A cool quote...

After our discussion a couple weeks ago about children's books, I thought this article summed up what we were talking about in a great way. It's a sort of eulogy for a children's author, Catherine Woolley, who passed away this week but also just this writer's (Gail Fashingbauer Cooper) explanation for why we love these books so much even into adulthood. I'm quoting some of it here, but be sure to check out the whole thing. It's good.

I especially love the last line of the quote (the italics are mine). It describes exactly how I feel about certain books and characters. I think Becky D. sent me an email awhile ago saying she also felt this way about some characters and books.

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have survived my childhood without my "book friends." : ) Or, at least, my childhood certainly wouldn't have been as enjoyable. Heck, forget childhood. Paperbound friends still add immeasurable joy to my life. : )

"Children's books can stay with us for our entire lives, if they're good enough. Series books are special friends, because we can keep coming back for something new, progressing through life with the characters.

I should know. Years ago I found an online group that discussed the series books of Lenora Mattingly Weber, and not only is the group still active via email, but we gather each summer in a group member's hometown. We know what the kids who stood in line last weekend for Harry Potter's latest also know, that sometimes friends can be made inside bound pages."

Where to begin?

You know the hardest part about these road trip write-ups is that I'm usually so tired from whatever is I've been doing it's difficult to summarize what happened and make it even remotely interesting Right now, I'm tired after working all day and I think I'm getting sick too. *sigh* My throat is sore, so it hurts to talk or swallow.

I think I'll settle for a quick summary, at least for the time being. I had a great time, as usual, at Writers' Institute. I met all kinds of cool people (Evelyn and Tara, if either of you are reading this, email me, okay?!? I didn't get your email addresses) and learned a bunch of good stuff. Again, I've learned the key to this kind of thing is "having drinks" with people. I'm not much of a drinker, not because I'm against it or anything, but just because I'd rather have water or soda. But at these events, people are forever going out to have drinks and you know what...it's really fun! Something about the social aspect combined with the love of writing just makes the conversation flow.

The panel went well, I think. It was called "Formula for Success: How we went from unpublished to published." I enjoyed hearing all the different perspectives from the other people on the panel. I'd like, though, I think, the chance to teach a panel myself. I love teaching/talking about writing stuff and I felt there wasn't enough time to get into any of nitty gritty details.

I also had a fantastic time chatting with Beth Finke, another Chicago writer. Beth is amazing to me because she's a great writer (check out her memoir, Long Time, No See) and she's blind. I think about how down I get on myself and how difficult I can make things for myself. But to keep writing, despite how difficult it must have been for her (especially before voice recognition software), that shows such a love for writing and a dedication to it...and definitely puts me to shame. Beth had some terrific ideas for marketing and also gave me a much-needed boost in confidence by reassuring me that I was doing pretty well so far in my new career. *grin*

I also got some help on my logline difficulties with a session from Laurel Yorke, and I've got a new technique to try out with Karen Wiesner's "First Draft in 30 Days" process.

I come back from these things with my brain all full of ideas and new things to try. Despite feeling sick, I feel refreshed and re-energized when it comes to writing. I've ordered three new books, based on the seminars I took, and I can't wait to get them.

Okay, that's it for tonight. I think my fever may have returned. So, I'm going home. : ) More tomorrow...

Quick Note...

A reminder...I'll be in Madison starting tomorrow afternoon, so blog updates may be a little iffy (or non-existent) until next week.

In all the Harry Potter excitement, I forgot to mention Battlestar Galactica and SG-1. I was really surprised by SG-1. I loved O'Neill, but the new guy is pretty good too. And the snappy dialogue between Daniel and the chick who used to be on Farscape is hysterical. Battlestar Galactica was pretty good too, though I hated the lame flashback trying to explain the history and relationship between Adama and Colonel Tigh. They had these really bad wigs which were totally distracting. The best part of the episode, though, is where Helo expends all this effort to convince Starbuck not to kill Sharon #2, a cylon, because she's helped them out so far and is therefore not so bad. And then, while he's still trying to convince her, Sharon #2 steals the ship, leaving them stranded. Ha!

Also, Meg Cabot has evidently finished reading Harry Potter. I agree with her assessment and her plan of action in the event that J.K. Rowling attempts to pull a fast one on us. *grin* Scroll down to yesterday's entry to read what she has to say. No spoilers or anything, just funny. As a pet owner, I particularly enjoyed the next paragraph about the concerning green poop.

Okay, that's probably enough from me for now. I'm tired and getting slap-happy, I think. Wish me luck the next couple of days! I'll do my best to keep you updated and/or provide a full report upon my return : )

Two more years...at least!

