NAWS: Interview with Taryn Albright

Hey, everyone! I have another Newly Agented Writers interview for you featuring the awesome Taryn Albright! Taryn is a YA writer represented by the lovely Molly Ker Hawn of The Bent Agency. Be sure to check out Taryn's blog. And if you would like to follow her on Twitter, you can do that here.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? What kinds of things do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

Hi, I'm Taryn :) I'm a college student. I used to swim collegiately, but I gave that up this semester to focus on writing and editing. I do CrossFit and love working out in general. Lately, I've started attempting to eat Paleo, and since I've never been much of a cook, this is turning into an adventure.

Do you have a particular writing routine? A way to get yourself focused?

Haha! Everyone hates me for this, but I have a very unique writing routine. I think about an idea, letting the ideas percolate. Then I write a query. Then I write a synopsis: a giant paragraph of run-ons that often spans 5 single-spaced TNR 12-pt pages. Once I'm happy with that, I carve out three days of my life (often a weekend), and write the whole book. Yes. In a weekend. I told you that you would hate me.

There's no time to be unfocused, so I don't really have any tools there. I love the drafting high, and I love being so deeply enveloped in my story.

What would you say are the easiest and hardest aspects of writing?

Easiest: for me, coming up with ideas. They're so distracting. (That's why I write so quickly--so I can't get distracted!) Hardest: the burning self-doubt. No matter if you're agented or if you have a book deal, whether your MS feedback comes back glowing or you win a contest, you are going to doubt yourself. Writers can be obsessed with their MSs one moment, and the next be wondering how on earth they ever thought this pile of crap was publishable. Everyone suffers from it. (I may be talking out my angst right now.)

How do you find inspiration for your writing?

Everywhere! The MS Molly signed me for was because my sister badgered me nonstop about writing a book set in Disney World. The MS my first agent signed me for was because of my swimming career. I have a new one that came out of my nightly Bible reading.

I know you run your very own editorial service – The Girl with the Green Pen. What is it about the editing sphere that drew you to it?

I love editing. I love it ten times more than writing (don't tell my agent). I'm going to be long-winded when I answer this question: So the summer before my sophomore year of college, I was poor, and I was beta-ing someone's MS, and they told me I was very good at this. "Hmm," I said. "Maybe I can charge a few bucks and not be poor!" So I started Teen Eyes with very low prices. After a month, I added another editor. I had a couple clients a month, which was just enough for late night applebee runs. At the end of 2012, business exploded. Even though we now had 3 editors, I had over ten clients a month, so I decided to split off on my own.

To the other editors, Teen Eyes was a way to make money while in school. I'd decided I wanted to do this for a living. My particular strength is story structure and other big picture things. I'm not so great with line edits. I love helping plot stories, brainstorming, asking what-ifs. Once my clients started getting agents and book deals (something like 14 with agents and 8 with book deals now!), I loved seeing their successes--loved it more than my own successes!

I love everything about the editing sphere, especially my clients :)

Can you tell us a bit about the novel that you queried your agent with? If you would be willing to share a copy of your query letter for learning purposes, that would be fantastic! :)

The night before seventeen-year-old Teegan Krane’s first day playing Alice in Wonderland at Disney World, she receives a mysterious invitation to a midnight scavenger hunt. Intrigued, she accepts. But the initiation rite turns from a dream to a nightmare when someone stalks her through the park, and another Alice is found poisoned the next morning.


As Teegan wonders whether she was the target, the police arrest a suspect: Teegan’s brother, the victim’s ex-boyfriend. But even after Miles’s arrest, the other Alices report shadows outside their apartments and threatening notes in their lockers. Talk about curiouser and curiouser.


When Teegan investigates behind-the-scenes (and under the streets) at the most magical place on earth, she discovers a world of jealousy and competitiveness blurring the line between fantasy and reality. And when all clues point to her roommate, Teegan knows it’s time to head down the rabbit hole for proof—or it’s off with all their heads.

*Secret: this is actually not the plot for the draft I queried. I mean, it is, generally, (murder mystery set at Disney World, an Alice dies, etc) but the third paragraph is completely off, and so is the line about her roommate. But I didn't want to revise after my original query for my first draft, so I didn't. Shhh.

What made you realize that Molly was the perfect fit for you and your novel?

