From Bobby Kennedy's grave site at Arlington National Cemetery
Kate's Book Blog
Kate Messner, Children's Book Author - http://www.katemessner.com
From Bobby Kennedy's grave site at Arlington National Cemetery
My 13-year-old son just gave me one of my favorite birthday presents ever.
No fancy perfume for this mom. I got...
Ever the practical kid, J ordered these because I've been lamenting the fact that bugs are eating my roses. Not any more. Within a few weeks, the literature says, this egg case will hatch "about 100-200 tiny mantises, all at once." I especially love the way Gardeners Supply Company describes the praying mantises' promise to wreak havoc on garden pests.
"Being strictly carnivorous, they'll eat almost any insect of a size they can overcome. Waiting in quiet ambush for hours at a time, when an insect comes wandering by, they suddenly jump out and attack -- always biting the neck first."
How cool is that?
We attached the egg case to the rose bush this afternoon.
Watch out, aphids! The Terminators of the insect world are on the way.
No fancy perfume for this mom. I got...
Ever the practical kid, J ordered these because I've been lamenting the fact that bugs are eating my roses. Not any more. Within a few weeks, the literature says, this egg case will hatch "about 100-200 tiny mantises, all at once." I especially love the way Gardeners Supply Company describes the praying mantises' promise to wreak havoc on garden pests.
"Being strictly carnivorous, they'll eat almost any insect of a size they can overcome. Waiting in quiet ambush for hours at a time, when an insect comes wandering by, they suddenly jump out and attack -- always biting the neck first."
How cool is that?
We attached the egg case to the rose bush this afternoon.
Watch out, aphids! The Terminators of the insect world are on the way.
There is something about being in a house full of creative people. People who totally get that stories are important and that characters are real. And whether the house is full of raucous conversation or the quiet of fingers on keyboards, there is something magical about the energy that buzzes around. I'm on retreat with a bunch of writer friends through tomorrow and am so very, very thankful for that.
It's been beautiful and sunny here the past two days, so I didn't expect to see this when I looked out at Lake Champlain tonight.
The showers that moved into Vermont this afternoon left us dry but with a stunning view.
*This post made with sincere apologies to![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
jbknowles in rainy Maine...
The showers that moved into Vermont this afternoon left us dry but with a stunning view.
*This post made with sincere apologies to
jbknowles in rainy Maine...
Earlier this week, I posted a blog entry called In Defense of Summer Reading, and I love the conversation it's sparked. Some more thoughts:
Authorcindachima shares her thoughts on this topic in a post today, The Guiltless Pleasure of Summer Reading.
My friendstephanielight , a future librarian finishing up her graduate work right now, writes:
Kids have personalized visits with their guidance counselor, with the school nurse, etc. Why not with the librarian? At the beginning of the year, when a librarian is getting to know their students, they can hand out a questionnaire about reading habits: What is/are your favorite book(s)? Who is/are your favorite author(s)? What is/are your favorite genre(s)? It will help develop reader advisories. Before the summer, the librarian can set up one-on-one meetings with students and give them some personalized summer recommendations based on the students' preferences, interests, and abilities and that are available at the local public library. Inform students how to borrow even more titles through interlibrary loan. Put a graphic organizer on the school website that students and their parents can access from any location. Students can then fill in brief details about a few of the books they read. Even better, make an online form for the students to submit the details immediately. For super-ambitious librarians, create a wiki and allow for (monitored) discussion of books. When the students return in the fall, the librarian can teach students to create their own booktalks to share with the rest of their class in the library.
(Don't you so wish Stephanie could be your librarian?)
I mentioned that the "One Book to Read This Summer" project that prompted my students' list was the brainchild of fellow English teacher & writercfaughnan . She shared her 7th graders' list of summer reading recommendations here.
Author Janni Lee Simner (janni ) liked Cindy's idea so much she's started her own version. She's inviting us all to comment on this post, with our own summer reading recommendations (any age, any genre), and she'll share the list later on.
Donalyn Miller, author of the amazing teacher resource THE BOOK WHISPERER, linked to my summer reading post and shared her blog post from around the same time last year, "A Tale of Two Tables."
And finally, there was this response to my passionately stated position that kids have the right to choose books for themselves, fromgailschirmer ...
OKAY ! OKAY ! I'm soooo sorry for hiding Judy Blume. Love, Mom
(I fully expect my dog-eared copy of Forever to arrive in the mail any day now.)
Happy Summer Reading!
