Claudia Harrington

Great short quote

2011-12-02T10:08:00.000-08:00

I recently found this quote from casting director Matt Barry:

"If you quit, somebody else gets to live your dream."

Keep going!

Contest

2011-11-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

Check out ny buddy Paula's fun post!

Paula Yoo Today's Writer Wednesday blog features a Q&A and signed book contest with debut YA author Sheela Chari ("Vanished" Hyperion 2011). Please comment on my blog or email me at paula at paulayoo dot com to be included in our signed book contest drawing. Winner announced 11/30/11. http://paulayoo.com/blog/?p=1086 http://paulayoo.com/blog/?p=1086 paulayoo.com

From Edward Necarsulmer IV

2011-05-18T16:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a good example of 'less is more' from McIntosh & Otis agent Edward Necarsulmer IV - something so simple that's easy to forget:

"Play to your strengths."

From Cecil Castellucci

2011-02-07T16:08:00.000-08:00

Prolific writer Cecil Castellucci writes:

I think one of the most important things is to learn how to have your best ears on and learn to listen. It is essential that we not be precious about our work otherwise we do it a disservice. If something needs to go, we need to be able to let it go. Put it in another book if you are in love with it! But while readers and cirituqers and even editors are not always right, we must listen to the story and do what is right for it. So if every single person doesn't get something, then maybe it's time to add something in. Or if every single preson stumbles at the same place, it's time to look at that thing and maybe take it out, or smooth it over. You don't want your reader to have any emotional hangnails while they're reading, you know? You don't want to leave something in that is going to take them out of the story. And often times, we are so precious about our words that we forget to listen. So, to sum up, put your best ears on and listen.

Favorites from the Summer Conference

2010-09-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

Tidbits from the Publisher/Editorial Director Panel:

Justin Chanda (S&S) told us what his boss says: "If you're not making mistakes, you're not taking risks."

Stephanie Owens Lurie (Hyperion) said: "The best authors for us are new authors with lots of ideas."

Favorites from the Summer Conference

2010-09-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

From prolific author Paul Fleischman:

"Don't have scenes because you like them or to show off your research (which, like a slip, shouldn't show)."

Favorites from the Summer Conference

2010-09-07T08:45:00.000-07:00

Gennifer Choldenko (Al Capone Does My Shirts) said:

"If you are stuck in the nostalgia of your childhood, dig deeper."

"What you experience when you write, we experience when we read."

"Harness the energy of your dreams and the "between" state. Don't get mad at yourself if you took a risk and it didn't work out. Risk again."

Favorites from the Summer Conference

2010-09-04T08:42:00.000-07:00

More from Rachel Vail:

"Astonish yourself. The thing you knew was coming was your first draft."

"Keep learning - not JUST craft, but about your character."

"Be ruthless. Fall in love with your story, not your words, metaphors or characters. Cut what doesn't work...then have chocolate."

And finally:

"Be kind. You're writing for kids. It must ring true, but there's humanity in all of us. We should have hope."

Favorites from the Summer Conference

2010-09-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

Writer Rachel Vail, who comes from an acting background, reminded us to think like actors, to:

"Enter wanting and know where you were before. It's not going to come out in the first draft." She also said "Story begins when the main character's life becomes off balance. The character then tries to re-find balance."

Favorites from the Summer Conference

2010-08-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

Author Carolyn Mackler (The Earth, My Butt & Other Big Round Things) said:

"I stepped away and let the character become herself."

Favorites from the Summer Conference

2010-08-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

Here are a few juicy tidbits from the non-fiction panel, that transfer so well into fiction:

From Susan Campbell Bartoletti re research:

"If research stays in the middle, that's where stereotypes live. Research to the edges." She added, "Visit places you write about, feed your senses and emotions. Study the language." She also wonders "what emotion is driving this scene?" and goes to primary sources, since they "breathe history to life".

From Deborah Heligman:

"Let the content dictate the form. Keep yourself open."

Tanya Lee Stone agreed:

"Keep asking what the story is you want to tell. Forget about what you think it's supposed to be. The content will find the format."

And from Betsy Partridge:

"Have multiple layers or you'll have a boring book."

Favorites from the Summer Conference

2010-08-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

The wonderful and prolific Gordon Korman said:

"What you think is cool is probably nbot that different from what kids think is cool."

"Sometimes it's luck, but I think sometimes it's being a little mule-headed about it. All our careers are really not that different from each other - we all try a lot of difrferent things. Like pasta, throw enough of it at the wall - something's got to stick."

Favorites from the Summer Conference

2010-08-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

Author Coleen Paratore (The Wedding Planner's Daughter) told us to catch inspiration when it comes to us, like we caught fireflies in jars when we were kids.

Favorites from the Summer Conference

2010-08-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

Some fun tidbits from the editor panel:

Claudia Gabel (Katherine Tegen Books, HC) and Nick Eliopulos (Scholastic Press) both said, when asked their pet peeves, that it's cover letters and synopses without personality. Jen Rees (Scholastic) mentioned unprofessional covers/synopses.

Claudia Gabel also said, when speaking of the slush pile: "keep plugging away until you find that editor who gets you."

Tidbit from the Summer Conference

2010-08-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

MT Anderson gave a luscious speech, touching on the mood of place, the romance of geography. Here are a couple of quotes:

"Books take us away from home so we can see home again, see what we know in a new way."

"Twist the known; take something familiar and make it unfamiliar." He said that makes it even scarier.

Favorites from the Summer Conference

2010-08-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

John Scieszka said "Your mission is to be a storyteller. Write what thrills you."

