Category: blah blah blah

I don’t want to be the biggest PITA.

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BY MINDI SCOTT
Rainbow Dash & Strawberry Swirl, in the Outdoors

Photo by Mary Bliss

When I was a kid, I had a tendency to want every play session with my sister to have a purpose and follow a set story line. Even if it was something simple like “Barbie and Ken Go To Prom and Jealous Whitney Tries to Steal Ken Away” or “The My Little Ponies Travel from the Bookcase to the Hallway In Search of Their Runaway Orphan Pony Friend,” there was always certain dialogue and action required to make our story worth telling.

Since I was the oldest and clearly the best qualified to come up with ideas, I was constantly directing. “Okay,” I’d say. “Now you need to have your girl say, ‘But I saw Ken first! He should be my boyfriend!'”

She’d parrot my words, but often not quite the way I’d wanted her to say them. Sigh, sigh!

Earlier this year, I told my sister that Michelle and I were going to write a book together, and she said, “Oh. She really wants to do that?”

Barbie's dream house

Photo by ellenm

I was like, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well. You’re kind of bossy about stuff like that. You wouldn’t even let me choose what my own Barbies would say when I was kid.”

To which I responded, “That was over twenty years ago! And you know that you only would have had your Barbies to say stupid stuff without my help!”

Kidding with that last part! (I mean, I’m not kidding that I said that; I just said  it in a kidding way and then we laughed. See???)

The truth is, despite my sister’s claims to the contrary during every discussion we’ve about Barbies for the past couple of decades, I’d always thought of myself as flexible and easygoing and all of those other great things until I read this on Miss Snark’s blog back in 2006:

[It’s] my experience that people who feel the need to tell you what they are like [… ] are by and large the very ones who ain’t. […] Almost to the last one, every person who has said “I’m very easy to work with” has been a total PITA.

After I figured out that PITA = Pain In The Ass, I decided that Miss Snark was wrong. I mean, I was definitely easy to work with! I put up with other people’s crap all the time! Just ask me if I was easy to work with and I’d be glad to tell you all about it!

But the words in that blog post kept nagging at me. Over time, it changed how I saw myself. It made me decide that I want to be a person who actually is easy to work with instead of one who just believes she is.

In this process of co-writing with Michelle, I’m careful to never tell her what to write. I love having discussions and sharing my ideas, but I do everything that I can to make it clear that my suggestions are just that–suggestions. The words in her chapters have to truly be hers. Otherwise, why would we even bother undertaking something like this together, you know?

Now, if Michelle and I ever were to play Barbies together, all bets might be off. But who knows! People can change, right? 😉

Barbie Flash Mob, Philadelphia

Is there anything better than a Barbie flash mob with Skeletor? I MEAN, REALLY. Photo by Stephen Kelly Photography.

The Book That Did It

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By Michelle Andreani

I always love hearing about that moment when a book changed someone’s life. The book that made them a lifelong reader, the book that made them a fantasy-lover, or what I’m babbling about today, the book that really made them want to write. Basically: the Book that Did It.

I was, maybe not-so surprisingly, a big reader as a kid. (Although, from the looks of the bookshelves in my parents’ basement, I may have liked having books more than reading them. A hoarder-in-training red flag, for sure.) But, anyway, that was some quality time with Amelia Bedelia and the Babysitter’s Club. Then: a black cloud! I went through a lot of my early teens without really picking up a novel for fun. Tragedy! Outrage! Fire Alarms! But, you see:

Reading books = A School Thing = Billy Budd = UUGGHHH²

I really hated reading Billy Budd, you guys.

Eventually, I dragged myself out of this horrible, mucky, reading-less black hole. (I give partial credit to the Fearless and Everworld series for this, by the way. GOOD TIMES.) Those books did me a real solid, but neither series Did It. And then, something bigger happened: Teen People (RIP) started a book club called, not unexpectedly, The Teen People Book Club!!!

Look! Still have one! I swear I’m not a hoarder.

It was like an entire YA section delivered to my house! So, I basically lost my mind and what little money I had on books like The Princess Diaries, Hard Love, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. All of them awesome, but none of them Did It, either.

In the end, I met The One in the local library (yay, libraries!!), totally unaware that bringing it home, cracking it open, would (as unforgivably cheesy as it sounds) change everything. So, finally, the Book that Did It for me? *trumpets* *fanfare*  This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen!

