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| Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 |
susanwrites
|
12:02a |
Of Dogs and Writing - Get a Little Closer
Cassie goes almost everywhere with us but depending on which car we take it's like traveling with two different dogs. In my car, a Honda coupe, she sits directly behind me on the back seat. She's happy as can be, looking out the back window or just laying down to wait for us to get wherever it is we need to go. But when the three of us go out, like on our 45 minute drives to Santa Cruz, we usually take my husband's car, a Toyota Four-Runner. We have a doggy gate in the back and Cassie races to the car and jumps in, always anxious to go along, until the car starts and we move down the road. Then she turns into a barking machine, non-stop from San Jose to Los Gatos to Santa Cruz. Constant barking. Loud barking. Frantic barking. It's been over a year that she's lived with us and nothing seemed to make a difference. Recently, after a long trip filled with barking in the Toyota I took her on a short trip in the Honda and noticed again how I didn't have any problems with her. I suggested to my husband that we take out the doggy gate and put down the seats so she could come up closer to where we were. Filled with hope, we invited Cassie to go for a ride. She jumped in the backseat and then walked all the way up to the front and sat down. We started the car and headed down the road. Silence. Total silence. This past week we've done several more short trips, around the block a few miles downtown, and each one is just the same. A quiet dog happily going along for a ride. It's not a permanent solution but I think now that we know what the problem was, we'll be able to work on acclimating her to riding in the back. Heck, the view's better back there anyway with more windows. But for now, it's all about getting up close and personal on our family outings. Some stories are like that, staying in the background, barking at you, begging for attention. They're never satisfied until you bring them up front with you, as close as they can get. But sometimes we're afraid to bring the stories too close. Afraid of what the story might show the world about us or perhaps afraid of the story might show us something we don't want to see. I never expect that kind of writing to come easily to me. I scream at the computer and throw a few barking fits of my own. I've finally learned that I can't do that kind of deep, emotionally honest writing in one sitting. But I can do it in short bursts, like a trip around the block. The best stories, the ones that stick in our hearts and minds, are the ones that reflect life as it is, not as we wish it were. The ones that bring us up close and personal. |
| Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 |
dlgarfinkle
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8:07p |
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tamarak
|
9:59p |
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lindsey_leavitt
|
8:15p |
Grandpa
In my swollen, cranky, creaky state, my daily complaint is that I feel like I'm ninety years old. Now, my grandpa? He actually is ninety one. Ninety one with a plethora of health issues I would list, but I leave the 100 page medical papers to my husband. Also, his memory isn't the best. Understandable, considering that is a lot of living to keep track of. Hey, I'm lucky if I can keep my children apart and I'm twenty... something (this is how 29 year-old women in denial describe their age) The thing about my grandpa, however, is he's not an epic Crank. There are bad days. He's also fortunate to have the company of my grandma as well as some wonderful caregivers and my saintly (er... mostly) uncle to assist him in his final years. But though he may not remember all his grandkids, even though he take more meds than an entire psych ward, every time I've visited him since college, the man has made me laugh. For example, when we discussed him turning ninety, I asked if he wanted me to have a girl jump out of a cake. "I don't like cake. I like pie." "OK," I conceeded. "We won't do it then." His eyes widened. "Wait. A girl and a pie. That would be worth the mess." My uncle just sent me this Halloween pic of my grandpa and his caretaker. It made my day and made me think.  My writing style is something I've obviously struggled with because I've mentioned it before on my blog. Sometimes, I do this stupid thing where I apologize or downplay my book because of the humor. It's not full of dark themes or epic truths. There is no Newbery in PRINCESS FOR HIRE'S future. It's light and fast and fun. And you know what? There's value in funny. It can cure many things other more acclaimed literature may not. Grandpa's feigned shock expression reminded me of that. Laugh at life and all that. Man, I hope the expression is feigned. Otherwise, this whole blog post is kind of a dud, huh? :) |
cynthialord
|
5:37a |
Milo's New Bed
What?
Milo's favorite trick lately is to pull down any sweater or coat left on the back of the kitchen chairs. He takes the sleeve in his teeth and tugs. Then he makes a bed-pile on the floor. I'm constantly picking up that black wool coat, as it's his favorite.
