This short blog post is just a smidgen of the evening’s information, packaged into a few points to help you with your pursuit of getting published in magazines.

1. Find the scenes within your article, even if it’s non-fiction. Mike Hall does that with the Texas Monthly articles he writes. He suggests you find the story, the narrative within your article. Try to explain the story idea with a headline and  a subtitle, with some kind of theme you can nail down. Within that theme you can do all kinds of things.

2. Use the Writer’s Market book or subscribe to the WritersMarket.com to help you locate publishing opportunities. Alicia shared how one way People magazine creates articles. Reporters file reports about events or people and a staff writer, like Alicia, writes the article. The magazine needs reporters who pitch good ideas and report facts well. Alicia’s advice is to pay attention to your pitch and emphasize why you’re the right person for the assignment.

3. Find your niche. Or not. Chuck said there are the number of people who want to write about music has increased and the number of paying outlets has shrunk. If you can manage to establish some kind of niche, that can help you. Conversely, if you can write about a variety of things you may have more opportunities.

4. Find a magazine you think you could write for, something that fits your style and interests, and look it up in the Writer’s Market. Sarah started writing for True Confessions because she read the magazine and knew she could write for it. 

5. Consider writing a few pieces for free if you aren’t published yet, then you can have some clips to put in your portfolio. This is a concession to the market change caused by technology widening the publishing arena. If you volunteer to write for one of your favorite organizations it can help them and help you at the same time.

6. On the other hand, don’t write for free if you are an established writer. Alicia noted that due to magazine staffing cuts there are opportunities for freelancers.

We’d love to hear your comments about these tips or Third Thursday. What advice resonated with you? You can also check back and share your success stories.

Speaking of success, don’t forget the annual WLT Agents and Editor’s Conference is coming up on June 21-23, 2013. Registration is open through June 10, 2013.

On a personal note, it was good to be back at Third Thursday after missing the March and April editions. Just being around other writers and writerly conversations rejuvenates my writing brain. Thanks to the panelists for sharing their time and thoughts and to Book People, the City of Austin, and the WLT for making Third Thursdays happen. 

In honor of the Frida Festival in Houston this weekend, write a short story through the eyes of an iconic artist of the past.  For the three pages write in first person, past or present, in the voice of Frida or Hemingway or Monet or Rodin or Plath or any other iconic artist.  Try to make their voice honest versus cliche.  Let their strong, and enduring spirit guide the story.

If you attend the festival, be sure to take photos and post them on the WLT facebook!

Cheers -

Amanda

The Writers’ League of Texas 2013 Agents and Editors Conference is only a couple months away. This year, WLT managed to nab Chuck Sambuchino, everything extraordinaire, for the Keynote Luncheon. He’s done it all folks — writing, editing, publishing, agents. He’s the go-to guy on tips for success, and I don’t think there’s a question about the business that he couldn’t answer. He’s attending a handful of conferences this spring and summer, so here is your chance to meet him right here in Austin. His presentation, How to Be a Successful Writer in Today’s Marketplace, will be held Saturday, June 22 from 12:15 to 1:30 PM in the Texas Ballroom at Hyatt Regency. Here is a short description about his presentation:

Writer’s Digest Books editor Chuck Sambuchino (Guide to Literary Agents) shares his best advice for writers of all ages and levels of expertise. In this keynote, Sambuchino will discuss how writers can create more stories and content easier than they think, be successful in a changing digital marketplace, avoid the three most common reasons that submissions get rejected, and more.

Registration for the Keynote Luncheon ends June 19th, and you must be a conference registrant to purchase a ticket. These tickets sell out quickly and may not be available during the conference due to limited seating. Don’t be left out!  I can personally vouch for the food on its’ deliciousness and convenience too.  Without further adieu, here are Chuck’s answers to my own questions below!

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First of all, describe yourself in four words.

Chuck Sambuchino: In no order: Writer, musician, husband, sleep-deprived-new-father.

