|
|
|
November 12th, 2009
laurasalas
 | 05:18 am - This Week's Photo (Love Carved in Bark)
 Photo: Per Palmkvist Knudsen
I woke up this morning thinking of hearts carved in trees, so I went to Wikimedia Commons and found this image. You don't see hearts carved on trees much anymore (at least I don't). I guess that's a good thing, since the carving is really an injury to the tree. But it's kind of sad, too. These public declarations always made me smile. This image made me think of picnics, homemade pulpy paper, and the Valentine's Day mailboxes you make in elementary school for your classmates to put valentines in (as you sweat it out wondering how many valentines you'll get and whether that particular person will give you one).
What does it make you think of? Take one of your answers to that question and write a quick 15 words or less poem. Have fun! There's no pressure. Click here for guidelines if you've never played before. The poem doesn't have to describe this image. Just use it as something to get your mind rolling. Current Mood: chipper
|
teriegarrison
 | 07:22 am - Lifesaver! My friend blowlotsup lives too far away for me to call upon for help with shopping and meds, but after reading my blog yesterday, she contacted me to let me know she was at her boyfriend's house (much much closer). I'd already walked up to the newsagent to get soups and cat food and stuff, so I asked if she'd be my 'flu friend' and get the meds for me. Which she did. Boy, do they make it circuitous! The online assessment was easy, but finding the collection points not so much. In the end, she arrived on my doorstep with Tamiflu and a hefty packet to be read before taking the medicine.
Within half an hour, I was already feeling better.
All I can say is that if you get this thing, get the damn anti-virals! I actually didn't take the first dose within the optimum time (48 hours of onset of the sudden fever...and they are SOOOO not joking about 'sudden'), and I'm still doing better today than yesterday. This morning, my temp is just below 100, and that's without any fever-reducing stuff...after more than 48 hours of mostly hovering between 101 and 102 while taking aspirin every 4 hours. Don't try to be a hero or suffer through this. It's nasty and boils your brain. Get the meds. And drink LOTS. I thought I was drinking lots and, um, no. Not even close to enough. I probably drank at least 2 litres of water in half-glasses at a time over last night, and the hacking is still horrendously dry. Not to mention the bright Christmas colours being expelled from my lungs, but the less said about that, the better, I daresay.
So super-duper thanks to blowlotsup for rescuing me yesterday. Love you, babe!
|
November 11th, 2009
kellyrfineman
 | 03:55 pm - Devise, wit; write, pen Today I return to these lines from the comical character Don Armado in Love's Labour's Lost: "Devise, wit; write, pen; for I am for whole volumes in folio." I am, of course, quoting them out of context, as one inevitably does when quoting Shakespeare. (Just think of Catherine Morland - from Austen's Northanger Abbey, quoting from Twelfth Night as if it were a good thing for a young woman to sit "like Patience on a monument", for instance.)
Don Armado is, as I said in a post in September, an ass; that does not make his words completely misguided, any more than it lessens the words of Polonius (from Hamlet), many of which are widely quoted (including "Brevity is the soul of wit" and "This above all things: to thine own self be true"). He may be a tedious old man who is misguided, long-winded and has a propensity to speak in platitudes, but Polonius is one highly-quotable (and highly quoted) guy.
Back to my reason for returning to the words of Don Armado:
I am going away for a few days on a writing retreat with my frequent writing partner and good friend, angeladegroot. She will be working on a new short story, assuming that she's finished this pass of revisions on her fantasy novel. And I? I shall be turning back to Jane, I believe. I haven't done any work on the Jane project in the past six weeks (first the gnomes interrupted, and then life became completely topsy-turvy).
From tomorrow morning until Sunday afternoon, I'll be in Brigantine, which is just north of Atlantic City along the Jersey shore. Just in time for what used to be Hurricane and/or Tropical Storm Ida but is now a Nor'Easter to move on in for days. So much for long walks on the beach, but it ought to mean more cozying up for writing (and reading, and a nightly movie).
Theoretically, we'll have WiFi down there and, if so, I shall post a bit. Meanwhile, I have from now until 8 a.m. tomorrow to finish laundry and packing and whatnot.


Current Mood: busy Current Music: If You're Wondering If I Want You To (I Want You To) by Weezer (br)
|
aprilhenry
 | 11:05 am - How other writers write I suspect every author has a different approach, tailored just for them, but the Wall Street Journal talked to some well-known novelists about how they write.
On author's trick is this: "Since his novels are written in the first person, the voice is crucial, so he "auditions" narrators by writing a few chapters from different characters' points of view. Before he begins a draft, he compiles folders of notes and flow charts that lay out not just the plot but also more subtle aspects of the narrative, such as a character's emotions or memories."