The bright Thanksgiving print is the edge of the kitchen tablecloth--please don't start pulling on that, Milo!!! Current Mood:  okay |
| Monday, November 9th, 2009 |
melissa_writing
|
8:23p |
Q&A--teaching, fic/nonfic reading, faery research
Q: "What do you most enjoy about teaching literature? Everything :) I love teaching. It's a kick in a way that nothing else ever is. A good book signing or panel has a few such moments, but teaching gave me that rush regularly. That doesn't mean every day was a traipsing thru fields of flowers thing: there were bad classes. There were students I failed to reach. There were plagiarism cases that caused me ridiculous amounts of angsting. There was one athlete I wanted to thwack on the head, & there was one addict I wanted to adopt & fix. Teaching is not always fun. Parts of it are frustrating. Faculty meetings & dealing with faculty politics are my suggestions for adding to the circles of hell. (Really? Some of these folks have lived in their ivory towers too long. They aren't there to teach, but as a place to hang their hats while the apply for research grants or to subsidize their writing income. It's a systemic problem that I don't know how we should fix, but I DO know that it needs fixing.) Still . . . put me in a classroom & tell me to talk lit . . . *sighs* there's nothing like it. Q: "Do you read literature or nonfiction exclusively when you write or do you read both?"I'm always writing so I don't limit my reading bc of it . . . except that I don't read books w potentially similar sounding premises to what I'm writing. In faery* books, Holly Black is tops (IMNSHO), but she hasn't had a new faery book while I've been writing since Ironside (ergo I haven't had to suffer delays in reading her.). I adore her YA faery books, & I have pondered begging her to turn one of her short stories into a book (from her POISON EATERS collection). It's not faery, but it's freaking gorgeous. Back to faery though . . . I've had a few LOVE it moments in faery fiction since I started writing. In particular Janni Lee Simner's Bones of Faerie & RJ Anderson's Faery Rebels (AKA Knife). They were read when I wasn't writing, but they're also pretty far outside what I write in terms of plot. They are VERY fab & lore-based. Obviously, I veer towards folklore based fiction (species is immaterial), but I read across the board. Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box was one of the best books I've read in years. I crush on Eloisa James' Duchess series (historical romance=yay!). As to fic and non-fic, I'm mostly a fiction reader. I dip into very specific nonfiction (folklore, criticism, or research for a text I'm pondering). I read a lot of romance. I tend to default to historical romance, but I enjoy contemporary, time travel, & paranormal too. I'm not a fan of SciFi Romance, not bc there's anything wrong with it. Aliens simply don't appeal to me. I like mainstream fiction (T Chevalier is an auto-buy for me). I get on poetry kicks, but I don't do novels in verse or much contemporary poetry. In poetry, I default to mostly dead folk. And, of course, I get on classics kicks. Nothing tops Faulkner. I'm not a huge Jane Austen fan, but I enjoy her. I think Flaubert's Madame Bovary, most of Hardy's novels, & some Bronte . . . really I'm an 1800s-mid-1900s novel fan. My two eras in grad school were the British Victorians & Faulkner, so a lot of my reading tastes derive from the same tastes that lead to my picking them. I still read some criticism on Faulkner, the Victorians, the PRB, & narrative structure. I subscribe to some academic journals specifically to do so. That tends to sate a lot of my nonfic needs. Well, that & kidlit theory/paranormal theory . . . and lately, mortuary science. I have a problem with books. Fortunately, it's a healthy thing to be addicted to.
Q: "When doing research on Faerie lore and stuff, how would you recommend going about it? Is the Internet a decent source of information, or are books and stuff more reliant? Are there any books/sites that you'd recommend?"First, *sends adoring thoughts for asking a research question* Sacred-texts.com has a lot of old texts scanned in. If you're going Celtic faery, go here. Start reading. The Secret Commonwealth (Kirk) is essential. If you're going Welsh, read the Mabinogion. Evans-Wentz Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries is a great text. Thomas Crofton Croker, T Keightly If you're looking for hard copy (newer but still awesome), Eddie Lenihan is a master (http://www.eddielenihan.com/). Meeting the Other Crowd is one of my favourite books. Honestly, there's a lot of great stuff there. I like hard copy (and yes, I am anti-ebook/ebook readers as a personal choice). Free text is a goodthing when budget is a concern though. Read the old texts. Do NOT read other novels with faeries until after you do your research. (Yes, I realize that I am suggesting that you don't read my books, too.) It's the sourcetexts that matter most. Read those. Then you can read contemp fiction--but be aware that you may get grumbly when you do so bc few things we write in fiction are as captivating as the research is. ---- * That part has been easy so far bc I'm a picky picky bitch when it comes to faery books. My family roots are in Ireland, Scotland, & a tendril in Germany. So these are my heritage. I'm particular. |
annemariepace
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7:13p |
Truly a manic Monday
Having sent what has turned out to probably be the last revision of my picture book to my editor on Saturday, I had planned to not only blog today but also work on a new book. Unfortunately, instead of merely one previously-scheduled doctor's appointment, I ended up with four: the planned one, then a trip to the pediatrician, the radiologist, and the orthopedist. Yep, the Pace family has its first broken arm. It belongs to the twelve-year-old male child, otherwise known as #3. Bummer. Also unfortunately, I had to miss a Virginia Festival of the Book planning meeting with ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) franslayton and the Festival director. Fran and Nancy met without me and have come up with something absolutely fabulous. I'm so excited -- it's bigger and better than ever with kidlit at VABook -- and we'll have deets coming soon.  |
