Thank you all so much for emailing and commenting on the blog with your thoughts about Twenty Boy Summer and your reading and writing questions. Even though it may take a while for me to respond, I promise that I read every message, and I truly appreciate hearing from you!
It’s been a while since I’ve updated the Q&A section of the site, so I thought I’d take some time today to answer the most common reader questions here, then I’ll post them permanently on the Q&A page. In the mean time, if there’s anything else you want to know, just ask in the comments below (no Twenty Boy Summer spoilers, please!).
Now, on to the questions…
About Twenty Boy Summer:
1. Are you writing a sequel to Twenty Boy Summer?
This is by far the #1 question I hear from readers. I’m thrilled that so many of you loved TBS enough to want to follow the characters into a new adventure! When I wrote TBS, I never intended the story to continue into a second book. I tried to tell the story of Anna, Frankie, and Matt at the most important point of their shared story, and leave the rest to the imagination of the reader. I don’t currently have plans for a sequel, but I may revisit those characters again in the future — you never know! In the mean time, I hope that readers who enjoyed TBS will check out my new novel, Fixing Delilah, which comes out in November. While it’s not connected to TBS, I think you’ll enjoy the following the new characters as they deal with some pretty heavy secrets, family issues, and new love on a summer away from home.
2. Is Zanzibar Bay, California (the setting of TBS) a real place?
Zanzibar Bay is not a real place on the map, but it’s based on memories of real places like it, including Myrtle Beach, SC, Ocean Beach, CA, Santa Cruz, CA, Martha’s Vineyard, MA, Long Beach, Canada, and other ocean beaches and seaside towns on the coasts. I really just wanted to capture the essence of a beach town, with a mix of tourists and locals, and the feeling of being with the ocean. I took the best parts of places I’ve visited throughout my life, stirred them up, and developed the setting for Twenty Boy Summer.
3. Are you going to make Twenty Boy Summer into a movie?
The process of turning a book into a movie is not something many authors are involved in, funny enough! When Little, Brown bought Twenty Boy Summer, they actually bought the rights to it — meaning they can print and distribute it in English in the US and other countries. They also bought what’s called subsidiary rights — foreign translation, audio book, e-book, film and television, etc. So to make TBS into a movie, a film or entertainment company would need to negotiate with Little, Brown to buy the film option (meaning they are buying the option to make a film, but that doesn’t even mean that they will), and once that happens, there are many more steps involved, including but not limited to finding producers, directors, acting talent, a script writer, funding, and all sorts of legal negotiations. This is a really short explanation of a very long and complicated process with lots of lawyers and paperwork involved, but the bottom line is that as much as I would love to see Anna and Frankie on the big screen, it’s not something I can control. But if it does happen, I promise I’ll blog about it here, probably for like an entire year straight. 
4. Where can I listen to music by Helicopter Pilot, the girls’ favorite band in Twenty Boy Summer?
Helicopter Pilot was a real band based in Buffalo, NY, for which my brother Scott was the drummer. Scott and each of his former band members — Joe, Jay, and Brandon — have cameo appearances as themselves in TBS. They were together for many years until about a month before TBS released, when they decided to go their separate ways musically. So, there isn’t a place for you to see or hear them perform, but I’ll let you know if they ever get back together!
About Writing:
1. Can you read my novel / story / query letter?
No, I’m not able to read unsolicited materials. But it’s a good idea to have someone read your work, particularly if your goal is to become a published author. One of the best things you can do for your writing is to invite feedback from other readers and writers outside your circle of family and friends. Consider joining an in-person or online critique group so that you can get an outsider’s honest perspective on your work. Something that’s obvious to you in the plot might confuse someone who’s never read your story. A character that’s fully developed in your head might not be translating on to the page. You may have pored over the lines of your story so many times that you’ve lost all perspective. So by all means, find a few trusted readers to check it out before you start querying agents.
2. I’ve heard the agent search can take a long time, so I’d like to get a head start. Do you have to finish writing a book before querying agents?
Yes. For debut fiction authors, you should complete your manuscript before trying to pitch it to agents. When you send a query letter to an agent, you’re basically presenting a short summary of the book in an attempt to interest the agent in representing you. If the agent likes the sound of your story and writing based on your query, he will ask you for either a partial (anywhere from 20 to 100 pages) or the full (the complete manuscript). Even if he asks for the partial, if he likes that, he’ll want to see the full next. So if you’re not done yet, and an agent is excited about your work and wants to see it, you’ve just wasted his time, because you don’t have anything to show him yet. Now you’re rushing to finish it, or backpedaling, and probably missing your chance at working with that agent. Yes, sometimes it does take a while to find the right agent for you and your work. But sometimes it only takes a few days. Be prepared and professional! Finish your work and make it the best you can make it before you start your search. It will be worth the effort!
3. Are you writing another book?
Yes, I’m always writing another book. I can’t help it! My next book is another contemporary YA story called Fixing Delilah, which hits the shelves in November 2010. You can learn more about the book and read the first two chapters here. I’m currently working on a third contemporary YA novel, but I’m not ready to share too many details yet. Stay tuned!
I think that covers most of the questions you’ve asked. If there’s anything else you want to know, just leave a comment here and I’ll do another update soon!
Posted by Sarah Ockler 
), and thanks to librarians, readers, authors, and bloggers for making ALA 2009 such a fun and successful conference!