And then there's this: "When he's in the middle of a novel, Colum McCann sometimes prints out a chapter or two in large font, staples it together like a book, and takes it to Central Park. He finds a quiet bench and pretends he's reading a book by someone else. Other times, when he's re-reading a bit of dialogue or trying to tweak a character's voice, he'll reduce the computer font to eight-point Times New Roman. "It forces me to peer at the words and examine why they're there."
You might find some approaches you could borrow here.

|
agyw
 | 12:11 pm - Ready to mull.... The stress of the last few weeks have taken their toll. I'm finally gonna take that advice from my Chautauqua mentors to JOURNAL. I had wanted to take it immediately, but you know for me this blog is a personal thing... perhaps if I came to it better published, it would be different. But part of my problem is articulating what is important to me, and being as honest as possible. In my life, when I've taken chances it's been 50/50-- great odds if you have a strong resilient soul and some kind of back up. But I'd had the rug pulled out from under my feet at a time when it would take MIGHTY MOUSE or a whole lot of groveling, backtracking and the-eating-of-the-feet-with-shoes. And others that my chances have paid off brilliantly. The most difficult thing, I can't tell when and which is which without walking through that door. Kinda sucks that way.
I was so hoping the Equality of some of our citizens would be upheld. Gay rights is a civil issue to me, and I'm all about that. It would establish the LEGALITY of same sex partners. Not the sanctity, churches would choose whether they would countenance and perform it within their bounds (that render onto Caesar, thing in my book). But people forget Marriage was a LEGAL contract first, amongst the landed and elite five, six hundred years ago. Among all others, and that would be the majority, was hand fasting. People would promise to TRY marriage for a year. If it didn't work out, well then no harm, no foul. Even in America, from Joseph Smith's interpretation of marriage according to the Old Testament, to Oneida's experiment of every man being married to every woman (and Shakers were an experiment in anti-marriage), to say marriage has been set and dried for centuries would be inaccurate.
I'm sad and disappointed that fear won out and we repealed a right for some, that would bring us up to equality.
Then yesterday in my fever addled brain I watched the Ellen and Portia interview with Oprah, and somethings clicked for me. Some of it darkly personal. I will share what I know and what I believe I know.
I had a poison in my family from an early age. There were other poisons, but they were far enough away that I could pretty much ignore until I had to confront them. But this poison was in the heart of my family from the time I was a little girl. She came when I was five and stayed a year. Came back when I was ten and never went away. She crossed and betrayed family boundaries. She came from rough beginnings and the only aspiration to leave those behind was to TAKE whatever she could from everyone else. She had an incredible work ethic, but was replaced at regular intervals for her bad attitudes, at greater expense, which says to the adult me, the cost of replacing her was more valuable than keeping the work horse around. And she married my father, her aunt's husband and then disenfranchised my siblings and I.
I hadn't realized the depth of her disregard for me until one day she had shown up at my supper table (I was sharing it with my best friend, an asthmatic, her husband and children, all non-smokers, and myself, a nonsmoker and pregnant), lit up a cigarrette and then proceeded to try to berate me out of a rocking chair. A gift from a friend many years prior, my father had stored it in his shed for me. She felt I should just give it to her for storing it. When I said "No, I want to use it with the baby," she flew out of the house swearing a blue streak. I remember saying "Wow, she doesn't like me." My friend replied, matter-of-factly, "She never did." And it was an epiphany. Until that moment I really had denied her feelings toward me and my siblings, more than likely because I shared a room with her. I still have nightmares, and they usually involve being trapped in that bedroom with all that hate roiling from her.
One of the things she had done was do the Christmas Accounting. Right now, I'm so looking forward to having Christmas with my sister and our families. But to say I dread/don't like Christmas is an understatement. True some of it is wrapped up in Father's illness and subsequent death, usually exacerbated by Christmas-past. But much of it, too has to do with the Christmas Accounting. Who gave what to whom and whether it means so and so loved, respected, cared, whatever. It's another reason I don't do gifts that well (though oddly enough I LOVED getting little gifts from my students, probably because there was no accounting involved, just admiration and respect). One had money and chose to gave handmade gifts-- must be cheap. Funny thing I LOVED those handmade gifts and took some of those things from my Gram's estate, for memorabilia. Even when they found out she felt that way, they bought her a beautiful coat, and there were things she found fault with.
