Natisha's Corner

Sleepless in Rochester

2011-04-22T10:09:00.001-04:00

Family Stuff
The kids are home and going a little stir crazy with all the wet weather we've been getting. In order to squeeze some editing in during the day, I've allowed them to have zombie time, watching TV and playing video games. But seriously, I did have bigger plans for the week.

Monday, we traveled out to Hope Farm to meet with a couple former classmates from the UofR. The kids loved meeting all the animals: the alpacas, horses, chickens, ducks, cats, and a very woolly dog. We planned a summer get together for fellow sci-fi enthusiasts from our college days. It should be fun.

Writing
I'm still on task to finish my current WIP before May. All three of my critique groups have been very encouraging.

Editing
Two of the books I've edited for Double Dragon Publications are now available as ebooks: YVEN by Jessica McHugh and UNFAMILIAR CHRONICLES by Patrick Welch.

In July, MuseItUp Publishing will be releasing another novel I'm currently editing a science fiction/thriller, SPECTRA by Joanne Elder. In memory of her father, a World War II veteran, Joanne is donating fifty percent of all her author royalties to Alzheimer's research.

In August, MUIP will release a historical romance, REMY by Tricia McGill.

Woo hoo!

2010-10-24T02:07:00.007-04:00

I've had several woo hoos in the past week.

Writing:
I've entered a pact with one of my local writing groups. We vowed to finish writing our current WIPs by April 2011. All three of us are working on YA novels. Two of us are writing dystopian futures and the other critique member is writing a fantasy.

Illustration:
I'm continuing to study children's illustration. My current effort: studying individual illustrators. I'll study their process and design.

I also found out that a local writer/illustrator, Sheila Jarkins, teaches a children's illustration course. I plan to take it. http://tinyurl.com/2dhs8ky

Job Front:
I recently received an editing job (proofreading fiction manuscripts) for a company that publishes trade and e-books. The best thing about it is that I can: 1) work from home and 2) read (one of my favorite things to do). My first assignment is a fantasy novel. Wish me luck.

Family:
My read-a-holic 10 year old won the Barnes & Noble 39 Clues Summer Reading Program.
On Wednesday, a representative from Barnes & Noble came to his classroom last Wednesday where she presented my son with a signed set of all of the 39 Clues books and a 39 Clues backpack. He was surprised and very excited about it, so he asked if he could hang onto the books so he could show them to the kids in his class. Unfortunately, one of his classmates damaged book #10. He doesn't seem to mind as much as I do.

Summer Ho!

2010-06-30T02:06:00.002-04:00

Everyone in the family is staying up later. The hubby is staying up till 1am each night, seriously eating into my writing time, and last night he actually let the kids stay up until 11pm. The kids are all out of school, and those of us fortunate to be home with them are scrambling to schedule in “me” time. But how do you do it if you don’t want to pay a babysitter while you write or draw?

Unfortunately, I’m not the kind of person who tolerates the average Joe watching over my shoulder when I draw or write. Believe me, I’ve tried to sketch during my kids' karate lessons, but someone always ends up watching over my shoulder. I’ve tried to read, but there are always one or two very loud parents that yap incessantly. Getting real work done at home while the kids are conscious… rare.

My plan was simple. The town I live in has this great summer play program. You drop the kids off at 8:30am and then pick them up again at 2:30pm. The program has three two-week sessions. I signed my kids up for one session, and I thought I’d sign them up for and additional week in a sports camp. The sports camps cost a little more, and the kids are busy for two to three hours.

Okay, so the hubby vetoed additional camps since we’re also going to Cub Scout Adventure Camp this summer (think lots of $ even though we sold popcorn to lessen the price). I have no hope of writing time then.

What plan to do? I’ll squeeze it in. I can revise with kid prattle as long as it’s not kid fighting, so if they’re occupied I try to steal some time for myself. I’ve started making the kids work on their writing skills. While they are working on their stories, I will be working on mine. We’ll work on the art skills together.

I’ll let you know how it works.

Productivity or Random Stupidity

2009-12-11T05:32:00.003-05:00

Holy Productiveness Batman
I lost most of the evening yesterday because I had fallen asleep before the kids' storytime, but at 11pm I woke up and started working on my never ending "to do" list.

So instead of going to bed like a normal person, I decided to get some stuff done. First, I worked on revising my resume since I'm applying for a professor position at a local community college. Yay me! I believe I have the resume the way I'd like it. I still need to do some more tweaking on the teaching philosophy statement, though.

I fought with my scanner for a couple of hours while it wheezed and protested. I think it's dying. Mid-scan it would freak out and make clicking and buzzing noises. After a while, I found out that it was much happier on a completely flat surface instead of a pile of papers. Who would have known?

I did a little shopping. It wasn't the fun fun type. My older son's class is behind, so I went online to buy one of his textbooks and a few workbooks. Since I was on the education kick, I looked online for more resources for boy #1 and emailed the links to another parent of a 4th grader in a class that is lagging.

Then, I realized boy #2 has a spelling test that he hasn't studied for and frantically searched the house for his word wall words. One hour later (with all the kids papers sorted), I've only found weeks one through ten. I can't imagine they're only on week ten, so I'm hoping this week's words are easy.

Here's the stupidity:
I stayed up all night. I'm more awake than if I had actually slept eight hours, but I'm going to pay for it later.

Oh well...
Since I'm up, I cleaned in the kitchen a bit, ran the dishwasher, and started making picky boy's lunch (that's boy #2). He's getting a burrito and a carrot. Boy #1 is buying (not a picky boy and basically a bottomless pit when it comes to food).

Writerly stuff...
I'm dissecting one of my finished novels... again. .

Blogmania

2009-12-09T09:29:00.005-05:00

It seems like almost everyone has a blog, and a lot of people post regularly. I’ve been, um, posting something like once a month. I guess I’m not on the blogmania bandwagon.

I do like to read certain blogs though, but it's difficult to keep up with it all. Here are my favorites for certain topics:

Editor and Agent Advice
Nathan Bransford has lots of great information regarding the submission process, publication, and writing in general.

Jill Corcoran Books has submission advice in addition to industry news.

Tracy Marchini has a lot of great information on her blog too regarding submission and the writing process.

