With so many League members this month sharing the stories
of how they got their agents, it got me thinking about how I got mine. It’s a
fairly standard story—wrote novel, sent queries, got offers, chose one. Voila.
But I think what makes it such a boring story on the surface is that underneath
it all, behind the scenes, I was an absolute MADWOMAN of organization and
preparation. I made tables and charts of everything possible, I studied dozens
upon dozens of agent and author blogs, wherever query-writing was mentioned.
Over the months before I queried I gathered so many tips and bits of advice,
and I wanted to share one of the most crucial, in my opinion!
Lydia's Influences
What are my sci-fi influences?
It took me forever to answer this question. My answer is almost embarrassingly obvious.
I can list a bunch of movies that scratched my geeky heart and left a mark (Blade Runner, Alien, Star Wars...) and some children's and YA books that I adore (A Wrinkle in Time, The Hunger Games, The Giver, Ship Breaker, and a bunch of League authors' books, but I don't want to make them blush).
(Okay, okay, so maybe his books are more techno-thriller with some medical aspects thrown in, than sci-fi!)
Way back in college and med school, I read a bunch of his books. First, The Andromeda Strain (absence seizures as a plot device! Nice!) and Jurassic Park (remember when he had frog DNA inserted into dino DNA, and that was why some dinos changed gender? I'd learned about that in my own lab research). I'd also read others of his, including Travels (he got his aura fluffed in that one. Still not sure what to make of that). I really should read Coma (by Robin Cook, but Crichton directed the movie). The idea is pretty creepy. When I was a kid, visions of that movie--with the strings holding up those bodies--gave me nightmares.
My book, CONTROL, is part medical thriller, part sci-fi adventure (and part romance, but I'll save that for another time). And it only just occurred to me, as I opened up Blogger to type this post, that I have a major influence I haven't thought of in many, many years.
Michael Crichton.
(Okay, okay, so maybe his books are more techno-thriller with some medical aspects thrown in, than sci-fi!)
Way back in college and med school, I read a bunch of his books. First, The Andromeda Strain (absence seizures as a plot device! Nice!) and Jurassic Park (remember when he had frog DNA inserted into dino DNA, and that was why some dinos changed gender? I'd learned about that in my own lab research). I'd also read others of his, including Travels (he got his aura fluffed in that one. Still not sure what to make of that). I really should read Coma (by Robin Cook, but Crichton directed the movie). The idea is pretty creepy. When I was a kid, visions of that movie--with the strings holding up those bodies--gave me nightmares.
And of course, there was E.R., the show he created and produced. I used to watch that show like clockwork every Thursday night! That is, until I reached my clinical years in medical school, when my life became replete with real-life medical drama. Since then, I have never, ever watched another episode of E.R. or any medical-related drama on TV (sorry to all the Grey's Anatomy and House fans!).
I loved how Crichton mixed science and sometimes medicine in his stories. It captivated me as a student way back when. So without a doubt, I must tip my virtual hat to Dr. Crichton for paving the way for doctor/writers.
I loved how Crichton mixed science and sometimes medicine in his stories. It captivated me as a student way back when. So without a doubt, I must tip my virtual hat to Dr. Crichton for paving the way for doctor/writers.
How about you? Ever read a Michael Crichton novel? Have a favorite one?
p.s. I know lots of League members are posting on their agent experience this month. I've previously posted on my Querying Journey, and it's eye-opening. Check it out here.
p.s. I know lots of League members are posting on their agent experience this month. I've previously posted on my Querying Journey, and it's eye-opening. Check it out here.
Finding the Right Agent
I'm borrowing this month's topic on how we found our agents because I'm not sure that I've ever blogged about it. On the surface, it isn't all that interesting because it was a fairly typical process, as by the book as you can get: I sent query letters to a bunch of agents, and eventually I got an offer. Of course, it sounds simple—perhaps even easy—when you describe it that way, but during the actual process it is simultaneously all-consuming, exhilarating, and devastating. You are thinking about it obsessively while trying not to think about it at all. As with most stages of publishing, it's a roller coaster ride with many emotional highs and lows; the key to making it to the end of the ride is staying on the coaster with your eyes wide open. Strap yourself in, don't look down, and hold on tight!
Recipe for the MILA 2.0 Book Launch!
Happy Monday, everyone!
I'm still a little dazed and confused from all the MILA 2.0 launch craziness last week and over the weekend, so I'm going to spare you most of my incoherent babble and just post a few highlights from my release party on Saturday. It was held at the San Marcos Public Library, which was totally awesome because a) it's five minutes from my house, b) most of my local friends were able to attend and c) the librarians are so awesome, they let us film the MILA 2.0 Harlem Shake!
So, here it is--the Recipe for the MILA 2.0 Book Launch!
First, procure some tasteful decorations (masterminded by my aunt, since I am somewhat decorationally-challenged). Make sure to obtain candy in the same color scheme as your book cover (BONUS: Since MILA's cover is all blue and silver, I was spared the embarrassment of inhaling Red Vines like crack!)