lisa_schroeder
|
7:27a |
The good/The not-so-good
The good: I know for sure some kind librarians nominated FAR FROM YOU for the YALSA 2010 book lists (Best Books for Young Readers and Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers) because they told me so. THANK YOU kind librarians!!! The not-so-good: It didn't make either nomination list, which means it didn't get the necessary second from a committee member. I'm sad, but oh well. I'm thrilled so many awesome books are on the lists and many of our LJ friends, including lkmadigan and jbknowles , have books there. The good: The book I've been working on for the last 8 months, HOPE FOR NIMBUS, is done. For now. And I'm going to send it to my agent today! The not-so-good: I wanted to be a lot further along on my new novel-in-verse than I am, and I'm so busy at work this month, I don't know that I'm going to have much energy to work on it during my off-hours. But, I guess I can only do what I can do. The good: I was browsing the new S&S Children's Catalog for Spring 2010 and on the CHASING BROOKLYN page, it says, "12-copy mixed floor display (Includes 8 copies of CHASING BROOKLYN and 4 copies of I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME) for $159.88." A floor display will be available for my books!! The not-so-good: Will any bookseller really buy one? I often see news like this and think the worst. What is up with that? The good: Day off today! The not-so-good: I have a to-do list the size of a foot-long sandwich. I better get to it. Happy Monday all! And in case I don't get a chance to say it tomorrow, Happy Anniversary Sesame Street!!  |
cynthialord
|
6:21a |
My Weekend
I worked hard on my copyedits this weekend, but I also drove down to Massachusetts on Saturday to see my parents and my daughter. It's nice to see that my mom and dad are settling so well into their new home. My daughter is recovered from the flu, but still tired.
Driving down the Maine Turnpike, I was mulling over a few things in TOUCH BLUE when a truck passed me.
I decided to take it as a good omen. :-)
It reminded me of a December day a couple years ago when I came down to the Scholastic Book Fairs warehouse in Maine and signed RULES during a day of their warehouse sale. Lots of people who work there came over to meet me, including one of the truck drivers.
"So, if I see a truck on the road, it's you?" I asked.
He glanced wryly at his boss beside him then grinned at me. "Um, well, if the truck's going the speed limit, that'll be me. If it's speeding, it's one of the other guys."
HOT ROD HAMSTER will be in that truck next Spring!
Julia and I were planning to visit the Emily Dickinson House in Amherst, MA, but they're having renovations. So we decided we'd visit that museum another time, and we went to Northampton, MA. I'd never been to that town before, but it's a cool, artsy place.
 
 Not many towns have such an impressive town hall.
And where else could you see goats in coats, ascending penguins, or buy an octopus lamp or an umbrella raining cats and dogs?
 
  I bought the umbrella!
And L. K. Madigan. . . looky, looky what I found in the bookstore!!!
The New England Children's Booksellers Advisory Council is part of the New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA). You're a favorite of theirs! Congratulations!
So I got a lot of work done on my copyedits this weekend, but I also had a nice visit with my daughter and parents.
 Next time, Em.
Emily Dickinson's House
Current Mood:  cheerful |
susanwrites
|
12:03a |
Finding My Father
If you've read my blog for any length of time you've probably learned a few things about me. 1. I love writing poetry and books for kids, my dog, my native plant garden, Santa Cruz, and chocolate. 2. A little over a year ago I was laid off from my day job and have spent the last year adjusting and enjoying being a full-time writer. 3. I'm filled with all kinds of doubts and insecurities about who I am, what kind of a writer I'm supposed to be, and if I am ever good enough whatever task is waiting right in front of me. (In other words, I worry a lot about things I should quit worrying about.) But probably the single thing that tells you the most about me is that I have never known my father. His name, yes, but that's all. I've never met him or anyone in his family. The only pictures I've ever seen were of him as a gawky young man in a white suit at their wedding. He was gone before I was born. As I kid I used to bug my mom all the time for information about him but she never really said much. No one in the family talked about him and when they did, they never painted the prettiest picture. But here's the thing, I didn't want them to tell me whether the picture was any good or not. I wanted to see for myself. Still families do what they can to protect what they feel needs protecting and by the time I was in the 4th grade and someone asked me if I was Tommy Webb's daughter I said no, without hesitation. I had been trained well. When you have a hole like that in your life it's like a scab you can't let heal. And people who don't have the same kind of hole often find it difficult to understand why just can't leave it all alone and move on. I can't explain the why. I can only claim the hole. It's grown smaller over the years but it's still there. Last week I wrote about the distance we need between real life and our stories before we can write about them. In the past I've written about feeling safe enough to write the truth of your story. I believe we should always strive to write with emotional honesty, even when (or especially when) that seems like an impossible task. That's where Flyboy comes in. Every question I've ever had about my father, about my worth as a person, about how I felt something missing when there was no reason to feel that way because my life was just fine the way it was....all of that has been pouring into Flyboy for, well, over 25 years now. Characters and plot, I've got them. But to take that emotional plunge