Get TRACKED!
This week marks the eagerly awaited release of long-time DFWWW Member, Jenny Martin's debut novel, TRACKED!Jenny's release celebration will be held this Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Irving Public Library.
There will be food, book signing, swag, and lots of happy tears.
More about TRACKED:
The Fast and the Furious gets a futuristic twist in this action-packed debut!
On corporately controlled Castra, rally racing is a high stakes game that seventeen-year-old Phoebe Van Zant knows all too well. Phee’s legendary racer father disappeared mysteriously, but that hasn’t stopped her from speeding headlong into trouble. When she and her best friend, Bear, attract the attention of Charles Benroyal, they are blackmailed into racing for Benroyal Corp, a company that represents everything Phee detests. Worse, Phee risks losing Bear as she falls for Cash, her charming new teammate. But when she discovers that Benroyal is controlling more than a corporation, Phee realizes she has a much bigger role in Castra’s future than she could ever have imagined. It’s up to Phee to take Benroyal down. But even with the help of her team, can a street-rat destroy an empire?
According to Publisher's Weekly:
TRACKED is "a wholehearted adrenaline rush when it comes to the thrill of the run, making it easy to get drawn into a fast-paced, high-stakes story."
Congratulations, Jenny!
Remember, that's:
Date: Saturday, May 9th, 2015
Time: 5:00 PM
Location: South Irving Library Program Room
601 Schulze Dr.
Irving, TX 75060
North Texas Teen Book Festival

"The NORTH TEXAS TEEN BOOK FESTIVAL strives to connect our reading community, adding dimension to the reading experience through diverse author panels and dynamic discussions in a safe and fun environment."
Visit Rosemary and Jenny and the rest of your favorite YA and Middle Grade authors for a day of panel discussions and book signings*.
(* Click to see the festival's signing policy.)
Starting with a Bang

Dial Penguin will release Jenny’s book, Tracked, in May of this year. We’ve been anxiously awaiting its arrival, and it turns out we’re not the only ones.
Huffing Post recently listed Tracked on their shortlist of the most anticipated YA debuts for 2015. Catch the article here.
And while you’re waiting until May to get your hands on the goods, watch the book trailer and join Tracked’s official crew. Jenny has swag, exclusive content, and prizes for the team…one we’re proud to be a part of.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg5ZyIVNiEE[/embed]
2014 DFW Teen Writers' Workshop
**UPDATE -- This workshop is FULL. We are no longer accepting applicants. Please email us at dfwwritersworkshop(at)hotmail to reserve your space for the next event.**
DFW Writers’ Workshop is very proud to announce the schedule for the 2014 Teen Writer’s Summer Workshop! The best part of this announcement is….the workshop is completely FREE.
The scheduled events will take place at The Egg & I on Hwy. 26, from 12:30 to 2:30. Below are the dates and the list of speakers, who are all DFWWW members and traditionally published authors. The sessions will include instruction and critique time.
With registration, teens will get a binder full of helpful advice. At the end of the workshop, an anthology will be created with their work. It will include a short story, excerpt, or poem that is polished during the six-week session. Each student will get a printed copy and may purchase as many additional copies as they’d like. AND there’s a t-shirt, designed by our very own Sally Hamilton.
In short: THIS IS GOING TO BE AMAZING.
To register you must meet these requirements:
- Be entering 9th-12th grade.
- Be able to commit to at least 3 of the 6 Saturday sessions.
- Email your name, age, the dates you expect to attend, and the type of writing you enjoy to the following address: dfwwritersworkshop(at)hotmail. Please make the subject: TEEN WORKSHOP
The schedule is as follows:
July 12 -- The Written World taught by Del Cain (a general overview of fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, songwriting and screen/playwriting)
July 19 -- The Critique Process taught by Tex Thompson (beginning with her 11th grade first draft through production of her book, One Night in Sixes)
July 26 -- Story Structure taught by Kat Cook (using the hero's journey)
August 2 -- Voice taught by Jenny Martin.
August 9 -- Character Development taught by Rosemary Clement
August 16 -- Publishing taught by A. Lee Martinez (how the publishing world works, different avenues to publication)
Martin Madness

