Famous authors, their writings and their rejection letters.

Now this…THIS inspires me.

Margaret Atwood’s Ten Rules for Writing Fiction

(via kadrey)

11 YA Authors Who Will Enhance Your Twitter Feed

You know what the beauty of following authors on Twitter is? They’re authors. They ALREADY know how to wow us with their words in book form, so reading their tweets is like getting a 140-character morsel of delight at any given time, whether it’s a hilarious observation, piece of sage advice, or dose of honesty. Read on for some of our Twitter-loving authors who will add a bit of oomph to your feed:

Rachel Hawkins, author of the Rebel Belle series

What to expect: LOL-worthy musings on everything from romance novels to living your #bestlife.

Anna Breslaw, author of Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here

What to expect: life observations that make it pretty clear where the leading lady in her upcoming novel got her hilarious personality.

Maureen Johnson, author of the Shades of London series

What to expect: genius with regard to the use of astericks. Take note.

Marie Lu, author of The Young Elites series

What to expect: abundant corgis and the perfect emojis every time.

Rick Yancey, author of The 5th Wave series

What to expect: aliens and concise wit that clearly informed Cassie from The 5th Wave.

Sarah Dessen, author of Saint Anything

What to expect: gifs galore and genuine encouragment in writing and in life.

Jessica Khoury, author of The Forbidden Wish

What to expect: the most important updates on her upcoming Aladdin retelling AND her husky!

Morgan Rhodes, author of the Falling Kingdoms series and A Book of Spirits and Thieves

What to expect: teasers, hints, and fandom excitement galore.

Una LaMarche, author of Don’t Fail Me Now

What to expect: bits of gold such as printed-out emails from her college days, which she’ll generously share with the world.

Beth Revis, author of the Across the Universe series and A World Without You

What to expect: book love and coffee love shenanigans.

Richelle Mead, author of the Vampire Academy series and Soundless

What to expect: barbies. Need we say more?

Stories for all

A school librarian introduces me before I give an assembly. “Girls, you’re in for a real treat. You will love Shannon Hale’s books. Boys, I expect you to behave anyway.”

I’m being interviewed for a newspaper article/blog post/pod cast, etc. They ask, “I’m sure you’ve heard about the crisis in boys’ reading. Boys just aren’t reading as much as girls are. So why don’t you write books for boys?”

Or, “Why do you write strong female characters?” (and never asked “Why do you write strong male characters?”)

At book signings, a mother or grandmother says, “I would buy your books for my kids but I only have boys.”

Or, “My son reads your books too—and he actually likes them!”

Or, a dad says, “No, James, let’s get something else for you. Those are girl books.”

A book festival committee member tells me, “I pitched your name for the keynote but the rest of the committee said ‘what about the boys?’ so we chose a male author instead.”

A mom has me sign some of my books for each of her daughters. Her 10-year-old son lurks in the back. She has extra books that are unsigned so I ask the boy, “Would you like me to sign one to you?” The mom says, “Yeah, Isaac, do you want her to put your name in a girl book?” and the sisters all giggle. Unsurprisingly, Isaac says no.

These sorts of scenarios haven’t happened just once. They have been my norm for the past twelve years. I’ve heard these and many more like them countless times in every state I’ve visited.

In our culture, there are widespread assumptions:

1. Boys aren’t going to like a book that stars a girl. (And so definitely won’t like a book that stars a girl + is written by a woman + is about a PRINCESS, the most girlie of girls).

2. Men’s stories are universal; women’s stories are only for girls.

But the truth is that none of that is truth. In my position, not only have I witnessed hundreds examples of adults teaching boys to be ashamed of and avoid girls’ stories, I’ve also witnessed that boys can and do love stories about girls just as much as about boys, if we let them. For example, I’ve heard this same thing over and over again from teachers who taught Princess Academy: “When I told the class we were going to read PRINCESS ACADEMY the girls went ‘Yay!’ and the boys went 'Boo!’ But after we’d read it the boys liked it as much or even more than the girls.”

Most four-year-old boys will read THE PRINCESS IN BLACK without a worry in the world. Most fourth grade boys won’t touch PRINCESS ACADEMY—at least if others are watching. There are exceptions, of course. I’ve noticed that boys who are homeschooled are generally immune. My public-school-attending 11-year-old son’s favorite author is Lisa McMann. He’s currently enjoying Kekla Magoon’s female-led SHADOWS OF SHERWOOD as much as he enjoyed the last book he read: Louis Sachar’s boy-heavy HOLES. But generally in the early elementary years, boys learn to be ashamed to show interest in anything to do with girls. We’ve made them ashamed.

I want to be clear; if there’s a boy who only ever wants to read about other boys, I think that’s fine. But I’ve learned that most kids are less interested in the gender of the main character and more interested in the kind of book—action, humor, fantasy, mystery, etc. In adults’ well-meant and honest desire to help boys find books they’ll love, we often only offer them books about boys. We don’t give them a chance.