into the ice water of my past...I just couldn't make myself do it. I give myself a lot of sleep suggestions about my books, hoping my subconscious will take me where I need to go. Four years ago I had a dream about my father. In my dream I went to answer the front door and there was a man there, kind of old, his short beard was gray but he had some black hair on his head. He wore a suit that had seen better days. He handed me a box, a white box, like one you might get clothes in or a little bigger. It was tied with string, not a ribbon. I asked him what was in the box. He shook his head. I asked him again to please tell me what was in the box. Nothing. I don't know why I didn't just open it myself but I didn't. Then he walked away. I asked him to wait. He kept walking. Then I asked him who he was. He turned around and said, "I am your father." And then I woke up without opening the box. Last week for some random reason I decided to check for my father on Classmates.com. I knew where he had gone to high school so I kept hoping that he might show up there. It was a far-fetched hope since people in his generation aren't as into the Internet as I am. Once I had gone there and found nothing I went through my normal little routine, putting in his name, the town he went to school in and the state where he was born. I'd never gotten anything back with that combo before but it was a familiar search I had done many, many times. This time was different. This time an obituary popped up. I read it and burst into tears then almost as quickly I chastised myself for crying over someone who had never wanted me. I've pieced together a story from my mom over the years. My father Tommy Webb was born in Arkansas and went to high school in Vallejo, California. His family eventually moved to Concord, to Bonifacio Street, into the little duplex across the street from where my mom lived. He worked at a service station in Walnut Creek, back when they had guys who pumped the gas for you. My grandmother's name was Tina. She was pregnant with my uncle Robert at the same time my mom was pregnant with me. I had an aunt Kitty who was two years older than I am. There was another aunt Janette. That's about it. Except for the not so pretty stories that I'll keep to myself because, as my mom told me today. He could have changed. Turned his life around. People do it all the time. My father died in Missouri. In January. This year. In January I was still recovering from being laid off, trying to piece my new life together, trying to figure out how to create a life that nourished my creative soul. I was whole but with rough edges that still needed smoothing. I think if I had found him then it would have been too much. Much too much. Sometimes distance is a good thing. Even if it means we never get the chance to say goodbye. His obituary mentions my aunts and my uncle. Where they live. It also says he has two sons and a daughter. My half-siblings. And lots of grandchildren. Aunts and Uncles. Bothers and Sisters. Nieces and Nephews. Family or not. It all depends on your point of view. The kind of picture you want to paint. The obituary does not, of course, mention me. I keep thinking about that dream I had. How odd to think that my father, who never paid a dime of child support, might give me a gift I've always wanted. Answers to questions that have haunted me for years. The Internet makes things easy sometimes. Really it took no more than a few hours of searching to locate most of the family. They're not active online. No websites or blogs or Facebook profiles. But mailing addresses. Phone numbers. I have some of them now. It's a chance. A chance to see at least part of the picture for myself. |
| Sunday, November 8th, 2009 |
jenlyn_b
|
10:00p |
Zombie Prom!
For the first time in about two years, I have uploaded pictures from my camera. In the past, I may have been a wee bit negligent about doing so, to the extent that *some people* might refer to any pictures I take as being lost to the void of despair and nothingness forever. Ahem. What this means is that now I have lots of pictures of events taking place since I got my new camera three weeks ago, including, but not limited to: my trip with my parents to NYC (featuring The Rock), a slumber party with Sarah Cross, and (drum roll please)... HALLOWEEN. As I am a huge Halloween person, this makes me very happy. And if any of you are Halloween people, I hope that it will make you happy, too. For Halloween proper, I was a dark faery and spent the evening hanging out with a pirate, Rainbow Brite, and a (male) Care Bear. But on Halloween Eve (night before Halloween, obvi), I was an 80's aerobics instructor who had the bad luck to be attacked by zombies and subsequently zombified while wearing her neon yellow aerobics gear. Which would sound completely random, were it not for the fact that I spent the night at ZOMBIE PROM. Pause for a moment to take in the awesomeness of that, my friends. Zombie. Prom. And, yes, there is a slight chance that the whole aerobics instructor bit is still random (compared to the zombies who just came in prom gear), but the lovely Professor Zombie who was throwing aforementioned Zombie Prom specially requested that I put together an aerobics instructor outfit, and as she just got Zombie Tenure (also: real tenure), who was I to deny her such a small thing? What follows is an endeavor of high photojournalistic quality- and given that this is ZOMBIE prom, it is not for the faint of heart.  ( Read more... ) |
tamarak
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9:05p |
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lisa_schroeder
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7:51a |
Fourth stop for Chasing Brooklyn
Thanks to Sab for her wonderful picture and for helping out with my contest. Since I guessed her state correctly, a $20.00 gift card will be on its way to her soon! Now it's time for me to once again guess where my little ARC will travel to next. I'm going to guess the next stop on the Chase Around the USA is~
SOUTH CAROLINA!
Thanks to all who played, and I look forward to finding out where my little ARC goes to next!