During the Christmas Accounting, we didn't only do gifts. Of course not. That was the time to assess the relatives. One of the people she was toughest on, was one of my favorite aunts. She simply was not to be trusted. No one could be that good, and besides, she thought her S**T didn't stink, and you just wait it was all a front. An act. A bitter joke. Problem was, I harbored deep secrets I really needed to talk with someone about. My aunt would have been the perfect person to have had those conversations with as a young woman. Aunt A, is a resource, a go getter a doer in my family. She's the perfect combination of heart, responsibility, pragmatist, diplomat, maven. As it was, I did share with her, twenty years after the facts. I also shared why I hadn't said anything, and I'm sure that hurt her and distanced her from me. I changed her perceptions of HER family. Self-fulfilling prophecy.
You may ask what this has to do with Gay Rights. Everything. It's that insidious indoctrination of the young. ALL of the opposition was based on fear. Your children would be taught about not only gay marriage, but gay sex-- not true. Perhaps in SEX ED, but then wouldn't that be appropriate? Especially if you have kids in class who are gay or have gay parents. It's true there are gay-friendly books in many libraries, but parents can control the content of what their children have access.
Being and artist, I've had many gay, lesbian and bisexual friends. NONE of them CHOSE to be who they are. They are who they are. Perhaps some people's religions tell them those people are less than everyone else, But in my world G*d doesn't make anyone that's unnecessary or "less than". Though I may believe in the Great Divine, I also KNOW I don't know jack about it. I think I'm just as close to the GD as anyone, and those that would hold themselves as being closer, are usually seeking grandeur for themselves. The words written from on high, went through (quite)a few fallible human filters to get to me, the great unwashed mass.
I do believe reason will win out. Perhaps asking the correct questions will help people get over their fear? Worst case scenario, they teach gay marriage in school-- what is the fear? The child will be more tolerant of gays? (perhaps, but wouldn't that be a good thing, to not disseminate hatred toward a group?) The child will BECOME gay? (that's not how it works-- when did YOU decide you liked the opposite sex?) The sanctity of marriage will be ruined and the institution as we know it will fall apart! (Show me how one impacts the other, I'm open to you showing me how having people with the LEGAL contract of marriage will lead to the other) Perhaps what the churches-- and this one was church led, make no mistake--are more concerned about is losing FEDERAL funds. If they accept federal funds, they cannot discriminate based upon race, creed, religion or sexual orientation. To me that's a DIFFERENT argument, and if it's one worth making, then make it. But at least be intellectually honest about it.
Enough of a rant. My fever has been three days, and my eyeballs hurt. But I'm done with being silent about things that are important to me. If someone is beating someone in front of you, DO something. But if someone is a consenting adult in the comfort of their own home, it's a noneyer. Anyone who wants to make a family, take care of their loved ones, be respected, and be truthful to themselves and others, this is supposedly the free-est country on this planet. You either are free or not. So far we are not. Current Mood: disappointed
|
aprilhenry
 | 10:29 am - I drank the Twitter Kool-aid http://twitter.com/AprilHenryBooks
On another point entirely, one of the folks who survived the Jonestown Massacre looked a lot like our family and had the same unusual last name as one of grandmothers - Satterwhite. Only she was black. There's rumors of black and Cherokee blood in the family - I wonder if there is any way to tell through DNA?

|
jessicaburkhart
 | 01:25 pm - City Secrets covered to be revealed soon! Hey guys!
I've been getting so many awesome notes about when the cover for CITY SECRETS will be revealed. The answer? Not sure yet. It's almost done and as soon as I get the okay to post it, you know I will! I can't wait for you all to see it--it's so gorgeous and fun!
Plus, there's a twist to this book that'll make it unlike any other Canterwood book before it. :) Current Mood: busy Current Music: Bad Romance--Lady GaGa
|
authorwithin
 | 10:24 am - Want to win a Kindle?
Lisa and Laura are having a contest to celebrate the sale of their book, THE HAUNTING OF PEMBERLY BROWN, and are giving away a Kindle as a prize! Be sure to go check it out and read all the comments that have already been posted. Congrats on the sale, ladies! Now I must get back to my Nano novel and see if I can catch up! Write on.
|
aprilhenry
 | 06:53 am - What do teens want to read? At least, what do teens who are already readers want to read? Teensread.com has conducted surveys since 2005. One takeaway: Make sure the copy on your book’s jacket is enticing. “[B]ook copy was the most important factor that would make teens pick up a book. A stunning 91% saw this as the most important influence. The cover was important to 79%. The next most important influence, with 77%, was familiarity with an author's previous work; 74% were looking for the next book in a series. For 73%, the title was important.”
You can read the whole survey yourself here.

