What a find!!
Here it is, all in one place. Amber Naslund so generously offers a complete guide to most of our favorite networking sites including Twitter in her Social Media Starter Kit.
The Astonishing Pay Off of Hard Work and Research
It just so happens that the same day I started reading National Book Award Winner, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M. T. Anderson, my GoodReads friend, Elizabeth C. Bunce, author of Curse Dark as Gold (winner of the first ever William C. Morris award) posted dozens and dozens of books she read to research CURSE. Then, just few days later, Elizabeth’s GoodReads update showed volumes more she’s using to research her next novel. That’s the day I concluded I was a lazy writer.
Elizabeth talks about her research in her interview with editor Cheryl Klein. Check it out. And follow her CURSE journey in her blog archives. Learn about Anderson’s process in his interview with Publisher’s Weekly .
I can only imagine the time put into establishing the authentic voices in these novels. The narrators’ fluency in their historical languages leave readers completely transported.
I say bravo and thank you to both authors for their intense dedication to their craft. And I’m delighted it’s paid off so well.
Why I’m Crying over the final edition of the Rocky Mountain News
- The front page headline “Stop the Presses”
- The newsroom photos of the last day
- 55 days before its 150th birthday
- John Temple’s goodbye
- The timeline and photos of the most memorable front pages
- The display of amazing artwork that donned historic front pages reminding me of immense publishing pride
- The obituaries of founders, editors and columnists – especially Gene Amole’s
- “A Newsroom Full of Memories”
- Highlights and photos from 4 Pulitzer Prize winning stories
If you can grab a hard copy please do. You’ll treasure it. And please share the best of the Rocky online at http://www.rockymountainnews.com/ .
Last Day of Publication for the Rocky is Tomorrow!
As a subscriber, I just received an e-mail informing me that tomorrow is the last day of publication for Colorado’s Rocky Mountain News. This tabloid format newspaper has been my breakfast read since I moved here in 1981. But on a more poignant note, The Rocky is where I garnered my first clips. So long dear friend. Beginning this weekend, The Denver Post will be substituted. I’ll be looking for many of my favorite Rocky writers in the Post. Hope to find you all there.
Congratulations to all the Children’s Choice Book Award Finalists!!
I love to see what kids are loving!!
Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year
The Donut Chef by Bob Staake (Random/Golden)
Katie Loves the Kittens by John Himmelman (Holt)
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! by Mo Willems (Hyperion)
Sort It Out! by Barbara Mariconda, illus. by Sherry Rogers (Sylvan Dell)
Those Darn Squirrels! by Adam Rubin, illus. by Daniel Salmieri (Clarion)
Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year
Babymouse: Puppy Love by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (Random House)
One Million Things: A Visual Encyclopedia by Peter Chrisp (DK)
Underwear: What We Wear Under There by Ruth Freeman Swain, illus. by John O’Brien (Holiday House)
Willow by Denise Brennan-Nelson and Rosemarie Brennan, illus. by Cyd Moore (Sleeping Bear)
Spooky Cemeteries by Dinah Williams (Bearport)
Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year
100 Most Dangerous Things On the Planet by Anna Claybourne (Scholastic Reference)
Amulet, Book One: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi (Scholastic/Graphix)
The Big Field by Mike Lupica (Philomel)
Swords: An Artist’s Devotion by Ben Boos (Candlewick)
Thirteen by Lauren Myracle (Dutton)
Teen Choice Book Award
Airhead by Meg Cabot (Scholastic/Point)
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press)
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen (Viking)
Paper Towns by John Green (Dutton)
Author of the Year
Stephenie Meyer, Breaking Dawn (Little, Brown)
Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (Abrams/Amulet)
Christopher Paolini, Brisingr (Knopf)
James Patterson, Maximum Ride: The Final Warning (Little, Brown)
Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth (Disney-Hyperion)
Illustrator of the Year
Laura Cornell, Big Words for Little People by Jamie Lee Curtis (HarperCollins/Cotler)
Robin Preiss Glasser, Fancy Nancy: Bonjour Butterfly! by Jane O’Connor (HarperCollins)
Mo Willems, The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! (Hyperion)
David Shannon, Loren Long and David Gordon, Smash! Crash! by Jon Scieszka (Simon & Schuster)
Jon J Muth, Zen Ties (Scholastic Press)
Totally Random Q: Story Status Quo and Problem Clues
I’ve been listening to Ann M. Martin’s HERE TODAY on CD and I’m been intrigued by how Martin develops the status quo in her story yet also drops hints as to the story problem. For example, in the opening pages, when Doris, the MC’s mom, begins her supermarket sweep one of the onlookers remarks “She’s just so … so cheap.” At that point my ears perked up and I began to suspect that Doris Dingman was different. Now I’m curious to find out how this wacky mom is going to play into our MC’s problem. I’m drawn into the story.
