The Paper Wait

My Daily Quota

2012-02-12T12:37:00.009-05:00

I can always write chapter one. The problem is, I can't stop writing it. I re-wrote chapter one of my current work in progress for almost six months, despite gentle nudges from more accomplished writer-friends, saying that, really, I needed to move onward.

The breakthrough for me was the daily quota. I created it out of desperation, after watching so many of my precious days of unemployment benefits slip through fingers. Every day I sit in front of the computer for two hours or two hundred words, whichever comes first. And anything past that is gravy. As far as possible I do it at my best time of the day, which for me is the morning.

I’ve had many moments of boredom, self-doubt, and restlessness in those two hours. But I have also had lots of plot breakthroughs, character insights and lines of dialog bubble up when I thought I had nothing to say. You can apply this method to non-fiction. You can set an alarm. You can even change the size of the quota. The main thing is to define that bite-sized task and stick with it.

Do you have a daily quota? If so, how do you define it?

Finding My Flow

2012-02-10T02:05:00.007-05:00

Sometimes writing is hard. Very hard.

I stare at a blank page and try to eke out some half decent words.

Then there are those times when ideas just seem to flow.

A few weeks ago, I had one of those wonderful flowing times.

I wish I could identify exactly what went right. How did I get to a place where I was so productive and having so much fun?

Feedback from my awesome agent definitely helped. (Thanks, Teresa!) She found a manuscript I had nearly forgotten and suggested a major revision that made it so much fun to revise. And then she suggested a new topic, one I had never considered writing about, and got my creative juices flowing.

Once I got into that creative mode, it was so fun to write and revise, write and revise.

Ah, how I love that flow! Writing is just so much fun when it goes like that.

Of course, life continues to be a bit crazy, and that wonderful flow did not last forever. So I'm curious, how do you find your flow? (And how much of your writing is just plain old hard work? :o) )

Great Expectations

2012-02-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

The other day I asked a nine year old girl what she was reading. She answered, "The Magic Thief." I asked her what she liked about it. "It has everything you would expect from a book."

A reader has expectations, either great or small; she wants the pages to draw her in and pull her along until the final page, where her expectations are fulfilled, and she reaches, hopefully, for the next book.

Those who teach creative writing say the worst sin a writer can commit is to bore his reader. Write, then, not for yourself, but for the reader.

So You Want to Write a Novel

2012-02-01T15:23:00.001-05:00

This is definitely one of the funniest YouTube videos on writing. I watched it as I took a break from my revision. And now I'm going back to work. Enjoy!

Kid Lit Power

2012-01-24T23:50:00.003-05:00

And the award goes to:
The Newbery Medal: Jack Gantos for Dead End in Norvelt
The Caldecott Medal: Chris Raschka for the wordlessly wonderful A Ball for Daisy
The Printz Award: John Corey Whaley for Where Things Come Back.

Congratulations to winners and honorees of these and other awards (such as the Alex Awards, Coretta Scott King award, Pura Belpre award). You can view the complete list on the ALA website, or follow interviews with these accomplished authors in the New York Times or Associated Press coverage.

I hadn’t finished my TBR list before the Oscar Nominees dominated the headlines. Had our book awards been eclipsed by Hollywood in less than 24 hours? Not exactly.

Kid lit is a powerful phenomenon. I happily noted that two Best Picture nominees are based on children’s books: Hugo and War Horse. One is a 2008 Caldecott Medal winner: Hugo, based on The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick. War Horse, by Michael Morpugo was first published 30 years ago, and this historical fiction novel remains as engaging now as then.

No matter the perpetually changing publishing scenarios, children’s books thrive in many formats, and continue to be a great contribution to the world of entertainment and education of children and adults alike. These 2012 Youth Media Award winners and honorees deservedly enjoy a boost in sales and media coverage. Given time, some of these books will be back as movies, plays, or maybe even a Yahoo photo headline. Good luck and best wishes to them all.

Which unread title will you read first? (I’m starting with Dead End in Norvelt: funny and quirky so far.) Of those you read, which are your favorites? And the million dollar question: which one will become a movie?