From Julie Strauss-Gabel

2010-08-04T17:18:00.000-07:00

Presenting master teacher, editor and Assoc. Publisher at Dutton Children's books, Julie Strauss-Gabel:

There is no such thing as "mine". A book is a collaborative experience. It's usually understood that publishing is collborative...but so is reading. If your goal is to be published -- to be read -- readers are always going to bring their own interpretive lens to your words; it now belongs to them. Some may disagree with you. Some may not want to keep reading. The only control you have over what they take away from your book is to build an irresistible and convincing world on the page.

Not all readers (including those in the business, from agents and editors to reviewers) are great readers. We're not always right, or the right fit. Learn to interpret and blance the feedback and direction you receive, but always listen. If someone sees something different, or misses something you consider important, ask yourself why. Ask yourself what you have failed to translate onto the page. Don't immediately dismiss it. Don't see it as a threat or as someone taking away what's yours.

Especially for new writers, few things dismay me as much as the anonymous message board/blog chorus that reinforces the idea that there's some singular, holy ownership of a story -- an absolute, correct Mine. Just as a critique gorup that does nothing but pile on praise might feel great for five minutes but do nothing to advance your work or your career, shutting out criticism and shutting down new ideas never helped anyone to grow.

Embrace the possibility of change and find your own solutions -- solutions true to your voice and your talent -- when people challenge you to take your work to the next level. It's the difference between published and not published, between one sale and a career.

From Rachel Cohn

2010-07-25T06:09:00.000-07:00

Writer Rachel Cohn (Nick & Nora, Gingerbread, and so many more fun reads!) says:

My favorite adage I often offer fellow writers is the very thing I most have to remind myself: Tell your inner critic to STFU. (Put more nicely, tell that devil on your shoulder to bugger off.) Get out of your own way and trust your characters. While you're writing a draft, don't agonize over what others may think of it. More importantly, don't second guess your ability to bring your characters to life. Of course you can do it -- that's why you had the idea in the first place! Take a breath -- and give that breathing space to your story.

From Stephanie Hemphill

2010-07-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

Award winning poet Stephanie Hemphill sends this message:

If the blank page or blinking cursor is giving you bitter blues and blurry trepidation, try to step back, smell the ink cartridge and remember what luck it is to be creating children's books or on your pathway there. Fear not, there is ample space on the road to children's literature for everyone, with a virtual book shelf for as many great books as can be dreamed, then penned, into existence. Stories are familiar; there are only so many plots when you strip off the wallpaper and paint and sledge hammer the drywall away. But volices are fingerprints, unique expressions of heart, mind and soul. Happy sentences and metaphors! Happy summer! Keep writing.

From Patricia Lee Gauch

2010-07-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

Extraordinarily talented editor and writer Patricia Lee Gauch shares this:

I am always trying to get writers to get out of middle ground, this year, playing around with the word "transcend!": as a verb for writers. Understand your own capability to take a scene, like the last chapter of Wringer by Jerry Spinelli. There is a rhythm to it, but getting there takes what might be an ordinary scene, and brings it into the light. Middle ground is too close to mediocrity. Transcending in character or idea or moment gets the reader's heart beating.

From Emma Dryden

2010-07-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

Editor, children's book industry consultant, blogger (http://www.emmaddryden.blogspot.com/ ), and founder of drydenbks (http://www.drydenbks.com/ ) gives this luscious tidbit:

I'll begin with a quotation from Boris Pasternak that I have hanging over my desk: "When a great moment knocks on the door of your life, it is often no louder than the beating of your heart, and it is very easy to miss it." My hope for writers, for illustrators, and for artists of any kind -- indeed, my hope for all of us who are trying to maneuver with sensitivity through this world -- is that we can stay flexible enough to listen, feel, remember, and not be afraid to reach for the possibilitites that the world offers us at the most unexpected of times.

From Alexis O'Neill

2010-07-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Witty writer Alexis O'Neill sends this:

My Purely Practical Tip: Stretch your creative writing muscles by penning your own bio in various world counts -- increments of 10 words, 25 words, 50 words, and 100 words (also 250 words, but only if you have a particularly exciting and book-filled life). This will not only help when querying agtents and editors, but you won't be in a panic when you hav to craft your website's "About" page, your jacket cover and your introduction to hand to your host at a fancy-schmantzy literary banquet.

From Melanie Cecka

2010-07-09T17:47:00.000-07:00

Bloomsbury's Extraordinary Publishing Director (EPD) Melanie Cecka writes:

I was recently chatting with an author who was having difficulty trying to distinguish the voices of his three main characterrs (two guys and one girl). I told him they all sounded like the same person to me, so I gave him my "be the stew" advice.

Me: Be the stew.
Author: Huh?
Me: You know, think of htis novel like a lamb stew.
Author: (silence, perceived by me as deep contemplation)
Me: Now think of the way a spoonful of the stew would taste.
Author: (more silence)
Me: Now describe each of the different flavors and ingredients to me.
Author: I don't think I can.
Me: Why not?
Author: I'm a vegetarian.

Okay, I made that last part up, the the (arguably, bad!) analogy I was trying to make is that a novel is a sum of its parts, just like the flavor of a stew is the sum of its ingredients. There's the voice of the author (or the tone of the book), and then there's the impression each of the characters makes, and the big or little ways they sound or express themselves. The author's voice keeps them all bound together, but each character's voice should still be identifiable as unique to them. This author's stew was "meat, meat, meat" rather than "meat, vegetables, broth"... Or, for the vegetarians of the world, "potatoes, broccoli, carrots..."

