The Author's Journey: From Ecology to Writing

As an author, I've had my fair share of writing retreats and struggles with finishing books. After spending five years working on "Making It Sell," a book about making it in the publishing industry, I finally finished the manuscript in June 2000. However, this experience also left me feeling exhausted and slightly burnt out. To get some fresh air and inspiration, I took a writing retreat to Mexico with friends Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Brendan Kelly. We spent our days lounging on the beach, working on our respective projects, and sharing ideas.

This trip was a turning point for me as a writer. I had always struggled with starting new books, but this time around, I felt more confident in my abilities. With three different writing projects to juggle, I began to combine elements of each book into one cohesive story. This was a new approach for me, and it allowed me to create something unique and exciting. The experience was so invigorating that I decided to pitch the book to Little Brown Books for Young Readers.

The Pitching Process

After weeks of preparation, our group of friends pitched our books to the publishers. It was an exciting and nerve-wracking experience, but ultimately rewarding. Cassandra Clare's "Mortal Instruments" series was picked up by Little Brown Books for Young Readers, while Holly Black's "Irregular" was also accepted. My own book, which I later titled "Making It Sell," was not picked up immediately, but the experience taught me valuable lessons about perseverance and the importance of finding the right publisher.

Broadway Bound

As fate would have it, our trip to see Mean Girls in Chicago coincided with my writing retreat. The show was a huge hit, and we were all blown away by its energy and talent. We spent hours discussing our favorite songs and characters, and I couldn't help but feel inspired by the creativity on display. It was a rare moment of downtime from writing, but one that I'll always cherish.

A Night to Remember

Our evening at Mean Girls was filled with laughter, music, and delicious food. We feasted on dominoes pizza and discussed everything from our favorite songs to our hopes for our writing projects. As the night wore on, we began to wind down, exhausted from a day of work and play. It was a magical moment, one that I'll always treasure.

Getting Ready for Book Expo

As the days turned into weeks, my excitement grew for Book Expo America. The event is a highlight of the publishing calendar, and I couldn't wait to see all the books and authors in person. I spent hours getting everything ready, from setting up my booth to preparing my presentation. It was going to be a busy few days, but I was more than prepared.