|
cynleitichsmith
 | 08:40 am - Craft, Career & Cheer: Nikki Grimes
Learn more about Nikki Grimes and her recent releases, Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel and Rich: A Dyamonde Daniel Book, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie (both G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2009) and Voices of Christmas, illustrated by Eric Velasquez (Zonderkidz, 2009).
How do you define professional success?
The notion of professional success is a sticky-wicket. It is almost always defined by those outside of ourselves.
I prefer to focus on defining and achieving personal success, and I judge that in a few ways.
Am I reaching my intended audience? By and large.
Am I having a positive impact on the thinking of my readers? Yes.
Am I introducing reluctant readers to the joy of literature? Yes.
Do I enjoy the respect of my peers? Thankfully.
In the world's eyes, of course, the most important proof success is that I'm making a living at my chosen profession and that I have achieved a degree of acclaim in doing so. But I think anyone who steps out in faith to answer the call of her heart can consider herself on the road to success, because that is where true success begins.
Could you tell us about your writing community—your critique group or critique partner or other sources of creative support?
I belong to a unique arts fellowship called Montage. We've been together for about 22 years, so long, in fact, that we now have a second generation of members. A few children of our original members are now budding artists themselves, and have joined our circle as equals! That is very exciting.
Montage is not a writers' group, though. It is a community of artists crossing many mediums. Members include composers, filmmakers, visual artists, performing artists, columnists, essayists, poets, and children's authors. Some of us are professional, but not all.
Ours is a refreshing mix of genres and ages. That mix serves us well. In particular, it benefits me. When I ask for critique of a work in progress, I enjoy feedback from artists who are also teachers as well as artists who are students.
It's an amazing piece of luck for a young adult author to have an articulate 16-year-old in the room when she reads a chapter of her newest YA manuscript.
In addition to Montage, I have a small circle of readers I rely on to critique entire manuscripts. A few of them are members of Montage, but others are writers and literature professors outside of that group.
I cannot imagine achieving the same level of success in my manuscripts without such support! Montage, in particular, is critical to my artistic development in that it encourages members to explore mediums outside of our natural genres.
As a result, I've ventured into the realm of visual art. Whether or not I ever illustrate a book, I am enriched by art, and that cannot help but enrich my writing as well.
What can your fans look forward to next?
 There are two new books I'm excited about. One is the second title in my new chapter book series, Rich: A Dyamonde Daniel Book, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie (G.P. Putnam's Sons, Oct. 2009).
 The second is Voices of Christmas, illustrated by Eric Velasquez (Zonderkidz, Oct. 2009)--the story of the first Christmas told in the voices of those who participated in it. This book marks a first for me. It comes with an audio CD of my reading the book, along with vocal artist Craig Northcutt.
This will be a great book for family sharing, I think. At least, I hope so!
Cynsational Photos
 Here's Nikki (above) with fellow author Linda Sue Park at the SCBWI conference in Los Angeles.
 Nikki (above) signs a copy of Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope, illustrated by Bryan Collier (Simon & Schuster, 2008) in D.C. during the week of the presidential inauguration.
Nikki (right) steps out with a friend on the way to the NAACP Image Awards earlier this year.
She won for Outstanding Literary Work, Children for her biography of now-President Obama.
From the promotional copy: "Ever since Barack Obama was young, Hope has lived inside him. From the beaches of Hawaii to the streets of Chicago, from the jungles of Indonesia to the plains of Kenya, he has held on to Hope.
"Even as a boy, Barack knew he wasn't quite like anybody else, but through his journeys he found the ability to listen to Hope and become what he was meant to be: a bridge to bring people together.
"This is the moving story of an exceptional man, as told by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Bryan Collier, both winners of the Coretta Scott King Award. Barack Obama has motivated Americans to believe with him, to believe that every one of us has the power to change ourselves and change our world."
 Cynsational Notes
Voices of Christmas - Nikki Grimes: a video from Zonderkidz. From the promotional copy: "New York Times Bestselling Author Nikki Grimes beautifully composes the unfolding Christmas story through the voices of those who witnessed the Messiah's birth. Listen to Joseph's struggle...Rejoice with Elizabeth and Zachariah...Worship with the magi...Hear the fear in Herod's voice...Receive the blessing of Simeon and Anna...and like the shepherds, shout for joy! Illustrated by Eric Velasquez." Note: a peek at Nikki's gorgeous new picture book.
The Craft, Career & Cheer series features conversations with children's-YA book creators about positive aspects of their creative and professional lives.
|
jamarattigan
 | 08:01 am - just for fun: my debut picture book cover
 Image Source: www.flickr.com/photos/75839163@N00/2157314184.
