#FastForward: Coming of Age in the Digital Age

I consider myself lucky. I was born and raised in a time before internet and 300+ TV channels, and being able to control your refrigerator with your iPhone. When you had to be home at 8:00 pm on the dot if you wanted to catch your favorite TV show and writing on people’s walls would land you in jail.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not one of those luddites who despise technology and think it’s the end of the world. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. I LOVE technology. I embrace it. I read books on my eReader and make dinner plans via text and do my Christmas shopping with a single click.

But the reason I consider myself lucky is because I’ve been able to witness the rise of all these advancements. I remember what it was like to have to drive to the AAA store and buy a map for your next road trip, or ask people for step by step directions, or look things up in the phonebook. I remember what a phone book is. And therefore I feel as though I can fully appreciate things like Google maps and phone apps and the soothing voice of my car’s navigation system. More so than the generation that’s growing up not knowing any different.

A few years ago I was babysitting for a friend. Her two year old son and I were watching a Tivoed episode of Sesame Street. Like any human being with a developing personality and sense of taste, there were certain characters and skits in the show that he liked better than others. But I’ll never forget when Bert and Ernie came on and this two year old kid turned to me and made a pantomime motion of pushing on a remote button with his thumb. It took me a few seconds (and him a few more fake remote jabs) to realize that he was asking me to fast forward. He didn’t want to watch Bert and Ernie. He wanted to skip it and get to Elmo or Grover. And I remember being so blown away by this realization. This kid can’t speak yet. Can’t tell me what he wants for dinner. But he can tell me that he wants to fast forward through Bert and Ernie.
There is an entire generation of kids today who don’t know (and will never know) what it’s like to watch live TV. To be forced to sit through things you don’t like in order to watch something you do. And that is simply baffling to me.

Although I didn’t grow up being able to fast forward through things I didn’t want to watch or have an entire conversation with my friends using 140 characters or less, as an author of young adult fiction, it’s my job to understand what it’s like. If I’m going to write believable stories for teen audiences, I have to be able to put myself in the shoes of someone coming of age in today’s world. A world in which your embarrassing moments are not only at risk of being gossiped about…but at risk of being caught on film (sorry, digital video) and posted on YouTube for all to see.

Everyone knows your teenage years define you. It’s when you start to search for your own identity. Seek independence. Rebel from your parents. Try to figure out what kind of person you want to be and why. And in today’s modern society, those kinds of life-altering reflections are not done in private anymore. They’re done in public. For all to see. On the internet.

Today’s teen is growing up on Facebook and Twitter and Youtube. They’re posting things we use to only share with our closest friends in notes passed between classes. Photographs that used to be kept privately in our photo albums are now sitting on a server somewhere in Palo Alto, CA for all of eternity. You can no longer rip your ex-boyfriend out of a picture after he cheats on you. There’s no physical photograph to rip. All you can do is “unfriend” him. “Unfollow him.” Unsubscribe. But it’s only virtual. It’s not real. Like money in your bank account. It’s all just data on a screen. 1s and 0s.

This modern day setting for teenage life fascinates me and it’s what I set out to explore in my upcoming novel, MY LIFE UNDECIDED, about a girl trying to decide who she is and find her identity…through an anonymous blog. By asking strangers to make her decisions for her, she ends up discovering the person she wants to be. And it’s certainly not the person she thought she wanted to be.

I had so much fun writing this book and putting myself in the shoes of a girl who grew up in today’s “when you want it, how you want it” culture. And interestingly enough, what I found through my writing and research was that although today’s technology offers a whole slew of new social issues that teenagers have to deal with, being a teenager is pretty much still the same. The emotions are the same. The heartbreak is the same. The way you feel about your first kiss hasn’t changed with the times. And this made me smile.

Apparently there are some things that are not only universal. But timeless as well. Teenage life is hard. It’s trying. It’s memorable. It’s full of decisions that define you. Regardless of whether or not you grew up being able to fast forward through Sesame Street.  



*First published on Get to the Point, a blog from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

Buy THE KARMA CLUB This Week and Win MY LIFE UNDECIDED next week!

New contest alert everyone! I know how we all LOVE contests!

So here it is. It's quite simple: Buy THE KARMA CLUB this week and win MY LIFE UNDECIDED next week! That's two books for the price of one!

Here's how to enter:

1) Buy a copy of THE KARMA CLUB paperback edition between 5/24 and 5/31.

2) Post a photograph of you with the book on your facebook page

3) Tag The Karma Club Book Fan Page in your photo (this part is important so we can count your submission!)

That's IT! You're entered!

Next week we'll be choosing FIVE lucky winners to receive autographed copies of MY LIFE UNDECIDED (which releases in stores June 7!)

The Karma Club Paperback can be found in Barnes and Noble bookstores, online at B&N.com, Amazon.com or other online book retailers. If your local bookstore doesn't have it in stock, tell them to order it (they can!)

