Lauren Sabel's Page
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- About Me
- I'm originally from Colorado, and still have a deep love for the mountains, the mystery of turning a corner and finding a waterfall, a crystal spring, a deadly cliff...
In the past decade, I've lived in New York, San Francisco, Rome, Florida, Boulder, and London. Each of these places have been amazing, and exploring London is proving to be quite the adventure indeed.
I started out in screenplay writing and have slowly moved towards children's books. But now that I'm here, I don't think I'll ever leave. Do you mind if I crash on your genre's floor?
- What are you working on at the moment?
- A young adult book about a girl who finds out that her mother was not murdered, but kidnapped. She goes in search of her mom through some scary parts of Mexico, and ends up finding out more than she ever wanted to know.
- If you were asked to recommend just one children's book published this year, what would it be?
- The Book Thief. For sure. I thought the language was beautiful and the story kept me hanging on until the end-- twice!
- What is the most important thing you learned about writing or illustrating this year?
- Keep Going. Try new methods. Breathe. Trust yourself. Never forget the importance of a good writing group.
Lauren Sabel's Blog
Book Review: Blood Red Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick
Drink: Russian Vodka -
Meal: A thick Russian stew with cabbage -
Color: White, maybe Beige -
Animal: Polar bear -
Rating - 4.3 -
Very poetic and beautiful. This book made me want to read more contemporary Russian literature. Although it was a politically charged love story, all I remember are the fairy tales and the snow. Have I mentioned the snow? It was snowing when I read it, and my mind was full of white drowsiness, fireside stories and magical realism. But somebody tell me th… Continue
Posted on February 16, 2009 at 8:35pm —
Book Review: Walking a Tightrope: New Writing by Asian Britain edited by Rehana Ahmed
Drink: Jasmine tea -
Meal: Dim sum -
Color: A rainbow, with a bright yellow stripe -
Animal: Siamese Cats -
Rating: 4 out of 5 -
I loved the story "Yellow Dog" by Farrukh Dhondy. I really cared about the little girl and the fate of her little yellow dog. I think I'll always remember that one. I didn't love the rest of the book, but I liked it. I couldn't quite get through the whole thing, so I'm not sure what the last couple of stories were abo… Continue
Posted on February 16, 2009 at 8:30pm —
Book Review: Chips, Beans and Limousines: The Fantastic Diary of Bathsheba Clarice de Trop by Leila Rasheed
Drink: Strawberry soda -
Meal: Cotton Candy -
Color: Bright pink with a little black dot -
Animal: Purse dog -
Rating - 2.8 out of 5
Disappointing. I was looking for a Gossip Girl type of book, maybe more like Meg Cabot's kind of writing. I just felt that although I really liked the idea: Famous mother writes about her daughter, Bathsheba, and Bathsheba begins to avoid the world by believing she's the character in the book instead of herself; I thought the executio… Continue
Posted on February 16, 2009 at 8:15pm —
Book Review: The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks
Drink: Vodka -
Meal: Meat pie -
Color: Navy blue -
Animal: Dead mutt -
Rating: 4.3 out of 5 -
Probably my favorite of his books, although not the best written. I read it twice- on accident. But it does say something for the book that once I realized I had read it a year earlier, I read it again anyway (and I wasn't alone in the woods with only my favorite squirrel to keep me company). However, the reason I didn't immediately remember I'd read it is because the writing is pr… Continue
Posted on February 16, 2009 at 8:03pm —
Book Review: Blood Ties by Sophie McKenzie
Drink: A light red wine -
Meal - Macaroni with cheese and chicken -
Color: Yellow and Orange -
Animal: Something in a zoo, like a large feline -
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 -
Nothing like a good cloning book. The mix of mystery, adventure, scientific experimentation, cruel absent fathers, and love between an unpopular girl and a popular guy. It made me think a lot of What If's, which I like. I also thought the love story between the two teenagers was very realistic, just awkward enough… Continue
Posted on February 16, 2009 at 8:00pm —
Comment Wall (15 comments)
- At 4:40pm on February 27, 2009,
Anne-Marie Perks said… - Hmmm. Yes money is always a tricky subject. My suggestion is to talk about it from the beginning of the project. It's not only about what you might earn but also about what is invested. It also depends on the nature of the collaboration. What I mean by that is if you enter into it with no idea of where it is going to take you, then it might be too early to discuss it. But as soon as money is being spent and/or there is an offer of actually getting paid something for your work, then definitely the discussion has to start. Books are a collaboration between an author and an illustrator with a separate advance payment for writer and illustrator and some sort of split set by the publisher, maybe negotiated with the agents involved, of the royalties. That seems more straight forward because it is set up by the people who buy the book. It seems to be the hardest thing for a creative to do, talk about money. I guess it just takes practice.