I am all kinds of unable to talk about this book or Sarah Dessen without turning into a total gush-monster. Soooo, deep breath and here we go: This Lullaby was the first book I remember reading slowly, on purpose, so that I could maybe trick it into never ending. It was a book that wrapped me up and didn’t let go, with characters I wanted to be friends with, boys I wanted to date, places I wanted to go. (Bendo. Someone take me to Bendo.) It felt like I was living through that summer with Remy and Dexter, singing about potatoes, drinking extra-large Zip Diets, and hating Spinnerbait(!). I loved every word, every page.

Because of all that, it was the first book that lit me up from the inside; that made me say, I want to write like this. To be this good, and have other people feel about my book the way I feel about this one. It was the first book that made this so clear. A special book can Do That.

So, I promptly sat down at my computer and started writing a book EXACTLY LIKE IT. Like, not even kidding, exactly like it. (The learning about writing and characters and plot came a little later.)

Since then, other books have certainly come along and Done It for me. But nothing can ever touch This Lullaby‘s reserved cubbyhole in my heart. Or its space on my bookshelf.

I really, really swear I’m not a hoarder.

You must have a book that Did It for you. Tell me tell me tell me! 🙂

“Did they or didn’t they?” When a sex scene is so subtle, you just can’t tell.

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BY MINDI SCOTT
Kiss

Photo by Jeremy Vandel

The other day, I was texting with Michelle about a book that we’ve both read. I told her that while I was reading a certain scene in said book, my thought process was approximately this:

So she’s going to have sex with this guy. Or . . . he’s about to go down on her?

Wait. No. I guess neither. They’re just holding each other.

And now some time has passed and they’re . . . putting their clothes back on? What? When did they take them off? Why did they take them off?

Unless . . . hmm. They must have done more than just cuddle. But WHAT DID THEY DO?

Now, I know that there are some readers out there who would appreciate this kind of subtlety, who would find it “classy” that the author didn’t “go there.”

I am not one of those readers.

This isn’t to say that I want every detail every time. (In fact, please, no. I’m looking at you, Jason Myers. ;-)) I guess I just feel like if I’m spending time in a character’s head and they are confiding all sorts of things in me, if sex was had in a chapter that I’m reading (or even in between chapters), I should know about it. Right?

I’ve actually come across this a number of times over the years, though. I’ll be reading along and find myself uncertain of whether I’m interpreting a scene correctly. I once discovered, like, 30 pages after the fact, that the very sensitive narrator I was chilling with had lost his virginity. It was kind of a big deal, and he didn’t bother to clue me in at the time. Dude! Why not?

Another thing Michelle and I discussed is those situations when a narrator has a crush on/is in love with someone. S/he wants that other person so badly and tells readers all about it for pages and pages, but then they finally get it on, and the narrator goes silent about it. FOR THE REST OF THE BOOK.  I don’t necessarily need to witness or find out how everyone’s performance was or the mechanics of it, but I am certainly thinking: You just got what you wanted, but was it really what you wanted? Regrets? No regrets? Confusion about whether you have regrets? Give me something!

In some cases, I never get to find out.

Luckily for me, Michelle also is of the opinion that knowing how characters feel about sex and whether or not sex has actually occurred is important!

Garrett Hedlund gives a thumbs up to NOT wondering about sex scenes! (Ignore the cigarette. I’m sure it’s just, you know, for a role or something. :-P)

The way we’ve outlined the story we’re writing together, we’ve left plenty of room to surprise each other and ourselves with what is going to happen. At this point, we don’t know the specifics of  when or how or if any characters will be hooking up onscreen. But  whatever way it ends up going, readers will not have to wonder whether it happened or not. We promise!

These Are My Confessions. Not the Usher Kind. (The Writey Kind.)

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By Michelle Andreani

So, remember when Mindi wrote that fun post about listening to music to help channel her characters? And you know how lots of authors say they like writing to music? That some even create their own playlists for their books?

Confession #1: It all makes me very jealous.

Confession #2: Because I can’t really write to music.

I know! What a burden to bear, feeling so different. Like being the only person you know who’s never been to Disney World. (Confession #3.)