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lisayee
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2:28a |
Wait, Wait . . . Don't Tell Me!!!
Our Celebrity Judges . . .  . . . are still hard at work pouring over the (practically) millions of contest entries for the Bodacious Book Contest. So, Peepy and I decided that while they were working, we'd have some fun!  Yes! We went to see NPR's Wait, Wait . . . Don't Tell Me! live at the Pasadena Civic Center . . .  We got there early so Peepy could chat with some of her friends. Then we found our seats . . .   The panelists were these funny people . . .  Here's the crew setting up . . .  Then the show began! The guest star who played "Not My Job" was . . . squint and see if you can tell . . .  Yes! It was George Takei, a.k.a. Sulu from Star Trek, the original series.. Peepy was thrilled that she got to meet him in person . . .  (Okay, so maybe she didn't actually meet him in person. But don't tell her that.) It was so cool because we are fans and there's even a Star Trek geek featured one of my upcoming books! The show was amazing and funny. It was called an "evergreen" because they're not sure when it's going to air--but it will be repeated several times, as needed or when the staff goes on vacation. In the meantime, here's this weekend's show with Tony Hawk as guest star. And here's Tony Hawk when he autographed Son's skateboard deck . . .  Oops! Back to the show!!! Afterward, the audience rushed the stage. It was exactly like a U2 concert!!!! Almost.    It was all so fun that as soon as we got home, Peeps told Chekov all about meeting Sulu and told him that she now wants her own radio show . . .  BTW, if you're a grandparent, have a grandparent, or know a grandparent, CHECK THIS OUT. Yes! AARP likes Bobby!!! (Above: Me and my grandmother at my uncle's wedding.) Also, I thought this was totally cool. CLICK HERE to find out about the fork in the road . . .  And in honor of Tony Hawk, there's this . . .
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| Saturday, November 7th, 2009 |
tamarak
|
6:54p |
unexpected compliment
A twelve-year-old girl told me today that she liked my hair. Ha! No one ever likes my hair. I don't even like my hair! I am on the verge of 37 and still can't even figure out how to properly do my hair. So I will cling to this compliment. If I knew how to needlepoint, I'd put it on a pillow. |
annemariepace
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3:18p |
Saturday Six
1. My book is just about done. Well, the writing part of it. My editor and I have been going back and forth over revisions and I am just loving loving LOVING working with her. I had one big concern and I was nervous about bringing it up but she was awesome as we talked it out and she talked to the club managers; and all is well and hunky-dory in writing land. I think we're pretty much done with revisions; so it's off to copy-editing next. I know this speedy pace is not the norm but I'm enjoying it. It's a good thing for my life right now. 2. The consequence of #1 is that the novel I'd hoped to work on during JoNoWriMo has been put off. Ah well. I'm still feeling the love. So soon enough . . . 3. The Mid-Atlantic SCBWI conference is this coming weekend. Hooray! I love attending this conference and getting to see some of the friends I only see once or twice a year. And best of all, this year my fabulous agent Linda Pratt is one of the speakers! We're going out to dinner on Friday night before the conference. Although we have fairly frequent phone conversations, I haven't seen her in real life since ALA of 2007, so I'm super excited. 4. The thing I hate most about football on TV, aside from the fact that it's football, is the crowd noise in the background. It reverberates through the entire house, even if the volume isn't that loud. 5. I want some pie. I had some low-fat popcorn. It did not suffice. 6. I bought my puppy a dead duck toy. It looks pretty real from a distance. My kids, never having seen dead ducks, think it looks like a half duck/half squirrel. I cannot convince them otherwise. That's okay. I've become accustomed to the fact that convincing them of anything is a rare occurrence indeed. |
lisa_schroeder
|
9:47a |
Contests!
First of all, you can enter to be the next stop on the Chase Around the USA for the CHASING BROOKLYN ARC. All the details are HERE. (Enter there, not here). EDITED TO ADD: CONTEST IS NOW OVER. I'll let you know soon when you can enter again!!  I am LOVING the one-word pictures readers are posting after they read the book. So far, the words in the photos have been: Healing, Hope, Dreams What word will be next? I can't wait to find out!! Second of all, the wonderful artistq is having a contest! You can read all about it HERE. She has a beautiful web site where you can see the jewelry she makes - www.SilverFreckles.com. This is the one I want:  It's going on my Christmas list! Good luck!! Current Mood:  busy |
cynthialord
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6:15a |
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| Friday, November 6th, 2009 |
dlgarfinkle
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1:59p |
Friday Five
1. Am I the only one happy that leggings are back in style? It was the only '80s fashion that looked okay on me. It beats bare midriffs and shoulder pads, right? 2. The CA budget cuts have devastated my kids' schools, with 37 kids in my fourth-grader's class, the entire budget wiped out for my daughter's Academic Decathlon group, etc. But there's a silver lining: The middle school can no longer afford MyAccess.com, alias Satan, the computer program that graded essays by giving the most points for wordiness and multi-syllabic words. 3. Cool Guy, the goldfish my son "won" over a year ago, now has a goldfish playmate named Shrimp Shman. I'm such a pushover. 4. I loved the blindside on Survivor last night. Deep dark secret: Russell is kind of growing on me in a way. 5. A test to see if you're still reading this (though you may have skimmed to the end): Today's my birthday. |
mindyalyse
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3:56p |
I wrote over 19,000 words in six days! (Plus NaNoWriMo tips, part 2.)