A Quick Goodbye

As our time at Book Expo came to a close, we gathered together one last time. Emma needed to get some rest, and we didn't want her to miss out on the fun. We said our goodbyes and promised to catch up soon. It was a bittersweet moment, as we knew that we wouldn't be together for long. But even though it's over, the memories of this trip will stay with me forever.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey what's up hello my name is Emma and today is day one of Book Expo so the first day of Book Expo Wednesday nothing really happens you mostly just pick up your registration and badge and then you go home so today we're gonna get tattoo my first tattoo I'm kind of scared I'm so excited for you you're gonna get it you're never gonna stop I'm here right now with Brandon the book addict and they are over there without age and we're staying with Michael book lions you might be Monica and Kaylie Hyde and it's just like one big in New York apartment at booktubers and that's wonderful so today we're going to get tattoos and then later we're going to Mean Girls on Broadway and I'm so excited for today imagine that yeah and guess what guys it's Wednesday today and Wednesdays we wear pink it's Wednesday my dude it is Wednesday in my dates my was a frightening today what's that oh my god there's people what did he sorry how are you feeling Emma okay Emma how are you feeling right now okay but you look super relaxed right yeah so this is Sarah's tattoo it's so freaking cute how much do you love it I love it it's so freakin gorgeous we said it literally doesn't even look like a tattoo like it's like it's just like like a draw yeah it's so good so and then let me see cats purr hammer is that - oh it looks so good it's so delicate no it's no wonderful I love it so much the font just looks so perfect I adore it if Hamilton's handwriting so this is my tattoo if it is a monogram of every letter and the first ten numbers of the English grin how do you like your tattoo I love it so much it looks so good there's one that's a good picture of the detail the detail is just like unbelievable it's brand first tattoo it was there to this part of the skin with me well but for a while yeah it's totally worth it yes yeah so we just left black there's tattoo and right now we're walking to five cents five five senses or some Korean food and I know so everyone enjoy Sarah did you like yes what did you get I got a vegan bot bowl with the tofu and rice and I had a kimchi to it and then I got spicy tofu soup I'm so good Monica how'd you like it think I had you like it must ah we are leaving at the Korean barbecue please we're running to a Janna because sarah has some uncomfy shoes on and it's to get stuck and then we're going to the anomaly which should be a really really fun and then we got to the paper cuz I wouldn't be super exciting if we had a brand new manager paperback you know we love this but maybe for some people it may be the first time we can do something new and great idea they were like what if you go really sad by fantasy on this way they like open it up to that audience so love we start setting some ideas and housings that Brad were people the things that were many more possibly iconic this would be here and he hadn't Illustrated really really really excited for marijuana he's awesome you may have seen some certified and he came around and we asked for his ideas and gameplay also things work and we love them and before just so sorry that it's like a teen feeling that it wasn't really quite feeling like clean easier but there she gets like really gorgeous literary savvas reflections and sort of the perhaps paperback and you can see that where Hopkins to see these covers with so we're trying to get a little bit very core of every new picture let's try let's keep going resent even more the redevelopment and therefore it is look as opposed to end like maybe not exactly something it feels like between each other grand so we're like alright and another concerning the lead writer which is really really alleys that breed this year in blood flow is the main character and continuum thorn is a series other more including that we didn't want to be in that market confusion I mean so the scheme of his character that also lock us down is tonight both end who becomes the face of it never repeats us in the news every so we have to rethink this and we keep going back to this idea of how much we love the you can't cover us if you love are never look you can cover so much and we're thinking it there something there Super Meat House our friends in the UK and they say actually we have a team here paper back so there you can luckily rings now inside life and this year actually we're working on we have the UK's we're just over to parity love and then we have what they've given us here and we look through this and we're like oh that's okay yeah Brett here so Louise loved you know teens work and we thought maybe we can change the tactics we set up a little bit and give people that maybe but it flex paper back set of the books also something you I guess I need to click away so we tried some tech design something that sort of tied it together over there strange that they can reel of tape lines and here's where we ended up so I'm actually not sure with gun sale date is for this but if you see it in stories this is really fun and I wanted to talk to you a little bit about how strange the dreamer came to be and newsmakers it's a little bit of a strange journey after I finish writing about so much ecology they had their cool you know decide you know do over a expended working on this is this for over five years started us it's sort of like oh man as a writing exercise today that going to take you know five years of my life in the best possible way and it's done and like you know we're right and because about the world's fastest rider can a really long time to learn how to finish a book that basically oh like 46 years of unfinished or in written book sort of like median lines in my head and so I was like well what I can do and I will have a writing retreat and so I finished June 2000 on stirring stick right I'm always super lean