As Joe and I travel for work over the next 5 years some things change, some things stay the same. The one thing that has stayed the same is that a large chunk of my writing is done adjacent to laundry rooms, if not well within ear shot. True, wireless has made this a little easier to avoid. I no longer have to be tethered to an ethernet connection. But, I guess it's in my nature to cocoon. I like to walk into an "office" and "work." And so far in both the house we just sold and the house we rent my "office" ends up in the parallel universe of washing and drying. No, I'm not looking for a metaphor for writing here, I'm just noticing. The rhythm of the clothes spinning, the clicking of the zippers and buttons hitting the dryer drum. This has been a muse, of sorts. The sound of tumbling. And inspired one published piece about falling through my laundry room wall into another more fantastic universe which inspired the beginning of my second novel. [Wonder how many women end up with "rooms of their own" filled with the sounds of washing and drying.]
This was written in 2004 and published in 2005 in "Once Upon A Time Magazine" and speaks to my laundry room muse:
Falling Through My Laundry Room Wall
Obsession. Murder. The battle between Good and Evil. I discovered all this and more the day I fell through my laundry room wall.
Sidelined by a broken foot which kept me in a succession of three different non-walking casts, I found myself in an unfamiliar place. I had time to think. No longer living three lives in one, the universe slowed me down, way down, and I decided to reflect why.
Certainly the reason for my cosmic inactivity was to breathe new life into an old obsession. A blessed 5’ X 6’ room with a counter and sink that had taken three houses and fifteen years to acquire. Previously laundering in basements and garages, I dreamt of an indoor room where I would blissfully wash, fold, hang and iron my family’s clothes. And, as in most fairy tales, my dream came true.
But, alas, something was horribly wrong. Everyday, as I hobbled by on my crutches, the laundry room door seemed to open, wider. Its plain white walls blinding. This was, after all, the only room in the house that had been neglected. Let’s face it, time, money, and desire dwindle when deciding to beautify a laundry room.
I scanned left-over paint cans, stacked precariously in the garage, and decided “Cathedral Gray” would be the best color for the walls. Much more cheerful than its name suggests, the paint matched my eyes and made me feel fabulous.
Inspired, I picked up some antique wrought iron brackets adorned with hummingbirds and scrolling metal which would hold wooden shelves that my husband and daughter had made for me. I purchased iron hooks, imprinted with the silhouettes of birds, and draped our beach towels over them. The iron birds perched precisely, each provided eternal companionship for the other. Lastly, I hung my birthday present over the beach towels, a framed print from the Paris Review entitled “Orange Flowers” which completed the laundry room decor.
My family thought my mysterious obsession harmless, for the most part. They actually enjoyed watching the transformation occur before their eyes. Brush in hand, I greeted them nightly tinkering with things and enlisting their help in the metamorphosis. Until, the unthinkable occurred. One magical evening, they greeted me and I had traded the familiar brush for, a pen.
“What are you doing?” My teenagers wearily asked on their way to the pantry.
“Writing a story,” I said. In my head, I screamed, “I have no idea.”
Over the past few years I’d penned quite a bit of prose. But it was my obsession with the laundry room that led me to write my first YA Fantasy novel. I didn’t realize that its plans would take a year and a half to fully realize.
One night I had a dream, I peeked into the laundry room and saw a slight shadowy figure jump into a glowing orb which nestled behind the beach towels.
As I parted the towels, an intense light filled the tiny room. A delicate breeze became a wind and the wind turned into a vacuum, sucking me, and a few pairs of jeans, into the wall which instantly gave way. When I arrived on the other side, breathless from my exhilarating and surprisingly cold journey, I fell gently into a field of daisies, under the comfort of the warm sun. The errant jeans fell directly on top of me—clean and folded.
Casting the jeans aside, daisies tickled my face and the blue sky was obstructed by only a few small clouds. Once they drifted right above me, the clouds formed a salutation: “Welcome!” Ala "Surrender" in THE WIZARD OF OZ.
My laundry room became a portal to my imagination. It had been locked up in the world of computer animation and graphic design but would no longer be ignored. Images poured over me and a story developed about a thirteen-year-old named Wanda. I applauded her victories, cried in her agony and together we learned a lot of things. I learned that magic is all around me, and only a thought away. I created her story somewhere between my laundry room and the world beyond my laundry room wall.
Many machines surround me when I write. I’m around the corner from the refrigerator (yum!), a few feet away from my dishwasher, and sit directly in front of my laundry room. I sometimes fantasize that as I write at my computer, unbelievable things materialize behind me. The portal opens, worlds collide and my laundry room isn’t a room at all, but an enchanted place that only the heart of a child can find.
As I continue my odd process of obsession, writing, and crossing over into imaginaray worlds, I feel fortunate that my imagination wouldn’t take no for an answer. Instead it invited me to fall through my laundry room wall into a sun-washed field of daisies taking me, and some day, my readers, to places we’ve never discovered.
The thing that has changed in this house is that in my "office" every night I look outside my window and see the sunset over the Pacific, right from my computer. Its been a year of sunsets. I don't even know how many I used to really look at before. But now, every night I'm home and able to do so, when the sun goes down you'll find me either on the deck or sitting on the sofa watching the sunset show.
This was written in 2004 and published in 2005 in "Once Upon A Time Magazine" and speaks to my laundry room muse:
Falling Through My Laundry Room Wall
Obsession. Murder. The battle between Good and Evil. I discovered all this and more the day I fell through my laundry room wall.
Sidelined by a broken foot which kept me in a succession of three different non-walking casts, I found myself in an unfamiliar place. I had time to think. No longer living three lives in one, the universe slowed me down, way down, and I decided to reflect why.
Certainly the reason for my cosmic inactivity was to breathe new life into an old obsession. A blessed 5’ X 6’ room with a counter and sink that had taken three houses and fifteen years to acquire. Previously laundering in basements and garages, I dreamt of an indoor room where I would blissfully wash, fold, hang and iron my family’s clothes. And, as in most fairy tales, my dream came true.
But, alas, something was horribly wrong. Everyday, as I hobbled by on my crutches, the laundry room door seemed to open, wider. Its plain white walls blinding. This was, after all, the only room in the house that had been neglected. Let’s face it, time, money, and desire dwindle when deciding to beautify a laundry room.
I scanned left-over paint cans, stacked precariously in the garage, and decided “Cathedral Gray” would be the best color for the walls. Much more cheerful than its name suggests, the paint matched my eyes and made me feel fabulous.
Inspired, I picked up some antique wrought iron brackets adorned with hummingbirds and scrolling metal which would hold wooden shelves that my husband and daughter had made for me. I purchased iron hooks, imprinted with the silhouettes of birds, and draped our beach towels over them. The iron birds perched precisely, each provided eternal companionship for the other. Lastly, I hung my birthday present over the beach towels, a framed print from the Paris Review entitled “Orange Flowers” which completed the laundry room decor.
My family thought my mysterious obsession harmless, for the most part. They actually enjoyed watching the transformation occur before their eyes. Brush in hand, I greeted them nightly tinkering with things and enlisting their help in the metamorphosis. Until, the unthinkable occurred. One magical evening, they greeted me and I had traded the familiar brush for, a pen.
“What are you doing?” My teenagers wearily asked on their way to the pantry.
“Writing a story,” I said. In my head, I screamed, “I have no idea.”
Over the past few years I’d penned quite a bit of prose. But it was my obsession with the laundry room that led me to write my first YA Fantasy novel. I didn’t realize that its plans would take a year and a half to fully realize.
One night I had a dream, I peeked into the laundry room and saw a slight shadowy figure jump into a glowing orb which nestled behind the beach towels.
As I parted the towels, an intense light filled the tiny room. A delicate breeze became a wind and the wind turned into a vacuum, sucking me, and a few pairs of jeans, into the wall which instantly gave way. When I arrived on the other side, breathless from my exhilarating and surprisingly cold journey, I fell gently into a field of daisies, under the comfort of the warm sun. The errant jeans fell directly on top of me—clean and folded.
Casting the jeans aside, daisies tickled my face and the blue sky was obstructed by only a few small clouds. Once they drifted right above me, the clouds formed a salutation: “Welcome!” Ala "Surrender" in THE WIZARD OF OZ.
My laundry room became a portal to my imagination. It had been locked up in the world of computer animation and graphic design but would no longer be ignored. Images poured over me and a story developed about a thirteen-year-old named Wanda. I applauded her victories, cried in her agony and together we learned a lot of things. I learned that magic is all around me, and only a thought away. I created her story somewhere between my laundry room and the world beyond my laundry room wall.
Many machines surround me when I write. I’m around the corner from the refrigerator (yum!), a few feet away from my dishwasher, and sit directly in front of my laundry room. I sometimes fantasize that as I write at my computer, unbelievable things materialize behind me. The portal opens, worlds collide and my laundry room isn’t a room at all, but an enchanted place that only the heart of a child can find.
