Tag Archives: writing

STARTING NOW

Posted on December 13, 2019 by PB Rippey

I mean, why wait? W.R.I.T.I.N.G.

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2019, 2020, art, books, happy new year, Inspiration, Let it snow, life, Literature, Middle Grade Fiction, middle grade writing, Resolutions, Thanks, Wow, writer, writing | 1 Comment

O First Pages (Retreat Edition)

Posted on November 8, 2019 by PB Rippey

The last event of the SCBWI Working Writer’s retreat consisted of 3 minutes allotted to each attendee to read aloud their first page of a manuscript. Professional critique was squeezed into that 3 minutes from a panel comprised of 4 … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2019, books, Cornelia Funke, E. Nesbit, First pages, Gary Schmidt, kidlit, life, Literature, Middle Grade Fiction, Philip Pullman, Rebecca Stead, Roal Dahl, SCBWI, SCBWI Working Writers Retreat, writing, Writing retreats | 3 Comments

O JOKE! (Popsicle Stick Edition)

Posted on October 24, 2019 by PB Rippey

And here is a popsicle stick I recently uncovered. In all my many now-I’m-older-than-absolutely-everyone-even-Paul-Rudd years, I had no idea such joke sticks existed. Very nice! As long as it’s just a joke and not a fortune. 🙂

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, Writing | Tagged 2019, books, Fortune telling, good jokes, Literature, Paul Rudd, poetry, popsicles, Wow, writing | Leave a comment

Death & Reckonings

Posted on July 23, 2019 by PB Rippey

I’m told change can’t arrive without grief. ‘Change’ was my middle name when I was a child. I begged for change. It fueled my drive for: self-preservation, better school grades, to hunt for goals my parents lectured me were good … Continue reading →

Posted in Faction, Fiction, Writing | Tagged 2019, Childhood, Death, death of a parent, dreams, grief, memoir, mothers, reckonings, writing | Leave a comment

Window Out Of Revision

Posted on March 29, 2019 by PB Rippey

As I continue revising, it’s good to take breaks, even if only for a few minutes, as you probably know. If I’m working in a Starbucks or a library, I bring up pictures on my laptop that are gaze-inducing and … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2019, beach, fiction writing, Inspiration, middle grade writing, poetry, revision, Santa Barbara, writing | Leave a comment

Rain Or Shine: Strike On

Posted on January 17, 2019 by PB Rippey

A couple of weeks before the strike, I was John Snow: I knew nothing. There are always excuses I can credit a busy mother. But everyone is busy. I simply wish I had paid any attention to events leading up … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2019, art, Beutner, books, Caputo-Pearl, Family, humanity, Inspiration, life, Teachers strike, UTLA, UTLA Strike, writing | Leave a comment

~2019~

Posted on January 1, 2019 by PB Rippey

May the year be merry and bright and productive. And may I acquire a new laptop. And definitely completion of the current novel and definitely long before the end of this shiny new year. And may I continue to exercise … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, Writing | Tagged 2019, beaches, books, creativity, dreams, happy new year, Inspiration, kidlit, life, Middle Grade Fiction, writing | 4 Comments

Ho!

Posted on December 18, 2018 by PB Rippey

Busy keeping my butt in a seat this week before Christmas (see everything Anne Lamott has ever written about the writing process). My son is under-the-weather, and while his feeling sick is not great, we are taking advantage of the … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Faction, Me and Us, ocean related, Writing | Tagged 2018, Anne Lamott, beach, books, Christmas 2018, Christmas crackers, Family, glee, Literature, Middle Grade Fiction, stupid slippers, tamales, writing | Leave a comment

Hunting

Posted on October 29, 2018 by PB Rippey

230am, the dog’s nose a wet Q-tip on my ear, his drunk-carny’s breath. I rise, stumble to the patio door, let him out. Waiting, I realize my right foot is wet. I panic: blood? Cat vomit. I stumble to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, books, Fiction, Writing | Tagged 2018, bad guys, books, cats, chocolate chip pancakes, coffee, Dogs, domestics, faction, Family, fiction, insomnia, Inspiration, life, Literature, Mary Louise Parker, poetry, Tarantino, Tom Selleck, writing, WTF | Leave a comment

Dav Pilkey in Redondo Beach

Posted on October 23, 2018 by PB Rippey

Whenever it was tickets first went on sale for this event? Stayed up until 12:01a.m. so that I could be one of the first to nab them. Can I just say–I’m glad I was a night owl as the event … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Writing | Tagged animals, books, Captain Underpants, Dav Pilkey, Dog Man books, Family, Inspiration, kidlit, Literature, middle grade novels, movies, Redondo Beach, Thanks, writing | 3 Comments

O Europa!