- At 6:22pm on February 7, 2009,
Bekki Hill said… - Sorry don't know about any London based courses. Must be some I'm sure.I think Roehampton do a children's module as part of their MA, if you fancy doing an MA.
- At 9:24am on February 7, 2009,
Sue Eves said… - Your story in progress sounds intriguing. Look forward to meeting you at the first London social on Thursday.
Sue
- At 7:24pm on February 6, 2009,
Gill James said… - Hi,
Well you said you wanted like me to combine lecturing and writing. I am a university lecturer and for example, for every twenty-two hours that I teach, I acquire about thrity hours of marking. That then has to be moderated i'e' checked to see that all has been marked at the same standard. That involves another ten hours. Usually with four weeks turnaround. It's teh turnaorund whihc puts on the pressure, not the actual work.
- At 7:03pm on February 6, 2009,
Tracy Ann Baines said… - Oh no - now I feel as if I've spoilt it for you!
I've read The Knife that Killed Me too - now I understand what you were talking about. I think it's quite filmic in that sense, and the ending was a surprise because I had convinced myself he was telling the story after dying.
The story itself was quite slight in some ways although the underlying morality was powerful.
I do hope you enjoy the rest of the other knife titled book even if I have blabbed. :)
- At 4:57pm on February 6, 2009,
Tracy Ann Baines said…
- Hi Lauren
I'm going to have to go back and have a look at what you've commented on.
I have to say, for me, I loved the premise and the author's voice. I loved the immediacy and the strange ambiguous quality of the narrative - the fact that I, as the reader, couldn't quite decide what genre I was reading, the sci-fi elements hinted at but never quite defined until later on in the book.
I liked Todd, I loved Manchee, and cried buckets at Manchee's last scene (you kind of knew it was going to happen at some point but it still made me cry)
But I think more than anything, it felt truly original. I read a lot of kids books and although there are many I've enjoyed, there are very few that really jump out or stay with me as being original and fresh.
That's why I agree with you about The Book Thief - the theme is well-worn but the delivery was original and beautifully written. This one made me cry too.
- At 6:33pm on February 5, 2009,
Gill James said…
- Laure, the lecturing and the writing is not the difficult combination. Marking and moderating make it a tad more difficult.
- At 9:03pm on February 3, 2009,
Dave Jeffery said… - Hi Lauren
You are most welcome. Good luck with your book and thank you so much for investing both time and money in my work. It is most appreciated.
Best
Dave
- At 4:59pm on February 3, 2009,
Jon M said… - Hi Lauren,
Ways to make supernatural characters more believeable? hmmm.I guess treat them like any other. Give them a past, mannerisms, what drives them on? Even supernatural characters need to follow some kind of logic, work out what it is. Their actions still have to be believeable. Does that make sense? Hope so!
- At 7:00am on February 3, 2009,
Liz Armstrong Hall said… - Hi, Lauren.
I'm also from the US--grew up in PA and have lived in the SF Bay Area, St. Louis, and the DC area. I think fiction is harder to write, because it's a new genre for me. (I've been writing nonfiction for adults and kids for a long time.)
Liz
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Illustration: Michael Foreman's War Boy Exhibition
November 10, 2009 to December 23, 2009 – National Army Museum, Chelsea
Exploring some of the complex themes of the World Wars and the civilian connection with the British Army, War Boy is a unique opportunity to see original artwork by leading children's illustrator M...
Organized by National Army Museum | Type: exhibition
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FEDERATION OF CHLDREN'S BOOKGROUPS CONFERENCE
April 9, 2010 at 4pm to April 11, 2010 at 4pm – Bradfield College - Reading
READ IT AGAIN!! Conference 2010 The Conference will be opened by Anthony Horowitz, celebrating 10 years of Alex Rider and will be closed by William Nicholson. In between we will be delighted and en...
Organized by Jackie Marchant | Type: conference
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Festival of Writing, York
April 10, 2010 to April 11, 2010 – York
http://www.festivalofwriting.com/index.shtml Good line up and worth going if anyone is in the area - workshops, one-to-ones, agents, publishers, authors. They're taking bookings from tomorrow - fi...
Organized by The Writer's Workshop | Type: writing, festival
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London Book Fair 2010
April 19, 2010 to April 21, 2010 – Earl's Court, London
The London Book Fair is the global marketplace for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content across print, audio, TV, film and digital channels. Taking place every spring in the ...
Organized by London Book Fair | Type: book fair
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Children's Writers Conference in Italy
June 18, 2010 to June 21, 2010 – Duino, Italy
Do you have an interest in writing for children or young adults? Whether published or unpublished, you are very welcome to join us at an exciting new Conference. The Children’s Writers’ Conference...
Organized by Ruth Eastham ruth_eastham@yahoo.com | Type: conference
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