Cheryl Klein not only has great information on her blog, she also has a wealth of information on her website: Talking Books.

Writer Blogs
Writing for Kids While Raising Them

Haunting the Broken Tree

NaNo What?

2009-12-09T09:19:00.003-05:00

Well NaNoWriMo was a bust, but there’s always next year, right? Seriously, I don’t work well that way. I still haven’t gotten last year’s NaNo novel in readable shape, though I do believe the story has promise.

What I want to know, is who thought November was a good novel writing month? You have Thanksgiving and other pre-winter holiday activities.

NaNoWriMo

2009-11-11T01:51:00.001-05:00

Okay, so my friends talked me into doing NaNoWriMo again, and I’m miserably behind in the word count. I’ve decided that I just don’t work well in the NaNoWriMo state of mine. I can’t regurgitate words that will be tossed aside once the NaNo-insanity is over. I’m one of those “revise as you go” kind of gals.

All isn’t lost though. I have started another science fiction / mystery novel, and I’m hashing out the plot. If I can get a general framework of the book’s direction, maybe the writing and revising following NaNoWriMo will go smoothly.

55,000 words of dreck in a month – I don’t think so. But I'll be insanely happy if I can cough up 35K.

NaNoWriMo

2009-11-04T01:11:00.003-05:00

Am I a glutton for punishment. Seriously. I signed on as a NaNoWriMo participant, and I'm behind already. My brain just doesn't work that way.

On the brighter side... my house is a little cleaner.

Kids, kids, Kids...
Tonight's reading selections:
a Magic Tree House Book
Geronimo Stilton
Axle Annie and the Speed Grump

My Time

2009-09-23T14:12:00.003-04:00

A Writing We Will Go...
In the past weeks, I've been crazy busy with doctor appointments, volunteer stuff at the school, and Cub Scouts. I have done some new writing, but mostly I've been revising my YA dystopian WIP. I just hope dystopian is still in by the time I'm finished polishing it.

Scouts, Scouts, Scouts...
During the first couple weeks of school, Scouting programs really start up. I don't know about other packs, but we have a great program for the boys.

Back to the Grind

2009-09-17T01:11:00.001-04:00

I’m a Newsletter Editor!

I now am the newsletter editor for RACWI Reports, the newsletter for the Rochester Area Children’s Writers & Illustrators. Some of my friends think I’m crazy for taking on yet another responsibility, but I’ve done this before.

Yes. I used write and edit a newsletter for the MOMS Club for a couple years before my children aged out of the activities, and our schedules no longer meshed.

Doing the Happy Dance

Don’t get me wrong. I love my children, but they really, really needed to get back to school. It wasn’t until the end of summer that I realized just how dependent on routine they are.

Now, I push the kids out the door as soon as we hear the school bus round the bend. Time to write and draw!

Desperately Seeking Sleep

2009-09-12T00:10:00.000-04:00

I sit at my computer type, type, typing away. Before I know it, I’m tipped back in my chair with my head resting on my shoulder and a crick in my neck. “Go to bed,” you say. And I do. I drag myself up to bed and lay down. Then… I’m wide awake… for another two or three hours no matter how hard I try to sleep.

Tried exercise – just made me achy and awake

Tried reading – got too involved in the book and stayed up until 4am

Tried a warm glass of milk – just gave me nasty breath in the morning

So, I either get sleep sitting in an awkward position (wake up in pain), or I lay awake until I eventually drift off.

This has been my week. I guess all those thoughts sucked out of my brain through kid prattle have come back to haunt me as soon as my head hits the pillow.

Contest Alert - Free Book!

2009-08-05T11:15:00.004-04:00

If you kids are between 8 and 13 and love to read, there is a contest to win a free signed copy of Donna St. Cyr's debut novel The Secrets of the Cheese Syndicate at http://community.livejournal.com/classof2k9/.

Still Going...

2009-06-28T02:30:00.004-04:00

I’m still plugging away. In anticipation (hoping) of more educational writing gigs in the fall, I’ve been thinking about stories I could write and submit. I’ve started a few, but they are just festering ideas right now.

Most of my writing time has been spent in revisions and reading. I’m sprucing up one of my novel’s characters and polishing picture books.

Great Reads…

I just finished reading The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman. And wow! I had bought the trilogy at a Scholastic Book Warehouse sale out of curiosity. I had seen the movie and wondered if the book deviated from it much. They seemed to follow the book pretty well, but I need to watch the movie again to be sure. Setting aside the religious controversy surrounding the book, it's a well crafted story, thick in plot and intrigue, and an excellent study for novel writers.

Illustrating…

In the past week, I’ve been drawing in my head. Okay, that sounds weird, but if you can write in your head, can’t you draw in there too? Eventually, I hope to start journaling some of my sketches.

No more teachers, no more (text) books…

2009-06-26T16:00:00.000-04:00

My kids are living it up since school let out last Tuesday. They’ve been watching movies, playing games, and reading lots and lots of books. If only they weren’t sick. Yup. We’ve been shut up in this house since last Wednesday. Sickie boy number two spiked a fever of 104 degrees on Wednesday, and he’s been battling the little cold beasties ever since. I only hope I don’t get it too.

The kids’ school has a summer reading contest, and both boys are determined to win the top prize this year. We have a little competition between the kids, even though I told them that the school awards the prizes based on grade level. Boy #1 (9 yr old) is mad that the boy #2 (6 yr old) is reading mostly picture books and easy readers.

What are they reading this week?

The 6 yr old:

Geronimo Stilton
Dr. Seuss
Berenstain Bears
Magic Tree House

The 9 year old:

Geronimo Stilton
Animorphs
Series of Unfortunate Events

I love having a couple of little readers in the house, but if they keep going at this rate, they will have read our whole collection of children's books by the end of summer.

Wall of Shame and other things

2009-06-20T01:47:00.000-04:00

I’ve continued on my weightloss efforts, and I managed to squeak off a few pounds, but not as much as I would like to. My weights are posted, and I’m very thankful that the woman managing the blog didn’t post my last name along with my weight. Is that shameless?