Posted on October 10, 2018 by PB Rippey

Volunteering at my son’s school library means I get to help kids discover books they didn’t even know they wanted to read–and also means I can check out books without exceeding my son’s 5th grade (3 books per student) limit. … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged 2018, 5th rade, books, Earth, Europa, Family, history, Jupiter, kidlit, life, Literature, moons, movies, planets, school library, Solar system, Space, writing | 1 Comment

The Sequel Begins

Posted on September 15, 2018 by PB Rippey

My novel is completed (as previously blog-blurted) and sent to the interested party. And now I wait. Sort of. I’m halfway through writing chapter two of the sequel. My husband read chapter one aloud to our son at bedtime the … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Writing | Tagged 2018, 5th grade, animals, beach, books, children, Children's Books, children's literature, Family, middle grade novels, ocean, Pets, santa monica, writing, writing a sequel | 2 Comments

REVISION

Posted on July 28, 2018 by PB Rippey

I finished my novel. All the writing, beach walks, and kitten-breaks seem to have paid off. I’m finished. Let the revising begin. Actually I’ve been revising all along. I adopted a habit of backing up a few chapters, reading/revising them … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Writing | Tagged 2018, books, cats, children's literature, fiction, Inspiration, life, Literature, middle grade writing, revision, Thanks, unicorns, universe, Wow, writing | 3 Comments

Lost Time

Posted on July 3, 2018 by PB Rippey

Yesterday I was driving home from Trader Joe’s, my mind deep in my novel. I am SO close to finishing it I can see the end and I was excited about what I was seeing. Then a street sign yanked … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Faction, middle grade, Writing | Tagged 2018, books, Inspiration, life, Literature, middle grade writing, Trader Joe's, writing | 2 Comments

How It Is

Posted on May 2, 2018 by PB Rippey

There is only finishing my middle-grade novel. Getting my son to school, helping him finish his science project and get it to school; hurtling towards summer–school, science projects, math tests, helping at the school book fair, end-of-school-year requirements and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, Writing | Tagged 2018, books, domestics, Family, Inspiration, life, Literature, middle grade writing, writing | 2 Comments

This Happened (Dolphin Edition)

Posted on April 12, 2018 by PB Rippey

The last day of my son’s Spring Break, I took him whale watching. The only thing missing from this cloudy + exceptional day was my husband, who had to work, but he was adamant that my son and I get … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Faction, Me and Us, ocean related, Writing | Tagged 2018, animals, art, Beaked common dolphin, books, California, Family, Inspiration, life, Pacific Ocean, quotes, Weather, Whale Watching, writing | 2 Comments

THIS HAPPENED

Posted on March 23, 2018 by PB Rippey

I won runner-up (there were only two of us who won in the Middle Grade category). SCBWI-LA Writer’s Day, Skirball Cultural Center . I pitched an agent, connected with a dream agent, dashed around assisting the totally-on-it RA’s, made new … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Writing | Tagged 2018, books, children's literature, clotted cream, Family, high tea, Inspiration, Joy, life, Literature, middle grade novels, SCBWI, Skirball Cultural Center, Thanks, writing, Writing Fun | 1 Comment

SCBWI Los Angeles Writers Day 2018

Posted on February 21, 2018 by PB Rippey

I’m going. Are you? Gary D. Schmidt is giving the keynote. That’s right, author of one of my favorite YA books: ‘The Wednesday Wars’. You’ve probably already read it, but here’s the SCBWI GDS Interview from 2/16/18. I especially … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Fiction, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2018, books, Gary D. Schmidt, Inspiration, LA Writers Day 2018, Literature, Middle Grade Fiction, SCBWI, Susan Orlean, The Wednesday Wars, Twitter, writing, YA Novels | 1 Comment

