Archive for the writing process

FAN MAIL WEDNESDAY #341: My Pen Pal Jaquan (Plus Some Actual FREE Writing Advice!)

May 7, 2025 / / No comments

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Back in February of 2018, I received a piece of fan mail from Jaquan. It was partly in braille, a first for me. And it would become the first of many, many missives we’ve passed along over the years. You see, Jaquan is a dedicated, passionate writer. He’s been sending me stories all this time. There have been lags and spurts, but I’ve tried to keep up. Mostly with encouragement and enthusiasm. And every once in a while I’ll stick in a Pro Tip!

That first envelope looked like this:

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A closer look . . .

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For me, receiving a letter from a reader is a privilege, an honor, and an obligation. There was a time, when my Jigsaw Jones mystery series was at its peak, with new titles appearing on Scholastic Book Clubs four times a year, I got a lot of letters. It was almost a problem. I’d get overwhelmed. I tried creating a small brochure, and then postcards, but they made me feel like a robot. For the most part, I’ve made the effort to write authentic responses to each and every letter. That’s partly why I’ve been sharing a sampling of letters-and-responses on this blog since 2008.

Fortunately, I don’t get nearly as many letters as I used to.

Wait, fortunately?

Oh, well!

(Aside: I also suspect that “letters to an author” is not quite the thing it used to be in schools. Particularly snail mail. It’s too bad.)

The writing life has its ebbs and flows, and I’ve been doing it for the past 39 years. Still hanging in there.

And for the past 7+ years, I’ve been hearing from Jaquan. Recently, I received this one, which was a little different from the rest:

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Dear Mr Preller, I hope your doing well i’m a huge fan of your jigsaw Jones series it inspired me to make A series of my own A little while ago I sent books of my  of my own for you to check out  like my dog detective series I really appreciate the influence you have on your writers like me Young writers like me I know you’re super busy and I just want to say thank you for the inspiration lots of good ideas and thank you again when you get a chance to read them, please give me your honest opinion on my work  warm regards Jaquan J, your author Friend ps, thank you again JJ 

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Here’s my reply:

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Jaquan,
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What a kind letter, my friend, thank you.
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As a writer — and sometimes as a writing teacher — I often come up against the limits of how much I can help any other writer. In the end, we are all alone and need to do it on our own. That quiet time with the blank page and the stirrings of our heart, our own talent, our own dedication.
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I love that you love to write. That you love books and reading. If I’ve helped inspire you, and if I’ve encouraged you, then I’m satisfied with that. I don’t have many wise strategies to impart. We are all fumbling in the dark.
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Follow your enthusiasms.
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Keep going.
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And most of all, enjoy it, have fun with it, let your reading & writing be a source of pride and pleasure in your life.
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If we look to the outside world for our happiness, we will almost certainly be disappointed.
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Maybe that’s the creative process in a nutshell? Why we make things out of nothing. Create your own happiness. Light your own candle in the dark & difficult world.
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You’ve been working hard at this for a long time, Jaquan, and it shows. I’m glad you’ve kept me informed, sharing your stories over years. I see your growth. I’m grateful for you.
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And, yes, you are right. I have a life, things to do, and can’t always give your letters a considered response. Don’t mistake a period of silence for indifference. I care about you, and your writing, and I’m right here, cheering you on.
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By the way, I just looked it up. I first heard from you in February of 2018. So many letters and wonderful stories since. You had wanted to send me a letter in braille and a person at the Visions Center, Pamela, wrote to me. I later received your letter and still treasure it.
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We’ve been writing back and forth for seven years now. Isn’t that something?!
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It’s my turn to thank you, Jaquan. I’m so glad you reached out.
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Your friend in books & letters,
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James Preller
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Category: Fan Mail, the writing process / Tags: , , , , ,

COVER REVEAL: You’ll Love the Paperback Version of “SHAKEN”

April 15, 2025 / / No comments

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I am asked about book covers from time to time. People are generally curious about the author’s “say” in a cover. 

The answer varies from author to author, publisher to publisher. 

But first, this:

Making a cover is an art. An imprecise creative act. And in talking about these experiences honestly, I don’t mean to disparage anyone’s work. Everybody goes into it wanting to make a great cover. Or, if not great, at least a cover that fits the book. A cover that works.

If you are a big name author — someone who generates significant sales — you’ll will have clout in all regards. You’ll have, at the very least, serious input and veto power over any cover. The publisher wants you to be happy. They want to keep you in the fold.

However, if the author does not occupy that rare air (read: most of us), the publisher will have final word on the cover, which they take very seriously. They hold meetings. Explore options. Discuss covers with sales. Analyze marketing histories and receive input from booksellers. Some publishers even test covers and titles with focus groups. It’s a dificult, challenging, artistic in-house process. And usually after all that happens, after decisions have discussed and agonized over and finally made, that’s when the author will be brought into the process. Often that simply means: “This is the cover, hope you like it.”

After all, this is their business, their investment, their expertise. They want to sell the book (almost) as much as you do. 

I once read someone’s take on this — sorry, I forget who — which I’ve pretty much adopted: The cover is the publisher’s domain. Everything between the covers is the author’s. 

Since I’ve been directly involved in children’s publishing for 40 years, I’ve found it disappointing to be kept out of that creative process. I’ve seen some of my books get beautiful, effective covers. And others that I instantly knew had badly missed the mark. Covers that made little sense or were, in a word, unappealing. It’s a sinking feeling when I look at a cover that I know doesn’t work, because it typically spells doom for sales.

