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Before Christmas, I'd been editing and reading a couple of books where cell phone cameras have a significant effect on the plots. And then last week, while I was out on vacation, one guy with a camera phone in Iraq managed to become the most important documenter of history in the world for a short time. It's made me think a lot about what cell phones and cell phone cameras have meant to the culture in general, but, more importantly, to the present teenage generation—especially in how it affects communication. (And I'm not even thinking about text messaging.) Long story short, I don't think we're even scratching the surface.

It's pretty easy to see that cell phones with cameras are pervasive here, and even more so in Europe and parts of Africa and Asia (there are more cell phones in use in Europe than there are people; I bet most of them have cameras, too). What's a little harder to see right away is what it means to how we act. I see it a little in manuscripts. It's no longer credible that a group of teenagers will ever have to rush around looking for a pay phone, for instance (unless someone stole their cell phones a few pages earlier). Being reachable anywhere is more and more a given, especially in realistic fiction.

Cameras add a whole other wrinkle. Phones mean the present moment is never really private or isolated. Camera mean that that moment needn't pass unrecorded. Combining the two, well, it's easier to say with an example (a boring one):

I'm at my favorite used clothing store, and I'm making sure I pass through the women's shoe section, because I know my wife is on a mission to find a certain pair of boots, which she has pointed out to me countless times on other people's feet. So, I see a pair of boots that  might match that description, but I've been burned on this before, coming home in triumph with a pair of boots I thought were exactly what she had in mind, but that were, in fact, utterly unlike the mythical, sought-after boots. And remember, since they're vintage, I can't take them back (this is why I've sold a rather large number of women's boots on eBay).

So, I stand there (awkwardly, because I am a guy browsing in the woman's shoe department of a vintage clothing store, and that's jut not my thing), deciding what to do. I can whip out my phone and call my wife, and then describe to her in great detail the boots, or, better still, I can snap a picture of them and text it to her (the text would be the picture, the price, and a question mark, no more). But this won't work, since she doesn't have a cell phone (another story). My cell phone is still useful, though, because it means I won't have to rely on my memory to describe the boots (which I would inevitably oversell, and thus further erode my meager credibility); instead, I will have a picture.  And if the boots sell before I get back, at least I will have proof that a) they existed and b) I found them, and thus I deserve credit.

So, the mere existence of a cell phone with a camera has changed everything about this "story." It's changed the way we would interact about the boots (instantly instead of in the future); it's reduced or even entirely removed the tension over the nature of the boots (mystical or miserable?); and it's potentially removed any element of memory or verbal description (I could do this entirely with pictures and symbols).  

All this, and I didn't even grow up with cell phones (I'm still unable to manage text messaging). I still think of a cell phone as primarily something that I use to talk to other people on the phone, as a substitute for a thing with a cord, a bell, and nine buttons in my house. Imagine how I might have handled this situation if I were 13. Imagine if the situation were actually interesting or if there were more at stake than boots. 

 That's why these devices are so huge for teenagers and for other cultures that didn't grow up before the cell phone and didn't, as adults or nearly adults, watch it go from clunky thing that you left in your car to slightly less clunky thing you might carry in a silly holster to its current variety of svelte forms. If you're 13 in 2007, as far as you're concerned, cell phones are small, ubiquitous, and useful for so much more than talking (a feature I am convinced only persists for the sake of communication with parents). Cell phones are sui generis. They didn't replace pay phones or the household landline; they are the original communicators. 

So, what does this mean for teen fiction? 

All right, here's another book-theme-ish musing.Politicians are fond--increasingly fond, it seems to me--of saying "we owe it to our children to _________" or "we are doing ______ for our children and grandchildren." President Bush says it all the time about Iraq, the war on terrorism, etc., but lots of others of all political persuasions say it these days, too, about various things. Like so many well-worn phrases, I tend to hear what is meant rather than a more literal meaning. Basically, I hear someone saying "this thing I'm doing is really awful now, but later, at some conveniently indefinable period, we'll all be glad I did it." You can see why it's so popular with politicians.Last time I heard the president say it, I was listening to NPR while I biked home from work. For whatever reason (possibly because I was climbing a steep hill), it occurred to me that Jenna and Barbara--Bush's actual children--were probably old enough to have opinions and that I'd really like to hear their thoughts on what their father was doing in their names.