You post in your blog, Guide to Literary Agents, every day. What all do you blog about, and how do you keep this constant flow of information going?

Photo Credit: http://www.chucksambuchino.com

CS: The Guide to Literary Agents Blog is all about agents, submissions, query & synopsis writing, promotion and platform. It covers a fairly broad range of writing topics.

The best way I’ve learned to keep a large flow of content going is simply to let other people provide the content. (This is a fundamental principle of writer platform: “You don’t have to go it alone.”) I invite novelists to guest post on my site and new agents to receive a spotlight. This means that most of the content on my site is actually created by others. All I do is format it and make it look nice.

What do you enjoy about exploring different kinds of writing – humor, playwright, journalist. Is there a particular area you’ve always wanted to try?

CS: I guess this all comes down to the fact that I probably have ADD and am probably the most impatient person I know. That leads me to try different things to challenge & entertain myself. In terms of what I HAVEN’T done, I know that screenwriting is an area I would love to tackle. I have a manager out in LA now, though we have yet to get our first assignment or sale. Perhaps one of these days…

The interesting thing here is that we live in a time of specialization. You’re most valuable if you are “the go-to person on [topic].” That leaves a jack-of-all-trades like myself in a bad spot. But being versed in a broad spectrum of writing does have one good advantage: It makes me a better teacher, and is probably why I get invited to speak at so many conferences. I rarely get asked a question about writing that I cannot answer, and that comes simply from being a generalist.

You tweet, a lot. Why is Twitter and other social media outlets important for what your do?

CS: Social media provides an effective and easy way to reach our followers and readers. When I write a blog post, for example, Twitter is invaluable in letting lots of people know that the post is now live.

The truth is that I don’t tweet much from my personal Twitter @chucksambuchino. I just tweet perhaps 1-3 times a day. But the Writer’s Digest account @writersdigest has so many things to share and promote on any given day that it’s constantly producing tweets.

How did you write over seven hundred articles in ten years? Do your ideas just pop out of nowhere in the middle of the night?

CS: A lot of those published articles came when I was a newspaper reporter, and we had to write about 7 stories a week. Besides that, I also freelanced a lot for magazines and even wrote some articles for instructional books. It all adds up.

For anyone interested in freelancing, I can tell you this bit of good news: Once you hook up with a publication and produce 1-2 good articles for them, then they will likely keep you on as a contributor and farm articles out to you. In other words, once you get going, it’s very likely for you to write 10-20 articles for a magazine or newspaper. You won’t need to generate ideas anymore because editors will do that for you.

Which agency – writing, publishing, editing, writers’ resource – do you think is your ultimate calling?

CS: Writer. I don’t know if it’s what I do best, but it’s what I enjoy most.

How did the idea of Red Dog/Blue Dog come about, and how was it working with your wife, and puppy dog, Graham?

Photo Credit: The Official Red Dog/Blue Dog Blog

CS: I used to dislike dogs. But then a flabby poodle mix, Graham, came into my life and warmed my heart. It was my wife’s idea to “mix dogs and politics” — humorously combining two of my favorite topics. That’s how the book idea was born. The final product is a photo collection of doings doing stereotypical liberal and conservative things. It was very exciting when it came out last summer (2012) and I got to show Graham how I dedicated the book to him. (I think he fell asleep during the explanation.)

The best part about writing that book was being in touch with random people all over the country who wanted to help simply because they, like me, loved dogs. I was amazed at how people I didn’t even know spread the word about the book and helped promote it.

Has anyone ever butchered your name?

CS: A thousand times, yes.

And technically speaking, I myself butcher my name. Its true Italian pronunciation is Sahm-Boo-KEY-Noh. The letters “CH” in Italian make a “hard K” sound. There are still the hardliners in my family that pronounce it correctly and the ones like me who kind of Americanized it and pronounce it phonetically. It’s best to just not get me or any family members started on this topic, especially after some wine…

What is the most important advice you’ve received as a writer?