As I continue my odd process of obsession, writing, and crossing over into imaginaray worlds, I feel fortunate that my imagination wouldn’t take no for an answer. Instead it invited me to fall through my laundry room wall into a sun-washed field of daisies taking me, and some day, my readers, to places we’ve never discovered.
The thing that has changed in this house is that in my "office" every night I look outside my window and see the sunset over the Pacific, right from my computer. Its been a year of sunsets. I don't even know how many I used to really look at before. But now, every night I'm home and able to do so, when the sun goes down you'll find me either on the deck or sitting on the sofa watching the sunset show.
- Location:perched on the Pacific
- Mood:
silly
A while back, someone who listed herself only as "Alyson" was nice enough to nominate My Rotten Life for one of the categories of the Cybil Awards. I didn't make the final nominee list, but that wasn't a surprise. There were 100 initial nominees (including some killer titles), and five finalists. But I wanted to thank the person who nominated me. It was a nice gesture. The link attached to her name went to the Arapahoe Library web site, so I assume she's a librarian. I figured I'd just post my thanks here, and hope the awesome interconnectedness of every person on the web would allow my gratitude to reach its target.
I also need to thank Bean. According to her parents, that's her nickname. I suspect it might be inspired by the character in Ender's Game, based on the fact that her parents are fans of speculative fiction, and given that she is stunningly brilliant for one so young. How do I know she's brilliant? Check out her favorite book of 2009. (Scroll down to the bottom.) Obviosuly, she's being raised right.
Every blog post should have at least three paragraphs, or no more than one. Somehow, an entry of just two paragraphs feel wrong. That has now been corrected. Move along. There is nothing more to see here.
I also need to thank Bean. According to her parents, that's her nickname. I suspect it might be inspired by the character in Ender's Game, based on the fact that her parents are fans of speculative fiction, and given that she is stunningly brilliant for one so young. How do I know she's brilliant? Check out her favorite book of 2009. (Scroll down to the bottom.) Obviosuly, she's being raised right.
Every blog post should have at least three paragraphs, or no more than one. Somehow, an entry of just two paragraphs feel wrong. That has now been corrected. Move along. There is nothing more to see here.
Well, I did it. It took a while but I compiled my list of 100 books I hope to read in 5 years and joined the Fill in the Gaps: 100 Blog. I'm as excited as a girl on Christmas Eve. I learned so much about myself as a reader and a writer as I compiled my list. I kept the focus of my reading to three areas: female authors, classics and magical realism. It took so long to compile the list that I finished one of my books on it, Ghost Sea [2006] by Ferenc Máté. And now, the kettle is on, and One Hundred Years Of Solitude [1967] by Gabriel García Márquez awaits. I'm 40+ pages into it and would love to read it all night and finish it in the morning. I think this book might be the best book I've ever read.
After taking weeks off to celebrate the holidays I'm back in the saddle again and working on revisions to my WIP. I really have to thank Scrivner for organizing my files so well, that I could just turn on my computer and get to it, otherwise after so long away from my files I'd have to easily spend a day to discover which file was the current file and where I was in my revisions. Love Scrivner, love, love, love. I have two wonderful conferences coming up that I am really looking forward to: Asilomar in February and South Coast Winery Resort & Spa Writer's Retreat in March. Going to the South Coast Retreat with two buddies and can't wait to spend some time with my amazing writer friends.
Ghost Sea: A Novel by Ferenc Mate
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book because it pulled me into a world I didn’t know much about and also had a few twists and turns I didn’t expect. It’s the first book I read where the characters all die and the reader continues to follow them in their afterlife in the end. That was very provocative. But, the descriptions were tedious at times and confusing. The clunky descriptions got in the way of the more poetic insights found throughout the book. And I found myself wondering why the tribe would go to such lengths to save Kate, who’s husband stole their artifacts only to kill her and the party that came to save her. Also I felt that the characters didn’t really inhabit their relationships. Not much emotion unfolded in this story . The great love part got lost in the telling. The relationship/longing by Kate and Cappy should have been heightened I think.
View all my reviews >>
After taking weeks off to celebrate the holidays I'm back in the saddle again and working on revisions to my WIP. I really have to thank Scrivner for organizing my files so well, that I could just turn on my computer and get to it, otherwise after so long away from my files I'd have to easily spend a day to discover which file was the current file and where I was in my revisions. Love Scrivner, love, love, love. I have two wonderful conferences coming up that I am really looking forward to: Asilomar in February and South Coast Winery Resort & Spa Writer's Retreat in March. Going to the South Coast Retreat with two buddies and can't wait to spend some time with my amazing writer friends.
Ghost Sea: A Novel by Ferenc MateMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book because it pulled me into a world I didn’t know much about and also had a few twists and turns I didn’t expect. It’s the first book I read where the characters all die and the reader continues to follow them in their afterlife in the end. That was very provocative. But, the descriptions were tedious at times and confusing. The clunky descriptions got in the way of the more poetic insights found throughout the book. And I found myself wondering why the tribe would go to such lengths to save Kate, who’s husband stole their artifacts only to kill her and the party that came to save her. Also I felt that the characters didn’t really inhabit their relationships. Not much emotion unfolded in this story . The great love part got lost in the telling. The relationship/longing by Kate and Cappy should have been heightened I think.
View all my reviews >>
- Location:perched on the Pacific
- Mood: quixotic
- Music:Bob Seger
Yikes -- I almost let this slip. The ALA Midwinter Meeting is nearly here. If you have a book nominated for one of the lists, or you think you might be in the running for a big award, please check out this valuable service for writers.
Thanks to my friend Scott Murray for sending me this photo of the home gallery he’s created of my Little Nightmare prints. :-)
Mirrored from Debbie's Blatherings.
Some numbers from last year.
87 days spent speaking at schools. (I don't know how many schools in all, since some days were spent at more than one school.)
13 speaking appearances at conferences, libraries, and book stores.
64 airplanes boarded.
2 books written (somehow).
4 short stories written (fewer than usual).
2 books published (The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies, My Rotten Life).
1 anthology appearance (This Family Is Driving Me Crazy ).
1 anthology invitation (more on this later, but it will totally rock).
5 golden rings.
87 days spent speaking at schools. (I don't know how many schools in all, since some days were spent at more than one school.)
13 speaking appearances at conferences, libraries, and book stores.
64 airplanes boarded.
2 books written (somehow).
4 short stories written (fewer than usual).
2 books published (The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies, My Rotten Life).
1 anthology appearance (This Family Is Driving Me Crazy ).
1 anthology invitation (more on this later, but it will totally rock).
5 golden rings.
Cynsations will be on hiatus from now until sometime shortly after Jan. 22 while I teach at the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults winter 2010 residency in Montpelier.I look forward to working with fellow faculty members Kathi Appelt, Margaret Bechard, Alan Cumyn, Sharon Darrow, Sarah Ellis, A.M. Jenkins, Ellen Howard, Uma Krishnaswami, Julie Larios, Martine Leavitt, Laura McGee Kvasnosky, Leda Schubert, Shelley Tanaka, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Tim Wynne-Jones. In addition, Carolyn Coman will be matched with post-graduate students.
Kimberly Willis Holt is the writer in residence. Sarah is leading the picture book certificate program, and the visiting author-illustrator is Lynne Rae Perkins.
Our graduate assistants will be Marianna Baer, Debbie Gonzales, Sarah Sullivan, and Zu Vincent.
Cynsational Notes
Children's-YA writing enthusiasts should watch my Twitter account! Beginning Sunday, I'll be tweeting the occasional faculty quote from the winter residency. Note: you do not have to be registered at Twitter or to "follow" me to read the tweets. You can just go to my Twitter page, and they'll all be displayed there, in descending order, from most to least recent.
For those holiday vacationers who may have missed it, last week I posted my Cynsational Books of 2009. I'd like to highlight just a couple more: The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King (Flux, 2009) as well as The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series by Heather Brewer (Dutton, ongoing). Read a Cynsations interview with A.S.
Here's the book trailer for The Dust of 100 Dogs:
Here's the book trailer for Tenth Grade Bleeds (Dutton, 2009). Note: Heather is also highly recommended as a speaker. I had the pleasure of being on a panel with her in Westlake, Texas, last fall and was absolutely wowed by her savvy, smarts, and ability to connect with tweens.
This just in! Here's the new book trailer for Eleventh Grade Burns (Dutton, Feb. 2010).
Likewise, here's a quick recap of the interviews posted from Dec. 21 through the end of the month. Texas debut author Jill S. Alexander discussed story in country music; Jessica Blank wrote a guest post on adapting a novel into a screenplay; David L. Harrison talked about professional and artistic success, Michelle Markel shared her insights on taking writing risks, and debut author Penny Blubaugh reflected on early reading influences and her MFA.