Eventually the ground leveled out and I became less literal, realizing what Bush really meant and having my own clichéd reaction to his clichéd phrase. But it did stick with me that adults in positions of great power have an annoying tendency to toss off "we're doing it for our children/grandchildren/future generations" rather than giving an actual reason. As an adult with a vote, I find the intellectual laziness of this cliché irritating, but what if I'd heard this phrase more when I was, say, 16 or 17? Certainly, I was aware enough to care about what people were doing "for me," but I lacked then what I have now: a vote and a say in the governing of the country. How would I feel if it had been my teenage oxygen-deprived brain that had heard that old cliché?

It's a long ride home, so I heard a few more news pieces, one about the death of an American soldier—how he had wanted to be a Marine since he was 12 or something. This isn't anything new. I listen to the news everyday. But for some reason, it's only recently begun to strike me how much younger soldiers are than I am (interestingly, I'm having the same reaction to sports figures). I remembered being in high school and encountering military recruiters. This was the mid-90s and war seemed to me then like an abstraction and the military just another post high school option. Now I wonder what it would be like to be in high school and to hear from those recruiters (who were never very old or experienced-looking, by the way).

One other story on my ride seemed to complete this little triptych. It was some routine piece about post-Thanksgiving holiday sales—maybe about the PS3 or the Wii or some toy. It was remarkable hear how much the fortunes of companies rode on their ability to motivate children to influence their parents' purchasing (Like I said, routine story; they could play it every year; but still, amazing). (To make this perfect, there should have been a piece about the deficit, which is always described as "mortgaging our children's future," but I was home and hungry so I stopped listening.)

Much later now, what strikes me is how heavily we leverage, mortgage, and exploit youth for youth's sake—at least rhetorically. I know, this sounds simplistic and naïve—only a fool wouldn't have noticed this by now. But I'm not saying it never struck me before. What is remarkable to me was that moment when my brain, for whatever reason, literalized it and personalized it. That is always intriguing—when something abstract and rhetorical becomes personal and literal. What an interesting thing to imagine: the intellectual buck passing reaches some kind of critical mass and one kid says to one adult, "you know, thanks for thinking of me, but I'll take my chances." What could that look like?



-AK

Karen H. asks:

I want to know what happens next in [Amy's] life. Are there going to be more books featuring her? What about Avi?  

How to Ruin my Teenage Life is coming out in June, 2007 so you'll get to know more about her and luckily won't have to wait too long (none scheduled after that, but you never know).  And Avi? (hmm…maybe Avi should get his own book one day since everyone is so interested in him)  You'll have to read the book to find out, but I don't think I can write an Amy story without her non-boyfriend Avi in it. 

Lisa L. asks: 

Here's what I really want to know.... Did you ever get back at the cheerleader who wrote on your back?  

No, but my high school reunion is in two years.  I can walk around like an author diva in front of her, although that's not my style.   

Shannon Greenland asks:

Did you get the cheerleader back? Better yet, you should totally call her and brag...I'm a published author. Nah nah nee boo boo. Although, watch her be like an oscar winner or something. :)   

I think I'll try that - "I'm a published author. Nah nah nee boo boo".  I swear, those things backfire in my face though.  A few years ago I called a woman who did something behind my back a "loser" to her face– I swear I've only done it once in my life (I'm usually really nice) and the woman REALLY backstabbed me and deserved it.  God has been punishing me for it ever since.  My daughter was in her kid's kindergarten class (and swim class) and has the SAME birthday as my daughter.  She just joined the same synagogue I just joined ("new member dinner next Friday!" – oh, goodie) and I went to speak at a high school last week and the teacher who's class I was speaking in says to me, "I know one person who lives in your town, she's my cousin."  Yep, you guessed it, it was the woman I called a loser.  The ONE person he knows in my town, his COUSIN, no less.  Gotta be careful about those nah nah nee boo boo's.    

Michael Moore asks:

What ages would it suit most? Early teens or older +?  

How to Ruin a Summer Vacation is for teens 12 and up.  Although I have to say that adults have read it, too, and I've gotten a lot of great feedback from them saying they love the book.  Like board games it should be labeled– "for ages 12 to 112"   

Mike Avanti asks:
Do you write every day? How long?  

