HP Quilt- Hedwig

Work on the quilt continues

Hedwig

Below is a documentary about my progress the last couple days.

RTW #101- Reason to Write

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered.
This weeks question:
What's your numero-uno reason for writing?


Writing is like a best friend.  Writing has been with me since my childhood.  When things are good, I write.  When things are bad, I write.  I write because I love it.    


What are your reasons for writing?


Also I'm doing a giveaway.  Check it out here

Rocktober giveaway

October is my favorite month.  I love Halloween.  I love pumpkin flavored things.

I also love this idea.  All Hallow's Read.  Check out the video to see what it's about.


So to celebrate All Hallow's Read I'm doing a giveaway.  I want to make sure that you get your book around Halloween so I'll pick a winner this weekend.

Up for grabs is
1. Coraline by Neil Gaiman



This is a paperback copy I just found at my neighborhood book sale.  It's in great condition.
















2. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
 I passed this copy to my writing group for All Hallow's Read last year.  It made it's way back to me.  It's a paperback and there is a slight bend in the cover.

* The idea behind All Hallow's Read is to give a scary book.  It doesn't have to be a Neil Gaiman book but that is what I have.

3. $10 Starbucks Gift Card-
I know this isn't a book but October is also Disability Awareness Month and Starbucks had gift cards with Braille.  My mom is a puppy raiser for Leader Dogs for the Blind and I wrote a picture book manuscript about a guide dog.  I submitted my manuscript this month to a publisher and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  Celebrating and hoping = coffee gift card.  

If you don't win don't worry.  Just look at these cute puppy pictures of past and current puppies-in-training.

Hammond

Future Leader Dog, Molly

If you find those puppies as irresistible as I do you can help sponsor a Guide Dog puppy at Dog's Eye View.

To enter the giveaway leave a comment and tell me which prize you'd like to win.  Tell me your favorite scary book.  I'll pick a winner on Saturday, 10/22.

Minnesota Monday- Music

Once upon a time there was a thirteen year old girl who lived in a library in Iowa.  In the library she found a Replacements CD.  The Replacements are from Minnesota.  The girl grew up and moved to Minnesota.

OK I didn't move to Minnesota because of the Replacements but the music scene in Minneapolis was an important factor.

Writers love music.  It inspires us.  It fuels our writing.

I love listening to local music.  I love hearing the names of streets and places I'm familiar with in song

A lot of my writing is fueled by music I hear on 89.3 The Current,  Minnesota Public Radio's music channel.  They are huge supporters of local music.
I still love The Replacements but I've been introduced to so many other local artists that I love.  Prince, Bob Dylan(He's from Minnesota so he totally counts), The Hold Steady, Jeremy Messersmith, Paper Tiger, Toki Wright, Mark Mallman, Dan Wilson
Currently I'm listening to local hip hop artist Dessa's latest, Castor, The Twin.


Free Life


What music inspires your writing?

Paying it Forward and Friday Fives

Here are the blogs you should follow.

Sarah- Glissades and Gabble

Alicia- Slice of the Blog Pie

Molly Greene- Worth Becoming

Check out the list of participants here or here



 Paper Hangover asks the question- What are you five favorite childhood books.

1. The Monster at the End of This Book


2. Are You My Mother?


3. Little House on the Prairie


4. Nancy Drew



5. The Babysitter's Club

Mixing it up

I'm not doing a Theater Thursday post today.

That's because tomorrow I'm participating in the Pay it Forward Blogfest hosted by Matthew and Alex.

What do you do?

1. Sign up.
2. Talk about 3 blogs you follow and why other people should follow them.
3.  Check out the other blogs on the list.

So go sign up because they are almost at 200 participants and come back tomorrow to see my three choices.

RTW- #100, The Journey

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs.
What has your writing road trip looked like so far? Excitement? Traffic Jams and detours? Where are you going next?