New Releases
This Week's New Releases from Teenreads.com Blog. Highlights include books by Gordan Korman, Susanne Dunlap, Jordan Sonnenblick, Julie Ann Peters, Delia Ephron, Courtney Summers, Angela Johnson, Dia Reeves, Mari Mancusi, Jennifer R. Hubbard, Tim Bowlar, Lisa McMann, and Jacqueline Woodson.
Eighteen-year-old author Noni Carter talks about her novel, Good Fortune (Simon & Schuster, 2010). Note: Noni is a student at Harvard University.
Here's a book trailer for Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder (Simon Pulse, 2010). Read a new interview with Lisa by Tabitha Olsen from Writer Musings. Peek: "Because I started with picture books, where you need to be succinct as possible, I do think it helped me with the verse. I seem to do well in getting to the heart of a scene and figuring out how to get the emotional truth with just the right choice of words."
Here's a book trailer for Captivate by Carrie Jones (Bloomsbury, 2010). Read a new interview with Carrie from Fantastic Book Review. Enter to win a copy of Captivate.
Welcome YA Rebels
Vloggers YA Rebels describe themselves as "seven young adult authors giving you the behind the scenes drama!" Notes: now posting regularly; video includes cameo by John Green.
More News & Giveaways
Cover Stories: Prada & Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard from Melissa Walker at readergirlz. Peek: "A few weeks later, they had a photo shoot, and they sent me the three best options--and they let me pick (my choice at left)! There were two styles of jeans and two types of red high heels. It was super exciting to be able to have some input at that point, and I'm grateful that the folks at Razorbill shared it with me." See also Cover Stories: Far From You by Lisa Schroeder and Cover Stories: Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph.
Manuscript Blindness by Brian Yansky from Brian's Blog: Writer Talk. Peek: "You have to look at the worth of your scenes in terms of the whole. Do they all belong? If they do belong, have you devoted the right amount of emphasis to each?" Read a Cynsations interview with Brian.
Top Ten Questions Dutton Editors Ask Themselves When Looking At A Manuscript from Kathy Temean at Writing and Illustrating: Sharing Information About Writing and Illustrating for Children. Peek: "Does the action of the story move at a good pace and hold our interest? Does tension build as the story moves forward?" Source: Janet Reid, Literary Agent.
10 Things I've Learned about the Writing Biz by Charlene Teglia from Genreality. Peek: "Don’t discount your business abilities and leave that up to other people because you’re 'just a writer'. You're also an independent business person and uniquely gifted with the ability to come up with solid ideas." Source: Elizabeth Scott.
Win an ARC of Everlasting by Angie Frazier (Scholastic, 2010) from Angie Frazier: Adventures of a YA Novelist. Deadline: midnight EST Jan. 8. Learn more about Everlasting.
A Diamond in the Slush: What Picture Book Editors Are Really Looking For by Melanie Hope Greenberg from SCBWI Metro NY News. Peek: "In developing a project, however, they [Alexandra Penfold of Simon & Schuster and Alisha Niehaus of Dial] recommend that authors keep looking for ways to broaden its appeal." Source: Tammi Sauer.
Interview: Melissa de la Cruz by Little Willow at Bildungsroman. Peek: "The supernatural stories are easier. For The Ashleys and The Au Pairs, it was fun but I found it exhausting after awhile to keep up with all the trends and incorporate them in the book in a new way." Read a Cynsations interview with Melissa.
Six Word Resolutions & Goals! A Book Giveaway! And a New Year's Poem For You! by April Halprin Wayland from Teaching Author's: Six Children's Authors Who Also Teach Writing. Note: "April posted a follow-up to the contest we held last fall asking readers to post their goals for the new school year. Now it's time for readers to report on how they did. Those who didn't make their goals are invited to post a revised goal. And anyone who missed the original post is welcome to share a new writing resolution for 2010. One lucky participant will receive an autographed copy of April's award-winning picture book, New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story, illustrated by Stephané Jorisch (Dial, 2009)."
How I Got My Agent by Anna Staniszewski. Peek: "Sometimes you have to be willing to put one project aside, as I did, and realize that it might not be the one that's going to get you an agent/get you published/etc. That's why you should never stop writing, because you never know which manuscript will grab someone's attention."
Congratulations to David Lubar on the release of Dead Guy Spy (Starscape, 2010), the second book in his Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie series! Peek: "Nathan Abercrombie is getting used to his rotten life as a half-dead zombie. The good thing is he doesn't feel any pain. The bad thing is his body can't heal, so he has to be really careful not to break anything. But that's hard to do when his wrestling-obsessed gym teacher, Mr. Lomux, matches him up with Rodney the bully, who's looking for any excuse to break his bones. Then one day, Nathan is approached by the secret organization B.U.M.—aka the Bureau of Useful Misadventures—which offers him a cure in exchange for his help. Nathan jumps at the chance to become the world's first zombie spy, but soon discovers that B.U.M. isn’t quite what it seems. Can Nathan trust them?" Read a Cynsations interview with David.
Melanie Kroupa to Join Marshall Cavendish by Lynn Andriani from Publishers Weekly. Peek: "Kroupa will be joining Marshall Cavendish Children's Books as an editor-at-large on Jan. 1, reporting to publisher Margery Cuyler. Kroupa will work for the publisher, which is located in Tarrytown, N.Y., from her office in Dedham, Mass."
Mary Cole of Andrea Brown Literary Agency on Urban Fantasy by Parker Peevyhouse from The Spectacle. Peek: "Believe it or not, some of the most successful urban fantasy stories are also some of the funniest, and that has everything to do with voice. Without humor, personality and wit, 'dark' and 'gritty' will soon become 'bleak' and 'grating.'"
Marvelous Marketer: Nathan Bransford (Literary Agent) by Shelli at Market My Words. Peek: "Traditionally it wasn't really the agent's job to promote books, but I think that may be changing somewhat with the times."
Katherine Paterson Named National Ambassador for Young People's Literature from School Library Journal. Peek: "Katherine Paterson, a two-time Newbery medalist and two-time National Book Award-winner, replaces Jon Scieszka as the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, a two-year position created to raise national awareness of the importance of lifelong literacy and education." Note: Yesterday, Candlewick Press announced the upcoming publication of an illustrated middle-grade novel from Katherine. The Flint Heart is a retelling of the story by the late British fantasy novelist Eden Phillpots, written by Katherine and her husband, John Paterson. It will be illustrated by John Rocco and is slated for publication in March 2012.
Channeling My Inner Boy by Mary Atkinson from Crowe's Nest. Peek: "I’d write scenes like these and wonder, where did that come from? Do those boys really live inside me? Who are they? What do these scenes say about me? Am I crude, nasty, and violent?"
The First Sentence or Three by Rosalyn Schanzer from INK: Interesting Nonfiction for Kids. Peek: "In honor of finding some firsts in nonfiction, I thought I’d try to dig up a few books with great first sentences or first paragraphs; the kind that surprise you at first glance and pull you into a first-rate story right away."
The Longstockings: a new site from Coe Booth, Daphne Grab, Lisa Greenwald, Jenny Han, Caroline Hickey, and Siobhan Vivian. Don't miss 12 Months of Workshop: an opportunity to submit 25 pages of your work in progress to be workshopped by the Longstockings. Peek: "that writer will receive a document compiling the helpful notes, suggestions and (surely) lots of praise from The Longstockings!" Note: this contest will be held every month of this year.
Successful Queries: Agent Ted Malawer and 'My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters' from Chuck Sambuchino at Guide to Literary Agent's Editor's Blog. Peek: "Sydney's largest paragraph sets up the plot, the conflict, and introduces some exciting potential love interests and misadventures that I was excited to read about."
MG/YA SFF Virtual Conference by Tiffany Trent from Eudaimonium: Finding the Gold. Peek: "So, I want to try an experiment. I'm planning on holding a one-day virtual conference sometime in late March or April. I want this to be a truly useful conference to writers and aficionados of MG/YA SFF. Many of us see the same panels over and over again at conferences, making us feel like we've wasted time and money. How might we do it differently? What panels would you like to see that you haven't seen?"
Featured Sweetheart: Cailin O'Connor by P.J. Hoover from The Texas Sweethearts. Peek: "You may recognize Cailin as the genius behind the Bridget Zinn auctions in the past year."
Revision by Brian Yansky from Brian's Blog: Writer Talk. Peek: "...there's a time during revision where you have to be more analytical. The story is in place and the characters are real, and your manuscript feels like all the elements are fitting together. To get to this evolutionary moment in the manuscript, you had to depend on your creative side: instinct and imagination and inspiration. But now you need the analytical side that evaluates." Note: Brian shares a scene-by-scene list of questions to consider for revision. Read a Cynsations interview with Brian.
