Animal Fantasy Awareness (T.A.A.'s going Back to Basics!)

Some time ago, my writer friend and "Comrade in Revisions", Kelly Hashway, posted on her blog something she shared with me in private 


She's unabashedly a YA writer. 


Those who read my Critter Chat with Kelly in January know she began her writing career in different realm form where she's heading now. Between various sales of her work in magazines, her first major release was a picture book, "May the Best Dog Win" inspired by her daughter (pre-K at the time of this post) who asked her to write one, and the rest is history--for that book, anyway. She later went on to collaborate with her illustrative sister, Heather, on her self-published effort, The Perfect Puppy, and more recently, Santa Bunny. Heather also did the cover art for "The Imaginary Friend" her two part short story now available for free* at Amazon.com (Price of Free may be subject to change).


Kelly's work has appeared in various magazines and anthologies, and we each have a story in the anthology "Trunk Stories." 


But as I said at the outset, Kelly's found her new home in the world of YA with the first two books in her trilogy, TOUCH OF DEATH AND TOUCH OF, currently slated for publication in January 2013 and July 2013 respectively (Pub Dates are subject to change so please follow Kelly Hashway's blog for any date changes).


I'm happy for you, Kelly, there's nothing like the feeling of finding where you belong and are most happiest. True for anything in life, but especially for writers who have to endure decades of apprenticing to start their careers.
Be it a magazine piece, memoir, nonfiction, novel or poetry/story collection.


Those who follow my blog know I struggle with writing my own stories for the YA audience, a skill that I know will serve Kelly well, but what you may not know is she landed her agent with a middle grade novel, which is my specialty, but the current market for debut middle grade fiction is struggling, even more-so for folks like me who are more at home with animal fantasy, than anything with a dystopian or edgy and dark bent. 


Aside from wishing I could write YA, I also longed for finding my own tribe of readers, not just writers of animal fantasy, and not just paranormal.


As many of you T.A.A. faithful may have noticed, I haven't written much on genre-specific issues nearly all writers of animal fantasy face.


I mean my blog's named, "Talking Animal Addicts" and yet I've kind of deviated from the core message of my blog, and there are really two key reasons why-


I Didn't "OWN" my love of the Genre
There are many posts I wrote to tackle this subject that I never posted or completed because I had doubts of the impact my passion could have.


Envy Delayed My Progress
That pretty much speaks for itself.


But no more. Like Kelly, and many writers before me, I need to embrace my niche, rather than feel shame from it, that's vital for all the writing I do, and those of your who also blog know full well what I mean.


So, consider this statement a follow-up to my intro post when I began Talking Animal Addicts in December 2010-


I started this blog to protest the myth that only preschoolers like animal fantasy, and unite other like-minded writers who know all too well as I do that stigma attached to these stories, especially as an unproven brand name author, but the stigma also comes from educators and parents, other writers (Even those we love and respect), even some publishing insiders who argue that kids are demanding more books with more contemporary, or reality-based plot lines.


Maybe there aren't millions of us, but there are more than the average person might think, especially among the non-parents or writers who aren't easily in tune with their "Inner Child" and/or interact with children on a regular basis. and I think part of this is the fear we have of divulging our passion for animal fantasy, since the first thing people will say is "That's a hard sell, especially for non-famous author." 


Whether this is true of every case or not isn't the issue here, the real issue is for those of us who proudly write the books we love to band together, and shout to the world, "We're not crazy for reading or writing books about or featuring talking animals!"


Okay, maybe not shout it at work, or outside your kid's high school (Or anywhere people who know you will hear...) but it's important to remind yourself why you do what you do. It keeps you honest, if not always sane.


I felt strongly there needed to be an outlet for these writers, a sanctuary even, where their passion would not get made fun of, but meet like-minded writers, that span the ages and stages of writers worldwide.




I want T.A.A. to become that safe haven, and will get back to more animal fantasy related posts in the coming weeks. If you have any ideas, feel free to share in the comments below. I urge all you writers of animal fantasy out there to let it rip in the comments below.


Tell your writer friends to find T.A.A. on Facebook and Google+.
Eventually T.A.A will have its own Twitter Feed, but for now you can follow my separate Twitter Feed here.


Remember, "We're not just for preschoolers anymore" We're for readers and writers who love what we do, and eventually people will see that reflected in our stories, instead of thinking "We're just trying to ride the copycat wave of Charlotte's Web, Redwall, and Watership Down." 


Some people do that. No question. 


I'm not one of those people. 