My journey feels like the turtle of the turtle and the hare story.  
I've written and some part of me has wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember.  Once I graduated college I was working away at being an adult and felt the pull to write again.  
I wrote.  I got rejected.  I gave up.  
During this time good things happened for me writing-wise.  I won honorable mention in a local poetry competition.  
But somehow I didn't think I was a good writer.  I thought I needed the perfect day job that would allow me to work during the day then come home and write.  I didn't get that job but I learned to love the job I had and realize why it was the perfect job for me as a writer.  But for a while I was disappointed and I didn't write.
But the whole writing thing wouldn't leave me alone.  
I was running one day and I heard the lyrics to a song on my iPod and I knew that I needed to pursue my dream of being a writer no matter what.
I came back to the page.  This time I was more serious.  This time I wasn't willing to quit.


My pace has been slow and steady.  Partially due to a car accident and then a health issue consuming a year of my life.  But now that things are better my progress is faster which is good.


I hope to someday be a published author.  That would be amazing.  If I never become published, I'll still write.

Minnesota Monday- Paul and Babe

I'm not sure if you know this but Minnesota is one of the states that claim to be home to Paul Bunyan.

I knew of Paul Bunyan from my childhood visits to The Enchanted Forest Waterpark in The Adirondaks so I was happy to find that Minnesota also has some Paul Bunyan stories

Above is Adirondack Paul and Bemidji Paul and Babe.

In Minnesota, Paul Bunyan is responsible with creating the 10,000 lakes with his footprints.

Today I went to a new coffee shop in my neighborhood named Blue Ox Coffee Company and the tea was so amazing and the atmosphere so nice that I will definitely be back for writing.
I drink tea so how a coffee shop does tea is important to me.  The Blue Ox isn't messing around when it comes to tea.  This was the most amazing cup of tea ever.  So good in fact that I decided I needed to write about Paul and Babe just so I could talk about this place.

The shop has a few Paul and Babe things including a book of Paul Bunyan tales.

One of my favorite books about Paul Bunyan is Paul Bunyan's Sweetheart by Marybeth Lorbiecki.  There's also a statue of Lucette in Hackensack, MN



What's your favorite Paul Bunyan story?

HP Quilt- Bertie Bott's and Chocolate Frogs

The next square for my quilt, Honeyduke's candy store.  Enjoy.

Friday Fives- Inspiration

Paper Hangover asks the question What are the five ways you find writing inspirations?

1. An Old Friend from Far Away by Natalie Goldberg.  I love this book full of prompts for writing memoirs.  Writing for 10 minutes about ice cream, sounds or my hopes and dreams really gets me in a place to write.

2. Books.  I love reading.  I dream of the day I'll someday be holding my own book in my hands.  Reading books inspires me to want to write them.

3. Work.  I love working in theater.  Being around people pursuing their dreams of being on stage inspires me to write.

4. Walking.  I'm blessed to live near a beautiful park in a wonderful neighborhood.  Some of my best ideas come to me while I'm taking a walk.  When I'm stuck on a story I go for a walk while I figure it out.

5. Vacations.  I don't take nearly enough vacations but whenever I get a chance to get away I always feel refreshed and recharged and inspired to write.

Theater Thursday- Dressing the Part

Do you watch Glee?  As I was watching the I am Unicorn episode I noticed that when the kids were auditioning for West Side Story they were each dressed in a costume for their part.  Rachel wasn't wearing her typical skirt and knee highs, she was dressed in a Maria dress and Blaine was dressed in a Tony outfit with the cuffed jeans and polo shirt.  They totally look the part.



So,  here's a secret.  I know actors who do this.  OK, maybe not to this extent but I know people who wear the perfect 40's style dress if they are auditioning for a show set in the 40's. They do this to make them stick out in the director's mind.  They want the director to be able to see them in that part.

As writers when we submit our work we are auditioning for the role of "published author" so it is important to look our best.

1.  Submit your best work. Write, revise, repeat until it is the best.  If you get a stack of rejections repeat the revise step.

2. Follow the rules.  Stick with the guidelines posted by the agent or publisher.  Actors have to follow rules for auditions.  They have to audition on a certain day and they have to prepare audition pieces that fit the show they are auditioning for.  Someone not following the rules probably isn't going to get the part.  Same with writing.

