Friday Advice from You to Me
1. Rachelle Gardner, literary agent, has a post today about how important it is for aspiring writers to read, specifically for them to read books in their genre. I need some recommendations on this, People. What's my genre you ask? I don't know!! Dear Hollywood is probably, almost definitely, young adult. And the other two budding ideas have young adult characters as well - i.e., late or post-high-school. They qualify as young adult, I think, because they're still making decisions about their life. (Like any of us ever stop doing that.)
So I need to read some modern novels with characters like that. Christian and non. I like a big story more than "here's what happened one crazy summer". And although I enjoy bonnet books (aka, the Amish or historical types), I'm looking for characters in today's world. I'm not particularly looking for gritty teenage stuff. Though if you love something like that, please recommend it, and let me know that's what it is. Hopefully, you know what to do from here.
2. Does anyone know what the Super Nanny says about potty-training a 3-year-old? I generally love her concepts, and I need to convince the Jakester to use the toilet for all forms of restroom-type needs. He's got the peeing down pat. I even found his nighttime diaper pulled off (and dry) in front of the bathroom door this morning. Of course, I also found him wearing only pajama bottoms when I got him up this morning. But other uses of the toilet? Not so much. And it's getting really gross. And Michael says it's time for corporal punishment, and I just don't see that method quite fitting the crime in this case, though I do feel we're into a behavioral issue more than control at this point. So what would the Nanny do? Anyone know?
3. I'm making a video trailer for THE THANK YOU ROOM. It's pretty cool - music, voice-over, photos. It's totally going to make my mom cry. I'm going to put it up on the My Writing page for sure - as sort of a video proposal to any editors out there. But listen. If I get a contract on this book, typically it won't be published for two years after that. Yikes, I know. So is it really too soon to try and raise public interest? Does anyone have great advice on this? Would you, for instance, drop an email to an (as-yet unpublished) address that you were interested in hearing about the book's status? If, say, you enjoyed the trailer? Discuss.
And those are my three things. You say things now.