Category: writing

writing

Storytelling resources

Christa Avampato
Pixar’s 22 rules of storytelling

This weekend I had the honor of giving a graduate student class at the Bronx Zoo about how biomimicry and storytelling can inform social change. One of the students asked about storytelling resources I recommend and I thought I would share my go-to resources here with you:

Pixar
I take a lot of inspiration from Pixar’s work. This Khan Academy class is free, helpful, and created by the Pixar team: https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/pixar/storytelling
Additionally, this is a great infographic created by a story artist from Pixar and depicts their 22 rules for storytelling: https://mastersreview.com/tips-pixars-22-rules-of-storytelling/

Storyteller and Mythologist John Bucher
John Bucher is my close personal friend and writing mentor. He’s a phenomenal storyteller and he has a lot of resources on his website, a newsletter, a podcast, and several books on the art of storytelling. He’s had an enormous impact on my work and life.
https://www.tellingabetterstory.com/

Story Gatherings
Story Gatherings is a community I belong to. They have a conference about storytelling every year that happens online and in-person in Nashville. https://storygatherings.com/

writing

The query letter that helped me attract a publisher

Christa Avampato
Photo by Etienne Girardet

I believe in generously sharing my journey, especially when it comes to my writing. People often ask me, “how did you get a book published?” When Emerson was first published, I had been querying agents without much success. Most never responded and any others that did respond were rejections. My favorite rejection was a response I received 5 minutes after I sent my query letter, and it had just two letters: “No”. That was the entire response. I am a pro in rejection.

I eventually found my first publisher by live pitching the book to them at an event I attended when I lived in D.C.

My new publisher that will republish my first novel and the other two books in the trilogy I got via query letter. I didn’t know anyone there. I’d never met them, they didn’t know my work prior to my query, and I sent it to the general submissions inbox that was listed on their website. The query process is often harrowing (or at least it was for me!) but it does work.

Here is the timeline from query to contract with my publisher:

  • October 29th – sent query
  • November 16th – I got a request for the full manuscript
  • February 1st – I was invited to a meeting to talk about possible publication.
  • February 11th – Met the acquiring editor via Zoom
  • February 14th – They made an offer to publish the whole Emerson Page trilogy

In the spirit of generosity, I wanted to share the letter I wrote that led to my publisher requesting the full manuscript. I hope as you’re crafting your query letters, this letter will help you!

Dear Editors,
My novel, EMERSON PAGE AND WHERE THE LIGHT LEADS, is a young adult adventure novel that draws inspiration from Greek and Celtic mythology. Given your interest in publishing stories that push the boundaries, I thought Emerson’s story would be a fit. Per your submission guidelines, please find a brief synopsis and my bio below. 

Synopsis
Fifteen-year-old Emerson Page is committed to fulfilling her mother’s legacy— gain access to a fantastical underworld hidden below Dublin, Ireland where an ancient book authored by the Greek muses is being held hostage. A world-renowned anthropologist, her mother gave her life to protect this book because it contains the secrets to unlimited human creativity. In the hands of someone who wants to build a better world, this book is a priceless gift. In the hands of someone who seeks to control humanity, it’s a dangerous weapon.

With her two best friends and her service dog, Friday, Emerson sets out from her home in New York City in a race against a formidable enemy—a former family friend turned traitor with powerful gifts of his own who seeks the book for himself. Emerson and her friends face near-impossible physical, mental, and emotional struggles on their journey that push every limit they have. All the while, the clock is ticking. The window between this ancient world and their home is only open for twenty-four hours.

Publishing history
This is my second novel. Thumbkin Prints published my first novel, EMERSON PAGE AND WHERE THE LIGHT ENTERS, in 2017. It received strong reviews and was featured by Kirkus Reviews and Midwest Book Review among others. It won several awards including: 2017 Nautilus Book Award for Young Adult Fiction (Silver), 2018 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal in Young Adult Adventure and the Wind Dancer Films Award, was one of 25 finalists out of 1,200 submissions the ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition, winner of TopShelf Magazine Award for young adult mythology / fairy tale, was #1 on Coverfly’s THE RED LIST for 2019 Adventure Book Manuscripts, and remains at #5 on THE RED LIST two years later. I was also chosen as a featured speaker at the Virginia Festival of the Book in 2018. Unfortunately, Thumbkin Prints closed its doors due to recent financial hardship. Thankfully, all rights for my novel reverted back to me when they closed.

Bio
I write stories about women and girls who are underestimated and determined to rise. I have a career and life that melds my passion for storytelling, business, and scientific research in the field of biomimicry. A proud graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, the Darden School at the University of Virginia, and Arizona State University, my work focuses on collaboratively building products, services, and experiences that create a better world. I also have a deep love for discovering history’s hidden narratives, secrets, and perspectives.

