Explained by guest blogger Alex =
Sanchez of http://www.alexsanchez.com/
![](3D"http://z.about.com/d/gayteens/1/0/O/-/-/-/AlexSanchez.jpg")
I write the stories that I wish had been around when I was a=20 teen=E2=80=94stories about sex, friendship, love, sexuality, God, drugs, = alcohol=E2=80=A6 I had=20 hugely important questions about that stuff as a teen but I = wasn=E2=80=99t very good at=20 asking the questions. And most adults in my life weren=E2=80=99t very = good at giving=20 answers. Now, as a so-called adult I get to ask and answer those = questions=20 through stories. In doing so, I=E2=80=99ve learned something important: = If you write=20 about things you deeply care about, chances are that other people will = care=20 about them too.
I=E2=80=99ve = tried to write,=20 but the words don=E2=80=99t come out the way I want, or I can=E2=80=99t = sit still for more than=20 five minutes, or I can=E2=80=99t think of what comes next after the = first page, or=E2=80=A6 etc.=20 Help!
Yep, writing is a bear. It=E2=80=99s really, really, = really hard work.=20 If you can do anything else, you=E2=80=99re probably better off doing = that. But if you=20 absolutely have to write, then read Anne Lamott=E2=80=99s Bird by Bird: = Some=20 Instructions on Writing and Life. She explains how to deal with all = those pesky=20 blocks to writing far better than I can in this little ol=E2=80=99 guest = blog.
If writing is as hard as you = say it=20 is, then why do you do it?
Yeah, it=E2=80=99s hard, but = it=E2=80=99s also my greatest=20 joy=E2=80=94better than love, sex, booze, drugs, or chocolate cake. I = get high off it.=20 You see, down deep I=E2=80=99m really a self-centered hedonistic = narcissistic dolt. But=20 the second reason I do it is because people=E2=80=94both teens and = adults=E2=80=94keep saying=20 that my books help them to understand themselves and people they love. = And I=E2=80=99m=20 not completely totally self-centered. I write for Zak in Nebraska, and = for=20 Natasha in the Bronx, and for Jon who snuck my book out of the library = because=20 he was too scared to check it out but later returned it so it could help = someone=20 else, and for YOU.
Okay, I = want to try=20 to write a novel. But how will I get published?
Whoa! First = you have=20 to write the manuscript. Somehow, a lot of people kind of overlook that = step.=20 And you want to get the manuscript as good as it can be. That means a = lot of=20 revision. Nobody I know writes a book in just one draft. Most people = write a lot=20 of drafts. My first novel took about thirty drafts. Now I=E2=80=99ve got = it down to=20 about a measly dozen drafts before the manuscript is ready to go to = galleys.=20
Are you serious?
Yep.=20
How the hell do you stick with=20 it?
I need the support of other people. Friends, special = readers, my=20 amazing agent, an equally amazing editor. If you=E2=80=99re starting = out, join a=20 writers=E2=80=99 group or take a writing workshop. If you=E2=80=99re = writing a book for teens, a=20 good resource is www.scbwi.org. Other writers will help you develop your = craft=20 and=E2=80=94just as important=E2=80=94a good group will help to build = your confidence. I know I=20 needed that. And I still do. Writing is hard. (Did I already mention = that?) Not=20 only hard in terms of craft but also psychologically. Writing fiction is = about=20 emotional honesty=E2=80=94about letting other people know our deepest = thoughts and=20 feelings. About exposing our innermost selves.
Exposing myself sounds a little =
nasty=E2=80=94or at least=20
naughty. Do I really have to do that?
Yes. And it gets worse. = Thanks=20 to those kind folks at Amazon.com, be prepared for every dork in the=20 English-speaking world to let you, your mom, and everybody else know = exactly=20 what they think of what you thought was a precious labor of love. When = we get up=20 the nerve to share our writing, we make ourselves vulnerable, and most = human=20 beings will need others to help deal with all the critics out there who, = IMHO,=20 should shut up and write their own frickin books if they think = they=E2=80=99re so=20 smart.
You=E2=80=99re = starting to scare me=20 here. So, um, how long is this all going to take?
