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Category Archives: middle grade
Spring Spirit Conference, 2012
What a delightfully smooth, well-run, 1 day conference. As I drove away, the GPS taking me on a spooky off-the-freeway-then-back-on mini-adventure, as I sped past miles of crops (previously mist-blanketed, cooling off from a day of baking in 93 degrees), … Continue reading
Quote For The—Blrrrrrrrrrrgh
This is what I remember about Friday: feeding the boy, hug-sandwich as we said bye-bye to his dad, finally getting the boy to preschool (I thought I was a slow eater!), speeding to Starbucks as forgot to buy coffee for … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Writer quotes, Writing
Tagged 2012, children's literature, fiction writing, middle grade writing, personal goals, writing
2 Comments
Middle Grade Tidbit
In case you’re missing it, agent Michael Bourret from Dystel & Goderich and editor Molly O’Neill are conversing via their blogs about middle grade novels–what they look for, what they like, what middle grade is or might be or possibly isn’t but … Continue reading
And Now This
Remember in the movie Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs when Flynt pulls up that kitten bit on his computer screen and 3 hours fly by? Or maybe you don’t as, unlike me, you have not seen the movie 40,000 … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, To Explain
Tagged 2012, children's literature, fiction writing, personal goals, preschoolers, writing
6 Comments
Quote For The Weekend (Late Edition As Was OOT With Feet In Ocean, Wot!)
Most of us are called on to perform tasks far beyond what we can do. Our capabilities seldom match our aspirations, and we are often woefully unprepared. To this extent, we are all Assistant Pig-Keepers at heart. —Lloyd Alexander I … Continue reading
Spring Spirit 2012
Recently writer Beth Hull turned me on to the Spring Spirit conference, an annual SCBWI California North/Central event held in Rocklin, CA. This year, I’m excited to say I will be attending. The lineup is top notch, including the YA Muses … Continue reading
Time Spent
Roaming the house looking for my reading glasses when on top of head entire time: a good 15 minutes (additional minutes tacked on when distracted by each room’s white elephant: mound of clean yet hopelessly wrinkled laundry on guest room bed, … Continue reading
Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Pets, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF
Tagged 2012, children's literature, fiction writing, Llamas, Starry, starry night, tapas, Van Gogh, writer's angst, writing
4 Comments
Writer’s Day 2011
This photo is from the SCBWI Central-Coastal Writer’s Day 2010, at which I won a Special Mention for my middle grade novel and half off the price of this year’s Writer’s Day, which took place today, all day, and in which … Continue reading
Posted in books, Fiction, middle grade, Writer's Angst, Writing
Tagged 2011, Lin Oliver, middle grade writing, SCBWI, Writer's Day 2011, writer's retreat
2 Comments
Quote For The Weekend (TGIF Edition)
Gore Vidal on E. Nesbit (1858-1924): “I do not think it is putting the case too strongly to say that much of the poverty of our society’s intellectual life is directly due to the sort of books children are encouraged … Continue reading
Posted in books, Fiction, middle grade, Quotes
Tagged 2011, children's literature, E. Nesbit, Five Children And It, Gore Vidal
1 Comment
Quote For The Weekend (Late Edition As was Ocean-Distracted–Luckily It’s Never Too Late For Quotes)
“One of my favourite places to read was my elder brother’s bedroom. It was a tiny room with a bed, a chest-of-drawers, bookcases full of books, and shelves where he kept his seashells, butterflies, pressed wild flowers and microscope, because … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, middle grade, Quotes, Writing
Tagged 2011, beach, children's literature, fiction, Joan Aiken, middle grade writing, ocean, The Cuckoo Tree
1 Comment
Quote For The Weekend (Early Edition As Family Member Arriving And Will Only Have Time For Sisterhood, Lion King, That Thomas The Train Game Which Is Much Better When Played With 3 Persons And Will Delight The Boy, The Consumption Of Healthy Salads For Dinner–Preceded By Slabs Of Brie And Chunks Of Olive Bread Ripped Savagely From Loaf With Bare Hands Then Dunked In Olive Oil And Balsamic Vinegar And There Might Be Almonds Coated In The Sweetly Outrageous, Plus Ice Cream For Dessert, The Kind You Add Scoops Of Peanut Butter To. And Storytime–Here, We Force Our Guests To Read The Bedtime Stories. So, You Know, Beware. And Then Adult Movie Night. Well, Not ADULT Movies, Ha Ha! And Let Us Not Forget Popcorn. Popped In Olive Oil. And Chardonnay Served In Colored Crystal Wine Glasses, Even Though Yes, I Know You’re Not Supposed To Drink Fine Wine From Colored Glasses, But, Frankly, It’s Fun To Be Plebeian. And This Weekend There Are Park Dates And Birthday Parties In Pumpkin Patches And Ducks To Visit And These Things Called Pedicures To Be Had And If You Ask Me When I’ll Be Writing This Weekend, I’ll Tell You: The Seconds I Can.)