Comment Challenge 2010 from MotherReader. Peek: "Since it is said that it takes twenty-one days to form a new habit, we’re going to run the Comment Challenge for the next three weeks — starting Friday, Jan. 8, and running through Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010. The goal is to comment on at least five kidlitosphere blogs a day."
Author Interview: Natalie Standiford on How To Say Goodbye in Robot (Scholastic, 2009) from Teenreads.com. Peek: "Once a real story starts to gel, I write a loose plot outline. Some books have complicated plots and require a more detailed outline. I always end up changing things as I write anyway. But I like to know what's going to happen so I can keep the story focused and sharpen every detail into an arrow that points toward the end."
Congratulations to fellow Austinites Lila and Rick Guzman on the release of Lorenzo and the Pirate (Blooming Tree, 2010)! Peek: "The fourth book in the Lorenzo series, it is set on the high seas in 1779 and tells the story of Spanish participation in the American Revolution." Source: Writers' League of Texas. Read a Cynsations interview with Lila.
Is Your 'But' Too Big? by John Gibbs from An Englishman in New Jersey. Peek: "Be wary of such people. Many of them carry a virus, Excusitis, a mental affliction which can kill writing dreams by causing the person suffering from it to doubt themselves and their ability. Symptoms include excessive use of the phrases like 'I wanted to be a writer, but...', 'I’ve always thought I had a book in me, but...', 'I love writing, but...'"
Matt Phelan is the winner of the 2010 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction for The Storm in the Barn (Candlewick, 2009). Source: Read Roger.
Congratulations to Sharon Draper, E.B. Lewis, Tanita S. Davis, Kekla Magoon, and the other nominees for the 41rst NAACP Image Awards in "Outstanding Literary Work - Children" and "Outstanding Literary Work - Youth/Teens!"
Writing Links from Cynthia Leitich Smith Children's-YA Literature Resources features lots to know about agents, book design & art direction, editors & publishers, education, illustration, promotion, publishing, and writing. See also Inspiration in Writing Children's & YA Books and Perspiration: Self Study.
R.J. Anderson talks about Rebel, the sequel to Knife (Orchard UK)(titled Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter in the U.S. from HarperCollins). Source: The Enchanted Inkpot. Read a Cynsations interview with R.J.
Kidlitosphere Diversity Discussion
PaperTigers Reading the World Challenge 2010. Peek: "Choose one book from/about/by or illustrated by someone from each of the seven continents – that’s: Africa; Antarctica; Asia; Australasia; Europe; North America; South America. Have the books read aloud to you or read them yourself; share them as part of a book-group or in class. Combine your choices with other reading challenges. The books can be picture-books, poetry, fiction, non-fiction...the choice is yours."
Reflecting on the Great Mosaic of Humankind by Jane Kurtz at The Power of One Writer. Peek: "I tend to be disappointed with consumers more than editors because I've seen what it's like to have authors, editors, illustrators, art designers, sales reps, and others on the publishing team pour their hearts into a book that only sits in a warehouse because people–by and large–weren't adventuresome enough (or openhearted enough) in their reading tastes."
Demand Diversity in Publishing by Colleen Mondor at Chasing Ray. Peek: "Think about balance in your reviewing--think about books for kids with black skin or brown, kids who attend a Mosque or Synagogue, kids who go to school on a reservation or Native village in Alaska or that had grandparents from Asia or the Middle East or India or Kenya or Haiti or Cuba. Think about everyone else as much as you think about yourself."
Kids of Color in Middle Grade Science Fiction and Fantasy--a look back at the 98 books nominated for the Cybils from Charlotte's Library: Fantasy and Science Fiction Books for Children and Teenagers. Peek: "Here are the kids of color I found, the ones who got enough page-time to be memorable."
More Personally
My holiday highlights included reading Nightshade by debut author Andrea Cremer (Philomel, Oct. 2010). It was my great pleasure to send in a blurb for the novel, which you can read here.
Look for a screen shot and recommendation of my picture books bibliography from Cynthia Leitich Smith Children's & Young Adult Literature Resources in "Web Monthly: Picture This--Websites About Picture Books" by Greg Byerly on pg. 35 of the January 2010 issue of School Library Monthly (formerly School Library Media Activities Monthly.
Here's the book trailer for The Dust of 100 Dogs:
Here's the book trailer for Tenth Grade Bleeds (Dutton, 2009). Note: Heather is also highly recommended as a speaker. I had the pleasure of being on a panel with her in Westlake, Texas, last fall and was absolutely wowed by her savvy, smarts, and ability to connect with tweens.
This just in! Here's the new book trailer for Eleventh Grade Burns (Dutton, Feb. 2010).
Likewise, here's a quick recap of the interviews posted from Dec. 21 through the end of the month. Texas debut author Jill S. Alexander discussed story in country music; Jessica Blank wrote a guest post on adapting a novel into a screenplay; David L. Harrison talked about professional and artistic success, Michelle Markel shared her insights on taking writing risks, and debut author Penny Blubaugh reflected on early reading influences and her MFA.
New Releases
This Week's New Releases from Teenreads.com Blog. Highlights include books by Gordan Korman, Susanne Dunlap, Jordan Sonnenblick, Julie Ann Peters, Delia Ephron, Courtney Summers, Angela Johnson, Dia Reeves, Mari Mancusi, Jennifer R. Hubbard, Tim Bowlar, Lisa McMann, and Jacqueline Woodson.
Eighteen-year-old author Noni Carter talks about her novel, Good Fortune (Simon & Schuster, 2010). Note: Noni is a student at Harvard University.
Here's a book trailer for Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder (Simon Pulse, 2010). Read a new interview with Lisa by Tabitha Olsen from Writer Musings. Peek: "Because I started with picture books, where you need to be succinct as possible, I do think it helped me with the verse. I seem to do well in getting to the heart of a scene and figuring out how to get the emotional truth with just the right choice of words."
Here's a book trailer for Captivate by Carrie Jones (Bloomsbury, 2010). Read a new interview with Carrie from Fantastic Book Review. Enter to win a copy of Captivate.
Welcome YA Rebels
Vloggers YA Rebels describe themselves as "seven young adult authors giving you the behind the scenes drama!" Notes: now posting regularly; video includes cameo by John Green.
More News & Giveaways
Cover Stories: Prada & Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard from Melissa Walker at readergirlz. Peek: "A few weeks later, they had a photo shoot, and they sent me the three best options--and they let me pick (my choice at left)! There were two styles of jeans and two types of red high heels. It was super exciting to be able to have some input at that point, and I'm grateful that the folks at Razorbill shared it with me." See also Cover Stories: Far From You by Lisa Schroeder and Cover Stories: Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph.Manuscript Blindness by Brian Yansky from Brian's Blog: Writer Talk. Peek: "You have to look at the worth of your scenes in terms of the whole. Do they all belong? If they do belong, have you devoted the right amount of emphasis to each?" Read a Cynsations interview with Brian.
Top Ten Questions Dutton Editors Ask Themselves When Looking At A Manuscript from Kathy Temean at Writing and Illustrating: Sharing Information About Writing and Illustrating for Children. Peek: "Does the action of the story move at a good pace and hold our interest? Does tension build as the story moves forward?" Source: Janet Reid, Literary Agent.
10 Things I've Learned about the Writing Biz by Charlene Teglia from Genreality. Peek: "Don’t discount your business abilities and leave that up to other people because you’re 'just a writer'. You're also an independent business person and uniquely gifted with the ability to come up with solid ideas." Source: Elizabeth Scott.
Win an ARC of Everlasting by Angie Frazier (Scholastic, 2010) from Angie Frazier: Adventures of a YA Novelist. Deadline: midnight EST Jan. 8. Learn more about Everlasting.A Diamond in the Slush: What Picture Book Editors Are Really Looking For by Melanie Hope Greenberg from SCBWI Metro NY News. Peek: "In developing a project, however, they [Alexandra Penfold of Simon & Schuster and Alisha Niehaus of Dial] recommend that authors keep looking for ways to broaden its appeal." Source: Tammi Sauer.
Interview: Melissa de la Cruz by Little Willow at Bildungsroman. Peek: "The supernatural stories are easier. For The Ashleys and The Au Pairs, it was fun but I found it exhausting after awhile to keep up with all the trends and incorporate them in the book in a new way." Read a Cynsations interview with Melissa.