From Susan Patron

2010-07-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

Stunning Newbery author Susan Patron writes:

Remember the paradox of the muse: she's not available to you until you've put in so much work that you no longer need her; then she'll fall in love with you.

From Bruce Coville

2010-06-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

The mega-talented Bruce Coville writes:

Never throw away a story just because you don't think it's working. I have sold stories 10, 15, and even 30 years after I wrote the first draft because I finally figured out how to solve them. (Or, in some cases, because my skills finally cuaght up to my ideas.) A large file of stories that don't quite work isn't a trash heap...it's a potential treasure trove!

From Nathan Bransford

2010-06-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Super West Coast Curtis Brown Agent/Extreme Blogger/Fab Writer Nathan writes:

Writers Write!

From Tina Wexler

2010-06-23T07:53:00.000-07:00

Dynamo ICM agent Tina Wexler writes:

Having a daily word count can be great, but remember that sometimes when you're doing nothing -- sitting in traffic, staring out a window -- you're doing more work on your manuscript than if you were pounding on the keys. Allow yourself that time to ponder, to let your mind wander. The words will get written, but first you must find them.

From Jen Rofe

2010-06-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

Andrea Brown super agent and delightful human being Jen Rofe writes:

In the last month, I've sold two projects that have taken me years -- literally -- to sell. I started subbing the first project in 2007. The other project -- 2005! Both authors revised multiple times. Both projects have gone to great houses.

So: Remain steadfast. And flexible.

From Yolanda LeRoy Scott

2010-06-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

Yolanda LeRoy Scott, Editorial Director of Charlesbridge (and fabulous singer!), writes:

We editors take what has been written and improve it (one hopes). What writers do is infinitely more challenging and amazing to me: they create something from nothing. The blank page doesn't scare them.

From Richard Peck

2010-06-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

I heard from eloquent writer and teacher Richard Peck, who wanted to share part of his most recent journey. He speaks about introducing his new (fall 2010) book, THREE-QUARTERS DEAD:

A bit of a departure. It's very contemporary, about a girl with a cellphone in one hand and the steering wheel in the other. And so a horror story. Real life is too extreme for fiction, so I've told it has supernatural horror. How strange to be writing a contemporary story for the first time this century. How strange to write about people who communicate chiefly by texting -- from the back of the classroom and from behind the wheel of the speeding car. How eerie to be writing in the depths of a recession that hasn't thinned the herds of top-of-the-line cars in suburban high-school parking lots.

From Rachel Abrams

2010-06-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

Lovely HarperCollins Editor Rachel Abrams writes:

Never doubt your story. Your words hold the greatest potential of all: they may inspire future generations of readers and writers.

From Alvina Ling

2010-06-08T09:51:00.000-07:00

Insightful Senior Editor at Little Brown, Alving Ling writes:

This is what I tell everyone, whether they're writers or on the publishing side or elsewhere. This is the little bit of advice that I have tacked up on my wall:

"Follow your compass, not your clock" - from Andrea Jung, CEO of Avon, as told to her by Ann Moore of Time Inc. (and who knows where it originated!)

From Kate Schafer Testerman

2010-06-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

Wonderful agent and head of KT Literary, Kate Schafer Testerman writes:

Never Stop Reading.

From Laurie Halse Anderson

2010-06-02T09:23:00.000-07:00

From the prolific and gifted writer Laurie Halse Anderson:

Revision means throwing out the boring crap and making what's left sound natural.

From Sonya Sones

2010-05-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

The oh-so-talented verse novelist Sonya Sones writes:

Get something, anything down on paper. Don't worry about how good it is. You can make it wonderful later on - when you revise it.

From Julie Williams

2010-05-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

Lucious poet Julie writes:

Since getting a story from first ideas to a published book is such a long-haul process, it helps me when I remember to CELEBRATE EVERYTHING along the way!

From Edward Necarsulmer

2010-05-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

Heading up McIntosh & Otis' children's division, amazing agent Edward Necarsulmer writes:

When you feel in your gut what you are and then dynamically pursue it -- don't back down and don't give up -- then you're going to mystify a lot of folks. - Bob Dylan.

From Michael Bourret

2010-05-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

Dystel & Goderich's Super Agent Michael Bourret writes:

Find joy and fulfillment in the act of writing itself -- being published is the icing on the cake.

From Judy Enderle

2010-05-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

Judy, prolific writer, mentor, SCBWI board member and mentor to many, writes:

Being a writer is like an elevator ride. It has a lot of ups and downs, but when you step out of that little box that's your office, with a book in hand, you know all the highs and lows have been worth it.

From Steven Malk

2010-05-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

Super agent from Writer's House, Steven Malk, writes:

Slow down and be patient. Remember that you're building a career.

From Krista Marino

2010-05-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

Delacorte Senior Editor and wonderful mentor to SCBWI members Krista Marino writes:

Your first sentence doesn't have to be the first sentence you actually write.

From Chris Demarest

2010-05-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

From fabulously talented artist and illustrator Chris Demarest:

Learning to take criticism is as much a part of success as one's writing or art. Unless of course they're wrong.

From Rosemary Brosnan

2010-05-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

HarperCollins' fun Executive Editor writes:

Keep writing! Some of the best writers have five novels put away "in the drawer" -- and it's the sixth one that works.

From Lisa Yee

2010-05-02T08:50:00.000-07:00

Amazing writer and chocoholic Lisa Yee writes:

Always keep chocolate within reach while you are writing. You never know when you'll need it.