CS: I’ve sat here at the computer for five minutes now trying to pick the absolute BEST piece of advice, but I can’t quite choose one. So let me just offer up a random good one that I heard a while back. A screenwriter once said “If you’re writing a spec and you’re not having fun, then something’s wrong.” What he meant by this is that, as a writer, you will take on plenty of boring assignments strictly for paychecks. But there will always be that fiction you write for fun, without any guaranteed financial payoff. And when you’re writing that fiction or poetry simply for the love of it, try to have fun. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Alright, I couldn’t resist! I read that you were a cover band guitarist. Which songs have you always wanted to learn, and what are your favorites to play? Any Beatles?

Photo Credit: http://www.chucksambuchino.com

CS: I can play “Let it Be” and “Eleanor Rigby” on the piano and often do. I remember speaking at your conference in 2008 and playing piano at 2 a.m. in the hotel lobby one night while people kept stumbling in after a long night.

If I had to pick my favorite songs to play, I would say “Mr. Brightside” was always a blast with the band, and that “Livin’ on a Prayer” always gets a crowd going bananas.

As far as songs I’ve always wanted to learn how to play, I’d say “Sweet Caroline” simply because everyone wants to hear that song, and perhaps “Cliffs of Dover” on guitar by Eric Johnson because it’s possibly the most beautiful instrumental rock song of all time.

What do you want writers to take away from your Keynote Luncheon?

CS: That anything is possible if you set your mind to it and work hard. If you have the passion and make the time, you can write anything. I also want to show people that there are simple things they could be doing every day to be smarter, more effective writers.

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Chuck Sambuchino is an editor and a writer. He works for Writer’s Digest Books and edits the Guide to Literary Agents as well as the 2013 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market. His Guide to Literary Agents Blog is one of the largest blogs in publishing. He was recently included in a FORBES Top 10 list of Social Media Influencers in Book Publishing.

His first humor book, How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack, was released in Sept. 2010 and has been featured by Reader’s Digest, the New York Times and AOL News. The film rights were recently optioned by Sony and director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future). His second humor book, Red Dog/Blue Dog: When Pooches Get Political, is a humorous photo collection of dogs doing stereotypical liberal and conservative things. It has been featured by Political Wire, USA Today, and the Huffington Post.

In addition, Chuck has also written two other writing-related titles: the third edition of Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript, and Create Your Writer Platform.

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About the Blogger

Hannah Bowman

Hannah Bowman was an intern for the Writers’ League of Texas from June 2012 through December 2012. Currently, she’s featuring writing instructors and literary agents for the Writers’ League blog, Scribe. She enjoys playing piano, writing stories, playing tricks on her mother, and dancing. She will be graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in May 2013 with a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and English. Hannah’s hoping to build her short story collection in the coming months, and start a career in nonprofits after a couple years of service work.

Today is officially the first day of spring, and here in Austin it seems more like summer.  However, I will put my sass away and be thankful for all the lovely flowers in bloom (and bees.)  Write a two page short story or one page poem starting with this line :

It was the first day of spring, I stepped out to the garden and … 

It could be positive and ‘spring like’ or it could be completely pessimistic and strange.  Follow the first line and let spring bring something fresh into your writing.

Cheers -

Amanda

Margo’s three-hour workshop, From Idea to Page: How Keeping a Journal Can Change Your Writing and Your Life, will be held April 6,  from 1PM to 4Pm at St. Edward’s University.  Registration for From Idea to Page ends April 2, so be sure to register before the class is full!

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What inspired you to create a class on keeping a journal?

Margo Rabb: I started writing in a journal when I was fifteen years old, and I’ve been keeping journals regularly ever since. My immediate inspiration back then was reading The Diary of Anne Frank—that book affected me deeply in so many different ways. Anne’s diary was a friend to her, a source of comfort, and the primary way that she made sense of her life and of the world.