Spent most of Saturday at Hogwarts and had a fabulous time! *grin* I enjoyed this one so much more than the last (Harry was being very whiney and teenager-y in the last one, for which I give Rowling props for realism but 1,000 pages of that is a little wearing).

In my opinion, J.K. Rowling deserves every bit of money and success that she's received. The books are good, funny, sweet and sad. But they're also consistent (one of my other nitpicks for books) and great examples of character development.

Plus, as much as I think it would be great to have that kind of fame and fortune, I can't even imagine the pressure she must be under to deliver the next installment. Not just the 1,000 pages to write or whatever, but keeping up with people's expectations. When you write a series, people always have something to compare the latest book to. "It wasn't as good as the first," etc. But then again, I believe I read somewhere that she never lets anyone else's expectations trouble her. She just remains true to her vision of the story. How freaking amazing is that? I hope I can learn that lesson. I'm trying. If I were in her situation, self-doubt would have chewed me up and spit me out long ago. After awhile, your own anxiety (being successful only gives you something to lose) makes it difficult to tell whether you've lived up to your own vision of things or not. It's truly jumping off the ledge sometimes and hoping for a soft landing.

I always forget in the intervening time how funny these books are. Laugh out loud funny, in some cases. And very, very smart.

I'm so pleased to see that sales of the book exceeded the box office sales for both of the big movies out this weekend, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. A big yea for reading! I love that people find it so strange that all this hoopla surrounds a book's release, but nobody blinked an eye when people sat outside for WEEKS in advance of the latest Star Wars movie. I think it's terrific that a book can generate so much enthusiasm and in this particular case, the book in question happens to deserve it.

*sigh* Now, I'm guessing it'll be 2007 until the next one, at a minimum. Arrrggh. I told my husband, it's like being poised at the top of the highest hill of a roller coaster and being forced to wait there...for two years.

I do have some questions. Little odd things that are tickling at the back of my mind. So, if/when others of you finish reading it, let me know, okay?

Happy Battlestar Galactica Friday!!!

And a slightly early "Happy Harry Potter Day" to you as well. I'm kicking myself just the tiniest bit for not being motivated to go out and sit in the Barnes and Noble tonight to pick up my copy. But that'll be nothing compared to my reaction tomorrow morning if I find out they're all sold out!!! You'll be able to hear my scream from your home, no matter where you live. I'm quite certain of it.

But you see, I also can't go to the bookstore tonight because despite Tivo's 90% reliability, I can't take the chance of missing the season premieres of SG-1 and Battlestar Galactica! I'm so excited.

I'm taking off out of here a little early to make sure I'm home in time to be comfortably settled on my couch.

Have a great weekend everybody.

Number of days until house closing: 14

Number of boxes packed: Um, do the ones we never unpacked from last year count?

"Wish I had a camera phone" post

Saw not one but two license plates, and therefore cars, from Alaska this morning. That was new. Never seen one of those before ever. I wondered if the people knew each other, as the cars were not very far apart from each other in traffic. But when one passed the other, they gave no such indication as I would have. You know, waving madly, honking or giving some secret "hey, we're both from Alaska" hand signal. Perhaps people from Alaska are not as strange as I am, though. You should see me when I see a Valpo bumper or window sticker. I'm always very tempted to go chasing after the person, just to wave, even though they'll probably have no idea why I'm doing that and odds are, I won't even know them personally. Perhaps we need to develop some kind of secret "hey, you went to Valpo too" hand signal. Or...not.

: )

Good news!

Two quick little nuggets of happy information...

First, I got an email from Chris DeSmet, one of the organizers for The Writers' Institute in Madison. She said there are over 100 people signed up for the panel I'm speaking on! Woohoo!!! Of course, I'm not the only one on the panel. There are five other writers as well (and I'm eager to hear what they have to say as well). But still, over 100 people. That's fantastic. If you haven't checked out The Writers' Institute at University of Wisconsin-Madison, please click on the link to do so. They have one of the best programs out there, in my opinion. I look forward to this event every year. I come back with so much information and motivation to keep plowing ahead. It's great. If you're looking for a boost, consider attending next year. Also, if you click on the link and download the conference guide (it's a pdf), you can read the description for the panel I'm on.

And second, I received official word yesterday that one of my projects for my dayjob again won an Award of Excellence from the Insurance Marketing Communications Association. It's a professional organization that evaluates marketing communications pieces on design, copywriting and concept, among other things. One of my projects won back in 2003, which was very cool and provided a certain cachet (is that how you spell that?) because I could say in query letters to agents and publishers that I am an award-winning copywriter for my dayjob. Tee, hee! Now I get to list both 2003 and 2005 when I mention that. How cool is that?!? Not to mention, it probably also helps build my credibility with my company. That's helpful too : )

Okay, that's it for now. Back to your regularly scheduled programming...