I’ve been an invited speaker at SXSW, Games for Change, New York University, Columbia University, Cornell Tech, City University of New York, the Brooklyn Brainery, and Wildlife Conservation Society. My non-fiction writing has been featured in The Washington Post, Royal Media Partners publications, Pipeline Artists, The Biomimicry Institute’s Ask Nature, The Henry Ford magazine, Inside History, and Natural History Magazine. I was a producer for the PBS television series Live at 9:30 and am now a producer for Carnegie Hall’s digital media initiatives.

I began my career managing Broadway shows and national theater tours. I spent over a decade as a product leader in the technology industry. Now I’m the Founder of Double or Nothing Media, a company that provides product development services and the business strategies to bring those products to life. Powered by joy and curiosity, I live in New York City with my rescue dog, Phineas, and am equally inspired by ancient wisdom and modern technology. I share my never-ending curiosity on Twitter @christanyc, Instagram @christarosenyc, and my personal website, Curating a Creative Life, at christaavampato.com.  

Thank you for your time and consideration of my work. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Sincerely yours, 

Christa Avampato

writing

A Publisher Bought My YA Novel Trilogy—Here’s Everything I Did Wrong

Christa Avampato

A month ago, I sold not one book but three! I signed a contract with a publisher for my Emerson Page trilogy. This is an especially sweet personal triumph for me because:

· The first book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was previously published in 2017 by an independent publisher that went out of business

· I’ve sent out 77 queries for the second book over the last 2 years and 5 months

· I only have a working title and logline for the third book — not even an outline much less a manuscript

· I don’t have an agent

By conventional publishing wisdom, I did many things wrong in this latest query process. And still, the story won in the end. The acquisitions editor had an immediate connection with me, Emerson, and her story. I want to share this story with all authors in every stage of their careers, people in the business of publishing, and book lovers who wonder how this process unfolded for me. I’m just one specific example, and I think it can help others on their journey to know how this happened.

These are the pieces of advice I received many times over that made me doubt myself. I’m glad I bet on myself, Emerson, and readers, and that I kept going.

1. “You cannot query agents and independent publishers at the same time.”
I did. I received some kind rejections from agents and publishers who accept direct queries, a few discouraging rejections, and radio silence from the majority of them. I would have loved to get an agent from this process. I thought the success of the first book might help with that. It didn’t. In the fall of 2021, I decided to look at independent publishers one more time to see if there were any others that might be a fit for me and Emerson. I’m so glad I did. That’s how I found with my new publisher.

2. “Since the first book in the series was already published, no one else will pick it up, much less the other two books in the series.”
In my query letter for the second book, I mentioned Emerson’s first book, the awards it won, and the reviews it received but I was very careful to explain that the second book could stand on its own. This was a delicate balance because I wanted those I was querying to know about my publishing experience but I didn’t want to sink the property with a previous publication.

In a wonderful turn of events, the publisher asked if I was interested in finding a home for the first book as well. If so, they wanted to consider acquiring it along with the second book.

3. “The first book came out in 2017. That’s too long ago. Move on.”
I heard this a lot, and it hurt. Due to the pandemic and my health issues last year, I felt like I missed my chance and that this one novel was all that would ever see the light of day. When I wrote Emerson’s first book, I always saw the series as a trilogy. It’s how the book is built. It’s in the DNA of the story architecture. There are a lot of Easter eggs planted that come to life in the second two books. You don’t need any of the other books to enjoy any one of them, but together they do create a complete, rich world that’s hopeful and places an emphasis on the power of creativity, two themes that we need now more than ever.

4. “You’ve been querying for this second book for over two years. Shelve it and move on.”
This was another common refrain I heard. In October 2021, I almost believed it. I decided I’d send out one more round of queries. If that didn’t yield anything, I’d have to accept that this book just wasn’t meant to be. Maybe someday the rest of her story would be sent out into the world, but now was not the time. That last round of queries included my new publisher. As Anne Lamott said, don’t quit before the miracle.

5. “Publishers don’t want YA books with magic in them.”
This advice is everywhere and yet there are so many books and television series that defy this and that audiences love. This world could do with more magic and light, especially in these dark times.

6. “Do not pitch a book you haven’t written.”
At my meeting with the publisher, I explained that I saw this as a trilogy. I told them my working title for the third book, its logline, and how it completes Emerson’s arc in her coming of age story. I was very honest that I hadn’t even outlined the book much less written it. That didn’t phase them one bit. The offer I received was for the entire trilogy.