I have nearly a hundred journals now. Keeping a journal has been an essential resource for me both as a writer and as a person. My mother died when I was nineteen, and I treasure the journals that I kept while she was alive; I didn’t know then that they’d be the only account I’d have of my last four years with my mom. I also didn’t know then that they would inspire short stories, essays, and novels many years later. I use my journals as a way to record what’s happening around me, but even more importantly as a way to make sense of what’s inside me, what I see in the world, and what it means.

Do you prefer to write in journals or on a laptop? Do you think there is something rewarding about physically writing in a journal?

MR: I always write in my journal by hand. I believe it’s important for a journal to be a private place where you can be utterly honest and completely free from judgment and criticism—it’s very different from a blog. Though some ideas and experiences that I write about in my journal will later appear in print in a revised and edited form, I treasure the knowledge that when I write in it, it’s for myself only.

What was your writing process for Cures for Heartbreak?

MR: Cures for Heartbreak is about a family recovering from the sudden death of their mother. I re-read my journals as I wrote the novel, and as I wrote it I also used my journal as a place to work out ideas and characters, to troubleshoot problems, and to keep myself motivated to finish the book.

I read that you have over ninety journals. How do you keep track of them?

MR: Years ago, I went through them and organized them by date and numbered them. I often refer back to them so that made it a lot easier.

What role did your journaling play in the completion of your works?

MR: I actually don’t use the word “journaling” because I feel it’s often used in a way that separates the practice from more “serious” types of writing. A journal is an art form that can be as central to a writer’s life as any other kind of writing—as it was to Anne Frank, Virginia Woolf, and Dawn Powell—and should be taken as seriously. Keeping a journal is such a vital part of my writing life that I could never live without it.

How should writers prepare for From Idea to Page, and what are you expecting them to take away from your class?

MR: All they need is a journal or notebook and a pen; the class will give them the tools and inspiration to start and maintain a regular journal writing practice. My view of a journal writing practice is a forgiving and flexible one—it isn’t something that must be done every single day at an exact hour for a prescribed number of pages. This class is about how to make journal writing a part of your life, no matter how hectic your schedule is. It will help writers unplug and disconnect from the chatter and chaos of modern life, to slow down and focus on the essential joys of writing.

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Margo Rabb’s stories have been published in The Atlantic Monthly, Zoetrope: All Story, Seventeen, Best New American Voices, New Stories from the South, New England Review, One Story, and elsewhere, and have been broadcast on National Public Radio. She received grand prize in the Zoetrope short story contest, first prize in The Atlantic Monthly fiction contest, first prize in the American Fiction contest, and a PEN Syndicated Fiction Project Award. She grew up in Queens, New York, and now lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and two children.

For more information about Margo, Cures for Heartbreak, and Margo’s other published works, visit her website, www.margorabb.com.

Our latest featured agent, Becca Stumpf,  represents Adult, Young Adult and Middle-Grade literary and commercial fiction, with a special interest in genre fiction with broad appeal. In the YA and Middle Grade realm, she’s especially interested in spine-tingling mysteries (historical or contemporary), beautifully written fantasy and science fiction with big, fully-realized worlds, thrillers with a literary edge, and the occasional horror story. She also looks for MG and YA novels that go beyond girl-meets-boy and explore a broader view of life and relationships – whether that include surviving a rift in the space-time continuum or just the usual terrifying perils of being a kid.

In adult fiction, Becca is looking for literary mysteries that chill and charm, fast-paced literary thrillers, character-driven SciFi and Fantasy novels that challenge genre stereotypes, and smart, spicy romance novels (contemporary, historical, SciFi/UF/Steampunk all welcome). Ultimately, Becca loves stories that make her think, cry, laugh out loud, or check the closet for monsters before bed. 

Becca took time out of her hectic schedule to answer a few questions for the League. She will be ready for your pitches at the Writers’ League of Texas’ 2013 Agents and Editors Conference. Visit our website for the full listing of literary agents.

Why did you become a literary agent?