Don’t get me wrong, I love the connection between writing and music. There have been many times I’ve listened to a song and thought: “CHARACTER THEME SONG!” And those songs are always fun for dance breaks in between writing. (Excellent caffeine substitute, btw. Lately, it’s been this for me. You may borrow it.) But for the times when I’m actually writing, it just doesn’t work. (Maybe I’m not listening to the lyrics? Or maybe I’m listening too much? FRUSTRATED!)

Whatever the reason, I’ve found I’m most happy with the authenticity of my character’s voice when (Confession #4) I write to TV shows.

Does that sound weird?

It certainly doesn’t sound as cool and artsy as writing to music, so there’s that, is something you might be thinking.

Okay, true! But allow me to explain. You can’t just choose your TV-shows-to-write-to all willy-nilly, so that’s why there’s a method. A fun method, even. (Fine, fun-ish.) You’ve got to play matchmaker. And your goal? True Character/TV Love.

For instance: When I was spending my days on a previous WIP, I wrote to one of my faves, Gilmore Girls.

So much bouncy energy, right? And you see, my main character was kind of a babbling, awkward (and hopefully endearing) mess of a girl. I knew the rhythm of her voice so well — it was snappy and kind of non-stop. So, listening to Gilmore Girls, with its own insane and rapid-fire flow, helped me settle into her head even more. (Plus it made me smile, which came in handy when the writing DID NOT.)

Character/TV Compatibility: Perfect Match!

Now that I’m in Cloudy’s head, and she’s a different kind of gal, I can’t very well write to Gilmore Girls. (See? Method!) Instead, I wanted something with more bite, something a little feistier. So, I’ve been running episodes of my beloved Veronica Mars on loop. In case you’re not familiar (and oh goodness, I can’t even think about that, get thee to Netflix post-haste!):

Oof, that scene. ANYWAY. While I’m still getting comfy with Cloudy’s voice, Veronica Mars has the tone I’m liking for her. There’s a sharpness, a toughness to the characters, but they’re also spectacularly vulnerable, and it all comes across onscreen and in the dialogue. That’s what I hope for in Cloudy.

Character/TV Compatibility: TBD. But the outlook is good!

So, I’m not totally out of line, right? I mean, I’ll admit that cueing up TheWB.com isn’t as romantic-sounding as clicking play on the perfect song. And I’ll also admit that writing to TV can be dangerous:

Beware: Your cat may try to sabotage your efforts by breaking your Gilmore Girls DVD set.

But when it comes to your character, I’m all for doing what works best for you – music, TV, silence, whatever! It’s just lucky that what’s been working for me is spending quality time with Logan Echolls. 😉

Hold the Phone! (Co-writing and Communicating)

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By Michelle Andreani

I hate to admit so soon in our relationship that I don’t know everything, but here we go: I wasn’t really aware that co-written novels existed until six years ago. That was when I stumbled into a Borders (RIP) and upon Rachel Cohn and David Levithan’s dazzling Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist*.  I grabbed the novel without a second thought (it says right on the back cover that there’s kissing = the Only Purchase Incentive I Ever Need Ever), but I didn’t know how it would grab me.

It wasn’t until I’d finished reading Nick & Norah that I wondered how it had even happened. How did two super-talented writers join forces and write one super-wonderful book?

I didn’t wonder for too long, though. (I think Taylor Hicks won American Idol that year, so there was that to deal with.) I just knew I wanted to do it.

Sooo distracting! You don’t even remember what this post is about, do you?

When we first began brainstorming, Mindi and I did so over email. Mindi was busy with revisions for Live Through This — you should maybe definitely pre-order it right now. I’ll wait here . . . Ready? Okay, good! So, since Mindi was hard at work, and I’d been reduced to a shrunken head after the most God-awful writing year of my life, we began throwing out ideas casually and just for fun. But soon enough, it was Really Happening. We’d found our story! We’d found Cloudy and Kyle! Hooray!

That’s when, six-or-so years post-Nick & Norah, with no Taylor Hicks to distract me, I had to start wondering how this co-writing thing worked. Would there just be more emails? Skyping? PHONE CALLS?!

(This is where I should tell you that I HATE talking on the phone. And you can tell I mean HATE because I capitalized, bolded, and italicized the word “HATE.” Which is big-time emotion.)

My soul sister.

Thankfully, Mindi’s had mercy on me — there have been no phone calls. (Which I guess might sound weird to some? But I find it Junior-Mint-refreshing.) It does, however, raise the question: with that off the table (for now, anyway), how do we communicate effectively when we’re trying to collaborate on one story?

