Fresh Baked Bits

Just For The Love Of It

2012-02-14T08:14:00.000-06:00

I only have ten quick minutes this morning before my day will be busy busy busy, so I'm setting my timer to see how many reasons I can come up with for loving being an author even when the industry is so crazy and it's more difficult than ever to get published or noticed, and everyone seems to be complaining all the time. Yet, still we try. So we are either crazy or we love what we do. Or maybe a little of both.

Two minutes down. Here goes...
1. Taking time to search for that big idea
2. Finding one you think might work
3. Imagining characters and voices
4. Searching through baby naming directories for that just right name
5. Outlining, pre-writing, sketching, crossing out
6. Pondering.
7. Spending your day thinking
8. Spending your day reading
9. Spending your day writing.
10. Cutting
11. Doing it better the next day
12. Daydreaming about these characters that seem so real to you
13. Daydreaming about ridiculous amounts of success
14. Being alone
15. Meeting with critique group
16. Going on writing retreats
17. Finding the just right word
18. That point where the character you've imagined becomes so real you expect to run into her at the grocery store.
19. Laughing while you write.
20. Crying while you write.
21. Figuring something out.
22. Surprising yourself.
23. Getting to the end.
24. Starting all over again, knowing you can do it better.

Time's up. Notice I didn't list anything that relies on anyone but me. I can't control whether or not what I write gets published or critically acclaimed, and although I do love when that happens, I love all of this, too. Something good to remember.

Jemma Hartman Lookalike x2!

2012-02-02T11:03:00.000-06:00

I never tire of finding Jemma Hartman lookalikes, and these twins from Maryland made my day! That's Alicia on the left and Lauren on the right. Their mom wrote to tell me, "We found your Jemma!! My twin daughters look just like her. My daughter was so excited when she borrowed the book from the library, and all her classmates could not believe the resemblance! She LOVES the book and can't wait to read more!"

How sweet is that?

Props to Greg Swearingen, the illustrator who created such an endearing cover image for my book. He not only captured Jemma exactly as I imagined her, but he made her so relatable and realistic that readers are finding themselves in her before they even read a word of the story.

I'm off to the post office to send these fabulous girls an autographed book and some Jemma Hartman swag.

Want to see some more lookalikes? Check them out here and here.

Back to Work...

2012-02-01T08:15:00.000-06:00

I recently took two months away from my work-in-progress. My kids had a hard time understanding that I was not procrastinating. I'll admit, it looked like procrastination. I read a ton of books (My faves - Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Read them now!), baked a ton of treats (homemade strawberry shortcake is definitely worth the effort), tried new recipes (must admit I hate cooking), cleaned out cabinets (and I hate cleaning even more), finished gigantic to-do lists (but you know, there is always a new to-do list growing), visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (so much fun!), cruised the Caribbean Sea (ahhh!), and even got my daughter settled into a new school (Good luck at DHS, Faith!)

I loved my time off, but by the end of it all, I was itching to get back into the fictional world I've been creating for the last year. Truth is, being an author takes a ton of perseverance, but it also takes patience. You can't just zip through from beginning to end, revise, submit, and sell. That's not how it works. At least not for me. Everyone knows you have to be patient when it comes to submissions and sales. But you also need patience when it comes to the writing. Two months away from this project gave me the time and distance I needed to see my story and characters with fresh eyes. That's the first piece of advice I give anyone when they ask me how to revise. Find fresh eyes.

Yesterday I met with my critique group, and they gave me a gentle push in the direction I need to go with this manuscript. The good news... I've written a fast-paced story with action and high stakes. That's actually great news for a writer like me, who normally writes character first, plot way way second. What they all want me to do, and what I know I need to do, is to develop my characters. Really find the voice and depth of everyone in the story. This is sort of backwards for me, but I like it. The pressure of figuring out the plot is off, and now I get to sort of play at being a psychologist. I'm delving into my characters' childhoods and experiences. What makes them tick? What makes them unique? What makes them relatable? How can I connect with each of them?

This is the fun stuff. This is why I'm an author.

Thanku

2011-11-21T14:27:00.001-06:00

Gratitude is something I include in my life every single day. Even when bad stuff happens, I tend to find the positive morsel hidden in the mess. Without a doubt, this attitude enriches my journey, but it can be perceived as annoying by people who either don't agree, don't understand, or aren't able to feel this way though they might wish they could. So it's no wonder that I love Thanksgiving, when for a day, everyone joins me in this feeling and expression of gratitude. I'm especially thankful for that!

Teaching Authors has declared this time as The Ten Days of Thanks-Giving, and Esther Hershenhorn has invented the poetry form THANKU, a thank you note written in the form of a haiku. So here are my thankus...

For my critique group:
Thanks writing sisters,
You keep me sane and happy,
No crap gets past you.

For my husband:
Funny, sexy, smart,
You encourage and support,
Hold my dream afloat.

For my kids:
Life is never dull,
Three teenagers in the house,
My heart bursts with love.

I could go on and on, writing thankus for my friends and family and dog and readers and editors and agent... but instead I'll stop here and get back to work on my real writing. Perhaps soon I will be grateful for a new book contract.

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Whole Novel Workshop

2011-11-01T13:50:00.001-05:00

If you ever have the opportunity to attend a Highlights Whole Novel Workshop, do it! It was a truly magical week. My only regret is that I didn't get to spend more time in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.

I stayed in this cute little cabin.

And I looked out at these lovely trees.

And when I took a walk, I followed this serene path.

And when I wasn't sleeping or walking or writing in my cabin, I was in here.

This is where I met with Stephen Roxburgh, Carolyn Coman, and eight other writers to talk about the craft of writing. This is where we ate beautiful, bountiful meals. Everything was fresh and delicious, and every meal was unique. I loved not having to think about what to eat, not having to grocery shop or prepare anything or clean any dishes. What a treat!

At five o'clock each day, we drank wine and ate hors d'oeuvres while chatting about how to turn good writing into great writing, what our core stories are, who our main characters are, and how we can take steps to get our manuscripts closer to our visions.

This is where Stephen told me the character I accidentally killed in my manuscript absolutely needed to die. (It's a special skill, but it is possible to kill a character and not realize you've done so until after you've already sent your manuscript in, and by then you're embarrassed and you wish you could reach into cyberspace and get the manuscript back to make the character live.) What a surprise to find out that subconsciously I was doing the right thing all along! This is where Stephen taught me about cutting redundant questions, and it's where Carolyn shed light on writing in first person, and it's where I came to understand that even though my novel has a lot of action in it, I'm really writing a plot of character. I have to say, that's a relief!

This is where I made new writer friends, and I saw amazing revisions take shape, and I felt so inspired that I swear, if I had another week, I could have finished my revision and turned my manuscript in to my agent in no time. But alas, one week in Honesdale was all I had.

Now I'm home, busy with my real life. It's a beautiful life, and I truly feel blessed for all that's in it. But I do miss that magical time out of time in Honesdale.

The Joy of Not Writing

2011-10-10T16:01:00.000-05:00

I haven't been writing for three weeks now, and I don't plan on writing this week either. Four weeks of not-writing. And get this... not one ounce of guilt!

That's right. This time off of work isn't due to writer's block or procrastination. And it's not accompanied by that horrible feeling of I should be writing now. This time off is because I'm going to a Highlights Founders Whole Novel Workshop on Sunday, and we were all told to take a break from our manuscripts so we can see them more clearly at the workshop.

I suppose I could have worked on something else in the interim, but nah. I've worked so hard for the last year pushing through this first draft. I want this month off to not only help me gain some objectivity for my manuscript, but to also rejuvenate my spirit.

I've been reading a ton. And going through piles of stuff. And crossing things off my to-do list. When I finish writing this blog post, I'm going to clean out my dresser and closet. You know I'm caught up on life if I'm tackling that one!

And Sunday will begin my week in a cabin in the woods in rural Pennsylvania, working with Stephen Roxburgh and Carolyn Coman and seven other writers. A week totally devoted to revising my novel. I won't have to cook or clean or walk a dog or drive anyone anywhere or think about anything other than writing. That sounds downright amazing to me.

Fueled by Hope

2011-09-28T15:52:00.000-05:00

Hallelujah and whoo hoo and yippee yahoo! I finished a first draft! It took me ten months, which is by far the fastest first draft I've ever written. For ten months, I've been thinking about this story, poking at it bit by bit, tunneling through to the end. For ten months, I haven't received a cent of payment, yet I've worked my hardest, struggled, and persisted, all fueled by hope. The hope that I could finish. The hope that this story would be worth writing and then worth reading. The hope that someday, after I revise and revise and revise, this will be the book that breaks me out of the mid-list. This will be the book about which people will say, "You have to read it!"

Lately I've been thinking about hope and how the authors I know get so excited and filled with hope before their book comes out, and then how those same authors are often disappointed when their book, no matter how great it is, doesn't get the attention it deserves. Doesn't get shelf space at the book stores. Doesn't get starred reviews. Doesn't get publicity or buzz from their publisher. Doesn't sell movie rights or foreign rights or hit the best seller lists. It's incredibly frustrating.

They've done this amazing thing that most people never do... they've gotten their book published! But then the reality of it hits... their book is one of around 25,000 new books for children and young adults published every year. It might seem impossible to get published, but the truth is lots of people accomplish that goal. Unfortunately, only a tiny percent of those people are ever published successfully.* You've got to be a fool to hope for that.

So call me a fool.

One of my author friends said she doesn't get swept up by the hope or by the disappointment. She just keeps doing the work. And though I admire her balanced way of approaching this journey, I know that will never be me. I need the hope to fuel me. I would never have spent ten months of my life torturing this story out of me if I didn't think there was a possibility of a huge reward someday. Yes, the writing is the reward... I get that. And as difficult as it is, I love to write and can't imagine doing anything else. But it's too easy to give up if I think I'm just doing this for myself or for mediocre rewards. The hope that maybe this time I could be writing a breakout novel keeps me going. I'll take whatever disappointment comes my way. I understand that's the consequence for hoping, and I'm okay with that. Because without the hope, I'd just be standing still. Dreaming, not doing.

* I realize everyone will have their own definition of success. And it might be that the nature of success is that you always want what is just out of reach. For example, Julia's Kitchen could very well be considered a success. It won awards, got great reviews (even a star from Kirkus!), was translated into German, and worked its way into the hearts of many readers. And though I'm so grateful for all of that, my dream of success goes beyond what I've accomplished so far.

Lots of Birthdays

2011-09-05T09:27:00.001-05:00

In our family, we celebrated three birthdays this weekend. My twins turned seventeen. And my puppy turned three.

What's it like to have seventeen-year-old boy-girl twins? It's a breeze. It's a joy. It's a whole helluva lot easier than having younger twins. When Jacob and Faith were babies, they were cute and sweet when they slept or laughed or held hands or did something funny like accidentally pee on each other while I was changing their diapers. But in general, it was physically and emotionally draining. I was always needed. My life was basically taken over by these kids. Did I mention that we had another baby 19 months after the twins were born? (Incidentally, my husband recently completed his first triathlon, and he said it was the hardest thing he'd ever done. He must have forgotten what it was like when the kids were little.) Back then, I was going to write a book about how to survive the first year with twins. I had a title figured out: The First Year is a Blur. I bought a binder and organized it with different sections for different aspects of raising twins. But guess what? The binder is empty. And the first year is pretty much a blur.

If you are expecting twins, I don't mean to frighten you. I'm just relating my experience. I'm sure you'll have angelic babies who sleep through the night and nap at the same time and have mellow personalities. It's definitely possible. But here's the important thing: My kids are amazing. Smart and funny and unique and comfortable in their own skin. And holy cow, they're seventeen!

So, what's it like to have a three-year-old puppy? Okay, I realize Ozzy is not officially a puppy anymore, but you try telling him that. Ozzy is our Mini-Whoodle (part Wheaten Terrier, part Mini-Poodle), and he is the world's sweetest dog. I am not even the least bit biased. I know a lot of people end up on my blog when they do a search for Mini-Whoodles, so I figure I might as well give you some helpful information, not just about puppies but about what you can expect when your Mini-Whoodle grows up:

Appearance: 25 pounds, charcoal gray, warm brown eyes, and a funny looking 1970's-ish mustache. He's the perfect size for snuggling with on the sofa, and he's not tall enough to get anything off the kitchen counter.

Trainability: (Granted, some of this is my fault, but still). He sits. He stays in our yard with the invisible fence. He walks well on a leash. He never pees or poops in the house. He doesn't chew anything he shouldn't. He doesn't bite. Unfortunately, he still jumps on people, and he barks at the mail carrier and UPS guy, and he doesn't know how to fetch, and he never comes when I call him unless I'm giving him a treat or a car ride. Thankfully, his sweetness more than makes up for these minor problems.

Personality: Very playful. Very loving. Has never met an animal or person he didn't like. Will do anything for a belly rub. Gives lots of kisses. Enjoys daily walks and car rides with his head out the window. Often sits outside and greets the neighbors by rolling over on his back. Snuggles on the sofa with everyone in the family. Sleeps in his crate with his favorite stuffed animal. Smiles for the camera.

If you're looking for a Mini-Whoodle, I suggest you contact Barb at Old McDoodle Farm. She's wonderful. And if you're expecting twins, I suggest you load up on sleep, solidify your marriage, and reinforce your sense of humor. You're about to have the craziest, most challenging, most beautiful, and most rewarding ride of your life.

Head over Heels in Love

2011-08-04T12:25:00.000-05:00

Even though I think it's incredibly important to support authors, publishers, and bookstores, most of the books I read come from the library.

Here's why I don't purchase all the books I read:
1. It gets to be expensive.
2. I have limited shelf space.
3. It really irks me to own a book that I don't love.

And here's what always makes me purchase a book:
1. I went to hear the author speak.
2. I'm friends with the author.
3. I'm head over heels in love with the book.

Obviously, the very best reason to buy a book is #3, falling head over heels in love with it. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen all that often. But yesterday it did. The book: The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson.

It was published in 2010, so I'm a little late to the party. Don't ask me how I missed all the buzz about this book last year... I have no idea. Just look at all these starred reviews and amazing authors heaping praise on this book and this author.

What's the book about, you ask? It's about sisters. And love. Loss. And grief. Passion. Music. Poetry. It's written so beautifully that I cried in the happy parts, was unable to breathe during the heartbreak. It made me feel like I was in on a secret, like I was meeting these incredible friends, like I was climbing inside someone's heart.

It also made me feel like I'm only pretending to be an author. That this Jandy Nelson is the real deal. And I'm okay with that. It's good to be in awe of an author. Yesterday, after I returned The Sky is Everywhere to the library, I went to my local bookstore and bought a copy. They only had one available, so I ordered two more. I need to give this book to some friends.

Mind Games: Three Tricks for Writing a First Draft

2011-07-14T16:10:00.000-05:00

Are you one of those people who loves writing first drafts? You just zip right through them, happy and carefree? If you are, congrats! You can stop reading now. I wrote this for the rest of us, the ones who think writing a first draft is the hardest part of being an author.

I love revising. Taking something and fixing it up, cutting, moving, shaping, deepening… there's nothing better than watching a story improve with each revision pass. But that first draft, for me, is torture. Creating something from nothing? You need magic for that. But not the sparkly kind of magic that comes with wands and fairy dust. (As if I had access to that!) It’s more the magic of, Holy magaga, where did that come from?! The problem is, you have to sit and write and create and hope the magic visits you. Thus, the torture. So I’ve found some mind games that help, and maybe they'll help you, too.

1. Write as a Reader: I pretend I’m reading the book I’m writing. I picture turning the pages, anticipating what might happen next. If I were reading it, what would I think about these characters, this story line? Am I bored? Impatient? Sympathetic? Excited? What scene am I hungry for next? What will I see when I turn the page? That’s what I write.

2. Best Gift Ever: I imagine that someone else has written everything up to this point. Then that generous person gave me the manuscript and said, “Sorry, I can’t finish it. But you can have it. Go to town.” Seriously? You’re just giving me an almost finished first draft? Thanks! I can totally finish this. How fun! (This trick works great when you’re in the middle or near the end of the first draft.)

3. Character Jump: When my main character is stuck in a tough situation and I don’t know how to get her out of it, I’ll ask one of the supporting characters for help. Obviously, this makes me sound a bit crazy because I’m the one writing all these characters. But really, when I write a first draft, I become my viewpoint character and see and think and feel everything she does. Jumping into someone else’s skin can help me figure out a solution that I wasn’t able to see before.

These little mind games have worked for me in the past, and I’m relying on them now, as I get closer to the end of my current work-in-progress. Give them a try, and let me know if they work for you. And if you have any tricks of the trade, please share!

On Friendship

2011-06-27T18:55:00.002-05:00

I brought chapter thirteen of my work-in-progress to critique group today. Have I mentioned how much I love my critique group? These talented writers and true friends help convince me I know what I'm doing, and they encourage me to keep going. We brainstorm ideas, and when I try to take the easy way out, they don't let me. Nope. Not gonna happen on their watch. That impossible scene I thought maybe I wouldn't have to write? Guess what? I have to write it. I love these women. I could not be on this journey without them. Just sayin.

So I come home from critique, feeling inspired, and I take my dog for a walk. I'm plugged into my iPod, and I'm listening to the soundtrack from The Book of Mormon, and everything's lovely. Then I hear someone call my name from a passing car. I look up and wave, and that's when I see this 16-year-old kid stick his head out of the driver's seat window and make a mean face at me. Seriously? This punk used to bother my daughter back in middle school, but that was years ago, and - newsflash - I'm not a kid. I'm the kid's mom.

I am honestly flabbergasted by this snotty, unprovoked disrespect toward an adult. It's so odd that it brings me right back to when my daughter was in middle school. Though my daughter was no angel, the way the other kids and parents (yes, the parents were the worst offenders) treated her was unbelievable. If I ever wrote about it, you would never believe it because it's a case of the truth being way stranger than fiction. Sometimes I even wonder if it all really happened the way I remember it. But today, with this jerk making a face at me out of the blue, I'm reminded that yes, what happened was real. And it was completely unfair.

I'm so grateful that we were able to find a different school in a different community for my daughter. One where she is free to be herself, to learn and grow from mistakes, to explore her passions, and make good friends. Friends who, like my wonderful critique group, will hopefully encourage her to do her best, believe in her abilities, and never take the easy way out.

As for the punk in the car... all I can do is shake my head and laugh. I hope he grows up someday and learns the right way to treat people.

What I Say to Myself While I Write a First Draft

2011-06-24T15:04:00.001-05:00

Who do you think you are, writing a book like this?
You'll never get published again. You might as well quit.
Even if someone publishes this book, it won't get into Barnes & Noble. It won't be popular. You won't get rich or famous or even slightly rich or slightly famous.
Maybe someone will write the book for you. Then you could revise it. Or even better, you could read it once it's published and on the shelves.
You're not talented enough to write this book.
The characters are flat. The plot is stupid.
You don't know what you're doing.
You're going to embarrass yourself.
You might have an interesting idea, but you'll never translate that idea to the page.