Since I’ve taken on the job of Cubmaster, my exercise regime has really faltered. Laurie Halse Anderson, in two speeches she gave at two different conferences, stressed how exercise helps a writer focus and write constructively. I did notice a difference when I was exercising, and even though I have tons of time conflicts that keep me from the gym, I have no excuse. I need to resolve to do something again. The weather is nice. I have a bike and exercise equipment collecting dust in the basement.

Time to Make a Change

2009-06-10T00:59:00.006-04:00

Change is good, right?

We change our underwear. That’s good. We change our toothbrushes. That’s good too. And sometimes, we change ourselves, for better or worse.

I decided I need a change of body. Since I can’t trade in the parts that don’t work quite the way I’d like them too, I need to trim down so people can’t say "this or that" is a weight issue. It’s a little difficult when you have BIC (butt in chair) disease, a condition that you have willingly inflicted upon yourself in order to hone your writing skills. But who says a person needs to give up the life of a writer to trim some fat.

Wall of Shame:
Okay, at first glance, people don’t guess how much I weigh, and it’s not a bit of information I care to share. So, in the interest of keeping myself motivated to lose those extra pounds, I’ve joined a contest along with a friend and a bunch of her family members to lose the biggest percentage of weight by December 31st. Every week, I report my weight and pay $5. Fun Fun.

My first week was sabotaged by a wonderful writing conference with lots of food and chocolaty desserts. Luckily, I didn’t gain any weight. I didn’t lose any either. My weights for the first two weeks are posted (with my name) on a blogger’s wall of shame. Sorry. I’m not sharing the link either. Wish me luck!

Now for the Creative Part:
Before the summer is over, I plan to add the special something to my middle grade novel that an editor recommended during my one-on-one critique at the NJ SCBWI conference. AND… I plan to use it as a learning experience in my study of children's illustrations.

My other goals include polishing and revising two picture books based on the recommendations by Cynthea Liu (thanks to her Red Light Green Light contest) and completing an illustration portfolio (and posting it on my website).

So, ready, set, here I go!

Busy days

2009-05-11T23:58:00.003-04:00

Illustration attempts…
I did it. I cleared off my messy art desk in the basement, where the creepy spiders like to lurk, and I sat down to work. It only took a couple minutes for the cats to notice I was downstairs, and they mewed and rammed the door until I opened it. Only Penny, my long-haired cat came out.

She sniffed the floor, rolled around, tried to hop in the puppet theater, and then decided to check out what I was doing. I would have loved to hold her, but then I wouldn’t get any work done. So, she hopped down and explored while I worked.

Before I started getting pinged by Cub Scout emails, I managed to get 3 pages of a book dummy and part of a storyboard finished. I was hoping to do more, but I guess I need to think in small steps. Tomorrow, I’ll try to finish the dummy and the story board (after my library work). Then, I’ll take a stab at illustrating my cousin’s chapter book.

I love black and white illustrations. Last year, I took a chapter book / middle grade novel illustration workshop with Patrick Collins, Art Director for Henry Holt. It was fabulous! I am hoping to build a small portfolio before I go to the NJ SCBWI conference in June. Wish me luck!

Weeds!
If the weeds didn't choke anything I placed in the garden, they'd be kind of pretty to leave in there, especially the ones with the yellow flowers.

I love gardening (the veggie kind), but I really hate the weeds. They have invaded and taken over my garden space, and I dread the task of clearing them out. On the brighter side, my chamomile is up and there is a lot of it. Tomorrow, in my spare time, I’m going to harvest some of it.

Scouts scouts scouts…
I am up to my ears in Cub Scout stuff. I get at least five scout related emails a day now and at least one phone call. Now, if only they could make a flattering uniform for women that stayed tucked and buttoned… it would be nice if I didn’t need to wear a shirt underneath during the summer.

Scouts, Writing, and Frogs, Oh MY

2009-05-02T04:26:00.001-04:00

A Scouting I will go…

Did you know that the Boy Scout program was modeled after The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling? I didn’t before my kids joined.

When my boys asked to join Cub Scouts, I was thrilled. My husband—not so much. The Cubmaster at the time convinced me to be a Tiger Den Leader. It was a scary idea at first, but it grew on me. I’ve been a den leader for three years now. The boys know me and sometimes joke around as if I’m not there. (excellent opportunity for story fodder) One of my scouts even called me “dude.” I’ve never been duded by a kid before.

My older son is now a Webelos, and my little one is a Wolf. They love Cub Scouts. So, when we found out that nobody wanted to be Cubmaster, and the pack would fold without one, I made a decision. Some may call me crazy, but I volunteered to be Cubmaster. Wish me luck. I have big shoes to fill. (My Webelos are very excited about it, by the way)

The Writing Life…

I will be stubborn. I will not give up. And I’ll revise until my fingers lock up or fall off. Then, I’ll type with my nose.

After the incredible responses from my local MG/YA critique group, I have redirected my writing focus. I’m working on my YA science fiction novel again.

Frog…

The frog is making croaking sounds. He is definitely out of hibernation, and I’m thinking about buying a few friends for him.

Cynthea Liu's Library Lovin’ Challenge

2009-03-30T19:05:00.003-04:00

Do you love libraries? I do. I buy a lot of books, but I also check a lot out from the library. When I didn’t have money to spend on books as a kid, I could always rely on finding something to read.

Cynthea Liu is participating in the Library-Lovin’ Challenge organized by author writerjenn. As a thank you to the libraries, she is donating 10 cents to for every comment made on Cynthea's blog up to $100. So, hop on over and make a comment. She is giving away signed bookplates and a couple of lucky people will win a signed copy of her newest book, Paris Pan Takes a Dare.

The Book-a-holic

2009-03-22T15:39:00.009-04:00

Too many books? Nah. Inconceivable!

This weekend I spent a couple of hours digging through the books in the kids’ rooms. In my older son’s room, the books were piled two deep, and my husband really wanted me to open up a few cubes in the big shelf for the cloth toy baskets. It’s a “book shelf” not a “toy shelf.” Okay, so my #1 son has a ton of toys and books in his room, and I had to find a way of dealing with it.

I had an idea. In my #2 son’s room (very small shoebox of a room), he has drawers under the bed. His room is too small to play in, and it gets trashed when he does – nowhere to walk. So, I emptied one of the big drawers under his bed, and thought, hey, I could make a book drawer. He absolutely loved the idea.