**Open to U.S. and Canada only

A Great Review and a Gift from Brazil!

This just in! The Brazilian cover for Karma Club has long last been revealed. TA DA!

Isn't it gorgeous? I just want to eat it up! Okay, perhaps I'll simply frame it and put it on my wall. Purple is my favorite color, so I'm just loving this one! Thanks, Brazil! And side question: how can I get that dress in my size. I adore it!

The book releases in Brazil on May 27th! So if you live there (I wish I did!) then go pick it up next Friday! And if you haven't seen the Brazilian book trailer, watch it here.

Okay, in other good news, this great review just came in from the School Library Journal for MY LIFE UNDECIDED. And let me tell ya, it definitely made my day!

"Brooklyn is a sympathetic protagonist with whom teens will identify. Her journey is fun to read, and decision-challenged readers will learn an important lesson about self-acceptance along the way."
--School Library Journal

Woo hoo! More evidence to support the fact that I truly still am a teen and never did grow up past age 15. But hey, I'll take it!

That's all I got for now. Except to say that MY LIFE UNDECIDED comes out in (yikes!) 17 days! And The Karma Club Paperback edition releases on TUESDAY! Be sure to hit stores and pick up a copy. It's got LOADS of bonus stuff in it. 

Tchau! Ate mais! (That's bye and later in Portuguese) :) 

Jessica 

Tips for Writers: Writing in Public

 I used to be one of those writers who could only write at home. Shut up in my office, lights low, door closed, windows shut—a make-shift cocoon. Because I required complete silence and isolation. But I became frustrated that I couldn’t be one of those cool writers you see in coffee shops and cafes, sitting at their laptops with a cappuccino on one side and a yummy pastry on the other. Plus, I also found that being able to write only in my home was extremely limiting to my overall mobility as an author.

But then, about three years ago, I discovered the magic solution. Well, at least it was magic for me. Because now I barely ever write at home. I write everywhere. Coffee shops, cafés, restaurants, airports, airplanes. The world is my writing oyster. So I hope in sharing my little magic tip, that other writers may be able to come out of their cocoons as well and experience the joys of writing in public.

So…are you ready for it? Are you sure? It’s pretty life-altering. And yet, so simple. It’s called “White Noise Meditation.” Which is really just a music track of white noise. I play it on repeat in iTunes, stick in my little noise canceling ear buds, crank up the static and voila! I am safe in my “virtual” cocoon, yet still out in the world like a normal human being! The noise blocks out all distractions and actually helps me focus. To the point where I don’t even write at home any more without my white noise track playing. 

I actually use a track called “10 Hz Alpha Relaxation and Learning” by “White Noise Meditation”. It has an extra special technology embedded in it called “Holosyncing.” You might have heard of it before. Basically holosyncing is the science of “syncing” your brain waves to vibrate at a certain frequency. In this case, the frequency is one of “relaxation and learning,” helping me to concentrate on my writing even more. The waves are buried deep below a constant waterfall sound, making them undetectable. And the overall effect is awesome. After having written three books listening to the same 10 minute track over and over again, my brain has ultimately been trained to go into writing mode when it hears that track. So it ends up keeping me motivated to write as well. A double whammy!

So here’s another tip, if you see me out in public, wearing those magic headphones, I wouldn’t try talking to me. Chances are, I’ll be too “zoned” to even notice your there, let alone hear you!

Best of luck, writers!

*Originally published on Linda Gerber's Author Blog as part of "Writing Tip Tuesday" http://lindagerber.blogspot.com

Tips for Writers: How to Trick Your Brain into Writing

Writers are very good at coming up with clever ways to procrastinate. Ask any writer and they’ll immediately recite off the top of their head five useless things that they can easily do every morning before tackling that looming daily word count. Which is why I’m always trying to come up with new ways to trick myself into writing…as opposed to out of it.

Over the years, I’ve found that I tend to write most efficiently and quickly when I’m “in the zone.” Meaning when I’m fully focused on writing, the rest of the world has disappeared, and it’s just me and the story. But as a full-time writer with tight deadlines, I can’t always count on that zone to just magically appear and for me to just magically fall into it. For most writers I’ve spoken to (myself included), the “zone” seems to be this far-off fantastical place (like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow) and we’re lucky if we happen to stumble upon it once in a blue moon (and always when we’re not looking for it) let alone every day.

Obviously that’s not the most effective way to write a novel…waiting around for a fantastical place that may or may not exist. So throughout the course of my six years working as a full-time author, I’ve come up with several methods that I use to literally “trick” myself into the zone. It may not be as wonderful as the real thing, but it’s worked for me. So I’ve decided to share. Here are my top three favorite:

1. Location! Location! Location!

Reserve a place in your house or a local favorite coffee shop that is designated for writing and writing ONLY. Nothing else can be done there. No emailing. No Facebooking. No TV watching. Just writing. (Oh and cell phones should ALWAYS be turned off in this space). It can be a spare bedroom that’s rarely used, a small fold up table in the corner, or even a linen closet! But it has to be RESERVED for writing. After a few days, just entering that space will automatically jump start your brain into writing mode. You’ll feel less prone to procrastinate because your mind and body will know it’s time to work. If you need to take a quick break, LEAVE the space and come back only when you’re ready to write again. Don’t take email or twitter breaks in your sacred space, only write there.