P.S. finished The Magician's Nephew (so good!!!) and will be picking up the next book when I'm at Target again. Probably tonight. : )

What is it about kids' books?

Last night on my daily trip to Target (you think I'm kidding but I'm not), I picked up The Magician's Nephew, which is the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia. (Ed and Deb, there are seven books according to the list in the front of this one). I settled in to read last night and was immediately entranced. I love fantasy for young readers (even though I, with rare exception, can't stand it in grown-up books and I don't know why.) It's something about the tone. It's so simple, it's magical somehow. It makes me feel peaceful and protected (cause you know nothing too bad can happen) but also excited because there's an adventure afoot. Quirky, unbelievable things are about to happen and you can't wait to see what they're going to be. I feel this same way when I settle in with a new Harry Potter, though the peacefulness of that series is slowly wearing off as the books get gradually darker.

It's like there's this spark or joy in these stories that's so often missing from books for grown ups. One of my favorite writers when I was much younger was Roald Dahl. He wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, Matilda and more. Most, if not all of these, have been turned into movies over the years. The books are filled with wild and wacky characters who somehow come across as believable because they are so odd.

As I think about this, it occurs to me that maybe the reason I like these books so well is because they do one of my very favorite things in story-telling. They combine the normal with the abnormal, the absurd with the ordinary. The Chronicles of Narnia is not just about another world, but another world reached by going through a closet, essentially. Harry Potter is not just about a boy wizard, but a boy wizard who has to deal with a crappy home life and school bullies. Yeah, I love that!

Just for fun, check out these sites:

Roald Dahl

Mugglenet. com (I highly recommend the "fun lists" section, specifically "103 ways to annoy Voldemort")

The Chronicles of Narnia

New books and new television this week!

Of course, everybody knows about the new Harry Potter book coming out on Friday, at midnight. I haven't yet decided whether I'm going to stay up or not. Last time, my brother and I went and stayed up until about 2:00 a.m., for fear that we wouldn't get our copies. But then, as my husband loves to point out, there were tons of copies everywhere (like Target) the next day.

So, I'm thinking I'll probably just wait until Saturday to go and get it. I know, kind of a party pooper thing to do, right? When the fourth book came out, my family happened to be in town, so my husband and I took my sister, who was probably only 11 or 12 at the time, to the bookstore at midnight. I think she got a kick out of it. So much stuff, I'm finding, is a lot more fun with little kids around to get excited about it. Most of us grown-up types are just too damn jaded.

But before Harry Potter on Friday/Saturday, it's new book Tuesday! And the latest Suzanne Brockmann is coming out tomorrow. I found Suzanne Brockmann by accident and promptly gobbled up all of her books as quickly as I could get my hands on them. She writes military-type romances, which is so not something I'd normally be interested in (despite Top Gun and An Officer and a Gentlemen), but the characters are so well-drawn and believable. I just love the stories. And this one in particular is one I've been waiting for. Often the secondary romance in the book gets drawn out over several books and this one, between Max and Gina, is one of my favorites. I can't wait to see what happens. She was a hostage on a hijacked plane. He was the FBI negotiator who kept her company during her ordeal and worked for her release. Sounds kind like something you've read before right? Except she's like 22 when this happens and he's in his early forties. She falls in love with him and that totally freaks him out because of the age difference. He loves her too, but he feels it's wrong and that she deserves better. Oh, I can't wait to see how they figure it all out. I think I'm also going to pick up the Chronicles of Narnia, in preparation for the movie later this summer.

Also, the best show on television, in my humble opinion, returns this week with new episodes. Yes, it's time to welcome back blog entries entitled "Happy Battlestar Galactica Friday!" Woohoo! New episodes return this Friday, and I can't wait to see what happens next. Though, when we last left them, they had characters in three different places. Galactica, a planet presumed to be the legendary Kobol and Caprica. I'm eager for the folks on Caprica to get back to Galactica because I love the interaction between Starbuck and Apollo. But poor Helo has some difficult times ahead as he tries to explain exactly what happened with Sharon 2.0 on the planet. Hee, hee. Can't wait!

Also SG-1 returns. I'm a little less enthusiastic about this one. O'Neill isn't going to be a regular character on the show anymore, which means his romance with Samantha Carter is probably going to go a big fat nowhere. But I'm interested to see how they integrate the guy from Farscape into the story and I hope the woman from Farscape will come back into the picture. Daniel needs an interesting love interest, for a change, instead of some chick who is Gou'ald, was a Gou'ald or soon will be a Gou'ald. (I'm not sure I've got the spelling right on Gou'ald but you get the idea.) However, on the O'Neill and Sam romance, though, I did catch a glimpse of a couple kissing in the preview for this season. And, after making my husband rewind it frame by frame (oh yeah, he loved that), I do believe it is O'Neill and Sam kissing. So, I'll at least tune in to see that part : )

All right, I've rambled long enough! : )

Guest blogger in town...