I try to write every day, but it doesn't turn out that way because to be honest I'm not the "stick to a schedule" type of person.  I'll try and wake up early, like 6am, and write for an hour before anyone in my house is up.  Then, during the day while my kids are at school I write.  The weekends are the toughest times, I have to struggle to get two or three hours to myself.  I can't write for 8 hours straight, I need a break every hour or two.  If I'm "on track" I probably write 3-4 hours a day.  But when I'm under deadline I've been known to get up at 3am and work straight through until 3am the next morning.  

June Shaw asks:

How does it feel to have Flux publish your novel? How do you think you'll influence kids?  

I've been lucky to have been published by Flux, especially as a launch author for the line.  Whenever I email my editor Andrew Karre with a question or comment, he usually gets back to me within minutes.  Other publishers are so big that a new author gets lost.  Everyone at Flux has held my hand every step of the way and they've treated me like a bestselling author.    When I set out to write YA books, I wasn't thinking about a moral story or teaching readers a life lesson.  I was hoping to give them an entertaining read, something I'm always looking for in a book.  I don't write "issue" books either, although that might come down the line as I write more.  More than influence kids, I hope I take them out of reality for a while and give them a chance to chill out.  We are a fast-moving society and teens forget to slow down, sit down, and read a good book.  If they can get hooked on mine for a few hours, I've accomplished my goal. 

 What does your family both here and in Israel think of the book?

My aunt really likes the book and thinks it's really funny. She goes around showing the book to all of her friends. My in-laws don't know enough English to read the book, but I think my father-in-law is trying to read it.  They think it's absolutely amazing that I got published, I signed the contract over a year ago and I'm not too sure my father-in-law believed me when I said I sold it…he kept asking me, "So what's with the book?"   I kept saying, "I sold it."  That conversation went on for months. 

Will Avi be a large character in the sequel?

Why, do you want him to?  I can't tell you.  It's kind of a secret. 

Could you describe your writing routine, and has it changed any since beginning your first book? Thanks!

My writing routine when I started writing is very different than now.  When you're "unpublished", there's no time frame.  You can finish a book in a year or in a few months.  Now I'm under contract to get my books done in a certain amount of time, I have those dreaded deadlines (I'm not complaining at all, mind you).  It's harder to write under deadline.  I kind of envy Susan Elizabeth Phillips, who writes a book a year.  Her fans wait with bated breath for those puppies to come out.  I want to be just like her when I grow up.

Was this your first manuscript or had you written others before you sold?

This was definitely not my first manuscript.  My first book was an adult Native American historical romance which needs a lot of work in order to be publishable.  But when I wrote it I thought it was a work of art.  I was wrong.  I also wrote another YA, which is really edgy but I haven't sold it yet.  I have a few more proposals that I'm working on, too.  I have to tweak them and then my agent, Nadia Cornier, will sell them because she's a magical agent!

Did you enjoy writing back in the days of spiked hair and black attire? :) Or was it something that caught your interest later on?

Okay, I've got to be honest here.  I wasn't into writing as a teen with spiked hair, except for the one time I went on a Caribbean cruise for my sweet 16 and met this guy from South Carolina who was a senior in high school (LOVED his accent).  We kind of had a cruise romance, I thought he was the coolest guy I'd ever met.  When I got home, I hand-wrote our entire romance, from the time I first saw him on the boat until the time we first started talking and our first kiss.  I wonder where that story is today?  Hmm, I wonder where that  guy is today…   

This is how I started writing:  I was a bored stay-at-home mom and needed something to do that uses my brain.  So I started reading.  A lot.  Then, one day I had this crazy idea that I could actually write a book instead of always reading them.  I seriously sat down to write and fell in love with writing for the first time in my life.  You don't have to be a "trained, professional writer" in order to write a book.  Anyone can do it.  I'm not saying that I didn't need help in the craft of writing, I learned that by joining Romance Writers of America and their local chapter which is also a critique group. If you would have asked me as a teen if I thought I'd ever be a published author, I'd have laughed in your face.      

How did you come up with the idea for How To Ruin A Summer Vacation?  

The books I wrote before How to Ruin a Summer Vacation had nothing to do with my personal experiences.  I was on a weekend writing retreat with some writer friends who said that I should write about Jewish people or Israel because I'm Jewish and my father and husband are from Israel.  I got married in Israel and actually met my husband there when we were both teenagers.  For some reason, I was reluctant to write about Jews or Israel.  I thought it would be hard to sell a book that spoke only to one population.  My friends strongly urged me to "write about what I know".  So I did, and had a lot of fun writing Amy because she's such a colorful character.  My aim was to write a book that spoke to all teens, not a certain population.  Everywhere in the book that Amy goes, I've been.  I guess that's why it was easier for me to write then the other books I've worked on. 