Becca Stumpf: I became an agent because I’m a massive book nerd who would rather read than play in the sunlight like a normal human being. Which may explain the vitamin D deficiency and certain “personality quirks.” While still in college I also realized that as much as I adored getting lost in a novel, I loved discussing, dissecting, and critiquing books almost as much. For me agenting combines these two loves – the thrill of discovering a new story, with the opportunity to discuss, brainstorm, and edit in collaboration with authors. I love working with writers, and am continually awed by their ability to spin stories from the rough materials of life. Add to that the thrill of submitting new work to editors and seeing books through the publication process and it’s a pretty exciting gig.

What makes a great manuscript? How do you know if it has the “it” factor?

BS: What makes a great manuscript may depend on the tastes of whoever is being asked! For me it’s a combination of voice, killer writing, and a sort of intangible depth of story (that mysterious combination of world building, character complexity, and strong plot concept woven together). But most of all, I know something’s really good when I don’t sense the behind-the-scenes machinations of the writer and instead tumble headlong into the story itself.

A book can be fantastical, or funny, or heartbreaking, or romantic – or all of the above. What captures me is the simple sense that a real story is underway, and the joy of knowing that I can’t guess what’s going to happen next because each event is unfolding and refolding with the next, and so as a reader I must keep peering into the dark, looking for the next clue. I’ve found that if I can’t get lost in a story then I’m not going to believe in it. And if I don’t believe in a story, I won’t remember it. So for me that “it” factor is the moment the writing mechanics disappear and the reader’s imagination is fully engaged.

If you could have any other career, literary or not, what would it be?

BS: In no particular order, my other dream careers: resident septuagenarian sleuth in an English village (ahem Miss Marple), hedge maze designer, professional manatee hugger, librarian at Hogwarts, time traveler.

We hope you enjoy our Friday Filler 2.0 and continue to let us know about events out in the writing community.

I have many fiction friends who are incredible writers and incredible readers.  I keep them up on poetry, they keep me up on fiction.  A friend of mine recently demanded I read Susan Minot’s short story ‘Lust.’   It blew me away.  The form felt so effortless, but I know how skilled Minot must be to have accomplished such incredible style and prose.   I am currently writing a non fiction essay, reading Minot’s story inspired me to model it after ‘Lust.’  I have not been able to find a body for my essay and believe it may find it through the exercise of vignettes   The story inspired me in many ways and I hope it will inspire you for this weeks exercise.

First read ‘Lust’ and pay attention to the form, to the seamless shifts in story and tone.  She does all the changes without introduction or explanation.  Once you have sunk into the short story, try to write a story modeled after this form.  Pick a word of inspiration, like Demise or Infatuation, and tell as many vignettes connecting to the title as possible.  This week may not produce a work you stick with it, but it should remind you that we have to be as good (if not better) of a reader as we are a writer.

Cheers.

Amanda

Sarah Davies is one of the many accomplished literary agents featured at the Writers’ League of Texas’ 2013 Agents and Editors Conference.  Sarah founded The Greenhouse Literary Agency in 2008, a transatlantic agency which aims to nurture and grow the talent of exceptional writers. Here is an excerpt from the Greenhouse website:

What Sarah is seeking: Fiction by North American authors, from MG through YA and across all genres (note: she also reps picturebooks by clients whom she’s initially taken on for older fiction). She loves strong, hooky plots, writing that has literary quality but is also commercial, a strong/special voice, emotional heart. Loves both adventurous and classic MG, especially for girls, and has much experience in developing/selling twisty, dark crime/mystery YA thrillers. Most of all she wants to see something she’s not seen before, so think big!

Sarah was flying off to London when we spoke, but was so generous to answer some questions about her agency, what she looks for in a manuscript, and a little about herself before she left. For more information on Sarah and other agents, visit our Featured Agents page.

Could you describe The Greenhouse Literary Agency?

Sarah Davies: I founded the Greenhouse in early 2008, after 25 years as a British publisher of books for young readers. I wanted to pull in every facet of my experience in the industry to create an agency that would be dynamic, innovative, editorially creative, and very collaborative with both writers and publishers. I wanted to create an atmosphere of energy, integrity, supportiveness between clients, and built on a big vision of an international marketplace. I also wanted us to communicate in ways that were as kind and open as possible. 