Well, I actually interned for her in 2012. It's a funny story--we were emailing back and forth randomly, and I brought up that my MS was a murder mystery set in Disney World, and she said "OMG LET ME SEE IT NOW." And I was busy trying to find my opening, and I sent her a chapter that ended up being in the middle of the MS. She ordered me to keep her posted. I wrote it and revised it. All along I was thinking I want to work with Molly. I knew she was fantastic and communicative and savvy b/c I'd interned for her. Honestly, I should've just given her an exclusive. Regrets. But it still worked out :)

What were your reactions when you received The Call?

She emailed: "Taryn, I liked this, and I obviously like you. My intellectual property lawyer friend had some interesting questions. Can we talk tomorrow?" Which was not exactly the most promising email. So I was like OMG SHE HATES IT AND SHE WANTS TO LET ME DOWN BY SAYING I SHOULD GIVE UP WRITING FOREVER. Duh. Agents totally do this.

But I went to the one spot on campus where I have cell service, got ready, and waited. my computer died. She emailed, thinking she had my timezone wrong. I said NO I'M READY. We chatted. She was wonderful. But, like I said, I already knew that. Plus, since Molly was my second agent, I was less excited.

Then there were three more calls. You'd think I'd get more confident. Nope, every time I was like "they're calling to say no!" One actually was calling to say no, so I guess I wasn't too far off, lol.

When taking The Call, is there anything you would recommend a writer be prepared for?

Take notes. Make sure you have cell service (my first call w/ Molly dropped...*headdesk*). I've had six agent calls over my two MSs, and every single call has been shorter than a half hour. If you've already stalked the agent, you're gonna be able to cross out a lot, and don't be worried if a call was short. Also, sometimes agents aren't very good at talking on the phone, and their enthusiasm may not come through. Listen instead for what they're doing. Are they only saying they love it? Or are they trying to sell themselves by saying what they can do for you? Passion is good, but it's the action that will get you results.

What would you say have been the most exciting parts of your writing journey so far? The scariest?

Most exciting: writing a book in a weekend. Scariest: having to rewrite it entirely--in another weekend ;) The truth is, I don't really give much thought to my writing journey. I'm 90% focused on editing and other people's writing, 10% focused on me. So the most exciting part for me is seeing clients get book deals. Jen Alexander, whose book  comes out 2014 from HarlequinTeen, came to me with the very first draft of her amazing sci-fi, then we did another couple passes, then she signed with Mollie Glick, and went on to sell. It was a really exciting summer :)

Since you’ve recently dealt with the situation of having to part with one agent and jump into those query trenches again, do you have any advice for other writers in the same boat?

I'm a bad person to ask because 1) like I said, I'm more focused on my editing, and 2) I love querying, and 3) I have so many agent connections that I wasn't really worried. But lately I've worked with some writers who were thinking about leaving their agents, and I want to support this. If you aren't happy with your agent, and s/he hasn't sold anything for you, and you feel like they aren't your book's best advocate, don't be scared to leave. You shouldn't feel like a burden.

Just for fun short answers:

Favorite book/s or series?

Ender's Game :)

Favorite type of music?

Whatever's on. Seriously; I care so little about music. Lately I've been on a showtunes kick lol.

  

Music or silence while writing?

Neither--background noise like rain or something. I can't write in silence.

First draft or revisions?

First draft! I love the drafting high soooo much.

If you could pick any place to go on a writing retreat, where would it be?

My CP's house in the Bay Area. We had one there last year and it was amazing. I love her, her cooking, her family, the area . . .

BUT I AM PLANNING A WRITING RETREAT IN THE SEATTLE AREA IN JULY. If you're interested, email me tarynalAThotmail--we still have a couple spots left :)

Are you a day or night writer?

Like I said earlier, I am a weekend writer. I start at 10 AM and end at 1 AM. More of a night writer, I guess, but mostly just an all-day writer.

What is one thing about you that might surprise readers?

I was a competitive weightlifter in high school. I have near perfect recall for numbers--I love math. IDK why I'm a writer. Even though I wrote a book about Alice in Wonderland, I don't really like it.

