Hope in the Mail

October 15, 2019
This thorough, well-voiced guide to becoming a writer covers everything you need to be published, starting with developing the right attitude. From building believable characters to finding an agent to designing a book cover, Van Draanen's (Wild Bird, 2017, etc.) guide to becoming a writer has it all. Beginning with her personal history as the child of hardworking Dutch immigrants, the author encourages future writers to be gritty, describing her own relentless pursuit of her craft even during a decade of constant rejections from major publishing houses. She then moves from the attitudes necessary for creative work to the more practical details: how to find a narratorial voice, how to structure a mystery, and how to find and work with an editor. Throughout, she uses moments of perseverance and struggle from her own life to urge aspiring writers to keep going, no matter what challenges--internal and external--they must face down. Van Draanen's voice is charmingly no-nonsense, and the themes she explores are sure to benefit aspiring writers of many ages. Unfortunately, though, by insisting on the connection between hard work and success, Van Draanen ignores structural issues that prevent writers from marginalized backgrounds from breaking into publishing with the same ease as mainstream peers. Furthermore, small moments of ignorance unredeemed by self-reflection--such as shaming her childhood bully for her looks and repeatedly using the charged term "hoodlum" in a context that is loaded with class-based assumptions--make her unexamined privilege difficult to ignore. A thoughtful and entertaining how-to guide weakened by serious diversity-related missteps. (Nonfiction. 14-adult)

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November 11, 2019
In her first guide to writing, bestselling author Van Draanen (Wild Bird) shares “not the boring autobiographical stuff” but, instead, advice that “pertains to writing and silver linings.” She includes anecdotes about her childhood and early writing years, providing personal insights into how she became a success. Most fun of all, she reveals how the ideas for her stories developed. For instance, readers learn that Sammy Keyes, a teen sleuth whose adventures kept the author busy for 18 books, bears a keen resemblance to a young Van Draanen, who wrote the first four books when she was teaching full-time and raising two children in Santa Maria, Calif. Throughout, Van Draanen provides both practical suggestions and encouragement to writers in a genuine, nondidactic tone. Suitable for both teens and adults, her amusingly told path to publication may serve as a beacon of hope for some struggling writers, and her creative suggestions may prove useful to those looking to sharpen their writing abilities. Ages 12–up.

December 1, 2019

Gr 7 Up-Van Draanen offers readers and future writers guidance, laughter, and depth in this lighthearted writing guide. She shares difficult memories such as the tragic fire that impacted her family's business and explores the challenges of living in a rough neighborhood. Her storytelling abilities will inspire writers of all ages. Fans will also appreciate that her advice revolves around key elements found in her books. The short chapters are appropriate for younger readers but have enough of a narrative hook to appeal to older students as well. Within the seven overarching sections that organize the chapters, Van Draanen focuses on a specific writing technique in a practical and approachable style. In the chapter about dialogue, she recommends that writers listen, create a signature phrase, and avoid adverbs. VERDICT Van Draanen's memoir can serve as a guide to embracing the creative life. Recommended especially for libraries with readers of the author. A good addition to collections that carry Jack Gantos's Writing Radar and Gail Carson Levine's Writing Magic.-Vi Ha, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from December 1, 2019
Grades 6-9 *Starred Review* Van Draanen, author of the popular Sammy Keyes series, may not be the first author to offer a writing guide for young people, but this book is one of the best. In part, because it's as much memoir as it is writing manual. Interspersed between solid suggestions about characters, plot, and setting, Van Draanen talks about her early life as the child of Dutch immigrants whose values included hard work, frugality, and insisting a job started must be completed. She spotlights how people in her life popped up in her books, but emphasizes the almost magical ways characters can take over their own stories. And she chronicles the 10 years before she had a book accepted for publication, years in which she never stopped writing, no matter how long the odds seemed to be. Of most practical value to writers might be the chapters on revision, how what at first seems like a nightmare undertaking can become the most valuable and, yes, even enjoyable part of the process?whether you are working on a novel or a term paper. While this is being published for young people, the very honest and practical discussions about advances, self-publishing, and the craft of writing will be of great benefit to newbie writers of any age.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)