Perhaps a little-known market for articles written for kids? KidSpot in the Christian Science Monitor. During baseball's All Star game week, they published a piece I wrote about the song "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." That short piece had a long germination period. I think it was over two years ago that I first heard about the song on NPR while driving in the car. All I could do was scribble myself a note, but my curiosity was piqued, big time. After all, the famous song was about to celebrate an anniversary and it was written on a NYC subway by a man who didn't know much about baseball.
Being a former reference librarian, I took to the library (both real and cyber) and found out more. I'd already begun to hang out in the baseball section, researching Mickey Mantle for my WIP about spring training, kind of. So this was fun research!
I submitted the piece to a children's magazine that had previously published my work and they love references. But after missing one baseball season while they considered it, I decided to look elsewhere for a market when I realized it was going to miss baseball season again-- and its 100th anniversary!
Check out the writers' guidelines for KidSpot. They are looking for short non-fiction pieces. Just the kind of work a former school and reference librarian, and a baseball fan, craves.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Reading the Internet...
One of the many writing emails I receive just posted a helpful/ funny/ interesting chat with that sneaky Anonymous Editor whose blog we love.
http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/rx/tr01/eanonymous.shtml
http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/rx/tr01/eanonymous.shtml
Monday, July 21, 2008
SCBWI Weekend in Maryland
Because so many of my writer friends have emailed to ask about the SCBWI weekend conference at McDaniel College, I'll write my reaction here instead of repeating myself in emails to you. Because I do not have the permission of the editors and agents who were there, I have decided to speak in more general terms instead of quoting them verbatim. If any of you would like to know more, feel free to email me.
On Saturday morning as soon as I picked up my materials, I was met by Naomi who was in charge of critiques with such enthusiasm that I thought I'd won the doorprize. Nope. One of the agents (Michelle Andelman of Andrea Brown) was a last minute cancellation and they had juggled the critiques and I was up first. I hustled on upstairs to meet with my critiquer who had some nice things and some helpful things to say about my middle-grade ms: Theo, Miss Sister and 16 Rules for Living at the Rest Easy (AKA Pretty Nearly).
That meant I missed most of the talk by a different agent: "So You Really Want a Literary Agent" but he spoke about query letters and the different ways to snag that elusive agent. Of course, the best way would be a Query with a referral from a client of theirs, a published author, or an editor interested in your manuscript. A second potential agent-getter is to query with an offer from a publisher. Also helpful: query as a published author or solicited from an agent at a conference. His last remark: "No agent is better than a bad agent" had heads nodding in agreement. Judging from the Q&A afterwards, an agent is much desired and hard to get.
Next up was Jean Gralley an illustrator who opened our minds to the potential new genre of digital picture books. I admit to spending the first moments organizing my handouts for the conference but in about one minute, make that 5 seconds, I looked up and didn't let my attention waver again. Amazing presentation on what could be the next interactive, playful, multi-dimensional "book" for young readers of all interests and abilities.
The morning workshops covered the gamut for illustrators, new writers and jaded hard-working seasoned types. I chose an editor's talk on "Tales from the Slush Pile." The market is saturated, times are tight. Save time and postage by targeting the publishers who not only take unsolicited mss but might be likely to publish yours. In her opinion, the "do's" to include in your cover letter are your relevant experience, any previous (again, relevant) publications, if you're a member of SCBWI or have taken classes, etc, and the inspiration for your book if it is interesting. A very brief sentence about your professional qualifications can be included. She repeated the oft-told advice that editors are busy and impatient people who love to find reasons to stop reading. She reads like a kid so make your opening lines sing. A quote-- perhaps a paraphrase-- from Richard Peck: "You are only as good as your opening lines." Oh, and Mr. Peck says he goes through as many as 25 revisions before he gets it right.
From this editor, and often during the weekend, we heard her list of what makes a good book:
1. Authentic, true voice
2. Natural-sounding dialog
3. Deftly realized time and place
4. Characters who make things happen
5. Truths that arise organically from characters' actions and development
She's drawn to funny and quirky, a unique voice, and character-driven stories.
Sorry to report folks, sweet is not selling.
This editor recommended an article in the Sept/October 2006 issue of Horn Book Magazine about good opening lines. I'll look for that at the library.
(I'll skip quickly over lunch. It was a college cafeteria.)
The very young editor who spoke to the large group in the afternoon was bookish, well-spoken, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I loved what she had to say about VOICE: What it is and Why it Makes Editors Go Ga-Ga. From Lily's Purple Plastic Purse to A Northern Light, both personal favorites of mine, she gave examples of how much care goes into each word, the specific word choices and how they speak to voice. Text from a page of a book she edited, another all-time favorite, Ida B looked fabulous projected large on the screen. Made me think about how words, paragraphs, dialog look to these elusive editors and agents reading our mss. She cautioned us about finding those perfect words: "The ear is important. Get rid of words that niggle at you every time you read them." I have some of those words. They need replacing.
Other advice about what makes a good voice? Cohesiveness, energy--a good voice propels us through the story, and authority/ confidence. Authority is not false, not an imitation. You must know everything about the character to consider him the story teller.
I spent my afternoon workshop with Jen Bryant listening to her speak about "the marriage of fact and fiction." Just sitting there inspired me. Although she also spoke about the publishing process (multiple submissions are good), she told us about how she researches her non-fiction, how she gets her ideas. Her picture book biography about Georgia O'Keefe, Georgia's Bones, is witness to her process, a beautiful and fascinating book. She cautioned us that if we are "real" writers, we should write every day. "You'd better love the process because you spend a lot of time with your laptop, the dog, and a pb and j sandwich." I hope I'll be forgiven if that was a paraphrase. Jen said so many things worth writing down.
Our last session was an agent panel that consisted mostly of a Q&A with the two agents, mostly about their current likes. Both agreed that the agent/ client relationship is longterm.
On Sunday, our first gathering featured an amazing writer with an ability to speak succinctly, intelligently and humorously, a tall order. Over my career as a librarian, I've heard almost every writer who's on the circuit speak and Cynthia Lord's talk this morning was one of the best.
