A Writer's Work

A writer's work is never done. It's a crazy life. And I love it.

This week, my writing partner., Rhody Cohon and I, are starting new projects. We were asked by three different publishers to write samples for them. That means we don't get paid, yet. We write a chapter or two of an idea and then send it in. And then, we wait. Hopefully they will come back and ask us to write the book.

We've done this before. Lots of times. Usually we get the job, but sometimes, they tell us that "our voice isn't right" or that "our writing style is too young." Or "too old." It can be hard to guess what publishers want. We don't mind trying out for writing jobs. In fact, we like it. We just plain love writing. The rejection hurts a little, but if we weren't right for a job, then we weren't right. It's okay, there will be other books. Gotta keep going forward.

Usually we write our own creative books, like In the Stars, our young adult comedy novel. But we also like these jobs where you audition and then get hired to write someone else's book. We just finished writing a junior novelization of this summer's big Batman movie, called The Dark Knight. Basically, we took the script (someone else's story) and made it into a book. After that movie book, we got a chance to do it again with another big movie for next spring, but that one is still a secret.

Rhody once said that the hardest thing about being a writer is that everyday we get rejected. By an editor. A publisher. By someone who isn't into the way we do things. That's true. It probably is the hardest part. But we also get to try out for fun jobs and more and more often, we get them! With twenty one books in four years, we are finally finding success in a job we both adore.

If you want to be a writer, I say "Go for it!" Be sure you know that there will be rejection. Lots of it. It's just that sometimes things don't click. But other times they will. Keep writing. Keep going. And enjoy every day knowing that you get to do what you really want to do!

I will be at the LA Times Book Festival at UCLA's Campus on April 26th from 10:30-11:30 at S and S/C and M's booth. Come visit me! I'll be signing In The Stars and my young chapter books called Blast to the Past.

And be sure to check out our web page at www.astrology4stars.com.

Stacia Deutsch
bttpbooks@cox.net