Welcome to a new phenomenon on YA Muses!  Every Friday, we will briefly blog about someone we find especially interesting in the writing community, giving pertinent information (website, Twitter name, blog address, etc.) so you can follow him or her, too.

This week, we feature Lia Keyes, who was instrumental in bringing us together.  Lia is the founder of Scribblerati, a social networking site for writers.  Here, we can blog, chat, critique, share triumphs and rejections.  The subheading on the site is: Where Stories Take Flight.  It was here that Talia created our first group discussion space, where we first shared our work and learned of our compatibility.   Thanks, Lia.

Scribblerati is also on Twitter @Scribblerati and so is Lia @LiaKeyes.  She hosts #scribechat on Twitter every Thursday at 6 p.m. PST (9 p.m. EST) and then posts the transcripts on The Scribechat Review.  (Interestingly enough, yesterday's discussion was about social networking).

Lia Keyes is a busy lady.  She does all of this for the writing community above and beyond writing her own books for young adults.  Find her.  Follow her.  It's worth it.

So recently my manuscript went through a huge revision. And I found myself confronted with a revision rule that I never really understood: Kill Your Darlings.

I thought the rule meant that you should evaluate those lines and paragraphs that you love, the ones that are achingly funny, descriptive or beautiful, and  question whether they should be in the book at all.  I thought that since good writing is supposed to be seamless, invisible, that it shouldn't be so precious that it appears so obviously WRITTEN.

So those words had to go.  After all, they're just words. Kill them off.

I always thought this seemed kind of harsh.  I mean there's probably a reason you love that funny dialog exchange or lyrical descriptive paragraph so much, right?

Of course there is.  So I'd like to propose a new rule:  Nothing is sacred.

Because I think when we talk about killing our darlings, we're not saying that all those gorgeous lines and poignant moments in your scenes are overwritten and need to go.  Most of them can probably even stay. Some of them definitely should stay or you will be in danger of revising the voice right out of your manuscript. The hard part is deciphering the good darlings from the bad.  And to do that you need to believe that they are all expendable, especially if they fail to fit within the overall story arc, weigh down the manuscript, slow down the pace or take us on tangents that go nowhere.  In other words, we're only killing the darlings that don't move the plot forward, help develop the character, or serve a purpose beyond being precious.  As long as we understand that nothing is sacred, we are free to cut away in service to the story. 

When I looked at it from this perspective, with a willingness to cut anything and everything that was negatively impacting my story arc, it somehow became less about exorcising pieces of my heart from the page and murdering my own, and more about writing a great story.

And while I could be ruthless when it came to cutting whole chapters, characters or plot lines, I still found it much, much harder to say goodbye to a few precious lines or exchanges.  So I confess.  I didn't actually kill them.  I found them another home.  Some of them ended up in other scenes.  Some are in a folder awaiting placement in another book.  But I couldn't bring myself to kill them.

After all, they are adorable.  Darling, even.

In my last post, I described the benefits of Working with a Manuscript Consultant and promised interviews with two of these professionals.

This week, I give you Eric Elfman.

I met Eric years ago during a critique session at the Big Sur Writers Conference. As the group leader, Eric gave insightful feedback with just the right blend of warmth and humor. We hit it off, and that was before I met his wife and son, and became a full-fledged Elfman Groupie. (Trust me. This is an amazing family.)

Eric and I have kept in touch in the years since. When I began my current WIP, we started working more closely in the bi-monthly critique groups mentioned below. He's been a trustworthy voice throughout the process, sharing his keen eye for story as well as loads of encouragement. Eric has become a dear friend, and I'm delighted to share more about him with you.

1) Tell us a little bit about your writing credentials and/or how you decided to become a Manuscript Consultant:

Ever since I was little, I wanted to be a writer. (Well, when I was really little, I wanted to be a veterinarian, but I didn’t know how to spell it, which ended up causing much confusion in my first grade class.) I wrote my first screenplay, a science-fiction/horror spec, in 4^th grade--in longhand on notebook paper! When I started writing professionally, I said yes to every freelance job that came along: I wrote articles for Disney Adventure Digest, Dwell, mental_Floss and other magazines, and several chapters of elementary school history textbooks are mine. For an independent production company that dubbed films, I wrote English-language dialogue for Indonesian kung fu flicks, Uruguayan cowboy movies, and Japanese cartoons--does anyone remember Captain Harlock? Anyone?