Six Word Resolutions & Goals! A Book Giveaway! And a New Year's Poem For You! by April Halprin Wayland from Teaching Author's: Six Children's Authors Who Also Teach Writing. Note: "April posted a follow-up to the contest we held last fall asking readers to post their goals for the new school year. Now it's time for readers to report on how they did. Those who didn't make their goals are invited to post a revised goal. And anyone who missed the original post is welcome to share a new writing resolution for 2010. One lucky participant will receive an autographed copy of April's award-winning picture book, New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story, illustrated by Stephané Jorisch (Dial, 2009)."
How I Got My Agent by Anna Staniszewski. Peek: "Sometimes you have to be willing to put one project aside, as I did, and realize that it might not be the one that's going to get you an agent/get you published/etc. That's why you should never stop writing, because you never know which manuscript will grab someone's attention."
Congratulations to David Lubar on the release of Dead Guy Spy (Starscape, 2010), the second book in his Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie series! Peek: "Nathan Abercrombie is getting used to his rotten life as a half-dead zombie. The good thing is he doesn't feel any pain. The bad thing is his body can't heal, so he has to be really careful not to break anything. But that's hard to do when his wrestling-obsessed gym teacher, Mr. Lomux, matches him up with Rodney the bully, who's looking for any excuse to break his bones. Then one day, Nathan is approached by the secret organization B.U.M.—aka the Bureau of Useful Misadventures—which offers him a cure in exchange for his help. Nathan jumps at the chance to become the world's first zombie spy, but soon discovers that B.U.M. isn’t quite what it seems. Can Nathan trust them?" Read a Cynsations interview with David.Melanie Kroupa to Join Marshall Cavendish by Lynn Andriani from Publishers Weekly. Peek: "Kroupa will be joining Marshall Cavendish Children's Books as an editor-at-large on Jan. 1, reporting to publisher Margery Cuyler. Kroupa will work for the publisher, which is located in Tarrytown, N.Y., from her office in Dedham, Mass."
Mary Cole of Andrea Brown Literary Agency on Urban Fantasy by Parker Peevyhouse from The Spectacle. Peek: "Believe it or not, some of the most successful urban fantasy stories are also some of the funniest, and that has everything to do with voice. Without humor, personality and wit, 'dark' and 'gritty' will soon become 'bleak' and 'grating.'"
Marvelous Marketer: Nathan Bransford (Literary Agent) by Shelli at Market My Words. Peek: "Traditionally it wasn't really the agent's job to promote books, but I think that may be changing somewhat with the times."
Katherine Paterson Named National Ambassador for Young People's Literature from School Library Journal. Peek: "Katherine Paterson, a two-time Newbery medalist and two-time National Book Award-winner, replaces Jon Scieszka as the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, a two-year position created to raise national awareness of the importance of lifelong literacy and education." Note: Yesterday, Candlewick Press announced the upcoming publication of an illustrated middle-grade novel from Katherine. The Flint Heart is a retelling of the story by the late British fantasy novelist Eden Phillpots, written by Katherine and her husband, John Paterson. It will be illustrated by John Rocco and is slated for publication in March 2012.Channeling My Inner Boy by Mary Atkinson from Crowe's Nest. Peek: "I’d write scenes like these and wonder, where did that come from? Do those boys really live inside me? Who are they? What do these scenes say about me? Am I crude, nasty, and violent?"
The First Sentence or Three by Rosalyn Schanzer from INK: Interesting Nonfiction for Kids. Peek: "In honor of finding some firsts in nonfiction, I thought I’d try to dig up a few books with great first sentences or first paragraphs; the kind that surprise you at first glance and pull you into a first-rate story right away."
The Longstockings: a new site from Coe Booth, Daphne Grab, Lisa Greenwald, Jenny Han, Caroline Hickey, and Siobhan Vivian. Don't miss 12 Months of Workshop: an opportunity to submit 25 pages of your work in progress to be workshopped by the Longstockings. Peek: "that writer will receive a document compiling the helpful notes, suggestions and (surely) lots of praise from The Longstockings!" Note: this contest will be held every month of this year.
Successful Queries: Agent Ted Malawer and 'My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters' from Chuck Sambuchino at Guide to Literary Agent's Editor's Blog. Peek: "Sydney's largest paragraph sets up the plot, the conflict, and introduces some exciting potential love interests and misadventures that I was excited to read about."MG/YA SFF Virtual Conference by Tiffany Trent from Eudaimonium: Finding the Gold. Peek: "So, I want to try an experiment. I'm planning on holding a one-day virtual conference sometime in late March or April. I want this to be a truly useful conference to writers and aficionados of MG/YA SFF. Many of us see the same panels over and over again at conferences, making us feel like we've wasted time and money. How might we do it differently? What panels would you like to see that you haven't seen?"
Featured Sweetheart: Cailin O'Connor by P.J. Hoover from The Texas Sweethearts. Peek: "You may recognize Cailin as the genius behind the Bridget Zinn auctions in the past year."
Revision by Brian Yansky from Brian's Blog: Writer Talk. Peek: "...there's a time during revision where you have to be more analytical. The story is in place and the characters are real, and your manuscript feels like all the elements are fitting together. To get to this evolutionary moment in the manuscript, you had to depend on your creative side: instinct and imagination and inspiration. But now you need the analytical side that evaluates." Note: Brian shares a scene-by-scene list of questions to consider for revision. Read a Cynsations interview with Brian.
Comment Challenge 2010 from MotherReader. Peek: "Since it is said that it takes twenty-one days to form a new habit, we’re going to run the Comment Challenge for the next three weeks — starting Friday, Jan. 8, and running through Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010. The goal is to comment on at least five kidlitosphere blogs a day."
Author Interview: Natalie Standiford on How To Say Goodbye in Robot (Scholastic, 2009) from Teenreads.com. Peek: "Once a real story starts to gel, I write a loose plot outline. Some books have complicated plots and require a more detailed outline. I always end up changing things as I write anyway. But I like to know what's going to happen so I can keep the story focused and sharpen every detail into an arrow that points toward the end."Congratulations to fellow Austinites Lila and Rick Guzman on the release of Lorenzo and the Pirate (Blooming Tree, 2010)! Peek: "The fourth book in the Lorenzo series, it is set on the high seas in 1779 and tells the story of Spanish participation in the American Revolution." Source: Writers' League of Texas. Read a Cynsations interview with Lila.
Is Your 'But' Too Big? by John Gibbs from An Englishman in New Jersey. Peek: "Be wary of such people. Many of them carry a virus, Excusitis, a mental affliction which can kill writing dreams by causing the person suffering from it to doubt themselves and their ability. Symptoms include excessive use of the phrases like 'I wanted to be a writer, but...', 'I’ve always thought I had a book in me, but...', 'I love writing, but...'"
Matt Phelan is the winner of the 2010 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction for The Storm in the Barn (Candlewick, 2009). Source: Read Roger.
Congratulations to Sharon Draper, E.B. Lewis, Tanita S. Davis, Kekla Magoon, and the other nominees for the 41rst NAACP Image Awards in "Outstanding Literary Work - Children" and "Outstanding Literary Work - Youth/Teens!"Writing Links from Cynthia Leitich Smith Children's-YA Literature Resources features lots to know about agents, book design & art direction, editors & publishers, education, illustration, promotion, publishing, and writing. See also Inspiration in Writing Children's & YA Books and Perspiration: Self Study.
R.J. Anderson talks about Rebel, the sequel to Knife (Orchard UK)(titled Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter in the U.S. from HarperCollins). Source: The Enchanted Inkpot. Read a Cynsations interview with R.J.
Kidlitosphere Diversity Discussion
PaperTigers Reading the World Challenge 2010. Peek: "Choose one book from/about/by or illustrated by someone from each of the seven continents – that’s: Africa; Antarctica; Asia; Australasia; Europe; North America; South America. Have the books read aloud to you or read them yourself; share them as part of a book-group or in class. Combine your choices with other reading challenges. The books can be picture-books, poetry, fiction, non-fiction...the choice is yours."Reflecting on the Great Mosaic of Humankind by Jane Kurtz at The Power of One Writer. Peek: "I tend to be disappointed with consumers more than editors because I've seen what it's like to have authors, editors, illustrators, art designers, sales reps, and others on the publishing team pour their hearts into a book that only sits in a warehouse because people–by and large–weren't adventuresome enough (or openhearted enough) in their reading tastes."
Demand Diversity in Publishing by Colleen Mondor at Chasing Ray. Peek: "Think about balance in your reviewing--think about books for kids with black skin or brown, kids who attend a Mosque or Synagogue, kids who go to school on a reservation or Native village in Alaska or that had grandparents from Asia or the Middle East or India or Kenya or Haiti or Cuba. Think about everyone else as much as you think about yourself."Kids of Color in Middle Grade Science Fiction and Fantasy--a look back at the 98 books nominated for the Cybils from Charlotte's Library: Fantasy and Science Fiction Books for Children and Teenagers. Peek: "Here are the kids of color I found, the ones who got enough page-time to be memorable."