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview, Taryn!! I wish you the best of luck with your writing. :D

Writing by Music - Immediate Music

So, I was looking at my blog and realized that I haven’t done a Writing by Music post in a *looong* time. This piece by Immediate Music is the perfect mix of emotion for a very specific section of TGWTD (the novel currently with my agent). I hope you all enjoy it! It has definitely been a source of inspiration for me. :)

NAWS Update featuring Kristin Rae!

Hey, everyone!

I am doing this special post to bring you some completely awesome NAWS update news featuring my fantastic writing pal and Twitter buddy Kristin Rae! (Click here to read the interview that I did with Kristin last month as part of the Newly Agented Writers Series.)

So, what’s the news?

Kristin…

has…

a…

BOOK DEAL!!!

Her novel IF ONLY YOU WERE ITALIAN sold to Caroline Abbey at Bloomsbury in a two-book deal, with the first one set to release spring 2014!

Isn’t that just the most BRILLIANT NEWS???

Click here to read Kristin’s own post telling all about her amazing deal!

Congratulations, Kristin! :)

NAWS: Interview with Dahlia Adler

Guys, I’m so excited to have the wonderful Dahlia Adler on the blog for another Newly Agented Writers Series interview! Dahlia is a YA writer represented by Andrea Somberg of Harvey Klinger, Inc. Be sure to check out Dahlia’s blog, home of the awesome Perpetual WIPs series. And if you would like to follow her on Twitter, you can do that here!

Q and A:

First of all, could you tell us a bit about yourself? What do you like to do for fun when you aren’t writing?

This is so sad to admit, but if I'm not working/editing, reading, blogging, or writing, I'm probably sleeping; that's how much of my life I spend doing those things!. The only exception is for TV, pretty much - I'm a TV fiend, though less than I used to be.

What inspired you to start writing? Was it always a dream, or did a certain event get you going?

I've been writing for as long as I can remember. No specific event, just something that emerged from a childhood of voracious reading. I remember being so obsessed with a book I got from the library - ELLEN TEBBITS by Beverly Cleary - that I literally started typing up the book just to have my own copy on my computer. Thankfully, I eventually figured out I could insert myself into my own stories doing something similar!

What is it that drew you to write YA contemporary?

I grew up reading a ton of Sweet Valley High because my sister is six years older and when I'd gone through all my books, eventually I made my way to hers. I was so obsessed with the lives of those girls, and the ones in the Baby-Sitters Club, and the Girl Talk series, and the Bobbsey Twins... basically everyone who was just sort of doing stuff in an everyday life that was very, very different from mine. I was raised - and still am - Orthodox Jewish, and in a suburb of New York City, so we weren't going to the beach or doing cool things on Saturdays or whatever. Writing YA Contemporary was a way to live an alternate life - over and over and over!

Do you have a particular writing routine? A way to get yourself focused?

I'm so lucky just to find some writing time that my "routine" basically consists of "OK, when I've finished copy editing X amount of chapters, I have to write a thousand words before I can go to bed." I live for the rare Sunday that I get a leisurely day to write, and sometimes, when I'm really stuck, I'll "Word War" with someone on Twitter, which works really well for me. For me, nothing helps more than deadlines and/or accountability!

What would you say is the hardest aspect of writing? The easiest?

I love drafting, but it's so, so hard for me not to revise as I do it. The manuscript I'm working on right now has given me so much trouble, and I've been thinking up tweaks as I go, but I know that if I stop to edit, I'll never finish the first draft. That self-control and push to write forward is definitely a challenge for me! The easiest is definitely the kissing scenes; somehow, those are never a struggle!

You do a lot of work as a copy editor (which I think is pretty awesome!). What is it about copy editing that drew you to it? 

Just one of those grammar and spelling nerds, I guess! I majored in Journalism, and I knew from the beginning I was going to take a class in copy editing. After that, I interned in the Production department at Simon & Schuster, and then eventually I moved on to doing it freelance, which I've now been doing for two years. It's also a great way to get to read work you wouldn't necessarily otherwise but without the time commitment of content editing.

I know you have an interesting story behind how you found your agent. Could you tell us a bit about it?

I found Andrea through the Writer's Voice Contest (Team CupidsLC FTW!), which was cool because I actually hadn't started querying my manuscript yet, nor had I ever done any contests, so it was very encouraging! Now I'm such a fan of contests and really encourage writers to do them, because "win" or "lose" you end up meeting so many great people.