Whenever I speak up about this, I am accused of trolling for boy readers when they aren’t my “due.” So let me also be clear: I have a wonderful career. I have amazing readers. I am speaking up not because I’m disgruntled or demand that more boys read my books but because my particular career has put me in a position to observe the gender bias that so many of us have inherited from the previous generations and often unknowingly lug around. I’ve been witnessing and cataloging widespread gender bias and sexism for over a decade. How could I face my kids if I didn’t speak up?

And here’s what I’ve witnessed: “great books for boys” lists, books chosen for read alouds, and assigned reading in high schools and colleges, etc. are overwhelmingly about boys and written by men. Peers (and often adults) mock and shame boys who do read books about girls. Even informed adults tend to qualify recommendations that boys hear very clearly. “Even though this stars a girl, boys will like it too!”

This leads to generations of boys denied the opportunity of learning a profound empathy for girls that can come from reading novels. Leads to a culture where boys feel perfectly fine mocking and booing things many girls like and adults don’t even correct them because “boys will be boys.” Leads to boys and girls believing “girlie” is the gravest insult, that girls are less significant, not worth your time. Leads to girls believing they must work/learn/live “like a man” in order to be successful. Leads to boys growing into men who believe women are there to support their story, expect them to satisfy men’s desires and have none of their own.

The more I talk about this topic, the more I’m amazed at how many people haven’t really thought about it or considered the widespread effect gendered reading causes. I was overwhelmed by the response to a blog post I wrote earlier this year. To carry on this conversation, I’m working with Bloomsbury Children’s Books to create #StoriesForAll. Each day this week we’ll feature new essays on this topic from authors, parents, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and readers. On twitter, instagram, and tumblr, join us with the #StoriesForAll hashtag to share experiences, photos, book recommendations. Discuss: How deep is the assumption that there are boy books and girl books? Does it matter? What have you witnessed with regards to gendered reading? What damage does gendered reading cause to both girls and boys? What can each of us do to undo the damage and start making a change?

I yearn for that change. For our girls and for our boys.

——————

Shannon Hale is the New York Times bestselling author of over 20 books, including the Ever After High trilogy and the Newbery Honor winner Princess Academy. She co-wrote The Princess in Black series and Rapunzel’s Revenge with her husband, author Dean Hale. They have four children.

5 Questions with Mary Higgins Clark, the Queen of Suspense

Mary Higgins Clark is hailed as the “Queen of Suspense,” with an intimidating number of books and sales on her resume to secure her title. All of her suspense novels have been bestsellers, and most of them are still in print, with her first suspense novel Where Are the Children currently in its 75th printing. Higgins is known for her masterful command of the suspense genre, creating and building tension that has won her writing numerous awards and great recognition not just in America, but all over the world. Her newest book, All Dressed in White is the second book in her Under Suspicion series that focuses on suspects surrounding a cold case of a missing bride and is available Nov. 17.

You are the author of over 50 novels, which have sold over 100 million copies in the U.S., what’s the trick to writing a good suspense story?  

As a child, starting with Nancy Drew, I loved reading suspense stories. My first book, an historical novel about George and Martha Washington, went absolutely nowhere when it was published. Ten years later it became a bestseller. But at that time I thought, ‘I want to write a book that will sell.’ I studied my book shelves and saw row upon row of books by Mignon Eberhart, Agatha Christie and Josephine Tey. I loved mystery suspense and wondered if I could write one.

Starting out as a writer, what do you like to read?  Suspense, romantic novels, detective stories, science fiction?  If one category jumps out at you, set your first book in that field.

You are a New York City native, growing up in the Bronx. Was there anything about your childhood, your environment, that helped shape you as a writer?  

I have used my background, of course, in books; however, when I was six years old, I was writing poetry, skits for my brothers to perform in and making up stories. I did not choose writing - writing chose me.

Can you tell me a little about your new novel “All Dressed in White”?  I’m especially interested in the Under Suspicion books using an investigative television series as a catalyst to open up cold cases. It sort of reminds me of The Jinx (that HBO show), where, unlike many cases that are headed by law enforcement, the motives for investigating can be much more complex.

’All Dressed in White’ is the second novel in the Under Suspicion series where television producer, Laurie Moran, investigates the case of a missing bride. 

I used to attend murder trials and in one of them, one man was found guilty but many thought his friend was the one who committed the crime. The guilty man served 14 years, was released and three years later tried to commit exactly the same crime dragging a young girl into the woods and strangling her. About that time his friend, who had been under suspicion for all those years said, “I could not have survived without my parent’s faith in me and then my wife’s.” That is why I thought that the premise of a TV program where people who are under suspicion get to tell their story, would be an intriguing plot.

You are known as the “Queen of Suspense” around the literary world, if you could be named “Queen” of anything else, what would it be?

Queen of the Bronx.

Who are some authors that inspire you?

I think that my favorite books were by authors Jane Austen and any one of the Bronte’s and Charles Dickens. 

Bonus! Who have you read lately that you absolutely loved?

‘The Wright Brothers’ by David McCullough and 'The Last of the President’s Men’ by Bob Woodward.

Mary Higgins Clark’s All Dressed in White is out from Simon and Schuster Tuesday, November 17. Find it and more of her books here.

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