and you know it gets heard the term crashing my schedule and it was so bad actually it means about the country but I have a Monday Bobby edits and so whatever no this retreat in February I was like feeling exhausted and slightly all done and I was in Mexico with Holly black and casting there and Sarah nice Brendan Kelly link and they were all working really hard I just felt like that the only thing I'd be doing that trip is have fun and see her never wonder you're right next I said the time going through these old ideas and new ones and Chinese plate put them together into you know what might be right and if you put three ideas was it'll look at you remember ye and I put them together into patience which I've never done before only books about making it sold as partials with sequels and so this wasn't he able writing at the edge to make it sound you know like a real idea for a book rather than just you know they're sort of beginning to a book because that's I didn't have a whole story so I guess I have too many ideas and luckily I'll heal like them and a little bit about them so that was super exciting and then I had to figure out which one's right first we're basically different editors from little brown around and pitch their new book through that's really cool we also got some is where exciting and books that I will show you right now everyone it is going to you called thickened it was hewn from dinner before we go to Mean Girls and I'm really right now your head called villainesses would you like a say and we all got his her and ski and stuff I got my classic black sea with milk and sugar and it's chocolate cake and a chocolate brownie cookie Natasha what did you get I'm so good Monica what did you get Trey cream puffs which is so good and this was cute gel cute Totoro macaron and Sarah got nothing but she is eating all our food sheet around Rotarians careful and Sasha what did you get I'm sorry I can't tell see like matcha I am into a Broadway show since like elementary it's like that was written by the funniest kid in the class like its assigned etosha what do you say what do you think so far I'm loving it it's really good she's amazing it's my very likely yeah they just got out of Mean Girls and it was amazing what was everyone's favorite song mine was someone gets hurt Ashley like the opening nobody was okay the opening the very opening you know one every bad things that someone gets hurt Michael Oh is your favorite song I love karin-sama's really great it was so much fun everyone was so talented and it was like a really good maybe 30 feet away there right there but there's so many yeah like signatures yeah this is my first Broadway show and I am so happy it was amazing friend you're in my shop Briana this isn't even montage footage anymore this is just straight-up a vlog trash you could be in the unsung ball Oh get it so it's like 1:30 in the morning happy Thursday so we basically got home from being girls I mean eat some dominoes and now it's bedtime I like to get up in like 4 hours you've been like there we as tag be a week it's here today was super fun we had an amazing time y'all saw it all we don't really need to do a big recap because Emma needs to go to sleep that's right I will see you guys soon up for my vlog for tomorrow for Thursday of Book Expo byehey what's up hello my name is Emma and today is day one of Book Expo so the first day of Book Expo Wednesday nothing really happens you mostly just pick up your registration and badge and then you go home so today we're gonna get tattoo my first tattoo I'm kind of scared I'm so excited for you you're gonna get it you're never gonna stop I'm here right now with Brandon the book addict and they are over there without age and we're staying with Michael book lions you might be Monica and Kaylie Hyde and it's just like one big in New York apartment at booktubers and that's wonderful so today we're going to get tattoos and then later we're going to Mean Girls on Broadway and I'm so excited for today imagine that yeah and guess what guys it's Wednesday today and Wednesdays we wear pink it's Wednesday my dude it is Wednesday in my dates my was a frightening today what's that oh my god there's people what did he sorry how are you feeling Emma okay Emma how are you feeling right now okay but you look super relaxed right yeah so this is Sarah's tattoo it's so freaking cute how much do you love it I love it it's so freakin gorgeous we said it literally doesn't even look like a tattoo like it's like it's just like like a draw yeah it's so good so and then let me see cats purr hammer is that - oh it looks so good it's so delicate no it's no wonderful I love it so much the font just looks so perfect I adore it if Hamilton's handwriting so this is my tattoo if it is a monogram of every letter and the first ten numbers of the English grin how do you like your tattoo I love it so much it looks so good there's one that's a good picture of the detail the detail is just like unbelievable it's brand first tattoo it was there to this part of the skin with me well but for a while yeah it's totally worth it yes yeah so we just left black there's tattoo and right now we're walking to five cents five five senses or some Korean food and I know so everyone enjoy Sarah did you like yes what did you get I got a vegan bot bowl with the tofu and rice and I had a kimchi to it and then I got spicy tofu soup I'm so good Monica how'd you like it think I had you like it must ah we are leaving at the Korean barbecue please we're running to a Janna because sarah has some uncomfy shoes on and it's to get stuck and then we're going to the anomaly which should be a really really fun and then we got to the paper cuz I wouldn't be super exciting if we had a brand new manager paperback you know we love this but maybe for some people it may be the first time we can do something new and great idea they were like what if you go really sad by fantasy on this way they like open it up to that audience so love we start setting some ideas and housings that Brad were people the things that were many more possibly iconic this would be here and he hadn't Illustrated really really really excited for