If you haven't read her Newbery Honor book, RULES, I suggest you put it on the top of your list. Writing about an autistic boy and his sibling, she went for funny. Some of the stories she told us about the publishing process and the heartfelt letters she receives from kids, teachers, parents were worth the price of the conference. She repeated what I'd heard before about how to get more emotion (her editor suggested she needed this) into a scene. Imagine a time you felt the same as your character. The details don't have to match, just the feeling. Because of her clear explanation and concrete example, I finally got this exercize. The title of Cynthia Lord's talk was The Pluses and Perils of "Writing What You Know." I have pages of notes from this talk and will revisit and absorb and perhaps blog about this terrific session later.
As she does with her younger audiences, she passed around her Newbery Medal plaque and we were invited to touch it and make a wish! Even the most cynical (that would be moi...) in the group participated...
I spent the the afternoon break-out session with the young editor who'd spoken about voice on Saturday. Her talk was "The Very Beginning: Hook a Reader (and an Editor!)" and she used lots of examples. A good beginning should give the reader a sense of what the book is about, something to connect to, and it should make you want to read more. Again, every word is there for a reason. Obvious stuff but difficult to pull off.
The agent who spoke in the afternoon to the entire Sunday group gave us Career Lessons. First we should figure out who we are, as our writing is about all we have control over in this business. Also for consideration, where are you in your career? Write your goals, say them aloud. And be sure they are goals you have control over. By selecting children's books we all know and love, she gave fun to consider examples and advice, much food for thought.
In closing, we had a Q&A with all the presenters, writers, agents, illustrators and publishers. Some of the tips that came from this panel: Editors often read the blogs, check facebook pages, go to websites of writers who submit to them. But before we scurry off to furiously send off manuscripts, we need to spend time with their take-home advice. Let things digest. Make the opening lines sing.
This was one of the best organized and worthwhile conferences I've attended. Thanks to my NYC New School former classmate Mona Kerby and her committee for a weekend well spent.
Now, off to make those opening lines sing.
On Saturday morning as soon as I picked up my materials, I was met by Naomi who was in charge of critiques with such enthusiasm that I thought I'd won the doorprize. Nope. One of the agents (Michelle Andelman of Andrea Brown) was a last minute cancellation and they had juggled the critiques and I was up first. I hustled on upstairs to meet with my critiquer who had some nice things and some helpful things to say about my middle-grade ms: Theo, Miss Sister and 16 Rules for Living at the Rest Easy (AKA Pretty Nearly).
That meant I missed most of the talk by a different agent: "So You Really Want a Literary Agent" but he spoke about query letters and the different ways to snag that elusive agent. Of course, the best way would be a Query with a referral from a client of theirs, a published author, or an editor interested in your manuscript. A second potential agent-getter is to query with an offer from a publisher. Also helpful: query as a published author or solicited from an agent at a conference. His last remark: "No agent is better than a bad agent" had heads nodding in agreement. Judging from the Q&A afterwards, an agent is much desired and hard to get.
Next up was Jean Gralley an illustrator who opened our minds to the potential new genre of digital picture books. I admit to spending the first moments organizing my handouts for the conference but in about one minute, make that 5 seconds, I looked up and didn't let my attention waver again. Amazing presentation on what could be the next interactive, playful, multi-dimensional "book" for young readers of all interests and abilities.
The morning workshops covered the gamut for illustrators, new writers and jaded hard-working seasoned types. I chose an editor's talk on "Tales from the Slush Pile." The market is saturated, times are tight. Save time and postage by targeting the publishers who not only take unsolicited mss but might be likely to publish yours. In her opinion, the "do's" to include in your cover letter are your relevant experience, any previous (again, relevant) publications, if you're a member of SCBWI or have taken classes, etc, and the inspiration for your book if it is interesting. A very brief sentence about your professional qualifications can be included. She repeated the oft-told advice that editors are busy and impatient people who love to find reasons to stop reading. She reads like a kid so make your opening lines sing. A quote-- perhaps a paraphrase-- from Richard Peck: "You are only as good as your opening lines." Oh, and Mr. Peck says he goes through as many as 25 revisions before he gets it right.
From this editor, and often during the weekend, we heard her list of what makes a good book:
1. Authentic, true voice
2. Natural-sounding dialog
3. Deftly realized time and place
4. Characters who make things happen
5. Truths that arise organically from characters' actions and development
She's drawn to funny and quirky, a unique voice, and character-driven stories.
Sorry to report folks, sweet is not selling.
This editor recommended an article in the Sept/October 2006 issue of Horn Book Magazine about good opening lines. I'll look for that at the library.
(I'll skip quickly over lunch. It was a college cafeteria.)
The very young editor who spoke to the large group in the afternoon was bookish, well-spoken, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I loved what she had to say about VOICE: What it is and Why it Makes Editors Go Ga-Ga. From Lily's Purple Plastic Purse to A Northern Light, both personal favorites of mine, she gave examples of how much care goes into each word, the specific word choices and how they speak to voice. Text from a page of a book she edited, another all-time favorite, Ida B looked fabulous projected large on the screen. Made me think about how words, paragraphs, dialog look to these elusive editors and agents reading our mss. She cautioned us about finding those perfect words: "The ear is important. Get rid of words that niggle at you every time you read them." I have some of those words. They need replacing.
Other advice about what makes a good voice? Cohesiveness, energy--a good voice propels us through the story, and authority/ confidence. Authority is not false, not an imitation. You must know everything about the character to consider him the story teller.
I spent my afternoon workshop with Jen Bryant listening to her speak about "the marriage of fact and fiction." Just sitting there inspired me. Although she also spoke about the publishing process (multiple submissions are good), she told us about how she researches her non-fiction, how she gets her ideas. Her picture book biography about Georgia O'Keefe, Georgia's Bones, is witness to her process, a beautiful and fascinating book. She cautioned us that if we are "real" writers, we should write every day. "You'd better love the process because you spend a lot of time with your laptop, the dog, and a pb and j sandwich." I hope I'll be forgiven if that was a paraphrase. Jen said so many things worth writing down.
Our last session was an agent panel that consisted mostly of a Q&A with the two agents, mostly about their current likes. Both agreed that the agent/ client relationship is longterm.