Hours later, I had pulled out a bunch of baby books to store or give away. I moved the chapter books (from #1 son’s room) and all the beginning readers (from #2 son’s book shelf) into #2 son’s drawer, and I moved picture books from #1 son’s shelves to fill the gaps on #1 son’s shelves. Then I moved novels to the little shelves in #1 son’s room.

I was feeling very good about myself, but I still had no holes to fill with toys. After another hour and more weeding out of books that could fit in #2 son’s drawer, I have room.

I haven't even begun to tackle the jumble of books in the living room, but I need more shelves to do that.

I’m a book-a-holic. I admit it.

Just Another Day

2009-03-15T02:16:00.005-04:00

Frog:
I dug the frog out the other day, rinsed him off, and called the kids. They rarely get to see the little bugger any more.

The frog calmly sat in my hand (still in the tank) while I called, “Kids, come see the frog.”

Both kids came running and sliding into the kitchen.

My little one said, “What frog?”

I guess he forgot we had him. We left Dash (the frog) to rest in the water. I knew he’d just go bury himself again, but… he didn’t! The frog is out of hibernation. Of course, we’ve had a couple of warm days, and we’ve finally made his scratchy log more of a shelter (no bottom). So, instead of staying under the dirt and moss, he hides behind his log. He keeps an eye on us at all times.

Writing:
I haven’t been writing as much as I would like. I’ve written a new picture book that I’ve left to fester a bit before I tinker with it again. A few other ideas have sprouted, but nothing significant. Mostly, I’ve been revising stories I had on the backburner and reading.

Reading:
Linda Sue Park told us at a recent RACWI meeting that writers have to be readers. I’m an avid reader of children’s books. Shhh! I enjoy them more than the adult books – more imagination sometimes.

Anyway, in the past four days I’ve read three books:

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman – excellent read and told from the perspective of a severely disabled teen with Cerebral Palsy

Frindle by Andrew Clements – surprisingly clever story about a boy and the power of words

Just Ella by Margaret Haddix – an interesting twist on the Cinderella tale

I enjoyed all three books and pretty much read them without interruption. Who needs sleep?

Frogs, Writing, and Books

2009-03-15T02:16:00.003-04:00

Frog:
I dug the frog out the other day, rinsed him off, and called the kids. They rarely get to see the little bugger any more.

The frog calmly sat in my hand (still in the tank) while I called, “Kids, come see the frog.”

Both kids came running and sliding into the kitchen.

My little one said, “What frog?”

I guess he forgot we had him. We left Dash (the frog) to rest in the water. I knew he’d just go bury himself again, but… he didn’t! The frog is out of hibernation. Of course, we’ve had a couple of warm days, and we’ve finally made his scratchy log more of a shelter (no bottom). So, instead of staying under the dirt and moss, he hides behind his log. He peeks through a crack in the bottom and keeps an eye on us at all times.

Writing:
I haven’t been writing as much as I would like. I’ve written a new picture book that I’ve left to fester a bit before I tinker with it again. A few other ideas have sprouted, but nothing significant. Mostly, I’ve been reading and revising stories I had on the back burner.

Reading:
Linda Sue Park told us at a recent RACWI meeting that writers have to be readers. I’m an avid reader of children’s books. Shhh! I enjoy them more than the adult books – more imagination sometimes.

Anyway, in the past four days I’ve read three books:
Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman – excellent read and told from the perspective of a severely disabled teen with Cerebral Palsy

Frindle by Andrew Clements – surprisingly clever story about a boy and the power of words

Just Ella by Margaret Haddix – an interesting twist on the Cinderella tale

I enjoyed all three books and pretty much read them without interruption. Who needs sleep?

Confusion

2009-02-17T01:44:00.004-05:00

The other day I had a long conversation with a children’s librarian about the American Library Association (ALA) awards. I was surprised when she said most Newbery winners have been young adult novels. She gathered the 2008 award winning books I needed to read for an upcoming writing meeting, and the conversation ventured into age levels for children’s books.

For the past six years, I’ve been under the impression that there was a set of universal standards for breaking books target age ranges. The definitions got fuzzy when the librarian started talking about midway, middle grade, and young adult novels. She told me that middle grade is considered to be for middle school children, and midway or transition novels were for kids in the latter part of elementary school. I thought that the writing world and the reading world followed the same set of rules. I guess I was wrong, unless my town’s library follows their own set of rules not shared with other librarians in the country.

So, packed full of doubts, I pulled out several writing books for some affirmation that I wasn’t delusional about my previous beliefs. I found the same information across the board.

Easy readers / early chapter books (48-64 pgs) – 4-8 yr olds
Younger Middle Grade / Chapter books: usually between early chapter books and novels in length – 7-9 yr olds
Middle Grade: are usually 128-200 pgs and are traditionally for 8-12 yr olds
Tween / Upper Middle Grade / Transitional: 128-200 or more pages – 10-14 yr olds
Young Adult / YA: up to 250 pages – 12 and up or 14 and up depending on the content and situations

Makes you want to go hmm.... I couldn't find the age level guidelines the librarian quoted me, and I guess I'm not going to worry about it unless someone else tells me otherwise.

Save an Editor: Buy a Book

2009-02-11T01:40:00.004-05:00

In the past two months, we’ve seen a drastic blow to the children’s publishing business. Big publishing houses are consolidating and laying off editors in order to cope with the economic crisis. Others have declared a moratorium on submissions.

Last November, RACWI sponsored (along with Liftbridge Books) the Rochester Area Children’s Book Festival. We had record numbers of attendees and some of the authors were left with no books on their tables by the end of the festival. People were still buying books in November. Has America’s purchasing habits changed that much since the festival, or were we just seeing an isolated event?

My family has not stopped buying books. Since the beginning of 2009, I have bought more than seventeen children’s books. I can’t remember all the titles because my children ferreted some of them away.