More Personally
My holiday highlights included reading Nightshade by debut author Andrea Cremer (Philomel, Oct. 2010). It was my great pleasure to send in a blurb for the novel, which you can read here.
Look for a screen shot and recommendation of my picture books bibliography from Cynthia Leitich Smith Children's & Young Adult Literature Resources in "Web Monthly: Picture This--Websites About Picture Books" by Greg Byerly on pg. 35 of the January 2010 issue of School Library Monthly (formerly School Library Media Activities Monthly.For the people that asked, I thought I'd share a few of the places I've found very helpful as I am getting acquainted with art journals. These
folks represent some of the best art and a variety of styles. I've discovered that I don't care so much about a journal that I write a lot of words in - I have this blog for that. For me it is all about learning how to make art. But you might want something different.
Sarah Whitmore. Sarah offers a major chunk of her soul journal class for free on her website. She also hosts a wonderful group on Yahoo.
Teesha Moore Omisgosh her journal pages are something else. She talks about her basic techniques here but go to YouTube and put in her name and you will see tons of fabulous videos.
Julie Prichard offers some great tips on getting started as well as Video tutorials
Ricë Freeman-Zachery has great info and podcasts with some wonderful artists. She hosts a terrific group on Yahoo
and if you go to YouTube, she's got some great videos there.
Milliande share so much info both on her website on and YouTube. She has some amazing videos.
My introduction to art journals came via![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
newport2newport who introduced me to Aisling who has a lot of helpful info here and here.
Kelly Kilmer has a great blog and is always teaching classes online.
Suziblu is popular. Also a lot of her videos are on YouTube.
A quick and simple way to make an altered book journal can be found here
A question a week for an entire year can be found here.
This is just the tip of the ice berg. If you have an absolute favorite site for beginners, please leave it in the comments.
folks represent some of the best art and a variety of styles. I've discovered that I don't care so much about a journal that I write a lot of words in - I have this blog for that. For me it is all about learning how to make art. But you might want something different.
Sarah Whitmore. Sarah offers a major chunk of her soul journal class for free on her website. She also hosts a wonderful group on Yahoo.
Teesha Moore Omisgosh her journal pages are something else. She talks about her basic techniques here but go to YouTube and put in her name and you will see tons of fabulous videos.
Julie Prichard offers some great tips on getting started as well as Video tutorials
Ricë Freeman-Zachery has great info and podcasts with some wonderful artists. She hosts a terrific group on Yahoo
and if you go to YouTube, she's got some great videos there.
Milliande share so much info both on her website on and YouTube. She has some amazing videos.
My introduction to art journals came via
newport2newport who introduced me to Aisling who has a lot of helpful info here and here. Kelly Kilmer has a great blog and is always teaching classes online.
Suziblu is popular. Also a lot of her videos are on YouTube.
A quick and simple way to make an altered book journal can be found here
A question a week for an entire year can be found here.
This is just the tip of the ice berg. If you have an absolute favorite site for beginners, please leave it in the comments.
I know! I know! I try so hard not to ever post cute kitty pictures, but this one just had me in its grip. Could not resist! Least I didn't say Happy Mew Year-- I get extra credit points for my restraint, right?I am back in California after my three week sojourn in Texas. I had an absolutely unforgettable time! I will be sorely missing Miss Dottie, her Biscuit Retrievers Hank and Lucy, her glamorous and hysterical harem of girlfriends, novel consultants Caroline and Mackenzie, and all the great souls at St. John's Episcopal Church. (Yup, I was cheating on the Catholic Church the whole time I was away.) As always, thank you all so much for your incredible Texas hospitality. And I am most especially grateful to Tony's Restaurant for their eight pound Frito Pie entree. Dear God!
I just heard from one of our blog friends, Sherrie Peterson, that the Baby Jesus in the Santa Barbara Mission creche has been stolen. I had nothing to do with it-- on my honor. I'm just a swaddler, not a hijacker. I'm really bummed, especially today, as it's Epiphany. I'm hoping that whomever made off with Baby J will come clean soon and return him. Seriously? That is such bad karma. Couldn't possibly be worth it.
On a brighter note, ::::Congratulations to Charlie:::: for being our winner in the raffle to win a copy of one of Thrity Umrigar's extraordinary novels. Charlie, just let me know which one you would like, and I will get that off to you! Just so you'll know, and you'll want to know, Charlie is a devoted middle grade teacher and talented pre-published writer who writes VERY FUNNY stuff. Mark my words, book contract soon for Mr. Charlie. I absolutely cannot wait for the day the exciting news comes!
Lastly, If any of you have a New Year's Resolution about reducing waste as I do, you'll be must become acquainted with the incredible TP roll art of Junior Fritz Jacquet. Unbelievable work! I discovered him at one of my favorite blog sites, Rebecca Ramsey's Wonders Never Cease: Mining Life to Goose the Creative Spirit. Could there be a greater mission statement for a blog than that? Do check out this artist's spectacular work. These faces in cardboard are just staggering-- so human! I've known each of these faces. I adore the unique expressions he is able to bring forth from foreheads!
I hope that your own creative projects this new year bring you an immense joy. I have just sent the start of something to my agent for her to peruse. I have a new character in my blood, and am ready to follow him wherever he wants to go in the weeks to come. Yee-haw~
"Give thanks. Wait. Watch what happens. Get excited. Open your arms as wide as you can to receive all the miracles with your name on them. Godspeed." -- Sarah Ban Breathnach
Namaste,
Mary
- Mood:
rejuvenated
Several years back, I posted about using a $25 Kiva gift certificate I received from my cousin at Christmas to help a Kenyan farmer diversify into dairy farming.
The farmer ended up paying back most of the loan, so I’ve taken the money I got back, supplemented it, and reinvested it in another Kiva entrepreneur:
Mrs Victoria Alogno is a 62-year old woman who is married with five children. She lives with her family in Adéta. Victoria is a pioneer in bread making, she owns her own oven and she is much respected in the area. With this loan, she is going to build up a stock of wheat flour and other products used for making bread, in order to protect herself against significant market fluctuations and make a higher profit. Victoria’s bread is of good quality and this is why, for several years, she has been the main provider of bread to small retailers in the village of Adéta and the surrounding area.
I confess I didn’t even know where Adéta, Togo was located, so did some research. Apparently Togo (officially the Togolese Republic) is a country in West Africa. Approximately one half of the population live below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day. The official language is French, though many other languages are spoken in Togo.
Here’s a blog of someone who worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Adéta, Togo until last year.
I know my contribution is very small in the grand scheme of things, but I like the idea of helping someone who is trying to improve their situation. It also makes me more aware of how good we have it here in North America, and focus on appreciating what I have rather than what I don’t.
If you’re interested in participating in Kiva’s micro-loan program to help low-income entrepreneurs, visit http://www.kiva.org.
Mirrored from Debbie's Blatherings.
... to make my blog like a whole lot better and more interesting. Never a dull moment. Nope. It's going to be really filled with good stuff. Yeah. Lots of links, like this one. Oops. Sorry. I lost the bookmark. Well, anyhow, lots of links. And funny jokes. Knock, knock. Who's there? Me. Me who? Me who knocked. Get it? I mean, who else would be knocking? You can find lots more jokes at this amazing site right here. Wait. Can't find that link, either. Dang. I'll also be sure to celebrate everyone's new book releases on the date the book comes out, because we writers have to support each other. Like I should tell you about the release of Carrie Jones's new book. Wait. That was yesterday? Oh. So, yeah, anyhow, this is going to be like a totally cool place to read fascinating stuff you won't find anywhere else. Tomorrow -- lots more stuff. With links.
Learn about Melissa Walker.When and where do you write? Why does that time and space work for you?
I write in the bay window of my garden-floor brownstone apartment in Brooklyn. We don't get much light on at this low level, but what light does come in dapples my overstuffed pink flowered chair each morning through early afternoon. I sit right in the middle of it so I can create.
My schedule is steady when I'm on a book deadline (like I am now!). I usually start the day with yoga or a gym class or a walk outside to get iced coffee (cream and sugar, please). After I've had a little interaction with the world, I sit down in my chair and begin.
In this sunlit seat, with stillness all around me, I can lose myself in a character's thoughts. There's some noise from the street—people walking to the nearby park, children's laughter, an overheard snippet of cell phone conversation, the rattle of glass as someone comes to collect the cans from my recycling bin—but mostly I'm alone with my fiction. The ambient noise may even help things, and it has entered my writing on more than one occasion.
For example, there was a day when a package arrived at my door. I had to stop writing to sign for it. I had been in the middle of writing a long phone dialogue scene, and I couldn’t figure out how the character would get off the phone when the emotional pitch of the conversation was so high. Then the doorbell flusters her in the middle of it all. A perfect exit strategy.