Holy Sh*t Mom, R U There?

2012-01-20T10:55:00.004-05:00

About a year ago, my teenage son sent me the above text at 6:30AM on a school day. As you can imagine my heart pretty much stopped. Not that getting a text from my son is odd. At sixteen, text is his first language. I can call him a bazillion times (it's amazing how many of his friends live in "dead zones") and it goes directly to voicemail, text him and voila...I get an instant response. It was the "Holy Sh*t" part that made me nervous, so I called him first. All sorts of scenarios went through my head as the phone rang...and rang...and rang...and of course went to voicemail. So I texted...

Why?

And when he didn't respond to that text, I sent the more frantic:

WHAT??!!!

And waited

I don't know if it was the Mom in me, or the writer in me, or a combination of both, but in the seconds before he finally DID contact me the following scenarios went through my head in no particular order:

The bus broke down and he needed me to pick him up (the mother)

He'd seen a lifeless body dangling from a noose and was sharing the news (the writer)

The bus had been involved in an accident, was about to explode and these were the last words he was able to type as he blacked out in a ditch by the side of the road...hopefully in clean underwear. (combo of writer and mother, I think)

His reply after I wrestled with these scenarios?

Geez, don't sh*t a brick.

So what was this Holy Sh*t situation?

He'd forgotten his project and needed me to get it to him before lunch.

Yes, really.

I don't know about you, but for me this is most definitely not a "holy sh*t" type scenario. At best an "oops" or a "crud" but a full blown, capital "Holy Sh*t"...not so much. Then again, I'm not sixteen, gunning for an A with no way to get home before said class.

As I rearranged my schedule to find a way to get the project to him it occurred to me how high these stakes were for my son. No, he wasn't saving the world from a zombie apocalypse but without the project he would get a zero. That zero would be part of his final grade. That final grade would be on his transcript. The transcript he'll be sending to colleges in the fall. Where a "B or C" gives its own impression, no matter if there is an explanation behind it. Well and what sort of explanation is forgetfulness anyway? Suddenly, getting his project to him became important.

As a writer of contemporary YA, I sometimes feel lost in the shuffle of dystopian societies, zombies, angels, androids and aliens. Stories with those elements are just naturally bigger, more exciting because of their uniqueness, but still - there needs to be a universal element in them, something the reader can identify with, right?

Deep in the middle of revisions, I find myself dissecting each scene and trying to up the stakes, but it's a struggle sometimes. How do I take my very normal, contemporary stakes form "crud" to "Holy Sh*t!" ?

So Paper Waiters, how do you go about raising the stakes in your own work? Is it something you actively think about? Or something that arises naturally through plotting?

Multicultural Characters

2012-01-16T20:59:00.005-05:00

As a writer, how do you know if your book accurately portrays the culture of its characters?

This a fitting question as we celebrate the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. In our rapidly globalizing world, we are in need of children's books that celebrate the diversity in our communities.

As writer or illustrator, it's important to do your research. The following article from Scholastic.com offers advice from top educators, writers, and illustrators on how to spot literature that transcends stereotypes. It is geared towards teachers, but is a great resource for writers as well. It includes some great book lists!

Some highlights from the article:

"Most of the Jewish children's literature I read as a kid was didactic: It set out to teach lessons, not to entertain. Today Jewish children's literature informs, inspires, amuses, and tackles larger themes, including coming of age and coming to terms with the past. The characters are full characters, growing up in a variety of cultures- and mixed cultures." -Etta Miller

"I try to be true to the culture and take the reader there. I want readers to feel the atmosphere of the setting, to know what it smells like, what the light looks like, the sounds the characters hear-all these senses come into play. Hopefully my illustrations will strike a certain chord, bring back a certain memory, and help you feel the characters are someone you know." -Floyd Cooper

"..look for good storytelling. If the author is not dealing with social issues- that's a good sign. Too often I see books about Mexican-Americans that adopt a patronizing "poor them, they're working too hard" tone." -Gary Soto

I think the best characters are believably rooted in their culture, but we can also relate to them.