7. “If you really want this story to get out into the world, you’re going to have to self-publish and do everything yourself. And don’t expect too much to come from it. That’s the only option for this story at this point.”
I know a lot of people who have had success with self-publishing and enjoyed that process. In my gut, I knew that route wasn’t the right thing for Emerson. That’s why I kept querying. I wanted to find a partner who loves her and her story as much as I do. Having that partner to help make her story shine as bright as possible was important to me, and I found that partner with my new publisher.

This is not a story that tells you to never give up and to keep pushing through no matter what. I knew what I needed and wanted to do with this particular story and character. There are plenty of projects that I’ve shelved. Some I pick up again and some I don’t. There is no one way to get a story out into the world, and I’m so glad there will be much more from Emerson Page in the near future. Stay tuned and receive updates by signing up for my email list.

writing

I’m baaaaaack…

Christa Avampato
Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash

Oh, hi! I know I said I would be retiring this blog in pursuit of other projects. And I did just that. Since January 2021, I:

  • Beat early-stage breast cancer and learned that my health is my number one priority
  • Started recording episodes for the JoyProject podcast
  • Sold my Emerson Page young adult novel trilogy to a publisher
  • Applied to and was accepted into the graduate program in Sustainability Leadership at University of Cambridge
  • Worked closely with Carnegie Hall to help launch Carnegie Hall+, a new streaming service for classical music, dance, and music-based films

Now I’m coming out of retirementThe world is in a strange and difficult place, from where I sit and around the globe. The war in Ukraine. The continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Continued and accelerating climate change. My long-term medical treatment to make sure I maintain the health I fought so hard to restore.

I’m still grieving what’s been lost since 2019. Trying to find joy each and every day. Looking forward with hope for the future. We contain multitudes, and we hold bundles of disparate emotions all at once.

What’s remained constant for me:

  • daily writing
  • living in New York and my deep love for this city
  • my sweet dog, Phineas
  • my fierce loyalty to my friends

And so I return to this blog now with a focus on writing—the craft, the joy it brings, the relief it provides, and the connections it makes across time and geographies. I’m here to share my writing life with you, to support writers, and to give a peek behind-the-scenes into my creative life.

I’m glad you’re here. I’m grateful I’m here. Take my hand. Let’s see what we can find, together. Ask me anything. Let’s go.

creativity, writing

Write every day: My feature on biomimicry is in The Henry Ford Magazine

Christa Avampato

Screen Shot 2020-06-29 at 9.10.27 PMI’m so excited to share that the feature I wrote about biomimicry, Making Mother Nature Our Muse, has been published in The Henry Ford Magazine‘s latest issue which is all about sustainable design.

The Henry Ford is an innovation museum in Detroit, Michigan, that I’ve admired for years. I’m so pleased to be able to speak to their members through this piece.

Big hat tip to Lex Amore at the Biomimicry Institute, Jennifer LaForce, the wonderful editor of the magazine, and James Round for his beautiful illustrations.

You can find my stand alone feature here: Making Mother Nature Our Muse by Christa Avampato

The whole issue is fantastic and is available for free online here: The Henry Ford Magazine—June-Dec 2020

music, story, writing, yoga

This just in: The answer is in the music

Christa Avampato

“Many people die with their music still in them. Why is this so? Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out.” ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., writer and physician

On Sunday I sorted through several years of blog posts looking for a story to use for my storytelling class. I found it. Below is an expanded version of an experience I had with one of the students who was non-responsive during the class. It’s a testament to the power of music in every phase of our lives.

I started a busy week of yoga teaching at New York Methodist Hospital. I went to the Geriatric Psychology Unit. Because it is an acute care facility, I always have a different group of patients whom I work with in a small group class. Their cognitive and physical abilities vary widely.Their illnesses are both fascinating and heart breaking to witness. My mind can’t help but go to the thought that some day I and / or the people I know and love may find ourselves in this same situation of loss as the years tick by.

Ruth was one of the students in the class. Though she could hear me speaking, my questions didn’t register in her mind. There was a piano in the room where I was teaching the class. After class was over, Ruth slowly shuffled to it and she played a church hymn that she probably learned as a young child. Every note was perfect and she played with emotion. Her shaking hands steadied. Color came back to her cheeks, and for a moment she seemed truly alive. I was astonished and asked Caroline, the recreational therapist, why Ruth could play the song perfectly but not answer me when I asked, “How are you?” Caroline had a very simple answer. “Music is the very last thing to go from the mind. Reasoning, logic, math skills, speech, and even emotion can be gone, but music sticks with us until our very last days.”

I’m certain that there’s a very sound, neurological reason for this. Maybe musical ability is stored in an area of the brain that is not affected by the loss of cognitive ability from aging. But I think there’s a more mystical, maybe even spiritual, reasoning. It provides a beautiful and powerful justification for making creativity and the arts a very necessary part of our lives at every age. We are literally and figuratively wired for music. When everything else falls away, and I mean everything, we can take comfort in the idea that music will become our final voice to the world.