From Jill Corcoran

2010-04-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

Wonderful agent & friend Jill Corcoran (Herman Agency) gives us another nugget today:

Don't look towards the mediocre and say it worked for them; aspire to the stars and look towards the neighboring galaxy.

from Jen Weiss Handler

2010-04-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

Prolific inspiration giver and wonderful manuscript guru Jen writes:

Writing to get published will almost always set you up for failure, whereas writing because you're INSPIRED to write -- because you have a story to tell and need, or want, to tell it -- and spending more time thinking about the story and less about what happens when it's finished will make for a much stronger manuscript in the end.

From Martha Mihalik

2010-04-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

Greenwillow's super Assoc. Editor Editor Martha writes:

Every writer's voice is unique. You have something to say to the world, and a story that can't be told by anyone else -- never forget that.

From Lin Oliver

2010-04-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

SCBWI's wonderful Executive Director, funny writer, and fabulous friend to many, writes:

There are three unheralded joys of being a writer. 1. You get to work in your pajamas. 2. You get to amuse yourself and regard it as work. 3. You get the opportunity to hang out with other writers, undeniably the most interesting of peer groups.

From Joan Bauer

2010-04-18T07:05:00.000-07:00

The oh-so-talented Joan Bauer writes:

When the recycling truck rumbles down my street, I like to think of all the messes I've recycled in my writing -- the pains, the hurts, the misunderstandings, all washed out and reused in my stories. I hate hard times, but the soul satisfaction I get from recycling them makes the bad stuff bearable -- and getting paid for it is oh so sweet.

From Michael Mallory

2010-04-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

Just in time for tax day, mystery writer and general funny guy Mike writes:

Writing is like sex; you should first find out if you're good at it before charging for it.

From Holly Cupala

2010-04-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

Bursting-on-the-scenes this spring, debut author Holly Cupala writes:

My best bite of inspiration is to write as honestly as you can the first time - you can always refine it, but it's hard to recapture that raw truthfulness in revisions.

To get to that tender layer and defy my cranky internal critic, I harness a simple kitchen tool - the egg-timer, to be precise! In 15 minute increments, I write as much as I can to outrun the voice (and it's a handy tool on the all-too-short preschool writing days). After spending four years writing TELL ME A SECRET, I discovered I could write the second YA in just four months.

Is it too much to hope the next will take four weeks...?

From Jill Corcoran

2010-04-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

Jill, agent extraordinaire with the Herman Agency, writes:

Your book title is your whistle, your magnet, your bullhorn.

From Jen Weiss Handler

2010-04-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

Jen, a fabulous manuscript doctor and former children's book editor, writes:

The best writers I know write a little bit every day -- in email, in a blog, in a manuscript that might never see the light of day. It's like exercise for their writing voice; the more they write, the more their voice gets defined.

From Jen Rees

2010-04-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

Jen Rees, amazing Sr. Editor at Scholastic Press, writes:

Write the story that only you can write.

From Brenda Bowen

2010-03-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

Brenda, an agent at Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc., Inc. and wonderful human being, writes:

My motto, stolen from E.M. Forster: only connect!

Keep Creating!

2010-03-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

Remember to keep going - you never know where your characters will take you. If you need a nudge, be sure to check back here every few days for a new burst of inspiration!

Claudia

Sid Fleischman

2010-03-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

To inaugurate my bursts of inspiration, I'd like to pay my homage to one of the most gentle, funny, prolific and talented writers I was honored to know, Sid Fleischman. He often said things that helped me enormously, but here's just one:

If there's a hole in your story, point to it.

One more juicy morsel from NY

2010-02-20T11:08:00.001-08:00

Jacqueline Woodson told us to write our emotional autobiography.

My two cents: Simple. Profound. Easy. Excruciatingly difficult. Necessary. I don't remember who said when we write we open our veins and bleed onto the page, but for really great writing, it's true.

Last tidbits from NY

2010-02-08T16:36:00.000-08:00

This is the last bite from the tasty NY conference, appropriately from Jane Yolen, who closed the weekend:

Even if the business of publishing is struggling, the business of story is not.

I love what she said about the first step, the un-covery: first you scratch at an idea, airing the linens of the mind.

She reminded everyone to enJOY the process!

BTW, I'm determined to be a better blogger this year, but don't get too used to daily blogs (I'm getting there!). Now stop reading, and write!

NY Tidbits, again!

2010-02-07T16:34:00.000-08:00

On crafting a career, Sheldon Fogelman had this to say:

Never stop writing with book #1 or #2...you never know which book will be published (he had a client who was about to give up after their first book didn't sell, then went on to be a smashing success with #4 or 5). You are a writer - your job is to keep writing.

Have a plan - where you want to go, what kinds of books you want to do. Be open to advice, to try things outside the box of what you already do.

Hmmm...some good things to think on, eh?

NY Tidbits, Part Next (math is not my strength)

2010-02-06T16:30:00.000-08:00

Susan Raab spoke about what's selling:

middle reader; early chapter books & emergent readers all the way to tween/teen. Mysteries/ghost stories are growing, some fantasy is softening. Classic picture books and those that have a nostalgic feel (classics-to-be) are the ones with staying power.

Everyone reminded us, without exception, not to write to trends, but rather to what's in your heart.

NY Conference, Bite 3 - yummy

2010-02-05T16:24:00.000-08:00

This from Ben Schrank (Razorbill):

We don't care about the market - we make the market. Write to make a difference to a kid.

