Ever wonder what writers stare at when they aren't being good little writers and staring at their manuscript? In other words, what DO we look at 90% of the time when we sit at our desks?

My desk sits against a big white wall that has corkboard bits nailed to it. On top of the corkboard are photos that help me to connect to the characters in my current project (actors and actresses, plus some news photos). I won't tell them all to you because I don't want to prejudice future readers of this book but I'll share one... Jesse James. Yes, the motorcycle shop/Apprentice contestant/married-to-Sandra Bullock dude! 

There are also funny cards that friends have sent to me, and a beautiful photo/haiga from my talented author friend Marnie Brooks. Below all of that, right at eye level, hang my monthly and yearly goals (inspired by a talk I heard at Kindling Words East). As I reach each goal, I color the box green with a highlighter. I loovvvvvvve coloring the boxes, more than anyone should. I think I'll start making goals for easy stuff, like eating chocolate for the first food of the day.

Then, above the corkboard, there's my story wire that I hang index cards from when I'm outlining. Finally, at the very top, I've just added some printouts of teens holding CANDOR. I got the  pics from a library bookclub, The Big House Book Club, run by Ms. Koval. They eat pizza (smart readers) and talk about books, and they're discussing CANDOR this month. I just loved these pictures. They remind me of my audience, and how diverse and cool they are. The next time I start to feel my energy flag, I'll take a gander at the top of my wall and remember why I write. 

I am going to hunker down for some major writing sessions in the coming weeks, so I just did an inventory of my writing desk drawer.  I think I'm set, at least for now. Below is the inventory of my crucial writing supplies. Sure, I've got my laptop and (most of the time) my brain. But without these babies? The magic ain't happening. Especially when I'm staring down my computer screen at 6 AM.

--Partly (mostly) empty bag of chocolate from Lake Champlain chocolates (a lovely mix of dark chocolate and mint crunch), a souvenir from this year's Kindling Words East

--Big green-and-white candy cane, broken in three places (um, I think it's from this year)

--Two little packages of SweeTarts stolen from Little Dude's Halloween bag (they're nasty little chokeables! I was being a good mother!)

--See's Lollipops (nice to have a spouse who travels to the west coast regularly)

--Trader Joe's Lollipops (nice to have THIS place right down the street!)

--Leftover dark chocolate from a recent Boston trip... gourmet something, made somewhere in Woburn I think. I dunno. it's just good.

The people at Audi seem to be picking up the brainwashing waves from CANDOR... I wonder if all these people have been listening to the same Messages? :)

I don't want to spoil CANDOR's ending for anyone, so I suggest that you skip this post if you haven't finished the book! 

Zee Avi's song "Honey Bee" is a song that some CANDOR fans might think Nia would sing to Oscar after the book ends... check it out here:

I took a grand total of two English courses in college: advanced composition and comparative romantic literature. Nothing against English majors and profs, but I'm proud of my alternative path. I am a proud journalism major (go COM!). For good and for bad, my days of j-school shaped me into the writer I am today. Here are five unique offerings that journalism majors bring to writing YA novels:

1. Every single word counts. No florid descriptions or waffling dialog here. We get to the point!

2. We know headlines and lead grafs. Our first chapters are gonna grab you, because we've been trained to make that reader flip to the jump.

3. Two common and successful elements in YA lit: snark and anxiety about the future. Nobody knows that stuff better than a journalist who's had to face down the newspaper job market in the last ten years.

4. If there's swearing to be done, nobody does it better than us. We were trained by the old salty dogs of the newsroom. I'm not ^&%&^ kidding you. Don't even %^&% try to &*^&* with me, you *&(*()%^!

5. Copyeditors love our stuff: it's ^&*( clean. Unless we're too busy being snarky and anxious to give it a good read.

Fellow j-school grads, got anything to add?