Were you afraid that incorporating religion in your novel would make it difficult to sell?

Not really.  Once I decided to write the book, I wasn't going to ignore the religion factor.  But I also wanted to be sensitive to other religions.  That's why I made Amy non-religious in the beginning.  I would feel really yucky if I made a character change from being Christian or another religion to being Jewish, because as much as I love being Jewish I think religion is absolutely personal and wonderful no matter what religion you are.         

Can you share with us how long it took to write your first book? And how long you think it will take to write the sequel?

This is a trick question, because the first book I sold was the third book I wrote.  My first book took me about five months to write, but years to revise and it still needs a ton of work (the first ones usually do).  How to Ruin a Summer Vacation probably took me five months to write.  The sequel is taking me about three months to write, I'm still writing it.  Here's the deal: if you write 1000 words a day you can have a book finished in two or three months.  Not counting revisions.  Stephen King said in his book On Writing that he writes 2000 words a day.  Even if you do one PAGE a day, you'll have at least one whole book done every year.

My question is, how long was the process, from start to finish (from your writing the book to when it was actually published).

I started writing my adult historical romance in August, 2000.  Then I wrote a couple of chapters of other books, which didn't work out.  Then I wrote a teen novel, which I haven't sold (yet).  I finally sold (my third novel) in August 2005.  So it took me five years to get published, although really if you want to count from the time I started writing my third novel to the time I sold it, it was probably a year. 

Anyway, how did you realize YA fit your voice best?

When I started writing YA, it just clicked.  Right away.  I didn't have to worry about my dialogue or book sounding "historical" at all.  I'm a funny person by nature and still talk like a valley girl from the 80's.  Okay…I'm immature.  I loved my teen years and have the best time re-creating that setting again and again. 

How many other genres did you try to write before you had the "aha" moment?

Let's see…

Adult historical, adult contemporary, series contemporary…then YA. 

I'm here to stay, I love writing YA books!My question is how can you tell if what you're writing is best suited for teens or say, early-mid twenty-somethings? It seems to me there's a big difference between a 16 y.o. and a 26 y.o. even if they both enjoy reading books about high school. Does that make sense? I guess I'm also asking what makes a book YA and what would make it "adult"?

My editor, Andrew Karre and my publicist, Brian Farrey, have definite opinions on this one.  They say just because the book is about teenagers doesn't automatically make it a teen or YA book.  An adult book deals with adult issues the way an adult can understand it versus YA where the characters are still trying to make sense of adult issues and where they fit in the world by experiencing things for the first time.  I never think about my audience, I think it would stifle me as a writer.  My suggestion is to write the best book you can, find an agent, and have them decide if they'll market your book as a teen or adult. That's their job.  A great agent knows the market and can tell where your book lies, and sometimes books can straddle the teen/adult shelves.

How do you stay on top of what's going on in the world of teenagers?

I do workshops and talks in high schools, which really helps.  They teach me new slang.  New one: "weak sauce" by Mr. Hurtig's class at Deerfield High School.  It means something is "lame" and I'm absolutely going to use it in a book.  You have to be careful because writing slang in your book also dates your book.  Unless your book emphasizes pop culture, you should limit the amount of slang you use in your novel.  Most of all I remember what it was like when I was a teen.  The raw emotions, the first experiences (which were bad and good).  I think we can all relate to that. 

You've written about your most embarrassing high school moments -- what were some of your best high school moments?

Best times in high school: 
-Playing on the powderpuff football team.-Going to my junior and senior prom
-Getting amazing scores on my algebra tests my teacher one day had me teach the class
-Gym class when my friend Wendi used to hit the volleyball with one arm and yell a very inappropriate word as she whacked the ball and made our gym teacher Mr. Harris blush.  Most of the time it went out of bounds.
-Senior cafeteria food fights
-Having a huge crush on this gorgeous guy thinking we'd just be friends and he actually liked me...we dated all senior year.-Being on the badminton team and winning games.  I loved being part of a team.  Oh, I can never forget the time Miss Small, the badminton coach, told me she'd kick me off the team if I lost any more weight.  I said, "That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me" because I'd been struggling with weight issues.
-Hanging out at Ed Debevic's restaurant in downtown Chicago and meeting cool people. Of course this was met with a grounding because I'd stay out with my friends too late.
-Driving to the planetarium in Chicago late at night to watch the entire city skyline.
-Going to James Taylor concerts with my friends
-Bears winning the Super Bowl when I was a sophomore
-Those are just a few… 

Did you ever get back at the cheerleader who wrote on your back?