I’m experimenting, in my own novels, with establishing the status quo and at the same time pulling my readers into my story. Sometimes we can follow Ann M. Martin’s pattern and drop hints to an eventual problem and other times we might jump directly into the problem to set the story in motion. In that case, we might have to rely on flashbacks or other tools to allude to “how things were” before the catalyst. Either way, we need to establish what’s different or why the story starts now.
So how do you do it? Do you open your story with normal? Do you drop hints of problems to come? Or do you jump right into the main story problem? Do you use flashbacks? I’d love to hear your thoughts on establishing status quo and pulling in your readers right from the start.
Totally Random Q: Busting through Bad Writing
So I’m staring at my latest work-in-progress and today I happen to be hating it — the plot, the voice, you name it. It all sounds like “blah, blah, blah” to me. I know every writer, even the bestselling author, experiences this. When the honeymoon of that first inspiration is over and you wake up to a rough draft that’s looking especially — um — rough.
I’m not going to trash the manuscript, yet, because, after all, yesterday I was in love with this same story. I know I have to get through it. And often that just means to keep writing. Uninspiring right? But I’m wondering if there’s a better way. Perhaps some tricks of the trade. Some exercises. Some diversions. Or even some inspiration to rekindle the romance.
So my question today is:
How do you get through your bad writing and get back to your good? What do you do when you hate your WIP but you’re not ready to throw it under the bus? What do you do to fall in love with your WIP again? I’m not a relationship expert so I’m relying on all of you.
Too Matchy!
So last Sunday in church I saw “Too Matchy” – a toddler girl dressed from head to toe in this outrageous red floral print from the bow in her hair down to her tights and shoes. My immediate reaction was, “Poor thing.” The girl wasn’t smiling. Okay she may have been just tired, or cranky or bored with sitting still, but looking at that overdone outfit I had to wonder if the bow on her head was digging into her scalp, or if the floral tights were itchy on her legs, or maybe the dress was just too much around her neck. I wondered too if anyone else thought she looked ridiculous if not completely uncomfortable.
Now I admit, I once dressed my girls in the wildest outfits. And I did subject them to a Velcro hair bow or two. Call in Social Services! But for the most part I opted for stretchy and soft over fancy and fussy.
Seeing little Miss Matchy reminded me of the value of perspective, especially with parenting. Time and distance truly grants wisdom – albeit in small doses – and some great writing fodder.
But when I ask “To whom did that amazing outfit matter most?” a writers’ reminder also surfaces. When we write for children, our stories must matter most to kids, not the adults around them. So even though it may be the adults buying the books, the characters, the voice, the theme – in essence, the story – must resonate with kids.
Thinking back to last Sunday, I suspect that “precious” matchy outfit mattered most to mom. And I wonder if little Miss Matchy pulled a Houdini and had those torture tights off as soon as she hit her carseat.
So yes, once again, I was daydreaming in church. But I’ll take it as a some kind of sign – spiritual or otherwise – that the two new babies welcomed that Sunday with the waters of baptism ─ were wearing only their diapers. Free at last!!