I don't let my butt leave the chair until I have 1000 words written. They don't have to be good words, but they have to exist on the page. Sometimes I get hungry, but that just spurs me on. I try to be done by 2 p.m., and usually that works just fine.
Then I have a lunch break, often set to "The Oprah Winfrey Show," and move into magazine writing or work for iheartdaily.com (a daily newsletter for teenagers which I run with co-founder Anne Ichikawa). Those are the other hats I wear in this creative life.The timing works for me because once I have my fiction work done, the rest feels like cake. In my non-fiction writing, I don't have to call on so much of myself, I don't have to plunge into emotions or imagine reactions of characters whose motivations are different from my own.
So the hard work is done each day by early afternoon (ideally), and then I sit down in the chair again, this time with the phone at my side in case I have to conduct interviews or talk to my editor. My very posture is different when I work on magazine writing—I sit more upright, ready for action and very much in the present, not as sunken into another world.
I’ve gotten so attached to my chair that even though we plan to get a new couch soon that absolutely will not go with this upholstery, I can't get rid of it. One day I may move into a bigger apartment and hide it in a guest room, but this seat will always be part of my writing.
Why is your agent the right agent for you?
When I got an offer on my first idea for a novel, Violet on the Runway (Berkley Trade, 2007), I was without an agent. I had contacted an editor directly, told her about my idea, submitted two sample chapters along with many published magazine clips, and been offered a deal.It was a whirlwind fairy tale, but I knew that before signing, I wanted to find an agent—someone to guide me through this new part of publishing.
I talked to friends, who recommended people they’d worked with and liked, and I ended up whittling my choices down to three. There was one newcomer who was very Hungry, one Power Player who talked like Ari Gold from "Entourage," and one Doug Stewart of Sterling Lord Literistic.
Doug met me for a drink at a local bar (we live in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn) and brought me two young adult novels he’d represented. He told me in very thoughtful terms what he liked about my submission and why he thought we'd work well together. It was all very calm (unlike my interactions with the Power Player and the Hungry one).
The books he gave me were both wonderful—really well written. That made me feel like Doug knew quality material and represented the best authors he could find. It also made me feel flattered that he thought my writing was in the league of these other authors he represented.
After I signed with Doug, the Violet deal turned into three books, and the money went up significantly (it had started very low). I was instantly happy I’d decided to get an agent. Phew!
He also knew how to hold onto foreign rights, which earned me more than my advance in the case of Violet (it has sold in France and Russia), and also dramatic rights (it has been optioned for television). In the initial contract I was offered, none of those rights remained with me. It takes a good agent to negotiate those parts!
All through my book-publishing life, which spans three years now, Doug has been there to hold my hand and be the bad guy if I need him to (with late checks or publicity snafus or other incidents that fall into the category of "things I want to fix but don't want to handle!").He's also been the good guy. He’s been there to advise me on new book ideas, how to build myself as an author who's here to stick around for more than her first book, how to figure out when less is really more with an editor or contract. Doug is responsive to my every question, and though I try not to bug him with things, I have a feeling he'd be infinitely bug-able just because he's so accessible and open to my queries and musings about the publishing world.
Not to get all self-help-y, but in the end, Doug Stewart is the right agent for me because he believes I have talent and he believes I'm a valuable part of the YA book scene. And when he believes it, publishers believe it, too. And maybe, just maybe, I can believe it.
What can your fans look forward to next?
My next book will be out in early 2011! It's called Small Town Sinners (Bloomsbury), and it's the story of Lacey, 16, who's grown up in a Christian community and always wanted to star in her church's Hell House, a haunted house of sin. But when a childhood friend reappears, she begins to question her faith and all she's been taught.
Cynsational Notes
The Craft, Career & Cheer series features conversations with children's-YA book creators about positive aspects of their creative and professional lives.
When one of us in in the shower, Cassie considers it her job to keep guard, usually at the top of the stairs. Sometimes she demands to be in the bathroom so she can poke her head around the shower curtain. Yesterday she decided to stand guard just outside the door. When I got out of the shower she was nowhere around. I figured she was in our room, asleep in her bed there. I checked but no Cassie. I went downstairs and checked everywhere, her crate, her bed in the library, her bed in my office, by the front patio door. No Cassie anywhere. I checked outside to see if my husband had let her out and then forgotten to let her back in again.
No sign of Cassie anywhere. I turned to go back upstairs and suddenly, there she was, at the top of the stairs looking down at me. I didn't think much about it. I figured I had just missed her.
We have a spare room upstairs that has some exercise equipment, TV, and a little antique French settee. The settee is there to keep it safe (instead of in the garage) while I try to sell it. To keep Cassie off of it I put a dozen small pillows, stacked all over it, so you couldn't even see an edge to sit on. No one really goes in that room and it's mostly just the place you throw things to get them out of your way. I feel bad that it's a mostly underused room. Most nights, while I'm brushing my teeth, I stand in the doorway, staring into the room trying to figure out how we can better utilize the space. Last night I poked my head in the room and what did I see?
A dozen little pillows on the floor and a nice Cassie indentation on the settee.
I had to laugh. Sure, if I had been there to see it I would have told her no. But I couldn't help but admire her capabilities. She saw the little Cassie sized couch and wanted up. She removed the pillows. And then I imagine she had a nice nap while I took my shower. I would have given anything to have been able to watch her getting those pillows out of her way.
Most of the time we make Cassie wait for permission to do just about anything. She's so dang smart that if we don't, she'd soon be running the house. But sometimes we can't anticipate what it is she is going to want to do so she takes matters into her own hands. Sometimes we have to stop her but sometimes she gets a nice nap on silk cushions out of the deal.
I've spent a lot of my life waiting for permission to do the things I want to do. I don't know who I expected to give me that permission - family, friends, people in some sort of authority or another - but I'm tired of waiting. Going forward I'm going to try and do more of what I want to do, write books, make art, work in the garden and fill my life with the things and the people I love, without waiting for someone to tell me it's okay to do so.
Anyone care to join me?
No sign of Cassie anywhere. I turned to go back upstairs and suddenly, there she was, at the top of the stairs looking down at me. I didn't think much about it. I figured I had just missed her.
We have a spare room upstairs that has some exercise equipment, TV, and a little antique French settee. The settee is there to keep it safe (instead of in the garage) while I try to sell it. To keep Cassie off of it I put a dozen small pillows, stacked all over it, so you couldn't even see an edge to sit on. No one really goes in that room and it's mostly just the place you throw things to get them out of your way. I feel bad that it's a mostly underused room. Most nights, while I'm brushing my teeth, I stand in the doorway, staring into the room trying to figure out how we can better utilize the space. Last night I poked my head in the room and what did I see?
A dozen little pillows on the floor and a nice Cassie indentation on the settee.
I had to laugh. Sure, if I had been there to see it I would have told her no. But I couldn't help but admire her capabilities. She saw the little Cassie sized couch and wanted up. She removed the pillows. And then I imagine she had a nice nap while I took my shower. I would have given anything to have been able to watch her getting those pillows out of her way.
Most of the time we make Cassie wait for permission to do just about anything. She's so dang smart that if we don't, she'd soon be running the house. But sometimes we can't anticipate what it is she is going to want to do so she takes matters into her own hands. Sometimes we have to stop her but sometimes she gets a nice nap on silk cushions out of the deal.
I've spent a lot of my life waiting for permission to do the things I want to do. I don't know who I expected to give me that permission - family, friends, people in some sort of authority or another - but I'm tired of waiting. Going forward I'm going to try and do more of what I want to do, write books, make art, work in the garden and fill my life with the things and the people I love, without waiting for someone to tell me it's okay to do so.
Anyone care to join me?
This weekend I'll be at the sunny Santa Barbara/Ventura SCBWI Region Retreat 2010, teaching one or two or three of the following . . .
A) Blobbing
B) Sobbing
C) Blogging
D) Clogging
The other presenters for the Cyber Promotional Tools for Published Authors/Illustrators Conference include these industry experts . . .
(That's Greg Pincus, Anastasia Suen and Harold Underdown)
I predict the weekend will be so successful that movie studios will be clamoring to make it into an IMAX feature film. One that'll rival AVATAR in box office boffo.
Peepy and I will play ourselves, of course . . .
But in the other roles, George will play Greg, Julia will be Anastasia, and Brad will take on the role of Harold . . .
The conference is being put together by SCBWI Regional Advisor Alexis O'Neill who will be played by Ashleigh Banfield . . .
I'll be blogging LIVE from the conference, but in the meantime, here are the rest of the Rose Parade float photos I promised you. They were all taken the night before the parade . . .
