Just Like the Nut

Could This Be the Year of Vader?

2011-02-05T12:56:00.004-05:00

First Volkswagen releases a sneak peek at its Super Bowl Passat commercial to 10 million+ views before the big game:

And next, we see this exciting announcement from Publisher's Marketplace:

Tom Angleberger's DARTH PAPER STRIKES BACK: An Origami Yoda Book, the sequel to bestselling THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA, to Susan Van Metre at Amulet Books, for publication in August 2010, by Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (World).

Love it!

Kid Lit Groupie, Part II

2010-07-28T15:27:00.004-04:00

Had an AMAZING vacation at Rocky Mountain National Park last week and got to meet one of my all-time favorite people and kid lit writers, Lindsay Eland, whose super fun and adorable Scones and Sensibility belongs on every young romantic's shelf. And by "fun and adorable," I mean it is every bit as sweet as Lindsay herself, whom you can see in this photo is the equivalent of a 110-pound bag of all-natural sugar, and by "young," I mean any age at all.

Yes, I'm a Kid Lit Groupie

2010-05-19T21:04:00.006-04:00

Went to a work conference in Columbus, Ohio, last month and it turned out there was a writing conference in the same hotel! Romantic Times had some great workshops, including a panel on young adult fiction. Bought myself a one-day pass, and ... look who I found:

Left to right: Carrie Ryan, Melissa Marr, me and Jennifer Lynn Barnes. These three ladies are all uber-successful YA authors and uber-nice Blue Boarders!

(In related news, expect a rash of romance novels set in funeral homes a couple of years from now!)

Then, last weekend, I went to the first annual Gaithersburg (Md.) Book Festival, where I had the great pleasure of watching two of my favorite author friends present:

That's Sara Lewis Holmes holding her copy of Tom Angleberger's THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA and Tom Angleberger holding his copy of Sara's OPERATION YES. And if you look closely, you'll see I'm holding one of Sara's little green military men and a rather expertly made (if I do say so myself) origami Yoda.

Good times!

Origami Yoda: Blog About It I Must

2010-03-27T16:52:00.006-04:00

So, um. It's been a while. Like, almost four months. And not because I've been slackin' ... in fact, I've been busy. Writing! Yay!

But I had to pop back in to talk up the uber-awesome masterpiece of kid lit that is THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA, by my favorite terminally 12-year-old author, Tom Angleberger (aka Sam Riddleburger).

Here's me buying the book the day it came out. Two copies - one for me and one for my niece. The book hadn't been placed on the shelves yet, so I had to ask the nice B&N rep to fetch my copies from the back room ...

... and by the time she came back, another pair of customers was already lined up, waiting for their copy as well!

Pretty cool, huh? Even cooler: When I went back to B&N a few days later, I checked to make sure it was out on the shelf. When the rep (a different one this time) saw me looking at YODA, she came over and said, "That's the hot one right now." Oh, yeah!!

So, what's so hot about it? Well, there's the format: part graphic novel, part diary, told from a bunch of points of view ... each more fun than the last. Then, there's the humor: pure Angleberger (which, for those of you unfamiliar with Tom, is very, very humorous). Then, there's the tension: We find out right away that the stakes are high in this book, and we're dying to know how it'll all play out. Then, there's ... oh, yeah ... YODA!

Anyone who likes Yoda, and I'm pretty sure that includes anyone who has a pulse, needs to get their butt over to the nearest library or bookstore and check this book out! Now! Go! What are you waiting for?

Cuz I know you're not holding your breath and waiting for my next post....

P.S. Want to know how to make your own Origami Yoda? Check out Tom's Web site.

Class of 2k9 Book Giveaway

2009-12-05T22:35:00.002-05:00

2009 is coming to a close ... and the Class of 2k9 is graduating!

Find out how to win one of these debut authors' books at the Class of 2k10's new Live Journal page!

Winning Query Letters (or Not)

2009-10-02T00:36:00.003-04:00

Having trouble writing your query letter?

Check out this excellent tutorial from Sam Riddleburger.

I Won!

2009-09-18T19:05:00.005-04:00

I never win anything, but I found out today that my name was randomly selected from 191 people who correctly solved this week's puzzle over at Matt Gaffney's Weekly Crossword Contest!

For my reward, I get my pick of one of Matt's many awesome books. Can't wait to read "Gridlock: Crossword Puzzles and the Mad Geniuses Who Create Them"!

If you love crosswords, check out Matt's blog. He is a genius!

Cute Ad Promoting Children's Literacy

2009-09-04T16:07:00.005-04:00

It's Back to School! Pass this YouTube video on, and make it a point to do something this fall to promote literacy in your own community.

(FWIW, I am not familiar with the organization named in the video, so I'm not advocating for that group in particular, but rather for literacy in general.)

To Outline or Not to Outline?

2009-09-03T00:10:00.004-04:00

Turns out, that's not the question.

An interesting essay on writing here from Larry Brooks that puts those of you who outline and those of us who write by the seats of our pants on the same proverbial page at last.

If These Folks Are Old ...

2009-08-04T23:55:00.002-04:00

I must be ancient.

Fun blog. Great name.

Cutest PB Character Ever

2009-07-30T19:55:00.004-04:00

Check out Woolbur !

Isn't he great?

Jay Asher, Author Extraordinaire!

2009-07-29T16:45:00.017-04:00

Just five days after meeting fellow kid lit writer and Internet buddy Sam Riddleburger, last night I had the pleasure of meeting fellow kid lit writer and Internet buddy Jay Asher!

Sam, Jay and I are all represented by the same awesome literary agency. The only real difference between us is that both of them actually write and publish books, while I ... well, let's just say my work-in-progress is coming along slowly but surely.

Jay probably doesn't realize it, but he's played a major role in this blog. He left my first ever comment, singlehandedly caused the blog to receive a not-entirely-family-friendly rating and was my 5,000th visitor.

Jay is also a huge icon for me and the entire kid lit community because in January 2006, not long before he received The Offer for his now best-selling teen book, 13 Reasons Why, Jay wrote a dejected post on a kid lit message board in which he said: "Right now, I feel like throwing my hands up and walking away. ... part of me wants to at least say, 'For the next year, I'm not putting myself through this anymore. It's time to see what else I'm interested in.' ... I ... am ... just ... so ... frustrated!" These are sentiments most writers can identify with all too well, and knowing that someone who has met with such success once felt that way himself has been a great encouragement to me and many others.

So anyway, you can imagine how excited I was to hear that Jay was holding a book reading and signing at the Border's in Fairfax. He brought up one lucky volunteer from the audience to read the part of Hannah. (If you aren't familiar with 13 Reasons Why, you can check out my review of it here.)

After reading from the book, telling his inspirational publishing story and sharing some of the very moving emails he has received from teens affected by the book, Jay kindly signed my "Ask me about 13 Reasons Why" t-shirt, which I won in a contest on his old blog. Jay said he'd never signed a shirt before, so it's a one-of-a-kind! I could probably get a nice price for it on e-Bay, eh? Sorry ... not gonna happen.

OK, enough fan grrrl talk. Jay was as nice as could be and his book is fantastic ... so check it out!

Sam Riddleburger, Live and in the Flesh!

2009-07-23T23:06:00.013-04:00

It's always cool to meet email buddies in person.

Today, after a longtime Internet friendship with kid lit author Sam Riddleburger, I had a chance to experience him live and in person at his book reading and signing at Bull Run Regional Library in Manassas.

I say "experience" because a morning with Sam is truly an experience. He and his "Stonewall Hinkleman and the Battle of Bull Run" co-author Michael Hemphill kept a room chock-full of kids (mostly boys, no less) rapt for about an hour and a half.

If ever someone decides to open a Kid Lit Improv, Sam and Michael will make their fortune.

Great stuff ... check it out:

Who says boys aren't into books? These kids were all over that Stonewall Hinkleman action!

They had juggling ...

and dramatic readings ...

and a flag making contest.

And that wasn't all! Sam and Michael held some other cool contests, including:

A Bugle Blowing Contest - The winner burped mid-blow. Of course Sam couldn't resist rewarding this gross and hilarious move. (Sam's first published kid's book is about a poop fountain. Need I say more?)
A Hard Tack Eating Contest - Eight brave kids agreed to try this Civil War soldiers' staple. The consensus seemed to be that it tasted like dog food and/or dog biscuits. Disturbing. (OK, yes, I tried dog food when I was a kid, too. Once.)
A Civil War Quiz - The winner not only answered all five of the regular quiz questions correctly but also managed to answer the bonus question ("Who is buried in Grant's tomb?") doubly correctly by writing "Grant and his wife." Hah! I did not know that.

And while the kids were creating flags and burping into bugles ...

their parents were lining up to buy the book!

Afterward, Sam and Michael signed books and bookmarks.

Check out the little cutie in the soldier's uniform!

Overall, a great way to recognize the anniversary of the Battle of Bull Run and introduce kids to a fun book. I'll end this post the way I ended my review of Stonewall Hinkleman: Well done, lads. Well done!

Ah, Teen Love!

2009-07-02T22:06:00.003-04:00

One of the women in my critique group has a debut teen romance novel coming out in about six weeks. Because "When Mike Kissed Emma" pre-dates our group, I never saw a word of that particular manuscript. However, I'm looking forward to reading it, especially after watching this.

If Chris did half as good a job on the novel as she did on her self-made book trailer, it should be a great summer read!

You Got Peanut Butter in My Chocolate!

2009-06-30T23:43:00.003-04:00

OK, this isn't quite as good as Reese's, but it does combine two of my favorite things.

A Fallen Hero

2009-06-29T21:54:00.004-04:00

No, not Michael or Farrah or Ed or even Billy ... though I mourn the passing of each of them.

I'm talking about Alice Hoffman, one of my all-time favorite authors. And she's not dead, just ridiculous.

Wonder how much I'd get for my signed copies of her books on E-Bay?

Puzzle News

2009-05-25T19:12:00.010-04:00

When I'm not reading or writing kid lit, you'll often find me solving puzzles. Crosswords and logic puzzles are my favorites, but I love any type of puzzle that presents a good challenge. So the last couple of weeks have been especially fun for me, for three reasons:

First, my husband and I entered the 2009 Washington Post Hunt. We didn't do so hot -- we only got three out of five of the basic puzzles, which meant we didn't even have a shot at the Super Ridiculous Impossible End Game Puzzle -- but we had lots of fun trying. And considering that we went it alone, I felt OK about it. They recommend teams of at least four, and now I know why. The more brainpower, the better. The hosts (humor columnist extraordinaires Dave Barry and Gene Weingarten as well as Washington Post Magazine Editor Tom Shroder) estimated only a small percentage of teams solved all five of the basic puzzles, so I don't feel too bad.

Here's me at Post Hunt Ground Zero, posing in front of Dave Barry posing with someone else!

You may be too late for this year's hunt, but you can experience some of the fun (and frustration!) and start preparing for next year by checking out these practice video puzzles. Enjoy!

Second, I visited the Tyson's Corner Barnes & Noble and picked up a copy of The Potato Chip Puzzles by Eric Berlin. Berlin is not only a kid lit author but is also a New York Times crossword constructor, which in my world makes him All Kinds of Awesome. A follow-up to Berlin's debut mystery, The Puzzling World of Winston Breen, his new book proved an even better read, in my opinion. Lots of great puzzles, a great underlying mystery and the same very likeable cast of characters.

Third, I was checking out Berlin's blog this weekend and came across a very cool project he has undertaken. If you love crosswords or would like to get signed copies of his both his books, check it out here. For just $5 you can support his project and receive a suite of nine -- count them, nine! -- crossword puzzles and enter his puzzle contest. (You need to contribute at least $40 to get the books. Well worth the price if you like kid lit mysteries.) Berlin's goal for the project was $1500 and he has already exceeded that. Which is pretty darned cool.

How Buff Is Your Manuscript?

2009-05-12T22:47:00.004-04:00

Terrific article today at Writer's Digest offering 5 Easy Tips to Strengthen Your Scenes.

I'm usually pretty skeptical of anyone who says they can offer "easy" tips on anything to do with writing, but these actually look pretty manageable.

My pacing tends to run fast, so I'm looking forward to trying out #3 and #4. And I'm guessing doing #5 would take any manuscript to a whole new level.

Which steps do you need to work on?

Report from the (Resume) Slush Pile

2009-05-05T23:19:00.003-04:00

I'm in the process of hiring a sales and marketing manager at my day job. Going through the resumes that have hit my inbox reminds me of the tales I've heard about the kid lit slush pile.

I've received 65 resumes in three days--a sign of the times, for sure. Printed them out and brought them home tonight to review.

My tally:

12 Yes
33 Maybe
20 No

I'll start calling the yeses tomorrow. Those that got a no will hit the circular file, and I'll hang on to the maybes in case none of the yeses work out.

What influenced my decision to accept or reject?

Many of those I rejected simply didn't fit the bill for this job. They were way underqualified, or way overqualified, or required a salary beyond the range we posted in our employment ad. They "weren't right for our list," as it were.

Many of those I rejected didn't follow my submission guidelines. In the ad, I asked for a cover letter, a resume and salary requirements. Frankly, I expected a lot of folks to skip the salary requirements, but it's surprising how many of them failed to include a simple cover letter. (Unless you count one woman's email note: "Enjoy!" Enjoy? That's the entire body of your email and you think I'm going to want to open your resume?) Bottom line: If you don't care enough to follow directions and put a little effort into your application, why should I want to hire you? And ... hello? This is a marketing job. If you can't market yourself, how are you going to market my organization?

Some of those I rejected had careless typos in their cover letters or resumes, or their grammar was terrible, or their writing was so over-the-top (sparkle and savvy ... really? You have both sparkle and savvy?) that I just couldn't see working with them. This job doesn't require a lot of writing, but you do need to be able to communicate intelligently.

I wish those who weren't right for the job had targeted their submissions better. It would have saved me some time tonight. But honestly, I'm glad those who were too lazy to follow directions and those who had typos or poor grammar skills showed their warts right up front. With 65 resumes, I was looking for reasons to throw them into the rejection pile, and those people gave me plenty.

Now, let's hope one of those 12 yeses turns out to be "the one." And let's hope the interviewing, hiring and training process doesn't take anywhere near as long as it takes to review, acquire and publish a manuscript!

Stonewall Hinkleman on Location

2009-05-03T21:09:00.022-04:00

It is my great pleasure and honor to host the first stop of a week-long blog tour for the newly released Stonewall Hinkleman and the Battle of Bull Run!

When my buddy Sam Riddleburger, who co-authored the book along with Michael Hemphill, first asked whether I would participate in their tour, my first thought was, Woohoo! I love that book! My second thought was, What the heck am I gonna write? I've already reviewed it once.

(For those of you who are not familiar with the book, long story short: It's about a very likable kid with the unfortunate name of Stonewall Traveler Hinkleman whose parents are major Civil War buffs and who gets dragged along to their Civil War reenactments every weekend. As Stonewall says, the reenactments are really cool ... when you're six. When you're practically a teenager, it's boring. That is, until our hero finds himself transported back to the actual Battle of Bull Run, where he finds the fate of the country lies in his hands and so he ... well, you'll have to read the book to find out what he does.)

So anyway, for my tour stop, I decided to take Stonewall Hinkleman and Company on a little field trip to the site of the Battle of Bull Run, Manassas National Battlefield.

A very nice park volunteer who would identify himself only as "Snake" checks out my copy of Stonewall.

Stonewall rolls his eyes at the statue of General Thomas Jackson, sitting astride his horse like a ... a stone wall! Why couldn't General Bee have blurted out a much cooler nickname, like Rock? or Hammer? or Lone Wolf?

Lest that last photo leave you thinking the park's statue of the great Stonewall Jackson is kind of puny, here is a close-up, with me holding the book for scale. Check out the dude's pecs. As one passer-by commented, "He must have worked out."

Thus ends the field trip and the first stop on Stonewall's tour.

For details on the rest of the tour, including a cool contest where you can win some Stonewall- and Dial Books-related goodies, check out Sam's Web site.

To buy the book (and if you like Civil War stuff, or time travel, or kids with attitude, or just plain fun reading, you really should buy the book), check it out here on Amazon.

Update: Oops, my bad! As Sam mentions in the comments, the key to winning the goodies is to send an email to blogtour@stonewallhinkleman.com with "Stonewall Contest" as your subject line. Good luck!

Some Advice for My Eagles

2009-04-02T21:10:00.003-04:00

Andy Reid: Hire this dude as an assistant head coach. You've got the green thing down already.

A Treat During My Hiatus

2009-03-09T21:15:00.006-04:00

I'm cutting back on the Internet for Lent, so the blogging has been even more non-existent than usual. But for those loyal readers still dropping by, here's a treat, which one of the presenters shared at the SCBWI MD/DE/WV Writer's Toolbox this weekend. (More on that conference after Easter!)

The Enchanted Drawing, copyright 1900 Thomas Edison.

More videos like it can be found at the Library of Congress Web site. Warning: You could get lost in that site for weeks (but in a good way).

A Lesson Learned from "Lost" Special Features

2009-01-29T00:03:00.005-05:00

Don't worry ... no spoilers here!

My husband and I watched Seasons 1-4 of "Lost" in just about a month. Santa brought us Season 1, which we popped into the DVD player Christmas night, and we wrapped up the finale of Season 4 last week. That's 83 episodes, or approximately 58.5 hours of nail-biting, mind-bending TV, in less than 30 days. Impressive, no? (OK, maybe depressing is a better word for it.)

Anyway, in an attempt to avoid "Lost" withdrawal--because we have no intention of watching Season 5 as it airs because we seriously cannot bear the thought of following it week to week--we've started digging into our DVD special features. Among them are episodes with commentary, where you can watch a past show and listen to some of the producers and actors give their take on what is happening, how certain scenes were constructed, why they made various production decisions, etc.

Fascinating stuff. And all the more so because, as someone who has immersed herself in the show quite thoroughly, I have to admit I didn't notice much of it the first time around. The incredible lighting when Mr. Echo is telling Locke his story. The skillful recreation of a cold London Christmas morning on a set built in Hawaii. The old, disrepaired look of the pipes in the hatch, created using styrofoam and paint.

Oh, I saw all of that. But I didn't appreciate it.

That's because I was too caught up in the story. This is life and death, people (and it might even go beyond life and death). As a viewer, I'm there on that island with the characters, letting them take me whichever crazy direction the story happens to go. I'm not analyzing every little prop and camera angle.

And this is where we want to go with our writing. We take great pains in choosing each word, developing each character and constructing each scene. But the reader doesn't need to notice that. The reader just needs to be pulled into the story. In fact, if the reader does start noticing word choice, character development and scene construction, we might be in trouble.

I've had several writing teachers say you have to "kill your darlings," meaning when we've written something we feel is so clever, so brilliant, so ... noticeable, we need to strike it. It does not serve our story to have our readers taken out of it to notice how smart we are.

Of course, if our books someday get made into movies or TV shows and we have the opportunity to provide commentary on the DVD version, well, then we can let everyone know how exactly much thought and effort goes into this whole writing thing. Can't hurt to dream, can it?