Anyone whose read my work, even people who normally don't read or particularly like animal fantasy, have told me this, a writer can't ask for a better endorsement than that (Well, a paycheck would be nice, really, but that's a topic for another time).


Until Tomorrow, 
May the Fantastic Fauna Be With You

Take A Chance Tuesday - 3rd Edition

Before going into this week's challenge, I've got to come clean. I was a bit discouraged about continuing this feature since many found the first two impossible to commit to.


Outside the week leading up to Easter (Or Passover), which I know many folks would be too busy on average to do a challenge, no one found earlier challenges well before either holiday in their reach given the comments of the first being all in the vein of "Sorry, no time this week" and the second having no takers at all. (My family's not into togetherness, to put it gently) so my ability to perceive that in more connected families is not all that great.


I started to feel like no one found my first couple challenges achievable or relevant.


So, until I get enough reader mail to prove the contrary, I'm keeping my challenges really simple, and whenever possible, don't require the reader to leave the blog to complete them. Though, I thought people could do the last challenge easy (All you had to do was recommend 5 books, that's all there was to it!)


I strongly suspect the majority of my readership are women, and often mothers, so ladies, and lads too, help me out here. This week's challenge is the first every "Take Requests Tuesday." 


What are some writer challenges that you can fit around family, day jobs, and seemingly endless responsibilities. I don't have these specific barriers, so maybe my challenges ask too much of the majority of  the writers who drop by, and I only wanted to motivate, NOT overwhelm. 


Just tell me in the comments below, what kind of challenges you'd like to see featured on future editions of Take A Chance Tuesday. They must be something that aren't too genre specific, and that can be accomplished within a week from the start of the challenge.


Come on, everyone, T.A.A. can only be so interactive unless you help me out a bit, so come on, show some grit and gumption. Most of us are living Spring, the time of renewal and growth, T.A.A. can't grow if I'm in this alone.


So again, in the comments below, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SHARE SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE EDITIONS OF TAKE A CHANCE TUESDAY, THAT ARE SIMPLE, NOT TIED TO ANY ONE GENRE, AND PEOPLE CAN ACCOMPLISH WITHIN A WEEK, AND DOESN'T ASK FOR ANY SPECIAL RESEARCH OR LENGTHY TIME COMMITMENT.


PLEASE, help me. help you better.

Call for submissions ends Tuesday, April 17th, 2012, at Noon EST.

New Blog Schedule!

After much thought and care, I can announce the new schedule for T.A.A. starting next week-

Each day will a special feature unique to that day, as well as posts dealing with a particular aspect of books and writing. This will keep my eclectic interests in check, and still have some sense of order, but in a more flexible way.

Monday

Musical Musings

I review music, profile new artists (at least new to me), and share my passions and frustrations of what's become my second art form/passion. 

Tuesday

Take A Chance Tuesday

A weekly writing challenge to get out of our comfort zone and unleash our inner-Avant Garde vigilante.

Wednesday

Random Wednesday

Thoughts and musings of anything intriguing in my world.

The World Building Wars

An ongoing series about ways to take some of the "Crazy!!" out of crafting our fantasy worlds.

Thursday

Get Versed! Thursday

If you're ready to take the pain out of poetry, whether you read it, write it, or both, stop by and learn along with me.

Friday

Face Your Fear Friday

Writers don't just need to "Write outside the comfort zone" but also must "Read" outside it, too. Every week a new prompt will get you, and me, to embrace worlds and ideas we may NEVER want to live, but are fun to read!

I know many writers who thankfully don't have this problem, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who goes through this, and I invite those of you like me in this regard to take the leap of faith along with me, we need to show writers who deal with this they are not alone, even if we are not the majority. 

T.A.A. Top 5

A weekly list of anything and everything I love, and why, in as short a way as I can say it. (That in and of itself is a fear worth facing)

Saturday (Check Back Tomorrow!)

Sunday

Shout-Out Sundays 

Every week I'll highlight any blog, book, writer or publishing tips that I want to spotlight.

The T.A.A. Sunday Gazette 

(Info to come 3/3/2012)

More tomorrow,

Taurean

Critter Chat With Kelly Hashway!

When I decided to to interviews on T.A.A., I had many writers I in mind, but minus the ones who aren't dead/too busy or impossible to reach, I soon realized that the perfect person to debut was someone who while I've yet to meet in person, has been an encouraging and precious colleague of mine, the up and coming Kelly Hashway.


Kelly's debut picture book, "May the Best Dog Win" has found many a grateful reader in the nearly two years since it's publication.


Her second picture book, The Perfect Puppy, which she collaborated with illustrator, and sister, Heather, and her two-part short story "The imaginary Friend" are her first self-published efforts, both available now from Amazon.