Home

Posted on December 29, 2017 by PB Rippey

Usually I’m the one taking our kid on a road trip and usually during the summer, but this week my husband took our kid on a road trip for 2 days to visit family up north and I was suddenly: … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, dog, Faction, Fiction, Writing | Tagged 2017, animals, books, California, cats, Christmas Decorations, Descanso Gardens, Dogs, dreams, Earth, Echo Park, Family, Griffith Observatory, Health, humanity, Joni Mitchell, kittens, life, Literature, Los Angeles, Los Feliz, Madonna Inn, movies, Thanks, writing | 1 Comment

Fire Update

Posted on December 21, 2017 by PB Rippey

It’s always an emotional rush to post great news: All evacuations have been lifted in the Santa Barbara fire zones (see previous post pbwrites). Best news, best news. In my little bit of the valley it’s blowing like heck again. … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult writing, books, dog, Faction, Fiction, Writing | Tagged 2017, animals, box turtles, California, cats, Family, family life, Health, humanity, Inspiration, kittens, life, Literature, santa ana winds, santa barbara fires, Thanks, writing | 1 Comment

Living The Good Old Days

Posted on November 10, 2017 by PB Rippey

“Hey, Mom?” my son said casually as he attached a Lego palm frond to a multi-colored Lego wall he was building on the coffee table as I ironed pertinent clothing near him and my husband raged in front of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Faction, Fiction, Writing | Tagged 2017, 4th Graders, Family, Lego, life, writing | Leave a comment

Writer’s Retreat: What Was It Like?

Posted on September 27, 2017 by PB Rippey

SCBWI Working Writer’s Retreat, September, 2017 The “working” aspect in Working Writer’s Retreat (for me)=the retreat provided printers, so there was no excuse (for me) for not sprinting to my sparse (sweetly existential) weekend bedroom after a workshop, whipping open … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Faction, Fiction, middle grade, Writing | Tagged 2017, books, children's literature, Encino CA, Family, Holy Spirit Retreat Center, humanity, Karaoke, kittens, Los Angeles, middle grade writing, oak trees, SCBWI, SCBWI So Cal, Vegetarian, Working Writers' Retreat 2017, writing | Leave a comment

SCBWI WWR 9/2017

Posted on September 13, 2017 by PB Rippey

Me–prepping for the upcoming SCBWI Working Writer’s Retreat: Fortunately I got in, thanks to iphone alerts, Alexa/Echo alerts, the wall calendar with a particular date circled so thickly in red it could never become invisible, no matter the … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Faction, Fiction, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2017, fiction writing, Karaoke, Meryl Streep, middle grade novels, SCBWI, Working Writer's Retreat, writing, Writing conferences | 1 Comment

116 Degrees (T-Rex & Gladioli Edition)

Posted on September 3, 2017 by PB Rippey

Early days of 4th grade for the boy coincide with consecutive days of triple digit heat for valley dwellers, a box turtle possibly on a hunger strike because I won’t put her in her outdoor arena in triple digit heat, … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, dog, Faction, Writing | Tagged 2017, 4th Graders, Baja Peninsula, books, Family, gladiola, La Tuna fire, life, Los Angeles heatwaves, San Fernando Valley, T-rex marchers, Washington DC, writing | 2 Comments

Summer Diary

Posted on August 8, 2017 by PB Rippey

Not my rash! Finally. Fire breath. Thank you, GOT. I see you, arm muscle. #workingout6weeksstraight Muscles missing. Hijacked in the night, IMO. So what? I have brie. Total eclipse of sun predicted. My prediction? Revision, revision, submissions, submissions….But only … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Faction, Fiction, Writing | Tagged 2017, aloha, animals, beach, body muscle, box turtles, California, Dragons, dreams, Earth, eclipse of the sun, Family, Game of Thrones, history, humanity, life, Los Angeles, middle grade novels, movies, Muses, ocean, Oregon, rashes, Teenage Rebellion, Thanks, writer, writing | Leave a comment