Tools of the Trade: Special Presidential Inauguration Edition!

2009-01-24T12:39:00.006-05:00

I've read mixed reactions to the Inauguration Poem, Praise Song for the Day by Elizabeth Alexander. Personally, I liked it. I listened to the proceedings live on the radio (because I was in my car, not because I don't believe in TV or the Internet), and found it thought-provoking and appropriate for the event.

The use of the word "declaimed" in the sixth stanza caught me a bit short, though, as I realized I wasn't entirely sure what that word meant. In the context of the poem, it seemed to mean something along the lines of "proclaimed" ... but why would "de" and "pro" have the same meaning? Then again, "declared" starts with "de" and is a synonym for "proclaimed."

Anyway, long story short: My curiosity about the use of that word in the Inauguration Poem inspired this edition of "Tools of the Trade." (You can find past editions here.) Upon reading the poem, I noted two words I wasn't entirely sure about: "declaimed" and "filial." So I thought I'd explore those two words along with the word "inauguration."

Credit for much of this info goes to the Online Etymology Dictionary.

Inauguration dates back to 1569, from the French, meaning "installation, consecration.” This in turn comes from the Latin, inaugurationem, from inaugurare "take omens from the flight of birds, consecrate or install when such omens are favorable." The root word is augurare, meaning "to act as an augur, predict.”

I don’t think we see much bird migration here in the D.C. area in late January, but maybe the light snowfall we had the day before the inauguration was a good omen ... snow always helps people see the world around them in a new light. (Full disclosure: I voted for John McCain but certainly appreciate the historic moment we had here this week and of course hope that President Obama will lead our nation where we need to go.)

Declaim, the seminal (there's a great word for ya) word for this post, does indeed mean the same as "proclaim." It hails from 1385, from the Latin declamare. Turns out, in etymology, "de" is an "intensifying prefix." ("Pro" as a prefix means "forth.") And the Latin clamare is "to cry, shout."

And finally, filial means "of, relating to, or befitting a son or daughter." It first appeared in Medieval French, 1393, and has roots in the Latin filialis, from filius, "son," and filia "daughter."

What Font Am I?

2009-01-20T21:59:00.003-05:00

I am (drum roll, please!) ... helvetica!

Blech!

At least I wasn't comic sans. I think I would have puked if I came up comic sans.

What font are you?

It's a Start, Part VII

2009-01-07T21:34:00.006-05:00

Time to revive an old favorite!

"It's a Start" takes a look at the first sentence (or so) of books plucked randomly from the Acorn bookshelves. You can find Parts I-VI along with my later "It's a Start: Work in Progress" posts here.

I don't get paid to do this and have no real credentials, so my comments are just one reader's thoughts. If you feel differently, speak up! That's what the comments section is for. Note: Maximum number of stars = 5.

The week before I left my family and Florida and the rest of my minor life to go to boarding school in Alabama, my mother insisted on throwing me a going away party. Looking for Alaska, by John Green

As I noted in an earlier post, this book really didn't do much for me, but I do love this first sentence. We get some sense of the main character and his voice ("minor life"? "insisted"?). We get setting. We get a hint of the change that is about to set the plot in motion. So much accomplished in so few words. Stars: ****

I was supposed to play the piano. A Crooked Kind of Perfect, by Linda Urban

Talk about accomplishing a lot in a few words! We know our MC believes she was supposed to play the piano. Why? We can infer from this statement that she does not play the piano. Why not? This sentence involves the reader right off the bat and respects our intelligence. A lovely sentence, simple and yet complex. Much like the book itself. Stars: *****

The day I broke up with my boyfriend Evan was the day he wrote the song. Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

Again, we have a first sentence that tells us something has just changed in the narrator's life: a breakup. We also have a teaser. What song? We also have a bit of a play for empathy. Anyone who has been through a breakup knows this ex-boyfriend-writing-a-song scenario can't be good. Stars: ****

When Eddie B. dared me to walk the net bridge over the Elijah Hatchett River where we'd seen an alligator and another kid got bit by a coral snake, I wasn't scared--I just didn't feel like doing it right then. Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning, by Danette Haworth

I love spunky main characters (and who doesn't?), so this grabs me right away. Again we have setting. And you can't help but feel there's more than just a hint of foreshadowing in there, can you? Net bridges, alligators and snakes, oh my! Stars: *****

Of all the kids in the seventh grade at Camillo Junior High, there was one kid that Mrs. Baker hated with heat whiter than the sun. Me. The Wednesday Wars, by Gary D. Schmidt

Can you say, "conflict"? Sheesh! A teacher who hates our MC with a "heat whiter than the sun." Why? And what does she have in store for him? A great first sentence from my current Favorite Kid Lit Writer on the Face of the Earth. Stars: ****

That's it for this post. Not sure what's up with all the first-person narrators this time around, but they sure make for some compelling starts! What did you think of these?

Seven Things I'm Thankful For

2009-01-02T00:18:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year!

It's been a little while (OK, a long while) since the last post. My bad.

Sometime between then and now, the lovely Kimberly Lynn tagged me to reveal seven random things about myself. I already did a couple of posts similar to that here and here), so instead, in the spirit of New Year's, I've decided to name seven things I'm thankful for.

My health. Of course. Though I tend to take it way too much for granted except when I'm ailing.
My family. Especially my amazing husband. And my wonderful mom and dad.
My church. Especially the youth group.
My friends. Including those of you I only know virtually.
The U.S. of A. Living in a free country is another one that's way too easy to take for granted.
My job. Keeps me busy and pays the bills. And the clients I work for are some of the nicest people in the world.
My stuff. Especially my cozy home, my iBook, the cat and the puppy.

Bonus item: My writing. Much as I have a love/hate relationship with it, it gives me something to hope for.

Here's to a 2009 filled with love, gratitude and hope for us all!

All I Want for Christmas

2008-11-13T08:21:00.002-05:00

Is this.

To go with the one collecting dust downstairs.

More from Rutgers

2008-10-30T19:33:00.004-04:00

While my one-on-one session with Kendra Levin was certainly the highlight of my Rutgers experience this year, it was only a portion of the day.

My notes are sketchy at best, so if you're looking for lots of great writing advice and marketing info, please head on over to Tara Lazar's nearly exhaustive reports here. She's a posting machine!

My much more cursory overview: Presentations from K.L. Going and Kay Winters and a panel discussion on "Your Book: From Manuscript to the Book Store" offered some great insights into the industry.

And my "five-on-five" session with four editors and an agent revealed something I found quite interesting: When asked for querying advice, both Erin Molta of Scholastic Book Clubs and Grace Kendall of Blue Sky Press indicated they like to learn why the writer wrote the manuscript ... her motivations, inspirations and goals. I like that they care about that stuff. Kendra Levin was also in my five-on-five, and she recommended targeting editors that match your "literary aesthetic." I hadn't given much thought to my literary aesthetic, but I will now!

It's the Old Bait and ... Nevermind!

2008-10-29T23:03:00.006-04:00

On the way to the Rutgers Conference last weekend, I shared my one-on-one session strategy with my carpool mates ... I was going to pull the old bait and switch!

See, I'd been admitted to Rutgers using the first few pages of a manuscript I'd since shelved. A serious (dare I call it "literary"?) young adult work in progress. Oh, sure, when I'd submitted "The Funeral Singer," I was psyched about it. My first YA project. My first stab at writing in past tense. My first more literary (there, I said it!) piece. The first few chapters gelled so well. Both of my crit groups loved them. My agent said, "go for it."

Then, I got stuck. Majorly stuck.

Solid theme? Check. Engaging MC? Check. Intriguing setting? Check. Strong voice? Check.

Gripping plot? Not so much.

So, I'd given up. Put it away and turned my attention to my other WIP, a pseudo-chick-litty tween manuscript.

Now here I was, on my way to Rutgers, where my mentor would be all set to talk about "The Funeral Singer." What to do?

Simple, I thought. I'd listen politely to her thoughts on my submission for a few minutes, then switch gears. "You know, I've kind of shelved that project for now. I'd really rather discuss this tween piece I'm working on."

Hey, it was my 45 minutes, right?

Except then I arrived Saturday morning and saw who had been assigned as my mentor.

Kendra Levin of Viking. Yes, that Viking. (See, I told you it was kinda sorta literary!) Not only does Kendra work at one of Penguin's literary imprints, according to her bio, she loves books that "are able to combine a dark side with a good sense of humor."

Perfect for "The Funeral Singer." Not so great for pseudo-chick-litty tween stuff.

Time to come up with a Plan B, real quick like. OK, I decided, might as well make the most of this. Let's hear what Kendra has to say about my submission. Surely some day I'll want to go back to that manuscript. Let's focus on this today and get as much as I can out of it.

Then I reread Kendra's bio ... hmm, interesting. She's a "life coach for writers." Well, that's pretty cool. Who couldn't use some life coaching?

Now I was psyched.

I liked Kendra immediately. She was positive and encouraging, and she had some wonderful things to say about "The Funeral Singer." Then she asked the dreaded question: "So, tell me about this story. Where's it going?"

Um, OK. Hmm.

I told Kendra I was stuck. Maybe we could talk about that a little?

Kendra asked me questions ... lots of them. What inspired me to start writing this piece? What about it did I like? What didn't I like? What drew me to the character? the theme? the setting? Where did I want to take it?

Each answer led to more questions. And each question led to more answers.

I don't know how they did it, but the Rutgers folks managed to pair me up with the perfect mentor, someone who was able to bring me back to my manuscript with new ideas and new energy.

As our 45 minutes drew to a close, I asked Kendra, "By the way, what do you do as a life coach for writers?"

"Well, sort of what we just did here," she answered.

Very cool.

Battling the Baptist Disease

2008-09-22T23:19:00.004-04:00

An aside in my last post reminded me of a funny story.

I was discussing writing with my brother-in-law a few months back and mentioned to him my propensity to overuse the word "just."

"So you have the Baptist disease?" he asked.

"What?"

"The Baptist disease. You, know: 'Dear Lord, we just thank you for this meal and just pray that you'll just, just bless this food, Lord, and just be with us as we enjoy this time together. Lord, just please, watch over us....'"

Hee! Baptists are good folks, but I sure don't want to write like them!

Do Not, I Repeat, Do Not, Repeat!

2008-09-18T20:27:00.007-04:00

Writers are often advised to avoid repeating the same words and phrases. And that’s great advice for words such as “looked,” “seemed,” “felt,” “very” and my personal Achilles’ heel, “just.”

But sometimes repetition is used to great effect. At a recent Northern Virginia Writers First Friday event, author Kate Blackwell spoke on “Playing with Voice” and examined how authors can use repetition to establish a distinctive rhythm and voice.

Case in point: Observatory Mansions: A Novel by Edward Carey, published by Crown in 2001. Check out this first paragraph:

I wore white gloves. I lived with my mother and father. I was not a child. I was thirty-seven years old. My bottom lip was swollen. I wore white gloves though I was not a servant. I did not play in a brass band. I was not a waiter. I was not a magician. I was the attendant of a museum. A museum of significant objects. I wore white gloves so that I would not damage any of the nine hundred and eighty-six objects in the museum. I wore white gloves so that I would not have to touch anything with my bare hands. I wore white gloves so that I would not have to look at my own hands.

Gives you chills, no? And as Kate points out, it not only establishes a voice, it tells you quite a lot about the main character. OCD much?

BTW, our next First Friday event is going to be a blast, with three literary agents on hand to critique queries, with fabulous prizes for the Idol winners. If you live in the D.C. area, you’ll want to check it out. Here’s the promo and instructions should you wish to throw your manuscript into the ring:

Northern Virginia Writers First Friday: Leesburg Idol
October 3, 2008; 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Leesburg Town Hall, 25 West Market St., Leesburg, VA 20176

Similar to the pop culture TV show, this will be an opportunity to have your work judged by industry professionals: literary agents Deborah Grosvenor of Kneerim and Williams Agency; and Paige Wheeler and Jeff Kleinman of Folio Literary Management.

To participate, please STAPLE together your entry in the following order: (1) a cover sheet with your project’s name, genre, and “tag line” (a one-to three-sentence description of your story), (2) one-page query letter addressed to "Dear Agent," and (3) the first three pages of your book. DO NOT include identifying information on any page of your submission. All genres are welcome. Prizes include free tuition to a multi-session Writer’s Center workshop (up to a $340 value), free one-year membership to the Writer’s Center, and free admission to all NVW 2009 First Friday events.

For more information on how to write a query letter, please go to www.foliolit.com/sub-basicquery.php.

We anticipate a packed house. Advanced reservations strongly recommended. Go to www.writer.org/events/details.asp?id=336.

Admission: $4 for Writer's Center members and Leesburg residents; $6 general public.

Hope to see some of you there!

Book Review: Stonewall Hinkleman

2008-08-31T14:51:00.005-04:00

OK, so there I am, all la-di-da, reading my brand new ARC of Stonewall Hinkleman and the Battle of Bull Run, by my buddy Sam Riddleburger and his co-author, Michael Hemphill.

I’m marveling at the spot-on teen voice. I’m appreciating the historical references expertly inserted throughout. I’m admiring the way they handle the whole time-travel-portal thing. I’m just plain enjoying a fun story, well told.

When all of a sudden … Wham!

A third of the way through the book, there’s this note, written by Thomas Stonewall Jackson himself to our main character, Stonewall Hinkleman (who, in case you haven’t guessed, is named after him), and the note is urging Hinkleman to prevent the South from winning the Civil War.

Yes, the South, the very side I fought for, but which I now know to have been very much in the wrong. Now I understand the extraordinary injustice of slavery and the countless contributions that African Americans as a free people have made to….

Get. Out.

Now, for those of you from the North, or the Midwest, or the West, or Florida … you may be wondering, Linda, what’s the big deal? The Union beat the Confederacy. The slaves were freed. It’s all good. Right?

Hmph. Shows what you know.

Not that I don’t get where you’re coming from. I was born, raised and educated in Pennsylvania. I’m a Yankee at heart.

However, having lived south of the Mason Dixon line for 20+ years and having a brother who teaches Civil War history to fifth graders in North Carolina, I can tell you, there is another version of that portion of American history, one that has less to do with freeing slaves and maintaining these United States of America and more to do with rejecting rule by a federal government and protecting one’s homeland from an invasion by the North.

So how is it that two authors from the great state of Virginia have fictionalized a note from Stonewall Jackson calling the South wrong? Surely they realize this will be considered sheer blasphemy by many of their neighbors. Are they trying to stir up controversy? And if so, wouldn’t it be simpler just to use the word “scrotum” somewhere in the note and be done with it?

So now I’m all no-they-didn’t as I’m reading the rest of the ARC, wondering (fearing) whether this is going to be just a PC indictment of the South with no acknowledgement of the genuine issues the Confederacy faced during the dark days of the war.

But I don’t have long to wonder. About 20 pages later, I get to a part where a Confederate soldier named Cyrus tells Hinkleman about his family’s business dealings with blacks.

Hinkleman is shocked:

Free blacks? In Virginia? And Joshua treated them the same as whites? I look hard at Cyrus to see if he’s joking. I always think of all blacks as slaves and all whites as slave-owners, but it was a lot more complicated than that.

And just a few pages later, Cyrus and Hinkleman have this exchange:

“… the way I see it, the North is full of men like John Brown. Men who killed my brother and now want to come down here and tell us how to live. … some things are worth fighting for. Like family and home.”

“But John Brown was trying to free slaves,” I say, more to myself. “I mean, that’s what the war was all about.”

I look up at Cyrus. He’s got a scowl on his face and he says real low, “Joshua didn’t have no slaves. Daddy and me don’t have no slaves. This ain’t about the slaves. This is about us being free.”

And so it is that I was able to resume my la-di-da reading, this time with an even keener appreciation for the historical perspectives being brought to Stonewall Hinkleman’s story.

Well done, lads. Well done.

(P.S. No review of “Stonewall Hinkleman” would be complete without mention of the fantabulous cover, illustrated by none other than Tuesday Mourning.)

The Good and the Bad

2008-08-21T20:29:00.003-04:00

The Good: I was accepted to the 2008 Rutgers One on One Conference for kidlit writers! Yay! You can read my review of last year's conference here.

The Bad: Ron Rosenbaum at Slate is an unfunny goober. Some excellent responses here and here. Puzzling rocks!

I Have a New "Favorite" Blog

2008-08-13T00:20:00.005-04:00

For those of you who missed this link on Nathan Bransford's weekly roundup. Such a misunderstood and abused punctuation mark.

Waaaaah!

2008-07-29T21:23:00.001-04:00

Sob! I hardly knew ye.

I Had No Idea

2008-07-29T07:13:00.004-04:00

It would be "such a shame" to get published.

Ah, well. We kid lit types must suffer for our art.

What's Your Reading Speed?

2008-07-24T11:46:00.005-04:00

I have always considered myself a slow reader. Turns out my reading speed is "average" (though I'm guessing that is slow relative to others who read as much as I do).

How fast do you read? Find out.

Fun with Cliches

2008-07-24T00:05:00.004-04:00

Everyone knows the old Chinese-fortune-cookie/between-the-sheets trick.

Well, I've discovered something similar just for writers: Take one of those yearbook signing cliches from back in the day and insert "unpublished manuscript" and, voila! Instant writing advice. Sometimes funny, sometimes deep, often depressing.

To wit:

The unpublished manuscript that doesn't kill you can only make you stronger.

If you love your unpublished manuscript, let it go. If it comes back to you, it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was.

May your beer, your women and your unpublished manuscript never be flat.

Don't ever change your unpublished manuscript.

Well, OK, some don't work as well as others....

Mission Work, Rock 'n' Roll and Writing Conferences

2008-07-21T17:11:00.012-04:00

July has been an eventful month on the road for this usual homebody. Here's the travelogue (with pictures!):

Montego Bay, Jamaica. Spent a week with some teens from my church youth group on a mission trip to Jamaica, visiting several orphanages, a home for troubled teen girls, a home for kids with special needs and an AIDS/elderly hospice.

Jamaica, of course, is a gorgeous country with a horribly depressed economy. We saw some of the worst of the worst ... many of these folks had nothing and no one, and frankly, no real prospects for improving their situation. Yet, many of them were the most faith-filled and hopeful people I've ever met.

Coming from a country whose entire ethos is built on the idea that "if you work hard, you can achieve your goals," it is hard to imagine living someplace where that might not be the case. (Actually -- dare I say it? -- as a writer, it's slightly less hard to imagine.) In any case, I came away inspired by all those we met, and also by the teens in our group, who took to each new group we visited like otters to water. Their infectious, joyful spirit drew in the little ones and older folks alike.

I forgot my camera for this trip (ridiculous, aren't I?) ... but my roommate was kind enough to share her photos. Here's a shot of me with a little sweetheart in one of the orphanages, who managed to boost her already substantial cuteness factor even higher wearing my shades:

Dewey Beach, Delaware. A few days after my return from Jamaica, Joe and I headed to up to the Bottle and Cork in Dewey Beach to see The Clarks, a fantastic concert at a fun venue. I went to school with those guys, and it's great to see them lo these many years hence still playing together, better than ever.