A couple of my favorite titles from 2011: Good-bye, Havana! Hola, New York! by Raul Colon and A Mango in the Hand: A Story told through Proverbs by Sebastia Serra.

What are your favorites?

Award Time!

2012-01-12T21:30:00.006-05:00

A week from Monday two early morning phone calls will change many lives. January 23rd is Newbery and Caldecott day.
This award season I’ve enjoyed following the new blog, Calling Caldecott, on the Horn Book website. Check it out here.

I’ve read many of the titles they selected to discuss over the last months. In most of the mock Caldecott events reported on the blog so far, GRANDPA GREEN by Lane Smith has been the winner.

Would this be my choice? Maybe, but there are others.

I have reread the Caldecott's criteria. Whew! Glad I’m not on that committee. I’d have a very hard time selecting a winner.
Stated briefly, the winner should have: excellence of execution, excellence of pictorial interpretation of the text, appropriateness of style, and excellence of presentation in recognition of a child audience.

Okay, so for excellence in illustration perfectly matching sly humor, I’d chose A BALL FOR DAISY, or I WANT MY HAT BACK; for intricate, stunning art based on nature, I’d chose BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON, or SWIRL BY SWIRL; for illustrations that complement childhood/family emotions, I’d chose LITTLE WHITE RABBIT, or TWEAK,TWEAK; for vivid, glorious illustrations that bring history alive, I'd chose THE GREAT MIGRATION, or DAVE THE POTTER: ARTIST, POET, SLAVE.

I think the most difficult decision for the committee has to do with "presentation in recognition of a child audience." Does GRANDPA GREEN appeal to adults more than children? In terms of child appeal, perhaps GINGERBREAD MAN LOOSE IN SCHOOL should win - or WHERE'S WALRUS?, or BLUE CHICKEN.

And then again some title may be flying under the radar and emerge with the medal.

Do you have a favorite title you think should win?

The Power of Waiting

2012-01-08T14:53:00.005-05:00

As writers, we spend a lot of time waiting. And it's not our favorite part of being a writer. Not by a long shot.

But sometimes, waiting can be helpful.

Recently, I had one of those times.

Some time ago, I drafted a picture book and sent it to my critique group for feedback.

The group gave me wonderful feedback. (Thanks guys! :o) ) And almost everybody suggested I make a certain change.

After that meeting, I sat down to revise. And I tried to make that change. I really did. But somehow, I just couldn't make it work.

So, I made a minor adjustment that made it a bit better and tried to convince myself that the manuscript was as good as can be.

"Done," I tried to tell myself.

Then came the waiting. I wasn't even aware I was waiting, but time passed. Several months, in fact. Suddenly, I could see my manuscript much more clearly.

Now I could see it. I had to try to make the change my critique group had so wisely suggested. And my mind went to work on solving the problem.

What had seemed impossible several months earlier, suddenly felt doable. I experimented until I came up with a solution that worked.

It may not be perfect. But I do think it is much better. And after a few months of waiting, making the change became possible.

So, what positives (if any) have you found from waiting?

Who's Coming to Dinner?

2012-01-03T18:26:00.003-05:00

I did a lot of cooking over the holidays. I'm a good cook, and I love preparing meals, especially when I know what foods people like and what they don't like. Nothing makes me happier than cooking for an "audience."

That's what so frustrating about writing. I'm not sure who my audience is. I can't get the"dish" just right. It's as if I'm whipping up a splendid broccoli souffle, only to be told, "I don't eat anything green." Or knocking myself out on slow cooked salmon, only to hear "I don't eat anything with eyes." Should I care? I mean, how does a writer know who's coming to dinner?

Welcome 2012!

2012-01-01T20:00:00.008-05:00

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."

- Edith Lovejoy Pierce

As we ring in a fresh new year with enthusiasm and resolve, it’s interesting to read what writers have said on the subject in the past.

"One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things." - John Burroughs

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man." - Benjamin Franklin

"Time has no divisions to mark its passage, there is never a thunder-storm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols." - Thomas Mann

"Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink and swore his last oath. Today, we are a pious and exemplary community. Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient shortcomings considerably shorter than ever."
- Mark Twain

"For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning."
- T.S. Eliot, "Little Gidding"

Here’s to a creative, adventurous, and successful 2012!