When I made = a=20 commitment to write my first novel, I figured it would take about a = year. It=20 ended up taking six long-long years. I=E2=80=99ve learned that=E2=80=99s = about average time it=20 takes for first novels. You learn by trial and error. Imagine one of = those Nike=20 ads gone horribly wrong: Just do it=E2=80=A6 and make mistakes, and more = mistakes,=20 and... Nine completed book-length manuscripts later, it finally does = take me=20 about a year to write a novel=E2=80=94but at that pace, I=E2=80=99m = getting a little tired. But=20 it=E2=80=99s too late now, I=E2=80=99m hooked.
Okay, in=20 spite of everything you=E2=80=99ve said, I still want to try it. What do = I do once I=20 have my manuscript all revised, dandy, and good to go?
Once = you=E2=80=99re=20 ready to send it out, your chances of getting a publisher to read it = will be=20 infinitely greater if you work with an agent. To find one, visit the = nifty=20 website: www.aar-online.org. There, you can search for an agent = using=20 keywords like GAY or YOUNG ADULT. To avoid wasting time, the key = is for=20 you to identify and target agents who deal with the genre of your=20 manuscript. In looking for an agent, the main thing to beware of = any agent=20 who charges money upfront. The agents on the AAR website = won't. They=20 only make money if they sell your manuscript.
One last question=E2=80=94if I want to write =
about LGBT teens, is=20
there a large enough market?
There=E2=80=99s a huuuge = audience=E2=80=94the same=20 readership that likes to consume stories about sexy vegetarian vampires. = Yep,=20 teenage girls! They=E2=80=99ll read anything well written that = includes elements=20 of love, romance, sex, friendship, sexuality and social (in)justice. If = those=20 topics sound similar to the ones mentioned in my first question, = you=E2=80=99re onto=20 something Sherlock. Yes, indeed. Teen girls are my biggest readership. = God bless=20 =E2=80=99em! I love you all. Muah!
So, that=E2=80=99s it for now. = I=E2=80=99ve to go. Get to=20 writing! And visit me athttp://www.alexsanchez.com/
<= BR>
I write the stories that I wish had been around when I was a=20 teen=E2=80=94stories about sex, friendship, love, sexuality, God, drugs, = alcohol=E2=80=A6 I had=20 hugely important questions about that stuff as a teen but I = wasn=E2=80=99t very good at=20 asking the questions. And most adults in my life weren=E2=80=99t very = good at giving=20 answers. Now, as a so-called adult I get to ask and answer those = questions=20 through stories. In doing so, I=E2=80=99ve learned something important: = If you write=20 about things you deeply care about, chances are that other people will = care=20 about them too.
I=E2=80=99ve = tried to write,=20 but the words don=E2=80=99t come out the way I want, or I can=E2=80=99t = sit still for more than=20 five minutes, or I can=E2=80=99t think of what comes next after the = first page, or=E2=80=A6 etc.=20 Help!
Yep, writing is a bear. It=E2=80=99s really, really, = really hard work.=20 If you can do anything else, you=E2=80=99re probably better off doing = that. But if you=20 absolutely have to write, then read Anne Lamott=E2=80=99s Bird by Bird: = Some=20 Instructions on Writing and Life. She explains how to deal with all = those pesky=20 blocks to writing far better than I can in this little ol=E2=80=99 guest = blog.
If writing is as hard as you = say it=20 is, then why do you do it?
Yeah, it=E2=80=99s hard, but = it=E2=80=99s also my greatest=20 joy=E2=80=94better than love, sex, booze, drugs, or chocolate cake. I = get high off it.=20 You see, down deep I=E2=80=99m really a self-centered hedonistic = narcissistic dolt. But=20 the second reason I do it is because people=E2=80=94both teens and = adults=E2=80=94keep saying=20 that my books help them to understand themselves and people they love. = And I=E2=80=99m=20 not completely totally self-centered. I write for Zak in Nebraska, and = for=20 Natasha in the Bronx, and for Jon who snuck my book out of the library = because=20 he was too scared to check it out but later returned it so it could help = someone=20 else, and for YOU.
Okay, I = want to try=20 to write a novel. But how will I get published?
Whoa! First = you have=20 to write the manuscript. Somehow, a lot of people kind of overlook that = step.=20 And you want to get the manuscript as good as it can be. That means a = lot of=20 revision. Nobody I know writes a book in just one draft. Most people = write a lot=20 of drafts. My first novel took about thirty drafts. Now I=E2=80=99ve got = it down to=20 about a measly dozen drafts before the manuscript is ready to go to = galleys.=20
Are you serious?
Yep.=20
How the hell do you stick with=20 it?