The Clarks have a huge and loyal following in Western PA and have achieved some minor national successes, including playing on Letterman once and having a few songs used in popular movies, but they've never had that breakout hit that might have launched them onto the national scene. They're as good as or better than any world-famous band out there, though, IMO. If you've never heard of them, I encourage you to check out their Web site at clarksonline.com. (Warning, the site starts playing music as soon as it comes up, so if you're reading this in the library or with a sleeping baby on your lap, you may want to check it out later.)

BTW, The Clarks were opening for Sister Hazel, best known for the song "All for You," which you can check out here. For all I know, Sister Hazel probably has some other hits as well, as the crowd did seem to greet a few of their other songs with great enthusiasm, but being a tad out of today's music scene, I only recognized the one. They were a lot of fun, though frankly I think The Clarks were even better.

Forgot my camera once again, but here is a shot from Joe's camera:

If you look carefully, you can see Clarks lead singer Scott Blasey behind Joe and bass player Greg Joseph (a.k.a. "Chief") behind me. If this shot looks a little PhotoShopped ... well, it is, but only because I was trying to lighten the background so you could see those guys. I didn't paste our heads in there or anything. (Promise!)

Westminster, Maryland. Finally, yesterday I drove up to beautiful McDaniel College for the MD/DE/WV SCBWI conference. The highlight for me was Cynthia Lord's presentation on "The Pluses and Perils of Writing What You Know." In my continuing struggle to bring more depth to my writing, I found Cindy's thoughts on digging into one's own experiences for more emotion and setting details most helpful.

Thank goodness I brought my copy of Rules up with me, because the conference booksellers sold out of them early on. Having Cindy sign what is one of my all-time favorite middle-grade books was a thrill, and even better was when she said she recognized my name from the Verla Kay Blue Boards. Cynthia Lord "knows" me? Cool!

Also wonderful was the breakout session I attended where Aimee Friedman discussed life as a YA author and Scholastic editor. Her level of productivity is both amazing and inspiring. Like me, Aimee works full time at a job that requires a lot of writing/editing/general wordsmithing; she edits her work as she goes, much to her own dismay; and she found that her first manuscript came easily while subsequent works have been much harder. Now, there's someone I can relate to! Sometimes I put so much pressure on myself to produce that I end up accomplishing nothing. Aimee's advice to "do what you can" and give yourself the time you need gave me a sense of freedom that can only result in more, better writing.

Aimee also did a critique of the first couple of chapters of my YA work in progress. She was extremely encouraging and gave me some (much needed!) direction. A wonderful, sweet person, who also did me the honor of signing a copy of her latest book, which I am very much looking forward to reading.

I did remember my camera for this event (woo hoo!) and so here is our panel of distinguished presenters:

Seated from left to right: Cynthia Lord, Clarion editor Lynn Polvino, Aimee Friedman, Greenwillow editor Martha Mihalik, author Jen Bryant and agent Linda Pratt. Standing at the podium is moderator extraordinaire and McDaniel professor Mona Kerby.

It's All About Me

2008-07-03T20:40:00.005-04:00

I'm too tired right now to post anything remotely intelligent in regards to writing, but I do want to post something so that my loyal readers -- all two of you -- won't despair that I've completely fallen off the face of the earth.

So ... here's a post about "what I'm up to":

1) Very psyched to be off work for the next 10 days as I head out Sunday to (drum roll, please) Jamaica! This won't exactly be a vacation, as I'm traveling with a bunch of teens on a mission trip to work in some of the country's orphanages. But it'll certainly be exotic and no doubt will give me a new perspective on life.

2) Down two games to one in Scrabulous against the brilliant (obviously!) Tom Angleberger, a.k.a. Sam Riddleburger. But have established a lead (I dare not say "comfortable" vs. that word shark) in game four.

3) Waxing nostalgic as I prepare to see the inimitable Miss Donna Summer tomorrow night with a girlfriend at Wolf Trap. Love to Love You, Baby!

4) Excited to watch local running phenom Alan Webb run the 1500 tonight ... eyes on Beijing, Alan! Update: Woohoo!

5) Looking forward to the Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia SCBWI event later this month, where Scholastic editor Aimee Friedman will be critiquing my YA manuscript submission. Very cool.

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July weekend! Will post again after my trip!

Theme vs. Premise vs. Plot

2008-06-19T22:42:00.005-04:00

I think agent Nathan Bransford can read my mind. Or maybe he was sitting at the next table at Germano's in Baltimore this weekend, when I was whining to my sister and nieces that I'm stuck in my YA work in progress because "I have a theme, and I have a premise, but I don't really have a plot."

In this incredible post, Nathan breaks down those three elements and gives spot-on insight into how to create and define the ever-important plot. A must-read for writers ... please follow that link!

Troubleshooting Tips ... and Some Cool Stuff

2008-06-18T20:45:00.007-04:00

I'm a little slow in posting this, a revelation I'm sure my readers find shocking given my clockwork-like posting habits. Anywho...

A couple of weeks ago, the Northern Virginia Writers hosted Kathryn Johnson, a prolific author and writing coach, who spoke on "Polishing for Publication: 12 Troubleshooting Tips Anyone Can Use to Create a Marketable Manuscript."

I'm not inclined to reveal all 12 of Kathryn's tips here since that training is her bread and butter, but I'll share two.

Make your opening sentence count. Opening sentences should create curiosity in the reader and raise some questions. The example Kathryn shared was Tracy Chevalier's "Girl with a Pearl Earring," which begins, My mother did not tell me they were coming. Who are "they"? Why did the narrator feel she should be told? What will happen when they come? Great stuff.
Use lots of dialogue. According to Kathryn, dialogue ... and plenty of it ... is all the rage for editors these days. Get your characters talking!

Now, onto the cool stuff alluded to in the second part of my headline...

Check out this amazing video, which I discovered in the comment section of my favorite Crossword Puzzle blog, The JimH Crossword Blog. (If you are a NYT puzzle fan, this site is a "can't miss.") (The video is non-crossword related, BTW.)

And, check out the highly amusing GraphJam, which came to my attention courtesy of Eric Berlin, an expert puzzler and a kid lit writer. Warning: GraphJam has the potential to be a major time suck. (It also is non-crossword related.)

I Have a Friend

2008-06-06T23:56:00.005-04:00

On May 23, I joined FaceBook, meaning I created a page for "Linda Acorn" with my name and a great big question mark on it. Tonight, a mere two weeks later, I received my first invitation to become someone's friend.

I have to tell you, I felt a little like I did in the second grade, when Leslie Brooks and Dolores Borelli invited me to be their friend. I remember that day like it was yesterday. Back in the day, being asked to be someone's friend was a big deal.

Nowadays, everyone friends everyone ... heck, "friending" has become a verb. I friend; you friend; he, she or it friends. I fully expect the verb form to be added to Webster's before long. (Gotta love our living language. But I digress.)

Having a friend on FaceBook has forced me to upgrade my anemic profile. Now that someone has access to it, I want to put on a good face. I posted some interests, some background info, some details that I hope will confirm to my new friend that I am indeed friendship-worthy. (The great big question mark is still there, though. ... I have the darnedest time finding a photo of myself that I like.)

I haven't yet figured out how to find friends myself on FaceBook, but I suppose that's the next step. Time to expand my circle before Friend #1 starts to wonder whether I'm a total loser.

Wonder if Leslie and Dolores are on?

Update: Friend #1 has written on my wall! Squee!

Update 2: I am no longer a question mark! I have truly put a "good face" (well, I hope it's good) on my page. Also, I have five friends now! And I've even lost at Scrabulous to one of them! (I know, word games should be my forte. Sigh)

A Lesson Learned from 'Making the Band'

2008-06-04T16:31:00.006-04:00

Though my recent Brush with Fame in Baltimore happened during a non-writing-related conference, it did teach me a few important lessons.

For one thing, I learned that putting a photo of Danity Kane on your blog can make for a pretty good traffic draw. Even more so than photos related to children's literature. Shocking, but true.

I also learned a couple of things about reality TV production that might translate well to fiction writing.

During the brief time I spent watching the Making the Band cast and crew, the two camera crews filmed everything. The cameras were constantly rolling. They filmed the entire cast disembarking from the bus, the unloading of the suitcases from the bus, the wheeling of the suitcases into the hotel, etc. I am guessing when the episode about the band's tour finally airs, all but about five seconds max of that scene will end up on the cutting room floor. Maybe a shot of the hotel entrance and a short clip of my new buddy Brian (finally figured out the corn row dude's name!) stepping off the bus. Let's face it, the band's arrival at yet another hotel on yet another tour stop is not going to make for exciting TV.

In fiction, we need to know everything that happens to our characters and everything about our story's setting, i.e., we need to "film it" all in our minds, but we don't need to put it all down on the page. We need to provide just enough information on the setting to give our readers a sense of place, and we need to describe just enough of their activity to provide context for the story.

Bad: Brian stepped off the tour bus onto the sidewalk. The sign in front of the hotel read 'Hilton Garden Inn - Inner Harbor.' Brian and the rest of the band walked to the front of the hotel, through the turn-style door, and into the lobby. Meanwhile, a bellman got the bags out from under the bus. Brian watched as the man filled several carts with their bags. It took about five minutes because there were a lot of them. Most were pink, Danity Kane's. Once he had unloaded all the suitcases, the bellman rolled the first cart to the door. Another bellman got the door for him...."

Better: "Brian squinted as he stepped off the tour bus. Which city was this again? The sign in front of the hotel said 'Hilton Garden Inn - Inner Harbor.' Must be Baltimore. So this must be Thursday. The days and the venues all blurred together. Brian watched as the hotel bellmen unloaded the bands' bags from under the bus. Pink suitcase after pink suitcase. Dagg, those Danity Kane girls could pack."

The pink suitcases (and there were a LOT of them!) bring me to another lesson. As the hotel's poor bellman struggled to wheel his loaded cart through the front door, a duffel bag tumbled off the pile and onto the ground. It was one of Shannon Bex's (yes, I learned her name too ... she's the blonde!). One of the crew pointed this out to Shannon, who simply shrugged. This was not caught on camera. Now, had Shannon thrown a fit and yelled at the bellman, I'm guessing it would have taken a cameraman all of about two seconds to run over and start filming.

In fiction, we need to relay only those scenes where things happen, scenes with conflict. No conflict equals no story. (The great thing about fiction is, we can create the conflict. If this had been a novel about a fictional girl band, the Shannon character surely would have had a hissy fit to end all hissy fits!)

Brush with Fame in Baltimore

2008-05-29T22:32:00.009-04:00

I'm enjoying a lovely view of the Inner Harbor from my room at the Hilton Garden Inn this evening. What I'd expected to be an utterly banal stay has in fact turned out to be quite the opposite.

I'd spent the day at a conference (alas, not related to writing) and came back to the hotel to find the lobby filled with a whole bunch of folks who looked, dressed and acted a lot cooler than me, and two camera crews and a humongo tour bus outside the front door. Turns out the Making the Band finalists are playing here tomorrow night and they're staying right here in this very establishment.

Sitting in the lobby were two ladies from Danity Kane (the second from the left and the fourth from the left).

I rode the elevator with a member of Day 26 (the dude with the corn rows), who helpfully explained to my clueless self who all these people were and why they were here.

I'm pretty much a reality TV junkie but have somehow managed to miss both seasons of this show. Now that I'm tight with one of the top contestants, I may just have to start watching.

Later, as I relaxed in my room, a fantastic fireworks display started up right outside my window. Not sure if this is a nightly occurrence on the harbor, but it was a nice surprise to me.

Re: the conference ... it was work related and so I won't bore you with a recap, except to point you to this very funny video one of the presenters showed, a spoof on FaceBook.

Grab Bag o' Kid Lit Stuff

2008-05-13T21:07:00.003-04:00

I've had a busy few weeks (thus the dearth of posts), but my adventures have provided some good fodder for a post:

At the SCBWI Mid-Atlantic Chapter New Member Welcome event on April 26 (which I never miss, though it's been years since I was "new") we were treated to excellent presentations by Candlewick Editor Kate Fletcher and authors Gigi Amateau and Meg Medina. One comment that really hit home for me was Meg's answer to a question about how to handle an editor's request for major revisions to a novel. Meg said she finds you need to take some time to grieve the manuscript you thought you were writing, and when you are finished grieving, you can open your eyes to the amazing manuscript you have and its wonderful, unrealized potential.

Kudos to the event organizers, who ... no lie ... baked hundreds of homemade cookies and brownies for us. Oh, yeah!
On May 2, Phillip Lerman, a former producer for FOX's "America's Most Wanted" and author of the very funny Dadditude, spoke at a Northern Virginia Writers event on what print writers can learn from TV folks.

Lerman suggested a fun exercise to build our skills at creating voice. Pick people you know ... this can be family, friends, TV personalities ... and write in their voice. Imagine them saying the words. How would they sound? Lerman said he knows how John Walsh of "America's Most Wanted" speaks better than John knows himself. We need to tune into our characters just as strongly.

(BTW, be sure to check out Lerman's book as a potential Father's Day gift ... but only if dad can handle plenty of colorful language.)
A visit to my brother in North Carolina this past weekend gave me a chance to quiz my 8-year-old niece about her kid lit preferences. Her favorite characters? Amelia Bedelia, Junie B. Jones and Captain Underpants. Hah! Cool kid. Must take after her aunt.
Sunday's Washington Post Book World was devoted to children's books (woohoo!!). Most interesting to me was a piece by my favorite advice columnist, Carolyn Hax. Carolyn's regular column in The Post is smart, funny and brutally honest, so I was curious to see what she had to say about kid lit. Turns out, as a mother of three, she understands a thing or two about the genre. Her reviews are just as smart, funny and brutally honest as her advice column. Check it out.

Ah, the Wonders of Self Publishing

2008-04-24T07:55:00.005-04:00

First we have My New Mommy, explaining to kids why mom needs a tummy tuck (helpfully written by a plastic surgeon), and now this.

Even if the topic weren't laugh-out-loud funny, the preachy prose would be. I won't pick on the illustrations, as they do at least seem to be, er, inspired by the subject matter.

Thanks to Word Wrangler for turning me onto it (the book, that is).

(BTW, I do not think self publishing is bad in and of itself. There are some excellent reasons to self-publish, and there are many quality self-pub'd books out there. But that's a post for another time.)

SCBWI Poconos Retreat Highlights

2008-04-21T18:19:00.007-04:00

Last weekend's SCBWI Eastern Pennsylvania retreat in the Poconos turned out to be the most productive and worthwhile writing event I have ever attended. And I've been to a few, to be sure.

I'm about a week later than I'd intended posting these highlights, but we can blame the conference itself for that. It left me so motivated and inspired, I came home and wrote and wrote and wrote, making more progress on a new YA novel (yes, YA!) than I've ever made in one week.

I'm going to share just a couple of notes here, because, well, if you want more, you should fork over the money next year and experience it for yourself.

A breakout session by Jill Santopolo of Laura Geringer Books on adding emotional depth to your writing was for me the main event. Just what my writing needs, and Jill did an incredible job showing us a number of ways to draw the reader into our stories. I'll share just one: When writing dialogue, instead of having your character say exactly what she means, have her "say it slant," in Jill's words. That is, allow the dialogue to imply the thought without stating it explicitly.
My manuscript critique by agent Rebecca Sherman of Writer's House ranked among the best crits I've ever received. One and a half typed pages of notes! There was something in my middle-grade manuscript that didn't quite work, and Rebecca not only helped me figure out what that was but gave me terrific direction on how to fix it! Good stuff! One piece of advice Rebecca gave that others may find helpful as well: It is OK to make your MC slightly dorky, but be careful not to go overboard. Readers want to relate to the MC, so they may be turned off by someone who has to work too hard to be popular.
I wasn't sure what to expect from Gene Barretta's talk on the career journey. Gene writes and illustrates picture books, a talent which is about as foreign to me as crafting and playing the didgeridoo. But he was entertaining and funny and had lots of adorable pictures of his son. And I found it fascinating how he has brought his experiences working in television and puppetry to his current line of work. As he noted, any experience you have in life can be used to inform your writing.
Middle-grade author Jordan Sonnenblick had me laughing so hard, I forgot to take a single note. But, I do remember this: If Scholastic ever lures you to their offices for a Big Meeting to talk about Book Deals and Contracts, you might want to leave the kids back at the Big Fancy Hotel Room they put you up in. (I'm guessing I have about as good a chance at becoming the world's greatest didgeridoo player as I do at needing that piece of advice, but hey, you never know!)
T.A. Barron's talk (which actually kicked off the conference, though I've saved it for last here) was truly inspirational and did not leave a dry eye in the house. In particular, he made one seminal statement, just as an aside, really, but it struck a chord ... that the distinction between heroism and celebrity in our society is terribly skewed. So, so true. That observation planted a seed for me, a seed that I plan to grow into the theme of the aforementioned new YA WIP.

So all in all, a wonderful investment for me. All the sessions were terrific, not to mention the networking. Always great to see old friends and meet new ones, and the Pocono retreat offers lots of time and opportunity to do that. Hope to see some of you there in 2009!

What Is Nut Now?

2008-04-14T20:59:00.003-04:00

For the past few days, lots of folks from all over the world have found my site in their quest to find information on "nut now." At least, that's what my SiteMeter stats tell me.

First, my apologies ... I have no information relating to "nut now" on this site.

Second, what is it? If one of you could please leave a comment letting me know what this "nut now" craze is about, I'd really appreciate it!

Now ... as for our regular programming, I will be posting in another day or so some of my notes from the SCBWI Eastern PA conference. The authors, editors and agent gave lots of terrific writing and market advice, and I look forward to sharing a few of the highlights.

I'm Back ... and Bewildered

2008-04-08T18:57:00.006-04:00

I'm back: Sorry I haven't posted in so long. I've been swamped at work, and Joe and I recently got back from a 10-day trip to San Diego. Am hoping to get back in the saddle now. And since I'm heading up to the Eastern PA SCBWI Poconos Retreat this weekend (yeeha!), I hope to have some good stuff to post soon!

I'm bewildered (and also flattered): Somehow my very humble blog has made SCBWI Scotland's short list of author links, along with legends Jane Yolen, Harold Underdown, Dottie Enderle, Margo Finke and just a few others! Check it out here. Especially odd since technically I'm not an "author" yet, not having been published. But, I'll take it ... and may the Power of Positive Thinking lead me to fulfill my apparent destiny!

Maybe Some Day I'll Try to Write a REAL Book

2008-03-16T15:00:00.006-04:00

Today's Washington Post Book World has a terrific piece by Lois Lowry, "The Writing Life: In Which a Chronic Liar Grows Up to Be a Celebrated Children's Author." Lowery's article on her childhood proclivity for creating "fiction" is funny and enlightening, a celebration of storytelling in its purist form.