In the near future, you can catch her at the YAK Fest (Young Adult Keller Book Festival) on January 25th. It will feature over two dozen YA authors, including our very own Jenny. Details can be found on the website, and it looks like it will be a fabulous event.
If that date doesn’t suit you, then swing by and see her speak on Monday, January 27, from 7:00 to 8:30 at the Richardson Public Library. The Texas Writer’ Guild of Texas is hosting her, and she’ll be talking about finding and strengthening your writing voice.
If all else fails, and you can’t make any of those offerings, just swing by her blog and read her latest musings. This will have to hold all of us over until her book’s much anticipated release!
Write On
There’s lots of writing advice floating around. I’ve learned hundreds of tips and tricks from craft books, from conferences, from industry professionals and colleagues. But if I had to single out the one tidbit, the very best piece of writing wisdom anyone has ever shared with me, it would be this:
Write another book.
Seriously, I promise it’s the all-purpose, regenerative, industrial strength cure for what ails. Facing rejection, again and again? Still revising the same novel since 2002? Write another book. Each new project helps you grow and gain perspective. You can’t develop your voice or hone new skill sets if you’re forever rearranging the same tired words. A new book is a second chance. Be courageous and take it.
Or maybe you’ve already had some success, but new worries are a constant plague. Are you angst-ing while on submission? Did your agent leave the business? Did your first contract fall through? Did your first (or fiftieth!) novel fail to earn out? Are critics (or critique partners) calling for your blood?
WRITE ANOTHER BOOK.
When your inbox spells doom and your last project is in doubt, dare to move forward, turning your back on everything you’ve tried before. Your last manuscript was not a failure—those words taught you what they could. They prepared you for the next page one. But don’t let them become the end, the barnacle-encrusted stopper in a half-empty bottle. Open yourself up to possibility of future success and begin again. Refill, refuel, and overflow. Write something new once more. This next project may be the one that sees you through, and you will never know if you linger in old blind-spots, dabbling with yesterday’s words.
So take the best advice I’ve ever gotten. Write another book.
-- Jenny Martin, DFWWW Member since 2009
photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/puzzler4879/4230867631/
A Festivus for the Rest of Us

When: January 19, 2013, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Keller High School
What: It's open to all -- aspiring writers, lovers of YA literature, and old school groupies. The list of confirmed authors is extensive, and includes DFWWW members Rosemary Clement-Moore and Jenny Martin. It’s a full day of panels, readings, book signings, and more. Even better – it’s in town, and it's free.
Find the nitty-gritty details by clicking here.
Free Education, à la Mrs. Martin

DFWWW Member Jenny Martin, who has a two book deal with Penguin, the first of which is due in 2014, will be teaching a free 2-part class at the Allen Public Library.
The first class will focus on the craft of writing, while the second will unlock the mysteries of publishing. Don't miss it -- especially if you’re searching for some pointers on finding your voice, or want an insider look into the world of agents, editors, and contracts. And if you think you've already got a handle on all that, remember what good ol' Daniel J. Boorstin said: "Education is learning what you didn't even know you didn't know. " In other words, come enjoy anyway.
The hard and fast facts are...
It’s FREE. (Did we already mention that?)
Where: Allen Public Library (map)
When: February 9th and 23rd, starting at 2:00 pm both days
Announcements 1/18
Jenny Martin is teaching Writing Young Adult Books: The Path to Publication this spring at the University of Texas at Arlington. Along with her agent and editor, she has many more established agents and editors that will share their expertise about the industry. https://www.uta.edu/wconnect/CourseStatus.awp?~~12CO1722001
Speaking of the 2012 DFW Writers Conference… did you know we already have 18 agents and 3 editors signed up? For a list of agents and editors already confirmed visit www.dfwcon.org
The conference is May 19th – May 20th featuring keynote speaker James Rollins. You can read more about James Rollins at http://dfwwritersconference.org/keynote/
Conference Success Story: Member Jenny Martin Signs with Literary Agent
In the biggest news of the night, Jenny Martin announced she has signed with Mary Kole of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc. What's even better is that Jenny met Mary at the 2010 DFW Writers' Conference, making this yet another success story for an event designed to connect authors with agents and editors.
In other news, Carolyn Williamson announced the addition of three new writer's market books for the Workshop's library. While these reference books may not be checked out, there are many others available for use by DFWWW members.
Finally, it's rumored that 15 literary agents have already agreed to attend the 2011 DFW Writers' Conference. With success stories like Jenny's proving the value of the event, attendees will want to register early for the best chance to meet with one of next year's agents.