No.  But my high school reunion is in two years so you never know.  I wonder if she'll be there…

Did you find that assimilating made you friends in the "popular group" or just with girls who you could relate to?

I kind of straddled cliques and was friends with a lot of people by the end of school.  I really ended up being friends with people I could relate to, and to be honest I get together with my high school friends all the time.  Being popular is overrated. 

What did your old friends think of your make-over?

You're assuming I had friends :)  I had a hard time making friends at my new school.  The friends at my old school accepted me no matter what, I think they realized I had to dress like the kids at my new school and never questioned it.  I might have dropped my old friends a bit, too.  I was so determined to make friends at my new school.   

Simone, I, too had a terrible time getting through Jr. Hi and first years of high school. Was exceedingly tall and very fat, was the brunt of everyone's abuse and was abused by both the girls and the boys. Turn around came as a sophomore when I made friends with some of the most popular girls and became a member of a club. The captain of the cheerleaders, my idol, became one of my biggest advocates. I, too am still friends with most of my former high school buddies, and was on the entertainment committee for our recent class reunion. Today, I have a maillion friends, because I learned how to be flexible, adaptable and fun to be with. Looking forward for your sequel. Frannie

Mom, is that you??????  Yes, you do have a million friends.  And yes, you taught me to be flexible, too!  Thanks! (I think you're shrinking, though, in your old age – you're not the tallest anymore)

 --Simone

On behalf of all our Flux authors, thanks to all who've stopped by this week.  We appreciate your interest in Flux and hope you'll help spread the word about our fantastic line of books.

As I mentioned, next week we'll offer a glimpse into Flux's future and announce the winner of our essay contest.  Keep coming back as Andrew, Flux's Uber-Mensch, continues to bring you up to speed on the latest in our little corner of the blogosphere.

Flux on!

--Brian

Gee, there's so many embarrassing moments I can't choose just one.  I'm really a funny person I don't mind people laughing at me.  Most of the time I do things and say things to make people laugh on purpose, making a fool out of myself is a daily routine.  I don't have one embarrassing high school moment; I have a thousand little ones.  I think I have selective memory and have blocked most of them out, but here are some I remember: 

-I was always conscious about locking my car doors when I went somewhere.  I was SO conscientious about locking my doors, one day I locked my doors and left the keys in the ignition with the car still running.  The kids at school were hanging out front and were laughing at me the entire time the policeman was trying to open the car door.  Embarrassing part: this happened more than once, like three times in the matter of a week.  And it was always in front of a crowd.   

-being made fun of by a boy (because I had a weird first name and I was new to the school) and after class being so upset I whacked the books out of his hand.  The books went flying across the hallway.  When he looked up with rage, I got so scared I ran as fast as I could down the hall and away from people laughing at the boy.  By the end of the day, the rumor was that I beat up the boy.  

-Not being able to do the flex arm hang for even one second for the physical fitness test. 

-Not being able to do any situps for the physical fitness test. 

-Going to a dance with a boy named Felix and worrying the whole time that he was going to try and kiss me. 

-Being too lazy to park in the junior lot when I was a senior so instead I drove into the one, tiny spot available.  When I heard the crunch of the rear of my car crushing up against a pole I realized I should have walked the extra twenty steps and parked in the junior lot.  Try explaining my reasoning to the police…or my parents. 

-Trying out for the school review show, STUNTS, with my friends.  We tried out with a dance routine to the song WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE OUR CLOTHES OFF TO HAVE A GOOD TIME.  I didn't make the cut for the dance, but I did get a part in Stunts.  As an alarm clock.  Yes, I went from trying out to be a sexy dancer and got cast as a clock.  And my loyal friends and parents actually "came to see me" perform as a clock. 

-I was driving with my dog in the car.  My dog decided to poop – right there – in the car.  On my lap.  While the guy I liked sat in the passenger seat beside me. 

-Wearing a slinky bathing suit the first time I went water skiing.  Don't do this.  I slammed into the water after less than 10 seconds of balancing on the skis and came up half naked.