On Sunday, our first gathering featured an amazing writer with an ability to speak succinctly, intelligently and humorously, a tall order. Over my career as a librarian, I've heard almost every writer who's on the circuit speak and Cynthia Lord's talk this morning was one of the best.
If you haven't read her Newbery Honor book, RULES, I suggest you put it on the top of your list. Writing about an autistic boy and his sibling, she went for funny. Some of the stories she told us about the publishing process and the heartfelt letters she receives from kids, teachers, parents were worth the price of the conference. She repeated what I'd heard before about how to get more emotion (her editor suggested she needed this) into a scene. Imagine a time you felt the same as your character. The details don't have to match, just the feeling. Because of her clear explanation and concrete example, I finally got this exercize. The title of Cynthia Lord's talk was The Pluses and Perils of "Writing What You Know." I have pages of notes from this talk and will revisit and absorb and perhaps blog about this terrific session later.
As she does with her younger audiences, she passed around her Newbery Medal plaque and we were invited to touch it and make a wish! Even the most cynical (that would be moi...) in the group participated...
I spent the the afternoon break-out session with the young editor who'd spoken about voice on Saturday. Her talk was "The Very Beginning: Hook a Reader (and an Editor!)" and she used lots of examples. A good beginning should give the reader a sense of what the book is about, something to connect to, and it should make you want to read more. Again, every word is there for a reason. Obvious stuff but difficult to pull off.
The agent who spoke in the afternoon to the entire Sunday group gave us Career Lessons. First we should figure out who we are, as our writing is about all we have control over in this business. Also for consideration, where are you in your career? Write your goals, say them aloud. And be sure they are goals you have control over. By selecting children's books we all know and love, she gave fun to consider examples and advice, much food for thought.
In closing, we had a Q&A with all the presenters, writers, agents, illustrators and publishers. Some of the tips that came from this panel: Editors often read the blogs, check facebook pages, go to websites of writers who submit to them. But before we scurry off to furiously send off manuscripts, we need to spend time with their take-home advice. Let things digest. Make the opening lines sing.
This was one of the best organized and worthwhile conferences I've attended. Thanks to my NYC New School former classmate Mona Kerby and her committee for a weekend well spent.
Now, off to make those opening lines sing.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Opening the Book
Is there anything better than a beginning? Beginnings of many things-- with the possible exception of a head cold or a tick bite (both of which I had last week...). But since this is a book-related blog, I mean here, the beginning of a book.
Having read a few reviews that piqued my interest, I raced on over to the library (OK, I clicked on over to their website) to reserve THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE. I had to wait a while to move up on the list, but yesterday the book arrived and I brought it home.
I love the mystery of a book's beginning. Where will we go on this journey? Why does Chapter 1 open in Korea, 1952? From the reviews, I thought I'd be reading about dogs, Wisconsin, farms, a family. But wait. Read on. By page 9, I was hooked, reading about Edgar's grandfather and his "extra share of whimsy." The words! The family's story! The dogs! And most of all, the amazing writing. I stayed up way too late and am now fighting the urge to move away from my work at this computer and read some more.
This is why I love good beginnings. For me, there're all optimism and anticipation, a sense that the book will take me on a new journey, entertain me, teach me. I can sense that this is a book to be savored. I think I will return this library copy for others to enjoy and hustle on over to the bookstore for my own. Then I really love opening a book, the fresh cover and the never-turned pages, the stiff spine, the smell, the new words.
Having read a few reviews that piqued my interest, I raced on over to the library (OK, I clicked on over to their website) to reserve THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE. I had to wait a while to move up on the list, but yesterday the book arrived and I brought it home.
I love the mystery of a book's beginning. Where will we go on this journey? Why does Chapter 1 open in Korea, 1952? From the reviews, I thought I'd be reading about dogs, Wisconsin, farms, a family. But wait. Read on. By page 9, I was hooked, reading about Edgar's grandfather and his "extra share of whimsy." The words! The family's story! The dogs! And most of all, the amazing writing. I stayed up way too late and am now fighting the urge to move away from my work at this computer and read some more.
This is why I love good beginnings. For me, there're all optimism and anticipation, a sense that the book will take me on a new journey, entertain me, teach me. I can sense that this is a book to be savored. I think I will return this library copy for others to enjoy and hustle on over to the bookstore for my own. Then I really love opening a book, the fresh cover and the never-turned pages, the stiff spine, the smell, the new words.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Born to Read
Having just entertained two pre-readers, ages 2 and almost 5, for several days, I am remembering what Eudora Welty wrote about her early book experiences. Her mother read to her while she churned butter in the kitchen, while they rocked together, while they sat in front of a fire together.
She writes in the not-to-be missed One Writer's Beginnings:
"It had been startling and disappointing to me to find out that story books had been written by people, that books were not natural wonders, coming up of themselves like grass. Yet regardless of where they came from, I cannot remember a time when I was not in love with them--with the books themselves, cover and binding and the paper they were printed on, with their smell and their weight and with their possession in my arms, captured and carried off to myself."
Is there anything better than holding a child with a book in your lap, sitting next to a young child whose eyes grow bigger each time guessing the name of Rumpelstiltskin is attempted, or the fireflies blink on and off in Eric Carle's tiny masterpiece of a board book, or together with toddler, bid goodnight to the old lady whispering hush?
If only all our children adored books as much as Eudora Welty did.
She writes in the not-to-be missed One Writer's Beginnings:
"It had been startling and disappointing to me to find out that story books had been written by people, that books were not natural wonders, coming up of themselves like grass. Yet regardless of where they came from, I cannot remember a time when I was not in love with them--with the books themselves, cover and binding and the paper they were printed on, with their smell and their weight and with their possession in my arms, captured and carried off to myself."
Is there anything better than holding a child with a book in your lap, sitting next to a young child whose eyes grow bigger each time guessing the name of Rumpelstiltskin is attempted, or the fireflies blink on and off in Eric Carle's tiny masterpiece of a board book, or together with toddler, bid goodnight to the old lady whispering hush?
If only all our children adored books as much as Eudora Welty did.