Do you have a favorite New Year's quote?

Is It Almost Midnight?

2011-12-28T18:43:00.003-05:00

Is it almost midnight,
when the bells will chime?
Can it be the new year?
Is it really time?

Yes, it's almost midnight of the old year and time for the new year to ring in! How fast the months of 2011 have flown. It's now the 11th hour and time for the annual stock taking.

Time for the reckoning of our writing!

How did I use the many precious hours of the past year for my writing? Will I carve out ample time and regulate myself to write next year? Looking back I did put in time at my desk formulating new story ideas, characters and plot and molded some into new manuscripts as well as working on some WIP. I started the year off with a SCBWI writing conference in Miami which I left charged and ready to go and started a new manuscript that week.

During the year I kept at it but occasionally lost steam, as we do from time to time, but then I got back to the computer and started again. And I love the process once seated and let the mind work and the fingers tap away. I am excited about an old WIP that I just started to work on again so the new year will start out well. I just need to keep the furnace burning all year - I have the fuel but need to keep the fire lit!

What are your hints for the next year?

Holiday Guidelines for Writers

2011-12-24T10:29:00.001-05:00

If you’re with family for the holidays, you might not be doing too much writing. But you could be watching, thinking, even taking a few notes.

Family gatherings are great fodder for writing material. Keep your ears perked and your pen handily hidden for those priceless, snarky comments from your stiff Aunt Betty about teenage Lindsay’s Christmas outfit. Notice eight-year-old Joey’s ability to find and sort his pile of presents in three seconds flat, even though he can’t find his books in his backpack.

But beware -- we writers are prone to ulterior motives. We want a story.

No matter how tempting, don’t mention to Aunt Betty that Lindsay recently pierced her navel. The holidays are a time for graciousness after all. You could invite your old friend Mike, who hasn’t found cartilage he wouldn’t put a ring through. He might, by chance, be seated next to Aunt Betty. By chance…but keep your pen handy…

Enjoy the holidays everyone!

Getting in the Spirit

2011-12-21T20:18:00.006-05:00

Confession – Thanks to Gale’s wonderful post, I have completely reassigned my mental energy to Christmas. So when faced with the task of writing a meaningful blog post I wondered…how many of you are actually, um, reading this? It’s the second night of Hannukah. And 4 days before Christmas. Winter breaks have begun. And baked goods have become the biggest portion of my food pyramid.

But, I'll try...

One of the things I love about the holidays is the stories. Okay, mostly in movie form, but some of my favorites are based on books and short stories. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Suess. A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd. There’s nothing like being snuggled under a blanket, holding a mug of something warm (or a glass of something that will warm you!) and watching a great movie (or reading a book!) by the glow of a Christmas tree to get me in the mood for the holidays.

What are some of your favorite books or movies that get you in the holiday spirit?

You Talking to Me?

2011-12-19T09:22:00.004-05:00

Question: When writing in first person, who does your main character talk to?

When I began writing, I always considered my audience. My first novel was middle grade, so my main character spoke to a middle grade reader. As I wrote it, I pictured him speaking directly to the reader -- to every reader who picked up that book. He would tell that story to anyone willing to listen.

But now, as I revise a YA, I'm giving very careful thought as to whom my main character will confide his deepest personal thoughts and feelings.

MY WIP is written in past tense, which gives me more options than my first novel -- written in present tense -- did. So who does this boy talk to? And how does this choice color the way he tells his story?

Does he talk to a girl he is currently in love with, sitting on a dock, watching boats sail in and out? Or is he a little tipsy and telling the story of senior year to his freshman roommate? Or, is he talking to the reader, and if so, how far away is he from the timeline of the story? Each choice changes the way the story is told, unbeknownst to the reader.

I'm not ready to reveal the choice I made. After all, I'm still revising. I may change it again. And again. And again. But I do know one thing for certain. My main character deserves to tell his story to someone who will really listen.

So I ask all you first person writers -- who does your main character talk to?