I need the support of other people. Friends, special = readers, my=20 amazing agent, an equally amazing editor. If you=E2=80=99re starting = out, join a=20 writers=E2=80=99 group or take a writing workshop. If you=E2=80=99re = writing a book for teens, a=20 good resource is www.scbwi.org. Other writers will help you develop your = craft=20 and=E2=80=94just as important=E2=80=94a good group will help to build = your confidence. I know I=20 needed that. And I still do. Writing is hard. (Did I already mention = that?) Not=20 only hard in terms of craft but also psychologically. Writing fiction is = about=20 emotional honesty=E2=80=94about letting other people know our deepest = thoughts and=20 feelings. About exposing our innermost selves.
Yes. And it gets worse. = Thanks=20 to those kind folks at Amazon.com, be prepared for every dork in the=20 English-speaking world to let you, your mom, and everybody else know = exactly=20 what they think of what you thought was a precious labor of love. When = we get up=20 the nerve to share our writing, we make ourselves vulnerable, and most = human=20 beings will need others to help deal with all the critics out there who, = IMHO,=20 should shut up and write their own frickin books if they think = they=E2=80=99re so=20 smart.
You=E2=80=99re = starting to scare me=20 here. So, um, how long is this all going to take?
When I made = a=20 commitment to write my first novel, I figured it would take about a = year. It=20 ended up taking six long-long years. I=E2=80=99ve learned that=E2=80=99s = about average time it=20 takes for first novels. You learn by trial and error. Imagine one of = those Nike=20 ads gone horribly wrong: Just do it=E2=80=A6 and make mistakes, and more = mistakes,=20 and... Nine completed book-length manuscripts later, it finally does = take me=20 about a year to write a novel=E2=80=94but at that pace, I=E2=80=99m = getting a little tired. But=20 it=E2=80=99s too late now, I=E2=80=99m hooked.
Okay, in=20 spite of everything you=E2=80=99ve said, I still want to try it. What do = I do once I=20 have my manuscript all revised, dandy, and good to go?
Once = you=E2=80=99re=20 ready to send it out, your chances of getting a publisher to read it = will be=20 infinitely greater if you work with an agent. To find one, visit the = nifty=20 website: www.aar-online.org. There, you can search for an agent = using=20 keywords like GAY or YOUNG ADULT. To avoid wasting time, the key = is for=20 you to identify and target agents who deal with the genre of your=20 manuscript. In looking for an agent, the main thing to beware of = any agent=20 who charges money upfront. The agents on the AAR website = won't. They=20 only make money if they sell your manuscript.
There=E2=80=99s a huuuge = audience=E2=80=94the same=20 readership that likes to consume stories about sexy vegetarian vampires. = Yep,=20 teenage girls! They=E2=80=99ll read anything well written that = includes elements=20 of love, romance, sex, friendship, sexuality and social (in)justice. If = those=20 topics sound similar to the ones mentioned in my first question, = you=E2=80=99re onto=20 something Sherlock. Yes, indeed. Teen girls are my biggest readership. = God bless=20 =E2=80=99em! I love you all. Muah!
So, that=E2=80=99s it for now. = I=E2=80=99ve to go. Get to=20 writing! And visit me at
<= BR>
![3D""=20](3D"http://img1.blogblog.com/img/icon18_wrench_allbkg.png")
=20
![](3D"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9uN1hVuxlvo/S_UonRwsRWI/AAAAAAAAA1E/dXaa=)
6 comments:
Alex Sanchez is amazing! Rainbow Boys =3D Best LGBT series ever. No = that=20 there are an excess of them, but still! :D Great interview to you = both. ;)
Nice interview!
This is the BEST Alex Sanchez interview ever! Brent, you are an = amazing=20 interviewer. So many things to love here. A self-centered hedonistic=20 narcissistic dolt? LOL. All the critics out there who, IMHO, should = shut up=20 and write their own frickin books? I love it! The librarians over at = LM_NET=20 are def going to want to read this one!!!
Nice work, Brent!
I adore Alex Sanchez. He is insightful and incisive. He creates = characters=20 that I would love to know - that I feel like I know. He could write = the=20 telephone book and I would buy it. He'd make it = interesting.
Great=20 interview. Love your blog. It's in my feeder now - thanks to Janet. = Isn't the=20 blogosphere great?
brenda
Just wanted to say how glad I am that I found this wonderful = blog.
Love Alex Sanchez and hope he comes out with a new book soon! = Wonderful=20 interview!