Friday, June 27, 2008
The Dreaded Plot
Just for fun (ha!), I thought I'd try to write a short story. OK, actually I'd like to apply to the Writers in Paradise conference for next January and needed something other than my short essays and long mid-grade manuscript to submit with the application. So I started to write. And write. And write. And the story was really getting boring.
I decided to clean out my stacks of Writer Magazine dating back a few, well a lot, of years. And as usual, found some excellent advice. I think I'll tack this one on my closest empty surface:
In an article on plot by Jillian Abbott (Writer Magazine, May 2004) that includes quotes from Stuart Woods, Dennis Lehane, and Gayle Lynds, Stuart Woods writes
"Plotting is a process akin to a jazz improvisation: You establish a theme, then improvise on it. I do this on a chapter-by-chapter basis, planning the events that take place, then improvising the writing. I begin this improvisation with a situation (i.e. protagonist discovers skeleton) and build from there."
Great advice, though I'll have to ponder whether it will help me with this dreaded story. Now, off to discover some literary skeletons.
I decided to clean out my stacks of Writer Magazine dating back a few, well a lot, of years. And as usual, found some excellent advice. I think I'll tack this one on my closest empty surface:
In an article on plot by Jillian Abbott (Writer Magazine, May 2004) that includes quotes from Stuart Woods, Dennis Lehane, and Gayle Lynds, Stuart Woods writes
"Plotting is a process akin to a jazz improvisation: You establish a theme, then improvise on it. I do this on a chapter-by-chapter basis, planning the events that take place, then improvising the writing. I begin this improvisation with a situation (i.e. protagonist discovers skeleton) and build from there."
Great advice, though I'll have to ponder whether it will help me with this dreaded story. Now, off to discover some literary skeletons.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The last time I saw Paris...
I keep hoping somebody will take me to Paris. It's one of my favorite cities in the world, OK my favorite. But until I get there again, I can dream. And read. And write about eating there. Here's the book review that appeared in the Christian Science Monitor this week.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Reading and Writing
Today I hid in my basement, pretending to get organized. It was cool and restful and I unpacked a box or two. You know the type- boxes you never should have moved, the ones that have been sitting in a corner for two years. We needed the space so I promised to clear out the boxes. But I kept going back to a book I was reading. At first I needed to know if Sabine and Puck would be OK. It was an adventure story, a mystery. Then the rest of Kathi Appelt's new book, The Underneath, grabbed me and wouldn't let go. As I said, it was cool and restful in my basement, a perfect place to read. I finished it tonight and can't get it out of my head.
I'm really more of a dog person, if we have to take sides. But I know exactly what Appelt means when she writes Purring is not so different from praying. To a tree, a cat's purr is one of the purest of all prayers, for in it lies a whole mixture of gratitude and longing, the twin ingredients of every prayer.
I'm really more of a dog person, if we have to take sides. But I know exactly what Appelt means when she writes Purring is not so different from praying. To a tree, a cat's purr is one of the purest of all prayers, for in it lies a whole mixture of gratitude and longing, the twin ingredients of every prayer.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Writing about Fathers
For a long time, when Father's Day rolled around, I missed my dad. I was just out of college when he died, suddenly and sadly. I missed him on Father's Day. I missed him on Election Days (because he loved to debate local politics with me). I missed him on my wedding day. But that whole time heals all wounds has a bit of truth to it and now I just like thinking about him. So Father's Day seems the perfect time to remember my dad.
He was quite a character- a small town doctor who, it seemed, had set every broken arm and delivered most of the babies in our county. My brother and sister, who live closer to "home" than I do, still meet people who tell them about the time Daddy made a housecall at 3 in the morning, letting himself in the unlocked porch door, just to check on one of his patients. He loved to fish, his only escape from the telephone, and I wrote about the Christmas he surprised us (and tickled himself) with a blindfolded circuitous car trip to a cabin on the lake where he loved to fish. When that essay appeared in Delta Magazine , perfect strangers tracked down my email address to share stories about him. Some of the stories are quite colorful, not to be repeated in polite company. Yes, he was quite a character.
I'm working on another essay, one that started out being about the house I grew up in. We had a store room attached to our carport, filled with all sorts of exotic stuff. The more I wrote, the more I realized that it was really an essay about my father. A few years ago I spent a day with my Writing Group in a workshop led by Phyllis Theroux. In a corner of her notes about "Voice and the Personal Essay," I scribbled Small examples enable you to see the large idea. That's what this essay is turning into. Tiny memories of fish smells and rusty keys hanging on nails are turning into a piece that shows a father's devotion to his family. Now isn't that what Dad's Day should be all about?
He was quite a character- a small town doctor who, it seemed, had set every broken arm and delivered most of the babies in our county. My brother and sister, who live closer to "home" than I do, still meet people who tell them about the time Daddy made a housecall at 3 in the morning, letting himself in the unlocked porch door, just to check on one of his patients. He loved to fish, his only escape from the telephone, and I wrote about the Christmas he surprised us (and tickled himself) with a blindfolded circuitous car trip to a cabin on the lake where he loved to fish. When that essay appeared in Delta Magazine , perfect strangers tracked down my email address to share stories about him. Some of the stories are quite colorful, not to be repeated in polite company. Yes, he was quite a character.
I'm working on another essay, one that started out being about the house I grew up in. We had a store room attached to our carport, filled with all sorts of exotic stuff. The more I wrote, the more I realized that it was really an essay about my father. A few years ago I spent a day with my Writing Group in a workshop led by Phyllis Theroux. In a corner of her notes about "Voice and the Personal Essay," I scribbled Small examples enable you to see the large idea. That's what this essay is turning into. Tiny memories of fish smells and rusty keys hanging on nails are turning into a piece that shows a father's devotion to his family. Now isn't that what Dad's Day should be all about?
