Fiction, Non-Fiction and Somewhere in Between

We all know the difference between fiction and non-fiction. It's something we learned in elementary school. Fiction is a story from someone's imagination, not real. Non-fiction is the other beast and can be in different forms. Textbooks, memoirs, biographies, or just a story told that really happened. That's what they are in their simplest form, but what about the in between books that are both?

A lot of us remember the controversy of James Frey's A Million Little Pieces I'm sure. If not, here's a quick back story. Oprah picked the book as one of her book club selections. Mr Frey came on her show, as all the author's do who are lucky enough to be selected. He talked about his heroing experience through battling a drug addiction. Some of his stories were outrageous, but believed. Then it started to come out that the stories were partially true, but how much? James Frey was blamed for lying, the publisher was blamed for selling the book as non-fiction and even Oprah was slammed by the media. People had felt like they were misled. They were, to a certain extent.

It leads me to wonder, do people read a book, whether it is truth or fiction, for entertainment value, or something more? I was never a huge fan of non-fiction until recently. I'm in the middle of reading Columbine by Dave Cullen. It's a facinating breakdown of what happened before, during and after the terrible tragedy that took place at Columbine high school. The author dedicated his life since the shooting to this book and it shows. I know everything that I'm reading is real, it happened, or I'm told that the events took place as they are written so I have to believe it, right? I want my non-fiction as entertaining as any fiction book I could read. If I wanted a book to read like a textbook, I'd go back to school.

Then there is the in between books. I think most authors use their own stories in their books. It's only human nature. You are who you are due to your life experiences, right? So where do those books lie? Ellen Hopkins' Crank is based on experiences she lived through with her daughter, but it is fiction, because the story isn't exactly how it happened. She uses her life experiences in her books, but it's still fiction.

I'm currently working on a story along the same lines. I lived it, yet I'm changing the story because honestly, it makes for a better story when I bend it. I won't be pitching it as a biography, memoir or non-fiction, but there will be truth to it. I don't care if readers know that I lived some of it, all I care about is if it is a good story.

What are you thoughts on non-fiction and books that use a large portion of truth to tell a good (fictional) story?

YAedge Feature Author: Amy Reed

We welcome another amazing guest to YAedge, Amy Reed, author of Beautiful. For those of you who love contemporary YA, be sure to pick this one up. It's beautifully written (no pun intended) and will pull at your heart. It's pretty gut-wrenching, but the rough situations are handled so bravely by the main character, Cassie.

The blurb:

When Cassie moves from the tiny town where she has always lived to a suburb of Seattle, she is determined to leave her boring, good-girl existence behind. This is Cassie's chance to stop being invisible and become the kind of girl who's worth noticing.

Stepping into her new identity turns out to be easier than Cassie could have ever imagined...one moment, one choice, will change everything.

Cassie's new existence both thrills and terrifies her. Swept into a world of illicit parties and social landmines, she sheds her virginity, embraces the numbness she feels from the drugs, and floats through it all, knowing that she is now called beautiful. She ignores the dangers of her fast-paced life?but she can't sidestep the secrets and the cruelty.

Cassie is trapped in a swift downward spiral tinged with violence and abuse, and no one—not even the one person she thought she could trust—can help her now.

Here we go with the questions:

First off, Cassie's "voice" was amazing. You did a great job with emotion through everything Cassie had to deal with coming to a new school and reinventing herself. Did you have a hard time getting into her head?

Thanks so much! I wouldn't say that it was hard getting into Cassie's head. For good or for bad, I think I've always kept the memories of my childhood and teen years very accessible and raw, so it wasn't hard for me to channel all that confusion and fear and desperation into Cassie. But I will say that it was incredibly painful at times. I remember feeling just devastated and drained after writing certain scenes. Sometimes I couldn't stop crying. When I got to the final chapter, I pretty much wrote the whole thing straight through, and I was weeping the whole time.

Cassie and the cast of Beautiful, for the most part, are in 7th or 9th grade. How did you decide how old (or young) she would be, given the heavy topics of the story?

I don't know that I put a whole lot of thought into the decision. I was in seventh grade when I experienced similar things, and a lot of my friends were in ninth grade, so it just seemed natural to make everyone that age. I've mentioned in other interviews that I actually didn't initially write Beautiful for a teen audience in mind. It found it's way into YA after it was written, and I'm so happy it did. But I think if I knew I was writing for teens at the time, I would have made Cassie a couple years older. Not that I regret her age or think I made the wrong decision, but I think it would be a little less painful for readers if they could think of her as a little bit older.