In 1985, I wrote my first book for children, the VERY SCARY ALMANAC, published by Random House. I’ll never forget the experience of walking into a bookstore for the first time after it came out and seeing it for sale on the Halloween table. Since then, Random House has published two more of my offbeat almanacs, ALMANAC OF THE GROSS, DISGUSTING & TOTALLY REPULSIVE (an ALA Recommended Book for Reluctant Readers) and ALMANAC OF ALIEN ENCOUNTERS. I also wrote an X-FILES novel, OUR TOWN, for HarperCollins, and two collections of scary short stories, THREE MINUTE THRILLERS and MORE THREE MINUTE THRILLERS. And even as we speak, I’m doing the final polish on my new YA, THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, which I like to describe as “The Exorcist for kids!”

I also still write screenplays! A few years ago my screenwriting partner, Neal Shusterman, and I sold an original screenplay to Revolution: CLASS ACT, based on the true story of a 6^th grade teacher in Reno who ran for Congress with her 11-year-old students as her campaign committee. The film is currently in development with Halle Berry attached to star. Neal and I also wrote an adaptation of Shakespeare’s AS YOU LIKE IT for Walden Media, and a sequel to the Curious George movie for Universal.

In 2003, my agent, Andrea Brown, invited me to the Big Sur Children’s Writers Workshop to lead critique groups and meet with writers one-on-one. At the time, I’d only ever critiqued friends’ work, so I was a bit anxious after I said yes. I still sometimes relive that heart-stopping moment when the first writer in my first critique group finished reading her pages and looked up expectantly for my response. It turned out to be a great experience for me and the writers I worked with. I’ve been a member of the Big Sur faculty twice a year ever since, and many of the writers I critiqued there have gone on to be published. A few years after that first Big Sur workshop, I became a private writing coach.

2) Can you describe some of your services?

My innovation as a writing coach is the concept of telecritique groups, where I “meet” with three or four writers twice a month by conference call. Each writer reads a few pages from their manuscript, then we spend the rest of their time (about 30 minutes per writer) discussing those pages. Because I believe that any problems in the larger work -- in the writing, the voice, the characters, the story -- will also show up in that brief excerpt, we spend some of our time exploring those issues as well. I am forming new telecritique groups all the time--I just try to keep the voices of all the writers in the group compatible.

I also read writers’ manuscripts, of course. If the work is a first or an early draft, I may start with a 30 page excerpt. (I occasionally help writers work their way through their first drafts, three or four chapters at a time.) If the work is more developed, I often read the full manuscript. As I read the pages, I’m looking at narrative voice, story structure, characters, relationship, motivations, conflict, pacing, exposition, dialogue, set-ups, pay-offs, reversals, etc.

Then I meet with the writer, either in person or over the phone, to discuss their work. It’s definitely a dialogue between me and the writer as I seek clarification and the writer strives for clarity about the story they’re telling. Often we come up with solutions to story problems and flawed characterization on the spot. If the writer has requested my Level One coaching, I can spend more time on their manuscript, and I return it with my written page notes--pointing out issues, asking questions, and offering specific suggestions.

As a coach (and a friend!), I will check in occasionally to see how their rewrites are coming. The writers I work with often hire me to read their revised manuscripts for further feedback--especially before they submit it to an agent or editor.

3) What kinds of genres do you specialize in, if any? Also, do you have a favorite genre you like to read, outside of your work?

I wouldn’t say I specialize in a genre--although I find that many of my clients are working in fantasy or the paranormal, that might just be a result of the popularity of those genres. But I also have clients who are writing in realistic, contemporary settings and others who are writing historical novels.

I don’t think genre matters as much as the quality of the writing. A good story is a good story regardless of the genre. A believable character with a thwarted goal is always compelling, whether he or she has magical powers or is fending off a bully.

As to what I read in my off hours -- I have off hours? Why wasn’t I informed?!

When I was a kid, I loved to read and I read mostly mysteries. From Encyclopedia Brown to Sherlock Holmes to Sam Spade, as long as there was a mystery to be solved, I was there -- my tastes ran the gamut from middle grade to adult.