Plus, she recently sold her first two YA novels, the first of which to debut in the near future.


Corny as this sounds, I knew Kelly long before she started make a name for herself, before she'd found her agent, before she sold a book, but even three years ago, she was taking her baby steps in the realm of short fiction and nonfiction for various magazines and anthologies, including the Anthology, "Trunk Stories, where both Kelly and myself have a story in this collection, though it  didn't pay even a dime, it was special being in the same book as Kelly, a writer I actually knew beyond her author bio to some extent, and who knew me, as well as the other writers from my former critique group (Of which Kelly is also a member) was something special, and I'm glad they talked me into it.


She's earned every bit of the success she's achieved in past and recent history, and inspires me to keep pushing ahead, and not let the many, and I meant MANY setbacks, some of which I'm still fighting through, get me down too long.


But as you'll read in this debut edition of Critter Chat, Kelly and I have a lot more in common than it might first sound like on paper, and you'll learn how there's one type of story that we both fear the thought of, and she's braver in some of her writing than I am, so this surprised me as much as it may those of you who've read Kelly's work in the past.

Something I've noticed lately is that many writers who specialize in short fiction tend to find writing a novel WAY beyond them, for whatever reason, and most who are content with short fiction admit never even attempting a novel, again, for varying reasons. This is so opposite my path. While they weren't great, my first stories were novel-length, and it was only when I started the magazine course at ICL (Institute of Children's Literature) that I gave short fiction a fair shake, and while it still kind of confines me, and is humbling beyond words, I did learn things worth learning, and I still plug away at short stories whenever I can. Do you approach the short form differently from the long form? If not, how are they similar for you?

Kelly: They are definitely different for me. It’s tough to get an entire story into a small amount of space. I usually come up with my idea, which a lot of times seems like just a snippet of an idea because I’m used to writing novels, and I plan the major event and turning point. Most of what I write now is flash fiction, under 500 words, so there’s not a lot of room. I have to choose every word carefully.

You've had a few short stories published, yet you clearly enjoy writing in longer forms, which I personally feel most comfortable with. Have you always done short stories and novels concurrently? Did you begin in one form exclusively before others?

Kelly: I swore I was a novel only writer. But then I enrolled at ICL and I liked writing shorter pieces, too. I write at least one short piece a week now in addition to working on a novel.

Have you ever known of other writers (Either personally, or those you read, love and follow) that find short stories WAY too limiting for similar reasons as the short story writers who find novels too overwhelming?

Kelly: Absolutely! I’ve had writers tell me they’d love to write short stories to get some publishing credits, but they can’t adhere to the small word count. Everyone is different. Some like short, some prefer long, and others, like me, try everything and hope for the best. ;)

Many writers who write YA and Adult fiction say there's little difference, other than that YA is focused on teens, whereas adult novels with teen characters are handled in different ways, since in many cases the teens in adult fiction are the hero or heroine thinking back to that time, rather than living in it, but of course there are exceptions there. Do you think they're the same? Why or why not?

Kelly: I really don’t. YA is different because teens are not adults. They are still figuring things out, making mistakes, and hoping to become something great. While some adults do those things too, teens and adults have different ways of viewing things and acting. Maybe I never fully grew up, but I miss being a teen. The emotions are heightened, and life seems so much more exciting. I think adults tend to lose that somewhere along the lines. And I think that’s why so many adults read YA books. We want it back.

One of the reasons I feel lots of writers, including myself, fear writing YA fiction is because while I've read, watched, and listened to various interviews done with writers, and publishing insiders, who all say that YA and Dark don't have to be joined at the hip, the examples often cited by writers that aren't dark, but not pure fluff, and teens love reading tend to be dominated with-

Meg Cabot

Ally Carter

John Green (The ONLY man apart from Jerry Spinelli I hear of)

No offense intended to the writers above (Love you!) but is that all there is? Do you know of any others you'd like to recommend?

Kelly: I have to admit, I love paranormal and fantasy, so I may not be the best person to answer this question. But…

There are other great YA authors. Alex Flinn’s Cloaked isn’t dark. It’s a fairytale retelling. Maureen Johnson’s Little Blue Envelope series is another good one. I don’t really consider Lisa McMann’s Dream Catcher books dark. And I don’t find Lauren Oliver dark either, and she’s got some great books out there. Wendy Mass’s books are not dark at all, and she’s a friend of mine.

Me: Yea! Another man to add to my small, but special list of male writers to take note of.

