Is this.
To go with the one collecting dust downstairs.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
More from Rutgers
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!
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!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Battling the Baptist Disease
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!
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!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Do Not, I Repeat, Do Not, Repeat!
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!
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!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Book Review: Stonewall Hinkleman
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.)
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.)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
The Good and the Bad
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!
The Bad: Ron Rosenbaum at Slate is an unfunny goober. Some excellent responses here and here. Puzzling rocks!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
I Have a New "Favorite" Blog
For those of you who missed this link on Nathan Bransford's weekly roundup. Such a misunderstood and abused punctuation mark.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
What's Your Reading Speed?
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.
How fast do you read? Find out.
Fun with Cliches
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....
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....
Monday, July 21, 2008
Mission Work, Rock 'n' Roll and Writing Conferences
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.
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.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
It's All About Me
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!
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!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Theme vs. Premise vs. Plot
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!
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!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Troubleshooting Tips ... and Some Cool Stuff
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.
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.)
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.)
Friday, June 6, 2008
I Have a Friend
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)
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)
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
A Lesson Learned from 'Making the Band'
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!)
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!)
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Brush with Fame in Baltimore
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Grab Bag o' Kid Lit Stuff
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.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Ah, the Wonders of Self Publishing
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.)
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.)
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