her problem, what she wants and if she’s going to get it.
Annabel Monaghan is the author of two novels for young adults, A Girl Named Digit and Double Digit (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2012, 2014). She is also the author of Does This Volvo Make My Butt Look Big? (Fischer Press 2016), a collection of essays based on her column that appears on the Huffington Post, The Week and The Rye Record. Annabel is also co-author ofClick! The Girls Guide to Knowing What You Want and Making it Happen (Simon and Schuster 2007). She graduated with a BA in English from Duke University and an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania. She teaches novel writing at The Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College and lives in Rye, New York with her husband and three sons.