I try to keep up with the best middle grade and ya fiction--a sisyphusian task!--so I have very little time to read adult fiction, unfortunately! But when I do, I like books that play with the building blocks of story structure. Two of my all-time favorites are IF ON A WINTER’S NIGHT, A TRAVELER by Italo Calvino (a novel written in the form of a series of unrelated first chapters of novels, about a reader who is, with increasing desperation, just trying to finish one of them!) and DICTIONARY OF THE KHAZARS by Milorad Pavic, which is written in the form of an encyclopedia that you create your own path through by reading the entries as your mood dictates. I also loved William Goldman’s THE PRINCESS BRIDE, which played with structure in a super-fun and funny way (and if you’ve only ever seen the movie, you owe it to yourself to read the book -- it works on four levels of narrative reality, while the movie only operated on two.)

4) Who is your favorite client? (kidding. I'll answer this one myself.)

LIA KEYES, of course! ( j/k -- of course it’s you!)

(Grrrr.... I'll get you for that one, Eric... The truth is, folks, Eric is one of the nicest, sweetest people you'll ever meet. He's incredibly respectful of everyone's process and makes you feel like you're his favorite client, even if it might be Lia Keyes... I need to stop now. I'm grossing myself out.)

ok, so for real:

4) What is the most satisfying aspect of helping writers with their craft/manuscripts?

Well, the obvious answer is when a writer I’ve worked with finds an agent or, even better, a publisher.

But there are many, many steps before that happens, and what really feels great along the way is to see the work improve. And even more satisfying is when the writer isn’t simply implementing changes I suggest, but starts to learn what makes a story work, what makes their characters tick, what makes the reader have to turn the page. As much as I appreciate it when a writer comes back to me for more feedback, I am happier when they don’t have to!

And okay, and here’s the selfish response -- perhaps the most satisfying aspect of coaching writers is the number of close friends I’ve made in the process.

5) Free advice! Can you tell us what the best advice is for a starting writer?

If you’re ready to pull your hair out and scream, if you find revising your manuscript confusing and nearly debilitating, if you’d bang your head against your keyboard if you weren’t suffering from paralysis in deciding what your character should do next--then congratulations, you’re a writer. That’s the job. Writing is hard. And it doesn’t get easier. (Okay, there are a lucky few who leap to their laptops in the morning and burn through pages with ease. I hate writers like that.)

But overall, if you can do anything besides write, do it.

And along those lines, when you’re writing, think long and hard before you make a choice that makes your job as the writer easier. The story or character beat that is more convenient for you is rarely the more interesting one.

But in spite of it all, just keep writing! Unless you’re lucky enough to have elves in your basement, your book isn’t going to write itself! (Which, by the way, is the premise of a spec screenplay Neal and I wrote!)

6) How can we reach you? I mean... not physically. But, you know. Online.

My coaching site, www.ericElfmanCoaching.com

I also have a fan site: www.ElfmanWorld.com, but it’s in the process of getting a facelift!

Thanks so much for your time, Eric!

Over the past years, I've read books on writing, I've taken online classes, participated in critique groups and spent countless hours writing. But when I stop to think about it, aside from writing itself, nothing has been more helpful to my writing growth than attending conferences and workshops. In fact, these events were impetus for classes, and critique groups and books.

I won't go into the obvious benefits of going to these sorts of gatherings. (Friends! Knowledge! Inspiration! Contacts!) What I'd like to do is highlight a less known but wonderful aspect of getting out there, and figuring out who does what in the world of writing books:

Meeting editors for hire. Or Manuscript Consultants. Sometimes called Manuscript Doctors, but I don't like this term and I don't think they do, either. But, essentially, these are capable people who can be hired to help with various stages of preparing a manuscript.

In the past eight years, I've worked with three such individuals during very different points of my writing journey. All three were instrumental to me pushing myself to the next step. All three were wonderful, professional people. Two, I now count as dear friends.

The services Manuscript Consultants provide are diverse. They can range from help with a query to a detailed copy edit. Conceptual to structural, their services can be tailored to fit your needs. This is a good thing. As I look back, what I asked my Manuscript Consultant seven years ago about my first WIP was broad. I wanted to know if I'd crafted a story. It was that simple. Did I have a beginning, middle and end? Did my characters do the things... you know, the growth/arc thing... that characters are supposed to do?

Nowadays, I can be more specific because I know more. Not just about writing a story or characters. I know about my own process, so I can ask for help when I need it. I can be specific, so my consultant can be, too. (But, I still ask if I've told a story. That's what it's all about, right?)