Friday, May 16, 2008
Naming Names
Choosing names is a lot more fun than picking a title. Early on I learned from the best. My friend and critique buddy, Leslie Guccione, guided me as I wrote a mid-grade novel in my first critique group. At first the sisters were named Virginia and Alice Ann. Nope, kids might be confused by Virginia. Even though the story takes place in 1964 and Virginia was more popular then, we (my critique group) decided most kids nowadays think of Virginia as a state. Then Jesslyn popped into my head, and it was the perfect name for a bossy, big sister. Alice Ann was working just fine until I read a new book, set in approximately the same time, with a main character named--you guessed it-- Alice Ann! So Alice Ann became Gloriana, Glory for short. Great name changes. Both girls grew into their names and were better for it.
In my current manuscript, the character is a 12-year-old boy who longs to play the piano. His uncle forbids him to, but he manages to find a way around Uncle Chester's rules. He started out as Shelton. Don't ask. The name appeared to me. I began this manuscript in the amazing Writing for Children class at the New School, taught by Bunny Gabel. A Southerner like me, she understands how wonderfully unusual Southern names might be but she pointed out that, on the first page of the earliest version, she didn't have a clear idea of whether Shelton was male or female. It took me over a year to go back to the drawing board and find him a new name. This piano-playing character is now named Theo, short for Thelonious Monk Smith. Destiny!
I love names, collect them in my head and in notebooks and on pieces of paper tucked into boxes. Southerners seem particularly adept at names. Names like Squirrel (it's true!), double-named girls, Big Jack and Little Jack (my brother and dad). Play around with the USA DeepSouth website if you want to know everything there is to know about Southern names.
Perhaps choosing the perfect name for a character is my way of avoiding the perfect plot. I could create names forever, but without a problem to solve, thorny issues to get in the way, and an interesting backstory, it's just a group of kids and their grownups sitting on the porch under the ceiling fan.
In my current manuscript, the character is a 12-year-old boy who longs to play the piano. His uncle forbids him to, but he manages to find a way around Uncle Chester's rules. He started out as Shelton. Don't ask. The name appeared to me. I began this manuscript in the amazing Writing for Children class at the New School, taught by Bunny Gabel. A Southerner like me, she understands how wonderfully unusual Southern names might be but she pointed out that, on the first page of the earliest version, she didn't have a clear idea of whether Shelton was male or female. It took me over a year to go back to the drawing board and find him a new name. This piano-playing character is now named Theo, short for Thelonious Monk Smith. Destiny!
I love names, collect them in my head and in notebooks and on pieces of paper tucked into boxes. Southerners seem particularly adept at names. Names like Squirrel (it's true!), double-named girls, Big Jack and Little Jack (my brother and dad). Play around with the USA DeepSouth website if you want to know everything there is to know about Southern names.
Perhaps choosing the perfect name for a character is my way of avoiding the perfect plot. I could create names forever, but without a problem to solve, thorny issues to get in the way, and an interesting backstory, it's just a group of kids and their grownups sitting on the porch under the ceiling fan.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
My Meme
I've been tagged by Barbara O'Connor, for the following meme:
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.
What were you doing ten years ago?
Hard at work at my library at the Kent Place School.
What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order):
1. Finish the review I'mwriting for the Christian Science Monitor on a wonderful book: HUNGRY FOR PARIS.
2. Take a walk.
3. Go to my Writers' Group.
4. Fly to Tampa.
5. Pack for my friend Patty's daughter's wedding.
What are some snacks you enjoy?
Pita sea salt crackers
Nuts
Greek yogurt
What would you do if you were a billionaire?
Wow. Give me a minute.
What are three of your bad habits?
Bossing people around (Hey, I'm a Leo.)
No tolerance for people who are habitually late.
Reading in bed with a bag of pita chips.
What are five places where you have lived?
Cleveland, Mississippi
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Newport, R.I.
Baltimore, MD
Chatham, NJ
St. Petersburg, FL
(whoops, that was six. And I had to leave out a few.)
What are five jobs you have had?
Lifeguard/ swimming instructor
Camp Counselor
Library assistant at the Harvard Medical School library
School librarian
Writer
What people do you want to tag?
Wendy Mass, Greg Neri, Janet McLaughlin
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.
What were you doing ten years ago?
Hard at work at my library at the Kent Place School.
What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order):
1. Finish the review I'mwriting for the Christian Science Monitor on a wonderful book: HUNGRY FOR PARIS.
2. Take a walk.
3. Go to my Writers' Group.
4. Fly to Tampa.
5. Pack for my friend Patty's daughter's wedding.
What are some snacks you enjoy?
Pita sea salt crackers
Nuts
Greek yogurt
What would you do if you were a billionaire?
Wow. Give me a minute.
What are three of your bad habits?
Bossing people around (Hey, I'm a Leo.)
No tolerance for people who are habitually late.
Reading in bed with a bag of pita chips.
What are five places where you have lived?
Cleveland, Mississippi
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Newport, R.I.
Baltimore, MD
Chatham, NJ
St. Petersburg, FL
(whoops, that was six. And I had to leave out a few.)
What are five jobs you have had?
Lifeguard/ swimming instructor
Camp Counselor
Library assistant at the Harvard Medical School library
School librarian
Writer
What people do you want to tag?
Wendy Mass, Greg Neri, Janet McLaughlin
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Title Picking
Titles are really hard for me. I latch onto one that should be considered a "working title" and then abolished forever, and I can't let it go. This is the case of my mid-grade ms about Sister Cockersole and the Rest Easy Boarding House. Originally it was known (only to me) as Train Doctor. Don't ask. Then it became Pretty Nearly, which has a nice ring. But some thought that meant nothing (some, obviously not Southern). So I'm going with Sixteen Rules for Living at the Rest Easy. At least for now.
I put that title into Lulu's titlescorer. A handy little gadget, probably useless in the real world, but kind of fun. Having read about it in The Writer Magazine, I figured it might be legit. So I filled in the blanks and tried out Sixteen Rules for Living at the Rest Easy. Turns out my novel has a 14 % chance of becoming a best seller with that title. But I'm not sure the folks at Lulu are up on the latest kids' book titles. How to Steal a Dog. Higher Power of Lucky. Dancing in Red Shoes Will Kill You.
I could go on and on with the funny, quirky, often very long titles writers give their books for kids.
Titles for essays are easier. And often get changed so it doesn't seem to matter that much what I title an essay. Editors, especially newspaper editors, have a real knack for writing catchy titles.