The accompanying sidebar, "Lois Lowery: Making It New," written by Maria Arana, details Lowery's biography and her prolific writing career as evidenced by her 30 published books, including two Newbery winners.

A full page in the Post Book World devoted to a children's writer! Heaven on newsprint for someone like me.

Er, until the second-to-last paragraph of the sidebar, in which Arana for some reason feels compelled to ask: "Has she ever contemplated writing a novel for grown-ups?"

Huh? Am I being sensitive or does that question discount this woman's vocation (and avocation) of writing for children? Why do some people, including perhaps this Washington Post Book World reporter, seem to think "real authors" must write for adults?

Bravo to Lois Lowery for her response to this bit of idiocy: "I'm doing something far more valuable, writing for someone who is wide open -- aged somewhere between 10 and 14. I'm preparing kids to enter the difficult world of contemporary times."

One wonders if Lowery had to bite her tongue to give that answer. She is a better woman than I.

I Just Didn't Connect with It

2008-03-15T18:16:00.010-04:00

I really, really wanted to love Looking for Alaska. Because, well, almost everyone loves it, and because it won a Printz Award and because John Green seems like a nice, funny guy and has a great blog.

Writers are always hearing from agents and editors that "I just didn't connect with your work." And now I know what they mean. John's writing is great, the voice authentic, his theme intriguing. But, I just didn't connect. (Actually, John may be one of the few writers in the world never to have been told that ... apparently he sold Alaska to the first editor he submitted to, which is another reason I know I really should love this book.)

I think there were three main reasons I didn't connect.

I hate pranks. Pranks play a large part in the book. And granted, the final prank is a hoot and is pulled off beautifully. But I cringe at TV shows and movies with pranks, and I felt that same discomfort here.

I generally shy away from dark themes. I've never been a big Coen brothers fan. Disliked Fargo. Hated No Country. So you see where I'm coming from. Alaska has lots of humor and light moments, but let's face it, suicide (or, I should say, potential suicide) is dark, no matter how you frame it. This is not to say I never enjoy reading serious or dark books, but that generally is not my preference, so I'm sure that had something to do with my overall reaction to the book.

The ending made me very, very unhappy. Not because it wasn't satisfying. Not because it didn't work. Not because it seemed contrived or inappropriate or unrealistic or any of those things. No, the reason I hated the ending is because Green ends with his main character writing a school essay exploring the meaning of life and love and friendship ... and that's how I was going to end my current work in progress! Now I'll just seem derivative. So I have to think about whether to stick to my plan or change it. Waaaah! (Ah, well, great minds... LOL.)

Now, please do not take this post to mean that you shouldn't read the book. John Green probably has more writing talent in his little finger than I have in my whole body, so by all means take this "review" with a couple/few grains of salt. My main point here, as indicated by the title of this post, is to reinforce to myself and maybe to others that those six little words, "I just didn't connect with it," might mean just that. And just because one editor or agent or reader didn't connect doesn't mean no one will.

I'm Married to a Grumpy Old Man

2008-03-12T14:28:00.002-04:00

Joe has always been grumpy, and proud of it. But now he's officially old, too.

I have a few good years left in me before I get there, thankfully.

Random, Funny and Slightly Twisted

2008-03-08T00:09:00.007-05:00

Thanks to the folks at Digital Camel for turning me on to this gem, since I do enjoy poking fun at myself now and again (and be sure to check out #21 while you're there).

And to Shari Green for pointing to this video of an impressive, albeit slightly disturbing, improv stunt.

UPDATE: OK, one more, discovered via my favorite blogging trio over at Disco Mermaids. I've never been a big fan of the original Garfield comic strip, but this version works just fine.

It's a Start: Work in Progress Edition III

2008-03-01T15:06:00.008-05:00

Welcome to the third edition of It's a Start: Work in Progress. This edition will take a look at five "entries."

If you'd like to submit your novel's beginning for a future post, please go ahead and leave the first 8-12 lines of your MG or YA work in progress in the comments section or send me a Personal Message via the Verla Kay Blue Boards (where I am known as LindaBudz).

Once again, the disclaimer: I'm not an agent or an editor and have no real standing to offer these critiques. My opinion may not reflect the opinion of anyone else in the kid-lit world, much less publishers, so please take my comments for what they are ... one person's reaction.

The Memoirs of Shadows (Young Adult), by Dhonielle

I know I’ll never be free. Grand-mère told me the summer after the shadows came that they’d follow me for life. She let me inside her forbidden room, the one she always shooed me and my older brother Devon away from each summer when our parents sent us down to Louisiana . Sitting inside this room with a blue-draped doorway, she lit bumpy, finger-like candles and sticks that smoked and ashed, clogging the dark room with scents which made my head float in air water. I was only twelve when I watched my Creole grandmother drop bones from a bag and pray, waving her heavy hands in the air, all the bangles and bracelets she wore jangling; her fluffy white hair billowing around her like storm clouds trapped on top of her head; her skin the color of the pistachio shells buried in her pocket, reddening beneath candlelight.

Her wrinkly hands spread the little bones out on the table and I fixated on the cataract in her left eye overtaking her brown pupil. I’d been afraid to look at those bones, for fear that the animal from which she retrieved them would somehow rise again on that black covered table, the bones reassembling themselves, linking together, finding one another and the animal would hiss and leap from the table, eventually slinking away somewhere in the house. I remember her saying, “Petit, those shadows you see are things God left behind. You know when he created the world. Keep quiet about them to keep them safe. You’re a special girl.”

Wow, this piece has such a distinct mood ... the lyrical writing, the imagery, the voice and the subject matter all combine wonderfully to create a sense of "shadowy" foreboding. Nicely done!

In general, literary stuff isn't my bag, so you can take my criticism with a grain of salt. I guess my main thought here is that I'm hoping the next paragraph is going to bring us back to the present, or to the time when the story that's about to be told occurs. I feel like most of these two paragraphs are backstory, though since they're interesting backstory, I don't mind. But I would want to get to the current story pretty quickly. I also want to find out soon how old the MC is now.

Which brings me to my only other issue: At first I thought that first paragraph was discussing two separate things: (1) the summer after the shadows came and her grandmother told her they'd follow her for life and (2) one time when she was twelve and her grandmother did a reading of the bones. It wasn't until I read it over again that I realized it is all one scene. I think maybe you could take out "I was only twelve when," which to my mind signal a shift in scenes, and work in the fact that she was twelve some other way.

Overall: Gorgeous writing. Makes me want to think about giving literary YA another look!

Afterside (Young Adult), by Lisa

Mateo Santiago crouched in the grocery store basement and watched the rat he'd failed to trap slither behind some potato sacks. He unfolded Mama's letter of hopeless dreams from his pocket, smoothed it out and read it one more time. Last night, meaning to throw them both away, he'd crumpled it in his pocket along with the poster for the poetry slam in Mainville. How could he tell Mama trouble had found him just like Esteban?

Noche crept to his side on three legs and rubbed against him, purring like an idling truck. Mateo dug out a few meat strips from his apron pocket. "Aqui, un poquito." The cat nibbled daintily and licked his palm with its rough tongue.

Mateo rubbed under Noche's chin. She purred louder. "Tío will kill me if he finds out I'm feeding you. If I don't come around anymore, how will you eat, you lazy cat?"

Ray's hoarse voice called down the stairs. "Matty! Dude, you down there? You better come up. There's people here lookin' for you."

OK, that last quote took us beyond the 12-sentence limit, but I left it in there because the language works so beautifully in contrast with the first few paragraphs. Again, we have great writing and voice. And lots of strong verbs: crouched, slither, smoothed, crumpled ... all in the first paragraph! I'm intrigued to know what trouble has found Mateo ... who are these people who are looking for him?

I'm sort of digging for something to criticize here, so this is kind of picky, but "letter of hopeless dreams" took me out of the scene a bit. I had to think about what that might mean, and I'm still not sure. I think maybe it would be better just to say "letter" for now and then later we can learn more about what's in it.

Overall: Makes me long to be back in your crit group so I can read the rest, Lis!

Blue (Middle Grade), by Heather

"Are you sure that it is safe?" asked Prince Nicholas, gazing up the trunk of the large tree.

Kelly sighed and impatiently pushed a strand of blonde hair out of her eyes. "Yes, I'm sure. Don't be such a wimp."

"I'm not a wimp," Nicholas said, frowning.

"Then prove it. Race me to the top of the tree," Kelly said, shooting a challenging look at her cousin.

"Fine," said Nicholas, resolutely straightening his shoulders as he stood in front of the tree.

Kelly took her place on the opposite side of the tree. "Ready...set...go!" she said, and the two began climbing.

Starting with dialogue can be tricky business, but I think this works. "Are you sure it's safe?" sets us right down into some good conflict. Makes me think something bad is going to come of this tree-climbing race. Which is good! Get those characters into some hot water and keep them there. I'm also starting to get a sense of these characters ... one a bit more cautious than the other, which you've done a good job of showing us rather than telling us.

A couple of thoughts: First, we know Nicholas is a prince, which made me wonder what Kelly is. She must have some sort of noble title, and I'd like to know what that is.

Second, most of your dialogue tags follow the same pattern, which got repetitious for me: "asked, gazing"; "said, frowning"; "said, shooting"; "said, straightening." I would just delete the tag on a couple of those. For example: "Then prove it. Race me to the top of the tree." Kelly shot a challenging look at her cousin. "Fine." Nicholas straightened his shoulders. If you have the action follow the quote, we know who's talking and don't need the tag. (And in that last sentence, I don't think we need "as he stood in front of the tree" since we already know he was gazing up its trunk.)

Overall: Hard to tell from this small snippet, but it seems as though you have two engaging characters, and I want to know what happens when they get to the top of that tree.

Triple Threat: A Theatre Novel in Three Acts (Middle Grade), by Steve

Act One

Permission to Audition

Overture

I was in kindergarten the first time I ever saw Duncan Kirby. He was on stage dressed in a penguin suit, tap dancing with eleven other five and six-year-olds in a Sunday matinee of Mr. Popper’s Penguins at the Fremont Gap Community Theatre, better known as FGCT, over six years ago.

That was the day I decided to become an actor.

My name is Wyatt Appleby. I’ll be twelve as of 10:42 today, Friday, August 24. Monday I start sixth grade at James Van Allen Middle School here in Fremont Gap, Iowa, home of the University of Western Iowa. Go Cougars!

And I am in love.

There’s no girl involved. No, I am in love with Theatre. Theatre with a capital T. (And an RE at the end instead of an ER.)

I won’t give Duncan all the credit, but seeing a kid my own age so talented, I pictured me on stage, too. Every time I saw him in a show I wanted it even more.

Well, well. Wyatt Appleby is something else, isn't he? What a voice. I love that he knows exactly what time he turns twelve. I love that he spells Theatre with a capital T and an "re" at the end. I love that he decided to become an actor at the ripe old age of six. And the way he proclaims he’s in love … he clearly has a flair for drama. Terrific!

My thoughts, fairly picayune: (1) I’d save the “better known as FGCT” for later in the story. Got in the way a bit for me here in the first paragraph. (2) I think in that last paragraph it should be “I pictured myself….”

Overall: Not sure what a "theatre novel" is, but so far, so good! I definitely want to continue reading about this kid. Regardless of the plot, the theme, the story arc … your writing and voice are enough to draw me in. (Of course, the plot, theme and story arc all do need to be there in the final analysis.)

Declaration (Young Adult), by Cyndy

This isn't my story. Senior year, I was just the girl that scribbled in the back of the room. I wrote for the school newspaper, Dragon's Fire, reporting on homecoming preparations, chess club, the demands for more student parking on campus. The job came with the title Editor-in-Chief, one of those nobody positions that looks great on college applications.

My real claim to fame was being Abby's best friend. She and her boyfriend, Big John, were First Couple at Massey High School. Head cheerleader. Captain of the football team. Luck, or maybe Fate, had seated me behind Abby on our first day of kindergarten. People don't think much about those little things that day to day change the course of your life. But that friendship made me an insider for the next thirteen years. It was the reason I knew all the players in the drama to come. Big John and Abby. Siggi. Crazy Sam. Benji Franks.

It was Benji who told me: "Marcy, there are the immovable, the movable, and those who move. And in addition, there are those who move nothing more than a pencil, but who may be the strongest movers of all."

So, although this isn't my story, maybe it is my story to tell. And here it is: the events, the personalities, and maybe some commentary on life at Massey High as it unfolded that year. As I remember, it all started in Ms. Wheatley's Honors American Revolution class.

OK, this one went beyond my 12-word limit too, but hey, it’s my blog, and I can bend the rules when I want.

I can tell right off the bat I’m going to like Marcy. Partly because of my journalism background, I’m sure, but also because she knows her place in the world. She’s not a mover or a shaker, but she hangs with people who are and wants to report on them. An unusual viewpoint for us to hear a story from and one that intrigues me.

The writing here is great, very clean and clear. I think my only question is this: Although Marcy sees herself as a “reporter” in this tale, will she also have a stake in it? Because readers don’t care so much about things that happen, they care about the people they happen to. If Marcy is our narrator, I think it will work best if we see that she will in some way be affected by the outcome of events in the story.

Overall: Exceptional writing. I would definitely keep reading.

Thanks to Dhonielle, Lisa, Heather, Steve and Cyndy for allowing me to give my reactions to their first sentences. I invite all visitors to leave your own thoughts in the comments section. Continued best wishes for your works in progress!

It's a Start: Work in Progress Edition II

2008-02-23T22:13:00.004-05:00

Many thanks to those of you who responded to the first edition of It's a Start: Work in Progress and have submitted your first lines for comment! I have received six new "entries" so far, with a possible seventh coming. In the interest of keeping these posts to a reasonable length, I'm going to take a look at the first three on this post and the remainder later in the week.

If you are interested in submitting your novel's beginning for a future edition, please go ahead and leave the first 8-12 lines of your MG or YA work in progress in the comments section or send me a Personal Message via the Verla Kay Blue Boards (where I am known as LindaBudz).

Before we get started, the disclaimer: I'm not an agent or an editor and have no real standing to offer these critiques. My opinion may not reflect the opinion of anyone else in the kid-lit world, much less publishers, so please take my comments for what they are ... one person's reaction.

The Twelfth of Never (Middle Grade), by Brenda

Please make Elvis leave the building. Never mind this song, My Way, is the reason I’m named Presley. Forget I secretly love it. Just not like this, here, now.

The cheap school p.a. speakers crumple Mom’s favorite song like tin foil, then rattle it around the almost-empty cafeteria. And there’s no air, just thickly sweet Snickerdoodle exhaust from the lunch ladies baking at 7:50 a.m. And most of all, outside the far, far double doorway, I keep catching glimpses of Greenhaven Middle School’s Most Popular crowd.

My queasy tummy demands I stay put, even though standing here, next to Mrs. Beemer, will make me more visible to the hall dwellers if they ever come in. We’re on the stage, encircled by chairs. Mrs. Beemer bends to unzip her backpack, and the neckline of her dress sags, revealing her wrinkly chest in a giant bra. Could I feel any more uncomfortable?

She cranes her red face up at me. “Would you be a dear and go round everyone up?”

First let me say, I love the title! And the fact that the MC is named Presley. I also like the details here ... not "cookies" but "Snickerdoodles," not "doors" but "the far, far double doorway." We have sound (a rattling version of "My Way"), smell (the cookies), touch (a queasy stomach) and sight (Mrs. Breemer's wrinkly chest). We also have lots of little conflicts ... the secret love of the song, the embarrassment at seeing the teacher's cleavage, the concern about being spotted on stage by the popular crowd.

A couple of things tripped me up. First, and maybe I should be embarrassed to admit this, but I didn't even realize Elvis did a version of "My Way." I think most people associate that song with Sinatra and so the first paragraph would confuse them. Of course, kids might not even know the song at all and might just figure, OK, that was some old Presley song. So you might be safe. But, unless "My Way" is important and will come into play later, I might suggest substituting a song more strongly associated with The King.

Second, I was taken out of the story a little by the stage. None of my school cafeterias had stages, but maybe some do? Does this caf double as an auditorium at this school? Maybe that becomes clearer in the coming paragraphs.

Overall: I definitely want to read more. I want to know why our MC is on that stage!

Lure of the Moon (YA Fantasy), by Sue

Chapter One: A Time to Run

As Peter raced from the campsite his stomach quivered.
It wasn’t the heat from the cherry sun that had his brain sizzling.
Humiliation and gloom spurred his anger. As Peter ran, he vowed,
"Dad will never get that chance again!"

Hmm. Dad will never get what chance again? This vow definitely pulls me in. And since every kid can relate to feeling furious with his/her parents, this makes a great connection.

This entry was emailed to me in this format. Maybe the line breaks are a product of the email, but I got the impression it's intended to appear this way, a poetry form. Until recently, when I read Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff, I'd have thought such a form would be distracting and tiresome, but in that book, I found I enjoyed it. If this novel is intended to follow that format, I think based on this brief excerpt it can be done well.

The one issue I had here was with the word "sizzling" in relation to the MC's brain. Didn't work for me ... I realize the phrase isn't meant to be literal, but it gave me a gross visual.

Overall: I'm not a big fantasy fan, but I'd keep reading to see where this is going, and, again, I am eager to learn what ill deed Dad has done!

Untitled, by Beth

If Maddrid found him first, the world's death was only a matter of time. The tribunal sat around the fire watching their leader in anticipation.

"He is twelve?" Their leader asked perusing a large file.

"Yes, sir," another replied.

"It says here-"

"It's a lie," The leader gave him a hard look, " I am sure of it, Oralabor."

"Does Maddrid know yet?"

"Not yet."

"Was it an accident?" Oralabor asked referring to the file.

"No, sir. It's his choice. He has had the opportunity."

"We must be sure."

"I am. He is the one. The only one."

OK, again, I'm not big on fantasy, but I am intrigued. What is the deal with this tribunal? Who is Maddrid? Why is he the only one? Who's the twelve year old in the file?

I did have a hard time following who is saying what. I think this needs to be made clear. I especially think we need to know which of these speakers is the MC and what his/her perspective and place within the scene is. A respected member of the tribunal? A spectator? Is the MC the "him" in the sentence "If Maddrid found him first ...." or is the twelve year old? I do appreciate the sense of mystery here, but I need a little more clarity, if that makes sense. Some internal monologue on the part of the MC might be a good way to do this.

Another potential issue, and this is something I learned from Miss Snark, is that big dangers such as the death of the world tend to interest readers less than personal dangers. That's not to say the world can't be in danger, but we also want to know what's at stake for your MC.

Overall: I'd like to have some more clarity, but again, I'm very intrigued to know who these characters are.

May thanks to Brenda, Sue and Beth for putting their work out here. I hope others will chime in with their impressions of these first sentences in the comments section. Best wishes for your works in progress!

In Memoriam: A Real Sweetheart

2008-02-21T13:14:00.008-05:00

Rest in Peace
Lois
September 18, 1993 - February 20, 2008

Update: Many thanks to big sister Deb for emailing this video she shot last summer:

You Gotta Have the Passion

2008-02-16T15:16:00.002-05:00

I've been down sick this week, so I've made the best of it by getting some reading done. In the last three days, I've finished two terrific examples of kid lit, The Puzzling World of Winston Breen by Eric Berlin and A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban.