“I won’t speak at schools where the students haven’t read my books. I have certain grades I like to talk to more than others. I won’t drive great distances. I am sort of a pill about all this. On the … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, middle grade, Quotes
Tagged 2011, Author quotes, City Of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau, middle grade writing, writing
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The Elusive Palomino
As I was writing/editing and avoiding my laptop’s Internet connection in my bed office yesterday (see canny Zadie Smith quote from previous post), utilizing the sweet patch of me-as-writer time following leg-destroying yoga and before I was to pick my son up … Continue reading
Posted in Adult writing, Avoiding My Writing, books, Fiction, middle grade, Poetry, poetry reading, Quotes, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress
Tagged 2011, fiction writing, middle grade writing, Modern Family, palominos, personal goals, poetry, preschoolers, TV, writer's angst, writing, Zadie Smith
2 Comments
DUMMY
I have a new special writing/revising trick. Starting with the first three chapters of my novel, I copy and paste them into a brand new fresh document, print, then edit/revise/correct/read-aloud/enhance/make-marvelous, etc. I throw the hardcopy edits into the brand new … Continue reading
Armchair Magic (With Tall Reading Lamp)
Last night I accomplished so much in my new special writing place that all day I anticipated my return. Now that I’m here, typing eagerly, feet crossed and slightly off an ottoman, my spine cushioned far more comfortably than when I’m up against … Continue reading
Posted in dog, Me and Us, middle grade, To Explain, Writing, Writing Progress
Tagged 2011, cats, dog, domestic bliss, fiction writing, Marcel Proust, middle grade writing, T-Rex, writing
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Avoidance: 10:30a.m.
Terrified to read my latest revisions, terrified to admit terror to self-terrorized Self, I have: Vacuumed, cleaned the parakeet’s cage, vacuumed, watered outside, worked out (oh the lengths my terror shoves me), and almost resorted to brushing the dog. Made … Continue reading
Posted in Avoiding My Writing, dog, middle grade, Parakeet, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF
Tagged 2011, cats, children's literature, dog, domestics, fiction writing, labrador, personal goals, writer, writer's block, writing
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When I Write
I might wake up many times during any night due to: Nightmares involving fedora-wearing aliens intent on making off with my son. The certainty that I have heard a loud noise, which means rising from bed and checking my son’s room and the rest … Continue reading
Posted in Adult writing, Avoiding My Writing, books, dog, Faction, Fiction, Me and Us, middle grade, Poetry, Steps In Promotion, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF
Tagged 2011, cats, chaos, children's literature, dog, domestic bliss, domestics, fiction, fiction writing, labrador, life, middle grade writing, personal goals, poetry, toddlers, writer, writer's angst, writer's block, writing
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How Do I Really Feel
When an agent lets me know why he/she is passing on my manuscript after a request to read more (but not all), do I honestly appreciate the feedback? Do I? As I morph into the spitting image of Munch’s scream subject (obviously a multiply … Continue reading
Contest Winner
In a previous post I mentioned the YA Muses were holding a very generous contest. Winners would have the first 15 pages of their WIP or NIPR (novel in perpetual revision) read by one of the Muses. The grand prize … Continue reading