I know from sharing our work that you've written in all age groups, but between your picture books and YA novels coming soon, have you ever written "Easy Reader" books before?

Kelly: No, and honestly I don’t see myself writing one either. I think that will be the market I leave for others better suited for it.

Do you find it a challenge to keep things concise and simple for younger readers, while still sounding like YOU, instead of being too generic or overly didactic, in so few words?

Kelly: I’ve been told I do this well, but I do make a conscious effort not to be either of those things while I write. I always try to let my writing style come through. It definitely can be a challenge with short pieces though.

While telling a solid story is the most important thing for a writer, there are times when market pressures, and the needs of young readers, can further burden writers who are struggling to just tell their story, without letting these concerns, however legit, drive them insane! (I'm no exception...It's been a slow growth process for me...) Your thoughts?

Kelly: Honestly, I write the stories I want to write. I’m in a huge paranormal stage right now and I know they are tough sells. I feel bad having just given my agent another paranormal for her to try to pitch, but I really think we can’t force ourselves to write what is trending. The story won’t be as good if it’s forced. I write first and worry about selling later.

Unlike some parent writers I've met, you don't use your parental wisdoms as a weapon against us non-parents, and I so appreciate that. Do you feel the intense outcry from parents and teachers for more books for reluctant readers, or kids and teens with learning disabilities, are confusing and unfairly alienating writers who are struggling to just "Tell the D*** story as well as they can" and that educators/parents/writers are unintentionally adding fuel to the fire that can seem condescending to the non-parent writers?

Kelly: When I taught middle school, I made sure my classroom library had books for different levels of readers. There are plenty of books out there, and I think everyone can find something that suits them. Like I said earlier, when I’m writing, I focus on telling the story I need to tell and staying true to the characters. Does that mean my books won’t be for everyone? Yes. But what book is?

Me: You don't ever have to convince me of that!

As a mom, do you feel your approach to your writing, or feelings about books in general, differ from non-parent writers, like me? If not, do you see other parent/writers you know, or if you do, in what ways?

Kelly: Being a mom did have an effect on me, but probably not how you’re thinking. I never intended to write picture books. But my daughter asked me to, and how could I say no. I actually find it difficult to read some books because I can’t bear to think of kids being tortured in some ways that they are in popular series out there. But I still give kudos to the author for being so popular and writing a great story—even if it’s not for me.

Do you think some parents and teachers forget how things feels from the prospective of the kids and teens they themselves once were, the ones they're trying to help? Do you think that hinders their ability to reach them? Have you experienced this yourself or with your daughter?

Kelly: I love kids and I have fond memories of every age. That really helps me remember what it was like and how I felt. I related to my students and gave them credit for getting through their teen years, because they’re tough. Do some people lose sight of that? Probably. But I try to stay in tune with my inner teen as much as possible.

11. Are there writers you love reading, but have no desire to write in their genre? Who are they?

Kelly: Like I said earlier, I can’t see myself writing easy reader books or even early chapter books, so I give those authors a lot of credit. The idea of writing those books terrifies me.

12. Any writers you love reading, but find it hard to write in their genre, but strive to one day?

Kelly: I have yet to write a contemporary novel. I think I’d like to one day. Maureen Johnson is a great contemporary author.

Okay, time for the fun questions-

What's one pet you wish you could've had as a kid if space, parents, and money were no object?

Kelly: An iguana. I’ve always wanted one.

What kind of pet would your daughter love to have if space, money, or you (You're the parent now!) weren't an issue?

Kelly: I’d have to say a small dog. She loves them, but my husband and I are big dog people.

If you could spend the day with any writer you admire, living or dead, what would you do? What would you like to ask? What would you thank him or her for writing?

Kelly: Rick Riordan hands down. I LOVE the Percy Jackson series. I would pick Rick’s brain and ask him to tour some of the places in those books with me. I’d have to thank him for helping me find my voice. That really happened after I read the Percy Jackson books. Something in me just clicked.

What book you read and loved as an adult that would make the kid you think, "What kind of "nutty" grownup did I become to like that book?" 

Kelly: LOL. I really don’t read adult books much! Um, okay I’ll say The DA Vinci Code because I did find some of the descriptions disturbing. The teen in me would’ve been very turned off by them.

Me: Thanks for stopping by, Kelly, I wish you continued success and well wishes for your family.

Kelly: Thanks for having me, Taurean!

Find out more about Kelly at her sites below-

kellyhashway.com (Picture books and early blogging years)

kellyhashway.blogspot.com (Her new main blog, focusing on MG and YA related books and topics of discussion) 

Thanks again to Kelly Hashway for giving this interview.