Eric Berlin is a New York Times crossword creator, which makes him, like, practically a god. The fact that he can do that and write a fun middle-grade mystery with puzzles scattered throughout it makes him, like, actually a god. If you or someone you know enjoys puzzles, particularly word puzzles, you'll want to get your hands on this book.

Linda Urban is not a New York Times crossword creator. For all I know, she may not even be able to solve them. Nonetheless, she is a goddess. Crooked is one of the best books I have ever read. Ever. And I've read a lot of books. The writing, the humor, the story arc ... everything about the book is perfect, crooked or otherwise.

One thing these books have in common (besides being written by higher beings) is the fact that they tell the story of a character who has a passion. Winston Breen is passionate about puzzles. Zoe Elias is passionate about playing the piano (well, even if she is stuck playing the organ).

Whether or not we can relate to each kid's passion (puzzles ... oh, yeah! pianos ... not so much), we like to see it. It makes the character interesting, a little different from his or her peers. It gives the character strength and spunk. It provides a path for conflict and growth. It makes us care about them and root for them.

What is your main character's passion?

It's a Start: Work in Progress Edition

2008-02-09T21:12:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the first "Work in Progress" edition of It's a Start! Instead of examining the first sentences of published books, as previous editions have done, this entry will take a look at the first 8 to 12 sentences of manuscripts currently "under construction" by fellow kid-lit writers.

While I look forward to sharing my thoughts on their first sentences, the real value to these writers will be in getting multiple reactions to their work. So please, leave your comments. (Note: honest, constructive criticism and/or kudos are welcome; snark is not.)

Disclaimer: I'm not an agent or an editor and have no real standing to offer these critiques. My opinion may not reflect the opinion of anyone else in the kid-lit world, much less publishers, so please take my comments for what they are ... one person's reaction.

Shift (Young Adult), by Kate

I had six weeks to come up with a plan for getting to California. It took me six days. Oh God, I was really doing this.

With a deep breath and a half-hearted prayer, I made my way through the airport terminal. It had seemed so simple when I first saw the flier for the sophomore summer research trip -- a perfect cover for finding Clara. Unfortunately, my internal alarm hadn’t blared until I stepped off the plane that brought me from St. Louis to Crescent City. Not good.

Outside the airport, a grungy looking guy in a dark coat knocked into me and mumbled an apology as he passed. I jerked my bag onto my shoulder and scanned the area for a cab. Alone and cursing myself, I hesitated when a taxi pulled up to the curb.

“Hey, miss! You getting in or what?” The cab driver’s voice jolted me out of my panic.

Lots of good stuff here. Kate does a great job of revealing just enough about what is happening to pique our interest without laying out all her cards. I want to find out who Clara is and why the MC is looking for her.

I get the sense that the MC is enterprising and headstrong, and maybe a tad rash. What might have taken six weeks only took her six days ... but now she's having second thoughts. In any case, enterprising and headstrong are great traits for an MC, and being a tad rash is certainly a believable flaw for a teen.

Which brings me to something else Kate nails here ... weaving in a number of background details without being too obvious. We know that our MC is a sophomore (though it's not yet clear whether in high school or college), that it is summer, that she is from St. Louis, and that she is now in Crescent City, California. Well done!

Now, for the one thing that bothers me a bit here ... and again, maybe it's just me, so I'll be interested in seeing others' comments: Our MC refers to "my internal alarm," "cursing myself" and "my panic." These are strong words and emotions, which is great for indicating high stakes, but I don't feel as though I quite understand what she is referring to. Why is she feeling this way? Because she is rethinking the wisdom of finding Clara? Because she regrets traveling across country by herself? Or is there something else? Raising questions is good, but in this case, her sense of alarm leaves me feeling a bit lost and uncomfortable ... like I'm missing something. I would prefer to see a hint of context for it.

Overall: A terrific entry. I would definitely read on!

The Boy Who Ruined Everything (Middle Grade), by Dawn
A jet of flame shot past the window of Miss Morris’s fifth grade class. Everyone turned an accusatory look at David, who shrunk in his seat. Miss Morris barely hesitated as she wrote her sentence on the board, underlining the vocabulary words in pink chalk. “Louis, please read the sentence aloud for the class.”

David pretended to check his homework as Louis Corning stood up and recited, “The minions of Darkness ask for due penance and are paid a yearly tribute.” Louis had been David’s best friend back in first grade, but that was before. A lot of things had been different before.

Hmm, intriguing scene here. I am guessing we are in some sort of pseudo-fantasy world, maybe George-Orwell-meets-kid-lit? I want to know who the minions of Darkness are, why Louis and David are no longer best friends and what the heck David has to do with the shooting flame.

My only criticism is that I am not 100 percent sure who our MC is, though I am pretty certain it's David. I think my confusion has something to do with the actions in this scene. We have everyone turning, then David shrinking, then Miss Morris writing, then David pretending and then Louis standing up and reciting. It leaves me feeling as though we're bouncing around the room a bit much, and I might like to stay in David's head a little more. It's the last two sentences that most grab me and make me start to care about him. Maybe it could use just one or two more sentences after David shrinks in his seat so that we can focus on how he is feeling and what he is thinking.

Overall: Again, intriguing! I'm hooked!

Untitled (Middle Grade), by Lindsey

Not many people know that goat's eyeballs will bounce like one of those tiny super balls if they get away from you. By my stepmother's scream this afternoon, I figured she didn't know either. But hearing Meredith's glorious, glass-shattering wail was worth all the time it took to gather up all the eyeballs that had ricocheted off the kitchen walls and then wrap them back up in the brown butcher paper.

Meredith held her neck with one trembling hand and her breath sounded like the brown rabbit I found hurt on the side of the road last week. (The rabbit didn't make it, but I wound up drawing a picture of its feet once it had passed on.) "Till...," she said, "you...should label that...next time."

I started out the kitchen. "People don't usually snoop through my stuff."

Yes, the goat's eyeballs are mine, and they are most definitely real. My best friend, Benji, gave them to me when two of the old goats died on his dad's farm. They give me all kinds of animals parts when they're available.

OK, in the interest of full disclosure: I used to belong to a critique group with Lindsey and helped crit a funny MG manuscript of hers that I adored.

This is a new one for me, though, and so my first reaction when reading this is: More goats? Girl, what is it with you and the goats?

My next reaction is that I think I would once again adore this MS and this character. Till has a wonderful voice and comes across as funny and spunky. And this scene is plain funny.

We know that Till lives in a rural area and that she is not terribly fond of her stepmother. And we know these things because Lindsey has shown us, not because she has told us.

Potential thoughts for making it stronger: First, grammatically, I think we need to pluralize the goats and the eyes and the bouncing balls so they're all in sync in that first sentence. A couple of tweaks gives us: "Not many people know that goats' eyeballs will bounce like those tiny super balls if they get away from you."

Second, I didn't care for the parenthetical aside about the rabbit's feet. It took me out of this scene just as I was starting to get into it. I'd ditch it.

Finally, a question for Linds: Do you know for a fact that goats' eyes bounce? Cuz somebody out there is gonna know, so you want to make sure. And if you do know it for a fact ... um, how?!?

Overall: Lindsey's doing it again!

Untitled (Young Adult), by CC

If it wasn't for Kathleen O'Grady I wouldn't have this job at all, so I couldn't knock her for being an hour late with dinner, though it meant I'd have to take the bus back to my gangster Baltimore neighborhood instead of catching a ride with my cousin, Murphy. I would've blown it off, left, but Kathleen was bringing me college brochures and there was mention of a surprise as well. Last time she had a surprise I got an extra buck an hour pay raise.

Four weeks ago, just as school let out for the summer, Murphy got me on at the lawn care crew where he worked. His crew wore matching green T-shirts that read "Lawn Care, LLC," and, as the foreman, Murphy got to drive the kick-*** company truck, rows of mowers trailing behind in the flatbed, to their different jobs. I'd been tempted to take the wheel a few times, but I'd never been on Murphy's **** list before and I didn't want to be. That thick Irish body of his was apt enough to offer quite a beating. I'd seen him break someone's jaw with a single hit. Mostly, though, he was low-key. Minded his business. Worked and stayed out of trouble. Murphy was my favorite person in the whole world.

I like the voice here and the fact that we're easing into this character's world. Lives in a gangster neighborhood, works a summer job with a lawn care company, thinking about college. Admires his (her?) tough but quiet boss. Seems smart but not averse to street language. (And forgive my censorship, but I'm trying to overcome a black mark here.) We have no hint yet about the problem the MC faces, but this piece feels more literary to me, so I'm good with that.

Suggestions: Technically, the third word in the first sentence should be "weren't." Of course, this is written in first person, and maybe the main character wouldn't say that. I struggle with whether to make sure things are grammatically correct in my own writing, which also tends to be in first person, but I usually err on the side of being correct (occasional colloquialisms, slang and "teen talk" excepted).

I wondered whether the MC would refer to his/her neighborhood as "my gangster Baltimore neighborhood"? Do people who live in gangster neighborhoods think of them that way? I imagine some do, and that it depends on the person and the circumstances. My thought is that because this person refers to it that way, he or she is angry about the gang activity.

Finally, I like the second paragraph, but the first phrase, "Four weeks ago...." made me brace myself for backstory. My initial reaction was along the lines of, "Oh no, we're one paragraph into the opening scene and she's giving us backstory?" As I read on, I found the paragraph interesting and relevant, so it didn't bother me, so I'd suggest maybe flipping that first sentence around: "Murphy got me on at the lawn care crew four weeks ago, just as school let out for the summer."

Overall: I want to know more about this person and his/her life, which I'm certain is very different from my own. I'm reading on!

Many thanks to the four talented writers who agreed to participate in this exercise! I hope this is helpful, and I hope many of you will share your reactions to their first sentences. What do you like? What could be improved? Do you agree with my comments or am I out in left field? Let’s hear it!

King of Kong: A Film Full of Characters

2008-02-04T12:03:00.000-05:00

What can we learn from a documentary about creating heroic heroes and villainous villians? Quite a lot, it turns out, if that documentary is The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters.

If you have not yet seen this movie, which examines two men's quest to prove themselves as all-time champions at Donkey Kong and which achieved a near-perfect rating at Rotten Tomatoes, please go out and rent it this weekend. You'll be glad you did. (Though you will begin to question what is wrong with Hollywood and the American public and the whole darn world that we are spending millions of dollars producing and watching utter crap when movies like this are out there just waiting to be made and seen, but that's a rant for a whole 'nother post.)

So, anyway ... back to the topic of drawing sympathetic heroes and hiss-worthy villains. Here are some lessons learned from this small masterpiece of the big screen:

Paint your hero as an underdog and your villain as an, er, overdog. The directors spend most of the first 10 minutes of the movie regaling us with tales of Billy's accomplishments at Donkey Kong and his renown among classic video fanatics. (Note: At this point, we don't know enough to dislike Billy. We don't know much about him at all, other than the fact that he can play some serious Kong.)

Then, the directors key the mournful music and switch to a profile of Steve, a down-and-out husband and father of two who was recently laid off from his job and has never quite reached the pinnacle of any of his exploits, whether they be athletic, musical or professional. As he takes stock of his life, Steve seizes upon one simple yet challenging goal: to beat the all-time high score in Donkey Kong set by Billy 25 years earlier.

Do not make your hero perfect. However, do make sure the reader can understand, relate to and sympathize with his or her flaws. We root for Steve in part because of his weaknesses. His brother tells us he has "social hangups," his wife says he is obsessive-compulsive and his mother surmises that he may suffer from a mild form of autism. Each of these traits serve dual purposes in this film: They help us understand why Steve is so competitive at Donkey Kong and they make us care about him.

Give your villain an unfair advantage. A major theme that keeps reappearing in this movie is the fact that Steve's every score and every game are scrutinized to the nth degree, while Billy gets a free pass and literally "mails them in." At one point, the video game "referee" comes right out and admits it is to his organization's advantage to have Billy as reigning champ because of his fame among the gamers' subculture and his supposed charisma.

It also helps if your villain is a megalomaniac. Why not have your villain compare himself, his skills and his reputation to, say, God, Helen of Troy, the United States of America, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Red Baron and even the abortion issue? Right, right, that would be way over the top. No one would believe someone could have such an overblown opinion of himself. Only....

Now, before all you Billy fans out there (are there any Billy fans out there, cuz if there are, I'd like to meet you) comment with complaints, I do recognize that the directors of the movie edited this a la "Survivor" and some other reality shows so as to make one character come across as sympathic as possible and the other to appear, well, as big an idiot as possible.

But it sure makes for some great entertainment and some masterful storytelling. Let's hope we can do half as well in our fiction.

Lessons on Great Starts

2008-02-01T07:13:00.001-05:00

UPDATE 1: Instead of the first sentence of the works in progress, I am going to ask for the first 8-10 sentences, as I think that will give us a better feel for the writing and the story. So far I have five writers interested in participating. If you'd like to participate as well, please leave a comment with your submission or with info on how to reach you. Thanks!

UPDATE 2: Nathan Bransford has picked the finalists for his First Pages Contest. Alas, my entry is not among them. But some truly amazing first pages are! Check them out and vote for your favorite here.

UPDATE 2(b) Nathan just posted the winner of the contest ... very much a deserving first page! And, he named his top 10, including mine! Yippee!

A two-part post here. First, I wanted direct any of you who are interested in writing novels to some fantabulous advice regarding first pages being doled out over on agent Nathan Bransford's blog (the advice begins about a third of the way down in that entry).

Nathan is in the midst of judging a first-pages contest in which he received a mind-numbing 620 or so entries (including mine ... you can go here and do a search for "lindabudz" if you're inclined to check out the first page of my current WIP). Warning: It might take a minute for that page to load. Did I mention he had 600+ entries?

Anyway, reading all those openings has led Nathan to a few revelations about what works and what doesn't. And if you scan through a handful of them, you'll probably see what he means. Interesting stuff.

Secondly, in a brouhaha too convoluted to discuss here, many entrants expressed a desire in Nathan's comments section for critiques from their fellow writers.

This gave me an idea, and so I've decided to institute a new edition of my "It's a Start" feature in which I will give my opinions on the first sentence (or so) of kid lit writers' works in progress. This will not replace the regular "It's a Start" feature but will be posted in addition to it on occasion. I've had some interest from a couple of writers and am hoping it will build on itself.

If you'd like your first sentence(s) included, please leave me a comment and I'll work out the logistics from there. Thanks!

The Mind of the Tween Boy

2008-01-24T18:59:00.000-05:00

What does the "tween" boy think? How does he act? What motivates him?

Never having been a tween boy, I've never been quite sure about this, and the lack of major boy characters in my novels reflects this gap in my knowledge.

This weekend, however, I took a brief journey into the weird and wondrous world of the tween male while chaperoning a ski trip.

Pile four 13- and 14-year-old boys into your car for a two-hour ride back and forth to the mountains and blend into the background as any self-respecting chaperone is expected to do, and you have a ready-made laboratory for monitoring the behavior of this shadowy subculture.

Here's what I took away from the trip:

Having the right songs downloaded onto one's iPod is of paramount importance to today's tween boy.
Having the appropriate ring-tone song choice matched to the appropriate caller on one's cell phone is of paramount importance to today's tween boy.
Anything and everything related to music and the devices used to play music are of paramount importance to today's tween boy.
Tween girls come in a distant second to music in terms of importance to today's tween boy.
Tween boys talk about tween girls in much the same way tween girls talk about tween boys, though some of the language used may be different (e.g., "You should totally go after Kayley, dude. She was looking at you all night. Seriously.")
Tween boys can pack away a lot of food.

True, this is not enough to build a novel around. Four hours in the car with four boys hardly makes me an expert. But at least I know now to add some rock band t-shirts to my minor boy characters' wardrobes.

5,000 and Counting

2008-01-17T22:48:00.000-05:00

Last night Just Like the Nut got it's 5,000th visitor! And that visitor was ... Jay Asher! Or at least, according to SiteMeter, it was someone from Jay's hometown who entered here by way of a comment I made on a kid lit message board about his book, so I think it was him. Jay also happens to be the first person who ever left a comment on my blog.

So, in Jay's honor, I want to direct everyone who stops by here to today's Disco Mermaids blog post, where Jay celebrates some exciting news about his book. If you're into kid lit but haven't yet read 13 Reasons Why, well, you are now officially "out of it." Jay's book is going to a second printing less than three months after its release. (Want to know what the first print run was? Check out that link!)

How Creative Are You?

2008-01-16T00:02:00.000-05:00

You Are 65% Creative

You are beyond creative. You are a true artist - even if it's not in the conventional sense of the word.

You love creating for its own sake, and you find yourself quite inspired at times.

How Creative Are You?

Where's Linda?

2008-01-12T18:14:00.000-05:00

Time for a little game, sports fans!

I've been out of town on business for a few days. Can you tell from these shots where I am?

Here's my husband, Joe, sitting beside me on the trolley. If you're able to guess based on this shot, you must be either (a) someone who already knew where I was going this week or (b) a stalker.

An artist's street display. If you can guess by this shot, you must be either (a) a native of this city or (b) the artist.

Street performers. If you can guess by this shot, you must be either (a) a frequent tourist to this city or (b) knowledgeable enough about music to be able to tell what genre this is based on the instruments.

A famous square. If you can guess by this shot, you must either (a) have visited this city at least once or (b) really know your presidential statuary.

A famous cafe known for a certain delicious pastry. If you can guess by this shot, you must either (a) know a little something about U.S. cities or (b) watch too much Food Network.

A typical street scene. If you can tell by this shot, you must be either (a) someone who has seen this city on TV or in photos or (b) a decent guesser. If you cannot yet guess where I am, well, you must either (a) live outside the U.S. or (b) live under a rock.

Me on a famous (or perhaps infamous) street. This one's the giveaway shot.

Ah, yes. Laissez les bon temps roulez!

It's a Beautiful Thing

2008-01-07T21:58:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've been so remiss in posting this week. I want to post, I really do. It's just that I don't have time. And that's because ...

I've started a new novel! It's still too early to tell whether this one is going to go anywhere, but for now, I'm having fun with it. I'm on the fourth chapter, which is enough to know I'm into it but not enough to know whether this could be The One.

I know, I know ... I hate it when people get so wrapped up in writing their new book that they neglect their friends. And you just know that if I get to chapter seven or eight and decide I'm tired of it, or worse, I hate it, or even worse, I like it but can't make it work for some reason that isn't my fault and isn't the book's fault but just is, well, you know I'm going to come crying back here, looking to my blogging buddies for support.

So let me apologize right here and now. I hope you'll understand. I hope you'll be happy for me. Most of all, I hope you find something like this for yourself. It's a beautiful thing.

Now I've Seen It All

2008-01-03T23:14:00.000-05:00

Just when you think the Wide World of Publishing couldn't get any stranger ... a friend of my husband's just got him a subscription to this.