'Tis the Season - LOL or LOS?

2011-12-15T11:45:00.001-05:00

Last week I didn't LOL - even once. Instead of being a Lady Of Laughter, I was an LOS - Lady Of Stress. I had finished a round of requested revisions on my current picture book, and was beating myself up for not starting something new. My idea bank was empty and every time I tried to make a deposit, my mind wandered to the family gift list, getting the house in order for three sets of Christmas staying-over guests, menu planning, wrapping, decorating, baking, etc. etc.

LOL? No, m'am.

Then one morning when I woke with yet another tension headache, I decided enough is enough! I gave myself a stern lecture: stop stewing about writing. Reassign your mental energy to Christmas.

This year my December WIP will be the Christmas cards. So be it.

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas to everyone!

No Longer Dreaming

2011-12-08T13:10:00.001-05:00

For many years, I have dreamed of having a published book. I dreamed of the author bio, and I dreamed of the dedication. I dreamed of my author website, and I dreamed of my author visits.

But, for many years, I told myself that these dreams had to be put aside. Otherwise, I would never actually get a book published.

But now, that first book is just months away, and many of the things I used to just dream about have become real items on my writer's to do list.

Months ago, I wrote my author bio and dedication. Now it is a pleasure to see both in the incredible F&G's my editor recently shared with me (and my 5-year-old truck enthusiast loves having a book dedicated to him!).

A few weeks ago, I printed up a business card with my book cover on it, and it feels awesome to have a business card with my book cover on it. But...

the website I listed on the business card was a mere place holder page. Nothing like the site I had envisioned in my mind.

So, I have been hard at work designing that website www.briannacaplansayres.com (still very much a work in progress- but I couldn't write this blog post without sharing what I've done so far!). And on that site, I get to describe those school visits I have imagined doing for so long.

It is very exciting to work on these things, but stressful too at times. I hope everything comes out right. And I hope I manage to balance my time correctly, so I still get to keep writing and, hopefully sometime soon, get to celebrate a book #2.

A Constant Reminder

2011-12-04T07:00:00.001-05:00

I took away an important suggestion from the latest critique of my manuscript. I must let my reader get closer to my protagonist; to feel what she is thinking, to know what she wants, and to be continually reminded of it.

A seasonal analogy presents itself in the old song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Each day the recipient gets a gift from his true love, along with a "partridge in a pear tree." Imagine the song without this quirky refrain to tie it together. Flat. Boring. A series of things, and not much fun to sing.

As the story moves forward, I've got to see that my heroine's hopes and dreams are like the refrain of that song; barely noticeable, but never absent.

A Haiku for You

2011-12-01T10:25:00.004-05:00

New York City has turned to haiku to warn its citizens of traffic hazards. So in support of looking both ways before crossing the street or hitting send, I offer up my haiku for writers anywhere along the submission process:

Submission sent out
Check email ten times per hour
Computer crashes

Add your submission comments--in haiku, of course!

Florida Panthers - and Other Critters

2011-11-28T21:40:00.003-05:00

This evening I am attending a Panther Program for children at our county library here in Southwest Florida. Florida panthers are highly endangered. Their first serious encounters with modern man came with hunters arriving to what then was wilderness to track down trophies. Today the panthers' challenge is to outrun the many cars speeding on the highways.

Great efforts are being taken to safeguard panthers here. The small panther is being brought to the library tonight by the Kowiachobee Animal Preserve so children may see what a baby panther looks like and so they can learn of the efforts to protect these precious panthers.

For a children's writer it's going to be fun and interesting to watch the children observing this tiny but exotic cat. And what great story seeds might sprout from here!

In our travels this year we have seen numerous and wonderful animals that would be intriguing subjects for children's books. When traveling in Bhutan we were hoping to see a yak, but alas, yaks only come down to 10,000 feet or so in the winter and in the summer and warmer months graze at around 12,000 to 14,000 feet in the mountains. But we did meet well built oxen that pulled us in carts through green rice fields one evening to visit a local village. We rode elephants, perched on wooden saddles, to tour Chitwan National Park through the jungle. Perhaps the most fascinating were the Gharial crocodiles that we viewed at a crocodile farm preserve near the park. These crocodiles are protected at the farm and efforts are made to encourage growth of their population. The Gharial crocodiles have an astounding snout! From the long tapered snout that resembles other crocodile types is an extension that is 14 to 22 inches long and an inch or so wide and looks like a pirate's sword! They appear to be an amazing leftover from prehistoric times!

