Books, books, books

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

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.

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...