AND...

You've already written 150 pages. That's pretty freakin awesome.
You can definitely write 50 more. Then you'll get to revise.
As terrible as this first draft is, you know you can improve it in revision.
You aren't in any rush. You can take your time and work on the manuscript until it's the very best you can make it.
Nobody else can write this particular story except you. It's yours. That's why.
Even if it's not a blockbuster, it will be someone's favorite book.
You're enjoying exploring the themes and the characters.
You're stretching yourself with new writing challenges.
It's always this hard.
There's no other job you'd rather be doing.

These thoughts run through my head every single day. It's a little crazy-making. Anyone who thinks they might like to be an author should proceed with caution as well as wild abandon. It takes both.

Showing Up

2011-05-20T14:55:00.000-05:00

My husband rocks. Alan and I started dating when we were 19. Who in the world meets their soulmate at age 19? I mean, seriously, he still had bottom braces, and I still had chubby cheeks. How is it possible that we fell in love and got married, and 20 years later we have three teenagers and a happy marriage? (God, I hope I'm not jinxing us!)

But here's the thing. Not only did I luck out with a husband who would never pull a Tiger Woods or Arnold Schwarzenegger on me; I also got a husband who is a first class mensch, (Jewish word for a stand up kind of guy you'd be proud to bring home to Mama), smart businessman, and most importantly a loyal, loving, supportive father. And did I mention that he's hot?

See?

Anyway, the reason I'm feeling so very appreciative of Alan is not because of the new ring he bought me for my birthday (though that helps). It's because he is right now on a plane heading to his father's funeral.

Alan's father left his family when Alan was only seven. He saw him a few times after that, but there was no real relationship. It's hard to have a relationship with a man who didn't show up for visitations and didn't pay child support. Having your dad abandon you will mess you up. And my husband and his sisters all had to deal with this loss in their own ways. When I think about Alan growing up without his dad, my heart breaks, both for Alan and his father.

Alan's father missed out on the nachas (Jewish word for pride and joy) of raising a smart, athletic, sweet, and funny boy. And then he missed out on seeing that boy mature into a real man. The kind of man who would fly to Florida to pick up his grandma and fly with her to Vegas to attend the funeral of a father who almost never showed up for him.

Showing up. It's a way of life I was lucky enough to learn from my dad. Alan learned it despite his dad. Whether it's work or play or family or friends. Just show up.

An Interview with Allan Woodrow, author of The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless

2011-04-24T16:51:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I took my nephew to the book launch party for The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless.

Zachary Ruthless

My nephew (not nearly as rotten as Zachary)

I'm so excited about this fabulous new book for two reasons. First, it's a hilarious new series kids are going to love. And second, Allan is a former student of mine, so it's a total joy to see him find success!

My nephew and Allan Woodrow

Allan was kind enough to answer a few questions for me...

1. Where did you get the idea for The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless?

I wish I could say I stole it, which would be entirely appropriate since Zachary Ruthless is the world’s most evil boy. But actually, it stemmed from two short stories I wrote for my high school literary magazine too many years ago. They were about a bad guy named, appropriately, Fred Bad Guy. He had an evil worm named Spot. I was looking through some old papers and found the story a couple of years ago and wondered what Fred was like as a kid. So, a quick name change later, Zachary Ruthless was born.

2. Is Zachary modeled after anyone you know in real life?

No! No! No! Thankfully. He is way too evil and rotten to have any attributes credited to anyone living (or dead). Although lots of moms seem to think I may have modeled him after their sons. I assure them it is mere coincidence and then run away as quickly as I can (before their sons can do anything evil to me).

3. What was the most challenging part of writing this book?

Usually, my stories are plot based and wrapping my head around the characters takes time and effort. Zachary was purely character based, and then I wrapped a plot (or plots) around him. So settling on the perfect plot scenario took some time. I had lots of early drafts that put Zachary in situations that were mostly removed or shifted dramatically, many revolving around school and teachers.

4. Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?

You hear about people with dozens of rejection slips and years of frustrations. Then you hear about people like me.

New Years’ Resolution 2009: Write a children’s book and get it published. I wrote one in three weeks, sent it out to four agents and got four form rejection letters. So I took a deep breath, decided I had rushed things a bit, and vowed not to submit anything else for a year. I’d hone my craft. Understand the business. Learn to write for kids. Take classes. And take the pressure off myself. I also vowed to write every day, and I did. Three months later I had two more manuscripts written, one of which was The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless. But I thought it was just OK. I kept writing. Three months later I had another manuscript done, and part of another one.

I then heard about a writing workshop, co-hosted by you - Brenda Ferber (along with your co-moderator, Jenny Meyerhoff)! I signed up and planned to bring an entirely different manuscript, one that I thought was much better than Zachary Ruthless. Two weeks before class I re-read Zachary Ruthless, thought it had merit, and rewrote the entire book. So I brought in that.

The workshop, which lasted six weeks, went better than I imagined. I took the advice shared, made adjustments and when the class was over was encouraged to submit the book to agents. So even though my one year wasn’t up (it had only been 9 months since I first decided to try to write a children’s book) I sent it out to a few agents. Three weeks later I had an agent (the wonderful Joanna Volpe) and three weeks after that I had a four-book deal with HarperCollins.

The other manuscripts? They’ll never see the light of the day. I’m just thankful I brought Zachary Ruthless to the workshop instead!

What a great turnout!

5. What did you do when you heard you had an offer for a four book deal?

I had a glass of wine and then kept on writing. My resolution to write everyday was made 28 months ago and I’ve pretty much written every day since then, with a few exceptions (I’ve skipped some Sundays, and I went on vacations where I didn’t write every day – but I’ve brought my laptop every time). Being a published author has been a dream of mine since third grade, so when I think about that dream coming true, I do have a great sense of pride. But I’m greedy. I want more. I’ll celebrate when I retire. If I retire. Frankly, I’d rather write.

6. What's next for Zachary? And what's next for you?

I’d love to continue flushing out Zachary’s world for more than four books – I have ideas for him that would fill up quite a few more manuscripts, and we’ve grown quite attached to each other – but that will depend on whether anyone buys the first four! In the meantime, I’m always working on manuscripts. I have some things I’m excited about (and more things I’m not excited about), in various stages. I’ll cross my fingers that someone else gets excited about some of those, too.

7. Do you have any advice for kids who want to be as ruthless and rotten as Zachary?

Ack! No! Don’t be Zachary Ruthless! If you’re a Mom or Dad: I would never encourage anyone to be rotten. So stop reading now, please.

OK, we’ve gotten rid of all the old people. Kids – listen up. Here are a few pointers if you want to be ruthless. First, no one can suspect your true evilness. You can’t perform evil deeds while you’re grounded, or without an allowance. So pretend to be nice and sweet and huggable. And plot all your evil schemes in secret, preferably in a tree fort or hidden fortress. Next, unless you’re an evil genius – and if you are, then you don’t need my help – then it’s not easy to get evil gadgets like lasers that turn people’s heads into spaghetti or hypnotizing glasses. But you can order a lot of that stuff online at evilbadguystuff.com, the evil bad guy gadget website. Lastly, it helps to be part of an evil gang. Most evil gangs will supply you with a henchman, snacks, and a good health plan. A magazine like Super Villain Weekly is a good place to start – a lot of the evil gangs advertise when they have open slots. Oh, and you need a good evil name. Something like “The Diabolical Death Wart.” It has to look good on a t-shirt.

To learn more about Zachary Ruthless, visit www.evilbadguystuff.com.

The Opposite of Fear

2011-04-21T15:17:00.000-05:00

The opposite of fear is hope. And I've already written about fear. So today is all about hope.

Hope and fear actually have a lot in common. They are both ways of perceiving the future. They both can influence how you make decisions. And they both can cause you to obsess.

I know you're supposed to live in the moment. Be present and all that. But you can't be present all the time. You have to think about the future, too. And when you do, common sense tells you thinking about it hopefully is the way to go. But hope can stop you dead in your tracks just as much as fear can.

Have you ever had the feeling that something good, really good, is about to happen? I felt that way right before Julia's Kitchen came out. At that point, I was so excited and hopeful about my first book being published that I was actually unable to do anything productive. I was just walking around in this haze of hope and happiness. I enjoyed it most of the time, but I would have enjoyed it a hundred times more if I'd been writing my next book then. I wasn't exactly resting on my laurels. It was more like resting on my hope. Either way, it was too much wasted time.

Lately I've been having that feeling again. That something-good-is-about-to-happen feeling. Mmmm. It's lovely. I can sit around and enjoy it. I can think about it, journal about it, obsess about it. But at the end of the day, I'll have nothing to show for it.

It honestly feels like the good thing that will happen in the future is so wonderful that its energy is seeping into its past, my present. That's how firmly I believe. That's the level of hope that's bouncing around inside of me. So what can I do with this energy? I don't want to waste it. I want to use it. I want to take that energy and all the benefits that come with it - self confidence, joy, excitement, and power - and I want to let that fuel my writing and living right now.

So that's the plan. Think of it as mental time travel. Or buying on credit.

And for all you pessimists out there who think it's dangerous to invest so much hope in an uncertain future, I ask you, what does it hurt? If the good thing doesn't happen, I'll be disappointed for sure. But disappointment doesn't scare me. I've been there, done that, and lived to tell the tale.

Here's to hope!

Books Not to Miss

2011-04-12T12:03:00.001-05:00

So many books. So little time. Here are some I've read recently that I am super excited about:

For Adults:
Room by Emma Donoghue.

This is such a fast paced novel. You will not be able to put it down. It's told from the point of view of a five-year-old boy who has lived his whole life in an 11x11 room with his mother. He doesn't realize he and his mother are actually prisoners of Old Nick. This story will stay with you long after you turn the last page. Although the story is dark, there is a lot of hope and resilience in it, too. Emotionally powerful.

The Girls by Lori Lansens

I read this book in December, and I still think about it. A fictional autobiography about conjoined twins. Fictional autobiography? Did you hear right? Yes. It's fiction, but it's told as if one of the twins is writing her memoir. Very interesting format and done exceptionally well. If you have a sister, I bet you anything you will love this book. So beautiful. So touching.

For Teens/Adults

These books are marketed for teens but have huge crossover appeal. I love crossover books. Frankly, I think all adults should read books for teens and kids. But that's just me. Anyway...

Chime by Franny Billingsley

Holy moly is this an amazing book! It received six starred reviews. Do you know how many review journals there are for young adult literature? Six. A clean sweep. I have to admit that sometimes I don't like books that receive so many starred reviews or big awards. I'm not that highbrow of a reader, and sometimes those kinds of books go right over my head. But this book is amazing. I finished it one day and started again from the beginning the next. It's that kind of story. A mystery and a romance and just enough fantasy to keep things interesting without making my head spin. It's about identity and how we have to fight the labels that others put upon us and learn who we are from the inside out. The story takes place in a swamp, and the language is so swampy, you just sink into it. And Eldric, the love interest? My new literary crush.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Another page turner. And another book I had to re-read right after I finished it. Do you like parallel universe stories? I love to delve into those ideas. This book is about a popular mean girl who dies. (I'm not giving anything away. It happens in the prologue.) The cool thing is that she wakes up the next day and it's the day of her death all over again. (Kind of like the movie, Groundhog Day.) Watching her learn and grow and try to change things as she repeats this tragic day over and over again is fascinating. Everyone is talking about Oliver's new book, Delirium. I read that one, too, but in my opinion Before I Fall has more interesting characters and a more emotional story arc. I guess it depends on your taste: popular mean girl gets a chance at redemption vs. cautious repressed girl falls in love and breaks out of her dystopian society. On a side note, I just saw and loved the movie Source Code and it made me think of Before I Fall. If you love Before I Fall, go see Source Code. (And vice versa.) You won't be disappointed.

For Kids

The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless by Allan Woodrow with illustrations by Aaron Blecha

You want a hilarious book for kids in 2nd-4th grade? You've got it. This book doesn't actually come out for a couple more weeks, but you can pre-order it now. I'm lucky enough to have seen this book grow from a baby manuscript into its lovely paperback form. Allan was one of my students, and the moment I read the first chapter of his book, I knew he wouldn't be my student for long. He was on the fast track to publication. So glad I was right! Kids (especially boys and reluctant readers) are going to go crazy for Zachary, a rotten and lovable hero.

Dear Tabby by Carolyn Crimi and illustrated by David Roberts

Okay, this book might be in the kids category, but honestly it's for everyone. I left it on my kitchen table, and my teenagers picked it up and loved it. Do you know how hard it is to impress teenagers?? Anyway, this humorous and heartwarming tale about a cat who gives advice is perfect for anyone who wants to bring some more happiness into their life. Tabby helps critters such as a hamster who keeps running but never gets anywhere, a parrot who doesn't quite understand the art of conversation, and a dog who sits around waiting all day for something interesting to happen. But can Tabby help herself? This would be a great book for a graduation gift. Dr. Seuss's Oh the Places You'll Go is so yesterday.

Little Chicken's Big Day by Katie Davis and Jerry Davis

Looking for the perfect book to stick in that Easter basket? Here it is! I love this story, and the illustrations are so cute. My favorite thing is the catchphrase, "I hear you cluckin' Big Chicken!" I've been using that phrase since I heard it. It really comes in handy! Also, I've got serious book trailer envy. Check it out:

That's all for now. Have you read anything fantastic recently? Let me know in the comments.

Writing to Think

2011-03-29T09:09:00.000-05:00

I've been journaling since I was ten years old, and I think it's a big reason that I'm a writer and a sane person today. Really. It's the one piece of advice that I give to everyone: Keep a journal! Especially if you want to be a writer. But even if you don't. I honestly can't imagine getting through adolescence without writing about it all. How would I have figured anything out? For that matter, how would I figure anything out as an adult?

I write to think. I write to make sense of the world. To figure out a problem, a mood, a situation. When I first started journaling, I wrote about what I ate for lunch. I listed all the swear words I knew. I complained about my friends and my clarinet teacher and the unfair word on the spelling test. As I got older, I journaled about my dreams for the future. And boys. I journaled a lot about boys. I was always in love with someone who wasn't in love with me, but it was okay because I could write about all those desperate feelings, and somehow that made me feel not quite so desperate.

When you journal, you realize that whatever you're going through is temporary. You realize that you can get through it. That it will change. That there's something to learn from it. You get perspective, which is an incredible gift. And you give that gift to yourself. How easy!

Five years ago, when I had a snoopy preteen daughter in the house, I bought a little fire safe and put all my diaries in the safe. Three years ago, while we were away for spring break, burglars broke into our house and stole all our valuables, including the little fire safe. Yes, all my diaries disappeared. I was devastated at first. I would never be able to go back and re-read what I'd written. But you know what? I don't really do that anyway. I don't want to go back. I want to go forward. For me, it's the act of writing that matters. Because that's what helps me think.

Since the burglary, I've not kept a traditional journal. I've done it all online in a password protected document. But the document got too long and cumbersome, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to password protect a new file. But now I've found this awesome new website: www.penzu.com. It's an online journaling site, and it's free. It makes it so easy and fun to journal. And if you are just developing the habit, you can even sign up to get little reminders from them to journal on a regular basis. I highly recommend it!

Writing and Fear

2011-03-06T18:17:00.002-06:00

At the writing retreat I attended in January, one of the speakers said that all not-writing is due to fear. We might make excuses about time or energy or the muse not visiting or writer's block or whatever. But really? If we're not writing it's because we're afraid.

I didn't write today. Or yesterday. Or the day before. This, after vowing to write every day for a minimum of 30 minutes since December 1st. When my son asked me if I had written yesterday, I told him no and gave him a great excuse about wanting to read instead and waiting to get feedback on a different manuscript and blah blah blah. He cut me off and said, "Mom, you have to blog about your failure." Love that kid.

So here I go.

I didn't write for the last three days because I'm afraid.

I'm afraid this first draft sucks. (The fact that it's supposed to suck because it's a first draft is not comforting to me. Sucking sucks.)

I'm afraid I will never be able to translate the idea in my head into the masterpiece I imagine it to be. (This fear makes sense. My idea is perfect in my head. Of course I won't be able to create a perfect book. But who cares? Maybe I can create a book that is good enough.)

I'm afraid someone else will write my book before me, and they'll do a better job than I could ever do. (Stupid fear... nobody can write my specific book except for me. That's why it's mine.)

I'm afraid that even if I write the best book, my agent won't be able to sell it.

I'm afraid that even if my agent sells it, my publisher won't promote it.

I'm afraid that even if my publisher promotes it, reviewers will pan it.

I'm afraid that even if reviewers love it, people won't buy it.

I'm afraid that even if people buy it and love it and and ask for more, I won't ever be able to deliver because it is such an impossible task, and each book is challenging in its own way, and writing one book well does not mean you know how to write another book. At. All.

So there you have it. I'm sitting with my fear. But I'm not so worried. It won't last. Sometimes I have to just succumb to the yucky, scary feelings for a little while. Acknowledging them helps them pass. Because hidden right underneath all these fears are dreams and confidence and faith. Writer's fuel. They won't stay hidden for long.

Dream-Revising vs. Actual-Revising

2011-02-14T10:46:00.000-06:00

My last post was about how I'm taking all kinds of life detours while trying to write a first draft of a new novel, thus slowing my progress but making life pretty darn interesting. Here's proof that those life "detours" are time well spent:

My agent told me she thought I was on the right track with my revision, and she asked me if I could intensify one event and move it up in the timeline of the story. It was excellent advice, but I had no idea how to actually do it. The event happened because of all the things that led up to it. And because of the event, the story came to its natural conclusion. How was I supposed to move the event to the beginning or middle of the story?? I was stumped.

That night, I woke up at 3:30 with a headache, so I took my favorite headache medicine, Excedrin Migraine. (which, by the way, I was taking when I plotted the idea for my new ya novel. I swear, that stuff has some creative magic in it.) Anyway, as I was trying to fall back asleep, I was thinking about my agent's suggestion, and I was searching for the solution. Then, bam! It hit me. I don't have to actually move the event. I only have to move the impact of the event. In other words, my main character can be telling the story from that moment, as opposed to telling it all chronologically as the story unfolds. Where did this solution come from? E. Lockhart, the author who spoke at the fabulous retreat I attended! She calls it a "tent pole structure." It also comes from reading some books recently that use this technique. Would I have come up with this answer without those so-called distractions? I doubt it.

I spent the next four hours in bed, in and out of sleep, revising the book in my head. I even came up with a new title. The book was practically written, and my headache was gone!

The next day I went to a coffee shop to get to work. This would be a piece of cake. I mean, I had already done all the hard thinking-work last night in bed.

I opened my document, gave it my new title, and stared at the first paragraph. I love my first paragraph. It's just right. I spent forever crafting it. So the fact that it took me a full hour to have the guts to cut it shouldn't upset me. But it did. Why is dream-revising so much quicker and easier than actual-revising?