What incredible creatures and critters to pop up on the pages of children's books!

I'm going to watch closely this evening and perhaps come home with a glimmer of a new story.

What critters have you encountered lately? .

Thanks for the Words

2011-11-24T23:22:00.000-05:00

If you find that you need to ‘butter someone up’, or wonder if the elderly man is ‘as old as the hills’, at ‘death’s door’, or about to ‘bite the dust’, you are thinking in biblical terms. Surprised? I was.

The Bible is a masterpiece of authoring and editing. Culturally so ingrained, often we don’t realize we are referring to it. Consider some of the phrases the Bible introduced into our lexicon:

• Turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6)
• Apple of my eye (Deuteronomy 32:10)
• The root of the matter (Job 19:28)
• The skin of my teeth (Job 19:20)
• Fell flat on his face (Numbers 22:31)
• Pour out your heart (Psalms 62:8)
• Wits’ end (Psalm 107:27)
• From time to time (Ezekiel 4:10)
• Blind leading the blind (Matthew 15:14)
• Scum of the earth (1 Corinthians 4:12-14)

National Geographic has just highlighted these and other fascinating insights in its December 2011 issue.

With re-readable plots and subplots, a balance of dialogue and description, and a thread that pulls the story from beginning to end, the original Bible text was, in some cases, inscribed on papyrus. Notwithstanding those tedious chapters on lineage, and even with divine inspiration, how do you pull that off in a draft or two?

In addition to the Greek and Hebrew-speaking authors, Latin and English translators (e.g., default editors) deserve some credit. Under King James I in England, the well-known English translation was first produced more than 400 years ago. And today, over 100 million Bibles are sold or given away each year.

Since to everything there is a season (Ecclesiastes 3:1), Thanksgiving seems an appropriate time to stand in awe (Psalms 4:4) of the writers and editors of the Bible. Happy Thanksgiving!

Gratitude

2011-11-21T12:02:00.003-05:00

Okay, I’m not gonna lie…my mind is in a million different places at once. It’s all good – nice, fun sort of stress, but still – coming up with a witty, exciting, fresh post for y’all is challenging today. Seeing that we’re three days away from Thanksgiving, I’m going to talk about GRATITUDE.

I know, not original or fresh, but I told you…I’m stressing here!

I’m grateful for so many things in my life, but since this is a writing blog, I will stick to, well, writing and why I am truly grateful to be in this sometimes (ha!) crazy business.

Truth: writing doesn’t always make me happy. (shocker!) At times it makes me downright miserable. A crappy writing day can spill over into the rest of my life, and suddenly nothing seems right. I’m moody, short with those I love and even the slightest look in my direction can send me into a downward spiral of “Why do I do this again?”

Conversely, an awesome writing day, well wow, does it get any better? Even when it rains and dinner burns and you realize that you’ve been using your vacuum as a coat hanger and the floor is so full of lint you could probably fashion a stocking cap out of it…none of it matters because you’ve been in the zone.

Oddly enough, I’m grateful for both kinds of days. The bad ones because they make me dig deeper. The good ones don’t need any explanation, do they?

I’m also grateful for the people I have met on this journey. I have been blessed to be a part of not one, but two awesome critique groups. I was more than a little heartbroken to leave my NJ group, good crit partners (and friends) are HARD to find! But before I even unpacked my boxes here in my new home, I sent a shout out to my local SCBWI listserv and immediately connected to another writer, who now is not just a writer bud, but a true friend. We started a group and BAM – the five of us have fashioned our own little writer family to support each other along the way. Just last week, I came to the meeting in a not very positive place. I was frustrated with a chapter I’d been revising and the whole process which sometimes seems to flow at a glacial pace for me. As I spilled my guts to people who could really understand where I was coming from, I felt lighter. I left the meeting…dare I say…happy? Ready to tackle revisions again. Throw in a cinnamon sugar bagel and coffee, and what more could you ask for?

