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Off to The Big Apple

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John Corey Whaley's journey to publication continues as he preps for his first trip to New York City! While there, he'll get to meet his agent and editor face to face for the first time, and who knows, he may even be spotted in the WEbook offices...

I decided shortly after Simon & Schuster bought my novel that I’d plan a trip to meet Ken, my agent, and Nami, my new editor. Having never been to New York, I figured there was no better way to experience it for the first time than now—when I have a valid excuse to fly across the country to mix business with pleasure (though, it’s hard to tell the difference these days).

And so, I will be setting off next Saturday to spend Spring Break (yep—I still live by the schedule of a student, being a teacher and all) in the Big Apple.  

I was thinking about what this trip really means to me as a writer. You always read about New York City and its often magical power over one’s actions, attitude, style, etc., but what is it going to mean to me—a Southern writer who mostly focuses on rural towns?

The first thing that keeps popping into my mind when I think about my trip is Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. I’m not sure I’ve shared this with anyone, but The Catcher in the Rye, is what made me want to tell the kind of stories I write. Good God Bird is heavily influenced by Salinger’s story of a troubled young man who flees to the big city to figure out his life, the world, et al. There are several references to Catcher in my own novel, given that one character in particular seems to have a fascination with it.  It may be stereotypical for a young writer to say: but I share this fascination. And, I think the fact that Salinger passed away just a few weeks ago has made the work more present in my mind. When I think about my trip, I think of Holden Caulfield standing in Central Park at the end of the novel and I realize that one of my characters, too, could one day come to mind when others have similar experiences. 

I say this all to start a conversation of sorts. I’m always interested in the type of works that inspire others to write. I actually get inspiration from many sources, including other writers, movies, television, and even National Public Radio (as with Good God Bird). 
So, what books, movies, people, animals, places, sounds, etc., inspire your writing?
I look forward to seeing what the city inspires in me…and sharing that with you all!
--Corey

To learn more about Corey's journey so far, check out his previous posts here, and stay tuned for news from NYC! To hear some more from Corey's agent, check out Ken's latest Ask the Agent post.

Corey Whaley on Why Criticism Rocks

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John Corey Whaley is back and he's sharing his ongoing journey to publication. If you'd like to start at the beginning of Corey's story, check out his previous posts about writing his novel and his long search for representation.
Take it away, Corey!

Hello again WEbook,

I'd like to share share a bit more about what I learned during the writing process of Good God Bird. If I could provide other writers with just one bit of advice, it would be to seek constant feedback throughout the novel-writing process. During the two years that I worked on Good God Bird, I had a close friend (with fine-tuned editing skills and a penchant for good literature) review, critique, and provide notes on my working draft. Sometimes I would send her (Randi Anderson) a paragraph, and other times I would send her an entire chapter or two. Each time, I could expect well-thought notes and suggestions to come my way. This helped, early on, to clear up any confusion in my narrative and also gave me a great sounding board for working through new ideas. 

Writing a novel is difficult, very difficult, but asking someone else to read it and honestly point out problems or errors is nearly impossible! But, it’s essential, I think. I learned how to take criticism constructively because I asked for help from a friend. Be careful, though, not all friends make good editors. (Tip: examine a friend or family member’s bookshelf before asking him/her for help). If Dr. Seuss, genius as he was, is the only author present in someone’s home, he or she may not be the greatest authority on the written word. 

Because I was able to share ideas and work closely with someone who provided me with constant constructive criticism and feedback, I believe that the publication process over these next few months will be much easier for me to handle. Already, my agent and his staff sent me a considerable amount of suggestions (all changes were of my choosing, ultimately) and my previous experience with editing, re-writing, and sharing ideas helped to soften the blow. I was able to take a deep breath, read their notes, and venture back into the lives of characters that I hadn’t thought I’d ever meet again. I learned to look at the editing process as an adventure, wherein I get to discover new things about my characters and work to perfect their stories before the world meets them. 

Please feel free to post any and all comments below, or via twitter @corey_whaley.

Looking for a great feedback buddy? Check out some of WEbook's top reviewers!

Ken & Corey Talk About the Path to Publication

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Hope you enjoyed the video!