Holmes’s well-articulated concern has been a part of my life for a long time. I don’t want to spend any time getting ready to live. I want to live now, this and every moment. I don’t want that music stuck in me, never to reach the ears of others, whether it’s actual music or the work I’m meant to do with my life. My electric piano arrived this week, and I’m starting on my childhood dream of learning to play. When I sit down to practice my simple beginner scales, I think of Ruth. And Holmes. And the great continuum of humanity that has shared and reveled in music since our very beginning. I try to let the music come through me rather than from me. Somewhere out there is a cosmic symphony playing along. I just want to tap into it.

Ruth passed away a few weeks after she played her hymn on the piano for us. I’ll never forget that hymn, nor the lesson she taught me by playing it. Her music lives on in me, which is the most any of us can hope for.

books, feelings, sadness, writing

This just in: Write out your sorrows

Christa Avampato

“All sorrows can be borne if you put them into a story.”

“All sorrows can be borne if you put them into a story.” ~Isak Dinesen, Danish author

No matter the source, sorrows multiply when you leave them in your mind and heart. I write mine out. Sometimes in a journal, often on this blog, and sometimes in my fiction. A few days ago, I was editing a part of my book, Where the Light Enters, and I realized that I could work in some real-life emotions that have plagued me recently. The moment I did that, I felt lighter. Not free necessarily, but stronger and relieved to see these emotions be given a purpose. We can’t always prevent disappointment, heartbreak, or regret, but we can always use it to create something of value. We can always make it meaningful.

balance, beauty, books, choices, creative process, writing

This just in: The beautiful and terrible balance of the writing process

Christa Avampato

And so it goes...
And so it goes…

“Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid.”

I’m now digging into the next phase of the editing process for my novel, Where the Light Enters. I thought it would be easier than the first draft and the first set of edits, but the refinement process carries its own gnarly tasks. I’m now getting into critical detail where research and intense imagination are critical, when self-doubt is around every corner making it easy to throw in the towel. Self-doubt is really starting to get ticked off that I’m not giving up, and so its voice grows louder and its criticism more biting.

Quotes like the one above remind me that every process, every experience contains a certain amount of beautiful and terrible, light and darkness, frustration and ease. It’s a difficult and dicey balance to negotiate, but if we want to build anything of value and substance, whether it’s a piece of art, a relationship, or a book, we have to be willing to take the good with the bad. There will be times that we never want to end and times that all we want to do is give up. That seesaw is part and parcel to the creation process.

When giving up on anything feels especially enticing, I remind myself that I’m not perfect, that no one’s perfect, and so if something truly comes from my heart and gut then it will carry imperfection, too. That helps me keep going. It calms the small voice of self-doubt that is always present and wants me to abandon ship. I understand its fear and concern, and I also know that this same fear and concern is what helps me do the very best I can at any moment.

Back to writing…

story, theatre, Washington, writer, writing

This just in: I’m taking a storytelling class at SpeakeasyDC

Christa Avampato

SpeakeasyDC
SpeakeasyDC

Anne Lamott once said, “If you have the courage to free yourself, take a risk and tell your story with the hope of freeing someone else.” So, here’s hoping. Yesterday I decided to take a risk and so something that really scares me: I signed up for a storytelling class at SpeakeasyDC (soon to be renamed Story District), a nonprofit here in D.C. that specializes in the art and science of storytelling. On July 20th, I’ll start the 5-week intensive program that will culminate in a public performance.

This class will help me discover a whole new community of like-minded people in D.C. while also helping to foster a time of personal growth, discovery, and creativity along with a new outlet for my writing. SpeakeasyDC has a show on Tuesday, July 14th, entitled The Charismatic Leader: Stories about those we follow for the right & wrong reasons. Looking forward to seeing the finished product and then learning the behind-the-scenes work that brings it to life. Here’s to taking on tasks that scare the wits out of us! They make us feel alive.

creative, creative process, creativity, legacy, writing

This just in: Isabel Allende’s cure-all for writer’s block and how to leave a legacy

Christa Avampato

“Write what should not be forgotten…” ~ Isabel Allende

“Write what should not be forgotten…” ~ Isabel Allende

If ever you find yourself with writer’s block, Isabel Allende offers you the only remedy you need. We will all, eventually, pass on. Writers leave a legacy, a trail of breadcrumbs open to anyone and everyone who arrives on our path. Most of the people who read our work will never meet us, will never have the chance to sit down and ask, “So how did your life go this time around?” Your writing will be what stands the test of time. Write what you want people to remember—about you, your life, and the world around you.