First drafts, revisions, publishing... it all takes longer than you want. (Case in point: I wrote my picture book The Yuckiest, Stinkiest, Best Valentine's Day Ever in 2002, sold it in 2007, and it will be out in 2013!!) But who really cares? Things take as long as they take. Why would I expect anything worthwhile to be quick and easy?

So... I hereby vow to stop focusing on how long things take and instead to put my energy into trying my best, learning each day, enjoying the creative process. It might be cliche, but it's true: We shouldn't count the days; we should make the days count.

How Not To Write a First Draft

2011-02-11T12:57:00.001-06:00

I'm in the dreaded middle of the first draft of a new novel. And I'm doing everything wrong. So if you want to succeed as an author, feel free to learn from my mistakes:

1. When your agent contacts you about your manuscript that she's submitting (the one you thought you were finished with), DO NOT come up with the perfect way to revise it now.

2. And whatever you do, DO NOT start that revision, even if you think it will only take a week or two.

3. DO NOT go to an incredible writing retreat where you'll learn so much about writing that you'll realize everything you've written so far in your first draft is complete dreck.

4. DO NOT meet talented and personable authors at said writing retreat and then go home and check all their books out of the library.

5. And absolutely, positively, DO NOT start reading their books.

6. DO NOT go to another event where a funny author whom you admire talks about what makes humorous picture books work.

7. And definitely DO NOT get inspired to write a picture book now.

8. When your husband asks how the writing is going, DO NOT tell him the terrible horrible truth, unless you want him to back up in fear, hide the sharp objects, and keep his distance from you for the rest of the evening/week/month.

9. If a special holiday is coming up, like Valentine's Day for example, DO NOT spend time creating the perfect gifts and cards for everyone in your family. Even if it makes you happy.

10. In other words, if you want to finish a first draft of a novel, DO NOT let life interfere.

I'm serious.

Your family doesn't really need you.

And you don't really need to enrich yourself as a writer, or a reader, or even as a human being.

I'm telling you, if you let life interfere with that first draft, you will never finish. Ever.

Well, maybe you will finish eventually.

But it will take you a long time. Longer than you expected. Longer than you want. And it will be harder than you ever imagined. Because writing is hard. There are no shortcuts. There is nothing quick and easy about it. And because life is complicated and funny and tragic and beautiful and busy, and if you're living it right, it will impact everything you do.

But. If you stick with your manuscript and work on it a little bit every day, no matter how long it takes you, no matter how much life interferes, at some point, you'll finish that first draft.

And then?

You can revise.

Book Trailer Envy

2011-01-16T18:56:00.000-06:00

Check out this awesome book trailer:

First of all, this was one of my favorite books of 2010. Second of all, this book trailer is just perfect. It's what all other book trailers should be. Not cheesy. Not long. Just very professional and totally the right tone for the book. This is the kind of trailer I'd love to create for all my future books. If you haven't already read A Tale Dark and Grim, you should. (Thanks to Betsy Bird for the link!)

This trailer got me thinking, though. How much money should you spend to make a book trailer? Who actually watches them? How do you distribute them? Do they have any impact on sales? I don't know the answers to these questions, but I'm very curious. I'm even curious about whether or not you even like this trailer. Is it only me? If you have any thoughts on this topic, please feel free to comment.

Step Away From The Novel.

2011-01-14T17:50:00.000-06:00

My editor once told me I should put a manuscript away for six months before trying to revise it. Was she crazy? Who has that kind of time? Who has that kind of patience? When I finish a first draft, I can't wait to start revising. Maybe I'll wait a weekend. Or a week if I've got a really great book to read and a huge to-do list to conquer. But I'll be itching to get to that revision. And I'll be calculating how quickly I can revise it and how fast my agent can sell it. I'll have a contract by fall, I think. Or winter. Or spring. Or summer. The book will be published in no time. I'll have to update my website and hope for good reviews and plan promotions and...

Wait a minute. It never ever goes that way. The publishing industry moves at a snail's pace. Agents take weeks to read your work. Editors take months to reject it. When you do finally get an offer, it takes years for the book to actually come out. This is the process. There is no fighting it. It can be incredibly frustrating, but recently I've discovered the positive side to this long, drawn-out journey: Objectivity.

Yes, my editor was right all along. (She is always right about everything, actually.) You need time away from a manuscript to see it clearly and to make it the best it can be. Case in point, my new middle grade novel that my agent and I really love. She's been submitting it for months, and editors have been rejecting it with the loveliest rejection letters I've ever received. I can blame the state of the industry all I want (and I do a little bit), but really, obviously, there's something wrong with the manuscript. Something I need to fix.

And guess what? Six months away from the story gave me the perspective I needed to see what needs to be done. It also gave my critique partners perspective, too. They gave me some perfect suggestions that I can't wait to use. So I'm diving back into revisions, even though my new young adult manuscript is quite a bit jealous that I'm leaving her for a while. Don't worry, I'll be back! Maybe even with some helpful objectivity.

Jemma Hartman's Twin!

2011-01-07T08:25:00.000-06:00

I've received lots of photos of Jemma Hartman Lookalikes, but this one for sure takes the cake!

Lauren from Tampa, Florida. What a cutie!

Lauren's teacher sent me this picture, and today I'm heading to the post office to send Lauren and all her classmates some excellent Jemma Hartman swag.

Today I'll also be cheering for my nephew in his school Geography Bee. (This is a kid who at age 3, in the backseat of the car, shouted, "The capital of Alabama!" as the car zoomed past a street sign that said Montgomery Drive.) In other exciting family news: We are celebrating my niece's Bat Mitzvah and another nephew's Bar Mitzvah this weekend! Too bad one is in Chicago while the other is in Detroit.
And too bad cloning is not an option.

Happy Weekend!

365 Day Challenge Update

2011-01-05T13:17:00.000-06:00

I am proud to say I've now written every single day since December 1st.

Even when I was on a totally amazing Caribbean cruise with my family, I wrote.

The view from the balcony onboard The Adventure of the Seas

True, some days I only wrote for 30 minutes, and true, the writing wasn't all that great, but the important thing was that I kept on writing. I didn't interrupt my flow, and now I've reached page 100 of my work-in-progress. Quite an accomplishment considering it usually takes me six months to write that much. I got this far in a little over two!

I'm at about the halfway mark, which means I'm in that most dreaded part of first drafts: the middle. Why are middles so hard to write? I think it's because beginnings are full of promise and creativity. Anything goes. And you usually know your ending (generally speaking) before you begin, plus by the time you get to the end, you've got all this energy propelling you there. But middles are complicated. You have to follow the threads you started in your beginning. (Why did I make such a big deal about that minor character? Clearly he needs to come back into the story now. Hmm...) And you have to direct everything toward the end. Plus you have to keep the interest and the tension and the stakes high. It's a lot to think about.

At this point, I keep reminding myself I can fix everything in revision. I'm halfway there! I can totally do this. One of my favorite books when I was a child was The Little Engine That Could. (Between that and Free to Be You and Me, it's no wonder I ended up being the persistent optimist that I am!) So I'm thinking about that Little Blue Engine and chugging along, right up the mountain.

How's your 365 Day Challenge going?

A Jewish Christmas

2010-12-24T11:50:00.000-06:00

I absolutely love being Jewish during the Christmas season. Especially when Hanukkah is nowhere near the 25th of December, like this year. I don't have any shopping to do. Or wrapping. Or cooking. Or baking. Or cleaning. Or preparing for family gatherings. I don't have to decide who will be stuck at the kids' table. Or what I will serve to the vegan. Or to the one on the low-fat diet. I get to enjoy Christmas music and Christmas lights and Christmas sales. I get to receive lovely holiday cards with photos of kids growing up, and I don't have to send any in return. I wonder if this is this what it feels like to be Christian during Rosh Hashanah and Passover. Hmmm... must ask some of my Christian friends when those holidays roll around.

When I was a kid, my across-the-street neighbors, who were Jewish, used to have a Christmas tree, and we used to go over to their house and help them trim it. I loved it, but I never wished for my own tree. It sort of seemed weird to me for Jews to do that. But whatever. It was fun. And at the summer camp I attended, the last big activity of the summer was always Christmas, complete with a huge tree, cookie decorating, face painting, and presents. My senior year of high school, I spent Christmas with my friend at her family's farm in Virginia. I got to spend time with her younger cousins who firmly believed in Santa Claus. I got to go to Christmas mass. (I must admit I was nervous about that. I remember saying a little prayer to God before I set foot in the church, just to let him know I was still Jewish and this was only me sharing a holiday celebration with my friend.) I also got to milk a cow, but that's sort of besides the point.

So you see, I haven't missed out on Christmas. And I have to say, I loved when my own kids believed in Santa, and they plotted to stay up all night and watch the house across the street (the one with the twinkling Christmas lights) to see Santa arrive. I loved it even more on Christmas morning when they swore they saw him on his sleigh. And I loved it the most when we had a perfectly lovely lazy day, going to the movies and eating Chinese food.

So whether you're Jewish or Christian, or something else entirely, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope your holiday season is filled with love and laughter, good health and good fortune. See you in 2011!

I hate waiting.

2010-12-09T19:23:00.000-06:00

There. I've said it.

When I first started writing, I waited for the mail to come each day, hoping to find a magical acceptance letter hidden between the bills and magazines. I think my mail carrier might have been a little scared of me, the way I jumped out of my house everyday, the minute he came near.

Then, when I finally got published, I waited for reviewers to say nice things about my book. That waiting was even harder than the first kind. What if I stunk? Or what if I was a genius? Either way, my life would change dramatically. I became paralyzed with the anticipation. Waiting to see how my book would be received kept me from being able to focus on the important task at hand: writing my next book. Waiting was making me crazy.

After my first book got lovely reviews and even won a very nice award (and I determined I was neither genius nor stinky), I still had to wait. This time I was waiting to sell my second book. Then I waited for those reviews. And so on and so on and so on.

Yuck!

But, ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to say that I have found the cure for waiting! It comes in two parts.

Part I: I understand that the level of success of my writing career is not going to change who I am. I'm a writer. I get crabby when I don't write. I like having stories and characters in my head. I like the challenge of finding the right words and putting them in the right order. I constantly strive to write better books and dream bigger dreams. That's just who I am. Intellectually, there's nothing to wait for because I'm doing the thing I love to do.

Part II: When the logical part of my brain (See Part I above) isn't working, I appeal to my emotional side by plugging into my competitive spirit. Instead of waiting, I race. Right now, my agent is trying to sell my third novel. I'm pretty sure this is the best thing I've ever written, and I'm really excited about it. But at the same time, the market is tougher than ever. My sweet coming-of-age story for tweens is going to have quite a struggle to find its home. It's the perfect breeding ground for waiting-itis. But as I've blogged about before, I'm writing a new book, one that is completely different from anything I've ever attempted before. So here's what I'm doing... I'm racing against my agent. My goal is to finish the first draft of my fourth novel before she sells my third. She thinks she's going to win. I think I will. Truth is, I win either way. But don't tell her that!

365 Day Challenge

2010-12-06T12:25:00.000-06:00

There's a kid named Alex in my town who is an amazing runner. I see him sometimes when I'm walking my dog or driving around the neighborhood, and I recognize him from far away because his stride looks so effortless and fast and powerful. Last week, my son told me that it was a big day for Alex because he had run for 365 consecutive days. Every single day for a year! We live in the Chicago suburbs. Our summers are hot and humid. Our winters are blustery and frigid. Our springs and falls are wet and windy. Can you imagine a 15-year-old boy running every single day for a year in weather like that? With typical teen distractions available to him all the time? It's no wonder his stride is so beautiful. It's no wonder that as a sophomore he's already one of the best runners on the varsity cross country team. His running may look effortless, but it's an illusion. He is putting in 100% effort, working every day, bit by bit, getting better, stronger, faster.

And isn't that true of all great things? The more you dedicate yourself, the more work you put into the creation of something, the more effortless it appears in the end. I really admire Alex's dedication. And I figure if he could do it, I can too. (I'm not talking about running, mind you. I hate to run!)

So, inspired by Alex, I've created a 365 Day Challenge, and I invite you to join me.

Choose something that you love and that you want to dedicate yourself to for an entire year. Working out? Writing poetry? Learning an instrument? Knitting? Singing? Creating a new business? Painting? Meditating? Shooting freethrows? The possibilities are endless. Now get a calendar. And go. No excuses. Find the time every day. And let me know how much progress you make. I bet we'll all have amazing stories of success to share.

My 365 Day Challenge is to write fiction. I'm one of those authors who tries to write everyday but quite often finds excuses why I can't get to it. (It's the weekend, It's a holiday, I don't have enough time, I have a headache, etc.) Recently, however, I realized I can get a lot of writing done in a small amount of time. If I turn off the internet, set the timer on my phone for 35 minutes and tell myself I have to continually write until the alarm beeps, I'm amazed at how much I accomplish. And usually, I can find several 35-minute chunks of time on even the busiest days. Every day I write for at least one 35-minute chunk, I'll mark it on my calendar. So far I'm on Day 6. Only 359 days to go!

Are you in? Let me know in the comments.

After the Honeymoon

2010-12-01T19:10:00.000-06:00

You may recall about a month ago I was going on about how much I loved my job. I had just come up with this amazing idea for a new book, and I had the feeling if you locked me in a room for a month, I could write the whole thing and it would be a bestseller.

That, my friends, is called the honeymoon. Your idea is all shiny and new, and you just can't get enough of it. But alas, every honeymoon must come to an end. And although you still may be in love, you aren't dying to be with it every moment of every day. Reality sets in, and you find that your idea is a regular idea, with good points and annoying points, and it demands the regular effort of writing and thinking and revising and writing some more.

Please don't feel bad for me. I'm okay with the honeymoon ending. I've got other things in life that I need to pay attention to anyway. (Hi kids. Hi husband. Hi house!) And it's not like I'm at the 7-year-itch yet or heading for divorce. We're still newlyweds, me and my Big Idea. I still love thinking about it and figuring out what it's all about. I'm still committed. I may not be writing with the passion and intensity that comes during the honeymoon, but I'm still writing.

So how long will this newlywed phase last? I will let you know!

What It's Really Like to Be an Author:

2010-11-09T19:27:00.001-06:00

It's fun.

1. It's going to see other authors speak.
Last night I took my niece to see Lisa Yee speak at Vernon Area Library. Lisa is the hilarious author of Millicent Min, Girl Genius, and lots of other great books. I love going to author presentations because I'm always looking to improve my writing and presenting skills. Why not learn from those who are doing it well?

Lisa introduced me to Peepy, and I introduced her to my latest addiction, Skinny Pop

2. It's making an impact in children's lives.
Today I visited a fifth grade classroom that had been reading Julia's Kitchen for read-aloud. I read them the final chapter and stayed to answer all their questions. The reception I received was so enthusiastic and energetic that I felt a bit like a celebrity. Have I mentioned lately that I love fifth graders??

Ms. Gordon's fifth graders and me

3. It's waiting to hear if your agent has sold your latest book.
Okay, maybe that's not always fun. There's definitely a dimension of anxiety with this one. These days publishers are not doing backflips when they see a middle-grade coming-of-age story cross their desks. But here's the thing... I only need one publisher to fall in love with my newest book. And it is kind of fun to imagine who that publisher will be. It's definitely fun to dream of a bright future for my manuscript!

4. It's developing new characters and stories.
I'm working on a new YA dystopian novel because I figured if you can't beat 'em, you might as well join 'em, and besides, I had this absolutely amazing story idea fly into my brain a couple of weeks ago, and I decided not to talk myself out of writing it. I'd been speeding along, writing faster than I normally do, when my agent reminded me that it can't be all plot. There has to be a compelling character with a distinct voice. Oh yeah, that. So now I'm thinking about this character I'm creating. She's sort of like a paper doll at this point, and I need her to be more flesh and blood. So I'm doing things like journaling from her point of view and imagining all aspects of her life. It's totally fun to create a character. Slowing down to do this important character work will definitely pay off in the long run.

5. It's curling up with a good book.
Yes, reading is a huge part of being a writer. I learn so much from other authors. I often re-read fabulous books to see how the authors crafted their stories. Currently re-reading Feed by M.T. Anderson. If you haven't read that book at least once, you are missing out big time!

So there you have it. Writing may be hard. But let's not forget how much fun it is, too.

Full Steam Ahead

2010-11-03T15:57:00.000-05:00

So the Big Idea I wrote about two weeks ago? It's still big and bright and beautiful! I've outlined the entire book and written two chapters of it. And the best news is that I brought the first chapter to critique group on Monday and received a very enthusiastic response. One of my critique buddies actually predicted my agent will pee in her pants when she reads it. :-)

I don't know about that, but I am loving developing this story. Lots of writers are doing NaNoWriMo this month (where you try to write an entire novel in one month). I know I can't do that. I'm just not comfortable enough with writing so much crap, and believe me, if I tried to write a novel in a month, that's exactly what it would be. But I am trying to write A LOT. If I can write 100 pages by Thanksgiving, I'll be thrilled. Heck, if I can write 50 pages by Thanksgiving, I'll be thrilled.

Meanwhile, here is my new favorite song. Enjoy:

The Big Idea

2010-10-20T14:35:00.000-05:00

I seriously love my job. Love it! I don't care about all the yucky parts of being an author right now. All I care about is that my mind has been exploding with imagination lately. On Sunday as I was driving home from Michigan, a question popped into my head. It was a big question, prompted from playing "Would You Rather" with my kids as well as thoughts about my good friend who is about to undergo a bone marrow transplant. I can't tell you what the question was, but I promise you it was a Big Question. I immediately began pondering the answer to the question, and I discovered the answer sounded a lot like a book. A book that hasn't yet been written. A book that I want to write. That I need to write.

I floated my question and a bit of my answer to my husband and sons, and they were fascinated. You must understand that my husband and sons are not the least bit fascinated by the stories I normally ponder. And I don't blame them. How many males do you know who care about coming-of-age stories for girls?? But this story caught their imagination. And for the last few days I've been working out the details and discussing some of the problems with them, and instead of losing steam as the story unfolds, instead of coming up against a big Oh-That-Won't-Work or That's-So-Stupid moment, the story is getting bigger and better and more complicated in a really exciting way.

I feel so energized by this idea right now that I can imagine locking myself in a room for the next month and writing the whole book. It feels like it will flow right out of me. I have no idea how long this positive energetic feeling will last. But for now, I seriously love my job!

"The Great American Novel"

2010-09-19T09:43:00.000-05:00

Today in the Chicago Tribune, Mary Schmich writes this about Jonathan Franzen's new book, Freedom:
"We live now in an age of thrillers, romances, and sci-fi. A novel that comes without a murder, a mystery, a vampire or sexy romance is likely to take the shortcut to the remainder table. As a result, few writers attempt the Great American Novel. The prospect that one might finally have arrived, to reflect back to us the details and deep truths about the moment we live in, is exciting."