3. Have an awesome query or cover letter.  In your query or cover letter show that you are familiar with the editor, publisher, or agent you are contacting.

4. If you are contacting by email make sure your email is professional.  Make sure your email address, font, and signature are all professional.  If you send something from your email account, blutterfly77@_____.com an editor or agent might have a hard time remembering you.  Be aware of your signatures.  Bible verses, jokes, inspiring quotes are great for friends and relatives but not necessarily professional unless those are the kinds of publishers you are submitting to.

What other tips do you have for getting the landing the coveted role of "published author"?

RTW- Supporting stars

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered.  This weeks questions

What supporting character from a YA book would you most like to see star in their own novel?

Dumbledore

I know we learned a little about some of his adventures in the Harry Potter books but I'd still love to see more of Albus Dumbledore's adventures.  

Ethan from the Dreaming Anastasia series by Joy Preble.  OK so Ethan is part of this Brotherhood that has was supposed to protect Anastasia.  He's like 100 years old.  He has blue eyes and he isn't cold like Edward.  I want to know more about his adventures protecting Anastasia all these years.  

Minnesota Monday- Julia Gillian

The other day while riding my bike on the Greenway I saw a little group of preschoolers working in their community garden space and I was immediately reminded of the Julia Gillian series by Alison McGhee.


This is a great series for middle grade readers.  Julia is in fourth grade when the series starts and in sixth grade in the most recent book.

Julia is a wonderful character.  She keeps a list of things she is skilled at and she tries to add to that list.  She is a dog person.  She is independent.  Overall she is a believable character and her problems seem relatable.

The books are set in the Uptown area of Minneapolis.  In the book she visits places like Bryant Hardware (I pay more attention to the window display since reading these books). She goes to dinner with her family at Quang Restaurant.  She even sees preschoolers taking care of a community garden on her walks with her dog, Bigfoot.  She remembers a time when she was a preschooler taking care the community garden.  It is no surprise that seeing these kids working in their community garden made me think of the Julia Gillian books.  I would not have been surprised see Julia and Bigfoot at the dog park when I pedaled past.  

The drawings in this book are really fun also.  One of my favorites is of Julia in her Minnesota Twins jersey.

Check these books out.  You won't be disappointed.

Have you been reminded of a book because of a location?





  

HP Quilt- Whomping Willow

The Whomping Willow, complete with a car and tiny quilted versions of Harry and Ron.  

Friday Fives- Banned Book Week

Paper Hangover asks the question What are you five favorite banned books?

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  This is one of my favorite books.  I read it once a year.


2. The Awakening by Kate Chopin.  I read this book in high school and I liked it.  I read it again in college and I loved it.


3. The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler.  I love the character Virginia and her struggles with her weight and growing up are realistic and relatable.


4. Are You There God?  It's Me Margaret by Judy Blume.  I love how Margaret deals with the question of religion in her life.  I also love her struggles as she grows up.


5. The Giver by Lois Lowry  This is another one of my favorites.  I've read this one several times and I now I think I may need to read it again. I read a story about how caring for her aging parents inspired this book.  Listen to the stories your grandparents and parents tell.


What are your favorite "banned" books?
Find a list of frequently challenged books here and celebrate your right to read what you want

Theater Thursdays- Dialogue

Last week I talked about a panel/reading I attended at The Loft with David Levithan and Brian Farrey.  It is now available to listen to online here.

Dialogue

I've worked in theater for many years and one of the things all that time listening to plays, watching plays and reading plays has taught me is how to write dialogue.

In plays dialogue is important and it moves the story forward.
"Hey"
"Hey"
"How are you?"
"Good, and you?"
"Good."
This is the kind of small talk dialogue you don't see in plays a lot unless there are character who don't know each other and so are maybe trying to fill the space with small talk.  Make your dialogue count.  Make it tell the story.