Emails, emails, emails! Naturally. It’s a very convenient way to talk through anything, especially since our timing is sometimes off, what with me living in the future and all. (Um, the eastern time zone. Not the future.) Plus, I’m a big fan of the folder option. See?

So much Cloudy-and-Kyle goodness!

It’s a great way to keep everything organized when you’ve got a bazillion ideas floating around – and, another plus, I’ll never forget where I put them!

Sometimes email just isn’t fast enough, and we’re not patient enough, and that’s why God and Google invented Gchat! Before we started the actual business of writing, Mindi and I had some marathon sessions discussing our characters’ motivations, outlining our story, and other Very Important Things. Yep. We are nooooo nonsense. We never, ever talk at length about Gchat’s weirdo smiley faces. And the best part is we can save the chats and always refer back to them if we need to. (Can’t do that with a phone conversation, can ya?! Not unless you’re recording your calls, I guess. Which carries kind of a creep-vibe, no? And then you’d have to keep rewinding and fast-forwarding to find the exact — uugghh. Tired just thinking about it. Point: Gchat.)

And, of course, when there’s just no time for emails and online-chats, there are texts. Texting especially comes in handy when we’re writing and need a quick question answered: What perfume does Cloudy wear? When is Kyle’s birthday? Can you use the word “ass” in the first line of a YA novel? All answered via text! Isn’t technology the best?

Except phone calls. Phone calls are the worst.

*Fun Fact: Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist was actually published six years ago TODAY. Happy Anniversary, Nick and Norah! And thanks!

We really do have words

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BY MINDI SCOTT

gothave

At the tippy-top of this blog, a question in tiny print appears: Who needs action when you have words?

You might read that and believe that we came up with it all on our own. (We didn’t.) Or you might think that the line sounds  familiar, but you can’t quite place it. Or maybe you know exactly where it came from, and you’re wondering why, oh why, did we misquote “Plateau” by the Meat Puppets on our blog?

Lemmee ‘splain.

I have an occasional habit–a bad one, in my husband’s opinion–of deliberately changing songs when I sing along. Sometimes it’s because the lyricist’s grammar or usage doesn’t work for me. Other times, I simply use different words that, for whatever reason, I prefer. Here are a few examples:

Sonny & Cher’s most famous song can change from, “I Got You, Babe” to  “I Have You, Babe.”

haveyoubabe

Katy Perry’s “The One That Got Away” can become, “The One Who Got Away.”

The line in Death Cab’s “What Sarah Said,” can change from “I looked around at all the eyes on the ground” to “I looked around at all the eyes toward the ground.” (Because yuck! The original line makes me envision literal eyes rolling on the literal ground. Which makes me figuratively shudder.)

And so it happens that in “Plateau” by the Meat Puppets (which Nirvana helped make famous by performing it with the Meat Puppets on MTV Unplugged), the line “Who needs action when you got words?” can become “Who needs action when you have words?”

I wanted to use the line for our blog when Michelle and I were naming it because it’s cynical (by my interpretation), but also because it’s so very fitting for two girls who love reading and writing. We don’t need action! 😉

But two writers announcing to the world: “WE GOT WORDS”? Maybe we could have pulled it off, but . . .  I like my version better. Forgive me, Meat Puppets!

We have a blog! It’s new!

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Welcome to WE HAVE WORDS, the brand-new blog of Michelle Andreani and Mindi Scott! 

As you likely already could guess, the full(er) scoop about who we are and why we started this blog can be found by clicking on the little Who? and What? tabs on this page. But the micro-version is that we are two writers who have joined forces to write one contemporary Young Adult novel. We thought it would be fun to use this blog as a place to share some of our (not-always-recommended) writing processes, as well as talk about great books and other things that we adore. We’ll also be sharing some short excerpts from our WIP, just to prove our book is a Real Thing in the making!

So that’s what we’re going to do. Every day of our lives!

Actually, just kidding about that last part. We’ll be updating about two to four times a week, probably. (Hmm. How about if we split the difference and call it tri-weekly?)

Thank you so much for stopping by, and we hope that you’ll visit us often. Oh, and if you’re interested in subscribing to our new posts, the link is on the sidebar!

So . . . see you tomorrow? xoxo