Alvina Ling (Little Brown) on literary fiction:

It's great writing...you're pulled along so you don't realize that nothing is going on (love that!). She said literary writing is laced with beautiful descriptions, where you savor each word. The plot unfolds beneath the surface, and there are small turning points, based on what the reader knows about the character. As an exercize, she suggested rewriting the first paragraph of a commercial book in a literary style.

Have fun!

Tidbits from NY part 2

2010-02-04T15:46:00.000-08:00

Libba Bray, launching us into the main part of the conference, had loads of goodies for all. Here are some highlights from NY:

All the things you try to hide from other people, those are the things you craft into your work. Risk taking is writing.

Don't go where your mind first wants to go. Trust not to force the story on the conventional track.

Find the cracks that let the light in. Allow your characters to be fully human, with flaws.

Take the fear in, welcome it. If it's not scary, there are no stakes. If there are no stakes, it's not worth writing. Lace your wings with your vulnerability. (I especially love that one!)

Libba is coming out to LA for our Writer's Day April 10th. She's so much fun, you won't want to miss!

Let's find our wings and fly!

Bits of Wisdom & other tiddlywinks from SCBWI NY

2010-02-03T15:22:00.000-08:00

I was going through my notes from the recent, chilly & energizing winter conference, and here are some goodies, picked up here and there like you'd pick things up at a farmer's market. These are much juicier, though, and can sustain you much longer. I'll post a few each day. Happy munching!

Aaron Hartzler, who MC'd the Writer's Intensive, passed on a metaphor he'd heard from Alvina Ling (Little Brown) about critiques. Pointing out the flaws in a manuscript is like telling a friend with great teeth that they have a bit of spinach stuck between them. The person telling you knows how great your teeth are, and they don't want anything there that will take away from them.

Some post-critique suggestions from the panel:
Arianne Lewin (Hyperion): wait & think before revising
Wendy Loggia (Delacorte): watch American Idol: work at your craft & be true to yourself
Allyn Johnston (Beach Lane): don't take yourself too seriously & get exercize to clear your head

Digest well, and look for more your next time back!

News from SCBWI-LA

2010-01-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

Hi, soggy Angelinos!

Just a reminder to check in with www.scbwisocal.org In March, the one, the only Greg Pincus will challenge our brains with the world of cyberocity and how we can use it well.

In April (the official month of showers - oh, no!) we have an amazing line-up at Writer's Day, including new Printz winner Libba Bray and sooo much more!

I'll be at the NY conference next week, so will bring back a few juicy nuggets for always-hungry creative minds.

Fun Congrats

2010-01-05T13:46:00.001-08:00

Congratulations Katherine Paterson, now leading the worldwild helm of children's literature! We couldn't be sailing on a better vessel.

A belated thank you to Arthur Levine, for reminding us all at SCBWI's Working Writers Retreat that the catch phrase "as you know, Bob" is insider lingo when your character or narrator tells us much more backstory than we need to know, all in a tidy blob of dialogue - ick!

Since I finally "graduated" from physical therapy, I'm hoping to blog more - be on the lookout for juicy tidbits from writers, illustrators, agents & editors!

Happy New Year!!

unlike the baby birds...

2009-07-22T17:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted. And I've been reminded of the fact that, unlike my feathered friends, I cannot fly. Not that I tried (I didn't!). I merely had an up close and personal conversation with my local sidewalk, following an attempt to walk and do something else at the same time. The good news? I yanked the family Klutz Queen crown back from my daughter, AND I have a nifty (although heavy) purple fiberglass cast. How cool? Take a peek!

Inspiration

2009-06-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

From the mouths of babes

2009-06-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

My 7 year old was making pretzel art yesterday...chewing designs out of pretzels. Besides the typical glasses, he had things like a ballgown, a duck, etc. I asked him how he did it. He answered, "you just see what it is you want, then get rid of everything else."

2009-05-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling annoyed recently, by the ridiculously early morning chirping of the birds. Sure, the early ones get the worms (who wants to eat those slimey things?!), but do they have to get up at 4:30? And when they do, can't they be quieter? I mean, if they have their beaks full of ground-up worms, you'd think that would muffle the sound.

But a few minutes ago, my kids came in saying, "Mommy! We just saw the baby birds in our garage! Their fuzzy little heads poked out, and they were so cute!" To catch you up, birds make a nest year after year in the vent near our garage roof. They can only access it from the outside, so whenever I write, I see purple finches flitter in and out.

THEY LAID EGGS AND THE EGGS HATCHED! I'M AN AUNT! Awww, let the little buggers chirp at 4:30 - they're hungry!

Sometimes all we need to do is change our perspective.

2009-04-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

Let's call this Susan Boyle week. The Scottish singer who has YouTube running to catch up to the number of hits from her performance on Britain's Got Talent has been an inspiration to us all. Which one of us wouldn't kill for Simon Cowell's change from smirk to lifted brows? Who among us could stand to see again that talent rises to the top, given perseverance and the right circumstances?

I'm taking a reminder lesson from Susan: put yourself in the right place, keep working your craft, know that a great voice will leave your audience breathless, and wow them.

2009-03-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring! This is not a shameless plug for friends and events, but there are some phenomenal things coming up in these parts. If your writing needs some get-up-and-go, get up and go!

Later today, Laurie Halse Anderson heads to Santa Monica for her Wintergirls book tour (4:30 at the main library, 7:00 at Barnes & Noble). Not only is she an exquisite writer, but she's inspirational, so go if you can. She'll be in Pasadena over the weekend.