"A small utensil with tines whines over its inability to dine on soup."
So, all this week, 100 Scope Notes is celebrating book covers, and folks around the blogosphere are having fun creating their own "debut picture book covers." Do you think the universe is trying to tell me something by gifting me with "dale"? "Ah yes," she thought to herself, "perhaps you speak with forked tongue." ☺
Here are the directions if you'd like to try making your own:
1 – Go to “The Name Generator” or click http://www.thenamegenerator.com/ Click GENERATE NEW NAME. The name that appears is your author name. 2 – Go to “Picture Book Title Generator” or click http://www.generatorland.com/usergenerator.aspx?id=243 Click CREATE TITLE! This is the title of your picture book. 3 – Go to “FlickrCC” or click http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/index.php Type the last word from your title into the search box followed by the word “drawing”. Click FIND. The first suitable image is your cover. 4 – Use Photoshop, Picnik, or similar to put it all together. Gettin’ creative is encouraged. 5 – Post it to your site along with this text.
Go to this post to see the gallery of covers! Current Mood: contemplative
|
laurasalas
 | 05:40 am - The Twelve Days of Christmas in Minnesota: A Loony Launch
My friend and crit group member Connie Van Hoven recently celebrated the release of her first children's book: The Twelve Days of Christmas in Minnesota (Sterling, 2009). I'm so excited for her!
The book is adorable! It's the story of twins who visit their Minnesota cousin for Christmas, and he gives them a different, uniquely Minnesotan gift for each of the 12 days. Hot dish and hockey sticks, anyone?
It's charmingly illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka, a Minnesota artist. Connie and Mike are both so nice and so talented that it's really exciting to finally see this book come out!
|  |
| Connie's launch party, which I couldn't make it to, was this past weekend at the Minnesota History Center. Here's Connie with her husband, Greg (dressed Minnesota lumberjack style, like Grandpa in the book). With them is Checkers the loon, also a character in the book. It sounds like it was a fabulous launch, with hotdish, cake, and singing (and you know the Twelve Days of Christmas is a long song!). And lots of book signing.
|
And the next day, Connie had a signing at the Minnetonka General Store, where she sold almost 100 books. I am in awe. And it couldn't happen to a nicer writer.
Go Connie!
And if you live in Minnesota, or if you have family members in Minnesota, this would make a great gift for the kids in your family, school, or community. Order it here from Barnes & Noble. |  |
Current Mood: cheerful
|
susanwrites
 | 12:02 am - 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.
|
teriegarrison
 | 06:57 am - Still sick as a dog And the worst of it is the aches and pains in all joints. I did an online assessment and am eligible for Tamiflu, but I don't have anyone to go pick it up for me. I'll call the primary care trust once they open to see what my options are. I'm out of imortant foodstuffs, too (such as cat food), and don't quite know what to do about that, being as how I don't want to spread my germs. Looking forward to feeling better...hell, looking forward to my temp dropping below 100F (37.8C)!
|
November 10th, 2009
dlgarfinkle
 | 08:07 pm - My best friend is a rubber chicken Signing my very important autograph at Granada Elementary School last Spring:

|
aprilhenry
 | 06:41 pm - Don't decide the best way to end a breakup is with a shotgun The local news today is filled with the story of a guy who went to the workplace where his partner worked and shot her, shot two other folks who worked there, and then shot himself. This happened about ten miles from here, at a company I used to work for.
If someone feels like they just can't go on, I wish they would take themselves out. Not take 3 or 13 other folks with them.

|
davidlubar
 | 06:08 pm - An awesome state for books I love Texas. Yeah, me, a Jersey boy. The thing is, the librarians in Texas work really hard to get kids into reading. I'm visiting five middle schools in Sugar Land (near Houston) this week. In most of the schools, I'm only speaking to one grade. Why? Because many of the middle schools bring in a different author for each grade. Imagine that -- three author visits to coordinate each year. And the libraries have great displays of the Lone Star Book lists. It's just really good in many ways. As I wander around each library, I just marvel at how much good stuff is out there for kids to read.
The kids I've spoken to have been wonderful. I had 7th graders on Monday, and they were among the best behaved I've ever met. The same for today's sixth graders. The teachers were also wonderful. So, yeah, I love Texas. On top of everything else, it's warm. Once I go back home, I won't be warm again for months. But even if it was cold, I'd be happy to be here.
|
arthurslade
 | 01:06 pm - The Official Hunchback Assignments Book Trailer
I'm extremely pleased with this. It was done by My Next Demo. I highly recommend the company!
Art
|
|
|