I have no delusions that I will ever write the Great American Novel. I leave that up to the Jonathan Franzens of the world. But I do write realistic fiction for tweens. Coming-of-age stories. Books that mine the extraordinary in the ordinary. And lately I've wondered if that is enough. It's harder than ever for a novel to break out unless it's a fantasy or a dystopian or a very high concept.

But of course, everything runs in cycles. Could Freedom be the book that helps turn the tide back to realistic fiction? Aren't kids today just as eager to find themselves in a book as I was when I was growing up? Yes, there's a place for wizards and zombies and even vampires, but I don't think we'll ever stop needing real situations and real characters who make us laugh and cry and see the world and ourselves in a new light.

What Does Forgiveness Look Like?

2010-09-16T17:28:00.000-05:00

Sometimes forgiveness is easy. You say, "I'm sorry." You kiss and make up. Or maybe you just hug.

But sometimes it's more complicated. Sometimes you realize a relationship will never be mended. You're hurt and angry, and you simply move on. There's no closure. There's no kissing and making up. There's only an echo of hard feelings and the fear that you will run into the offender(s) someday and won't know what to do. Should you say hello? Should you pretend not to notice them? Should you give them a piece of your mind and maybe a slap across the face? Or should you go overboard showing them how much better off you are now?

Of course none of those choices are good because they all give too much weight to the relationship that is supposed to be over. If you can't forgive, you will always have to fear those awkward occasions, and you will always carry that weight. But what if forgiveness looks different? What if it's not about sorry and making up? What if it looks like this:

The realization that the past has made you who you are today.
The belief that you like the person you've become.
The recognition that the person or people who hurt you did the best they could at that time in their lives.

I've struggled to forgive some people in my community. But I was picturing the easy kind of kiss-and-make-up forgiveness. I imagined calling them or bumping into them in the grocery store and saying, "Hey, I forgive you. Everything is great now. It all worked out for the best." I never did that because honestly, I never wanted to kiss and make up, and also they've never asked for my forgiveness. I really am better off without these particular people in my life. Yet the awkwardness and the weight of the past has persisted.

I realize now that forgiveness isn't about making up. I don't need to say anything at all. But I do forgive them. Just knowing this makes me feel lighter already.

When Pilates and Judaism Come Together

2010-09-10T11:43:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! I have to say, one of the best things about being Jewish (besides the brisket) is that we celebrate our New Year in September, which for me has always seemed more appropriate than in January. You start school; you start a new year. It's simple.

This Rosh Hashanah was really new for me because I switched synagogues. My entire life, I've gone to Conservative synagogues, but this year I joined a Reform temple. There are lots of differences between Conservative and Reform services, and I wasn't sure I would like them all. I was afraid there wouldn't be enough Hebrew and that I would miss my favorite traditional tunes. Plus I felt sad leaving the many wonderful people I knew from my synagogue. It had been a comfortable place. I knew exactly what to expect there. But lately, it felt as if I were going through the motions, not feeling inspired or uplifted. I knew it was time to try something new.

My new temple is led by Rabbi Karyn Kedar. And clearly, if I was looking for inspiration, I've come to the right place. Rabbi Kedar writes books, she blogs, and she speaks in a powerful yet humble way. I know I will learn so much from her. The first blog entry I read from her was about her practice of thinking of a word prior to the start of the New Year, and dedicated herself to the full understanding of that word. Her word this year is humility. I loved this idea, and I spent several days thinking about what word I would want to bring so powerfully into my life.

Patience. Creativity. Humility. Excellence. Love. These words danced in my brain, all of them holding some kind of draw but none of them feeling exactly right. Then I went to my weekly Pilates class, taught by my beautiful and talented friend, Julie Cheifetz. As always, Julie reminded us that Pilates is not about the movement but rather about the stabilization of your core when the movement happens. And that's when I realized I'd found the perfect word: Stability.

Although I am not an extremely moody person or really that unstable in general, I hate when I let external factors impact the person I ideally want to be. So this year, I will focus on stability in every circumstance.

I got some practice this week when taking my daughter, Faith, to school in Connecticut. I am severely directionally-challenged, and even with a GPS device in my rented car, I was still feeling that tense anxiety of driving on unfamiliar roads. Then there was the added stressor of construction traffic making me late for the birthday dinner I was hosting for my daughter and her friends. I felt my body and mind begin to stress, so I reminded myself to stabilize my core. I actually tightened my stomach muscles, breathed deeply, and instantly felt better able to handle wrong turns, traffic, and the idea that I would most definitely be late. At a red light, I texted Faith to let her know the situation. She texted back, "ok." It wasn't a big deal after all.

I intend to fully explore the idea of stability this year. If this practice sounds interesting to you, I encourage you to think about a word to focus on, too. Leave your word in the comments. You don't need to be Jewish to play along!

How To Succeed as an Author (or anything!)

2010-08-02T11:13:00.000-05:00

Success is a slippery thing to define. I have friends and family who think I'm a success because I've had my books published. And sometimes I do feel like a success. After all, becoming a children's book author is the fulfillment of a dream I've had since I was a kid. But there's always something new to reach for... that breakout novel, that big award, that huge advance. Maybe I'll truly feel like a success then. Or maybe not. Maybe success should not be defined by arrival, but rather by the journey itself. After all, we have control over how we conduct ourselves on our journey, so shouldn't that be the focus?

I often get approached by people who are at the beginning stages of their writing life. They want to know how to get published. They want the secrets of success. I am always happy to talk to these people and share the knowledge I've gained so far. My aim is to be encouraging and informative. But it never fails that after our coffee or email, I feel like I inadvertantly discouraged them with the truth. Writing books is really hard. Getting published is even harder. There are no shortcuts. My basic message is this: In order to get published, you have to write the best book ever. It's not who you know. It's what you do. Write. Revise. Revise some more.

I came across this fantastic 3-minute talk on TED.com by Richard St. John about what leads to success. The principles here can be applied to any endeavor. Everyone should watch this, no matter what your dreams and goals are. Take a look, and then I'll show you how it fits with writing/publishing...

1. Passion: If you LOVE reading and writing children's books, you are off to a great start. If you haven't read any children's books since you were a child, you are loving a memory, and that's not the same thing. Go to the library and read as many current, award-winning and best-selling children's books as you can. Still love children's literature? Still feel passionate about writing it? Then get started!

2. Work: Put your butt in the chair and write every day (or as often as possible). Don't wait for inspiration to strike. You have to write a book before you can sell it. Don't talk about writing it. Write it. It's hard, but it's fun. It's make-believe. It's play. It's creating something tangible from an abstract idea. I often imagine I'm reading while I'm writing, literally turning the pages of a book in my mind, seeing what comes next. So I tap into that pure joy of reading while I'm working.

3. Good: You have to practice to get better at anything. Writing is no different. Keep reading great books and study what makes them great. Take classes and workshops to learn how to improve your craft. And revise! Your first few drafts will be terrible. You need to revise a lot to make your manuscript good enough for publication.

4. Focus: You will have many distractions to fight against if you want to write children's books. If you have a day job, you'll have to find some early morning or late night hours to dedicate to writing. If you are a stay-at-home mom, people might assume you have all the time in the world, so they'll ask you to volunteer here and there, or to have lunch or coffee on this day and that. Be careful to only say yes to things you really want to do. Don't say yes out of guilt. Call yourself a writer. Set regular writing hours. Make it a priority. Turn off the internet. When I started out, I only had two hours a week to write. But at least it was something. If I had thought that wasn't enough, I might have never gone for it. Now I have at least two hours a day.

5. Push: It is very challenging to finish writing and revising an entire book. You will think it's terrible at many times in the process. You will want to give up. That is one reason you need to be part of a supportive community. Join SCBWI and get involved. We children's writers are friendly, helpful people! Form a critique group of like-minded people. They will help you improve your writing and give you emotional support as well. And you'll make lifelong friends!

6. Serve: Think about your audience. What is your book going to do for kids? What will you be giving them? Create a mission statement for what you wish to accomplish. Tape your statement up next to your computer, and remember why you've set out on this journey. My mission is, "I am writing stories that will touch children's hearts and souls and make them see the world and themselves in a new light." What's yours?

7. Ideas: This is really the heart and soul of being an author. No matter how good your writing is, you need to have a fantastic idea. So think. Daydream. Observe. Question. Stimulate your creativity. Think outside the box. Have fun.

8. Persist: Ah... he saved the best for last. Or maybe it's the hardest. Persistence truly is key in this profession. Chances are you won't find instant success. You will have to deal with lots of rejection and discouraging days, even after you've gotten published. But remember this: Nobody has the power to make you give up. Believe in yourself. Make it happen.

The truth is, becoming a successful children's book author takes all of the above plus timing and luck and a little magic. I choose to focus on what I can control. I can create a successful journey, one day at a time, by my own doing. And so can you.

Bad Boys

2010-07-28T11:30:00.000-05:00

I am horribly attracted to bad boys... fictional bad boys that is.

I think it started with Tony Soprano. Despite the beer belly and his womanizing and murderous ways, I was inexplicably attracted to him.

Then there was Eric Bana's character in Munich. Did you see that movie? Yes, Eric is amazing to look at, but he plays an assassin who gets a little out of control. Hmmm...

My newest bad boy crush is none other than Don Draper from Mad Men.

Not only does he look like Jeff Probst (my Survivor good boy crush),

but he is a philanderer, a liar, and (on the positive side) something of a creative genius.

In real life, I am very much attracted to good guys. One good guy, to be precise.

(My husband Alan. Just as cute and sexy as my bad boy crushes, but a good man through and through!)

Truth is, bad boys are not very interested in me. I don't think they're looking for someone who loves to read and write children's literature, who has a healthy self image and an optimistic outlook on life. I am way too boring for them. And way too averse to real life drama.

But fiction is a safe place to explore all kinds of drama. Which brings me to my current work-in-progress. I've started something new, and although it's way too soon to talk about it, I will say that my main character is most definitely attracted to bad boys in her real life. There's a part of me that admires her courage to play with fire. I was never so daring. But a bigger part of me is sad for her. You have to be wounded to want to be treated that way. Those bad boys are wounded, too. Maybe that's part of the attraction.

Do you have a bad boy crush? Did you ever date a bad boy? Let me know in the comments.

Registration is Now Open for Our Fall Workshop

2010-07-26T17:03:00.000-05:00

Is it too early to think about fall? I know it's hard when it's so lovely outside, but here we are, opening up registration for our Fall Workshop. Once again, Jenny Meyerhoff and I will be facilitating a critique group in Highland Park on Tuesday nights.

Here's all the info:

Join Jenny Meyerhoff (author of THIRD GRADE BABY and QUEEN OF SECRETS) and me (author of JULIA'S KITCHEN and JEMMA HARTMAN, CAMPER EXTRAORDINAIRE) for another session of our facilitated critique group for children's book writers.

Where: North Shore Writers Studio in Highland Park, IL

When: Every other Tuesday evening from 6:30-9:30 pm; September 21, October 5, 19, November 2, 16, 30

Who: a maximum of 6 childrens book writers (all levels from beginner to advanced, writing anything from picture books through young adult)

What: participants will submit five pages per week to all workshop members (including Jenny and me) for critique, participants will also receive pages from all other workshop members each week, and will be expected to comment on the work of their peers. All genres in childrens literature will be accepted.

Cost: $240

Register: send an email to northshorewriters@gmail.com by September 7.

Registration is first come first served, and we have had a waitlist in the past. Your spot is not guaranteed until we receive your payment.

Please note the following important information regarding cancellations and refunds:

If you cancel before August 21, you will receive a full refund.

If you cancel between August 21 and September 7, you will receive a 50% refund.

If you cancel after September 7, we will not be able to give you any refund at all. Sorry!

Did I mention that one of our first students got a 4-book deal with HarperCollins based on a manuscript he worked on in our class? It's true! (Congrats Allan!) Perhaps you could be our next success story. At the very least, you will improve your writing and meet other children's book authors who just might be kindred spirits.

Greece: What I Saw and What I Read

2010-07-12T12:25:00.000-05:00

In honor of our 20th wedding anniversary, my husband and I took a second honeymoon in Greece. It was bliss!

First stop: Crete

First book I devoured: Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

Second stop: Santorini

Second book I loved: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Third stop: Mykonos

Third book that touched my heart and soul: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Fourth stop: Athens

Fourth book I couldn't put down: City of Thieves by David Benioff

I highly recommend all four of these books (as well as a vacation in Greece). If you want to see more of my vacation pix, friend me on Facebook and check out my photos.

Now I'm home, refreshed, and ready to dive into my next writing project. Life is good!

Book Club Extraordinaire!

2010-06-16T22:46:00.000-05:00

Tonight I went to a mother-daughter book club to talk about Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire. Is there anything sweeter than moms and daughters sharing books together? I think not. What a wonderful way to foster a love of reading and bond with your daughter!

One mom and daughter baked this cookie cake with all things Jemma.

Yum!

We had such a rich discussion. The girls and moms had the most interesting questions and comments, but the highlight of the night came for me when two of the girls acted out a scene from the novel. It was a scene I had struggled with getting just right, and seeing them act it out made all my millions of drafts totally worth the effort.

Thanks girls!

Feeling My Age

2010-06-15T12:02:00.000-05:00

When I was a teenager, I had such a baby-face that I would never have been able to use a fake i.d., even to get into an R-rated movie. People used to say I'd appreciate looking young someday, and guess what? They were right! I love when people think I'm in my 20s now that I'm happily in my 40s. But just because I look young doesn't mean I feel young. Sometimes it is clear that I am old. Very old. Ancient, if you ask my kids.

Case in point, the B96 Summer Bash concert.

Ludacris, T-Pain, Jason Derulo, B.O.B, New Boys, and others. If you have no idea who I'm talking about, don't feel bad. I wouldn't know either if my daughter didn't take over my car radio every time she rides shotgun. I took my daughter and her friend to this concert on Saturday, and while they loved it, and I loved watching them love it, I was entertained by so many things other than the music.

Perhaps you might someday accompany a teen to a similar concert. If so, do not fear! I have some helpful tips to help you get through the night.

1. Remember to bring your earplugs. While your teens would rather potentially go deaf than die of embarrassment with something as ridiculous as earplugs, you should feel free to protect your ears. After all, you're a parent. Embarrassing your teen is part of the job description.

2. Don't make assumptions. Just because half the audience is dressed like strippers and hookers, it doesn't mean they are. And those guys with their pants so low it's a wonder they're staying up? They aren't necessarily hoodlums. Relax, these are just the fashions.

3. Don't be too relaxed. If your teen daughter goes to the bathroom by herself, she just might be offered drugs. Be thankful you've taught her to say no!

4. Those audience members grinding on each other? Yes, it's okay to be disgusted. It's okay to wonder why these girls seem to have thrown away all the progress of the women's lib movement. Even if your teen pretends to think you are a complete nerd, your opinions actually matter to her, so go ahead and let her know that young women are so much more than objects for guys to rub up against.

5. You know how when you go to a concert and the band actually sings and plays all the instruments? Don't expect that here. This is all about the dj. The artists will be singing/rapping along to their recordings. It's kind of like karaoke. But not. Have faith that your teen will someday see a real concert with real musicians. For now, let her squeal and dance and sing along the way crazed teen fans have been doing for decades. This is not the time to criticize.

6. Don't you squeal, sing, or dance! Please, you're a mom. Have some decency. Oh, and also? Don't drink alcohol. You're a role model, remember? You're the designated driver, too.

7. Last but not least, enjoy yourself. Take pictures of your daughter and her friend. Buy them a hotdog and a pretzel. And hug them at the end of the night, when their ears are ringing and their adrenaline is pumping, and they still remember to say thank you.

Out of My Mind

2010-06-12T11:58:00.000-05:00

It's easy to think the world understands what you're thinking and experiencing. When I say "Chicago suburbs," I have a clear picture of exactly what that means. And if you live in a Chicago suburb, you do, too. (Though your suburb and mine might be somewhat different.) But if you're writing a book, you have to remember that most people do not live where you do. You have to provide details, even if the setting is something you might take for granted. And more importantly, the details you choose to include must be details your character would notice.

You need to get out of your mind and into your character's. Then, take a look around.

This week, I've been lucky enough to have a house guest who has never been to Chicago or the Chicago suburbs before. So I've been doing all kinds of Chicago things with her, and I've loved noticing the things she notices.

Like that some of our streets are paved like big sidewalks. And that Lake Michigan is way bigger than most lakes. It looks more like an ocean. And that deep dish pizza has the tomato sauce on top of the cheese, not below it. Even revolving doors are new experiences for our guest. If you've never been through a revolving door before, you might not know how fast to move your feet or how hard to push the door. A busy revolving door is almost like jumping in to Double Dutch jump rope!

Here are my kids plus our guest, sitting on the ledge of the Willis Tower (Sears Tower),

103 floors above the city!

And for those of you who know I have a fear of heights (or rather of falling from said heights), here I am, being brave!

And speaking of settings, my kids will all soon be heading to their favorite place on earth... sleepaway camp! If you've got kids heading to camp, check out my guest blog entry over at Sheila Glazov's blog. Sheila is the author of What Color is Your Brain? After looking at her descriptions of brain colors and types, I have hereby determined my brain is a rainbow. What's yours?

How To Make a Book Trailer

2010-06-02T19:43:00.001-05:00

If you have a new book coming out, chances are you've considered making a book trailer to help promote it. Since so many people rely on getting information from the internet, and especially from video, a book trailer seems like a smart thing to add to your arsenal of bookmarks, postcards, booksignings, and other promotional items.

The cool thing is that book trailers are relatively new. You can be as creative as you want. Think outside the box and do exactly what you want to do. There are not many hard and fast rules. That said, I would warn you that there is one rule you should keep in mind: Do No Damage. What that means is your book trailer should not turn people off and cause them to avoid your book at all costs. Of course, you can't please all the people all the time. But you can certainly try your best to not be annoying.

There are many ways to tackle book trailers. My friend Simone Elkeles hired actors and a director to create a full out Hollywood style book trailer for her new book, Rules of Attraction. Check it out:

Pretty snazzy, huh?

Then again, not everyone has the money to spend on this kind of trailer. And truthfully, you don't have to spend any money at all. If you own a computer, you can make a trailer. I created my new trailer for Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire with my MacBook, my Sony camcorder, and a bunch of willing girls who love my book.

Here are the steps I took:

1. Came up with an idea. The idea was actually given to me by a fellow writer. It was, "Why don't you interview girls about their experience reading your book?" I liked that idea because my prior book trailers for this book were made before the book came out, and although they were fun and they captured the tone of the book, they didn't really tell you what the book was about.

2. Found willing participants. I emailed some friends and posted on Facebook letting people know I was looking for 8-12 year-olds who loved Jemma Hartman and who would want to be in a book trailer. I got a terrific response.