I like what Linda George advises in an article on the ICL website- Titles should be fun to say out loud. I think I need more alliteration. More fun. Back to work on my Sixteen Rules thing.
I put that title into Lulu's titlescorer. A handy little gadget, probably useless in the real world, but kind of fun. Having read about it in The Writer Magazine, I figured it might be legit. So I filled in the blanks and tried out Sixteen Rules for Living at the Rest Easy. Turns out my novel has a 14 % chance of becoming a best seller with that title. But I'm not sure the folks at Lulu are up on the latest kids' book titles. How to Steal a Dog. Higher Power of Lucky. Dancing in Red Shoes Will Kill You.
I could go on and on with the funny, quirky, often very long titles writers give their books for kids.
Titles for essays are easier. And often get changed so it doesn't seem to matter that much what I title an essay. Editors, especially newspaper editors, have a real knack for writing catchy titles.
I like what Linda George advises in an article on the ICL website- Titles should be fun to say out loud. I think I need more alliteration. More fun. Back to work on my Sixteen Rules thing.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Book Groups
My original Book Group lasted 25 years. Can you believe that? We finally fell apart as some of us moved and some of us decided eating and chatting was more fun than talking about books. But a new group quickly rose from those embers and is still going strong.
I was asked to edit the Under the Covers column for Skirt! Magazine a few years ago and have almost never lacked friends, family, friends of friends and complete strangers willing and eager to tell me about their Book Groups.
Although the Book Groups are not on the Skirt! website, there are lots of other reasons to visit the site. Essays, especially. I mostly love the essays and have written a couple for the magazine. One of my favorite pieces was about the time my friend Sandra and I had lunch with Andy Warhol. True story. The lunch was arranged by a friend of my friend's. Southerners are like that. The essay started out about that lunch and ended up being about my friend. Essays can be like that.
But back to Book Groups. How strongly women feel about theirs. The friendships they make and the books they read. The food they eat and the gossip. I've discovered that women will travel back to previous addresses to stay in touch with their group. They move and start a new group, unable to bear the thought of not having that connection. Age doesn't seem to be a common denominator. The groups I hear from are multi-generational. Reading books together is a powerful way to make a connection.
Two submissions actually came from a grandmother and her granddaughter. The grandmother was almost 80 and in a group of retirees that didn't read most of the books but loved hearing about them from a proprietor of an independent bookstore. Her granddaughter works in publishing and lives around books all day. She and her friend make up a Book Group, of sorts, consisting of just the two of them. They meet over drinks and discuss what they are reading.
And isn't that enough? A friend, a glass of wine and a good book?
I was asked to edit the Under the Covers column for Skirt! Magazine a few years ago and have almost never lacked friends, family, friends of friends and complete strangers willing and eager to tell me about their Book Groups.
Although the Book Groups are not on the Skirt! website, there are lots of other reasons to visit the site. Essays, especially. I mostly love the essays and have written a couple for the magazine. One of my favorite pieces was about the time my friend Sandra and I had lunch with Andy Warhol. True story. The lunch was arranged by a friend of my friend's. Southerners are like that. The essay started out about that lunch and ended up being about my friend. Essays can be like that.
But back to Book Groups. How strongly women feel about theirs. The friendships they make and the books they read. The food they eat and the gossip. I've discovered that women will travel back to previous addresses to stay in touch with their group. They move and start a new group, unable to bear the thought of not having that connection. Age doesn't seem to be a common denominator. The groups I hear from are multi-generational. Reading books together is a powerful way to make a connection.
Two submissions actually came from a grandmother and her granddaughter. The grandmother was almost 80 and in a group of retirees that didn't read most of the books but loved hearing about them from a proprietor of an independent bookstore. Her granddaughter works in publishing and lives around books all day. She and her friend make up a Book Group, of sorts, consisting of just the two of them. They meet over drinks and discuss what they are reading.
And isn't that enough? A friend, a glass of wine and a good book?
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Book Reviewing: Write about what you know (Books!) or what you want to know more about (More Books!)
When I first left librarianing to set off on a writing life, my friend Beth Jacks offered up a suggestion. I could write book reviews about southern books, on her fun website USADeepsouth. Great practice and a good way to read new, interesting books. I love the South, I love reading. I accepted her offer.
About this time, I heard writer Betty Hicks at a New School panel on Writing for Children in New York City. I love these evenings and always take away a gem from whoever is speaking. Betty Hicks mentioned writing reviews as a good excuse to read all the latest kids' books, a way to keep up with the industry. Now that I'd left my connection to kids and books (said job as a school librarian), this seemed like a perfect fit for me. I followed her advice and applied to review books for a Children's Literature website.
Then I discovered Crescent Blues and Jean Marie Ward, editor extraordinaire. Jean Marie would force me to think about verbs like I hadn't thought about them since Mrs. Effie Glassco's senior English class (that would be Cleveland, MS. HIGH SCHOOL senior English). Too many "wases" and she'd reject. And forget that contrary helping verb "has." Passive voice= sinful! So I learned to write tight reviews that were interesting to read or I would be dismissed from the job. Crescent Blues is no longer publishing book reviews but I learned a lot there.
Did I mention the job of book reviewing is no way to earn a living? Just free books, free exposure, and a terrific way to read and think.
Sometimes getting a foot into a book reviewing door can be elusive. I just missed a connection to my local newspaper when they changed Book editors. I've had other near misses, which shall remain nameless. I queried the Christian Science Monitor's editor a couple of times before she accepted one of my favorite new books. Greetings from Nowhere.
So, like most other writing gigs, persistance pays off. It also pays to make deadlines, write well, be honest, stick to your word count, and watch out for all those "to be" verbs! Thanks, Jean Marie.
What I've learned along the way about book reviewing:
1. Read the book, maybe more than once.
2. Sticky notes are your friend.
3. If you review a book by someone you know, or by a publisher/agent/ publicist you are courting, be honest or don't write the review.
4. Book reviews, other than the short evaluations for industry pubs, should be well written and worth reading, even fun/challenging/ eye-opening, just like any good writing.