As a special treat (whether for you or for her, who knows? *grin*) I'm turning over my blog today to Susan, my sister, who is in town visiting me. Let's see what she has to say...

Hey everybody!!!
To be honest with you all I have no idea what to write and I asked my sister, the writer, to help. She said to write on issues where I think people are right or wrong... yeah like I know anything about important issues.... I'm 16!Lol.
I've been spending the week with my sister and it has been pretty fun. I don't get to see my siblings much or at least with out the company of my parents because they only come down to see all of us. Yes sorry parents if you are reading this you do sort of cramp the style a little bit... lol. No but seriously its been great. I get to hang out with Stacey and talk about books, movies, and important issues like how we can get more books! lol With Greg we play video games, which I love, and I get my butt kicked most of the time. Mike drove me up here and that was interesting because I haven't spent more than twenty minutes in the car with my brother for years. So safe to say he learned of my newest annoying qualities and my good ones (I hope) also. I have to go back on Sunday, but I am glad for this week. It has been an experience I wish to repeat. As to all the people I met while I was up here... I will never remember your names, but you were all very nice and I hope to see you again...

Till next year (because that is probably when I'll be a guest up here next lol) I will see all of who reads this later!

~Susan

Thanks, Susan. We've had fun too. : )

Have a good weekend everybody!

Tuesday, but it feels like Monday...

I've only recently come to the conclusion that I alone am responsible for why things get difficult for me at times. I'm thinking of this in particular as it pertains writing. I write like a flying squirrel. Not like a flying squirrel writes, obviously. That's all very chit-chattery. But as a flying squirrel flies (or so I imagine, I've never actually seen one and would probably scream if I did.) I write just like that squirrel jumps off the first tree. I have a vague idea of where I'm going and where I'd like to end up but the adventure in between there and here is all yet to be determined. That's the best part...taking the leap and feeling the exhilaration as you catch hold of the next little bit of story.

That's all well and good. Until you have to go back and make sure it all makes sense for other people. In other words, the squirrel, in this case, is a cartographer for other squirrels. It's his responsibility to make sure other flying squirrels understand the path he's chosen and written down for them. They still have fun on the journey, but they trust that the cartographer squirrel has done his job and they're not going to end up at a dead end.

Wow. Talk about a metaphor gone dreadfully wrong. : ) Though some people (Stacy G.) will probably just enjoy the gratitous mention of squirrels.

Anyway, the point is this. Because I do so very little planning before I take the leap, which is sooooo much fun!, I have that much more work to do at the end. Right now, I'm trying to sort everything out from a logical side of things, which I am definitely less fond of. You have to make sure people are acting appropriate for their motivations and do things like chart societies and decide how said societies are run because things like this create motives for action. You wouldn't think so, but it's true. A restrictive society is going to have people who refuse to obey the rules because they can't get ahead by doing so. Voila! Motive.

Normally, I enjoy things like this, but it's always tough creating a society after the story has been written because it's trying to piece it together from clues instead of just creating a society and then writing the story based on the actions and reactions within said society.

So, I'm stuck. I'm thinking and thinking, but my brain just refuses to go any farther at the moment. So, how about some links instead?

I've got a writing tips article up at Once Upon a Romance. I had lots of fun writing it, as it combined the skills of my day job (copywriting) with a topic I was quite familiar with (writing) instead of something that still vaguely mystfies me (insurance/financial services). Please feel free to forward the link to anyone you think might find the article interesting or useful.

And Susan Gibberman, Head of Reader Services at Schaumburg Library, fellow writer and all around cool person, selected The Silver Spoon as part of the Novel Ideas page on their website. The page indicates that it's for books that "Readers' Advisory staff have read and enjoyed." How cool is that? Thanks, Susan!

Wish me luck at getting unstuck. I really, really wanted to have all the major issues worked out with this new story by Writers' Institute, which is in a couple of weeks! Several agents will be there and I'd hoped to maybe sneak in an informal pitch. But we'll see. No pitching if the story isn't closer to finished than this!

Fun with photos

It's a Friday and everyone here left hours ago, but I've been finishing up a project. So, just for kicks, I'm going to do something fun. Most of you know that I'm moving in a little less than a month. So I thought I'd post a picture of the outside of the house. Technically we don't own the house yet, but I borrowed the photo off of realtor.com, a public site, so I don't think I'm violating any privacy issues. Plus, it's not like you couldn't see the outside of the house if you drove by, right?

Isn't it cute? I'm fully planning on having tea on the balcony : )