1. The Secret Cheese Syndicate by Donna St. Cyr (bought 4 copies- some for gifts) – Middle Grade
2. The Grave Yard Book by Neil Gaiman –YA (IMHO)
3. The Boys Book: How to the Best at Everything by Dominique Enright and Guy Macdonald (elementary and up)
4. Penguins and Antartica by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce (chapter book)
5. The Magical Dress by Charles Nolan (chapter book)
6. The Daring Rescue by Charles Nolan (chapter book)
7. The Missing Medal by Charles Nolan (chapter book)
8. Saving Christmas by Charles Nolan (chapter book)
9. The Owl and the Pussy Cat by Edward Lear, Illustrated by Jan Brett (picture book)
10. The Faery Taile Project: Book One by Jim C. Hines and Christopher Kastensmidt (YA)
11. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith
12. A guide to current card games like Pokemon (for my son, but it’s still on order) – Middle Grade
13. Crogan’s Vengeance by Chris Schweizer (graphic novel, YA)

What about you?

Nothin' Much

2009-02-09T01:07:00.001-05:00

Does it Rub Off?

Some people may remember the aunt who would rub babies on the arms and backs of newlywed couples in hopes of inducing fertility in said couple. Or maybe that was just my aunt. She’s a little silly with her superstitions at times, but we all still love her.

So, if you bump elbows with a published author does some of that publishing success rub off? I wish it was that easy.

Writing and Illustrating Frenzy

One of my online writing groups (yes, I have more than one) has made a writing goal that I haven’t exactly stuck to. I’m writing, but not as much as I’d like. Most of my time over the past month has been spent revising. Note to self: Don’t forget those YA novels waiting to be completed.

A local writer/illustrator has given me the kick in the butt I needed. We meet once a month, and she has been checking up on me to make sure I’ve been drawing. I started working on dummy for one of my picture books and hope to have something to show her at next week’s meeting.

FROG

2009-01-22T10:22:00.003-05:00

We rarely see this little guy now that he has gone into hibernation. I had to dig him out of his aquarium to get this shot. Yes, Dash (the name the kids gave him), has a new habitat. No more froggy escapes for this guy.

Back in the Saddle Again…

2009-01-22T09:11:00.009-05:00

Writing and such
Writing while on vacation, especially when you aren’t at home and there is nowhere to escape to write without hurting the relatives’ feelings, is a surmountable task. I did accomplish something while the kids were on school break. I worked on my super secret, unmentionable short story project, and I revised and polished some existing stories. So, all was not lost.

Now, I’m looking at the three month mark following the Rutger’s One-on-One Plus Conference and thinking “Egads! Where did the time go?” I have a handful of editors I’d like to send either a picture book or one of my novels to, and I’d like to send something to them before the three months is over.

Job Hunt
I did it. I applied for a couple of scientist positions. So far, I’ve only looked at two local companies, but I will expand my search as the year progresses (still planning to stay in Rochester). It has been great staying home with the kids, but they are both in school and money is tight.

I miss having my hands in the science, but I love writing too. At several conferences, I’ve met scientists who write for children while working. And my kids are in bed by 8:30pm, so I do have free time in the evening. It’s all about priorities… do I want to watch an episode of CSI or Everybody Loves Raymond, or do I want to write? The only show I follow regularly is Heroes.

Bring on 2009

2009-01-04T11:32:00.008-05:00

On the Road
I love to travel. Growing up, I moved 18 times and lived in seven states before starting college. In a way, I miss seeing all the new and interesting places, but stability is good.

This year we decided to visit my brother in Tennessee during the kids’ school winter break. Even though flying would be much quicker and less tortuous traveling (think little kids in the car fighting) we decided to drive. Fifteen hours is a long time to be in the car with two young boys, but they did pretty well on the way down. Instead of asking “Are we there yet?,” they looked over our shoulders and told us, frequently I might add, how many miles were left according to the GPS device. And occasionally, we were told what the speed limit was and what speed we should be going.

Leaving Rochester, we passed through Ohio and then Kentucky before arriving in Tennessee the next day. I would have loved to stop and sightsee in Kentucky. We passed some interesting places such as Mammoth National Park and a few other places I can’t remember at the moment. We had a nice visit with my brother and his family – the kids had many Nerf battles.

My parents came up from Florida to see everyone too. And the weather was beautiful. I didn’t miss the cold, gray Rochester winter at all.

Next, we headed toward the Catskills to visit my husband’s family. The kids didn't do very well on the way through Tennessee and Virginia, or on the next day through West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, or New Jersey. But as we passed NYC and approached the Catskills, the squabbling died down.

We had a nice visit with the relatives, but I'm ready to go home. My youngest has a touch of the stomach bug. The ride home should be interesting.

After we arrive home, the total travel time for our trip will be around 40 to 42 hours.

New Year’s Resolutions

Writing
In 2008, I made writing goals and accomplished most of them. Most, but not all. Sometimes, I wonder if I set myself up for failure by aspiring to do more than I could handle. My goals were certainly more realistic than previous years.

Over the past months, I’ve polished seven picture books and one of my middle grade novels, rewrote one of my YA novels in the first person, and received a personal invitation to submit to an anthology edited by a Canadian author. Sadly, my anthology submission didn’t make the cut, but the anthology’s editor plans to invite me to submit to the next one.

This year, I was accepted to the Rutgers One-on-One Plus Conference, and my mentor was Lisa Cheng from McElderry (she has since moved to Atheneum). She gave some great comments on three picture books before my 45minutes were over. The conference was over quickly, and I wish I had mingled more during lunch.

I also secured another writing gig with the unnamable educational company. Hopefully, they’ll send more work.

What are my writing goals for 2009?
Submit, submit, submit… Next week, I hope to prepare a bunch of submission packets to send out to the various editors I’ve met at conferences. I have seven picture books and one novel ready to go out. Over the next month, I hope to polish my other middle grade adventure/fantasy and send it out too. My YA novels will take a little longer to fine-tune.

Organization and Such
Anybody who really knows me would say that I’m the Queen of Clutter. I save everything. In 2009, I hope to change that (or at least make some progress in cleaning up clutter). In the basement, there are boxes that have remained unopened for close to twenty years. I’m going to let go of some things and better store others.

Happy New Year to all! Bring on 2009. I’m ready.

Books, books, books

2008-11-10T03:10:00.012-05:00

I volunteered at the Rochester Children's Book Festival. Before my shift, I grabbed way too many books and then sent my family on an author scavenger hunt to get the books signed. Next year, I think I'll just give them a map and tell them what books to pick up. My husband told me it was difficult trying to see the paper name plates for each author through all the throngs of people, and I forgot that my husband and kids wouldn't recognized them from sight. Maybe I should just send them on their scavenger hunt with a bunch of photos.