You'll find that Manuscript Consultants have different qualifications. Some are writers themselves. Some have edited professionally. Do this research. Be smart. This is your writing, so find out as much as you can before you hire them. Are they really going to help you? Do you know anyone who can vouch for them?

This was where attending conferences really helped me. I met two of the consultants I work with at workshops. I had the opportunity, through critiques at these events, to see them in action before I ever considered hiring them. When you're bent over your pages together, you can get a good sense for whether you've found a mentor who can help you grow your writing. Also, you can scope out their communication style. I like nice people who I can trust to tell me the truth. That's what I always look for. If they make me laugh, then I'm sold.

On a side note, I don't think working with a consultant replaces having a regular, trustworthy critique group. For me, it has supplemented what I receive from my amazing, brilliant, generous friends. (Sorry, but they are.)

Now, on to cost. This is a difficult one. I've struggled with spending money on my writing, not just on working with consultants. As a stay at home mother, I haven't been a financial contributor to the household for a while. But I decided a few years ago that writing is my start-up business. That I'd invest in it, in me, because this was what I wanted. I would approach it as though success was imminent. So every birthday, every anniversary and Christmas (ouch, I know) I banked gift credits and saved them for my writing expenses. And I find a way, when it's tight, to make my start-up a priority. I'm not saying it's been easy. What I am saying is that it has absolutely been worth it.

Next week, I'll be interviewing two Manuscript Consultants here at YA Muses. We'll look a little more closely at the services they provide. We'll talk about how they work with their clients. And I think, knowing those two, we may laugh a little as well.

Thanks for coming by. Now go forth and write! Success is imminent!

I hate waiting. Some people might call it “being impatient.” My mother did. I just know I have a long history of it. Even as a child I couldn’t stand waiting. In the days before Christmas I’d try to pass the time by using my dad’s stopwatch to time my sister and me getting to the Christmas tree using two possible paths to the living room (by the way, the one down the hall past the bedrooms was faster). Sometimes I’d lie under the Christmas tree for hours to count the seconds between the blinking lights (6 seconds). And then, when I’d really reached my waiting limit, I would sometimes carefully unwrap, and then re-wrap, packages under the tree when my mom went to the grocery store and left me alone…waiting.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of waiting in the publishing world. The result is a rollercoaster of emotions. When you “finish” that manuscript and want to send it out to the world, you query possible agents (up the rollercoaster). And you wait (down the rollercoaster). Then you hear back from an agent who loves your story and wants to represent you (up the rollercoaster). She has a few edits for you. And you wait (down the rollercoaster). The edits come back, and you throw yourself feverishly into the rewrite. It’s perfect. You send it back to your agent (up the rollercoaster). And you wait (down the rollercoaster). Repeat the last few trips up and down the rollercoaster and then, finally, your agent says you’re ready. It’s submission time! (UP the rollercoaster-BIG TIME) And you wait (down, down, down the rollercoaster). I also don’t like rollercoasters.

I throw up. It’s not pretty.

Don’t get me wrong. I know there are good reasons to wait. Successful editors and agents have incredibly busy schedules. They have piles of manuscripts to read, conferences to attend, meetings to make, and deals to negotiate. That’s why they are successful and that’s why you want them. They are not sitting around, twiddling their thumbs, waiting for my manuscript to arrive (sad, but true). And agents who take their time to give thoughtful, specific editorial comments (like my agent, Mary Kole), and who want to your manuscript is be ready before it goes out on submission, are definitely worth the wait.

Knowing all that, however, doesn’t help my rollercoaster/waiting problem. Currently I’m in the “submission” waiting phase of the process. I know that my manuscript is out there on the computers of certain book editors who might, maybe, perhaps read it and say, “I love this so much I want to make it into a book.” It’s torture. I stalk them on the internet. Every time they tweet about a manuscript they just read, and loved, I’m sure it’s mine. When they write on their Facebook they are going on vacation, I just hope they have my manuscript tucked away in carryon. One writer I know suggested that I just spend the time waiting by starting a new project. Well… duh. Of course, that’s what I SHOULD do. (But remember, I’m the one who unwrapped those presents).

So I work at the job that pays for food and important stuff like that. And wait. I write blogs. And wait. I try to work on a new project. And wait. Sometimes I just lie on the couch and count the seconds between the blinking editor tweets and wait.

And I try not to throw up.