Most of all I wanted Greenhouse to be an exciting force for good – helping writers to develop, bringing quality writing and good books to the world. I’m very idealistic, as you might perceive, and I don’t apologize for that one bit! I work very hard, I’m extremely determined, and that’s what I also ask of our clients. We’re on a shared journey, with shared risk and effort – and that’s what makes every day different and exciting.

What are the benefits of having a transatlantic literary agency? 

SD: The children’s books world reflects our increasingly globalized culture and marketplace. Publishers from Brussels to Brasilia, Manchester to Moscow, want the Next Big Thing (though they may interpret that in different ways). However, the biggest market is English language, and there are two sides to that in publishing terms: US/Canada and UK/Commonwealth. My own experience as a Brit who has lived in the USA for six years, enables me to see both sides of the publishing Pond with particular clarity, and as an agency we’ve been very successful in maximizing transatlantic deals, which can be very financially advantageous to the client. Not all books ‘travel’ with ease across the Atlantic (for reasons of theme/voice/cultural accretions), but many do, and Greenhouse is in an ideal position to exploit that. My colleague Julia Churchill is in London, John Cusick and I are based in the US, and we talk every day, sharing pitches, ideas, knowledge. I’m also back in the UK every three months or so.

In addition, we do a lot of deals in translation, and these are handled by our sister company Rights People, which is made up of five rights-selling experts. My motto is this: The world is our marketplace. And we’ve proven that to be true!

Why did you become a literary agent?

SD: As I’ve said, I was a publisher for two decades before moving to the USA. People always ask me why I made that big move and there are two reasons: Love and business! A great combination, right?

As I rose up the publishing ladder (in my final years I was a Director and on the management Board), my time was increasingly taken up with issues that had little to do with stories or writing craft. I hungered to get back to that. The two sides of the books business I’d always loved the most were 1) editorial development with authors and 2) negotiating deals. I love being a part of making great books. And I love making money for people; sprinkling the fairy dust that enables writers to achieve their dream.

The common denominator of those passions is agenting. On top of that, I have discovered that I’m an entrepreneur at heart. Creating a business, going out and making it happen – especially in a market the size of North America – has been incredibly exciting; being able to stamp a personality on the agency. There are always challenges to that, but we’ve tried hard to hold on to our values. One of the greatest rewards has been seeing how our clients are so mutually supportive to each other, promoting and helping each other in ways that show so much generosity of spirit. That’s what I always wanted to happen and why I chose the name Greenhouse – it’s where writers grow!

What is the first thing you look for in a piece of fiction? How do you know if it has the “it” factor?

SD: I’m looking for two main things. 1) A really original and arresting premise that I’ve not seen before, or which brings a fresh twist to a genre. 2) A mastery of craft and voice to bring that premise to life. Sometimes these elements can be quite rough, but I spot the potential, and we can do a lot of work to develop that. Plot and character can be expanded, enriched – but you can’t create a voice which doesn’t exist.

I read in two ways. Firstly, as a ‘regular’ reader. Does the story engage me, hold my attention, keep me turning pages? Does it make me laugh or cry? How does it affect me emotionally, because if it doesn’t touch me in the heart I’ll never persuade an editor to acquire it.

Secondly, I’m reading through a kind of market ‘lens’. I know what editors are acquiring, what they’re seeing too often, what might have a premium value for them at that time. The story/writing can’t just be ‘nice’ or to a certain standard. I have to be able to see how I will SELL it, in a very competitive and tough marketplace.

What is your favorite book and what effect did it have on you?

SD: There have been certain books that have had a pivotal effect on my life. As a young teen, Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings profoundly changed how I saw the possibilities of fiction. I hadn’t really known that a writer could build such a rich and complete world – a world that I could inhabit on a grand scale over a longish period of time.