I have to say, my Dad will love the piece in the Holiday 2007 edition on beagling.

It's a Start, Part VI

2008-01-03T19:41:00.000-05:00

It's a Start is an occasional feature that takes a look at the first sentence (or so) of books picked randomly from the Acorn bookshelves. You can find Parts I-V here.

We have a great crop today, some real winners! As always, if you feel differently, let your voice be heard in the comments section! Note: Maximum number of stars = 5.

You are not going to believe me, nobody in their right minds could possibly believe me, but it's true, really it is! When I woke up this morning, I found I'd turned into my mother. Freaky Friday, by Mary Rodgers

Well, they say you should start the story at the point where something unusual happens to your protagonist. This'll do! We have voice and we have conflict. Oh, do we have conflict. A teenager's worst nightmare. Stars: ****

You'd think I could spend the night at a friend's house without finding myself knee-deep in pig poop. Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Moustache Mary, by Wendelin Van Draanen

Knee-deep in pig poop? Hold my calls, honey, I have some reading to do! Stars: *****

From his perch behind the clock, Hugo could see everything. The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick

This is the first written sentence of Chapter One of "Hugo Cabret," but as anyone familiar with the book knows, it is hardly the beginning. We have already followed Hugo through a Paris train station and up the steps to the clock through Selznick's illustrations. Still, it's a great first sentence. Why is Hugo perched behind a clock? And what is meant by "everything"? I have a feeling we're about to find out. Stars: ****

RULES FOR DAVID. Chew with your mouth closed. Say "thank you" when someone gives you a present (even if you don't like it). When someone says "hi," you say "hi" back. Rules, by Cynthia Lord

If you haven't read "Rules," these first sentences appear as part of a handwritten list placed before the first chapter, as a sort of prologue. (And there are five additional rules on the list, for a total of eight.) It's a perfect beginning for this book, for a number of reasons. First, it grabs the reader's attention. A handwritten note is unusual and has a very personal feel to it. Second, though the first two rules are ordinary enough and might be applicable to any child (heck, I have to be reminded sometimes, and I'm, er, older than a child), when you get to the third rule, you start to wonder about David. Who is he, and why does he need to be told such a thing? And third, this list sets the stage for the book as a whole, in which David's rules play a major thematic role. Stars: *****

I'll be a millionaire by the time I turn thirty-five. Successful. Independent. Abbey Garner -- Self-made financial genius. Beauty Shop for Rent, by Laura Bowers

Again, this is the start of a brief prologue to the book. I like this because it tells us a lot about the character, and it makes us want to learn more about her. And even though technically it is "telling" and not "showing," it sort of "shows" us that this is one determined, self-confident girl, by virtue of the fact that she would make these predictions so matter-of-factly. Stars: ***

Bonus Start: Hypothetical Question of the Week: If you were forced to have an extra body part implanted on your back, which would you choose? A finger, ear, breast or nose? Beauty Shop for Rent, by Laura Bowers

I just had to add the first sentence of Chapter One of Laura's book as a bonus. While the first sentence of her prologue draws us in and makes us want to learn more about her character, the first sentence of the body of the book is just plain funny. And intriguing. And it's one of those probing first sentences that really makes the reader stop and think. (For the record, I'd go for a finger ... that way I could scratch my own back!) Stars: ****

Tools of the Trade: Another I-Never-Quite-Knew-What-That-Word-Meant Edition

2007-12-30T20:31:00.000-05:00

It's been too long since I've done a Tools of the Trade post, but today I'll make up for lost time with a Super-Sized Edition featuring not three ... not four ... but five (yes, count 'em, five) word origins!

But, that's not all! This special edition examines not only the origins of the five selected words, but also their definitions. That's right! Two lessons in one!

And so, without further ado, I present this week's words:

gainsay
toothsome
anomie
nonplussed
hebdomadally

Courtesy of the Online Etymology Dictionary, Dictionary.com and Merriam-Webster's Online, we discover the following:

Gainsay dates back to the 1300s and means "to contradict," or literally, to "say against," based on the Old English gegn- meaning "against." Apparently "gain" was once a common prefix, used in now-obsolete words such as gain-taking, "taking back again"; gainclap, "a counterstroke"; gainbuy, "redeem"; and gainstand, "to oppose."

Gainsay is the only surviving example of this prefix. As such, I am hereby lauching a campaign to promote its widespread usage to preserve gain's place in the English language. Unfortunately, my campaign stalled two seconds after I typed that last sentence, when my husband challenged me to use "gainsay" in a sentence and I could not think of a single way to use it. Well, except in that last sentence. It's a start. (Anyone? Anyone? Please leave your examples in the comments section so we can all begin using "gainsay" in casual conversation.)

In a hard-fought game of Cranium Wow! over the holidays, my husband and I (who did not win but who did not come in last either, ahem), were asked to define toothsome. This was a multiple-choice question, and we had it narrowed down to two choices ("attractive" or "having many teeth.") We picked the wrong one. [Slaps forehead.] As most of you probably already know, it means "attractive." Or, to be more specific, it means (1) pleasing to the taste; palatable; (2) pleasing or desirable, as fame or power; and (3) voluptuous; sexually alluring.

Dating back to 1551, It is taken from tooth (which evolved from the Middle English toth) and some. The origins are fascinating, no? No. Nor were they helpful to me in explaining why "toothsome" should mean "attractive." That is, until I looked further into the meaning of those two words. Turns out "some" is often used to create adjectives from nouns, as in "burdensome," "meddlesome" and "troublesome." And "tooth" ... if you dig way down to meaning #8 in the dictionary, can mean "taste, relish, or liking." Aha!

On his blog this week, my husband used the word anomie in describing himself. Having never encountered this word before and being eternally curious about my husband's self-image, I wasted no time looking this up. Dating to 1591, it is a French word meaning "absence of accepted social values." Its origins are the Greek a-, "without" and nomos, "law." Um. Yep, that's him.

Of the five words featured in this post, nonplussed is the only one I already knew, however tentatively. But the question of its meaning came up during a family gathering on Christmas Day, and it turned out I was the only one who knew its correct meaning (however tentatively). The noun "nonplus" dates back to 1582 and means "a state where nothing more can be done or said," from the Latin non plus, which means "no more, no further." The verb form dates back to 1591 and means "to bring to a nonplus, to perplex." Nonplussed? Me too.

Last and (IMO) least, is hebdomadally. Least because I can't imagine anyone ever using this word. But it came up in a crossword this week, and it stumped me. So, should you ever encounter hebdomadally in a crossword or perhaps at level 50 on the Free Rice site or while competing in Jeopardy, please be advised that it means "weekly." It hails from the Latin hebdomas, hebdomad-, the number seven, and from the Greek, hebdomos, seventh, related to hepta, seven.

One fun footnote: My research this time around brought me to a very cool discovery: Folk-Etymology: A Dictionary of Verbal Corruptions Or Words Perverted in Form or Meaning, by False Derivation or Mistaken Analogy, edited by the Rev. A. Smythe Palmer and published in 1882. A mixed blessing, as it turns out, because further research revealed that the best price available for it on Amazon is $60. So, I’ll have to live knowing there are at least seven copies of Palmer’s book out there that I can’t afford. Sigh.

A Skippy DiDoDa Day!

2007-12-19T19:31:00.000-05:00

What has big ears, an oh-so-adorable face and is not a chihuahua?

That's right! Skippyjon Jones!

I had the great good fortune to win a signed Skippyjon book and a Skippyjon doll simply for leaving a comment at Kate Messner's blog when she profiled author, illustrator and Skippyjon creator Judy Schachner last month. To top it off, Judy threw in a signed copy of a second book, Mr. Emerson's Cook, as an added surprise. Sweet!

Here's my quarry:

While I was setting up this shot, the resident puppy, apparently jealous of all the attention being paid to the Skippyjon doll, appeared with her favorite throw toy.

"Hey! Look at me! I am a chihuahua!"

Thank you, Kate and Judy! I love my gifts and will enjoy them for years to come. And I'll be sure to keep the puppy away from the doll!

I Am Writer, Hear Me Roar

2007-12-18T18:04:00.000-05:00

Danette over at Summer Friend has given me a Roar for Powerful Words award. Thank you, Danette! I'm honored you feel that way!

As part of the award, I am asked to (a) name three things that make for powerful writing and (b) award the Roar to five deserving bloggers.

So, three things that I feel make for powerful writing (and I'm going to focus on fiction writing here):

1. Strong, believable characters. The best plot in the world won't hold my attention if I don't care about the characters.

2. A distinctive voice. Writing needs to have personality and rhythm. I read everything "out loud in my head" so I pick up a nuanced voice right away. Without it, writing falls flat.

3. Solid mechanics. To write well, we need to write well. This means good grammar and punctuation, yes, but it goes beyond that to include smooth transitions, effective dialog tags, strong verbs, etc. A compelling idea, put to paper in a well constructed sentence, can be a powerful thing indeed.

Now, onto the five awardees. I read lots of great blogs, so this tough. But here goes:

Sara Lewis Holmes
Sam Riddleburger
Adrienne Kress
J (a newbie to blogging, but she packs a punch!)
J.K. Mahal

You can accept your awards over at The Shameless Lions Writing Circle. I'll see you there, assuming we all make it past the paparazzi in one piece!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Ha!

2007-12-17T23:35:00.000-05:00

This week I read Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I was hoping to post a review of it, but the only thing I can think to say about it is: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

My usual M.O. when I review a book is to take one aspect, one thing I feel the author handles really well, and analyze it. Well, the one thing Kinney does really well ... and he does it really, really well ... is make you laugh. He's funny. So you can see my dilemma. You try to analyze funny and, well, we all know how that goes.

So suffice to say, if you have not already read this book, get thee to a library or a book store or Santa's lap and secure a copy posthaste!

P.S. Before reading, you may want to check this out.

The Season Just Got a Little More Joyful

2007-12-17T20:11:00.000-05:00

Two posts in one day ... 'tis is a season of wonders, to be sure! But, I simply had to share.

Here is our Christmas tree. Lovely, as are all Christmas trees. But ... do you notice anything particularly lovely about this tree?

Here, look a little closer.

Ho, ho, ho! I adore my snowflake. Thank you, Robert's Snow. And thank you, Elizabeth!

Renga Stew: Mmmm

2007-12-17T12:23:00.000-05:00

Thanks so much to JK, Wendy, cloudscome and Madelyn for participating in my Renga Experiment this weekend!

Here is the finished product. The traditional renga calls for two verses of seven syllables each at the end of the poem, so I have gone ahead and wrapped it up with the last two verses myself. Compliments to the chefs!

Collaboration
Let's try. What's the harm?
Art is a lonely pursuit;
Perfection, more so.

But friends both new and old bring
their happiness to this road

changing the lonely
journey to one of comfort,
joy, messy thoughts all.

participation. you call,
we come to join joyfully

what can we make here?
how much of ourselves can we
bring to fill the pot?

on a cold and lonely night
hot stew bubbling on the stove

poems bubble, too
add fancy words and carrots
don't forget the salt

Perfect? No, but delicious
and strangely satisfying.

Our words blended together
In an ancient recipe.

Poetry Friday: The Renga Experiment

2007-12-14T15:53:00.000-05:00

This week I was doing some research on Haiku and learned that it originated in Japan in the 15th century, when a poetic form named "renga" became popular.

Renga is a poem several poets create cooperatively. Members alternately add verses of 17 syllables (5, 7, and 5 syllables) and 14 syllables (7 and 7 syllables), until they complete a poem (generally composed of 100 verses).

The first verse of renga is called "hokku," and so this has since led to the proliferation of haiku!

What better forum for creating renga than the Internet, where so many can come together and share? I am no poet, and I'm sure some of you who visit this blog do not consider yourselves poets either. But it can't hurt to try, right?

I am going to start off here with a Haiku and invite anyone who wishes to do so to go ahead and contribute the next verses. Mine will start with 5, 7 and 5 syllables, so the next should be 7 and 7, then back to 5, 7, 5 ... and so on alternately.

Please leave your contribution in the comments section and I will eventually add them to the front page of the post. Any and all contributions are welcome, and feel free to take the poem in a different direction at any time!

Collaboration
Let's try. What's the harm?
Art is a lonely pursuit;
Perfection, more so.

For more Poetry Friday, stop by Miss Rumphius Effect.

Conquering Block, With a Sock

2007-12-10T18:21:00.000-05:00

I'm back in writing mode again, after a (too long) hiatus!

To mark this happy occasion, I wanted to share a rather goofy but very fun idea that might just help with writer's block.

A few months back, Eve of the Disco Mermaids wrote about the inspirational powers of the Sock Monkey, which she'd learned about from the talented and prolific Lisa Yee. Lisa herself then went on to post not one but two entries of her own on this phenomenon.

Here's my very own Sock Monkey, next to my nicely progressing work in progress.

Now, courtesy of Sam Riddleburger, you can create your own Sock Monkey and watch it do the boogie.

Pretty hilarious, and might even kickstart your creativity.

Poetry Friday: I'm a Nut

2007-12-07T20:54:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Madelyn for turning me onto this week's poem, which is actually a song. Apparently her son learned it in school. Comes complete with hand movements:

I'm a Nut
I'm a little acorn round (make circle with thumb and forefinger)
Lying on the cold cold ground (wave arm across front with palm facing down)
Somebody came and stepped on me (stomp foot)
That is why I'm cracked you see (zig zap motion with forefinger)
I'm a nut (clap clap), in a rut (clap clap), I'm crazy (circle finger around ear)

That's the first verse. You can read the rest here.

Thanks to Becky's Book Reviews for hosting this week's Poetry Friday!

It's a Start, Part V

2007-12-03T20:03:00.000-05:00

Today's "It's a Start" will highlight books from my high school AP English class ... way, way back in the day.

If you're new to this blog, It's a Start is an occasional feature in which we take a look at the first sentence (or so) of books picked randomly from the Acorn bookshelves (only this time it's not so random, I guess).

Each of the following books is considered a classic piece of literature, so let's see whether they manage to draw readers in with the first sentence, as today's authors are urged to do. Before we start, let me say that I tend not to care much for "classic literature," or any literature, for that matter. I prefer commercial, genre stuff. So if you disagree with these ratings, well, it's all good. Let me have it in the comments section. Note: Maximum # of stars = 5.

I had the story, bit by bit, from various people, and, as generally happens in such cases, each time it was a different story. Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton

Intriguing start. We know that whatever tale is about to unfold has been told over and over, so it's gotta be good, right? I love the voice here, too. Not "I heard the story," but "I had the story." An unusual turn of phrase to launch the book. In the interest of full disclosure, I have a soft spot in my heart for Ethan Frome, as I wrote the essay portion of my AP exam on it. However, I am confident this first sentence deserves each and every one of its stars: *****

The towers of Zenith aspired above the morning mist; austere towers of steel and cement and limestone, sturdy as cliffs and delicate as silver rods. Babbit, by Sinclair Lewis

Well, it's literary, I'll give it that. Would today's author get away with a semicolon in the first sentence? Hmm. I do appreciate the word choices, especially "aspired." So much better than "rose." If I knew what silver rods were, maybe the contrasting imagery at the end would have worked better for me. Mixed feelings on this one. Stars: ***

If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

Bingo!! Voice. Attitude. Even takes a swipe at a literary classic ... now, that's my kinda book! And, of course, the reader doesn't really want all that background stuff, anyway. We want to start where the action is, and that's precisely what this first sentence tells us our narrator is going to do. A great start to one of my all-time favorite books. (Hey, I said I "tend" not to go for classics ... there are of course some exceptions!) Stars: *****

When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow. When it healed, and Jem's fears of never being able to play football were assuaged, he was seldom self-conscious about his injury. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

I love this book. I'm not so crazy about the first two sentences. But, um, it's Harper Lee. She seemed to know what she was doing. The day I can write a book one-tenth as compelling as Mockingbird is the day I'll criticize. Stars: ***

Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who was usually very late in the mornings, save upon those not infrequent occasions when he was up all night, was seated at the breakfast table. Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Can't help but read that one with a British accent, can you? Wonderful voice. I also love that it starts us out with a little mystery. Why is Holmes at the breakfast table already? Was he up all night? Or is he up unusually early this morning, and if so, why? Sir Arthur has me hooked. Nicely done, old chap. Stars: ****

Gift Ideas: Cybil Nominees!

2007-11-29T20:47:00.000-05:00

Appearing on the sidebar over there to your right is a promo for the 2007 Cybil nominees. Each time you visit (or refresh your screen), you'll find a different book pictured ... you can click on the cover to find out more about that book or click on the "buy" links to order the book at Amazon or at your local bookstore.

The Cybils is an awards program run by a group of kid lit bloggers and reviewers, recognizing both quality and "kid appeal" among books published in 2007.

Two of my personal favs have been nominated, Sam Riddleburger's Qwikpick Adventure Society and Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why. Good luck to both!

Update: Having had some more time to peruse the nominees, I want to point out a few other deserving books: Sara Lewis Holmes' Letters from Rapunzel, Beckie Weinheimer's Converting Kate and Laura Bowers' Beauty Shop for Rent. Congratulations to these talented authors and to all who were nominated!

Five Random Things

2007-11-25T16:38:00.000-05:00

Kimberly Lynn has tagged me to reveal five random things about myself.

Earlier this year, I was tagged by Jay Asher of the Disco Mermaids for something similar (which you can find here), but I figure those of you visiting this blog are probably dying to know more about the person behind these deep thoughts and witty observations, not to mention the engaging prose, so here goes:

1. I am modest to a fault.

2. Little about me is truly random. I am, after all, a quintessential Virgo, i.e., a control freak.

3. I once rubbed shoulders (literally) with Mark Victor Hansen, one of the “Chicken Soup” authors. It was ... weird.

4. I write just about every blog post, including this one, with a 4-pound chihuahua on my lap.

5. I love the Philadelphia Eagles, even this season.

Bonus (since #1 was probably self-evident): I use ketchup when I eat rice. In fact, the entire Acorn clan does ... I thought it was as natural as ketchup on fries until I was about 11 years old and totally grossed some friends out with it.

Feeling confessorial today? Then you, my friend, can consider yourself tagged!

Oh, Happy, Happy Day!

2007-11-24T12:02:00.000-05:00

Two fantabulous pieces of news today!

First and foremost ... I am an aunt (again)! As of this morning I now have an adorable baby nephew. (Actually, I haven't seen him yet, but I'm told on good authority he's adorable.)

This is the first boy on the Acorn side of the family, joining my three lovely nieces. And because he is the son of my baby brother and his wife, he can carry on the Acorn family name. This was a cause of some concern, cuz there ain't that many of us out here. So ... hurrah, huzzah and hallelujah!

Second, I just received confirmation that I won the Robert's Snow snowflake I'd bid on in the first round of auctions!

Here is "Give a Little Push," created by children's book illustrator, writer and poet extraordinaire Elizabeth Dulemba.