What were your reactions when you received The Call?

The Call happened during a really difficult time in my life, so it was really hard to process that this great thing I'd been working toward for years was actually happening. I was really excited but so, so cautious about getting my hopes up. Like, I literally told two people when it happened, and one of them was my husband. I wish I had a more cheerful answer to that question, but all's well that ends well, right?

When taking The Call, is there anything you would recommend a writer be prepared for?

There are a lot of ways in which agents' processes differ, and it's amazing what you don't know until you start talking to other agented writers about it. (Which is basically the entire impetus for my blog series, Perpetual WIPs.) Yes, there are the questions everyone should absolutely know to ask - what are your revision plans? What are your submission plans? What's your contract like? etc. but I think a writer also needs to prepare to ask the things that might not be addressed, even if they seem like tough questions. "Are you a book agent or a career agent?" is a big one, and since I think most agents are the latter, you should definitely be prepared to talk about what else you're working on. Some agents also do a lot of revision nowadays, and you should be prepared for the possibility that an agent will want to do quite a bit with yours.

The biggest thing I would say, even though I know it's a total buzzkill, is this: Be prepared for the possibility that the person you thought was your dream agent isn't. Their revision ideas may clash with yours tremendously. They may want to pigeonhole you as a certain kind of writer when actually you would like a more varied career. There's only so much you can know from interviews and following them on Twitter, and sometimes the idea you build in your head isn't the reality. And that's okay. But don't sell yourself short or insert yourself into a relationship that ultimately isn't going to be good for either one of you.

How did you know without a doubt that Andrea was the perfect fit for you and your novel?

For me, it wasn't just that Andrea loved BEHIND THE SCENES, it was what she loved about it. You want an agent to be your biggest fan, yes, but if your agent loves your book because she thinks your writing is hilarious and that's not what you were going for, something there isn't clicking. Another huge plus sign for me was the fact that she reps just about every category and genre; she doesn't like to get bored any more than I do, and I liked knowing that if I ever did finish my women's fiction ms, for example, I wouldn't have to go find someone new for it. And in general, I loved that she was fast - she read quickly, she responded quickly, she called when she said she would... I pride myself on being a fast and reliable communicator, and it was really important to me to have an agent who's the same way.

Based on personal experience, what final advice would you give to other writers?

Thicken your skin as best you can, do your research, and make good use of the writing community. Enter contests, but not every contest. Join a writers' forum, even if all you do is browse the postings. And when you happen to have some luck, do your best to give some back!

Just for fun short answers:

Favorite book/s or series?

Pretty much anything by Ann Patchett, Geraldine Brooks, or Courtney Summers; THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson; JELLICOE ROAD by Melina Marchetta, The Secret Society Girl series by Diana Peterfreund; The Spellman Files series by Lisa Lutz; the Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French... and now I'll stop BUT THERE ARE MORE.

Favorite type of music?

Anything that once fell under the umbrella of "90s Alternative," especially Grunge. 

If you could eat ice cream with any fictional character, who would it be? What kind of ice cream?

 Right now, probably Ruby Oliver from the E. Lockhart series. I just want to give her a hug and a huge sundae and tell her I'm on her side. And Coffee Heath Bar Crunch, definitely.

 If you could pick any place to go on a writing retreat, where would it be?

Probably Charleston, South Carolina. It's so pretty and inspiring, and I love its character. Plus, I set my first series there before I'd ever been, and I'd love to revamp it and get it right!

Music or silence while writing?

Music, usually a combination of The Pretty Reckless and Canadian indie rock.

Are you a day writer or a night writer?

Night, absolutely and always.

First draft or revisions?

First draft. I try to make them pretty clean so although I definitely do a lot of polishing and adding in the revision stage, it still feels like a story by the time I'm done with draft one.

What is something about you that might surprise readers?

To those who don't already know, probably the fact that I'm a Jewish Sabbath observer, which means I get one day less per week for all the writing, copy editing, blogging, writing, and beta-ing than most, since I don't write or use a computer/kindle from sundown on Friday until an hour after sundown on Saturday. It's a challenge, but I also attribute it with maintaining my sanity, and I get a lot of pleasure-reading done, so I can't complain!

Thank you so much for doing this interview with me! I wish you the best of luck with all your writing endeavors. :)