 I hope you're having as much fun with NaNoWriMo as I am! Everyone is doing such an amazing job so far. I had my typical slower start, while getting to know my characters and story better. Now, I hit the stage where the words are flying onto my computer. What an incredible feeling! Here are a few more NaNoWriMo tips I hope will help on your journey toward a 50,000 word novel by November 30th. 1. If you’re typing a little slower than you’d like, try to remember that this is a first draft—it’s not meant to be perfect. In fact, I think it’s impossible to make it perfect. So get plenty of BIC time (butt in chair), and write, write, write. Let the words flow, and try not to edit them too much. There’s plenty of time to revise later. This fast-paced writing will probably add many wonderful surprises, like humorous scenes your internal editor might have nixed, and plot twists you never would have considered until they magically appeared in your manuscript. 2. Think about your story and characters during the day…when you’re driving, in the shower, before you go to bed. And keep paper nearby, because I have a feeling you’ll keep discovering new things about your characters and their story, even when you’re away from your computer. 3. Did an unexpected character pop up? If you want to quickly find a great, current name for your characters, check out this social security site: http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/decades/names2000s.html4. If you haven’t started NaNoWriMo yet, don’t be afraid to jump in at any time. I was revising a novel when I participated for the first time in 2006, and didn’t think I’d be able to take the plunge. (Okay, maybe I was a little scared that I wouldn’t be able to do it, too). But on November 7, I was thinking about my synopsis while getting ready for a party, when a brand new novel idea hit me. I ran downstairs to create a file of notes, and couldn’t stop typing. (Yes, I was late to the party. Very late! But it was worth it.) I ended up writing 60,000 words from November 7 through the 30th that year. So sit down, and write, write, write. I love NaNoWriMo because it forces us to set aside more writing time than usual—so even if we don’t hit that 50,000 word goal, we’ll still have more accomplished by the end of the month than we would without the NaNo push. Which makes us all winners! Here is one of my favorite tips. Don’t forget to celebrate each milestone! So many of you have written over 10,000 words in the past six days. When I first started writing, I only wrote picture books…until one idea sprouted wings and surprised me. I kept typing and typing, not sure what I was creating…until I hit 10,000 words and realized that I was actually writing my first middle grade novel. I jumped out of my chair and danced around the room. Now, I do a happy dance for every 10,000 word milestone. You can also do something special for yourself—get a massage (which feels amazing after hunching over your computer all those hours), take a hot bubble bath, buy a favorite treat, get a manicure, eat lunch out with friends…whatever works for you. I’m sending lots of good (and fast) writing vibes your way, and can’t wait to hear more about your NaNoWriMo novels! 
 Current Mood:  creative |
susanwrites
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8:47a |
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tamarak
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9:45a |
Cool Contest Alert: Silver Freckles
artisq is e x p a n d i n g her world on the web. She has a new blog at www.LauraLudwigHamor.blogspot.com. And to kick it off, she is having a GIFTaway! You already know her new silver website is over at etsy. You can find it by going to www.SilverFreckles.com. DRAWING WILL BE on her birthday, November 12! To enter: 1. Post about this contest on your blog, including a link to www.SilverFreckles.com. (feel free to pull a picture of a bracelet from the site). 2. Then go to her NEW BLOG and comment on the giftaway post--------- http://lauraludwighamor.blogspot.com/2009/11/silver-freckles-promo-and-giftaway.htmland put your blog address in these comments, so she knows where it is mentioned. On NOVEMBER 12--HER BIRTHDAY!--she will draw a name from OVER THERE and that person will win a bracelet from Silver Freckles! ***you do not need to have freckles to enter this contest. *** BONUS!! If someone pulls the contest from your blog and gives YOUR BLOG credits I will enter your name a second time! (I will read all the posts to find that out). ***DOUBLE BONUS if you have previously purchased a bracelet from me your name is entered again and again for each purchase! I have a list-- I am checking it twice! you can also follow me on facebook at SILVER FRECKLES! : ) I am going to have a facebook contest in December. **************************************** ************** Endorsement by Tammi Sauer: Wuhooh! Enter, people. I have a WRITE bracelet and lovelovelove it. It's inspiring...and GORGEOUS. It's the double whammy in jewelry!  |
cynthialord
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4:53a |
Copyediting
My copyedits came! I have to admit that I don't like doing copyedits on the computer using track changes. When I'm reading a manuscript carefully, I don't usually read it on the computer screen. But--
Dear Hyphens and Commas,
It is with my deep regret that I must confirm that your employment with us in TOUCH BLUE is terminated with immediate effect. This is due to your position having to be made redundant, and in no way reflects your performance in your job, which has been entirely satisfactory to this point. The changing grammar world, the attempt to be more “green” and save pages, and the Scholastic style sheet have all contributed to our need for a slimmer punctuation work force.