I read on your bio that you changed school a ton growing up. Did that help in writing Cassie's character as the new girl in school?

Yes, absolutely. Being the new kid became part of my identity like some people consider themselves jocks or brains. I never felt like I completely fit in; I was always trying to catch up to people who had been there longer. I remember feeling so lost and scared, like everybody was judging me. It was a very lonely time. I had friends, but it was hard to get really close because somewhere inside knew I was going to leave soon. All of that pain definitely went into Cassie.

Did you always want to write teen fiction and if so, why?

I didn't really know there was such a thing as teen fiction until after I wrote Beautiful. But throughout my life, the books I loved have tended to be about young characters. I've been writing since I was thirteen, and all my work has either been autobiographical or about teen characters. So even though I didn't know the name for it, yes, I think I've wanted to write teen fiction for a long time. In my opinion, teens are really the most compelling characters. Their feelings are so raw and honest. As an adult (sort of), I think I can get away with saying that we're usually full of crap.

What's next on the writing front? Any new project you can tell us about?

I'm a couple chapters away from finishing the first draft of my next YA novel, tentatively titled The Walls. It's the story of five teen's experience in a drug and alcohol treatment center. If you liked Beautiful, you're definitely going to like this one.

_____

Thanks for hanging with us and we wish you many readers. Check out Amy's website for additional info about Amy and Beautiful.

Character Cards

It’s interesting how characters develop from gnat-sized vague impressions to in-your-face personas that won’t let you sleep until you’ve got their story down on paper. They start off like:

Tall guy enters room. Looks angry.

And become something like:

Talon burst through the doorway, ready to knock a few skulls together.

Okay, maybe not a fantastic example - but still, you get the idea. Just who are these people? I mean, seriously…how do writers do what we do? Create worlds, lives, creatures? I, for one, am clueless. But I have a blast figuring out each newbie as they drive into the lot.

Sometimes they’ll arrive on the set fully formed, but often I’ll be a few chapters into a first draft before I can completely visualize them or understand their motives – and even then, plot twists might reveal a motive or talent I’d never suspected. Characters can be that way – closed mouthed until the weirdest moments. I’ve been totally blindsided … and I’m the one writing the damn book.

My new WIP, Witch’s Shadow is part of a series I’m writing with fellow YA paranormal fiction author, Kitty Keswick. We are individually writing books, but they take place in the same world, a pseudo-Salem town called, Origins. Our characters crossover – we have best friends, rivals, enemies and mythologies that mesh together from book to book.

OMG – the planning!

Not only do we have to have a handle on our character’s motives, appearance, goals, failings – we have to share that information with each other in a clear, precise way so that they remain consistent - no matter who created the character, or who is writing them into a scene.

To keep this large cast present in both our minds, we created character cards. These profiles have all the essential information a writer would need. We list: name, appearance, background, motives, goals, personality type, likes, dislike, fears, talents, friends, enemies, etc. We also search the net for images to depict, as closely as possible, how we envision our characters to look like and dress.
We do this with setting as well, naming buildings, creating a town map, sharing photos of interiors/exteriors.

Setting up a mutually shared world is a time consuming and strange process. We disagree, we compromise and we get frustrated, but we’d be so lost without it.

I’ve never had to work so hard at getting to know my characters, so quickly. To not be wishy-washy and constantly changing their traits – frankly, having them pegged down this well makes the writing go a lot smoother. Filling out our character cards was so fun, that we took it a step further and have started to create graphics containing key elements. Here’s mine for my main character, Bea Drake:


Want to really get into your character’s head? Then I suggest creating your own character cards and see what tidbits the process reveals.

The Ultimate YA Book

This weekend I went into Barnes and Noble and purchased a few books. How is that different from any other weekend you ask? I do frequent bookstores almost every chance I get, but this time I purchased one of the best, most moving books I’ve read in a long time. Before I tell you what book I’m writing about, let me tell you a little about it.