Many of the books I read as a child – largely British classics – have stayed with me, and I can still feel the awe of reading them. I also have very strong memories of my local library where I would sit on the wood floor taking out the maximum number of books on each visit. Isn’t it incredible that I can still summon up the smell of that building? A potent mix of wood and plastic book covers; it was the smell of excitement.

What’s the strangest pitch you’ve experienced?

SD: It was a paranoid, rambling train of consciousness from someone with major mental issues. Let’s just say it involved a certain part of the male anatomy, a gun, and the destruction of the world. I still worry he’s going to come looking for me!

What advice would you give a writer in search for their literary agent match?

SD: Look for someone with a good sales track record (though there are new agents around who will go on to be good), who genuinely seems to like your work and has creative and insightful thoughts about it. Are they editorially sharp-eyed? Can they talk knowledgeably about contracts and subsidiary rights? Are they experienced at negotiation and mediating the publishing world? And very importantly, will they be responsive to your calls and emails (obviously, within reason – they have other clients too). You can often ask to be put in touch with an existing client who can give you the flavour of their relationship with the agent, and that can be helpful.

If you get multiple offers? Do your due diligence. Approach the decision in a businesslike way. Then trust your gut – and jump!

What is it about fiction that interests you? And how did you get interested in writing specifically for young adults?
Brian Yansky: I’ve always been interested in good stories whether they’re in books, in movies, on TV or told by someone good at telling stories. I started to love fiction in high school. I love language and characters and how a good story can seem as intense and powerful as a life event. I stumbled on YA novels after some friends and my wife said they thought my work could be YA. There is a tremendous number of great YA novels.

What makes a fictional character interesting in a story?
BY: People read fiction for many reasons, but they must respond to the characters or they won’t be involved in the story. What would Harry Potter be without, say, Harry Potter? Interesting characters like interesting people in real life have depth. In a story they will be involved in something crucial to their life. The stakes need to be high, emotionally and/or physically, in order for the reader to be transported to the character’s world.

What are some of your favorite books?
BY: I don’t have three or four favorite books. Any list would change with time. I have authors who mean a lot to me: I love Kurt Vonnegut’s books, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s books, Michael Chabon’s books. I love Francisco Stork’s MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD, Marcus Zusak’s books, Ann Tyler’s, Gabrielle Zevin’s ELSEWHERE. But these are just the tip of the iceberg of books. There are so many great ones out there.

You said you hitch-hiked when you were younger. What was your most interesting encounter?
BY: I don’t have one most interesting encounter (there were many), but I did learn something that changed my life when I was hitch hiking. Most people are kind. There are a lot of bad people in the world and you meet them on the road. But there are more people who will go out of their way, even put themselves in harm’s way, to help someone in need of help. That was enlightening, meeting those people.

What do you love about being a writer? Do you have a second career?
BY: Getting to work in my pajamas. Yes. And I love making worlds and the difficult and profound challenges of creating story and characters with depth and all that goes into writing. I love what I do and that is an amazing thing.
I do have a second career as a teacher of, not surprisingly, writing. I ‘m lucky that I love doing this, too. Writing is my first love but teaching is something that I feel very strongly about. I like getting to know the students ,and I like how engaging the challenge of teaching them the basics of something as complex as writing. Sometimes we go beyond the basics—that is I have talented students—and that is also fun.

Brian Yansky writes both Young Adult and adult fiction. He is the author of three YA novels: My Road Trip to the Pretty Girl Capital of the World, winner of the Texas Institute of Letters Best YA Novel, 2003, Wonders of the World, and Alien Invasion & Other Inconveniences. Candlewick Press will publish a sequel to that novel, Homicidal Aliens & Other Disappointments, in fall, 2013. Another YA novel, Utopia, Iowa, will be published in fall, 2014, also by Candlewick. His stories have appeared in Literal Latte, The Crescent Review and other magazines. He has and MFA in Writing from Vermont College and is an associate professor at Austin Community College where he teaches writing. Learn more Brian at BrianYansky.com.