Living in LA, I don’t have a huge house with idle bedrooms to spare, so I use a coffee shop down the street from my house. I never go there with friends. I never go there just to read the paper. I ONLY go there to write! Now, the moment I step foot in there, I’m instantly in work mode.

2. The Magic of Food (and Beverages)

Along the same lines, I will always eat and drink the same thing during the course of writing a book. When writing MY LIFE UNDECIDED, every morning for three months I would eat the same two mini brioches and a cup of coffee while I wrote. And I never ate this UNLESS I was writing. This further helps in getting your brain into writing mode. Not only are you in your little writing “sanctuary” but now you’re eating your writing food. Your mind is tricked into thinking it’s time to write! And it is. It doesn’t matter what food it is, just make sure you only eat it when it’s time to write. And don’t cheat and start chowing while you’re finishing up that email to your mother! All other windows should be closed and your manuscript should be open on your screen and ready to be tackled before you take that first bite!

I also have a rule that I only drink coffee when I’m writing. Not when I’m blogging, emailing or doing any other work-related things (I usually drink tea then). Only when I’m chipping away at my word count do I allow myself a cup of joe. So now my mind automatically associates the caffeine buzz from coffee with working. And I get so much more done that way.

3. The (Artificial) Ticking Time Bomb

This third one, I actually found out the hard way. When writing MY LIFE UNDECIDED, I had this old laptop that only had three hours of battery life on it…tops! And my writing café doesn’t have any plugs. So I had exactly three hours to get my word count done or I was done. (Or rather my computer was.) This ended up really helping me focus. Every time I would feel inclined to check email or surf the net, a little voice in the back of my head would chime in (or maybe it was just the ticking clock of my battery) and say, “No, no. You only have 2.5 hours left!” This forced me to focus on writing and nothing else. So I encourage you to leave your plug at home. Or even in another room of your house. It may take a few drained batteries (and zero progress on your book) or your brain to catch on, but pretty soon, you’ll train yourself to write more efficiently and with less pointless procrastination breaks on the internet. Because when you’re “in the zone” there is nothing else. The internet doesn’t exist. Email is a foreign concept. And anyone who lives outside of the world of your book is forgotten. So the key is to do your best to emulate that state.

And voilà! Those are my top three “mind tricks” for getting into writing mode. If you’re having trouble getting your butt in the chair and finishing your novel, try one or all of these and see if they help you as much as they help me. The first book I wrote employing all three of these tricks was MY LIFE UNDECIDED which releases next month and I finished writing it in 3 months (writing only 3 hours a day). And for me that was proof enough that it worked.

Good luck and keep writing!

Upcoming Releases and Events!

Oh my, so much new stuff. Where do I begin?

Releases:

First up, THE KARMA CLUB paperback releases on May 24...that's like 18 days away! I can hardly believe it. If you haven't pre-ordered, DO! Here, I'll make it really easy for you. CLICK HERE! It has a fancy new cover and everything. Read all about the book here.

Next up is MY LIFE UNDECIDED! Hoorah! It releases on June 7 (which is less than a month away!) If you haven't seen the trailer yet, be sure to watch it here. You can also read an excerpt there. I'm so excited about this book. It's actually my favorite book I've written thus far (shh...don't tell that to my other books). And not just because it's shiny and new and has an awesome cover. But because I really do love this character. She's very different than any of my other characters...and really nothing like me. At times, while I was writing, I felt as though I were channeling her from some far off place. Anyway, you can pre-order that one too! Look, I'll make it just as easy: CLICK HERE!

Reviews:

The reviews for MY LIFE UNDECIDED are starting to roll in! Publisher's Weekly called it, "An amusing coming-of-age story with many funny moments." Check out the full review here!


Upcoming Events:


I have some really cool upcoming events to share as well. I'll be reading and signing copies of MY LIFE UNDECIDED and KARMA CLUB in Los Angeles and Denver next month. Here are the deets for both:

June 7, 2011 - 7:00 pm
Barnes & Noble - Santa Monica
1300 Third Street Promenade
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Event Page 
 

June 9, 2011 - 7:00 pm
Tattered Cover
9315 Dorchester St # H-101
Highlands Ranch, CO 80129-2521
www.TatteredCover.com

I hope to see you at one (or both, if you happen to have a lot of frequent flyer miles). 

Until then, Ate mais! (I'm taking Portuguese lessons for my upcoming trip to the Rio Book Fair.)

Jessica