The main character resonates with me, as it will with anyone who is…well, alive. A lonely teen, he just wants someone to talk to. A friend to listen, to tell him things are going to be okay during a hard time in his life; a place to go where he can feel safe. Instead, he has run-ins with three women at a bar, his brother’s ex-girlfriend, a group of nuns, and a prostitute. The list could go on from there, but I think you’ve got the idea. He squashes his sorrows with alcohol, cigarettes and his security blanket, a hat.

Still don’t know what book I’m talking about? I’m sure most people read the book in high school…The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.

I decided to buy The Catcher in the Rye because I hadn’t read it in a good 12-15 years (I can’t remember exactly what grade I was assigned to read it). I remember liking it, which was so rare for me to like an assigned book in school. I would buy the Cliff Notes (not recommended, trust me) and go home to read a book I wanted to read, not one someone told me to read. Stupid, I know. I missed reading a lot of the great classics, but for some reason, I picked up J.D. Salinger’s book and couldn’t put it down.

Reading it again, now at 29 years old, I was amazed at how close this book mirrors young adult books today. The main character, Holden Caulfield has the same problems that teens have in today’s YA section in bookstores. He’s been kicked out his boarding school due to poor grades (or not doing his work), he drinks (despite being underage), smokes like a chimney, thinks about sex (even going as far as hiring a prostitute despite being a virgin), deals with death and mourning, religion, suicide and uses bad language throughout the book. Keep in mind, this book was first published in 1951 (58 years ago for the math challenged), but still sells roughly 250,000 copies a year. This book transcends time like no other classic that could be considered young adult.

I don’t want to give too much away. I want every single one of you, if you’re a teen or a teen author/writer, to please read this book. Even if you’ve read it, and it’s been awhile, pick it up again. You won’t be disappointed. Trust me!

YAedge Featured Author: Cheryl Renee Herbsman

Today we have the pleasure of chatting with Cheryl about her debut release, Breathing, published by Viking.

Here’s the blurb:

What if the guy who took your breath away was the only one who could help you breathe?

Savannah would be happy to spend the summer in her coastal Carolina town lying in a hammock reading her beloved romance novels and working at the library. But then she meets Jackson. Once they lock eyes, she’s convinced he’s the one—her true love, her soul mate, a boy different from all the rest. And at first it looks like Savannah is right. Jackson abides by her mama’s strict rules, and stays by her side during a hospitalization for severe asthma, which Savannah becomes convinced is only improving because Jackson is there. But when he’s called away to help his family—and seems uncertain about returning—Savannah has to learn to breathe on her own, both literally and figuratively.

This debut novel has it all—an endearing, funny, hopelessly romantic main character, lots of down-home Southern charm, and a sunny, salty beach setting that will transport you to the Carolina coast.

A brief excerpt:

Oh Lord, I got a prickling on the back of my neck. Either somebody
walked over my grave or else I’m being watched.
I turn to look and there he is staring right at me from up by the snack
shack. Some kind of crazy zingy feeling goes shooting right on up my
chest. I should have brung my inhaler, all the sudden my breathing is
clunky. Hell ‘n high water, he’s headed this way. And he’s got that big
ol’ smile plastered on his face like I’m his long lost best friend. And
I haven’t a clue what his long lost best friend would say. I drop my
bike down in the sand beside me.
“Hey,” he says, just like last time.
Ah, hell. “Hey,” I reply, promising myself that no matter what happens
I will not run off like a baby.
“We met behind the libary,” he says.
“I remember you,” I say, all shy-like. “I’m Savannah, you know, as in
Georgia.” Hells bells, I should have kept my mouth shut. But he smiles
at me with those sparkly sea-green eyes. “Jackson,” he says, “as in
Mississippi.”

Now for the questions!

1. Here’s a scary stat pulled from: http://www.asthma.ca/corp/newsroom/pdf/asthmastats.pdf

Between 100 and 150 million people around the globe suffer from asthma and this number is rising. World-wide, deaths from this condition have reached over 180,000 annually. In the United States, the number of asthmatics has leapt by over 60% since the early 1980s and deaths have doubled to 5,000 a year.

In light of these statistics, I’m sure you’ll have many readers who can relate to Savannah’s plight. What drew you to telling this story?

Great question. I came to the asthma in a round about way. Initially, I was using it as an explanation for Savannah’s visions or special feelings. I thought they would be more believable if they came when Savannah was in an altered state of oxygen-loss. As my process went on, that connection was dropped and the visions were scaled back. But by then, the asthma had become part of who Savannah is.