April 18th is SCBWI-LA's Writer's Day. Check out the line-up at www.scbwisocal.org. We've got something for everyone, including that nudge to get you going!

For those of you who asked, the class visit on mask poems was so much fun - the kids were enthusiastic and came up with some fun poems. They especially liked my props...I brought 2 different textured cookies for each of them, so they'd learn about details in writing. Hey, I was scheduled for AN HOUR with 7 year olds. It went by very quickly, and I heard that I was "awesome" -phew!

Mask Poems

2009-03-06T16:09:00.000-08:00

As I was preparing for my Monday morning stint on mask poems for my son's second grade class, I realized something. I've never (that I can remember) written a mask poem myself. So, I decided if it's good enough for the goose...or is it I should take my own medicine?

I started by reading lots of mask poems. There's a fun picture book anthology called Dirty Laundry, in case you want a good sample. Then I played. I wrote poems as feet, as toes, and oranges on my neighbor's tree. There's something refreshing about stepping outside yourself and writing from a totally different perspective.

Sure, you say, we write from our characters' POVs all the time, but I challenge you to write a mask poem - now, here! - as an inanimate object and tell me it's the same feeling.

So, tune into ALL of your senses, then ready, set, write!

Stimulas Package for Writers & Illustrators

2009-02-18T08:50:00.000-08:00

The phrase "stimulus package" is being thrown all over the country, creating all kinds of emotions, but many of them at least some degree of relief. It's easy, writing or illustrating by yourself (which is pretty much necessary, unless you are part of a writing team) to get discouraged, to listen too closely to the doom and gloom part of the news, even the publishing industry. You may feel lethargic. You may feel blocked.

Here's a tactic: reduce your negative news time, and create your own stimulus package. How? By getting out and mingling with like-minded creative spirits. Check out your local SCBWI chapter for events. Many of them are even FREE. Here in S. California, we have gobs of things to light your fire. Go to scbwisocal.org and go to something - anything. Then, newly creatively stimulated, tell your story.

On Critique Groups

2009-02-06T10:43:00.000-08:00

I'll shout this from the highest mountain: I LOVE MY CRITIQUE GROUP! Okay, for those of you who are toying with joining or starting a group, you probably already know that it's a good idea to share your work with fellow writers before you send it out into the world. You could wake up, thinking your manuscript is lookin' good and ready to go. When you actually hold it up to a mirror (your fellow loving writers), you scream in horror! Not only is your manuscript having a bad hair day, but there's a rip in a very conspicuous place, a stain from something it sat in without you knowing about it, and a long thread not connected to anything in particular. They will, lovingly, help you figure out how to style the hair, sew the rip, remove the stain, and pull the thread. They will help you get your work lookin' good and ready to go.

Here are just a few of the things I love about my group:

We forge some amazing friendships
We put our work up for scrutiny so it can become what it's meant to be at its highest and best
We laugh
We cry
We remember why we are writers
We remember why we are readers
We become better writers
We become better people
We are humbled
We are re-ignited

For those of you living in the S. California area, check our SCBWI tri-region website for ways to find or start a group and other ways to meet fellow writers and/or get your work critiqued. www.scbwisocal.org

What I learned from my dog today

2009-01-30T13:17:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a teensy break from manuscript writing to share some dog philosphy:

Follow the people who teach you things. Stick close to the ones you love and respect. When you feel something is wrong, speak up. When you feel silly, it's occasionally okay to toilet paper the house. Find your place in the sun.

Have a great weekend!

On Hope

2009-01-24T21:57:00.000-08:00

This has been a glorious week! Not only did we get a healthy reminder of hope in our pockets if we only stuff our hands in (thank you, President Obama), but I did my yearly interviews of prospective Northwestern students today.

I must say that, based on the young voices I heard today, the state of the union is hopeful! Yes, there were those who were, dare I say it, mediocre in an interview setting. But then, meeting one kid in particular, I was relieved that our future could be placed in not only capable but intelligent, caring, life-passionate, humorous and even charismatic hands. I actually ENJOYED my time with this kid, and we both were sorry to see it end.

I only hope (ah, there it is again) that I can write characters who jump off the page like that, who give readers hope.

It's still a very young year...what are your hopes?

2009-01-11T21:55:00.000-08:00

Sometimes other people's words say it best. Here's the link to Newbery winner Susan Patron's comments on the value of the Newbery to young readers:

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/commentary/la-oe-patron11-2009jan11,0,5330448.story

All kinds of kids need all kinds of books, so keep writing from your heart.

A Pause for Pinter

2009-01-07T18:20:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

I am SO glad to see 2008 fade into the sunset and give birth to a new year of hope for us all! I'd be remiss, however, if I didn't mention the recent passing of one of my favorite playwrights, Harold Pinter. He was an actor's dream - sparse dialogue with lots of room to fill empty spaces, and to make those spaces become all sorts of things...including increasingly menacing and uncomfortable. I was fortunate to be in more than one Pinter play, starting in high school and on into my life at Northwestern.

The NY Times described Pinter's work as showing "the ominous in the everyday and the noise within silence". Director Peter Hall said "words are weapons that the characters use to discomfort or destroy each other." But my favorite is what Pinter himself said: "One way of looking at speech is to say it is a constant strategem to cover nakedness".

I know that somewhere, he has infiltrated my writer-self. I find it reassuring to think that the page does not always need to be filled up with dialogue, that sometimes pauses and what's going on in the subtext, under the surface, tells us much more. We need to show what our characters are doing, not simply let the reader hear what they're saying, especially when they contradict each other. We can't be afraid to let them be naked on the page.