Mix in author-ish babble about how long it takes to get published (for me, that was almost 5 books), perform a brief reading, and then answer audience questions (NOTE: wearing shorts meant I didn't have to worry about inadvertently flashing anyone with my incessant fidgeting--SCORE!)
Sprinkle a dash of awesome friends who make theme shirts and masks just for your event!
Add one great bookstore (Mysterious Galaxy) to sell books while you sign and patrons snack:
Finally, the best part--blend it all together and make the MILA 2.0 HARLEM SHAKE:
A Slightly-Less-Awesome-Than-The-Book Vlog of MILA 2.0
I'm helping to celebrate this week's release of MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza by making a vlog highlighting some of the memorable moments in the book - don't worry, it's spoiler free!
It's also not quite as awesome as the book.
But I did my best.
It's also not quite as awesome as the book.
But I did my best.
MILA 2.0 launch week: Ten Reasons Why Androids are Cooler Than Me
Hey everyone! If you've read any previous League of Extraordinary Writers posts this week, you're probably aware that MILA 2.0 debuted yesterday, and holy cow, what a crazy, surreal, awesome and terrifying feeling that is! To borrow an analogy from Lauren Oliver, I think it must feel a little like sending your child off to college. I raised MILA, fed her, groomed her, watched her blossom from a wee little outline into a full-grown story, and now I'm booting her out the door to fend on her own, hopeful that I've done all the necessary things to make her survive out in the world. Plus, the very best part? I get to share her with all of you!
(Disclaimer: Lauren actually used that analogy to describe what it feels like to end a trilogy. I think it works here, too--but without the sadness, since I know I have another year left with my characters. Also, Lauren sounded way cooler when she said it.)
And that about taps out any serious thinking I can muster at the moment. Please forgive me, but after spending last week traveling through Utah, Washington, and Oregon on the amazing Dark Days Tour and then ending up in the mountains of Georgia for a writer's retreat, I am still recovering from a) severe lack of sleep, b) jet lag, and c) random bouts of Justin Bieber singing, and am just the tiniest bit deranged. Which is why I am now bringing you THIS in celebration of MILA 2.0's release:
Ten Reasons Why Androids are Cooler Than Me
1. Androids don't forget to shave their legs during the chillier months in winter, then show up at school pick-up all "heyyy!" in their shorts on that unexpectedly sunny day, only to look down and realize that they are part Woolly Mammoth.
2. Androids don't have to shave, period.
3. Androids can eat an entire box of Thin Mints in one day and not feel bloated. Not that, uh, I would ever do such a thing, but if I did, I would bet that I'd totally feel bloated. And a little nauseous.
4. Androids can wear their skirts as short as they want without worrying about some dude thinking that equals an invitation of sorts--because if he did, they would go all TARGET DOWN on his entitled butt, YO.
5. Androids can see in the dark, which would make for less awkward bruising and really cut back on that nightly electric bill.
6. Androids could sweep into a puppy mill and rescue All The Dogs, and no one could do a darn thing to stop them. Then, they could eat all the mean people's heads. (Okay, maybe I made that last part up.)
7. Androids could have their own personal playlists built into their brains to listen to whenever they wanted (a playlist which may or may not include Justin Bieber.)
8. Androids do not catch the stomach flu cooties every year like clockwork, even when their tiny little plague-ridden android children bring the cooties home from android school.
9. Androids always remember where they put their keys, and do not ask "Where is my cell phone?" while actually talking on said cell phone. (D'OH!)
10. Androids can sing Justin Bieber songs without fear of repercussions.
Upgrade Your Reading with MILA 2.0
Imagine this scenario: You're sixteen, you've just moved to a small town after the death of your father, and your mother is a little too overprotective. And then, just as you're beginning to connect with the cute new boy at school, you discover everything you thought you knew about yourself is a lie.
And thus begins MILA 2.0, a fast-paced science fiction thriller that not only delivers expertly choreographed action scenes but also has us questioning what it means to be human. See, Mila is part of a covert government experiment - think THE BOURNE IDENTITY for teens - and when she's forced to go on the run, she finds out just how different she is from other girls.
Wouldn't it be cool to know automatically how to disable an attacker? To have a built-in GPS so you'd never get lost? To have perfect night-vision? Mila has all these features, and more. But she also has the roller-coaster emotions of a teenager, and she's afraid if she gives into the "machine" part of herself, she might lose something essential. It's an intriguing internal conflict that drives the story, and I absolutely loved the way that this struggle played out in the course of the external plot.
MILA 2.0 is the start of a series, and the little hints of things to come dropped throughout the novel have me inhumanly excited for the next book. So join us in congratulating Debra on today's release of her debut novel - and in the inhumanly long wait to find out what happens next ...
Also, check out yesterday's post for more information about the book and a giveaway of a signed copy of MILA 2.0!
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