5. A good review contains a sentence or two about the author, mention of the plot, something juicy about the characters/setting/ style- Is it humorous? laugh-out-loud funny? Snappy dialogue?
Final piece of advice- When the pile by your chair teeters precariously higher than the dog, you have too many books to read.
About this time, I heard writer Betty Hicks at a New School panel on Writing for Children in New York City. I love these evenings and always take away a gem from whoever is speaking. Betty Hicks mentioned writing reviews as a good excuse to read all the latest kids' books, a way to keep up with the industry. Now that I'd left my connection to kids and books (said job as a school librarian), this seemed like a perfect fit for me. I followed her advice and applied to review books for a Children's Literature website.
Then I discovered Crescent Blues and Jean Marie Ward, editor extraordinaire. Jean Marie would force me to think about verbs like I hadn't thought about them since Mrs. Effie Glassco's senior English class (that would be Cleveland, MS. HIGH SCHOOL senior English). Too many "wases" and she'd reject. And forget that contrary helping verb "has." Passive voice= sinful! So I learned to write tight reviews that were interesting to read or I would be dismissed from the job. Crescent Blues is no longer publishing book reviews but I learned a lot there.
Did I mention the job of book reviewing is no way to earn a living? Just free books, free exposure, and a terrific way to read and think.
Sometimes getting a foot into a book reviewing door can be elusive. I just missed a connection to my local newspaper when they changed Book editors. I've had other near misses, which shall remain nameless. I queried the Christian Science Monitor's editor a couple of times before she accepted one of my favorite new books. Greetings from Nowhere.
So, like most other writing gigs, persistance pays off. It also pays to make deadlines, write well, be honest, stick to your word count, and watch out for all those "to be" verbs! Thanks, Jean Marie.
What I've learned along the way about book reviewing:
1. Read the book, maybe more than once.
2. Sticky notes are your friend.
3. If you review a book by someone you know, or by a publisher/agent/ publicist you are courting, be honest or don't write the review.
4. Book reviews, other than the short evaluations for industry pubs, should be well written and worth reading, even fun/challenging/ eye-opening, just like any good writing.
5. A good review contains a sentence or two about the author, mention of the plot, something juicy about the characters/setting/ style- Is it humorous? laugh-out-loud funny? Snappy dialogue?
Final piece of advice- When the pile by your chair teeters precariously higher than the dog, you have too many books to read.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Reading and Watching
Today was the first ACC Tournament game for my beloved Tarheels. Love, love, love the team this year. I'm amazed to think about how many seasons we've spent in front of the TV watching great teams and ok teams since Jay and I graduated from Chapel Hill. From our student days when we'd sneak into Dr. Fogle's class late, having stood in line to get our tickets, right up to now, we've never not cheered on the basketball teams. Those years in the early 80s when I'd watch with my next-door neighbors, Paula and Charlie. Then the fun games with Nonie and Brooke at their house in Summit. Nonie's daughter's friends claimed it was as much fun watching us watch the 'heels as it was watching the game. Brooke still leaves the TV if they get down by the slightest of margins. All his fault if they're losing, yessireee!
Today I kept getting distracted from the game --pretty hard for me to do-- by a book I'd just picked up at the library. Laurie Halse Anderson's newest YA page-turner, Twisted. I mean, there's no way that book was written by a non-teenaged boy! She really nailed the characters, all of them. Hannah, the perfect rendition of a kid sister/ h.s. freshman. And Tyler. Wow is all I can say.
But of course, I did read mostly during commercials. Had to support the Carolina Blue!
Today I kept getting distracted from the game --pretty hard for me to do-- by a book I'd just picked up at the library. Laurie Halse Anderson's newest YA page-turner, Twisted. I mean, there's no way that book was written by a non-teenaged boy! She really nailed the characters, all of them. Hannah, the perfect rendition of a kid sister/ h.s. freshman. And Tyler. Wow is all I can say.
But of course, I did read mostly during commercials. Had to support the Carolina Blue!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Celebrating St. Patrick's Day, early
I grew up in the South where stories were expected, especially around the dinner table, especially on Sundays. Noontime dinners were a big deal, lots of food, lots of relatives, lots of stories. My grandmother and my father were the best storytellers. So now, without those big family dinners, I just write down the stories. That's probably why I like writing personal essays. Thanks to my writing group mentor Lee, who taught me alot about the genre, I've had some success in publishing a few.
The Christian Science Monitor's Home Forum has published four of my essays, including one about St. Patrick's Day in yesterday's newspaper. Click on it for my friend Barbara's recipe for colcannon, also adapted from Edel's mom's recipe. Yum. Wish I had some right now.
An extra added attraction, or perhaps something to be avoided, is that I was also interviewed about my article. The microphone icon is clickable if you dare. But now I know why my mother always refused to be recorded. My brother-in-law George videotaped every Christmas morning and Mama ran in the opposite direction of that camera. Having heard my own voice on the website, from now on I, too, will shun the microphone.
The Christian Science Monitor's Home Forum has published four of my essays, including one about St. Patrick's Day in yesterday's newspaper. Click on it for my friend Barbara's recipe for colcannon, also adapted from Edel's mom's recipe. Yum. Wish I had some right now.
An extra added attraction, or perhaps something to be avoided, is that I was also interviewed about my article. The microphone icon is clickable if you dare. But now I know why my mother always refused to be recorded. My brother-in-law George videotaped every Christmas morning and Mama ran in the opposite direction of that camera. Having heard my own voice on the website, from now on I, too, will shun the microphone.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
What would I do without my writing group?
My friend Leslie and I think it was fate that put us together that fall day. I was working at Kent Place School and she was a newly-arrived spouse living on campus. She was a writer, I the librarian. Then we realized we had many more connections--writers we know, books we love, college connections. And we became great friends. Such good friends that when I retired from a long, happy, challenging, fun career, Leslie had the perfect solution for my next life. She knew I loved to write, had published a few journal articles. Join her writers group! she insisted. Work on my novel! Or at least an essay or two.