A) Blobbing
B) Sobbing
C) Blogging
D) Clogging
The other presenters for the Cyber Promotional Tools for Published Authors/Illustrators Conference include these industry experts . . .
(That's Greg Pincus, Anastasia Suen and Harold Underdown)
I predict the weekend will be so successful that movie studios will be clamoring to make it into an IMAX feature film. One that'll rival AVATAR in box office boffo.
Peepy and I will play ourselves, of course . . .
But in the other roles, George will play Greg, Julia will be Anastasia, and Brad will take on the role of Harold . . .
The conference is being put together by SCBWI Regional Advisor Alexis O'Neill who will be played by Ashleigh Banfield . . .
I'll be blogging LIVE from the conference, but in the meantime, here are the rest of the Rose Parade float photos I promised you. They were all taken the night before the parade . . .
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It looks like someone might buy Kirkus and keep them alive. Sigh. Isn't this how the Nosferatu legend began?
Beth Ann Bauman is the author of the short story collection Beautiful Girls (MacAdam/Cage, 2003) and a young-adult novel Rosie and Skate (Wendy Lamb/Random House, 2009), which Booklist named a 2009 Top 10 First Novel for Youth. From the promotional copy:It's off-season at the Jersey shore, when the boardwalk belongs to the locals. Rosie is 15, and her sister Skate is 16. Their dad, an amiable drunk, is spending a few weeks in jail while their cousin Angie looks after them in their falling-down Victorian on the beach.
Skate and her boyfriend Perry are madly in love, inseparable--until now, when Perry goes off to Rutgers. Rosie is shyer than Skate, but she's drawn to Nick, a boy in their Alateen group.
What happens to Rosie and Skate in a few tumultuous weeks is deftly shaded, complex, and true. Readers will be caught up in each girl’s shifting feelings as the story plays out within the embrace of their warmhearted community.
Are you a plotter or a plunger? Do you outline first, write to explore first, or engage some combination of the two? Then where do you go from there? What about this approach appeals to you? What advice do you have for beginning writers struggling with plot?
I like this question. I’m both a plotter and a plunger. For me, writing is a marriage between the two and a delicate balancing act. Too much plotting, too much authorial control, and a certain lifelessness creeps in. Not enough plotting results in a wayward, unfocused piece.
It’s important to remember that when you're telling a story you're telling a specific story, you're not giving all the pieces of a life. You're sending your character(s) on a specific journey, fraught with trouble, that will alter them in some significant way. But how to send your character on that journey, how to work their specific conflict(s), is tricky business, especially in the long form of a novel.
I came to novel writing after having written a short-story collection, so the long form was pretty intimidating to me. What I did was to learn three-act structure, a playwriting technique. I find it really helpful because it gives me a way to see the larger story, and it gives destinations along the journey that work the conflict.
For example, at plot point one the plot thickens. This may sound a bit formulaic, but honestly, if done well, the reader isn’t paying attention to the structure; she’s simply engaged in the story and turning pages to find out what happens next.
But I don’t start with this. In the very beginning stages, I plunge. I explore my characters. I write, not knowing where I’m going, in order to generate some good, organic material.
After I get a sense of the story, which takes a while, I start to use three-act structure. I also teach fiction writing and encourage my student novelists to use it because they often bring in chapters with good writing, interesting characters, etc., but there’s no shape to any of it; it’s a piling on of more and more information.
Three-act structure is a good tool, especially for the beginning novelist, because it forces the writer to think about the specific story he/she is telling. I tell my students they don’t have to follow it exactly, that they can tweak it to suit their needs.
The bottom line, though, is fiction needs a structure, because a novel without a plot is like a mammal without a backbone.
How did you go about identifying your editor? Did you meet him/her at a conference? Did you read an interview with him/her? Were you impressed by books he/she has edited?
I have a nice story. I met my editor Wendy Lamb after my story collection Beautiful Girls (MacAdam/Cage, 2003) was published. I’d contacted her through a mutual friend to see if she used writers for hire. I had a miserable idea that I could write books based on someone else’s ideas.Luckily, Wendy doesn’t use writers for hire, but she read my collection, which has a few teenage stories, and encouraged me to write my own young-adult novel.
What was so nice was that she mentored me in the genre, gave me books to read, and spent time talking with me. Very generous.
Slowly, I started my novel journey, and it was exciting and gratifying when, a few years later, my agent sent Wendy half the manuscript and she read it right away and made an offer. And what a good kick in the butt to have a contract and a firm deadline (okay, it wasn’t all that firm, but I treated it pretty firmly).
I'm happy to be published by Wendy, and I admire her books. On her list, some of my favorites include the delightfully quirky and touching When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (2009), the harrowing and poignant How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (2004), and the heartbreaking Would You by Marthe Jocelyn (2008).
Cynsational Notes
Beth Ann Bauman's awards include a Pushcart Prize nomination and fellowships from the Jerome Foundation and New York Foundation for the Arts. She teaches fiction writing at the NYU School of Continuing & Professional Studies, the Writer's Voice of the West Side YMCA in NYC, and online at UCLA Extension. She's lived in New York City for over 15 years, but is still a Jersey girl at heart.
The New Voices Series is a celebration of debut authors of 2009. First-timers may also be featured in more traditional author interviews over the course of the year.
I’ve been enjoying popping my bubble wrap calendar daily, a Christmas gift from Jeff. Brilliant idea, and oh so satisfying! Thanks to Ray for giving Jeff the idea.
Mirrored from Debbie's Blatherings.
Learn about Claudia Guadalupe Martinez.Could you describe the your experience working with an editor?
I’ve only written one book, but I couldn't have asked for a better experience—I may have to light a candle when I submit my next book in hopes that my next experience is this positive. I tell people that working with my editor was like getting a free MFA. I learned so much simply by diving in.
Because it is a small press [Cinco Puntos], I also get full service! My editor has been right alongside me, working hard to get the book buzz and recognition.
We’ve managed to collect a handful of honors including: the 2009 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, Américas Award Commended Title, and the Texas Institute of Letters Best Young Adult Book Award.
What do you love most about being an author? Why?
I love--love--visiting schools and libraries because I get to talk to kids. It's wonderful to hear their questions and opinions, and to see my work through their eyes. Kids are so honest and in awe of books, and many of them want to write books, too. They make me feel like a rock star, and I'm not a rock star.
I also really enjoy festivals and opportunities to meet other authors. Most of the time I feel like I'm still a kid, too, and I love getting books signed. I was at ALA this summer signing books for about half an hour, and the highlight of that experience was being within three feet of Judy Blume.In your own words, could you tell us about your latest book?
In The Smell of Old Lady Perfume (Cinco Puntos, 2008), Chela, an eleven year old growing up in El Paso, Texas; worries about typical things like popularity and grades. Sixth grade is a big deal because it's her first year out of bilingual education, and she gets to be in the class that everyone else looks up to. Then her father gets sick, and her best friend dumps her. That changes all her plans.
In the story, the smell of old lady perfume is the smell of bad things. When something bad happens, like her father getting sick, Chela's relatives show up, followed by that smell! It’s realistic fiction but melodic and very different from my next book.
My next book is set in Chicago, and has a bit of magic….
Cynsational Notes
The Craft, Career & Cheer series features conversations with children's-YA book creators about positive aspects of their creative and professional lives.
Dead Guy Spy, hits the shelves tomorrow. I'm not sure how much jumping and screaming one is supposed to do for the second book in a series. But I'm pleased with the way it came out.
Profile
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Page Summary
- laurasmagicday : The Laundry Room Muse [+0]
- davidlubar : Briefly Cybilized and nicely Beaned [+0]
- laurasmagicday : 100 Books in 5 Years [+0]
- davidlubar : Boston MassALA [+2]
- ohiblather : Little Nightmares gallery [+2]
- davidlubar : Let me count the days [+11]
- cynleitichsmith : Cynsations Winter Hiatus & VCFA Winter Residency [+2]
- cynleitichsmith : Cynsational News & Giveaways [+4]
- susanwrites : Getting started in art journals [+5]
- maryhershey : Happy Twenty Ten from California! [+5]
- ohiblather : Funding a breadmaker in Adéta, Togo [+5]
- davidlubar : This year, I resolve... [+16]
- cynleitichsmith : Craft, Career & Cheer: Melissa Walker [+0]
- susanwrites : Of Dogs and Writing - Do What You Wanna Do [+10]
- lisayee : Blobbing (?) and (More) Rose Parade Peepness [+14]
- davidlubar : Premature evacuation? [+7]
- cynleitichsmith : New Voice: Beth Ann Bauman on Rosie and Skate [+0]
- ohiblather : Bubble Wrap Calendar [+6]
- cynleitichsmith : Craft, Career & Cheer: Claudia Guadalupe Martinez [+0]
- davidlubar : Dead kid talking [+17]