Another person who I'm grateful to have met along my writing journey is my agent, Tamar Rydzinski. Having someone believe in my writing always gets me through those rough days I described above. And the gentle nudges now and then don't hurt either!

And last, but most definitely not least, I’m grateful for you Paper Waiters – for reading, commenting, being a part of this online community. It’s nice to be able to make connections through our writing! Happy Thanksgiving!

So, what part of your writing journey are you grateful for?

Why Bears Sleep All Winter

2011-11-16T20:00:00.002-05:00

Just received copies of the December HIGHLIGHTS with my story "Why Bears Sleep All Winter: A Tale from Lapland."
LAPLAND?

No, I have no ancestral family stories from Lapland. I found this charming story in a tattered second hand volume of Scandinavian folktales published decades ago. The moral of my discovery (ditto the folktale) is to do good works. I was volunteering at a church book sale when I pulled the volume from a dusty donation box.

I've always loved the how or why (pourquoi) stories. One of my favorites is the old African-American one called "Why Dogs Hate Cats." The story begins with dog and cat best of friends until the day they go to town and buy a big ham. On the hot, dusty road going home, they take turns carrying their prize dinner. When dog carries the ham, he always chants, "Our ham, our ham," but when cat carries the ham he always chants, "My ham, my ham." Well, you can see it coming - not far from home cat scrambles up a tree with the ham and eats it all. Dog declares, "I can't get you now, but when you come down out of that tree, I'm going to chase you 'til you drop."

What's your favorite folktale?

An Inspiring Author Visit

2011-11-13T16:01:00.004-05:00

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a Suzy Kline author visit at the elementary school where I teach K-5 art. She is the bestselling author of the Herbie Jones and Horrible Harry chapter books.

Suzy opened with a greeting and then a disclaimer (paraphrased): If there's only one thing you remember from my presentation today, it is that I keep a notebook in my pocket wherever I go, and you should too!

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a Suzy Kline author visit at the elementary school where I teach K-5 art. She is the bestselling author of the Herbie Jones and Horrible Harry chapter books.

She shared how she jots down a sentence, phrase, or a few words in her notebook. Even one word can lead to a “seed” or idea for a new story. She shared stories from over 25 years as an elementary teacher and, with the help of a few props, showed how these “seeds” grew into whole characters in her books.

Suzy described her path as a writer and her long journey to being published. She displayed artifacts from laminated copies of childhood stories to her very first rejection letter from a publisher. With an impressive display of published books, Suzy illustrated how her persistence paid off. Suzy inspired the students to write, write, write and never give up!

With a little help from the faculty, including the principal, Suzy brought a scene from a Horrible Harry book alive with an impromptu dramatic performance. The students loved it!

Suzy did a phenomenal job of spreading her contagious enthusiasm for writing with the next generation of writers. At the end of the presentation, each student was given a small pocket notebook.

The least I could do was whip out my journal during my lunch break and jot a few things down. Thanks for the inspiration, Suzy!

Have any of you attended an author visit or illustrator presentation? What did you gain from it?

A Time to Celebrate!

2011-11-09T12:55:00.000-05:00

There are the blog posts where I question and the blog posts where I wonder. There are the blog posts where I doubt and the blog posts where I discover.

And then there are the blog posts where I... celebrate!

I love to celebrate!!!!

My book, "Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?", has a cover! An adorable cover by the fabulous Christian Slade! I am so excited!!!! (I know, exclamation points are my weakness. I should use less of them, but I really am sooooo excited!!!!!)

It is amazing to see my words illustrated so beautifully. And, somehow, seeing my book's fantastic cover makes this whole "getting published" thing feel a bit more real.

Before I know it, it will be May 2012 and I will be holding an actual book in my hands.

Eek! I've got a website and some business cards to make before then!

So, thanks for celebrating with me! And now, back to work. It's time to revise another manuscript...