Going Nowhere, Gladly
Sometimes I have a character appear.
Im sposed to keep a jurnal. FI ken rite 100 wrds, thal let me go out with thuther kids but I dont see no uther kids. Jus ol pepl. 29. Sgreen out ther tho. I lik this pen 2. Ma ear iches. Ma hair 2, cuz uv the stichs. 48. Thers mor stichs on ma arm 2 from the axsident. 58. I no yur gone to reed this so dont think Im gone tell you no… Continue reading
Heading to BEA
Next week is BookExpo America (BEA) in New York, and I’m excited to go. It’s a big publishing convention, apparently. What this involves on my end:
1. Picking comfortable shoes.
2. Printing off my schedule and a map of NY around the Javits Center.
3. Watching for my pass to come in the mail. Should it be here?
4. Checking if my agent’s phone number is in my cell phone.
5. Preparing to adjust to the unexpected and unfamiliar.
That last one is my favorite. … Continue reading
The Age Timeline
When I was six, walking along the sunny sidewalk in front of the apartment building, I imagined age like a timeline of numbers where 6 was big and close at hand, 7 was ahead, slightly smaller, and the other years of age drifted ahead of me in black print against a murky beige background, growing smaller in the distance. I could still see my age of 5 from my last birthday behind me, but it was shrinking, and 4 was smaller still. My older brothers would always be… Continue reading
Young Adult Readers: Inspiration
My audience is supposed to be young adult readers, but it’s useless to think of writing to them as if young adults were all one dark-haired girl curled up with a book in her bed at two in the morning. Talk to a young adult for ten minutes and you’ll find an individual as unique as your grandma. Talk to a young adult for decades, and you’ll find friends of all ages with a common young heart.
Determination
What’s more important than trying to write to teenagers is… Continue reading
World Hopping
A few minutes ago, the rain started outside the window, waking me into this world, so I ran out to fetch the hammock off its poles and haul it to the back porch where it can rest on the rocking chair and stay dry. My daughter’s reading beside me on the couch, and my husband’s making lunch in the kitchen. I’ll join him soon.
In my novel, a girl sits on the bathroom floor, out of line from the cameras, skimming through images on the itablet she stole.… Continue reading
Mother’s Day Books
While we’re celebrating moms, think back to the books that you associate most with your mothers and grandmothers. Here are a few of my favorites:
Pat the Bunny, by Dorothy Kunhardt
I swear my Nonna read this to me every time I visited her house when I was little. I remember sitting side-by-side with her on her green couch and poking my finger through the ring page.
Kristin Lavrensdatter, by Sigrid Undset
Once I grew up, this was the novel Nonna urged me to… Continue reading