My kids enjoyed making crafts in the Busy Bookworm place, met the characters dressed up in Star Wars costumes (I went to college with the woman dressed as Princess Leia), and wandered around the festival for four hours before heading home.

I don't think we have ever had that many people attend the festival. The masses did not die down until around 3pm. Then, the festival closed at 4pm.

Before all the books were cleared away, I had a brief opportunity to chat with Cynthia DeFelice, Bruce Coville, and Tamora Pierce.

Cynthia DeFelice, Bruce Coville, Me, Tamora Pierce

All in all, a great day, and I can't wait until the next RCBF in November 2009.

Up to my Ears

2008-10-27T02:24:00.008-04:00

Down With Spam!

Out of curiosity, I popped onto my sorely neglected blog since I posted a comment on a literary agent's blog, and I thought maybe someone might visit me. And what do you know? I have my very first, spankin' brand new comment.

And its SPAM!

You can't imagine how horribly disappointed I was. Immediately, I attempted to log in and delete the offensive message, but I had forgotten my password. After searching longer than I'd like, I found it and deleted the message, banning it to wherever deleted cyberspace messages go.

So, I'm back to rambling to myself. Sigh.

Writing Ventures:
I have been busy busy busy. I'm writing children's stories I'm not allowed to discuss for a company I'm not sure I'm allowed to name. My writing friends think this is funny and often ask if I'm writing for a secret faction of the government. I laugh and say, "If I told you, I'd have to kill you." (Just joking of course)

This writing venture has been occupying my time for the past two months, and I'm hoping to secure additional work for the near future. So, I haven't been spending as much time on my picture books and novels lately.

Rutger's One-on-One Plus:
I had the fantastic opportunity of attending the Rutger's One-on-One Plus mentorship conference for writers. Of course, non-writer friends have no clue and go, "Uh, yeah. That's great. What is it?"

One of the other mentees (that's what they called us there, though it sounds like a brand of gum) told me the perfect way to describe the opportunity to people who aren't familiar with the conference (i.e. those who didn't toil over a writing sample and chant "please, please, please" while the council members decided who to admit). She said to tell the unwriterly people that getting into Rutgers is much like getting into the first round of American Idol. I think people could relate to that.

Author Visit at School 42:
As part of a literary enrichment program, local children's writers visit city schools on select days during the fall. I've participated in the past and did so again. I read a couple of my stories and spoke about writing and making children's books. The kids were full of questions, and a few of them even drew some pictures for me.

Illustration Ventures:
Sadly, I'm nearing the end of my illustration course. Kevin Serwacki is doing an outstanding job, and I hope to continue with my studies after we are finished. Even though I am working on picture book illustration in the class, I have decided to start with magazines and then chapter books.

Frogs:
The frogs made a run for it. They escaped a couple of weeks ago. I frantically searched the house and even questioned my older son during his lunch (I thought /hoped he smuggled them to school). He didn't. When I returned home, I saw something scrunched down under the steps in the foyer. I scooped up a very cold and stunned frog, untangled the lint wrapped around all of his legs (must have gone under the fridge), and placed him back in the frog habitat.

We turned the house upside-down looking for the second frog. I left little bowls of water around the house (two of which disappeared). My youngest found the missing frog Saturday. Dried and very dead. Under the futon in the family room. The kids don't seem to be bothered by it, but I can't help but feel a little sad about it.

In case you are wondering, this is what the frog looks like. My 8 yr old is holding him.

What Else?
October was an unbelievably busy week for Cub Scouts. Both kids are scouts now, and their activities and my leader responsibilities tend to be a bit wearing.

2008-09-06T05:02:00.002-04:00

Illustrator Debut

My close friend, Samantha Bell, has a website up and running it's at samantha bell. Not only does she have her own website, she has her first contracted picture book illustration job! I'll post more details when I get them

Books to Look for:

In March 2009, a book for kids 8-12 years old called Secrets of the Cheese Syndicate by Donna St. Cyr will be released by Cbay Books. This is a great, action-filled novel that will keep kids glued to the pages.

Frogs! Kids!

2008-09-02T02:53:00.007-04:00

Frogs!
The tadpoles have sprouted front and back legs. They still have a little tail, but I'm calling them frogs now. Yesterday, they crawled out of the water for the first time. The kids are ecstatic.

Writings and Such:
The educational publisher I wrote for last year sent me new assignments for the fall. So, I've been researching and writing stories. But I'm not allowed to talk about it. It's all hush hush.

Wahoos!

2008-08-24T23:26:00.006-04:00

I’ve had some great news this week. I was accepted to the Rutgers One-on-One Plus Mentorship Conference in October. When the envelope came, I hesitated opening it. Then when I did, I had to shake it a few times to make sure the check I had sent them wasn’t hiding inside. It was a nice little shocker to round off my week. If only I didn’t feel like someone had raked my lung and filled them with phlegm.

Another wahoo… those little tadpoles have developed hind legs. So, hopefully we’ll have frogs in a couple of weeks.

Leg Buds and Story Sloshing

2008-08-13T10:43:00.003-04:00

Leg buds!!

The tadpoles finally have them, unless they've developed identical tumors on their sides and at the base of their tails. What they didn't tell me at the wonderful place out in CA that sent me the tadpoles was that the tadpoles need a certain amount of UV light to go through metamorphosis.

After reading discouraging reviews on the said company and frog habitat (Really should have done it before buying the kit), I did some research on my own. I bought tadpole food with vitamins and a low-powered day lamp that wouldn't melt the flimsy plastic or cook the potential froglets. A few days after setting up the light (and feeding the tadpoles the new food), the tadpoles were more active and had small protrusions where their hind legs are supposed to appear. The kids are ecstatic. They check the tadpoles several times a day, just in case they grew when the kids weren't watching.

Story Sloshing

While on vacation in Florida the week of my 20th high school reunion, I received an email asking me if I was interested in writing stories for an educational company. I responded "YES" of course. So, now I'm happily sloshing through story topics and writing my first drafts.

To keep myself from being sucked into a long novel during my writing assignments, I've been reading short stories. I set up a mini library in the bathroom with anthologies and other books I wouldn't have the stomach to read anywhere else.

