Exciting news! Young Voices 2012 – the Toronto Public Library‘s annual magazine of teen writing and art is now available at your local Toronto library branch. As an editor of this magazine for six years, I’m particularly proud of the diverse talents of Toronto’s teens showcased within these pages.
Selecting contributors for the Young Voices magazine is great fun and hard work. I love digging into the pile of writing I receive, exploring the insights that these teens have put to paper. And I love hashing out who the finalists will be with the members of the Editorial Youth Advisory Group. Most of all, I love congratulating the contributors to the magazine at the Young Voices launch party – held this year at the North York Central Library on Thursday, October 11 at 7:00 p.m.
Thanks to my group of enthusiastic editors for an evening of friendly arguments, loud disagreements and finally mutual understanding as we came to terms over which pieces to select for the magazine. Thanks to the staff at the Toronto Public Library who give Toronto teens this fantastic opportunity.
I hope that acceptance in Young Voices makes the contributors stand a little taller and feel more confident about their unique voices and the insights they have to offer.
Don’t forget – it’s never too early to think about next year’s magazine! Check out the submission guidelines and deadline here.
On a sunny summer’s day, I enjoyed coffee and conversation with author Lena Coakley as she interviewed me for a profile in the quarterly publication of CANSCAIP – the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers. A full version of the article is available to CANSCAIP members, including a discussion of my works, writing process, where I get my ideas and more. Thanks to Lena and CANSCAIP for the article!
Favourite quote from the article:
“Sarah Harvey at Orca Book Publishers calls [Karen] ‘professional, responsive, flexible, insightful, humble and funny. In short, an editor’s favourite kind of writer!’”
Thanks, Sarah! I’m thrilled to be working with author and editor Sarah Harvey again, writing one of the first two books in Orca’s new Limelights series, featuring novels for teens about the performing arts. In my novel, Cut the Lights, the director of a student-written play is at odds with her cast, until the attempted suicide of the lead actor forces them to work together. Cut the Lights will be published in Fall 2013.
The 15-year-old protagonist of my latest novel, The Yo-Yo Prophet, would be over the moon about this demonstration of yo-yoing in zero gravity. Yes, folks, it’s yo-yos in space!
In his Science off the Sphere series, astronaut and chemist Don Pettit demonstrates how yo-yos behave aboard the International Space Station.
Yo-yoing involves the science of planes and gyroscopic stability, but taking it into space eliminates the effect of gravity, allowing for a whole new style of yo-yoing and even the invention of new tricks! How cool is that?
Don Pettit says, “I haven’t been spending as much time as I should working on my yo-yo training…. It just shows how I’ve got misplaced priorities.”
I keep a list of writing contests and places to submit on my website, which I update periodically. With the start of school, it’s a great time for young authors to explore where they can submit their writing – and artwork – this year.
If you’re an aspiring teen writer, you can check out the list here. I also have tips for young writers here. Good luck!
Writing as a career means spending long hours alone, building characters, brainstorming plot and revising over and over again. It’s no wonder that many authors have introvert qualities – a subject that I’ve recently enjoyed reading about in the book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain. (Authors: You may find yourself in the pages of this book.)
However, being an author also means public readings, writing workshops, book launches, and online and in-person promotional events. These require extrovert qualities and can be challenging for some authors. It also means getting regular author photos taken – a task I dread.
I’ve learned how to enjoy public authors events, but posing for author photos still makes me uptight. I want a photo that shows who I am, but doesn’t make me look hideous. A photo that uses the talents of a professional photographer, but appears natural. A photo that will appeal to my readers.
This summer, I met up with Owen of Owen Captures, an expert photographer who could make me feel comfortable and take an excellent photo. Never mind that I was nervous for days before the photo shoot. Owen knew how to get great shots in spite of my nerves. At least I think he got a great shot. You can decide for yourself below. Thanks, Owen!
Exciting news! Young Voices 2012 – the Toronto Public Library‘s annual magazine of teen writing and art is now available at your local Toronto library branch. As an editor of this magazine for six years, I’m particularly proud of the diverse talents of Toronto’s teens showcased within these pages.