Kay, Leslie, Lee, Ann and I met every week- that's right, every week-- for over five years. I wrote a mid-grade manuscript, book reviews, a few essays. Leslie mentored with great patience. Then we moved, became quasi snowbirds, or "splitters" as we are often referred to. Splitting our time between New Jersey and Florida. How was I going to survive without a critique group? Enter SCBWI. Now I have two terrific groups. Not to mention the best online critique buddy, AKA as The Logic Police. Life is good. Like yesterday, when I was pulling my hair out over title picking, my Florida group- Teddie, Melissa and Greg- brainstormed titles with me, and they saved the day. Even Leslie, now living in Massachusetts but only a phone call away, weighed in on title choices. Like I said, what would I do without my writers.
Kay, Leslie, Lee, Ann and I met every week- that's right, every week-- for over five years. I wrote a mid-grade manuscript, book reviews, a few essays. Leslie mentored with great patience. Then we moved, became quasi snowbirds, or "splitters" as we are often referred to. Splitting our time between New Jersey and Florida. How was I going to survive without a critique group? Enter SCBWI. Now I have two terrific groups. Not to mention the best online critique buddy, AKA as The Logic Police. Life is good. Like yesterday, when I was pulling my hair out over title picking, my Florida group- Teddie, Melissa and Greg- brainstormed titles with me, and they saved the day. Even Leslie, now living in Massachusetts but only a phone call away, weighed in on title choices. Like I said, what would I do without my writers.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
What I'm reading now...
My SCBWI bulletin (excellent article about writing query and cover letters), Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo, and a great mid-grade novel. I do love books for kids this age.
Not hot off the press exactly, but so worth reading, Emma Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree. If there’s a truer voice than Emma-Jean’s occasionally clueless, always well-intentioned, kind and smart—in a good way—seventh grade persona, I say let it speak. Otherwise Emma-Jean should rule the day. This first novel by Lauren Tarshis is a gem. Named for the woman who wrote the words on the Statue of Liberty, Emma-Jean doesn’t have much in common with her Middle School classmates. But that doesn’t stop her from coming to the rescue when she finds Colleen sniffling in the girls’ room. Colleen’s problem is a bratty mean girl whom most kids will recognize. Emma-Jean decides to take the challenge and help Colleen, and that’s when the problems begin.
I'm also reading my friend Janet's work-in-progress, my new critique group buddy G. Neri's hot-off-the-press, terrific book, Chess Rumble, and a stack of magazines and newspapers stacked high by my chair, gathering dust, big time.
Not hot off the press exactly, but so worth reading, Emma Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree. If there’s a truer voice than Emma-Jean’s occasionally clueless, always well-intentioned, kind and smart—in a good way—seventh grade persona, I say let it speak. Otherwise Emma-Jean should rule the day. This first novel by Lauren Tarshis is a gem. Named for the woman who wrote the words on the Statue of Liberty, Emma-Jean doesn’t have much in common with her Middle School classmates. But that doesn’t stop her from coming to the rescue when she finds Colleen sniffling in the girls’ room. Colleen’s problem is a bratty mean girl whom most kids will recognize. Emma-Jean decides to take the challenge and help Colleen, and that’s when the problems begin.
I'm also reading my friend Janet's work-in-progress, my new critique group buddy G. Neri's hot-off-the-press, terrific book, Chess Rumble, and a stack of magazines and newspapers stacked high by my chair, gathering dust, big time.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
My Media Bistro Day
My friend Lee has been taking MediaBistro classes since we became writing buddies and hey, she's been published in none other than the New York Times. So what did I have to lose? I signed up for an afternoon workshop, Children's Book and Young Adult Novel Writing, with Joy Peskin. A terrific way to spend a post snow day downtown in the city. Joy is an editor with Penguin and a really good workshop leader. There were 13 of us gathered around the table in that 4th floor walk-up, small room. I sat next to the heater and was warm and toasty. Others shivered near the windows, wrapped in sweaters.
Each of us brought something to read and Joy offered great comments. She was both honest and encouraging, and those two don't always go hand in hand! One comment sounded especially true and I will go right to my manuscript and check this out. She suggested to one writer that her male voice would ring truer if she wrote in short sentences. Makes sense to me. Some of the boys I know, young and old, frequently speak in sentences so short I wonder why they bother to answer me at all...
Each of us brought something to read and Joy offered great comments. She was both honest and encouraging, and those two don't always go hand in hand! One comment sounded especially true and I will go right to my manuscript and check this out. She suggested to one writer that her male voice would ring truer if she wrote in short sentences. Makes sense to me. Some of the boys I know, young and old, frequently speak in sentences so short I wonder why they bother to answer me at all...
Friday, February 22, 2008
Begin at the Beginning
OK, so how hard can this be. Write a little about what I read. Discuss the pros and cons of (mostly free) book reviewing I do. Pull my hair out online about how hard it is to write, how under appreciated writing is as a job choice. Post pictures of me with new very short haircut, my dog going for a run (ha, ok an amble) on the beach, my latest failure in the kitchen. Let the games begin!
For starters, I'm reading The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood. I just heard her read a chapter at the Writers in Paradise conference and bought the book on the spot. I'm a big fan. My knitting experience ended with the blanket my grandmother taught me to knit when I was nine years old, but the way Hood tells the stories of the women who gather to share and knit and care for each other is remarkable. I'd saved the book to read on my flight from Tampa to Newark yesterday but I can't stop reading it and worry that there will be no book to read on the trip back to Florida. I can't face a plane trip without a book.
OK, blogging is fun. Just like writing the long emails to my friends and family that they pretend to read but really skim and often ignore. Except for Leslie and Kate, who always read and always answer quickly. Thanks, guys!
For starters, I'm reading The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood. I just heard her read a chapter at the Writers in Paradise conference and bought the book on the spot. I'm a big fan. My knitting experience ended with the blanket my grandmother taught me to knit when I was nine years old, but the way Hood tells the stories of the women who gather to share and knit and care for each other is remarkable. I'd saved the book to read on my flight from Tampa to Newark yesterday but I can't stop reading it and worry that there will be no book to read on the trip back to Florida. I can't face a plane trip without a book.
OK, blogging is fun. Just like writing the long emails to my friends and family that they pretend to read but really skim and often ignore. Except for Leslie and Kate, who always read and always answer quickly. Thanks, guys!
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