3. Scheduled the shoot. I had the kids meet me at a neighborhood park on a Sunday morning. I ended up shooting on consecutive Sundays due to the girls' availability and weather questionability.

4. Had the parents sign releases. I found a generic media release online and tailored it to what I needed it to say. Then I emailed it to all the parents and told them they had to bring it all filled out and signed to the shoot.

5. Shot the footage. I had the girls answer three questions: What is the book about? What was your favorite part? And who should read it? I also supplied snacks and drinks, autographed books, answered questions, and gave the girls cool rubber bracelets as a thank you. I wish I had been more careful about that pesky record/pause button. I lost one girl's entire interview due to this ridiculous mistake. Also, I wish I had shot more footage. If I had interviewed each girl multiple times in multiple locations, I might have come up with even better footage.

6. Edited the footage. I used iMovie, which is incredibly easy. True, I have experience with film and video production, but I swear, even a total rookie can use that software. The important thing I considered was brevity and getting a coherent message across with the right tone. Even though I had told the girls there was no guarantee they would make the cut, I felt strongly compelled to include each girl in the final video. After all, these girls are my fans! I love them!

7. Added music. I wanted my son to compose some original guitar music for the trailer, but he's an 8th grader and currently suffering from 8th Grade-itis, so he's not so interested in this kind of project. Instead, I used music from iLife. This is music that is copyright-free. Very important not to infringe on copyrights!

8. Got feedback. Before showing the trailer to the world, I asked a select group of people to look at it and give me feedback. This was incredibly helpful and led to me making some important changes.

9. Put it on the web. I uploaded it to YouTube and Facebook and told my publisher about it. Because they liked it and I had all the proper releases, Macmillan will put it on their site. Soon it will be on my website and on Amazon and any other place I can think of that features book trailers.

The entire process took less than 12 hours (approximately 2 hours of planning, 2 to shoot, 6 to edit, 2 to upload it everywhere) and cost me next to nothing. And here's the result:

Aren't those girls fantastic? I love them! And I'm sure hoping that the word will get out about Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire.

Look Who I Met!

2010-05-27T17:24:00.000-05:00

It's another Jemma Hartman lookalike! I met this cutie-pie when I put out a call for girls who loved the book and wanted to be in my new book trailer. Can you believe how much she looks like Jemma?

I had so much fun spending time at a local park interviewing girls about their experience reading Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire. Does it get any better than being surrounded by girls who love your book? I don't think so!

How To Revise a Novel: Steps #4 and #5

2010-05-17T15:50:00.000-05:00

I totally forgot to finish explaining my revision process! I guess my only excuse is that I was busy revising. In any case, let's take a moment to review:
Step #1 is Look at your work objectively.
Step #2 is See the big picture.
Step #3 is Write until it's true.

If you've done all that, it's time for Step #4: MAKE THE WRITING SHINE.
This is the step most people think of when they hear the word, "revise." This is red-pen-correction stuff. This is The Elements of Style and Essentials of English (books I consult quite often while revising). At this point, your ideas are solid. It's time to make sure you've expressed those ideas in the best possible way.

Here are a few things to consider:

1. Are your sentences in the best order? Are they clear?

2. Have you chosen the best words?

Look out for word echoes (using the same word too often, too close together)
Replace adverbs with more specific verbs.
Try to stay active with your language.
Be true to your characters' voices.
Don't use two words if one will do.

3. Have you been consistent with the point of view and the tense?

4. Have you searched for punctuation and grammatical errors?

5. Have you gotten rid of typos? (Try reading your manuscript backwards to catch these.)

If you've done all this, you are ready for the last step in the revision process.
Are you ready?
It's a doozy!

Step #5: REPEAT.

Yep, you read that right. Repeat. Go back to Step #1 and begin the process again. Each revision pass will bring you closer and closer to the amazing manuscript you have in your head. And when you really and truly don't know how to make it any better? That's when it's time to submit it to an agent or editor.

Good luck!

A Request for Revision is NOT a Rejection (and other important tips)

2010-05-13T19:51:00.000-05:00

Today I talked to a friend of mine whose husband wrote a young adult novel. My friend said her husband was so frustrated and disappointed because it seemed impossible to land an agent. She wanted to know if he should just try to submit directly to publishers. After I spoke with her for a while, I discovered her husband had made some typical newbie mistakes. So here, for anyone thinking about trying to find an agent, are some tips:

1. Do not submit to 50 agents all at once. Why? Because chances are, you still have work to do on your manuscript. Even if you think it's perfect, I promise you, it's not. It is great to have a list of 50 potential agents. But you should only submit to 5 or 6 at a time. See what the response is. If you get all form rejections, you might want to take a long hard look at your manuscript and your query letter. You might want to take them to a critique group or a book doctor or a published author. If, however, you get some personal rejections, see what the common themes are. Then revise your manuscript to make it stronger. The big problem with sending to 50 agents at the same time is that you have nobody left to submit to when you improve your manuscript. Your impatience has cost you dearly.

2. If a reputable agent gives you specific feedback and asks to see the manuscript after you've revised it, do a happy dance, and Get To Work! This is not the agent's way of letting you down gently. Believe me, the agent would just send you a rejection letter! This is your Big Opportunity. Even if you don't agree at first with the agent's comments, try to see what he or she is saying. Be open to revision. Seriously, if you don't want to revise, you really shouldn't be an author.

3. Don't tell anyone (agents or editors especially) that kids are loving your manuscript. Although it may be true, there is no way for anyone to know if the kids really just like you and the fact that you wrote the story. It doesn't sway agents or editors at all, but it does make them think you are an amateur.

4. Don't submit directly to publishers. Even though I sold my first two novels without an agent, I don't advise this today. The market has changed. Publishing has changed. An agent is pretty necessary in today's climate.

5. Be persistent, patient, and positive. Chances are you have a lot of revision, rejection, and more revision ahead of you. Every author does. But stay true to your dream. Stay true to your craft. Don't give up. Make your manuscript so unbelievably great that it will not only catch an agent's attention, but it will also go to auction, win awards, and become a best seller.

6. Lastly, remember why you are writing in the first place. I hope it's not to make millions of dollars and retire to some island in the Caribbean. Because I gotta tell you, that's highly unlikely. But if you are writing because you have to write, because you have a story to tell, a story that matters... then keep going. When I was writing my first novel, I taped this mission statement up next to my computer and I consulted it often: I am writing stories that will touch children's hearts and souls and make them see the world and themselves in a new light. That gentle reminder helped to keep me on track. What's your mission statement?

My Mother's Day Wish

2010-05-08T12:20:00.000-05:00

My birthday comes just two weeks before Mother's Day, so it makes it kind of tough for my husband and kids to come up with thoughtful ways to make these days special for me. In past years, I've told them I want the day off on Mother's Day. I don't want to walk the dog or clean anything or do any laundry or shop for any groceries or cook anything. I pretty much just want to read and write and relax and feel appreciated. And my wonderful kids and husband usually come through.

But there's a problem.

It's true that I get the day off, and it's true that they take care of the little things, like cleaning up after breakfast and walking the dog. But the other tasks? The laundry and grocery shopping and meal planning and stuff? I don't do it, and neither do they. So the day after Mother's Day becomes a great big catch-up day for me.

Who wants that?

So this year, I've told my sweet husband what I want for Mother's Day. It's not a new dress or a dozen roses or a sparkly necklace. (Though you wouldn't see me complain about any of those things.) What I really and truly wish is for my family to plan what we'll be eating for dinner every night this week. Then they'll all go to the grocery story and buy everything we'll need for all the meals, including side dishes. They'll make sure we have food for breakfast and lunch, too. Then they'll put all the groceries away and even fold the grocery bags and store them properly.

That would seriously be the best Mother's Day present ever. What about you? What do you wish for Mother's Day?

Brain Burps About Books

2010-05-06T15:12:00.000-05:00

With a title like that, you know it's gotta be good! Brain Burps About Books is an interactive, live Internet talk-radio show that focuses on anything that concerns great books for kids.

Hosted by author/illustrator Katie Davis, the show explores a range of subjects, from how teachers can extend books in their classrooms, to the inside scoop for aspiring children's writers who'd like to know how others got their start. Guests range from Newbery medalists to booksellers, agents, bloggers, and editors. (And on Monday... me!)

On Monday, May 10th at 4pm Eastern, Brain Burps about Books will examine the question, “How do you help a child who has to deal with death?” Katie (who happens to be hilarious and brilliant!) invited me to talk about my middle grade novel, Julia's Kitchen, about a girl whose mom and sister died in a fire.

I'll be joining New York Times Bestseller (The Kissing Hand) Audrey Penn discussing her new book, Chester Raccoon and the Acorn Full of Memories, about a child whose classmate has died due to an accident.

Child psychologist Dr. Paul Donahue, author of Parenting Without Fear will talk about the benefits of using books to help kids deal with difficult issues such as loss, grief, and mourning. The show will wrap up with Bird Bytes from School Library Journal blogger and New York Public Librarian, Betsy Bird.

I'm really looking forward to this interview because I have strong icky feelings about "bibliotherapy," and I get very uncomfortable thinking that kids who have experienced grief might be "prescribed" my book. However, I'm a huge proponent of using books as "vaccinations." In other words, the time to read about death is long before you have to face it in real life. But that's just my opinion. I can't wait to hear what everyone else thinks.

Please call (347) 857-4428 on Monday, May 10th between 4-5pm Eastern (That's 3-4pm in Chicago, people!) to add your comments or questions to the show. The stream and archives are available at http://www.BrainBurpsAboutBooks.com.

Have You Read a Book for Kids or Teens Lately?

2010-04-28T20:03:00.001-05:00

This post is not aimed at my writer friends, because they already know how utterly amazing literature for kids and teens can be. No, this post is for the woman at the beauty shop yesterday. You know who you are. You were getting your highlights done right next to me, and you asked me what I was reading, and I said, "Will Grayson, Will Grayson," and you squinted your eyes and tilted your head in a way that prompted me to say, "It's a book for teens." And then you laughed.
Yes, you laughed dismissively, as if I must be missing a brain cell or two to be spending my hour in the colorist's chair reading a book for teens. I noticed you spent your hour reading Glamour, but I'll try not to hold that against you.

This post is also for the woman I met today at the library. You were checking out a few novels, and I recognized the one on the top of the pile as Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You, and, thinking I had found a kindred spirit, I said, "That is a fantastic book." And you said, "Really? My friend recommended it to me, but it was in the teen section. Isn't that weird?" And I said, "Well, it's written for teens." And you scrunched up your nose as if you smelled something putrid and said, "But it was in the teen section."

Hello, people out there in the world. Have you read a book written for kids or teens lately? Because if you haven't, you are missing out on some of the best literature being written today. And I'm quite certain that you all were kids and teens at one point in your life, so I bet you can find something to relate to. It's not all about wizards and vampires, you know (not that there's anything wrong with wizards and vampires). There are amazing books coming out every year. Take a stroll into the kids and teens section of your library or bookstore, and see for yourself. I promise I won't laugh at you.

On the Radio!

2010-04-18T20:24:00.000-05:00

I'm doing a live internet radio interview on Tuesday, April 20th. I'll be on from 1-2 CST at www.toginet.com for the Believe in Your Fairytale and Your Zing Will Come True Show, hosted by Dhana Cohen and Debbie Glickman. I'll be talking about my books and how I made my dream of becoming a published children's book author come true. I will also be giving away free autographed copies of Julia's Kitchen and Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire! Call 877-864-4869 between 1-2 CST on Tuesday for your chance to win.

Book Trailers 101

2010-04-14T17:22:00.000-05:00

Are you a published or soon-to-be-published author interested in learning about book trailers and online promotion? If so, please join me at this upcoming event:

April 17, Food for Thought: Book Trailers and online promotion. Several SCBWI-IL authors and illustrators will share their experiences creating book trailers and other on-line promotional tools for the picture book, middle grade, and YA markets. Both content and the how to’s of book trailers and online promotions will be covered. We will also consider what kinds of response actual trailers have received.

Our panel includes:

Host, librarian, and blogger Amy Alessio.

Picture book illustrator Larry Day whose Nanook and Pryce has a website and book trailer--

YA writer Laura Ruby. Check out her trailer for Play Me

And me. I'll be talking about how and why I made these two trailers for Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire.

This Food for Thought is intended for published and soon-to-be-published writers and illustrators who are members of SCBWI.

Here are the details:
Schaumberg Township District Library, Youth Services Classroom, 130 S. Roselle Rd., Schaumburg, IL 60193
9:30 am to noon
$10—please pay at the door
If your last name begins with A-L, please bring a breakfast treat to share (about 6 servings). Juice, coffee, and tea will be provided.
RSVP to Sallie Wolf, salwolf@comcast.net

Critique: Fantasy vs. Reality

2010-04-09T12:00:00.001-05:00

On Monday, my critique group discussed my work-in-progress. I had given them the manuscript a month earlier, and I'd been fantasizing about how the critique would go...

Fantasy Critique:
Smart Writer: This is amazing! Have you shown it to your agent yet??
Writer Whose Prose Reads Like Poetry: Best thing you've ever written. I can't believe this is only your first draft.
Me: (Blushing) Well, actually, it's a second draft.
Overly Critical Writer: I think you could have used a semicolon instead of a comma on page 83.
Hilarious Writer: I was cracking up at parts.
Best Selling Writer: I cried at parts, too. You really captured what it feels like to be a thirteen-year-old girl.
Brilliant Writer: And that climax... I was dying!
Me: Really? Wow, thanks!

In reality, critique group didn't sound much like that at all. (Although one member, who is now my favorite person on the planet, did say the manuscript reminded her of something Judy Blume or Paula Danziger would have written.)

It would be nice to be one of those authors who writes brilliant fiction without much effort (is there such a being??), but since no fairy has granted me that magical power yet, I'm grateful for every bit of constructive criticism my critique group hands to me. Yes, it can be overwhelming. But I gotta tell you, I'd much rather hear my secondary characters need development from a critique group than from an editor in the form of a rejection letter. Or worse yet, from a reviewer after there is nothing more I can do about it.

In order to process all the comments I received (there are seven of us in critique), I went through page by page and copied everything into my one document. This is what a typical page of compiled comments looks like:

Note the smileys and stars! Note the, "Love this," and, "Such great timing!" Note also, all the questions. Clearly I have a lot of thinking and writing to do.

But this is my favorite part of writing. I'm taking something whole and making it better. I can do that. After all, I have some amazing writer friends with very high standards guiding me. And that's no fantasy.

Five Random Things on a Sunday

2010-04-04T21:13:00.000-05:00

1. I'm reading Anne of Green Gables. Somehow I missed this book as a child. And when it wound up as #9 in Betsy Bird's Top One Hundred Children's Book Poll, I decided I had better give it a go. So far I am loving it. But I can't help laughing every time the author says "ejaculated" instead of "exclaimed."

2. Last night I picked up Alan and Sammy from the airport after they enjoyed three jam-packed days in New York City. Alan and I have taken each of our kids on one-on-one vacations over the years. When you have three kids in a nineteen month span, you have to do what you can to give them individual attention, and these trips are always so special. They went to The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Times Square, and Central Park, and they saw The Colbert Report, West Side Story, and Avenue Q! I am happy for them, but I am also quite a bit jealous!

3. What did I do over my spring break? Well, I didn't go to NYC. I took care of my other son, Jacob, after he got all four wisdom teeth removed. I have to say, Jake was a great patient, and he's back to eating almost normally. The best thing about staying home doing a bunch of nothing was watching The Food Network with Jake. Who knew there were that many awesome cooking shows?

4. Today was so beautiful (74 degrees and sunny) that I spent some time swinging in a hammock in my backyard, just being grateful.

5. Tomorrow at critique group, we are discussing my new novel in its entirety. I asked for a brutally harsh critique. I told these writer friends of mine I could take it. That seemed smart and brave a month ago. But now I'm getting nervous. I hope they aren't that brutal. I hope they aren't that harsh!

How To Revise a Novel: Step #3

2010-04-02T14:17:00.002-05:00

Back to thinking about revising...
Step #1 was LOOK AT YOUR WORK OBJECTIVELY.
Step #2 was SEE THE BIG PICTURE.
And now for Step #3:
WRITE UNTIL IT'S TRUE.

The other day, I was doing my Revising with Power and Purpose presentation for some seventh graders, and when I spoke about needing to write until it's true, a student asked if you have to worry about that when you're writing fiction. It was the perfect question because I was able to explain exactly what I mean by "writing until it's true." The story needs to feel 100% true, even when you've made the whole thing up. Especially when you've made the whole thing up. It needs to be 100% believable, logical, and emotionally authentic. Otherwise, your readers will be bumped out of the story.

Imagine you are reading Harry Potter, and you get to the scene when Hagrid first takes Harry away from the Dursleys to bring him to Hogwarts. If Harry had a tearful goodbye with Dudley, told him he would miss him, and promised to write, you would be completely bumped out of the story. You wouldn't believe a word of it. You're not bumped out by the magic, or the idea of Hogwarts; you're bumped out by Harry acting in a non-authentic way for his character in his particular story.

I put all my work through the "Telling-your-best-friend-the-story-over-coffee" trick. You imagine that you are telling your best friend this very true story. Then you imagine the questions your friend would ask you along the way. With Julia's Kitchen, one of the questions my editor asked me was, "Wouldn't a school social worker get involved?" The answer to that question was, "Yes, but I didn't want to write about that." Guess what? I had to write about that in order to make the story believable. Another question was, "Wouldn't Marlee get annoyed with all of Cara's grieving after a while?" A perfectly good question. After all, these girls are only 11 years old. I knew the answer was yes, but again, I didn't want to write that. I wanted Marlee to be the perfect best friend. Cara had enough bad stuff to deal with. Right? Wrong! To make the story believable and true, I had to write a scene with Marlee getting fed up. Marlee had to act like a real 11-year-old.

Confession: I cried my eyes out when I wrote that scene. And plenty of readers have told me they cried when reading it. I can't imagine the book without the fight between Cara and Marlee. The truth is hard to write, but it's worth it.

So don't cut corners here. Make sure your novel is factually accurate, emotionally truthful, and filled with authentic characters. You want your readers to be carried away by the story. You never want them realizing there's an author behind it all, making this stuff up. Keep the "Wizard" behind the curtain. Don't let your readers peek.

Another Reason I Love What I Do

2010-03-25T20:16:00.000-05:00

After a school visit today, I received the following thank you from the teacher in charge:

"Thank you so much for your informative, inspiring, and motivating talk--I don't recall a recent concert or assembly where at least one of the kids didn't need to go to the bathroom in the course of an hour :) That's a great middle school compliment!"

On a day when one of my sons got his picture in the paper for his starring role in the school play, my other son was elected captain of his volleyball team, and my daughter found out she made the varsity softball team, I was proud to say I kept 70 seventh graders from wanting to use the bathroom for an entire hour!

It was a banner day for the Ferber family!