I love this flake's humor and the fact that it tells a little story ... a picture-book snowflake of sorts! You can read the profile of Elizabeth and her snowflake at sruble's world, and you can check out her process for creating it on Elizabeth's Web site.

Of course, the real winner yesterday was the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which according to my calculations earned more than $9,000 toward cancer research during the first auction. If you missed the auction or were outbid for a favorite snowflake, don't despair! There are two more rounds to go. Visit the Robert's Snow Web site for details.

(BTW, I have been tagged by Kimberly Lynn to reveal five random things about myself. I'd said I'd post on that today, but with all the excitement ... it'll need to wait until tomorrow.)

Converting Kate: The Sympathetic ‘Villain’

2007-11-20T21:38:00.001-05:00

In Converting Kate, YA author Beckie Weinheimer pits teenaged Kate against her mother in a battle for the soul. Kate rebels against her mother’s fanatical, cult-like church to discover mainstream religion, literature and boys.

The challenge: How to relate this conflict without depicting Kate’s mom as cold and heartless?

The complicating factor: The novel is told in first person, from Kate’s point of view, so the entire story is filtered through her perspective.

The solution: Right off the bat, Weinheimer portrays the concern Kate’s mother has for her.

In the very first chapter, we get a hint of Kate’s conflict, both with the church (I wish I could just wash my mind, scrub it clean, of all the rules, all the scriptures, and start over.) and with her mother (… my personal interrogator, with hands on her hips, eyes zooming into me like telescopic lenses, won’t be leaving me alone until I give her an answer.)

But we also hear directly from her mother, via dialogue that reveals a caring nature beneath the woman’s severe demeanor:

When Kate says she plans to ride her bike to school: “It’s seven miles and still dark out. Why aren’t you taking the bus?” Mom whispers.

When Kate explains that she wants to get to school early to sign up for cross country: “Cross country? Why, that’s wonderful. But I haven’t made your lunch yet.”

When Kate tells her she’s already packed her own lunch: “I hope it’s got something healthy in it. And please tell me you’re changing out of those running shorts and into one of your school skirts when you get there.”

And when Kate says she won’t be coming straight home from school because cross country starts that afternoon: “Well, don’t be too late,” her voice pleads, suddenly soft and kind. “Remember the dinner at church? I was thinking you could come with me.”

Hardly the words of a cold-hearted monster. Even the dialogue tags -- “whispers” and “pleads” -- elicit sympathy.

Yes, Kate's mom's comments regarding changing into a skirt and going to the church dinner can be viewed as nagging, and they are in fact perceived and related that way by Kate. But the reader can sense in the dialogue itself a quiet concern that tempers this portrayal.

It’s all too easy to create a one-dimensional villain, and that would seem particularly tempting when the antagonist is a religious fanatic. Weinheimer avoids this trap by introducing Kate’s mother in a maternal light within the first three pages of the novel. We know immediately that her mother cares for her, and thus we know part of Kate’s struggle will be to come to terms with their relationship and begin to heal the rift between them.

Poetry Friday: A Thanksgiving Poem

2007-11-16T21:42:00.000-05:00

This piece encapsulates my thoughts and sentiments as we in the United States approach the Thanksgiving holiday.

Not sure who wrote it. Most references credit Ralph Waldo Emerson, including The Art Literature Readers: Book Two, a primer compiled by Frances Elizabeth Chutter and published by Atkinson, Mentzer and Company in 1905.

However, the Ralph Waldo Emerson Society states he is not the author.

Father in Heaven, We Thank Thee
For flowers that bloom about our feet,
For tender grass so fresh, so sweet,
For song of bird and hum of bee,
For all things fair we hear or see,
For blue of stream and blue of sky,
For pleasant shade of branches high,
For fragrant air and cooling breeze,
For beauty of the blooming trees.

For mother-love and father-care,
For brothers strong and sisters fair,
For love at home and here each day,
For guidance lest we go astray,
For this new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends
For ev'ry thing His goodness sends,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

Thanks to Big A, little a for hosting this week's edition of Poetry Friday!

Leanne Franson: A Final Taste of Snow

2007-11-14T13:23:00.001-05:00

This will be the last “taste” of snowflakes for the Robert's Snow benefit auction for Just Like the Nut, as we welcome illustrator Leanne Franson and her delicious flake, “Gretchen’s Snow.”

By now, you know the drill.

First, the snowflake:

Here’s the front:

And the back:

Next, Leanne’s bio:

Leanne Franson was born in 1963 in Regina, Saskatchewan. She says she started drawing earlier than she can remember: “My father brought home leftover paper from his drafting job, so I had unlimited supplies. We also always had books, with bedtime stories every night, shelves of books to read ourselves and a public library card. I filled my notebook pages with drawings, and read books in class when I was supposed to be reading textbooks. Even though I got great marks in math, science and English, I frustrated my academic teachers by going into fine arts in university.”

She graduated from Concordia University in Montreal with a BFA in 1985. She says her degree was, “weirdly enough, in ceramics and lithography, as my painting teacher told me my drawings were illustrative and narrative, which were very bad words in art school. I stopped drawing for years!”

After graduating and holding a series of odd job, she met a mentor, Francis Back, who was a previous president of the Association of Illustrators of Québec and who introduced her to the world of children's book illustration in 1991. Since then she have illustrated numerous school books, and more than 80 trade books including both picture books and novel covers. In 1997, “L'Ourson qui voulait une Juliette” (written by Jasmine Dubé) was nominated for the Canada Governor General's award in illustration, and in 2005 “The Girl Who Hated Books” (by Manjusha Pawagi) was chosen to be given to all Canadian children in grade 1 for Toronto Dominion Bank's Canada Children's Book Week.

Leanne is am currently on maternity leave as she has recently adopted a son, Benjamin Taotao, from China. She and Benjamin share their home in Montreal with lots of books, art supplies, two cats and their Saint Bernard, Gretchen.

And, the interview:

What inspired you to pursue a career in illustration? And why for kids?

I wanted a better job than selling paint brushes at an art supply store for barely minimum wage. I wanted to settle down and have kids, have a stable job. And with a fine arts bachelor's degree (which I was still paying for), I wasn't qualified to do much else other than draw and couldn't afford to go back to school.

People had been telling me I should illustrate children's books since I was perhaps ten years old, but I am contrary and went into ceramics and unfired clay sculptures, concept art and environmental art. I was young and didn't want to do "over the sofa" art, or anything that was "for sale." After being broke for years I changed my ways and listened to their wisdom. The cool thing about children's books is that they are on-the-sofa art, and don't need to match the sofa at all!! They are functional items that are used daily (like a ceramic mug or bowl) and loved to death rather than a precious decorative object. They're hands on.

I have always loved books, read books, collected books, so illustrating them came to me naturally. And my style lends itself to children's books. I love the stories, the large number of illutrations needed per text, the audience. I also do comics for adults, which I write and illustrate myself, which is a very different thing. Sometimes I think I would love to be like Edward Gorey or Charles Schultz and create something that appeals to children and adults alike, but that is a lofty goal I will likely never achieve.

Why did you decide to participate in the Robert’s Snow fund-raiser?

I heard about it on the Picturebookartists.org group emails and wanted to join in. I jumped at the chance to do something that was again, a three dimensional functional object, and something where what I created was directly in the hands of the user (unlike children's books, where my originals are in drawers in my studio and the public gets printed reproductions). And I especially liked that it was for a fundraiser for a good cause. I was happy and excited to be able to contribute.

Why did you decide to illustrate your snowflake the way you did?

When I think of snow, I think of Saint Bernards. My beloved Muesli, who figured in many books, was a passionate devotee of snow. She died last fall at nearly 11 years old, and I have a new puppy, Gretchen, whom I got at Easter. She also loves snow, so it is her I put on the snowflake. And being as it has two sides, which would normally be equally seen on a tree as it twirls, I painted both sides equally. I wanted something wintery and fun, with a little wink.

What’s your favorite thing about snow?

That we have it. With global warming, it is coming later each year and staying less long, and it is very sad. I grew up in Saskatchewan where we had snowbanks big enough to build forts and tunnels my father could go through, and you could tell how cold it was by how high-pitched a squeak the snow made under your boots. It was so cold the snow was like sand and didn't make you wet, so you could play all day. Then the warmer days you could mold it into balls and snowsculptures. In Montreal where I live now, the snow is often almost rain, or it melts two days later so it doesn't accumulate. I feel very nostalgic about snow, and I feel incredibly sad that my son may never see snow like I have known.

They say there are no two snowflakes alike. Name something that makes you different from anyone else on earth.

My, my. I so seldom have the feeling that I am not different from everyone else on earth, that is a hard question. Even in my own family, we were all different colors, ages, races, genders, with such different personalities. I am a western anglophone prairie Canadian living in a francophone eastern Canada. I am a single mom with a Saint Bernard and a little boy from China and I could go on. I think we are all unique collections of our origins, experiences, thoughts, likes, dislikes, feelings and hopes and that sometimes we need to look hard to find our similarities, what brings us together as people, our common aspirations and interests. But OK, I finally thought of something that may be unique: I have a tattoo of an onion on my head. But even if someone else has a tattoo of an onion on their head, the collection of who they are will be so very different from me.

I guess the short obvious answer would have been "my genes" (cuz I am not a twin).

And finally, the pitch:

Leanne Franson’s "Gretchen's Snow" will go up for bid in an online auction next week ... November 19-23!

To check out the other snowflakes and illustrators featured on kid lit blogs this week, see the sidebar at the right of your screen. For a complete schedule of the snowflake auctions and to learn how you can purchase a unique piece of art while also supporting a good cause, head on over to the Robert's Snow site now!

These Words Mean a Lot

2007-11-13T19:32:00.000-05:00

Test your vocabulary, learn some new words and help feed the world!

Free Rice

My vocab level hovered in the 39-40 range. Frustrating how many words I recognized but then I didn't know what they meant. I need to make better use of my dictionary!

Jane Dippold: A Robert's Snow Angel

2007-11-11T12:44:00.000-05:00

Such a thrill to have one of the many "angels" who are creating snowflakes for the Robert's Snow benefit auction featured here today … Jane Dippold and her fun flake, "Snow Angels."

First, the snowflake:

Check out the front:

And the back:

Onto the bio:

Jane Dippold was born in Coldwater, Ohio, and graduated from Miami University in Ohio with a degree in Fine Arts. She started her art career at Gibson Greeting Cards, and after having children, has worked as a freelance artist for the past 14 years. Her first freelance job was a puzzle page for the children’s magazine, Spider. This led to illustrating books for many children’s book publishers, such as Reader’s Digest, Harper Festival, Tyndale House, and Zonderkids, as well as other children’s magazines such as Highlights For Children, Highlights HighFive, Weekly Reader, LadyBug, and Your Big Backyard. Jane also designs greeting cards, gift wrap, and gift products.

Her most recent children’s book is “Papa Jethro,” written by Deborah Bodin Cohen, and published by KarBen Publishing in 2007. Other recent books include “Traveling Babies,” written by Kathryn O. Galbraith, published by Northword Press in 2006, as well as three books in the “My Favorite Verses” series written by Dandi Daley Mackall and published by Standard Publishing in 2005 and 2006.

Next, the interview:

What inspired you to pursue a career in illustration? And why for kids?

I was drawn to read as a child by the artwork on the pages of books. We did not own a lot of books, but my Mom took us to the library often. We also had the "Childcraft" series which had great pictures that I still remember today...especially the "Poems and Rhymes" volume, which was my favorite. I loved to draw and really did not realize until I was much more grown up that there were actual people drawing these pictures and being paid for it! Really?!! What a revelation. I would like to create illustrations that draw kids into reading.

Why did you decide to participate in the Robert’s Snow fund-raiser?
Many people are affected by cancer in their world today. A painted snowflake is a small way that an artist can help the cause to find a cure. I contacted Grace Lin to do a snowflake in 2006 and then was asked to paint another for this year. I consider it an honor to be involved with Robert's Snow.

Here's Jane's 2006 snowflake:

Why did you decide to illustrate your 2007 snowflake the way you did?

Laying in a snowpile creating a snow angel makes everyone an instant kid. If you haven't made a snow angel lately, this winter might be a good time to try it again. Snow creeping up your sleeves and mittens, and getting into the tops of your boots can make you really happy! And, of course, the angels are always watching, protecting and delivering the magical stuff.

What’s your favorite thing about snow?

My favorite thing about snow is how quiet it makes everything, as if the world has been put to bed. And the crunch, crunch of walking in it. I also still secretly love a snowday when my kids have the day off school. Free for all!

They say there are no two snowflakes alike. Name something that makes you different from anyone else on earth.

This is a hard question because I don't know everyone on earth and when I was a kid I thought the odds were that somewhere, someplace there had to be someone exactly like me, but... Do they love rhubarb and all things made with rhubarb? Do they paint pictures with bright, bold colors, and fill their house with lots of colors, and still prefer to wear a white t-shirt and jeans on most days? They may not be exactly like me then.

And last but not least, the pitch:

Jane Dippold's "Snow Angels" will be put up for bid in an online auction November 26-30. To check out the other snowflakes and illustrators featured on kid lit blogs this week, see the sidebar at the right of your screen. For a complete schedule of the snowflake auctions and to learn how you can purchase a unique piece of art while also supporting a good cause, head on over to the Robert's Snow site now!

Tools of the Trade: The I-Never-Quite-Knew-What-That-Word-Meant Edition

2007-11-07T22:01:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Sam Riddleburger for his comment re: words he "skips over" when reading because he doesn't quite know what they mean. Sam's comment provided the inspiration for this post, in which I've researched a few words that have befuddled me in the past, and combined it with my Tools of the Trade feature exploring word origins. (Previous editions of TOTT can be found here.)

Today's words:
horripilation
mendacious
feckless

"Horripilation" is a great word for us mystery writers ... it basically means "goose bumps"! It comes from the Latin word horrere, meaning "stand on end" and pilus, "hair." The word "horrible" also comes from horrere (and I imagine "horror" must be related as well). So those words actually take their names from the physical reaction people have to them. Pretty cool. Bonus word origin ... the medical term for goose bumps is "cutis anserina." In Latin, cutis means "skin" and anser means "goose." Source: MedTerms.com.

The word "mendacious" first came to my attention two weeks ago, when Australian children's writer Jen McVeity used it during the SCBWI Mid-Atlantic Fall Conference. I had no earthly idea what Jen was talking about, so I wrote the word down and looked it up when I got home. According to Merriam-Webster Online, its definition is: "given to or characterized by deception or falsehood or divergence from absolute truth." According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, it hails from the Latin mendacium, "a lie," related to menda, "fault, defect, carelessness in writing."

"Feckless" is one of those words I've seen in print many times, and while I had some sense of its meaning, I was never quite sure. My husband asked about its meaning a couple of months ago, which finally prompted me to look it up. Someone or something who is feckless is "lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective; careless and irresponsible." It originates in the Scottish word feck, which is simply a shortened version of the word "effect."

Poetry Friday: An Acorn Nut Poem

2007-11-02T22:08:00.000-04:00

Many of my blog's hits come from people searching for acorn+nut+poem. Yes, a surprising number of people are out there in search of a good poem about the lowly acorn.

I always feel kind of bad, knowing they didn't actually find what they were looking for here. So I decided for this week's Poetry Friday to find an Acorn Nut Poem to make their visit to my site worthwhile.

Step One: Google acorn+nut+poem. (Hey, I'm the first one to come up! No wonder I get those hits!)

Step Two: Find a site that actually has an acorn nut poem.

Step Three: Squeeeeee! for joy over my discovery. OMG, it's the coolest thing ever: First Lessons in English by F.B. Greene, published in 1888. I urge you, after reading this post, to follow that link to check out this delightful 19th century primer.

The poem itself appears on page 56:

LESSON XXIX
A POEM
The squirrel hastens to and fro
With acorn, nut, and corn.
His hall to fill; he's much to do,
For winter's coming on.
He does not stop for friends or foes
Until his work is done;
He needs no telling: well he knows
Cold winter's coming on.
His storehouse filled with all that's good
His eyes look proudly on;
Then chatters he throughout the wood,
"Now let cold winter come."
Come, children; like the squirrel try,
In life's bright, sunny morn,
To seek a good, a wise supply,
Before old age comes.

Many thanks to Mentor Texts for hosting Poetry Friday this week.

My Name! On Book Covers!

2007-10-30T18:49:00.000-04:00

Well, until I'm published, this will have to do.

I picked this meme up a while ago from the Trinity Prep School blog.

Here’s how it works: Go to the "Advanced Book Search" feature on Amazon, type your name into the "Title" field and select "Children's Books" for the subject field. Click "Search" and see what comes up.

I did this for both my first and last names. Here are the two I liked best of the ones that popped up on the first page:

I adore that Acorn book ... in fact, I bought it a few years ago for my niece. The next generation of Acorns!

Want to see your name on a book cover?

Report from the Registrar, er, Attendee

2007-10-29T19:10:00.000-04:00

What a day! My alarm rang at 5:45 a.m. Saturday. As registrar, I needed to get to the Mid-Atlantic SCBWI Fall Conference early!

Screeeech.

Sorry, I started that story at the wrong place, according to Australian author Jen McVeity, whose talk on "Five Minute Fast Starts" showed how jump-starting your book with an action scene (and not with your main character getting out of bed) can pull the reader into the story right away.

So, let me try again...

"Ha! Waah! Yikes!"

Keynote Speaker Bruce Coville advised attendees at the Mid-Atlantic SCBWI Fall Conference to make sure their stories contain one of each of these three key ingredients. The "ha" is a belly laugh. The "waah" is a tear. And the "yikes" is a moment of shock.

Better? Better. I hope Jen would be proud.

Now, since I have no idea how to continue my "story" analogy for this report, I am going to switch instead to a bulleted list of conference highlights. BTW, once again, I left my camera at home. Sigh. Please imagine lots of beautiful, smiling faces as you read this.