You have been important members of our team, keeping ideas apart or pulling them together, and I will truly miss you. If I can supply references to other authors, please do not hesitate to ask. I also will gladly re-employ you should circumstances and new manuscripts allow. Thank you for your work and your response to this difficult situation. I wish you all the best for the future.
Yours very truly,
Cynthia Lord, author
Current Mood:  nerdy |
| Thursday, November 5th, 2009 |
susanwrites
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10:25p |
The distance between real life and story
There have been some things going on in my life lately. Some things that have me thinking those deep, dark thoughts that keep you up at night. I found this old post from a few years ago that touches on it somewhat and I thought I'd share it again, (with some editing) because it explains a lot of where my mind is at of late . . . though it helps if you can read between the lines.
* * *
Hemingway said, and I can't remember the exact quote so I'll try to paraphrase it, he said that he couldn't write about Paris when he lived there. He had to leave Paris before he could put the words on the page that would describe his experiences. While living there it was too much, too intense, too something and it skewed his vision. He needed distance and the passage of time before he could tell his story. Some stories, while not easy, can still be written while you are in the midst of living them. When my kids were little I wrote about events within weeks or months of them happening. It was fun, like putting things in their baby scrapbooks. I recorded their awkward moments, their growth, and many of our special family memories. I told stories about our family and I got paid for it. Now I can go back and reread those old articles and it's like picking up an old teddy bear and paging through a scrapbook of their childhood.
But other stories, perhaps those that touch the most painful parts of us, lay fallow for many years before the words begin to venture forth. I believe our emotions go into self-preservation mode and give us time to heal before we're strong enough to attempt share a piece of ourselves through the telling of a story. My first picture book, Can I Pray With My Eyes Open? rested deep beneath the surface for over 25 years before it burst forth, near fully formed in one sitting. I can tie that story to an exact moment in time, when I was 10 years old, and I know that the book was an answer to a question asked long ago. Another picture book, Oliver's Must-do List , seems, at first, to be a simple story about a mother and a child have a playday together but I can tell you now that it was born of guilt - immense guilt that my children were grown and I couldn't go back and spend more time with them. Hugging the Rock is a novel about fathers and daughters, but more than that, it is about making peace with things you cannot change. I never knew my father and I wondered about him for many years. I can't remember when I finally stopped searching but when I did, I realized that my own story was inching closer to the surface, closer to being ready to be heard.
Hugging the Rock is also about picking up the pieces after a divorce. Though many friends advised me to, I couldn't write about my own divorce in the years immediately after it happened. The pain was too immense, the emotions too raw. But time was a helpful balm. Eventually my emotions bubbled to the surface telling me when it was time to write the story. In the process of the writing there were still some deep and painful moments but because I had waited, I was strong enough to go to the dark places and still come out alive. Enough time had passed that I could accept the blame for what was mine and let go of the blame for anything else. I could see the details through the tears.
There are other childhood events I want to write about someday but they're still simmering and I'm still healing. Those stories will have to wait a bit longer. It's been almost a dozen years but I know I am not yet ready to write about my time in New Orleans. I don't know how long it will take before I am brave enough to face those demons head on. Not all my writing is tied to a piece of my past but I am making an effort to mine the treasures I have within because I do believe that's where the juiciest stories wait to be told.
As many of you know, I'm working on Flyboy's story right now. This project began over 25 years ago when my then-husband and I spent weekends out on the tarmac, our necks straining as we watched the sky at the air shows the way film buffs watch the movies.
What part of my life is like Flyboy's? Where's the connection? What makes it so hard to write? I don't fly planes. I'm not adopted. My dad wasn't famous. But I know what it's like for the main character to obsess about planes the way I obsess about writing. I know what it's like to wonder where you came from and how that might affect where you're going. I know what it's like to feel lonely even in the midst of a family.
When you've been working on a book for over 25 years, like I have with this one, the story becomes so wrapped up in your own life that sometimes it's hard to remember what happened to me and what happened to Flyboy. Was it Flyboy or was it me that found the box that held so many secrets? Was it Flyboy or was it me that met someone who knew their father and answered questions held silent for so long? Was it Flyboy or was it me that finally realized the true meaning of family?
I hope it is both. I hope I can tell that kind of a story, one that feels like it happened to you.
I hope that helping Flyboy find his answers will help me decide what to do with some questions of my own.
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jenlyn_b
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12:46p |
What's In a Name?