My husband and daughter both have mild asthma. So I have some experience seeing its role in people’s lives. I also worked in a pediatric unit in a hospital in college. There were kids and teens who I got to know there with asthma and other respiratory issues. My husband is a pediatrician, so medical issues are around here a lot. And I got to thinking that not that many stories include a child with a medical challenge without that being the main focus of the book. I wanted Savannah’s asthma to be something she has to deal with, but not the point of the story.


2. In your bio, you mention that like Savannah and Jackson, you and your husband met as teenagers and endured the trials of a long-distance relationship. Congrats on your twentieth anniversary! Did you make things easier or harder on your characters compared to your experience with long-distance love?

I made things much easier on Savannah and Jackson than they were on us. I don’t want to give away any details about the story, but our long-distance experience included a much greater distance and a much longer separation.

3. When I first read the excerpt for Breathing, I had to go back and re-read it a few times to get the rhythm of the language to flow in my head…if that makes sense…lol. Your bio says you grew up in Northern Carolina, so you must be very familiar with the dialect you’ve chosen for Breathing. Savannah’s voice is fabulous – but did you worry readers might have trouble with the style?

This is also a great question. When I wrote the first draft, I put the words down exactly the way I heard them in my head. Then, through many rounds of revisions, we chose very carefully when to leave the dialect in and when to take it out to make it easier for the reader. I’ve had a lot of readers tell me that it only seems challenging in the first few pages and that once they get the feel for it, they really enjoy what it adds to the story. I wanted the reader to know Savannah completely and I didn’t feel like that would be possible without including the way she talks and thinks.

4. Your website is impressive – who’s gonna fold all that laundry?! http://www.cherylreneeherbsman.com/ I especially enjoyed the Bonus Materials with your character sketches (interviews with your characters). Did you use these interviews when developing your characters?

Yes. Usually I start writing without doing character sketches. Then, once I know the character to some degree, I’ll have a little written chat with them to get to know them better. Then I go back to the story and weave in what I’ve learned and also use it in the remainder of the novel.

5. What’s your writing day like?

It varies so much. Life gets busy. But ideally, after I take my kids to school, I spend half an hour or so dealing with emails and Facebook and myspace and all that. I usually do that kind of work on my desktop computer. Then I leave the busy world behind and go into my bedroom. I light candles and sometimes incense. Some days I write with pen and paper, other days on my laptop, always on my bed, a blanket wrapped around my shoulders. I love when I have a three or four hour block of time to write. But that doesn’t happen as often as I’d like. I usually have other things I need to take care of. And before I know it, it’s time to pick the kids up from school.


6. Any announcements or promo ops you’d like to mention? Plug away!

I have a number of events coming up, which I’m really excited about. Many of them are in the San Francisco Bay Area, but I’ll also be in North Carolina. Starting in June, I’m going to be teaching a bunch of creative writing classes for teenagers. All the info can be found on my website http://www.cherylreneeherbsman.com


Thanks for hanging with us, Cheryl. We wish you many readers!

Fresh YA Fiction: Class of 2k9

The life of a debut YA novelist is never dull. There are edits, more edits, galleys to proof, cover art to squeal about, release dates that get changed, and on top of it all….the overwhelming task of marketing.

Authors, whether published with a large house or a small press, are responsible for creating their own buzz. This means hours devoted to developing online followings through social networking sites like Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, IndieBound, etc – not to mention the live/face-to-face events – book signings, author talks, etc.

Whew – how does a first timer do it?

Well, there are easier ways to break ground than going it alone – I’m talking about author collectives. In particular, the highly successful "Class of 2k..." program. (Class of 2k7, Class of 2k8 ).

The program was created in 2006 by author Greg Fishbone. It has been featured in Publishers Weekly, the School Library Journal and networked extensively to booksellers, librarians and the YA audience. Each year a new class is born and another 20-40 authors untie to promote each other’s work.

Previous Class grads include big hitters such as: Rosemary Clement-Moore, Cassandra Clare, Tiffany Trent, Regina Scott, Ellen Booraem, and a host of other fabulous authors.

Support this wonderful resource and get exposed to fresh new fiction. Check out the current Class of 2k9!