Best Musicals

2010-03-23T08:25:00.000-05:00

Last weekend my husband and I took our three kids to see Billy Elliot, which is billed as "The Best Musical Ever." I loved Billy Elliot the movie, so I was really looking forward to the play. Before the show started, the director came on stage to tell the audience that the boy who was playing Billy that night was making his professional debut. So exciting! This kid, J.P. Viernes, only 13 years old, had more talent in his big toe than I have in my entire body. He commanded the stage like a seasoned pro. He sang. He acted. And he danced. Boy did he dance! After one number, the audience applauded for so long the play actually came to a stop. We almost gave him a standing ovation in the middle of the show.

But was it the Best Musical Ever? I don't think so. Though I laughed and cried and LOVED the dancing, I can't remember one song from it, not even one tune. And the story, though powerful, was told better in the movie version.

Which got me thinking about my favorite musicals of all time.
These are shows I would see again if given the opportunity. Shows I love to listen to on my iPod. Shows that made me laugh, cry, and walk out of the theater singing and smiling.
1. Les Miserables
2. Rent
3. Mary Poppins
4. Wicked
5. Avenue Q
6. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

I wish I had a top ten list, but really, top six is all I can come up with. Perhaps that's a good thing. It means there are more shows for me to see and fall in love with in the future.

There is one more play I'd put on this list if I could, but it's not a musical. It's August, Osage County. Best non-musical play I've ever seen. Brilliant. See it if you have the chance.

So, what are your favorite musicals?

How To Revise a Novel: Step #2

2010-03-22T15:58:00.000-05:00

I've been so busy doing Step #1 in my revision process (which is to do nothing), that I haven't had a chance to blog about Step #2. Here, finally, it is...

Step #2: SEE THE BIG PICTURE.

Are you a writer who finds it's easier to make your writing shine than it is to deeply examine your story? Do you craft the perfect scene, compose beautiful sentences, search for exquisite words? Is that what you think of as "revising?" If so, I've got a different approach for you to consider.

All that polishing has its place in the revision process, but it comes much later. Right now, any time spent focused on your writing is wasted time. Instead, you should focus on your story.

In other words, rather than asking yourself, "Have I told my story in the best way possible?" you should ask, "Have I told the best possible story?"

Don't be afraid of the answer. It might not be pretty. You might realize there are giant holes in the logic, or that the stakes aren't high enough, or a million other things. But you've got to face reality and make your story shine before you can make the writing shine. You've got to look at the big picture.

Here are five important things you should have in your story:

1. A character with a problem. Not just an interesting character. Not just a situation. But a believable, sympathetic character with an interesting and difficult problem.
2. A beginning, middle, climax, and end. Make sure your beginning quickly sets up the main character and his or her problem. The middle should show the m.c. working to solve the problem but only making things worse. The climax should be a moment where it seems the m.c. simply can't succeed. And in the end, the m.c. should either solve the problem or not, depending on what kind of story you're writing. Either way, though, the main character has grown and changed because of the story.
3. Big stakes for your main character. What happens if the m.c. doesn't succeed? Why should the reader care if it's not the biggest deal in the world? Make the reader care!
4. A well-developed setting. Ground your story in a time and place. Readers want to know where they are.
5. An inner and outer conflict. In the best stories, the main character solves the inner conflict in order to solve the outer conflict. Think about the outer conflict as the story, the plot, the excitement. Think about the inner conflict as the depth, the growth, the meaning. You need both.

This is a lot to consider (and it's really just the beginning). You've written a big novel. So how do you go about "seeing" it all?

Here are some things that work for me:
I like to make Post-it maps of my novel. Each Post-it summarizes one scene in the story. The smaller Post-its are changes I need to make.

I always make a calendar and summarize what happens on which day. This helps with logic problems and timing questions.

I list all my chapters and describe the action in each one. This is a good way to see the action of the story in one or two pages. It also helps me see when I have left a story-line or character for too long.

Inner conflict and growth is important in my stories. So I like to outline that change as well. For example, in Julia's Kitchen, Cara goes from believing God is a sort of Superhero to seeing him more as a compassionate friend. But that belief can't change in an instant. There are small steps along the way, heading in that direction. I had to be very conscious of her belief and craft every scene appropriately. By outlining these changes, I was able to keep track of what she was believing and when.

All these things help me look at and think about the big picture. Fixing it all is pretty major surgery. But it's vital.

Coming soon is Step #3!

This blog has moved

2010-03-18T18:09:00.001-05:00

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Thank You, Sherwood School!

2010-03-17T09:25:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I visited Sherwood School, in Highland Park, Illinois. It was such a lovely afternoon, and I was bummed that my camera was out of battery power. Hopefully the wonderful media specialist there, Helen Weiss, will send me some pictures soon. But here are a few highlights:

1. What a location! Sherwood is just five minutes from my house, so there was no way for me to get lost. That's always a plus.

2. When I checked in at the school office, there was a sign there welcoming me, and the receptionist greeted me warmly. You may think that's no big deal, but I've been to schools where the words "visiting author" are met with confused stares.

3. There was another cute sign made for me in the library. And the projector and sound system worked perfectly right off the bat. Hallelujah!

4. I spoke in a cozy library to about 60 kids at a time. The kids AND teachers paid attention, and some of the teachers even took notes.

5. One student, Sydney, won a raffle prize of a backstage pass to my visit. Sydney got to wear a special VIP pass, she introduced me to the students, and she had a front row seat. She also won two autographed books. This was all coordinated by the media specialist. What a great idea!

6. The students were prepared. They had visited my website beforehand and were familiar with me and my books. What a difference this makes!

7. The students were engaged. They laughed, and oohed and ahhed, and applauded at all the right moments. You could hear a pin drop when I told them the true story that inspired Julia's Kitchen. They asked good questions, and they answered all my questions with enthusiasm.

8. The students were funny. When I asked how many kids thought they might grow up to be writers, one boy said he would if his basketball career didn't pan out. There were lots more funny comments and questions. I swear, I love fourth and fifth graders so much!

9. The students were inspired. It was cool to speak to kids from my hometown. I think they've got to be thinking, "Wow, if someone from Highland Park can make her dreams come true, maybe I can, too." I loved seeing all their eager and excited faces. I also loved seeing children of some friends of mine!

10. I loved watching the kids choose which giveaway to take at the end of my presentation. Most popular item was the Camper Extraordinaire bracelet. I must admit, it's pretty cool.

And I can't ignore the fact that at the end of this wonderful afternoon, the media specialist handed me a check. Some people think if you write a book, you've hit the big time... you're rich. It's unfortunately not true. I don't know many authors who can make a living off of royalties alone. We make our living by writing lots of books, doing school visits, teaching, etc. So yes, we get paid for our presentations. But the biggest pay off of all is knowing that I've written books that are touching kids' hearts and minds. You can't put a price on that.

How To Revise a Novel: Step #1

2010-03-10T08:57:00.000-06:00

(This is the first in a five part series on Revising a Novel. These steps are helpful for after you've finished a complete draft.)

The first step in my revision process is the easiest and the hardest. It's:
LOOK AT YOUR WORK OBJECTIVELY.
After spending a year thinking and writing about these characters and their stories, it's practically impossible to know if what I've written is any good because I'm way too close to it. So I do three things:

1. Give myself plenty of time away from the project.
Easy because, hello, I'm not doing any work! Hard for two reasons. First, it's quite a challenge to stop thinking about these characters. It's like when you break up with someone and try not to think about him. It just doesn't work. Also, I feel sort of ungrounded and purposeless. I might do something crazy like volunteer to bake cookies for a bake sale or paint sets for the school play or do other time-sucking things I've trained myself to say no to recently. I must remember to do the things I want to do during this monthlong hiatus. I have a stack of books I've been waiting to read. I can work out every day to get in shape for our trip to Greece this summer. My daughter is on spring break now, and my sons will be on spring break at the end of the month, so I can spend quality time with them doing whatever they want.

2. Read the work aloud.
I have to wait until my monthlong break is over, but then, when I come back to the book, I'll read the whole thing aloud. Easy because it's just reading. Hard because I'll hear all the parts that suck, and I'll think I'm a hack (for a moment anyway). In my critique group, we submit ten pages at a time, and someone else reads our work aloud. That's even better because when they stumble over a sentence I wrote, I know I've got work to do. And when I happen to get someone who is an excellent reader, and she laughs and sighs at all the right times, and my words simply sing, I think I might be a genius (for a moment anyway).

3. Ask a friend (or two) for help.
Easy if you ask the right friends. Hard if you don't. There are two different kinds of "right friends" for this task. My critique group will give me the most helpful responses. A month from now, I will no doubt walk out of critique feeling like I have a ton of work to do, but I'll know that I can do it. The other people I let read my book at this stage of completion are people who love me and love my writing and will love whatever I give them to read. I'm talking about my sister, my daughter, and my niece. This doesn't mean they won't be able to point out an area or two I can improve. But in general, I know they are my go-to girls for stroking my ego. After all, I worked on this thing for over a year. I need someone to tell me right now that it was not a waste of time. Even better is a comment like the one I got from my sister. "It's the best thing you've ever written, Bren!" Or the text I got from my daughter in all caps with a bunch of exclamation marks letting me know she finished it and can't wait to talk to me about it. Or the look of complete surprise and excitement in my niece's eyes when I handed her the manuscript and offered it to her to read. I've learned the hard way not to give my manuscripts to my mother, husband, or sons. At least not at this stage of the game. I love them, but I don't need to hear, "I'm not really your audience." Or, "It's good." Or worst of all, "I liked it. No really, I did."

So this is where I'm at with IVY IN LIKE. Step #2: See the Big Picture, is coming next. Stay tuned!

Make Something Happen.

2010-03-01T08:47:00.000-06:00

Don't you love when you turn great ideas into actual things? I do. An idea is just an abstract, cloud-like substance, and it takes a bit of determination to turn that idea into something solid. Lately I've had three wonderful experiences of seeing that happen.

1. My new novel. Ivy in Like had been an idea floating and simmering and taking lots of different shapes for years. But now it's a finished draft. Whew! What an accomplishment! What a feeling! True, this novel will continue to change shape for the next couple of years until it's an actual book on an actual bookshelf, but it's more solid now than it's ever been.

2. This past weekend's writing retreat. Last year during one of our critique group meetings, we talked about how fun it would be to rent a house for a weekend and just write. It would be easy, we said. We should totally do it, we said. And then we actually did it! We found a great place in Michigan, invited some friends, and spent the weekend writing, talking, eating, drinking, and laughing. And how's this for karma? The room I stayed in was called Ivy, the name of my main character!

3. My Neighborhood Book Club. One day in January, as I was walking my dog and waving to a neighbor who drove past, I had a moment of inspiration. It went something like this: I wish I felt a sense of community here. Wait! Why can't I have that? I had just finished reading the book The Help by Kathryn Stockett (such a fantastic book!!) and I was thinking it would be nice to read more books for grownups (not that I'll ever stop reading fabulous books for kids!). A Bookclub, I thought! A Neighborhood Bookclub! I came home and sent an e-mail proposing my idea to a few of my friends who lived walking distance from me. They loved the idea and invited some of their friends. Tonight is our first meeting. We read Mudbound by Hillary Jordan. Another fantastic book! I am really looking forward to getting to know my neighbors on a deeper level. After a year of feeling completely disconnected from my community for a bunch of ridiculous reasons, I'm searching out and creating the change I desire.

A new book, a writing retreat, and a neighborhood book club. All were just ideas. They could have stayed that way. But with a little bit of effort (okay, a ton of effort when it came to writing a new book) and help from friends, I turned those ideas into solid things.

Do you have an idea floating around in your brain? Take the first step today. Make it happen!

What do Jemma Hartman and Beyonce Knowles Have in Common?

2010-02-19T07:30:00.000-06:00

Meet Moriah!

Moriah is the latest winner in the Jemma Hartman Lookalike Contest!

Don't you love how she's wearing a life vest and a Jemma barrette? All she needs is a sailboat (which I can't provide). But I will provide her with an autographed copy of my book and some Jemma swag. If you know someone who looks like Jemma, tell them to send me a photo if they want one, too!

And now, for big smiles all around, here are the prior winners of the Jemma Lookalike Contest:

Jory:

Clara:

And Eva:

Just for kicks, I went on MyHeritage.com to see who Jemma's celebrity lookalike would be. Who knew Jemma had the same beautiful eyes and smile as Beyonce?? Check it out:

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity

Secondary Characters Primary Importance

2010-02-10T13:40:00.000-06:00

My goal in everything is to get better every day. As a mom, wife, friend, and author. That means I have to be open to feedback and criticism. Even though I know I'm far from perfect, it's never easy to hear I've been too this or not enough that when it comes to me as a person. But for some reason, it's much easier to swallow criticism when it's about me as an author. (Random image: Kirkus Reviews giving me a glowing review as a mom but mentioning that my meal planning and cooking falls a little flat.)

One of the things I've learned from working with editors and reading reviews of my books is that I tend to underdevelop my secondary characters. I have to admit this is true. My process is all about inhabiting a main character and telling her story. Secondary characters are created to support the story, to create obstacles and room for growth. But that's not the way real life is. In real life, everyone is their own main character. And in the best books, secondary characters have depth and add richness to the story.

So today, I'm sitting down with all my secondary characters from my work-in-progress (which, by the way, has a new title: Ivy in Like), and I'm making sure they have their say. I'm getting to know them as their own main characters. They deserve that respect, don't you think?

The 100 Best Chapter Books!

2010-02-08T17:04:00.000-06:00

And so the countdown begins. Remember when I told you to vote for your top ten chapter books of all time? Well, some bloggers might simply tally up the votes and post the winners. But not Betsy Bird. She goes the distance. She gives the history of each book, talks about the author, the book jacket(s), links to reviews, and even shares tidbits from the people who voted. Today she reveals Books 100-91. I've read and loved 7 of these 10, but so far, none are my top ten favorites of all time. It will be fun to see what comes next. And fun to add books to my must read pile. These are seriously juicy posts. Enjoy!

Great New Blog About Publishing

2010-02-06T09:02:00.000-06:00

Have you all seen this new blog from Macmillan? It's called Get to the Point, and it's my new favorite blog to read. Every day you can learn something interesting about publishing. My favorites so far are the What's on My Desk posts, the Overheard in the Flatiron and the Behind the Scenes. Check it out. You won't be disappointed.

Amazon vs. Macmillan: What Can You Do?

2010-02-03T10:36:00.000-06:00

Even though Amazon has said they eventually will capitulate and put the buy buttons back on all the Macmillan books, they have yet to actually do that. Not sure what they are waiting for, but in the meantime, there are two things we all can do to make an impact:

1. Buy a Macmillan book! You can order online from bn.com, or you can go to your local independent. Go to the Macmillan site to see which books are affected. (Macmillan has several imprints that publish children's and young adult literature including FSG, Feiwel & Friends, and Holt)

2. Contact Amazon to voice your complaint. To do this, go to Amazon and click on Help. A yellow Contact Us button will appear on the right side of your screen. You can now send them an e-mail. Say what you want, or copy this letter from fellow writer Cheryl Bardoe:

Dear Amazon,

I am a long-time, steady customer who is dismayed over your removal of the "Buy Now" buttons from the page of every Macmillan author. I do not support your position on this matter. Publishers own the products they produce, and as a result have the right to establish their own pricing.

Making it impossible for consumers to buy Macmillan books through Amazon undermines a key part of what makes Amazon appealing to customers--the ability to buy almost any book in print from a reliable distributor. Your actions are damaging not only to your own business, but also to readers and authors--without which Amazon would not be in business at all. Amazon's corporate bullying reveals that Amazon's real goal is to have a monopoly on the marketplace. Perhaps sitting inside your corporate offices, having a monopoly seems to be a good thing. But time and again, history and the social and political fabric of our society have shown that monopolies are not in the best interests of consumers, producers, or investors and do not represent what is best for our economy.

Please immediately reinstate the buttons to give consumers the opportunity to purchase Macmillan books. Also, respect that publishers (who even without the cost of paper, must pay their authors, artists, editors and staff to produce books) have the right to set price points for THEIR OWN PRODUCT. I'll be taking my business elsewhere until you do.

Thank you.

"So where can I buy your book?"

2010-01-30T11:49:00.000-06:00

As an author, I like to focus on creating books. I'd rather not worry too much about selling them. It's a complicated business, and there are people who know much more about it than I do. However, I am clear on one very important thing: My books need to be in bookstores in order for people to buy them. And a second, related thing: If my current books don't sell, it becomes riskier for a publisher to take a chance on anything I write in the future.

Having my books in bookstores seems rather basic. It seems like something I should be able to count on, considering I am published by a well respected New York publisher. But I've come to realize there are thousands of new books published every year by well respected New York publishers, and not all of them get picked up by Borders, Barnes & Noble, or the independents. Even with cute covers, glowing reviews, and fine literary awards, these giants might say no thank you to your book for a variety of reasons. (Rumor has it they wanted Jemma Hartman in paperback, but it was only available in hardcover.)

When people ask me, "Where can I buy your book?" I usually tell them to try their local independent but that they can always order it from Amazon. Because Amazon carries everything. Right? Well, apparently, not anymore.

Amazon and Macmillan are having a little tiff about how to price their Kindle books, and Amazon has just pulled every Macmillan book off its shelf. Including mine. Including tons of best sellers that people will be way more upset about than my two little books.

How this will play out, I have no idea. I understand the principles at stake here. But as an author who wants her books to sell, I have a vested interest in making sure my books are available for purchase. Somewhere! E-books are not going away. I hope someone figures out a solution soon.

The End!

2010-01-29T11:58:00.000-06:00

My fake writing retreat was a huge success! Not only did I enjoy the Arizona sun, get a massage and facial, hike in the desert, help deaf and disabled children ride horses, and spend lovely evenings with my husband and his colleagues, but... drum roll please... I also finished my novel!

Hallelujah!

Seriously, this is an amazing feeling! One that I've only felt twice before. I have started plenty of novels, but I've only gotten to the end of three. Something happens as you get to those last few pages. Instead of hoping you'll finish, you know you'll finish. Instead of creating your characters and writing their story, it feels more like you are reading their story. You laugh and cry at their growth and silliness. You love them.

I hope you don't think that this book will be available at bookstores next month. That only happens in movies. I will spend the next few months revising this baby until I don't know how to make it any better. Then I'll send it to my agent, and she'll help me see the things I couldn't see on my own. I'll make it better still. And then we'll send it off into the big publishing world and some fabulous editor will help me see things my agent and I both missed. The book will get even better.

As my husband teases every time I spend 45 minutes blowing dry and straightening my hair, "It's such a process!"

It certainly is. I guess I like it.

Fake Writing Retreat

2010-01-21T21:00:00.000-06:00

I am so close to finishing the first draft of this novel. And in a couple of days, I'm joining my husband on a business trip in Arizona. This is a yearly event at a beautiful resort, where in the past I've gotten fabulous spa treatments, visited art galleries, taken cooking lessons, read books by the pool, and even gone rock climbing. Although my husband has to work on this trip, I've always thought of it as a mini vacation. (I know... lucky me!)