Perhaps that's why I write some of my books in free verse - the sparseness of poetry lets you say worlds more than if you vomited words onto the page. And when you DO use words, they need to be the absolute best.

Whichever your medium is, choose your words, and your lack of words, carefully...then let your characters have fun filling the spaces!

Leaving Home

2008-12-28T14:41:00.000-08:00

This could actually be Christmas in Connecticut, Part Two. The second picture is what I saw when I opened my curtains the morning I left Connecticut. In the first photo, there I am, looking like a tree trunk,...but without twinkly lights. Nobody told me it was BYOD (bring your own decorations). It was...brisk.

I realized, bringing my mom cross country to live in the wild, wild west, that something one of my best friends from CT told me wasn't quite true. "You'll never be back, now." I figured he had a good chance of being right, but that somehow I couldn't quite let go my hold of such a big part of me. I'd have to get back - to see the few remaining friends there, to crunch through magnificently painted fallen leaves in Autumn, to savor Tulmeadow Farm's amazing ice cream, to kayak down a sleepy river. But what if he were right? What if, like Thomas Wolfe says, you can't go home again? Then it dawned on me - whether I ever physically go home again or not, all I need to do is close my eyes and be still and I'm there. Imagination is a lot like Dorothy's ruby slippers. Whether it's home we're going to or a place we've invented in one of our books, it's all quite real, and it's all right there.

Christmas in Connecticut

2008-12-22T17:31:00.000-08:00

My whirlwind trip to the frosty East has come to an end. It more closely resembles the sugar frosted East, dusted by a generous dose of light, fluffy snow - things Sugar Plum Fairy dreams are made of. The first reminder I got that life is different here in a winter's storm is the hush that falls with the snow. You can hear your breath as it puffs into miniature clouds before you.

As I left my childhood home, for good this time, mom-in-tow, we walked into a snow globe of remembrance, heralded into the next chapter by the honks of close-by geese. Whether they were saying goodbye or merely irked at the change in weather, I'll never know. I believe they were calling goodbye. Especially in this season of Christmas, I believe.

2008-12-18T18:08:00.000-08:00

I flew cross country - yes, over the Christmas holidays. There's not much more excitement than boarding a plane at 5:30 a.m. (I am NOT a morning person...the skycap had to ask me 3 different times where I was going before I correctly answered), stuffing yourself and your bags into a tiny seat next to people fighting you for the armrests, then being told you're heading back to the gate due to electrical problems...just after you took the meds your doctor gave you that would just barely, maybe, last long enough to keep your eardrums from shattering by the time you landed two planes later (because "you REALLY shouldn't be flying"). But wait, there's more!

Securely wedged among sleep deprived passengers, you are suddenly grateful for your recent sleep deprivation due to night time hot flashes (yes, much too young for that, and no, they are not like quick trips to the tropics) because you're not feeling tired. In fact, you're almost energized. You're feeling alive and upbeat...and like it might be time for a bathroom break...except the guy on the aisle is sound asleep and sprawled across every inch he has and much of yours...including the armrest.

In desperation, you wonder how good those throw-up bags are...then remember that at least you'll be able to use this in a novel...if you don't lose the use of your right arm from lack of armrest space. :)

2008-12-18T18:02:00.000-08:00

I've been delinquent. There's no other word. Well, actually, there are a lot of other words. Hey, there's a fun challenge - what UNUSUAL words can you come up with for a newly-blogging person who lapses for far too long? We'll make it a contest. The winner gets...publicity! Notariaty! Possibly humiliation or public outcry! Results posted after New Years, so keep 'em coming!

So back to my lapse - no, enough of that. I fell off the horse. I'm back on. Giddy up.

Speaking of horses, I once (note: ONCE is an important word) rode horseback with my husband on a Mexican beach. Ahh, the thrill of GALLOPING, full speed, manes (mine and the horse's) whipping behind us, salt spray lashing my sun-kissed skin, derriere aching as it slapped against the WOODEN saddle. Now you understand why "once" was the operative word. I had bruises, and couldn't even show them off.

But, all's well that ends well (pun intended). I'll probably use it in a book one day.

2008-12-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered if there's a writing gene? Me neither, until now. I took my athletic daughter (talk about a random gene!) to her friends at the orthopoedic doctor's office last week because, as it turned out, she chipped or fractured a bone chip or something else really odd by whacking her elbow on a door. This is a kid who flies over hurdles, skied down black diamond slopes her third time on the mountain, dives off the 10 meter springboard and makes it look good, and fences. But put her in real life, and she is, like moi, a klutz.

I danced for years and years but am always walking into walls, tripping, and other not-so-graceful things. Do you know I got chin stitches in the ER next to a skate board dude and a roller blader? I was the only one who didn't have "teen" in their age. How do I break bones or tear ligaments? Let's see...playing Blind Man's Bluff, skipping...the embarrassing list goes on and on.

So I wondered, is there a klutz gene? Did I pass it onto my daughter?

Then my mind went to, is there a writing gene? Does it lurk, waiting for you to ignite it? My grandfather was a fabulous writer. He never wrote professionally, but his comments found their way into the NY Times OpEd pages when he had something fun to say. Both my parents can spin a good quill, as well.