marijuana he's awesome you may have seen some certified and he came around and we asked for his ideas and gameplay also things work and we love them and before just so sorry that it's like a teen feeling that it wasn't really quite feeling like clean easier but there she gets like really gorgeous literary savvas reflections and sort of the perhaps paperback and you can see that where Hopkins to see these covers with so we're trying to get a little bit very core of every new picture let's try let's keep going resent even more the redevelopment and therefore it is look as opposed to end like maybe not exactly something it feels like between each other grand so we're like alright and another concerning the lead writer which is really really alleys that breed this year in blood flow is the main character and continuum thorn is a series other more including that we didn't want to be in that market confusion I mean so the scheme of his character that also lock us down is tonight both end who becomes the face of it never repeats us in the news every so we have to rethink this and we keep going back to this idea of how much we love the you can't cover us if you love are never look you can cover so much and we're thinking it there something there Super Meat House our friends in the UK and they say actually we have a team here paper back so there you can luckily rings now inside life and this year actually we're working on we have the UK's we're just over to parity love and then we have what they've given us here and we look through this and we're like oh that's okay yeah Brett here so Louise loved you know teens work and we thought maybe we can change the tactics we set up a little bit and give people that maybe but it flex paper back set of the books also something you I guess I need to click away so we tried some tech design something that sort of tied it together over there strange that they can reel of tape lines and here's where we ended up so I'm actually not sure with gun sale date is for this but if you see it in stories this is really fun and I wanted to talk to you a little bit about how strange the dreamer came to be and newsmakers it's a little bit of a strange journey after I finish writing about so much ecology they had their cool you know decide you know do over a expended working on this is this for over five years started us it's sort of like oh man as a writing exercise today that going to take you know five years of my life in the best possible way and it's done and like you know we're right and because about the world's fastest rider can a really long time to learn how to finish a book that basically oh like 46 years of unfinished or in written book sort of like median lines in my head and so I was like well what I can do and I will have a writing retreat and so I finished June 2000 on stirring stick right I'm always super lean and you know it gets heard the term crashing my schedule and it was so bad actually it means about the country but I have a Monday Bobby edits and so whatever no this retreat in February I was like feeling exhausted and slightly all done and I was in Mexico with Holly black and casting there and Sarah nice Brendan Kelly link and they were all working really hard I just felt like that the only thing I'd be doing that trip is have fun and see her never wonder you're right next I said the time going through these old ideas and new ones and Chinese plate put them together into you know what might be right and if you put three ideas was it'll look at you remember ye and I put them together into patience which I've never done before only books about making it sold as partials with sequels and so this wasn't he able writing at the edge to make it sound you know like a real idea for a book rather than just you know they're sort of beginning to a book because that's I didn't have a whole story so I guess I have too many ideas and luckily I'll heal like them and a little bit about them so that was super exciting and then I had to figure out which one's right first we're basically different editors from little brown around and pitch their new book through that's really cool we also got some is where exciting and books that I will show you right now everyone it is going to you called thickened it was hewn from dinner before we go to Mean Girls and I'm really right now your head called villainesses would you like a say and we all got his her and ski and stuff I got my classic black sea with milk and sugar and it's chocolate cake and a chocolate brownie cookie Natasha what did you get I'm so good Monica what did you get Trey cream puffs which is so good and this was cute gel cute Totoro macaron and Sarah got nothing but she is eating all our food sheet around Rotarians careful and Sasha what did you get I'm sorry I can't tell see like matcha I am into a Broadway show since like elementary it's like that was written by the funniest kid in the class like its assigned etosha what do you say what do you think so far I'm loving it it's really good she's amazing it's my very likely yeah they just got out of Mean Girls and it was amazing what was everyone's favorite song mine was someone gets hurt Ashley like the opening nobody was okay the opening the very opening you know one every bad things that someone gets hurt Michael Oh is your favorite song I love karin-sama's really great it was so much fun everyone was so talented and it was like a really good maybe 30 feet away there right there but there's so many yeah like signatures yeah this is my first Broadway show and I am so happy it was amazing friend you're in my shop Briana this isn't even montage footage anymore this is just straight-up a vlog trash you could be in the unsung ball Oh get it so it's like 1:30 in the morning happy Thursday so we basically got home from being girls I mean eat some dominoes and now it's bedtime I like to get up in like 4 hours you've been like there we as tag be a week it's here today was super fun we had an amazing time y'all saw it all we don't really need to do a big recap because Emma needs to go to sleep that's right I will see you guys soon up for my vlog for tomorrow for Thursday of Book Expo bye\n"