My Time is Not My Own

2008-06-14T18:07:00.004-04:00

In the past month, I have been busy busy busy. Cub Scouts, my kids, writing groups, a strange obsession with a senseless egg hatching game on Facebook, and gardening has kept me going from one week to the next.

Cub Scouts:
For some reason, the last week of school is crammed with Cub Scout activities. I love being a den leader, but it gets a bit tiring. At least, there will be no more meetings until September.

Kids:
In the adventures of kiddie land, my oldest son managed to dislocate his right elbow. After karate. He was just leaning on the couch and managed to hyperextend the joint. Boy did he scream. We spent 8 1/2 hours in the hospital getting it fixed and x-rayed before they sent us home. No more karate for him for a while.

Writing and Art:
With everything else going on, I've felt a little overwhelmed with all the critiques I've been trying to keep up with. I'm in two active online groups and two active local groups. I like to think that I give a thorough critique. I take my time and really think about what I can suggest for improvement.

Facebook:
I did it. I joined Facebook. I'm not sure what to think about it, but I'm hoping to reconnect with old high school friends.

Forever Tadpoles:
The kids' tadpoles finally arrived in mucky water that looked a lot like pee. I ordered the things in March, and the customer service at this place left a lot to be desired. Two weeks have passed, and the tadpoles have not developed leg buds yet. So, I've been diligently keeping them clean as my children bug me daily, asking when they'll turn into frogs.

My oldest son told me that his teacher asked him to bring the tadpoles into school. I say, let them get their own tadpoles. These things and their frog habitat cost me too much to let them fall into the hands of a bunch of 8 yr olds. Toys and other things don't weather well at school. I'm not sending living creatures in a flimsy container. Yes, the frog habitat is made of a flimsy plastic less sturdy than most toy packaging.

Conferences and Experimentation

2008-04-14T22:54:00.010-04:00

Last weekend, I went to the SCBWI Poconos Mountain Retreat. I usually anguish over which editor to listen to. This time, I took the illustration workshop led by Patrick Collins, the Art Director at Henry Holt. I can't say enough good things about him and the workshop he led.

During the workshop, he gave us each a chapter from a chapter book. We were supposed to break up the text on a galley and then illustrate our assigned pages -- without a visual reference. I have to admit that I'm used to having something to look at when I draw, so at first, I was stumped. Blank page syndrome. Patrick was not only encouraging, but he also kept us going so we'd all finish in time. I loved seeing all the sketches when we paged through the galley we made.

That workshop really made the weekend for me. Besides Chautauqua, it was the most I had ever gotten from a conference.

So... I decided to work on disciplining myself to work without visual references. Since I don't know what styles work best for me, I'm going to experiment a bit.

Something Drawn and More Revision

2008-04-02T01:52:00.003-04:00

Something Drawn...
I finally got over my blank page syndrome with the illustration and drew something. I'm not finished with the first draft of this illustration (do you call them drafts), but I'm at least getting somewhere. I decided to do each element of the drawing separately, scan them in, rescale and rearrange everything, and then print the final image on nicer drawing paper.

The main character in the story I'm illustrating is a pig, and I haven't quite decided whether to give her hooves or hand-like appendages. I guess I'll figure it out.

More Revision...
I feel as if I've revised some of my stories until they've bled. Two of my online critique groups are critiquing my middle grade novel - one group critiques one chapter per week, and the other group critiques one chapter every 2 1/2 to 3 weeks.

blah, blah, blah

2008-03-26T01:35:00.005-04:00

Blah, blah, blah... that's what I think my kids really hear when I speak to them. When my almost 8yr old got home from school, he immediately went into a fit. You see, his brother had a Happy Meal toy, and he didn't. Through the wails of "that's not fair," I attempted to explain to him that I had a toy for him too. It fell on deaf ears. I managed to locate a new, unopened Happy Meal Toy (totally forgotten about on an earlier visit) and tossed it to him. He stopped whining so quickly, you'd think he had an "off" button.

Half an hour later, I remembered that my second grader still needed to do his homework. He complied reluctantly, but then proceeded to argue with me about the directions written on the sheet and what his teacher told him. He told me that HE didn't need to do the work he missed at school when he stayed home sick on Monday. Sigh. He didn't finish those two sheets of homework until 8pm (yes i fed him dinner).

So, what about writing? Yes, uh, I've been doing that. I've been revising my novels in between childrens' illnesses, Cub Scouts, and school stuff. We are into a third major illness, but I hope it won't be as bad as the stomach bug last week.

And the illustrating... I'm still fighting the blank page syndrome with the illustration thing, but I plan to get over it. It would help if my art space wasn't in the chilly basement.

Plugging away

2008-02-12T20:14:00.006-05:00

February is slipping away, and April is rapidly approaching. What's happening in April? I'm going to the Poconos for a conference. This time around, I'm taking the illustration workshop. So, therein lies the problem. I need to get a portfolio together. I have a few sketches. I just really need to sit down and focus now. If it weren't for this blasted cold...

My family is still sick. The kids are getting better, and my five-year-old returned to school today.

I'm not completely wasting my time though. I'm revising my one of my novels again. My other completed novel is evolving. And I'm in search of a better plot for one of my picture books.

Another Venture

2008-02-09T23:47:00.000-05:00

Okay. I didn't quite make the word count for NaNoWriMo, but I have the beginning of a new story. I wrote more than my last attempt, so I feel as if I did accomplish something.

Right now, my family is battling the last bouts of a cold that kept my older son out of school for three days and hospitalized my younger son for a couple of days (in addition to missing school for a week). Finally, we are all shedding our germs in addition to copious amounts of snot. And even though the little one and I are still miserable, we are feeling much better.

I just realized something. My stupid cat was licking my germ infested bathrobe tonight. I wonder if cats can catch human illnesses.

So, what is my new venture?

I'm going to start studying illustration. I have an art degree, so I'm not stabbing at this blindly. In April, I'll be going to a conference in the Poconos. There, I will be taking an illustration workshop. In the meantime... it's practice, practice, practice...

