Only three days after I posted a new chapter I’ve gone from 100 to 168 readers on Wattpad. I speak now of my novel, not my blog, which I believe has slightly fewer than six. I have even discovered that some of them are in the 12-14 year-old category! Again, I speak only of my novel. My blog has nearly one teen reader. So let’s push that # to 200! I know we can do it (meaning ‘you.’ I’m not allowed to raise my own count).

http://www.wattpad.com/story/26371207-the-girl-who-saw-invisible-stars

p.s. When I first checked my stats an hour ago, the # was 149. I’ve gone nano-viral!

According to Wattpad, 100 people have now read the first 30 pages of my YA novel, The Girl Who Saw Invisible Stars, which considering the fact that it has no vampires, werewolves or sex, is not so bad. I hope that didn’t discourage you from reading it. It is a little weird, if that helps. http://www.wattpad.com/story/26371207-the-girl-who-saw-invisible-stars

Now that I have decided to devote myself entirely to writing (with an occasional load of laundry thrown in), the NOW THIS! gigs are flowing in. This, despite the fact that I have done no marketing whatsoever for many a month. I should have started writing sooner.

On an only marginally related subject, this is my son Michael’s brand new comedy reel and you should all watch it so you can say you knew him when, which wouldn’t be true, but I’ll back you up, anyway. http://vimeo.com/111954798

I have now been able to write two hours without interruption. There’s probably some other stuff like *civic responsibility, but I gotta be honest. Today it’s about getting some writing done.

*This is my 14th time. I’m entitled to be flippant.

I’m reading another amazing YA novel, Eleanor and Park. It’s  nuanced and wonderfully written. At first that depressed me. I will never be able to write anything like that. And then it came to me. I’m not going to try. I’m going to write crass, commercial, funny and wise ass fiction. If the reader finds it meaningful it will be strictly projection.*

*My parents were clinical psychologists. Expect ‘displacement’ and ‘transference’ to show up in future posts.

I know you’re dying to learn whether Star and Jake turn into Gorgons and conquer the world. Spoiler alert: they don’t. Because many (or possibly all of you) are friends, I know you would say “Carol, TELL US WHAT COMES NEXT, even though you have no idea who Star and Jake are. So what I really, really need you to do is test market this on a 10-15 year-old girl. If she says she cares WHAT COMES NEXT, email me at carolnissenson@gmail.com and I will post more pages

http://www.wattpad.com/80983866-the-girl-who-saw-invisible-stars-invisible-stars

I have now learned how to add a chapter to, and change the title of my novel on Wattpad to The Girl Who Saw Invisible Stars. I chose that after extensive market research.* So now, if you go to http://www.wattpad.com/story/26371207-the-girl-who-saw-invisible-stars you will actually have the opportunity to find out what happens in Chapter 2…the anticipation builds.

*The 11 year-old girl across the street.

So one of the really cool things about Wattpad is you can keep editing. It’s amazing what you see when your writing is off your page and onto a website; goofs, words and phrases used 72 (ok, maybe not 72, but definitely two) times in the same chapter and ways to make the story way, way, better, or at least, less mediocre. So now you can go to the link below and see the new, improved version of chapter 1 of my novel, whose name is going to change if I can ever figure how to do that on WATTPAD.

http://www.wattpad.com/80983866-starwalker-invisible-stars

Several agents at the Philly conference said we should all join Wattpad and start putting our work on it. Since agents never lie, here’s a chance to see the first chapter of a YA modern fantasy I’ve written. Bring Grandma and the kids. It’s PG. If you like it, tell LOTS OF PEOPLE (especially 7th-12th graders) to visit the site and say wonderful things in the comment box. If you don’t, tell them anyway.

http://www.wattpad.com/mystories?compose=true&id=80983866

Went to my third writers conference (Fall Philly SCBWI this time) in four weeks and it was great. At least I think so. They are all beginning to blend together in a veritable Carvel Blizzard of information. I learned two (or possibly more…must read my notes) extremely important things: 1. Make your book more marketable by moving it out of 9th grade in Jr. High to 9th grade in HS and two, and 2. Diversity also means including characters who are not defined by race, ethnicity, etc. e.g., A 23 year-old Cuban jazz bassist who’s defined by his musicianish and 23 year-oldish attributes. That advice was given to me by the lovely, kind, and insightful Adriana Dominguez and you should all read her blog. http://adrianadominguez.blogspot.com

p.s. Another very nice agent told me to query one of her colleagues and use her name. I hope she wasn’t using an alias.