But this year I've decided I don't need a vacation. What I need is a writing retreat. So that's what it will be. And it will be pretty swanky, too. I'll have delicious meals prepared for me, exercise classes whenever I need a break from writing, and evenings with my husband. We'll eat dinner with his colleagues and their significant others. I really love catching up with all of those people. There is a fireplace in our room, and Alan and I always fall asleep to that smoky cedar smell and the sound of the crackling fire. It really doesn't get better than that.

Wish me luck with finishing! I hope to report good news when I get back!

Award Season

2010-01-17T16:39:00.000-06:00

The award season is upon us, and I'm not talking about the Golden Globes (although I will be rooting for Inglourious Basterds and Modern Family to win big). Tomorrow morning some lucky authors will get "The Call." The ALA awards are the pot of gold at the end of that rainbow of writing for children. And although most children's book authors will tell you how lucky and proud they are to be riding the rainbow at all, I think, secretly, we all dream of someday reaching that pot of gold. At least I do. Nothing wrong with admitting that, I hope!

I fully understand that winning the Newbery, just like getting published, is out of my control. So I focus on what I can control... writing the very best manuscript I am capable of creating at this point in time. I can't aim to win the Newbery. But I can aim to write a Newbery-quality novel. I mean, why wouldn't I? I used to work in advertising at Leo Burnett. And Leo Burnett was famous for saying, "When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either."

I'm not rooting for any books in particular to win tomorrow. Chances are, the books that win will be books I haven't read yet. That seems to be the way it goes for me. But you can bet I will read them. And that's why these awards are so golden. It's not the medal, or the sticker, or the money authors make in sales and speaking engagements... it's the readers. The thousands and thousands and thousands of new readers! Gold, for sure.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

2010-01-13T10:53:00.000-06:00

I've written about 140 pages of my new novel, and I probably have about 25 pages left to write. Normally I hate writing first drafts. I've blogged plenty about how horrible it feels and how impossible a task it is. One of my friends, Jenny Meyerhoff, likens writing first drafts to conjuring clay out of thin air. When you revise, you're molding and shaping that clay. Fun stuff. But first drafts? Seriously... where do you think that clay comes from? There's no big bucket in the corner of the room. We have to make the clay! I'm convinced there is magic involved.

So here's the weird thing... I am loving writing this first draft. I've only had one or two bad days. Mostly, I am thrilled to be hanging out and getting to know these characters and their story. I wish I knew why. Why does this novel feels so good to write? What magic forces are at work? Why these characters? Why now?

I ask these questions because I haven't felt this way in ages. And I'd really like to duplicate this feeling again and again and again. But perhaps there isn't a simpler answer. It probably has something to do with my real life being less stressful, and my main character being so likable and relatable, and the central question of the novel being so interesting to me. (What does it take to make you step out of the shadow and own your own light?). And I'm pretty sure there is magic at work. How else can I explain that strange feeling of reading my work-in-progress and wondering how it got written.

Maybe my job isn't to understand the magic but rather to recognize when the magic is there. I spent a year and a half suffering through first drafts that were magic-less. My stubborn nature made it hard for me to put those unfinished novels away. We writers are supposed to struggle, right? Maybe. But I'm quite certain we are supposed to be having fun, too.

What's Your Favorite Book?

2010-01-10T12:04:00.000-06:00

Betsy Bird, at Fuse #8, is putting together a list of the top 100 chapter books of all time. These are books for kids basically in 3rd-8th grade. Not picture books. Not easy readers. Not young adult. The list will be based on our votes. Everyone is allowed to vote for their top ten of all time. To vote, all you have to do is email Betsy at fusenumber8@gmail.com with your list. Subject heading should be "Chapter Book Poll." Put your favorite as number one, and go in order from there. You can add a little reason why if you want, but you don't have to. Click here for more information. The voting deadline is January 31, 2010, so don't delay!

Here's my list:

1. Are You There God It's Me Margaret by Judy Blume: Groundbreaking in its candor about God, religion, and puberty. And think of all the authors Judy has inspired. She changed the children's lit landscape forever.
2. Holes by Louis Sachar: Critically acclaimed literary fiction + popular appeal = Success with a capital S!
3. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White: Enduring classic (as opposed to the other classics that teachers continue to make kids read but that kids really don't like)
4. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry: Best introduction to the Holocaust for this age group. Love the treatment of courage and the seamless weaving of Red Riding Hood into the story.
5. A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park: Proof that any topic can be made interesting in the hands of a master storyteller
6. Blubber by Judy Blume: Another Judy title, just to make sure she gets as many points as possible.
7. Love That Dog by Sharon Creech: Best free verse novel. Best dog story. Gotta love it!
8. Rules by Cynthia Lord: With so many kids with special needs today, I predict this story of friendship and accepting differences will stand the test of time.
9. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos: Voice voice voice.
10. The Giver by Lois Lowry: My favorite dystopian novel for this age group.

I realize I left off any fantasy novels (Sorry Harry Potter!) and any humorous novels as well. But ten is ten, so here you go. I would love to see your favorites. And I'm really looking forward to seeing the final results.

All Things Graceling

2010-01-07T08:38:00.000-06:00

Have you read Graceling, by Kristin Cashore? It is truly remarkable, and I highly recommend it. In fact, I wrote my latest Book Look column all about the wonders of its first chapter.

This morning I read a fabulous article by Cashore about the challenge of following the rules of the world she created in her fantasy novel. Anyone interested in Graceling, or Cashore, or writing will want to read this. Even if you don't write fantasy, this article is interesting because there are these rules of logic and believability in all novels. Having to manage time, space, and character traits while weaving together a believable and interesting plot... that is the challenge we authors face every day.

Puppy Update

2010-01-05T20:39:00.000-06:00

I think people are generally more interested in puppies than they are in children's literature. You would not believe the number of emails I get about my Mini Whoodle, Ozzy! I blogged about our decision to get him, and I guess when people do a web search for Whoodles, they find me. So I figured it was high time I give an update about our life with Ozzy, otherwise known as The World's Sweetest Dog.

We got Ozzy from Barb at Old McDoodle Farm. I highly recommend her. Ozzy is now about 1 1/2 years old, but he still has that sweet, excited, loving puppy attitude. Perhaps that's why he has earned the nickname "Puppa" or "Puppalicious" or "Puppadoo." Ozzy has never met a human or animal he didn't like. He barely ever barks, only to come in from outside or to say hello to a friend across the street. He doesn't bite either, although he will jump up on people sometimes. (We are working with him on that one.) He will do just about anything for a belly rub.

He loves to take walks and go to the dog park. He also loves to sit on the couch and snuggle with whoever is watching TV or reading a book. We have an invisible fence, and he was trained on it very quickly. We think of him as the mayor of our street because he sits in the front yard and interacts nicely with all the people and animals who walk past. His favorite time of day is when the school bus stops in front of our house, and all the kids come by to say hello. He is 22 pounds, which is the perfect size. Small enough to snuggle with but not tall enough to reach the counter tops. His coat never changed to the wheaten color, but he lightened to a charcoal gray, and he has a cute, blonde, very 1970's mustache.

We house trained him with no trouble at all. He never has accidents. He sleeps in a crate. In his first year, he chewed up two retainers, a pair of glasses, a couple rolls of toilet paper, and countless socks. We have learned to keep bedroom and bathroom doors shut.

I never really wanted a dog. I wasn't much of an animal lover as a kid, and as an adult, I turned into a cat person. But after our kids became teenagers, and our cats died, and my beloved grandmother passed away, and our house was burglarized... something clicked inside of me, and I was determined to get a dog. My husband was not on board at first. He didn't want the responsibility. He didn't want anything interfering with the freedom we were starting to have as our kids were getting older. But shhh... he's embarrassed by those thoughts now! Ozzy has brought so much joy and laughter and love to our family. The responsibility is definitely worth it!

How To Be Married To An Author

2010-01-03T13:02:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. I know I did! I've been busy busy busy writing and then being with my family, so I'm just popping into the blogosphere to bring your attention to this fabulous essay written by Kristin Walker, author of the upcoming Match Made in High School. If you are a spouse of an author, or of any creative sort really, you should read this to see how to do it right.

For the record, my husband totally does it right. His perspective is all, "Oh, we're in that stage now?" This comment comes in handy whenever I say pretty much anything about the writing journey. I like it because it reminds me that all my moods will pass, no matter how dire they seem in the moment. It helps to take some of the power away from potentially overwhelming feelings of insecurity or uncertainty or fantasies of brilliance. It reminds me that I'm on a journey of my choosing. It's sometimes familiar, sometimes new and exhilarating, and sometimes frustrating. But it's my journey, and I know how truly fortunate I am to be experiencing it all.

Is there more to being an optimist than seeing the glass half-full?

2009-11-18T10:46:00.003-06:00

Yes!

I happen to be a natural optimist. It comes very easy to me to see the positive in most situations. I look at obstacles and conflicts as things that will lead to growth. And I have to tell you, that trait was extremely helpful in dealing with years of rejection letters (as well as lots of other things life throws at me). But let me be clear... sometimes the glass is not only half-empty, it is bone dry.

Anyone who thinks optimists are always happy doesn't understand optimism.

Here's the truth about optimism and that glass half-empty or half-full question: Despite how much water is in my glass, I know how and where to get more. I know how to turn on a faucet.

Sounds obvious, right? But think about what it really means. Instead of emphasizing the present view of things, it focuses on my ability to be resilient. It acknowledges that there will be times when everything will go wrong, and I'll feel terrible. But an optimist sees those times and those feelings as temporary. An optimist is able to time-travel, so to speak, and put faith in the future when this immediate crisis or obstacle will be a thing of the past. An optimist looks for ways to get to that future.

I could go on and on about optimism and resiliency, but I don't have to because there is a fantastic new blog all about this topic. It's called The Irrepressible Writer, and it's written by Carol Grannick, one of my critique partners. Carol gives fabulous step-by-step practical advice about how to bring optimism into your life. Optimism CAN be learned. And it can definitely improve the quality of your life. Check it out!

You've Written a First Draft. Now What?

2009-11-10T14:08:00.002-06:00

You've finally done it. You've finished your novel! It's amazing. You actually wrote an entire story from start to finish. It's brilliant. It's original. It's a masterpiece. It will certainly go to auction and become a bestseller and get you on Oprah.

No? That's not how it works?

But why not, you cry!

Because, you have to revise. Every successful author revises. And as overwhelming as that might seem, there are ways to wrap your brain around the process. There are tricks. There are things that work and things that don't. There are ways to get lost in the revision, spending years changing things without making any real progress, and there are ways to revise purposefully and powerfully.

To learn how to revise like a pro, please come to The Book Stall in Winnetka, Wednesday, November 11 at 7 pm. I'll be giving away all my secrets.

I hope to see you there!

An Optimistic View of Writing Distractions

2009-11-03T13:11:00.003-06:00

I'm trying really hard to finish this first draft of my next novel. Here are some things that are helping:
1. My critique group is loving it so far.
2. My daughter is loving it so far.
3. I am loving it so far.
(These three things are totally mind boggling, considering this is a first draft.)
4. I feel some pressure to finish this draft by the middle of December so I can a) enjoy winter break without feeling guilty for not working and b) sell the book sometime next year before everyone forgets I'm an author.

And here are some things that are definitely not helping:
1. I just cut about 20 pages because I'm pretty sure I was heading in the wrong direction. I was following my outline when I should have been following my characters.
2. My time gets sucked into the abyss by: doing laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, exercising, doing my hair, walking the dog, driving kids places, Facebooking, reading, watching TV, volunteering at the middle-school library, planning a retreat, buying birthday presents, teaching a writing workshop, doing school and library visits, being a friend, a wife, a sister, a daughter, and a mom. I fully realize that most of these things are the fabric of my life. I'm lucky and blessed to be able to do them. But still... they all take time. A part of me wants to hide away in a little cubicle and spend two weeks doing nothing but writing. I wonder how that would turn out.

And last but not least, here's something that might fall into both categories...
1. I'm taking a Harvard class online called Through the Looking Glass - The Philosophy, History, and Literature of Childhood with Professor Maria Tatar. Yes, it will take time (There are fabulous lectures to watch, books to read, and discussion groups to attend!), but I'm hoping I'll be richer for the experience, and maybe that will make me a better writer.

Come to think of it, all those "distractions," all those things that suck my time, they are all things that can enrich my life if looked at from the right point of view. So that little cubicle... no matter how inviting it seems... is really not the key to my happy life. My happy life is all around me, pulling me in a million directions, keeping things busy and interesting.

Maybe I'll finish this draft by winter vacation, and maybe I won't. But I will try my best. And I'll enjoy the journey.

Wanna Go to Jemma's Camp?

2009-10-20T13:29:00.003-05:00

Campfire looking out over South Twin Lake (Star Lake in the book)

Camp Star Lake, the fictional camp Jemma goes to in Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire, is based on a real camp: Camp Birch Knoll in Phelps, Wisconsin. It is a fantastic place for girls ages 8-16 to make friends, learn new things, and have the time of their lives. Sessions are flexible, anywhere from 1-8 weeks.

The director of the camp, Gary Baier, is available to come to your house to give you the scoop, or you can come to one of his open house presentations that he's holding at The Courtyard by Marriott in Deerfield, lllinois on Thursday, October 22, 7 pm; Wednesday, October 28, 7 pm; Sunday, November 8, 1 pm; Tuesday, November 17, 7 pm; or Sunday, November 22, 1 pm. Gary is very low key, and you will not feel any pressure to make a commitment. You will simply be getting information.

Sheetsliding just like Jemma does in the book!

Please know that I do not get any kickbacks from Camp Birch Knoll. I simply love that place and wish as many girls as possible can have the experience I had growing up there. If you have any questions about CBK, feel free to shoot me an email. You can also call Gary directly at 1-800-843-2904.

I'm trying to include a file here that tells more about the open houses. Hopefully you're able to see it: OPEN%20HOUSE%202009-pdf.pdf

Names of Characters and Authors

2009-10-20T10:03:00.004-05:00

I love naming characters because it's challenging and fun, and when you find the right name, you just know it. Unlike naming babies, where the child is just a bundle of sweetness who you hope will grow into his or her name, naming characters is all about making the name fit the person (or not, if that's the effect you're going for).

Sometimes I name my characters for the meaning behind their names...
I gave Cara Segal (main character in Julia's Kitchen) her name because I thought of her as a caring person who would learn to soar over her problems.

Sometimes I name my characters after someone I know...
I gave Jemma Hartman her name because the name Jemma is unique and sweet, and my adorable dry cleaning lady is named Jemma. (No, I do not get free dry cleaning now, but the real Jemma has bought many copies of my books!) Jemma got her last name from my cousins, the Hartmans, and it's Jemma's heart that's at stake in this story, so that made sense.

Sometimes I name a character for the sound of the name...
In my forthcoming picture book, the love interest is named Zoey Maloney. Isn't that just fun to say aloud? Zoey Maloney. Zoey Maloney. It makes me smile.

Sometimes I name a character for a real person who bids on getting their name in my book in a silent auction fundraiser...
Darby Coleman, the counselor from Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire, is one such person. I'm offering that opportunity again next month at a silent auction to benefit Lungevity, a wonderful organization dedicated to finding a cure for lung cancer. I wonder what the name will be. I like having to figure out which character will fit the winning name.

And speaking of names, have you been to Teaching Books Author Name Pronunciation Guide? This is such a fun website. Authors tell how to pronounce their names, and they also tell a little bit about their name. Ever wonder how to pronounce Jon Scieszka? Or Wanda Gag? Or Esme Raji Codell? Want to find out what D.J. MacHale's initials stand for? Or M.T. Anderson's? Want to know what the A stands for in my name or what my particular challenge was with my name when I was growing up? All this and more can be discovered with a simple click of the mouse!

Thank You, Muscatine, Iowa.

2009-10-14T19:41:00.002-05:00

I'm writing to you from Muscatine, Iowa, the pearl button and watermelon capital of the world! I spent the last two days meeting with all the fourth, fifth, and sixth graders, talking with them about the writing process and about being an author. It's been a blast. The kids were great, and the teachers, librarians, and school administrators here in Muscatine have impressed me with their dedication to the students and their hospitality to little ol' me. Tomorrow, I head to Wilton, Iowa, for a few more presentations, and then I'm homeward bound. All these Iowa school visits happened because Julia's Kitchen is on the Iowa Children's Choice Awards reading list this year. I am so honored to be included with such fantastic books!

A few of my favorite moments:

Donating the books I collected for Mati Hepker, Little Miss Iowa, whose platform is literacy and who lost all her books in a house fire last week. Thank you so much to everyone who helped with this very fast book drive! If you want to donate books to Mati, shoot me an email, and I will give you the address where you can send them.

Dining with teachers, librarians, and a few of their children at terrific local restaurants. On the first night, I met with some children's book author friends at The Button Factory Restaurant. This restaurant used to be an actual working button factory. It's right on the Mississippi River, and they used to take mussels from the river and punch buttons out of the shells. Pictured below are Jill Esbaum, Connie Heckert, me, Beth Elshoff (the teacher/librarian extraordinaire who coordinated my whole visit), and Linda Carwath.

Answering funny questions from kids, such as, "Do you like pudding?" and "Who is your favorite Disney character?" They also asked wonderful, pertinent questions, too. :-)

The only problem with this whole visit? I'm a Michigan Wolverine fan in Iowa Hawkeye country!

Very Fast Book Drive

2009-10-07T14:03:00.002-05:00

So you know that my first novel, JULIA'S KITCHEN, is about a young girl dealing with the tragic aftermath of a house fire. I'm heading to Iowa next week for a few days of school visits, and in a sad twist of irony, I found out that one of the teachers in the district I'm visiting just had a house fire last weekend and lost everything (but thankfully everyone survived!). This teacher has three kids in the district as well. Her daughter, Mati, is Little Miss Iowa, and Mati's platform is literacy. They had purchased numerous books for Mati to use as she presents to groups, and now all those books have been lost. There is a book drive to help replace the books. Since I am driving there on Monday, I thought I would bring as many books as I could to help with this book drive. If any of you have unused books you'd like to donate, please contact me at brenda at brendaferber.com.
Thanks so much!

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

2009-10-01T10:50:00.002-05:00

This, for sure, is the number one question people ask me, and I'm guessing that's true for most authors. I have my standard answer... I get my ideas from real life plus imagination. But I just realized I could answer that question totally differently.

I get all my ideas in the shower.

It's true. My best thinking happens in that fifteen minute span of hot water, soap and shampoo. I don't know what it is about that time and space, but ideas and plans become crystal clear while I shave my legs or rinse out the conditioner. Just this morning I had the biggest, best epiphany about my work-in-progress. I am so excited to get to work.

What about you? Where do you think best?