Editor Bonnie Bader's handouts. She provided the first drafts of some of Grosset & Dunlap's best-known books, along with the resulting editorial letters, revisions and final versions. Can't wait to go through them with a fine-tooth comb and learn everything I can from the mistakes of some writers who are much more talented than I! One thing I took away from that session: The words, "This is a great start" in an editorial letter actually mean, "We've got some work to do!"
The aforementioned Jen McVeity's writing exercises. Jen put us to work. Our assignments: (1) Write intriguing first sentences, and (2) Incorporate body language and description into our dialogue tags. My takeaway: In stressful situations, 87 percent of communication is via body language and tone of voice.
Author Bruce Coville's presentation. Yes, the entire presentation. The man is an actor and clearly loves to talk about writing for kids. These two facts combine to create a pretty wonderful speech. My favorite part (aside from "Ha! Waah! Yikes!"): Coville posited that Harry Potter had so many fans because of J.K. Rowling's "CTPP Index," the number of Cool Things Per Page. Especially in fantasy, the more you can load up on cool stuff, the more fun your story will be.
The honest look at the realities of publishing explored during the first-time authors and editors panel. A few notable insights: (1) Sometimes a story can be well written and compelling but will not be acquired because the editor and/or the house simply do not think it is sufficiently marketable. Depressing, but true. (2) Houses don't pay that much attention to bad reviews, because (with the possible exception of the School Library Journal), they don't tend to have much effect on sales. And (3) Editors are just as nervous about writing and sending revision letters as authors are about receiving them. Who knew?
Agent Alyssa Eisner Henken's refreshing honesty regarding how much she enjoys TV. I love people who proudly admit to watching a lot of TV! Anyway, to make this relevant to writing ... Alyssa compared the query letter to the fashionable but conservative business suits often recommended by Stacy and Clinton on "What Not to Wear." Don't try to get fancy or cute. Just write a straight query and let your writing and your story idea speak for themselves.
My manuscript critique. The wonderful Laura Arnold of HarperCollins Children's was most encouraging and had some exciting (albeit frightening) suggestions for taking my mystery to the next level.
The book sale and signing. At last I got to meet the lovely and talented Sara Lewis Holmes, who signed my copy of Letters from Rapunzel. Sara worked with Laura Arnold on the book, and the two of them created something truly special.
Working at the registration desk. I put this last, but it was a real highlight for me as it gave me an opportunity to meet so many wonderful writers and illustrators. A terrific group dedicated to bringing messages of compassion, concern, joy and hope to kids.

Report from the Registrar, Part II

2007-10-24T23:19:00.000-04:00

Just three days until the SCBWI Mid-Atlantic Conference, and ... we've sold out, folks! We can only take 225 registrants (fire marshal's rules and all), and we have reached that number, plus a waiting list of a dozen or so.

Things are going to get a bit hectic around here the next few days, what with the printing and the proofing of 225 name badges, so the blogging will taper a bit (hah! as if I'm the Queen of Regular Blogging!). Of course, my post-Conference entry will be to die for (or if not to die for, certainly to suffer mightily for, or maybe at least to ache a bit for).

BTW, for the first Report from the Registrar, you can go here.

Looking forward to a terrific event, and hope to see you bright and early Saturday morning!

It's a Start, Part IV

2007-10-22T17:52:00.000-04:00

Welcome once again to "It's a Start," in which we take the first sentence (or so) of five kids books plucked randomly off the Acorn bookshelves. To see installment I - III of this feature, go here. Note: Maximum # of stars = 5.

My name is Reed Walton. I'm seventeen years old, I live in New Jersey, and I've never had a girlfriend. The Girlfriend Project, by Robin Friedman.

The sentences are short and sweet (as teen boys' sentences often tend to be) ... and they get right to the point of the book. Between the title and this quick self-introduction, we can surmise that we're going to watch poor Reed try to hook up with Girlfriend No. 1. Gotta keep reading to find out how this turns out. Stars: ****

Once upon a time there was a pair of pants. They were an essential kind of pants - jeans, naturally, blue but not that stiff, new blue that you see so often on the first day of school. They were a soft, changeable blue with a little extra fading at the knees and the seat and white wavelets at the cuffs. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brasheres.

A few notable things about the start of the prologue to this series: (1) "Once upon a time..." tells us right off the bat we need to suspend our disbelief a bit for this book; (2) we know the pants are going to play a large role in it ... so much so, in fact, that Ann goes out of her way here to make sure we like them and feel "comfortable" with them; and (3) the voice comes across as clear as a bell in these few sentences. Stars: ***

If you think it's hard keeping track of all the Steps in my life, try being me. The Steps are the bazillion stepbrothers, stepsisters, and half siblings my parents keep laying on me. The Steps, by Rachel Cohn.

I like the voice here, and we learn right away where the title comes from and what it means. Also, we can guess that at least a few of those Steps are going to be a cause of conflict for our narrator. I did find that first sentence slightly confusing, though. Does she mean it's even harder for her to keep track of all the Steps than it is for us? Or that it's even harder to be her than to keep track of her Steps? (It may very well just be me, so if anyone has a better take on that sentence, please let me know.) Stars: **

Willa lingered around the water spigot as long as she could, wishing she had somewhere else to go but back home. The Miner's Daughter, by Gretchen Moran Laskas.

The name "Willa" and the fact that she is standing at a water spigot (and not one located in her kitchen or bathroom) gives us the immediate sense that this is a period piece. And, it introduces conflict and a question: Why doesn't she want to go back home? Stars: ****

It's a funny thing about names. Some are long, some are short, some mean something, others don't; but everyone and everything has one, or two or three. Little Dumpling Fish had four names. The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel), by Ellen Raskin.

Typical Raskin. We know names are going to play an important role in this mystery. We are introduced to a character named, um, Little Dumpling Fish. And we are told that she (he?) has four names. (And in case you're wondering whether "Little Dumpling Fish" counts as one or two or three of those names, the answer is two. "Little Dumpling" and "Fish" are two of her four names.) Weird, wild, wonderful. Stars: ****

Matthew Cordell: Fuzzy Ears and All!

2007-10-21T00:08:00.000-04:00

What a pleasure to "cap off" the first full week of blog posts for the Robert's Snow snowflake benefit auction with this feature of Matthew Cordell's darling contribution, "Snow Caps."

First, the snowflake:

Check out the front:

And the back:

Next, the bio:

Matthew Cordell is an illustrator of children's literature, newspapers, magazines, and many things in between. Though he spent most of his life in small town South Carolina, in 1999 he migrated midwest to set up shop in Chicago. It was there that he met his soon-to-be bride, his passion for children's books and deep-dish pizza.

Matthew's children's books include: Toby and the Snowflakes, Righty and Lefty, and The Moon is La Luna. Currently he is working hard on forthcoming picture books with Candlewick and Feiwel and Friends. Matthew now lives in the burbs of Chicago with his exceptional wife, picture book author and YA novelist Julie Halpern, and their squeezably soft Siamese cat, Tobin.

And, the self-portrait:

Julie Halpern and Matthew Cordell (as illustrated by Matthew):

Now, onto the Q&A:

What inspired you to pursue a career in illustration? And why for kids?

Well, I've always been an artist. As I got older and was forced to start thinking about a career, I knew it had to be one in art. For a good chunk of time in my early adult life, I wandered a little trying to decide where, artistically, to put my focus. I'd developed a real passion for graphic design as well as fine art, so I figured I would be in it for life down one (or both) of those roads. But when I began achieving success in art and in design, I started to realize that neither was what I actually wanted.

My wife, Julie Halpern, is a writer and had written a picture book story called Toby and the Snowflakes. And she had me in mind as the illustrator for her story - something we could collaborate on and then try to get published. At first, I put it off (for about a year!).

But as I got more and more bummed about design and art, the idea of Toby started to sound very appealing. Of course, it was exciting to work on something with Julie, but there was also a lot of potential there that I hadn't taken the time to see before. This would be a much-needed new audience for me - children with hopeful and fresh perspectives (not as jaded, anyway, as some of us adults!). And if it worked, I could delve into a new industry, too, in children's publishing. So after all that procrastination, I finally went over to the drawing board and came up with a handful of drawings to accompany Julie's manuscript and a proposal to send out to 20 or so children's book publishers.

After a series of both form and personally encouraging rejection letters, it looked as though Toby might not happen. But finally, Julie received a very encouraging e-mail from an editor expressing an interest in Julie's and my combined efforts. In the fall of 2004, Toby and the Snowflakes was published by Houghton Mifflin and this set forth a very thrilling and rewarding career for me in illustrating books for children. I couldn't be happier with the reception I've gotten from this very warm and encouraging industry (editors and art directors, librarians and teachers, and kids alike).

Why did you decide to participate in the Robert's Snow fund-raiser?

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I hadn't heard about Robert's Snow until this year. Julie, also a librarian and Internet sleuth, had of course heard of the project and saw an online call for illustrators for this year's group. Once I learned more, I really wanted to take part. Many of us have been affected personally by the grief and tragedy of cancer. The Robert's Snow project is such an excellent way to raise money for the cause and a fun and easy way for the children's lit industry and industry lovers to get involved. I'm honored to be given the opportunity to participate.

Why did you decide to illustrate your snowflake the way you did?

I can't survive winter without a good winter hat (my ears are screaming if I leave them at the mercy of a winter wind). And there are a lot of great hat styles to choose from, so I figured I'd try and show as many as possible. That's how the series of kids in their "snow caps" came about.

What's your favorite thing about snow?

My favorite thing about snow is how it completely changes the existing landscape. Winter, to me, can be pretty gloomy at times with the lack of sunlight and the extreme cold. To wake up and see a fresh blanket of snowfall totally changing the way the trees, the ground, the houses and the cars look - it always gives me a boost.

They say there are no two snowflakes alike. Name something that makes you different from anyone else on Earth.

I'd have to say it's my unusually fuzzy ears. I mean, I've seen guys with hair on their ears before, but nothing like what I'm capable of. My ear hair will grow crazy long (if I let it) but it's a soft, light-colored variety of hair so it's not particularly obvious or grotesque (I like to think). Julie likes the soft, downy feel, but I keep it trimmed to maintain appearances. Hey, maybe it's a defense mechanism against these bitter Chicagoland winters.

And finally, the pitch:

Matthew Cordell's "Snow Caps" will be put up for bid in an online auction November 26-30. To check out the other snowflakes and illustrators featured on kid lit blogs this week, see the sidebar at the right of your screen. For a complete schedule of the snowflake auctions and to learn how you can purchase a unique piece of art while also supporting a good cause, head on over to the Robert's Snow site now!

Update: I just received an email from someone (actually, Matthew himself!) and the pictures are not uploading for him. I'm not sure how to fix this as they seem to be uploading for others; however, since the pictures of the snowflakes are kinda the point of this post, I beg you, if you cannot see them, to visit this page and check out the fourth entry in the list (click on the snowflakes to see the larger view). And visit Matthew's Web site to see the self-portrait and much more of his artwork. I will try to figure out the problem and get it fixed; in the meantime, if anyone else is having problems, please leave me a comment so I can see how widespread this is. Sorry for any inconvenience!

Update to the Update: I think (thanks to my husband, Joe) we've fixed the problem. Though the layout isn't quite as pretty as before, at least the graphics should be showing up for everyone. If you still can't see them, go here, where DH has recreated the entire post on his own blog for me.

The Versatility of Acorns

2007-10-17T17:44:00.000-04:00

Just a quick post today to urge you to visit Plastic Pumpkins and check out how versatile little acorns can be. Note especially the exquisite acorn pin. I have a feeling I know what Mom Acorn is getting for Christmas this year!

Also, don't forget to check out the gorgeous snowflakes being featured for the Robert's Snow benefit auction. This week's schedule of illustrators and their respective blog features can be found on my sidebar.

Snowed In!

2007-10-15T18:22:00.000-04:00

Today marks the kick-off of the Kid Lit Blogger World's Mega Promo Campaign on behalf of Robert's Snow: for Cancer's Cure.

Each day, several bloggers will feature snowflakes custom-designed by a group of 150+ fabulous children's book illustrators, to be auctioned off later this year. The schedule for this week's Robert's Snow features can be found on the sidebar to the right. (The astute observer might note that Sunday's slate includes a feature right here on this very blog ... and what a feature it will be! Matthew Cordell is an amazing artist and a funny guy.)

Please go check out each of today's fabulous snowflakes, and take a minute to visit the Robert's Snow site to find out how you can purchase a unique piece of art and contribute to a great cause!

Report from Rutgers One-on-One

2007-10-14T20:47:00.000-04:00

The Rutgers One-on-One Conference yesterday brought together about 90 writers and 90 published authors, agents and editors for a full day of educational sessions and mentoring. I was paired up with Meredith Mundy Wasinger, a senior editor at Sterling Publishing and a truly lovely person.

(Side rant here: I forgot my camera! I did get a shot of Meredith with my phone but as yet have not figured out how to get it from my phone onto my computer.)

According to the conference organizers, the competition to get into the event was tough ... about 250 writers applied for mentee spots ... and they regretted having to turn away so many, including some whose writing samples were very high quality, but they simply did not have enough mentors to take more.

Here were some of the highlights for me:

My one-on-one session with Meredith was so encouraging and helpful ... she gave me a real "aha" moment when she suggested describing my story's setting - and my main character's reactions to that setting - as a way to evoke her internal thoughts and personality more. (My story is told in first-person POV.) It can be tough to describe setting and also to examine a character's personality when writing in first person, but exploring her reactions to the setting can effectively do both. I'm looking forward to playing around with that.
I met Laura Arnold from HarperCollins, who will be critiquing a manuscript for me in a couple of weeks for the Mid-Atlantic SCBWI Fall Conference. Laura is sweet and smart, and I am even more excited now to get her feedback on my submission.
Tom Yezerski's talk reminded me that, though I have a long way to go with my writing, I need to occasionally take the time to appreciate how far I've come. Though I didn't write down the exact quote, he said something along the lines of "No matter how you define success, whether it be winning the Newbery or writing one really good paragraph ...." Yes, sometimes writing one strong paragraph is a reward in itself!
Both Betsy Bird and Nadia Cornier gave some valuable advice re: blogging. Betsy said you want to reveal enough about your personality, thoughts, etc., on your blog to give visitors the sense that they know you (and therefore want to continue to come visit you), but you also want to maintain some sense of mystery about yourself and your work. Interesting! Nadia and a number of the other editors and agents I spoke with told me they definitely Google people whose work they are considering representing or buying and visit their blogs. So watch what you blog about! Nadia told the story of one prospective client who blogged for days about how she hadn't completed her manuscript yet and needed to hurry up and finish it because she had led Nadia to believe it was ready. Nadia has a great sense of humor, so she was more amused than upset at this ... but still!
Betsy Bird handed out a list of "Blogs to Watch" and on the very short list (six to be exact) of Author/Illustrator Blogs was one of my personal favs: Sam Riddleburger's!
Ann M. Martin gave the keynote. There was some dispute as to whether she has written 400 titles (as was reported in her introduction) or 250 titles (as she had in her own notes). And she's only in her early 50s! Astounding!
Last, but certainly not least, was getting to know my two carpool buddies, Sydney and Laurie, and meeting so many wonderful children's writers from all over the country, especially those of you whom I've met online through the message boards and through your blogs.

Alex and the Ironic Gentleman:From Warm to Hot to Downright Scalding

2007-10-11T23:51:00.000-04:00

They say if your main character is having a good time, your reader isn’t. In other words, no one wants to read about happy people. You have to throw your character into hot water and keep her there.

For someone whose real-life conflict-avoidance meter seems stuck on “High,” this is not always easy. I like my main character. I don’t want her to get in trouble.

Folks like me can learn a lot from Adrienne Kress and her amazing adventure story, Alex and the Ironic Gentleman.

Alex (short for Alexandra) gets into one sticky situation after another in her quest to find a hidden treasure. And those sticky situations tend to turn into major misfortunes, which somehow morph into catastrophic calamities. And this happens over and over and over throughout the book.

Two examples:

(1) After being captured and abused by the sadistic Daughters of the Founding Fathers’ Preservation Society, Alex makes an escape attempt. The reader is so relieved. Enough of those old biddies and their cruelty! Alex has found an opportunity to make her getaway and has seized it!

Sometimes our bodies do things without our instructing them to. So it was that, in this case, Alex found her body running toward the door to the room, flinging it open, and racing down the hall to the grand stairwell.

Wonderful! Except...

Only when her body reached the front entrance did it decide to relinquish control over Alex and wait patiently for her to tell it what to do next. This was an unfortunate turn of events because, in this brief transition of power, Alex found herself rooted to the spot, giving Poppy and Rose ample time to catch up to her.

Poppy sneered at her as she grabbed Alex by the shoulder. Then Rose pinned Alex’s arms roughly behind her, and the two of them dragged Alex back to the staff room.

Turns out the torturous captivity has just begun for our poor heroine. The water is about to go from hot to scalding for her.

(2) Many calamities later in the story, we find Alex trying to reason with an angry and violent Extremely Ginormous Octopus on behalf of a movie director named Steve. (If you’re wondering what the heck octopi and movies have to do with finding hidden treasure, well, you’ll have to read the book.) Anyway, after much flailing of tentacles and breaking of windows, followed by some brilliant negotiations on Alex’s part, we are rewarded with a scene of calm and victory … a welcome respite for the conflict avoiders among us:

Steve nodded and smiled. It was only when he did that that Alex realized she had never seen him do it before. He suddenly seemed like a normal person. And she smiled back. And then the Exremely Ginormous Octopus smiled too.

But by now, we should know better ...

And then the door of the pub exploded off its hinges in the most violent and destructive way possible.

… so we’re off to the next sticky situation, which of course will deteriorate into a major misfortune, only to collapse into a catastrophic calamity.

Yes, when it comes to getting a character into hot water – and keeping her there – few can rise to the challenge as skillfully as Adrienne Kress. Nicely done!

Fun in the Sun ... or Not

2007-10-03T23:59:00.002-04:00

Sorry the blog is so quiet this week. I'm hard at work here in paradise ... at Fantasy Springs Resort in Palm Springs. Long, tiring and very hot days, but I must say the free evenings with their desert breezes are to die for! I'll be here a few more days, so please forgive the light postings!

Am reading the funny-yet-suspenseful Alex and the Ironic Gentleman in my spare time, so you can expect a review next week.

In the meantime, a few funny Google hits this week:

my friend is like a rainbow
lie nuts
cow poop soccer game
husband pleasing wife with rubbing techniques

Er, the poor guy (gal?) searching for that last topic definitely came to the wrong blog. Or else that R rating should be changed to NC-17.

Feelin' the Kid Lit Love

2007-09-30T11:43:00.003-04:00

Two of my favorite kid lit authors and bloggers spread some love my way this weekend. Just wanted to say thanks and encourage my visitors to stop by their sites.

First, Jay Asher, whose amazing book, 13 Reasons Why is coming out in October, awarded me a t-shirt for an "Answer the Frequently Frustrating Questions" contest he ran (I'm good at those ... I get lots of them at my day job):

Front

Back

Brilliant and mezmerizing ... not too shabby. (But, hey, don't take Kirkus' word for it ... check out my review of Jay's book here.)

Next, I came across a Word Search puzzle on Sam Riddleburger's site last night, and lo and behold, Just Like the Nut is one of the phrases in the puzzle! How fun ... immortalized in a Word Search. Check it out ... you might just find your blog on the list, too.

And, there's even a mystery hidden word, which is ... "mat"! No, I'm kidding. It's not "mat," though I did find that in there (also, "haw.") It's ... well, it's a mystery word, so you'll have to find it for yourself. Enjoy!

Update: After a full day of wearing my "Ask Me About 13 Reasons Why" shirt and having three people ask about it, I can report two observations: (1) When people read the shirt, they ask, "So, what are the 13 reasons why?" Each of the three people asked the question in just this way. (2) When I explained it was a book and gave them an overview of the premise, they all seemed highly intrigued. (Hey, Jay, the 20-something grocery store cashier even took the time to get out a piece of paper and pen and write down the title. "I'll have to get that," she said. "I love to read." Woohoo! Of course, I ticked off everyone behind me in line, gushing about your book while their ice cream melted, but that's OK!)