It happens. 

On a more subtle level, I believe that a cover signals to booksellers and reviewers (not just consumers) how a publisher views that particular title. Or where a book fits in the pecking order. There are budgets to consider, projected profit-and-loss statements to balance. A cover also, obviously, provides clues about what kind of story awaits inside. Sometimes for marketing purposes these clues are vague and even intentionally misleading. Sometimes we look at a cover and can’t wait to start reading. 

As a freelancer, I have another rule: Try not to be too very much of a pain in the neck. Nobody wants to hire the difficult writer. Life is full enough of headaches without actually paying for them. Moreover, my default is to genuinely honor and respect the different people involved, who are all doing their best. It’s a team effort and sometimes you’ve just got to step away and let those folks do their jobs. 

Which is to say: 

I love the new paperback cover to Shaken. It won’t be out until 2026, so you’ll need to wait, but for me this is a cover that I truly like. And that’s not always the case.

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Category: Shaken, the writing process / Tags: , , , , ,

MAXX TRAX Remembered!

March 4, 2025 / / No comments

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MAXX TRAX: Avalanche Rescue! was my first published book, 1986. I worked closely with my late beloved pal, editor Craig Walker. Could not have written it half as well without him. I was a snot-nosed kid, 25. The book sold more than 1.5 million copies (no royalties, flat fee) on book clubs, first time out of the gate. A shocking success (I worked on the 10th floor as a junior copywriter at the time). Scholastic bizarrely changed illustrators for the second title — a totally new look, computer generated, and awful — and it didn’t fare well. Oh, well. Done, gone, those two books long out of print.
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And yet not entirely forgotten. I still get emails about it. Several just this year. People who remember loving MAXX TRAX as a kid. Or parents who read them with their children. They still love the thrill of trucks and action stories. I haven’t been able to sell anything like it since. This is almost 40 years ago. This photo came to me last week . . . so kind of this family to remember those books & think of me.
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Category: Fan Mail, the writing process / Tags: , , ,

On Writing: Body Language & Character

February 26, 2025 / / No comments

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I want to talk about writing today. Let’s begin by looking at this famous image of John F. Kennedy, which I came across & posted yesterday in connection with a quote:

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As writers, we need to try to see people and convey that in words. I’m not great at this by any means. It requires effort, a struggle, as it doesn’t often come naturally in my writing. But as writers, we must try to notice things, mannerisms, telling details. Why? To help the reader see. And also: as a way into character. 

Look around: People are everywhere. Ask yourself, how would I describe that posture? The woman in the coffee shop. The kid on the slide. How do it quickly, efficiently, in a sentence or two?

Back to the Kennedy image. It could be, simply:

He stands with arms crossed, neck bent, head down.

Or a little more:

He stands with arms criss-crossed, neck bent, head down. He is reflective, feeling deeply. 

Yuck, okay, the voice feels wrong — I might be trying to avoid the “lost in thought” cliche — or, say:

Arlo stands with arms criss-crossed, neck bent, head down. This is the Arlo I love. When he is quiet and reflective. I long to know what is in his heart. 

Or that last bit in the 3rd person: 

Esme longs to know what is in his heart.

Or inject more story into it:

Arlo stands with arms criss-crossed, neck bent, head down. This is classic Arlo. A performance. He is such a fraud. I can’t wait to hear what utter bullshit he’ll say next.

Or, okay:

He tucks his hands beneath his crossed arms, stands quietly, head down, considering. 

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And on and on and on, endlessly. There are a million options, a million ways to get at it. Or to paint it, if you will. 

Try to do that today. Watch people closely. Notice how they hold themselves. At first, try to strictly describe only what you see: the ankles crossed, the fingers touching a necklace, the mouth a thin line of disapproval, etc. 

The truly amazing thing is how entire characters, entire world views, can grow out of this simple practice. The posture is a seed that flowers into a fully-formed, “living” character.

For example, say, this: 

The way Anna fidgets with the bracelet on her thin, right wrist. The bracelet was her mother’s, a gift before the cancer took her away. It was a year ago but feels like yesterday. Anna reaches for it when she feels nervous, or insecure, or just bored and lonely. A habit of the heart. It seems to help. She remembers the love that is gone and, almost magically, the love that persists.

I just made that up. Beginning with an image of a physical act.

Now it’s your turn. 

Go deeper, if you wish. But mostly, as an exercise, try to describe what you see. A sentence or two. The crossed ankles. The twirling of the hair. The setting of the shoulders. The forward-leaning walk, arms swinging. It all begins & ends with the seeing. 

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Don’t miss my newest middle-grade novel, Shaken. Now also available on Audible, read by Caitlyn Davis. 

 

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Category: Shaken, the writing process / Tags: , , , , , , , ,

New Book Out in March, 2025 — ONLY IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

February 18, 2025 / / No comments

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My latest side project, due out in March. This is work I picked up with a terrific British publisher. I have a lot of thoughts on this that I’m not ready to dive into today. But we are witnessing an unprecedented battle for history in this country, with the current Republican Administration moving relentlessly to scrub the history books “clean.” History is written by the victors and on that note we must be vigilant and tireless. I recently visited the site of the Tulsa Massacre and met many local teachers who commented that they had never learned about it in school. One teacher told me that her grandfather referred to it as “the riots.” Local history! Now my little book here is a minor thing — I was serving a publisher and an established line of books — but I made a thousand micro-decisions and I strived to be on the side of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion.

For more details: stomp here.

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Category: DC, the writing process / Tags: , , ,
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