Back to school, back to work

2009-09-16T11:08:00.002-05:00

Happy September! Okay, I realize I'm two weeks late, but it took me a while to get all my kids settled into their respective schools and for it to feel like September was actually here. To me, September means back to work. Productive writing time. A fresh, clean start. I'm ready to sink my teeth into my work-in-progress. This fall I plan to finish my first draft of this novel, plus I've got some fun school visits lined up, and I'm continuing to facilitate the writing workshop at North Shore Writers Studio with Jenny Meyerhoff. All good things!

Oh, and here are two links from The Prairie Wind (SCBWI Illinois' e-newsletter):

This one is my latest Book Look Column. Ever struggle with first person, past tense? I examined Gary Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars to see how a master handles it.

And this is a fabulous column from Carol Grannick, the irrepressible writer. She writes about dealing with self-doubt and negative emotions and being open to surprises in hard times.

Here's to a productive fall!

Exciting News!

2009-09-01T13:17:00.003-05:00

I'm so psyched! I just found out Tedd Arnold will be illustrating my picture book, The Yuckiest, Stinkiest Best Valentine's Day Ever!
I love Tedd Arnold. If you're not familiar with his work, he wrote and illustrated the Parts books, the Fly Guy books, and more. His artwork is wacky and sweet and loved by kids and adults alike.

How lucky am I??

This picture book journey of mine has been a lesson in patience, good things coming to those who wait, and the power of revision.
I wrote the first draft of this book when my twins were in 2nd grade. I revised it for five years. I sold it when they were in 7th grade. They're freshmen now. And they will be seniors in high school when it comes out! (And that's if everything goes according to plan.)
It's a crazy business, but I wouldn't trade it for the world!

A Surprise in the Mail!

2009-08-27T21:04:00.002-05:00

Look what I got in the mail today:

What is that, you ask?
I asked myself the same question.
And then I remembered.
It's that book! The one about revising. The one that has a whole chapter devoted to how I revised the first chapter of Julia's Kitchen.
I'm not kidding when I say I had forgotten all about this book. I think it was four years ago when I gave Sandy Asher some drafts of my first chapter and answered her questions about the revision process.

A lot has happened since then.

I was a little scared to read the chapter about me. I wondered if I'd said anything embarrassing. It turns out I did, but it was just one thing. One teeny tiny thing. One thing I plan to forget all about. Obviously, I'm good at forgetting.

Writing it Right is an excellent book, one that should not be forgotten at all! It shows how 20 children's book authors (of picture books, short stories, and novels) tackle revision. There are examples of early drafts, middle drafts, and published versions, so you can see the progress the author made. Sandy Asher offers up wonderful commentary on what is missing in the earlier drafts and how the author fixed things in the later drafts. She frames it all in terms of nine essential questions writers should be asking as they revise. There are also interviews with the authors, a few editors, a manuscript consultant, and an agent. Lots of wisdom to share.

I really believe this would be an excellent book for anyone interested in learning more about revision. But don't take my word for it. Look at what all these experts are saying! You can purchase the book at the Writer's Bookstore.

Ever Wonder How Much Money You'll Make as a Picture Book Author?

2009-08-19T15:22:00.002-05:00

Planning to retire?
Think selling that book will be the answer to your money woes?
Think again.
Author Barbara Kanninen polled over 100 authors (first time, veteran, agented, and unagented) about their advances and contracts for picture books they sold, and the results are here.

The truth is, I've never met a children's book author who is in this business for the money. We like making money, but we are compelled to write stories.

Bottom line... keep on writing, but make sure you have another source of income!

Another Jemma Hartman Lookalike!

2009-08-10T10:08:00.002-05:00

Introducing Eva...

What a cutie! She even has a flower barrette, just like Jemma. Eva is the latest winner in the Jemma Hartman Lookalike Contest, so I'll be sending her a free, autographed copy of my book. If you know someone who looks like Jemma, send me a photo, and they can win, too!

One Kid Home, Two to Go

2009-08-04T11:01:00.000-05:00

Sammy is home from summer camp! All three of my kids go to different camps. Why? Because all three are different kids with different likes and needs. Sammy goes to a theater camp called Harand. He loves it! One of the things that sets Harand apart is their philosophy about sharing starring roles. Everyone who wants to be a star gets a chance to shine. So for example, if they were putting on The Wizard of Oz, there might be 5 Dorothys, 3 Scarecrows, etc. The kids take turns being a star and being in the chorus. This way they learn the importance of both parts.

There are a couple of great things about being a boy at theater camp. First of all... there are plenty of girls! There are probably 3 or 4 girls for every 1 boy. But second of all... you get to have some pretty choice parts. This summer, Sammy got to have starring roles in two plays! He was Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls. And he played Harvey Johnson and Conrad Birdie in Bye Bye Birdie. Here are a few highlights from his performances:

Pretty impressive considering he learned both plays in about 2 1/2 weeks!

Since Sammy's been home, we've seen the Harry Potter movie (disappointing) and we've gone to the Museum of Science and Industry to see the Harry Potter exhibit (terrific, yet strange we didn't see any mention of JK Rowling or the books!) Now if I could only get him to unpack!

Camp Birch Knoll Book Tour Photo Essay

2009-07-30T08:37:00.001-05:00

This week I had the unbelievable opportunity to go back to camp. My novel, Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire, was inspired by my six summers at the best place on earth: Camp Birch Knoll in Phelps, Wisconsin. Gary Baier, the director of the camp, invited me to come up to camp for a Fireside program to talk to the girls about my experience as a camper and to tell them about the book. I was pumped!

I took my puppy, Ozzy, with me. He was not too excited about the prospect of a seven-hour car ride.

But he soon got the hang of it.

And before too long, we were driving through the entrance to camp! I couldn't help but break out in the Camp Birch Knoll song.

Just like Jemma, I was dazzled by this view of the lake.

I showed up right in the middle of their Sunday afternoon program: CBK's Got Talent. My daughter, Faith, was very happy to see me.

I stayed in the Upper Lodge, which is off-limits for campers. Faith was dying to go up there, but of course I didn't let her. Suffice it to say the Baiers are very hospitable hosts!

The girls put on their finest for the Fireside program. Here's Faith and some of her cabin-mates.
They took this opportunity to show me all their songs and dances they'd made up so far this summer.
Dinner was famous "Ed's Chicken," as featured in my book and in my memory. Yum!

After dinner, Ozzy enjoyed belly rubs from all the campers.

And hugs from Faith.

Finally it was time for the friendship chain leading to the Fireside service. "Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold..."

At Fireside, campers and counselors shared songs, poems, and beautiful thoughts. I spoke about my terrible start to camp my first summer there (fought with cabin mates, ran away, was considered the "Big Mouth of Cabin Six") and how I came back and made the most of every summer afterwards and how I took the values I learned at CBK into the rest of my life. I read an excerpt from Jemma Hartman, and the girls loved it. Then awards were given, and finally, the new Firelighter (camp role model) was announced, and her cabin clobbered her with hugs.

Here she is, another camper extraordinaire!

Afterwards, Gary surprised everyone when he told them he bought copies of my book for every camper and counselor. Cheers all around!

Cabin groups came into the Lodge one at a time to eat fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, ask me questions, and get their books personalized.

The funniest question of the night was, "I want to have a book written by me, but I don't want to write one. How do I do that?" My answer was to become a celebrity.

The girls enjoyed looking at my old yearbooks, laughing at the fashions from the late 70s and early 80s.

And they loved the tattoos I gave them.

The next day I had to say goodbye to the magic of Camp Birch Knoll.

And head back in the car with Ozzy.

When I was sixteen years old, during my last summer of camp, Gary gave me a quote by Walt Disney that has guided my life ever since. I give it to you now with the hope that you will all follow your dreams and have the good fortune to see them come true...

"Think about the person you'd like to become.

Believe in yourself, based on the thinking you've done.

Dream big dreams, based on your belief in yourself.

Dare to make your dreams come true.

Think. Believe. Dream. Dare.

Become the person you know you can be."

Thanks, Gary, for everything!

Jemma Hartman Lookalikes!

2009-07-28T16:01:00.002-05:00

I was planning to write a great blog entry about my absolutely-amazing-highlight-of-my-writing-career visit to Camp Birch Knoll this weekend, but that post will have to come another day because this is just too funny...

When I first got a look at my beautiful book jacket, created by Greg Swearingen, I fell in love. It was perfect.

Then some people who knew me as a kid thought Jemma looked a lot like me, and I had to prove to them that I was not nearly as cute.

That's me in 1978, my first summer of camp.

Then my daughter told me there was a girl at Camp Birch Knoll who looked exactly like Jemma. Lo and behold, I saw quite a resemblance.

But then I got an e-mail from the proud Nana of Clara Rosemary D. Clara is a dead-ringer for Jemma!

Amazing!

Do you know someone who looks like Jemma? If so, send me a photo, and I'll post it here. Girls who look the most like Jemma will win a free autographed book from me!

Eagle River Fun

2009-07-20T09:39:00.003-05:00

I had a blast this weekend in Eagle River, Wisconsin. It was Visitor's Weekend for most of the summer camps up there, so the town was packed with tourists. Perfect for a book signing!

Here's the indy book store that hosted me.

And here I am with my daughter, Faith.

What a fun book signing. My target audience kept walking through the door. A highlight for me was watching a girl's eyes open wide when she realized I was the author of Julia's Kitchen. She was from Kansas, where JK was on the William Allen White Children's Book Award List last year, so she was very excited to meet me.

We ate lunch at Soda Pops, where you're supposed to order unusual bottles of pop, but where I ordered a plain old Diet Coke from the fountain.

And we got the world's best fudge at Tremblay's. As I'm writing this, I'm realizing I left the fudge in the hotel fridge. Oh no!

Good thing I'm going back to Eagle River next weekend to make a special appearance at Camp Birch Knoll. Another stop at Tremblay's is in order.

ALA wrap up

2009-07-16T16:20:00.002-05:00

As promised, here are a few pictures from my fun day at ALA.

Four authors all represented by different agents at the Andrea Brown Agency. That's Cynthea Liu, Jenny Meyerhoff, me, and Tammy Sauer.

The creators of Baby Mouse: Jennifer and Matt Holm

An arc of Catching Fire, the follow-up to Hunger Games. Notice the tape? You couldn't steal that thing (or even peek inside) if you tried!

Cool man of the hour (year?), Neil Gaiman, Newbery Award winner for The Graveyard Book. You should have seen the line to meet him!

Things I didn't take pictures of but wish I had?

My writing "sister" Jenny Meyerhoff meeting M.T. Anderson
Signing copies of Jemma Hartman in the FSG booth
All the terrific FSG people
Meeting Kathy Dawson, editor extraordinaire of my forthcoming picture book at Dial.

Future Fan Mail

2009-07-14T10:26:00.002-05:00

Yesterday at the ALA convention, I was lucky enough to hear Laura Ruby give the author's perspective on writing about sexuality for teens.

I love hearing authors present. I can learn so much from them. Laura's speech was funny, poignant, and meaningful, highlighting the point that authors write to reflect kids' lives and struggles, not to create them. Laura read a letter from a fan who had experienced something similar to Audrey, the main character in Laura's fabulous book, GOOD GIRLS.

It was such a perfect reminder that we write to reach readers, not to win awards or get fabulous reviews or hit the best seller lists (though I wouldn't mind any of those things).

So this morning, I did something a little nutty. I wrote a fake fan letter from a future reader of my current work in progress. It was a really heartfelt letter, and I'd be thrilled to get one just like it someday. I have it right next to my computer, and it's helping to keep me focused on why I'm writing this particular story.

ALA was fantastic for lots more reasons. I'll write more and post some pix soon!

Come Say Hello!

2009-07-09T21:53:00.003-05:00

If you're going to be at ALA, please stop by and say hi to me. I will be there on Monday, July 13th at FSG's booth #1811 from 1-2 pm and at SCBWI-IL's booth #1626 from 3-5 pm.

I'll be signing copies of JEMMA HARTMAN and giving away all sorts of goodies.

Hope to see you there!

Summer Lovin

2009-07-07T07:44:00.002-05:00

Havin' a blast!

For anyone who is curious... this is what life is like for this particular mom of three teenagers when those three wonderful teens are away for the summer at overnight camp:

The other day, our weekly cleaning lady cleaned out the crumbs from the silverware drawer. Then she organized our paper-goods cabinet. Seriously. There's not much to clean when the kids are gone.

Instead of going to the grocery store and coming home with ten full bags of groceries only to hear complaints three days later that there's nothing to eat, I'm picking up just enough for dinner for two, plus maybe a carton of milk or orange juice.

Time spent parenting per day: approximately one hour (includes reading letters from daughter, wondering why sons don't write, writing long letters to daughter and short letters to sons, and checking the online pictures posted by camps).

With my parental duties temporarily on hold, I have dived headfirst into my next book! I'm a writer again, and it feels beyond fantastic. I'm using Victoria Schmidt's workbook, BOOK IN A MONTH. Loving it. It gives you little assignments every day, and if I write 5 pages a day (which I've been doing!), I'll have a first draft before the kids come home.

Other things I'm doing:

Trying to train passive aggressive puppy in obedience class (he rolls over onto his back for a belly rub whenever I attempt any kind of training exercise with him... cute but frustrating!).

Going to conferences. AJL and ALA are both in Chicago this summer, so I'm speaking on panels and signing books and meeting terrific librarians and authors.

Training in karate with some serious black belts. My regular training partner is in Italy, so I've temporarily moved up with these unbelievable experts. I am both intimidated and inspired.

Feeling like a newlywed with my husband even though we are coming up on our 19th wedding anniversary.

It's good. All good!

Online Reviews of Jemma

2009-06-07T08:48:00.002-05:00

Check out these terrific reviews for Jemma Hartman...
This is from one of my favorite authors, Esme Codell.
And this one is from Jen Robinson, blogger and book reviewer extraordinaire.
Thanks for the buzz, ladies!

Two Published Authors for the Price of One!

2009-06-01T16:48:00.002-05:00

I'm not very comfortable with envy.

I don't envy other people because I really like being me. And I absolutely hate being the object of envy. So what am I to do when I hear envious whispers about my critique group? Our group of four authors is pretty darn fantastic, and I feel lucky and blessed to be part of this group. But we are closed to new members, which means a lot of terrific authors are outside looking in. Truth is, I wish everyone could find a critique group like ours... and now they can!

The lovely and talented Jenny Meyerhoff and I have joined forces to offer a six-week children's book writing workshop through the North Shore Writers Studio. This workshop will be run just the way we run our critique group. Writers will get the same constructive criticism and support we give each other. I believe a critique group format with input from established authors is the best way to improve your manuscript and learn about the craft of writing. Plus it's a perfect opportunity to meet future critique partners. So forget about envy, and join us this summer!

Here are the specifics:
Date: Tuesdays, June 30-August 4
Time: 6:30-9:30 pm
Place: 1778 Second St., Suite 202, Highland Park, IL (right above Corner Bakery)
Tuition: $240

For more information or to register, visit www.northshorewriters.com. Or e-mail northshorewriters@gmail.com

Setting the Record Straight: Where Truth and Fiction Collide

2009-05-29T21:25:00.003-05:00

It's no secret that my new book is based on an actual camp, the camp I went to as a child and the one my daughter attends now: Camp Birch Knoll in Phelps, Wisconsin. And it's also true that the story was inspired by some real life events. But the story is fiction. And the characters are fiction. Really and truly!

Which is why it surprises me when I hear that people are trying to figure out who they are in the book. I've heard from campers and staff, friends of mine and friends of my daughter. Everyone has a theory as to who's who in the book.

It's kind of funny. I guess if someone wants to see themselves in my book, there's nothing wrong with that. But I figure I should set the record straight. So here I go...

1. The friendship triangle of Jemma, Tammy, and Brooke was inspired by a friendship triangle my daughter was in her first summer at camp, but it was also inspired by several different friendship and love triangles I experienced in my own life. The actual characters of Jemma, Tammy, and Brooke sprung from my own imagination.

2. The Darby-Todd relationship wasn't based on anyone at all. But Darby looks a little like one of my counselors at camp, Julie Goldsmith. And Todd, the hunky ski-boat driver, is a combination of all the cute ski-boat drivers I've ever had crushes on.

3. Just like Jemma, I once got to ride in the boat with the cute ski-boat driver, and I was totally embarrassed due to a booger hanging out of my nose.

4. Also, like Jemma, I had to learn the difference between "winning" and "earning" the Firelighter award. (I was Firelighter my third summer of camp.)

5. Eddie, the camp director, is a little bit like Gary, the current Birch Knoll director, and a little bit like Ed, Gary's dad, who directed camp when I went there. But Eddie is really just Eddie. And Maureen is Maureen. I make stuff up. That's why I'm a fiction writer.

6. Delaney isn't based on anyone in particular. But I really like her.

7. Kat and Annie look a lot like my best camp friend, Debby Lebold.

8. There is no such thing as the Star Lake Cup. I made that up. But I did compete in a sailing race on a blustery day, and Debby and I did capsize and almost sink our boat. Her sister, Jenny, came to our rescue.

9. I tried to name as many characters as I could after my daughter's and my camp friends. I even gave Firelighter to one of my friends who totally deserved it but never got it: Jennie Cohen. That was fun.

10. One thing that Jemma Hartman and I have 100% in common is how much we love camp. Best place on earth.

Happy! Happy! Happy!

2009-05-14T07:46:00.002-05:00

1. My son's Bar Mitzvah is this weekend!
2. My daughter is coming home today!
3. I'm drinking a yummy cup of Island Coconut coffee.

Book Launch Parties

2009-05-10T10:18:00.003-05:00

So far I've had two terrific book launch parties for JEMMA HARTMAN, CAMPER EXTRAORDINAIRE. I have to tell you the truth... I get terrible jitters before these events. I worry that nobody will show up or if they do show up that I'll have nothing interesting to say. So far neither one of these things have occurred. :-D

It makes me realize, yet again, that I have married the best man on earth. Alan totally knows how to handle all my author insecurities and worries and excitement. He never gets rattled or sucked into my emotions, but he listens to me and assures me in his loving and humorous way. Thanks Bud!

Here are some pix from the first party* at the Barnes & Noble in West Bloomfield, Michigan:

A terrific turnout!

Meeting a reader from Ann Arbor

And here are some from the second party* at The Book Stall in Winnetka, Illinois:

Check out this awesome crowd. I'm showing a picture of the camp that

inspired Camp Star Lake in JEMMA HARTMAN.

Signing books!

Some of the yummy treats I baked for the party.

Big thanks to everyone who came out to these events and asked such good questions and applauded and laughed at all the right times! I still have one more book launch party* coming. It will by May 31 at 2 pm at the Deerfield, Illinois Barnes & Noble. Hope to see you there!

*My sons say these are not parties. They are book signings. But I disagree. We have a crowd of people. And fresh baked cookies. And laughter and love. Sounds like a party to me.