As opposed to the klutz gene, which I'm still not sure you can purposely nurture or deliberately overcome, I think you can both nurture a writing gene, and overcome your lack of one. Unlike things like blue eyes and curly hair, this one comes from work, plain and simple. It's time in your chair, writing. It's time reading - lots of time reading. It's time putting your manuscripts into critique situations, opening your mind, rolling up your sleeves, and delving in again. It's classes. It's inspiration. It's persistance.

So here I go, back to my computer...padded, just to be on the safe side!

2008-11-30T21:10:00.001-08:00

Now that the boxes are gone, we finally got around to unwrapping our art, in the hopes of adding some character to our walls. Some of the finds were like unwrapping old friends. Others...

Had our taste simply changed in nine months? Or was it that distance made us look twice at some of the things we thought we loved? We said things like, "how could we have picked THAT frame?" Or, "Honey, um, do you still like this?" Thankfully, we were on the same page with almost every piece.

I started thinking how it's a lot like our manuscripts. We LOVE them when they're hot off our computers, but thank goodness we know enough to put them aside for a time, then go back and take another look. A re-vision. Time may seem like an eternity while we put things aside, but it's well worth the wait.

Thank goodness for time. Thank goodness for revision. And thank goodness for those REALLY objective eyes of fabulous critique group writers!! More on that in another post!

2008-11-26T17:50:00.001-08:00

It's the day before Thanksgiving. I started the day almost jumping through the roof of my car as an almost-ex-crow fell out of the tree above me, right onto my windshield. The day improved when I got to watch amazing 2nd graders in Pilgrim outfits, then hugged my son through a very painful finger procedure. But the best was volunteering at St. Monica's annual feed and clothe the hungry and homeless.

The photo shows the Boutique room BEFORE over 1000 fed and joy-filled people got to shop for warm clothes, sleeping bags, ponchos and toiletries. I was going to post the picture with me in it, but it's not about me. There was the man who was sober three days, whose eyes twinkled more than a kid's Christmas morning. There was the young guy sporting new shoes, because he had just received birthday money from his mom and his feet were no longer cold. There was the overwhelming feeling of gratitude for a slice of turkey, a piece of pie, and a few hours of respect. I am humbled, grateful for my blessings, and grateful I got to volunteer again this year.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

2008-11-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

I've had a lot of comments on my acting pix, and thought about an interesting connection to writing. I promise I'll get there in a sec. When you think of acting, you may get mental images of young Hollywood in rehab or who's got the biggest...um, ego. Personally, I think it's all about heart. You'v got to not only love the art, but love the process. With acting, there's the challenge of nailing a character somebody else wrote, then finding all those nuances that only you can bring to that character. There's the challenge of connecting with the other actors and connecting with the audience (if it's live).

WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH WRITING?

Everything. First, you've got to love the process. Next, maybe because of my acting background, I write from the heart, and I write from character. Hunh? Bascially, in my first drafts I can't plot myself out of a paper bag. THANK GOODNESS for first drafts! If you've got character, you know what makes their heart beat...you've got voice. So write from the heart - the plot will follow. It may be several revisions later, but it will come, so trust your heart.

2008-11-21T11:52:00.000-08:00

I'm baaa-aaack! In the past week, I've gained a new understanding of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. We supposedly moved back home, but this week our house has been inhabited by not only box sculptures, but all kinds of creatures...painters, plumbers, electricians, contractors, TV installation people, phone people (they come from a VERY different world!)...you name it, they've been here.

This afternoon is the first moment my dog and I have been alone (soon to change, as more workmen are due shortly), and my feelings of unsettledness are on guard, but shifting. As I sit at my finally-connected computer (how is it possible that Verizon is still in business?!) in MY WRITING SPACE, looking at the BLOOMING plants we watered diligently during construction, I am grateful for change, and grateful for growth. I hope that, once the dust settles, I'll discover that change and growth have found their way into not only my garden, but my writing as well. A few more boxes to unpack, then back to manuscripts!!

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!

Pack your way to a better novel

2008-11-11T21:00:00.000-08:00

We're moving soon, so our house looks like what I imagine Costco's back room to look like...except with less stuff. ..and less cool stuff. We have box sculptures everywhere, and the constant cry of "who has the packing tape?" echoes through our emptying rooms.

As I was packing, I practiced the new family motto of "if you haven't used it in a year, send it to Goodwill". As my packing pile diminished, I felt the way I do when I revise a manuscript - elated that I was getting to the core of what makes me tick, with a few interesting things left that make me who I am. Who can get rid of the mini chattering teeth (I use them for school visits because one of my poems mentions dentures, and hey, they're fun!). And what about the paperweights that say "believe"? Gotta keep those. But life is definitely too short to wear those cute shoes that kill my feet.

With a manuscript, I love the freedom of that first 'throw it on the wall' draft. But then the real craft starts. I weed out the tangents that don't move the story forward, keep the details that make my characters who they are. Too much that's NOT needed takes our focus away from what we really need. Unlike Goodwill, if I throw out something I end up needing later, it's only a saved revision away!

Back to packing!

2008-11-08T16:53:00.000-08:00

SCBWI-LA

I've been Regional Advisor, along with Edie Pagliasotti (she's as fun as her name!) since 2000, and I still say this region rocks! Joan Charles, Jane Smith and their team put on an amazing Illustrator's Day today. Art directors, illustrators, stories from the trenches, great tips, and contests with REALLY FABULOUS prizes (like postcards of the winner's art to send out) helped to make it an inspirational day for all of us, writers and illustrators alike.

For more info on upcoming events in the tri-regions of Los Angeles, stay plugged into http://www.scbwisocal.org/

Come and be inspired!