Dialogue isn't just about speaking it is also about listening.  On stage actors listen to each other, they react to what is being said.  Make your characters on the page react to what is being said.

Break up dialogue with action.  Sometimes it is easy to get into writing dialogue and allow your character to become talking heads.  When you watch a play actors have actions along with those words.  They pour a drink, they look in their purse for breath mints, they fidget with their jewelry.  When you have long passages of dialogue try to break it up with descriptions of what other business your characters are doing.

It's also cool to see how sets and costumes can help people understand dialogue better.  Think of a Shakespeare play staged using modern dress and settings to make it more accessible.  How would the dialogue in your story play out in a crowded cafeteria versus an almost empty classroom?

You don't have to dedicate yourself to a life in theater in order to improve your dialogue writing skills but seeing more plays can only help your writing.  If you follow things like The Artist's Way consider a night at the theater an artist date.

What is your favorite play?  Has seeing plays made you a better writer?

Way Back Wednesday- The Growl

It's Wednesday and while that usually means a ya highway RTW post I feel like I already posted about my favorite September read on Monday.

So today I give you Way Back Wednesday.

The first time in my life that I thought I'd want to be a writer was in high school.  I took a journalism class and joined the newspaper staff.  I worked on the newspaper staff my junior and senior year first as a reporter and later as a news editor.

I'd wanted to work on the school paper since 5th grade when I started reading Sweet Valley Twins.  In 5th grade my friends and I tried to start a newspaper for our elementary school.  It was cute.  

I loved writing for the paper, doing layouts, thinking of story ideas and interviewing people.  

I also learned about the financial end of writing.  Students were asked to sell ads in addition to writing.  Ads paid, in part, for our paper.  

One of the first things we did in journalism class was learn about freedom of speech and how important it was to defend it.  This is why you will still find me defending freedom of speech and books and the right for people to read and have access to books and information.

The newspaper also taught me a lot about writing.  Newspaper articles are typically short and they need to catch the reader's attention.  They need quotes (dialog), description, a hook, a catchy title. 

When I started writing with the hopes of getting published I gravitated towards picture books and stories for kids.  

What are some of your earliest writings? 

Minnesota Monday- Wonderstruck

I read the book Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick this week.

It is an amazing book and it starts in Minnesota. Gunflint Lake, Minnesota. Like Hugo Cabret this story is told in words and pictures. The words tell the story of Ben and the pictures share the story of Rose.

Ben's story starts in Gunflint Lake and Rose's begins in New Jersey but both stories lead to New York City and the American Museum of Natural History. Both characters are deaf.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a beautiful story told in words and pictures, Minnesota, museums, dioramas, love, and New York City.

Even though I picked this book up because of the Minnesota connection I also love the AMNH connection. When my brother lived in NYC this was his favorite museum so he took us there on one of our visits. My brother seemed to know a lot about this museum. I loved this museum and was reminded of it when I visited The Field Museum in Chicago.

Being around taxidermy animals reminds me of the art classes I took in college. My college had a large room full of taxidermy birds that the art and ornithology classes used. I know it had a real name but we all called it The Dead Bird Museum because the birds were usually behind glass in little bird dioramas. Below is one of my drawings from the dead bird museum.

Selznick has several tour dates for this book in the Twin Cities in October. A list is here.

What great books have you read lately?

#FridayReads for a good cause

Do you read?

Do you tweet?

If you answered yes to those two questions you should check out Steve Brezenoff's blog.

He has pledged to donate money to YouthLink, an organization in working with homeless youth in the Twin Cities for #fridayreads posts with his book Brooklyn, Burning on twitter. Details are on his page here so go check it out.

Happy Friday.

Theater Thursdays- The Actor's Brain

It's tech week so I really don't have an awesome post about how theater is like writing.

I did see this http://gu.com/p/2cdt8. It is a video of an actor having their brain scanned while reciting lines from a play versus counting. It's pretty cool. Also Fiona Shaw is the actor having her brain scanned so check it out.

It made me wonder what a writer's brain scan would look like when they are writing.