Becca Fitzpatrick

Hi all!

I am back from New York!  And I have my TOP FIVE moments from NYC (and they're even in order.  Well, mostly.)

5.  Wandering around Harlem.  My agent advised me to take a cab from Laguardia airport to my hotel in Manhattan, but my husband assured me the bus/subway/walking route was the way to go.  Plus, he said, it would be a great way to really experience the city.  First, I got off on the wrong bus stop and spent an hour wandering around Harlem.  Keep in mind it was dusk.  The city was getting dark.  Oh, and I had a strange man following me around, telling me I should "go somewhere with him."  Finally I located the subway, but it was the WRONG TRAIN.  But, hey.  No problem, right?  I figured I could make it work.  Somehow.  Then, as I was standing on the platform waiting for the train to arrive, the woman beside me said, "Miss, are you sure you're headed to the Bronx?  'Cause I think you want to go down another level.  That will take you to Brooklyn."  She looked like she knew what she was talking about, so I got on the train to Brooklyn.  And the people on the Brooklyn-bound train helped me make it to Grand Central Station, which was only, like, fifteen blocks from my hotel.  So, yeah.  Experience the city?  Check.  

4.  A surprise bag . . . with my own top ten to-do list.  Shortly after I arrived at my hotel, a mysterious bag was delivered to my room.  


Welcome-to-NYC goodies from my friends at Simon & Schuster!  (I'm wearing the I <3 NY tee as I type this).  They also gave me my own top ten list of things I had to do while in NYC, starting with buying a pretzel from a street vendor (check) and ending with . . .

3.  Visiting my publishing team!   Which, as it happens, is the most awesome publishing team ever.  Period.  These people are part human, part awesome.  Part sheer publishing genius.  Oh, and they're funny.  So part comedian, too.  And part rockstar!  After the official meetings (like where the publicity team unearthed all of my secrets, stopping just short of the color of my underwear) we had lunch and talked about our favorite authors and made fun of Justin Chanda's artistic sketches, which have been known to include . . .

2.  Early drafts of HUSH, HUSH's cover!  I am sworn to secrecy in this department, but I can say that there will be no bananas on the cover.  None whatsoever.  There may, however, be something that resembles a banana on the cover.  How's that for cryptic? 

1.5.  Dinner with editor Emily and publisher Justin.  Tuesday night Emily, Justin and I ate dinner at The Blue Fin, which had the most amazing jazz going on in the background.  We talked about our favorite shows and I think Justin and I convinced Emily to watch Veronica Mars.  (And you were beginning to think I could write a post without mentioning Veronica Mars - ha!) 

1.  Meeting my agent and other cool people at InkWell.  This is where the time line gets tricky.  I met agent Catherine before I went to S&S, but I didn't meet the rest of the InkWell team until the following morning.  They hinted at more good news on the horizon, but again, nothing is concrete so MUM's the word.    

So, yeah!  That's it!  My amazing trip to NYC.  I'll leave you with this pic of Times Square (just ignore the traffic cop glaring at me and thinking stupid tourist thoughts).  Hopefully this will be the first trip of many! 

-Becca

Yes, this is going to be another post about my NYC trip, but I am excited with a capital E, that rhymes with T, that stands for TRIP!  I have my itinerary in hand, and since I'm meeting with some ultra mega awesome people at Simon & Schuster, I'm feeling the need to impress.  (That's the excuse I'm feeding my husband to explain why I absolutely must go shopping tonight.)  I've been soliciting clothing opinions from both my editor and my secret "in" at the house (one of the editorial interns, shh, don't tell) and I think I've narrowed it down to a cute spring dress, or a skirt with boots.  I was really leaning toward the dress, but unfortunately, the weather forecast for NYC next week is low 50s and rainy.  (Note to self: pack an umbrella.)

I have Option A, a casual spring wrap dress:



Option B, my all-time favorite dress, but probably a tad on the formal side: 



Or, I could always buy this dress from J.Crew and deny the fact that The Budget will kill me in an inhumane, unmentionable fashion . . . 

Hi all!

I was reading Carrie Ryan's blog the other day, where she talks about first lines.  "The first line is everything.  Everything."  

Amen, Carrie.  

During the last rewrite of HUSH HUSH, my first line got the ax.  I stuck in a placeholder line - reserving a spot for the perfect line - which I was sure would come to me.  You know, eventually.  But here I am, a month after completing revisions, and that perfect first line is still eluding me.  

Hoping for inspiration, I pulled several books off my shelf.  I cracked book after book open, and read opening lines.  But instead of receiving inspiration, I started to sweat at the thought of trying to live up to some incredibly great lines.  See here:

Harry Potter was a highly unusual boy in many ways.  - Harry Potter III, J.K. Rowling

 

Ask Annie your most complex interpersonal relationship questions.  - Teen Idol, Meg Cabot

 

In life, Elizabeth Adora Holland was known not only for her loveliness but also for her moral character, so it was fair to assume that in the afterlife she would occupy a lofty seat with an especially good view.  - The Luxe, Anna Godberson

 

"It's not fair."  - Privilege, Kate Brian

 

I'd never given much thought to how I would die - though I'd had reason enough in the last few months - but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.  - Twilight, Stephenie Meyer

 

Becca again.  I thought about holding a first-line contest where you, my readers, came up with my perfect opening line, but then I realized as the author, that's probably my job.  And I was probably taking the easy way out.  I mean, next thing you know, I'd be holding a contest to write my sequel . . .

Anyway.  Yes.  I'm in first-line agony.  I've been having night sweats about my book going to print, immortalizing my lukewarm opening line forever.  And ever.  And eeeeeeever.  

In other news . . . I'm almost positively certain I'm flying to NYC next month!  I'll get to meet agent Catherine and editor Emily.  I'm mildly freaking out because I'm not sure what I should wear.  Are jeans too casual?  Is a dress too formal?  Aside from the fashion uncertainty, I'm incredibly excited!  I've never been to NYC.  In fact, I've only been to a big city once, Philadelphia.  In a horrific way, it was a fairly exciting trip.  I had a man threaten to kill me.  Several police offers came to my rescue, and I remember pepper spray and a gun being drawn.  My husband, who grew up in Philadelphia, jokes that the whole time he lived there, he never had anything scary happen.  And the one time I visit, I manage to have my life threatened, an entire train stopped and evacuated, and said threatening man hauled off to jail.  

What can I say?  I'm drawn to danger.  

-Becca