Several of you have asked me about my writing process. I’ll say this much: conceiving the idea for a novel is the easy part; completing an entire manuscript can seem like a nightmare. In the video, WEbook wrote: “Two years later Good God Bird was finished…”. This doesn't  explain that it was actually four years after I came up with the original idea for the book.

My typical regimen is writing quite late at night with some form of hot caffeine nearby (coffee, Earl Grey, etc.). But the normal routine wasn't getting me anywhere. I had thrown out countless first chapters, changed narrators three or four times, and even considered turning it into a nonfiction novel at one point.

To finish my novel, I knew that I needed to be somewhere that could inspire me. So, I went camping. My parents and I have been camping in Arkansas for years and, over the span of two weeks, I wrote the bulk of Good God Bird in the middle of the night in my parents’ travel trailer.

One thing I noticed myself doing as I worked to complete my novel was imagining myself as my main character. I realize this may be a stretch for some, depending on who you are and the general plot of your novel, but I found it to be so helpful to try and think like the narrator instead of myself. I would ask myself “what would Cullen Witter do in this situation?” and it seemed to open up many doors for my story.

That summer it took me a little over a month to finish my manuscript. When I typed the last word I was in my apartment, in the middle of the night, and I remember being sad that I had no one to call…no means of celebration…no ability to shout up at the heavens that after talking about it for so long and thinking about it and obsessing over it, I had finally done it. But, looking back, I’m glad it was just my novel and me, because writing Good God Bird made me realize how personal of an experience writing really is. I genuinely mourned for my characters when I was done. I think falling in love with an idea is the first step to anyone’s writing process, and then finding whatever it is that inspires you and just going for it. You may go days or even weeks without one word, but don’t give up. If it’s the right story, you’ll somehow find a way to tell it.

--Corey

In October 2009, John Corey Whaley submitted his book Good God Bird to Agent Ken Wright through AgentInbox. He signed with Ken at the end of November. In January, Corey sold his book to Simon & Schuster. Corey is sharing his exciting path to publication, right here, in his column on the WEbook blog: Good God Bird's Flight to Publication. You can follow Corey on Twitter: @Corey_Whaley.

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Hello, John Corey Whaley

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In October, John Corey Whaley submitted his book Good God Bird
to Agent Ken Wright through AgentInbox. The last three months have been an amazing ride. Over Thanksgiving, Corey incorporated some suggested edits from Ken, and in December the book went out to editors. Just a few days after the New Year, Corey got word from Ken that Good God Bird had received its first offer. Over the next few months, Corey is going to share his exciting path to publication, right here, on this blog.  

Like many writers out there, I had almost given up hope that my novel would ever see a bookshelf other than the one in my own apartment. However, over the span of just about two and a half months, I have seen that it’s possible to go from being a completely unknown writer to a published author.

My story is a common one among writers: I wrote a book, I sent out query letters, I got rejection after rejection, and I sent more out.  Then, I got discouraged. I stopped sending out letters. I told friends and family that “maybe this just isn’t the right book” and “I guess I’ll just let that dream go.” Then a funny thing happened. A little over three years after typing the last sentence of my novel, I, on a whim, submitted a query letter and some sample chapters to AgentInbox (which I’d learned about through the WEBook’s newsletter).  A few days later, Ken Wright, from Writers House, asked to read my entire manuscript. He spent Sunday evening reading my novel and was on the phone with me Monday afternoon. Now, I had an agent.

And so, after some minor revisions and interest from several publishers, Simon & Schuster’s children’s imprint, Atheneum Books, has purchased the rights to my debut novel, a coming-of-age story for young adults. I am awestruck at the enthusiasm with which my novel has been met. I have also been forced to very quickly begin learning all there is to know about publishing a first novel, or any novel for that matter. So, I’m going to take you all along on this journey with me. As the next few months pass, I will be writing about my experiences with the publishing world and, hopefully, help prepare all of you, future novelists and writers, for the journey ahead. I will also be answering any and all questions you may have, so I encourage you to leave comments or follow me on Twitter (@corey_whaley).

Happy writing,
John Corey Whaley

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