Day 24 of NaNoWriMo

2007-11-24T20:40:00.000-05:00

I'm almost at the end of the 24th day, and I'm only at 28,181 words. I should be at 40,000. I had a few days where I didn't contribute anything to the word count because I was working on a contracted writing project.

November isn't the healthiest month for my family. We've had snargly noses, coughing, and lots of orange juice. I've pumped garlic into the family at least one meal a day (if I can). Okay, maybe our blood could ward off a few vampires, but it isn't doing a great job on the cold germs. We've also been taking plenty of vitamin C and a little bit of echinacea. I thought I had this cold licked, and then my hubby and the boys came down with the sniffles and sneezes again. I give myself a week before I slip up and catch their colds. Hopefully, I'll have finished NaNoWriMo by then.

To finish on time, I need to write a little over 3000 words a day. So far, I believe I've gotten further than any of my past attempts. I will finish this novel, but it may not be in a month's time.

Still Behind in Word Count

2007-11-14T23:56:00.000-05:00

I've reached the end of day 14, and I'm still behind in word count. As of midnight my target word count is 25,000. Can you hear the little voices inside my head laughing? Really, I am kind of catching up, but I kind of feel like a cat being teased with a ball of yarn. The strand dangling from the ball gets closer and closer, and then at midnight the NaNoWriMo people yank it away.

I am making progress though. Each day, I've been able to write a little more than the projected amount needed per day to finish on time. So, if I can keep it up, maybe I'll make it this time.

As of midnight, November 15th, I have written 17,478 words. My seven-year-old told me he's very proud of me.

edited to add --
On another note... you know you're tired when you are zoning out more than you're typing. Off to LaLa land for me as of 2am.

Catching up

2007-11-12T01:56:00.000-05:00

I've completed my 11th day writing a brand spankin' new novel for NaNoWriMo month. I'm still behind, but I wrote more than the minimum number of words expected in a day, so I'm counting the 11th as a success of sorts. Right now, I'm at 11,242 words, and I think I'm going to call it a night.

It's amazing how much my brain goes to mush when I'm under pressure to finish something. Of course, I did critique a chapter of a friend's thriller and revised a short story. I also helped my seven-year-old write his first email. He has a friend who moved to Korea after kindergarten. I guess having a penpal is much cheaper nowadays.

Sloughing Along

2007-11-11T02:51:00.000-05:00

It's now nearly 3am. Don't believe the time reported below.

Saturday was filled with kids, karate, and Cub Scouts. I worked the bake sale at the elementary school's craft sale. The kids were a tad bit bored. My kids both had karate, and while my husband took his karate class, the kids and I went back to shop at the craft show. I bought books and stamps (the rubber stamps you use for making cards and scrapbooking).

I did a little NaNoWriMo writing and a lot of revising (on a non-nanowrimo project), so I'm feeling productive even though my word count only reached 8926 during my late night stint.

Sleep? What's sleep?

Falling Further Behind

2007-11-09T01:08:00.000-05:00

I haven't been feeling terribly well today. After the kids went to school, I slept. So, I didn't do much to add to the word count.

We also had an unexpected visit to the doctor for my older son, and then after dinner, I had the Cub Scout Committee meeting.

I'm at 7,934 words, and I'm not sure if I'll be writing more tonight.

And by the way, I'm not sure what time zone my blog is on, but I posted this at 1am on Friday.

Progress, Diversions, and Chocolate

2007-11-08T02:20:00.000-05:00

I made a little progress on Wednesday. I'm not sure what time this will post for me, but it's actually a little shy of 2:30am here in LaLa land. The kidlings and husband are in bed, sleeping, and I've had a nice mixture of writing and procrastination.

Is it procrastination if you are keeping updated on the writing world?

One of the hazards of writing alone is the lack of checks and balances (ie. hubby catching me raiding the kids' halloween bags for chocolate). It keeps calling to me, "Eat me." So, I do, and then i feel guilty, but not really.

So it's creeping up on 2:30, and I only have 7,352 words. I guess it's better than nothing. Tomorrow, I have errands in the morning, so I won't be adding to the word count until after the Cub Scout Committee meeting that I need to go to.

NaNoWriMo Crunch

2007-11-07T09:59:00.000-05:00

I'm officially behind in my word count for my NaNoWriMo novel. This morning, I started with 6,329 words. I have two hours until my youngest comes home on the bus, and I've only reached 6,500.

I had a few other distractions this morning. I should be at 11,667 words today. Until yesterday, I could have caught up in a day. Now, it may take more than that.

Okay. No more procrastinating. Back to the novel.

Sleepless in Rochester

2007-11-06T02:34:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I didn't write more of my NaNoWriMo novel Monday evening, but I have a really good excuse.

I spent a busy afternoon with my five-year-old, who decided we had to build walls using empty egg cartons (imagine three dozen egg cartons stacked like bricks). Then, we picked up my older son from school and his friend on the way home.

While my younger son was in his karate lesson, I helped my older son with his homework and made sure his friend studied for his math test.

During the older two boys' class, I entertained the younger one and his karate center friend. IMHO, two hours at a martial arts dojo can be a little much sometimes, especially when you are inhaling ode de smelly feet and sweaty armpits. At least my seven-year-old didn't shut himself in a locker in the boys' locker room this time.

After the kids went to bed, I revised a short story for an educational company that is interested in it, I'm hoping to send back to them soon. So, even though my NaNoWriMo novel has fallen behind in word count, I had a productive day.

NaNoWriMo

2007-11-05T11:13:00.000-05:00

During the month of November, I'm participating in NaNoWriMo. In order to reach the 50,000 word count, I should be writing 1,667 words a day. I have other writing things that need to take priority, so this month may be a challenge.

What am I writing? A dark, tween, contemporary novel. I'm at 5,629 words this morning, and I'm trying to catch up.

Wasting the Day

2007-10-29T00:45:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a rainy, cold, mucky day here in Rochester, NY. My husband took the kids out running errands so I could spend my time writing. Although, they were gone for a few hours, I can’t put a finger on what exactly I did while they were gone. I know I sat at the computer for a while and then wandered into the kitchen for a late lunch (I ate in front of the computer). I muddled through some revisions of two picture books, but I don’t feel like I accomplished much at all.

So, my theory is that my brain got sucked into a time warp that ate two and a half hours of my life, while my body idly sat by and watched it all happen.