I said I was going to do a writing blog this week, but it looks like I'll probably be doing *multiple* writing blogs, since I am apparently incapable of answering questions in short-form. Today's question comes from abbydarling, who asked: How do you come up with names for supporting characters that only appear briefly in your story? Or how about character names in general? Do they just come to you? Do you ever change them once you're in the middle of your story?I tend to be very particular about naming characters, because I think there’s a certain power in naming something. It’s rare that I would be in a situation where I was coming up with a name for an otherwise fully fleshed out character; it’s actually the reverse- finding the right name helps me figure out who a character is. In my process, choosing a name usually happens after I have the general gist of who I want the character to be (a sarcastic tomboy, a girly girl with bite, the logical child in a family of over-the-top siblings, etc), but before I really know the character as a person beyond the general niche that they might fill. As a result, I fully believe that the name I pick for a character ends up influencing who that character becomes. If Bailey from Tattoo and Fate had been a “Kaitlin” or a “Sophie,” she would have probably ended up being a very different person, and as a result, Tattoo and Fate would have ended up being very different books. As a result, I never really start writing a book until I have the perfect name for the main character, because until I name them, I have no idea who they really are. In terms of finding names, I’m a pretty hardcore name collector. When I meet people, I often end up asking if they have siblings and what all of their names are (it's a better icebreaker than you might think). If I see a cool name somewhere, I write it in document I have entitled “good names.” Every month, my mother sends me her church bulletin, so I can see the names of all the babies that have been baptized in our (rather sizable) church at home. Some names are just waiting for the right character: for example, my dental hygienist has a step-daughter named Kyler. I think it’s an incredibly cool name. Someday, there will be a Kyler in one of my books- as soon as I find a character who fits it. When I’m stuck, I use baby name sites online. Nymber is one of my very favorite sites- it allows you to type in a bunch of example names that you like, and it generates similar names that you might also consider. This is incredibly helpful for naming characters if I have a name that’s just almost right, but not quite there yet. Or (as is becoming more common) if the only name I can think of for a character is too close to something I’ve already used. I have a real problem with wanting to name at least one character in every book “James” (see also: Lissy and Lexie’s last name in Golden; the love interest’s name in Fate). I’ve also had to prevent myself from re-using Dylan, Cade, Jonah, and Jack, and after writing a Lilah and a Delia, I vetoed the use of Delilah for a character who the name otherwise would have fit really well. With the Nymbler site, I can go and type in all of the names I can’t use, and it will give me similar names that I can (the wannabe Delilah became an Ariana, which was the one of the first suggestions it gave me when I typed in the alternate names). In general, I’m slightly less picky about names for supporting characters. I can’t imagine changing my main character’s name in a rewrite, but I’ve changed a variety of supporting characters’ names at different points in the process, for a variety of reasons. + Zo in the Tattoo books was originally Bo, but I decided to change the first letter of her name so that it didn’t start with the same letter as narrator Bailey’s. There were a couple of scenes where they were being referred to as “Bay” and “Bo,” and that was a little cutesy for me. + Brock in Golden and Platinum was originally named Cale (short for Caleb), but his name got changed when I figured out that Lilah’s other love interest was a ghost who I just HAD to name Cade. + Bubbles in The Squad series was “Baby” for approximately three chapters until I decided that Bubbles fit a million times better (and didn’t have the Dirty Dancing implications). + Zee in The Squad series was originally a Zoe, but I decided that (a) having a Zoe and a Chloe in one book was a No Go, and (b) since I’d already written a Zoe who went by Zo, I couldn’t reuse the name. + Fuchsia in the Golden series was originally a character I just could not think of a good name for- so I gave her a placeholder name (which was also the color of her aura), thinking that I’d go back and give her a better name later. And then I kind of forgot to go back, and my editor and agent both loved that her name was Fuchsia, so I ultimately decided to leave it. Beyond the whole “I’ll change minor character names for pragmatic reasons, but in general think that the act of naming influences who the character becomes” thing, I have two other noticeable quirks when it comes to naming characters: the first is that I’m a total sucker for nicknames. The main character of Golden goes pretty strictly by Lissy, but it’s short for Felicity. Her sister is Lexie (Alexis). Zo in Tattoo is really Zoe-Claire, and the protagonist of Raised By Wolves (due out next summer) is a Bronwyn who goes by Bryn. My other quirk is that my characters’ middle names almost always show up in the text somewhere- usually in the first couple of chapters. Lissy is Felicity Shannon. Bailey is Bailey Marie. Toby is Toby Guinevere. And Bryn’s full name is a mouthful- she’s Bronwyn Alessia, her original last name was St. Vincent, and once she was adopted into the pack, she also took on the last name Clare (and the book in fact opens with the words “Bronwyn Alessia St. Vincent Clare!”). So, there you go, abbydarling. I think that's pretty much everything to know about my process for naming characters! Writers, feel free to sound off in the comments and weigh in with your own tips and quirks. Readers, I'd love to hear what your favorite names-you've-read-in-a-book are. And if you have a question about writing, ask away and I'll try to do more writing blogs soon. |
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