Until next time, this has been Critter Chat!

Blog Changes

Today I have both good news and bad news.

Let's get the bad news out of the way, T.A.A. will be sparse on updates for the rest of the month. Don't worry, I'm not going dark again, but things are picking up slowly on the non-blog writing front, and I don't want to jinx it.

Also, I'm reworking how I update on the blog so daily posts will be shorter, and longer content will be features, so no matter how much or little time you have, they'll be something worth reading around here, and as early followers of T.A.A. know, brevity's not my best thing at the best of times, but it's important to me I get better at this, and for those of you time-starved folks out there, I take you seriously, maybe to a fault sometimes, but I do, and I think T.A.A. will be grow and be better for it.

The good news, is that I've got my first interview for you, as part of a new feature on T.A.A. that I call, "Critter Chat."

Stand by for the next post,
Taurean

I'm Back! (No, really!)

It's been a long hard road for me, and while it continues to be true, I'm ready to commit to T.A.A. again. To prove it, as I've faltered a few times, these are the topics you will see this week-

Tuesday-Wednesday 12/6/11-12/7/11
The Dangers of Rivalry
What happens when you let rivalry go to your head. How it steals your joy for writing, and reading, and things you can do to get back in balance.

You Really Should Read....(How NOT to be the Scrooge in your writer's group)
Any writer who's been critiqued will eventually get suggested they read a certain book or writer in hopes you'll learn how to "fix" something in your own writing that's not doing what it should, and you know it's true, but it can still feel discouraging, even a little insulting, but you know it's (usually) meant to be encouraging.

Before you go off on a rant (As I have sadly done) learn from my mistakes so you will stay on your writer friend(s) good side, address the problem, and still let the frustration out so you won't be an emotional time bomb waiting to lay waste to your common sense, and anyone/anything else in its path.

Learn from "The Past" but write in "The Present"
It's vital to read the books you wish to write yourself, but you also need to know how to apply the timeless lessons in books published in a time gone by. Hopefully what I'm learning the hard way will save you from having a far worse time of it.


Wednesday - 12/7/11 The World-building Wars
An ongoing series about ways to take some of the crazy out of crafting our fantasy worlds.
(Part 1: Welcome to the World - A checklist even plot-phobics can handle and have fun with.)

Thursday - 12/8/11New Giveaway!
Details and Entry info Thursday

Friday - 12/9/11 Flipside Café
There are two sides to every story, and multipal ways to apply the same craft advice. The weekly feature will go in-depth with craft advice you always hear, and examine another way to go about it, to keep it fresh, and keep you motivated to improve your craft and combat the "Been there, Re-Done that" complex.
(This week: When in doubt, Flesh it Out: A new way to approach "Show, don't Tell.")

Saturday and Sunday (TBA)

I may be a day or two late sometimes, but bare with me, I'm committed to getting back on track.

Lastly, I'll talk about the things I learned from my difficult but necessary sabbatical(s) in a future "Letter from the Editor" but for now, just know while I'm still a bit shaky, I've missed interacting with those of you who've been so supportive and concerned for me in my string of sabbaticals from the blog. I will still stumble for some time, but it's time to stop letting my life go by, and live it again.



Here's to catching up to you on the ongoing road to living a better life.
Your Frazzled yet Fearless Literary Rat,

Taurean

Editor-in-Chief

Goodbye (For Now)

Sorry I've gone dark again, but life's been one nightmare after another, and because of this, I have some sad news to share.

T.A.A. will be on indefinite hiatus from regular updates until May 2012. 

The reasons are multiple, but all I can share is that I did everything in my power to avoid this decision, but I can't, and it's not fair to those of you who follow T.A.A. and gave me such support to string you along with my being unable to commit to this blog like I always meant to from the beginning.

Without getting whiny about it, my writing's at a standstill, I can't read without feeling intense rivalry, and I suck at the business aspects of this career, it's just not my nature, and nothing I've learned can make that change, and I tried.

I can't be a kid again, but I'm not an adult either, I just look like one, but a beard and dreams alone do not an independent soul make.

Allyn, Kelly, and Cat, I know I owe you prizes from this month's giveaways and I will still give them to you as I promised, please be patient as money's going to be tighter than I first anticipated.

This isn't goodbye for good, but I don't know when I'll really be ready to return, but this blog will remain up and I'll update now and again, but I can't promise regular daily or weekly updates at this time.

I apologize for those I disappoint with this decision, but it's the only sensible way I know to do this.

Until next time, whenever that may be,
May the fantastical fauna be with us all,
This is your literary rat signing off,

Taurean