Author
cindachima shares her thoughts on this topic in a post today, The Guiltless Pleasure of Summer Reading.My friend
stephanielight , a future librarian finishing up her graduate work right now, writes:Kids have personalized visits with their guidance counselor, with the school nurse, etc. Why not with the librarian? At the beginning of the year, when a librarian is getting to know their students, they can hand out a questionnaire about reading habits: What is/are your favorite book(s)? Who is/are your favorite author(s)? What is/are your favorite genre(s)? It will help develop reader advisories. Before the summer, the librarian can set up one-on-one meetings with students and give them some personalized summer recommendations based on the students' preferences, interests, and abilities and that are available at the local public library. Inform students how to borrow even more titles through interlibrary loan. Put a graphic organizer on the school website that students and their parents can access from any location. Students can then fill in brief details about a few of the books they read. Even better, make an online form for the students to submit the details immediately. For super-ambitious librarians, create a wiki and allow for (monitored) discussion of books. When the students return in the fall, the librarian can teach students to create their own booktalks to share with the rest of their class in the library.
(Don't you so wish Stephanie could be your librarian?)
I mentioned that the "One Book to Read This Summer" project that prompted my students' list was the brainchild of fellow English teacher & writer
cfaughnan . She shared her 7th graders' list of summer reading recommendations here.Author Janni Lee Simner (
janni ) liked Cindy's idea so much she's started her own version. She's inviting us all to comment on this post, with our own summer reading recommendations (any age, any genre), and she'll share the list later on.Donalyn Miller, author of the amazing teacher resource THE BOOK WHISPERER, linked to my summer reading post and shared her blog post from around the same time last year, "A Tale of Two Tables."
And finally, there was this response to my passionately stated position that kids have the right to choose books for themselves, from
gailschirmer ...OKAY ! OKAY ! I'm soooo sorry for hiding Judy Blume. Love, Mom
(I fully expect my dog-eared copy of Forever to arrive in the mail any day now.)
Happy Summer Reading!
I am a huge fan of reading. And a huge fan of summer.
But I am not a fan of Summer Reading Requirements for kids.
That's not to say I don't think kids should read in the summer time. I do. At my house, you'll find us all settling in with our books & sweaty glasses of iced lemonade at about the same time every afternoon. So if that's your idea of a summer reading program, then forget what I said about not being a fan. It's that other kind of Summer Reading I'm talking about. The kind with capital letters and mandatory lists.
I'm a teacher, so I understand the reasons that some schools hand out lists of what has to be read over the summer months. They have to do with testing and accountability and achievement gaps and the list goes on and on. But I think there are much more compelling reasons for schools to keep their standardized noses out of kids' summer reading.
So what's the alternative? If you don't send home a list of classics and give a test in the fall, how will you know kids are reading? Well...you won't. But the truth is that half of them aren't reading that list of classics anyway, so there's not all that much to lose by going with a more progressive summer reading model. Ask parents to commit to a daily reading time at home. Teach kids how to request the newest YA titles through inter-library loan. And if you really like lists, what about letting kids make their own, based on your suggestions and recommendations from classmates?
There are some great summer reading idea lists floating around - here's one that Josie Leavitt over at ShelfTalker pulled together from reader suggestions after lamenting the state of summer reading lists. And here's a list of recommendations fromliteraticat at Not-Your-Mother's-Book-Club.
And one more...courtesy of my students. I lovecfaughnan 's end-of-the-year assignment and stole it last year to use with my own 7th graders. I use their suggestions of "The One Book to Read This Summer" to make a list of recommendations that I send home in their portfolios.
( Here are their summer reading suggestions for one another: )
I hope your summer is filled with icy lemonade and great books -- that you choose for yourself.
But I am not a fan of Summer Reading Requirements for kids.
That's not to say I don't think kids should read in the summer time. I do. At my house, you'll find us all settling in with our books & sweaty glasses of iced lemonade at about the same time every afternoon. So if that's your idea of a summer reading program, then forget what I said about not being a fan. It's that other kind of Summer Reading I'm talking about. The kind with capital letters and mandatory lists.
I'm a teacher, so I understand the reasons that some schools hand out lists of what has to be read over the summer months. They have to do with testing and accountability and achievement gaps and the list goes on and on. But I think there are much more compelling reasons for schools to keep their standardized noses out of kids' summer reading.
- One-size-fits-all lists are a recipe for failure. Kids in the same grade read at wildly different reading levels, and handing them all the same book as required reading is like giving them all the same size sneakers, no matter how big their feet might be. There is no "perfect book" for seventh graders or for tenth graders or fifth graders. Not even the one that the teacher loves so much. The reality is that any one-size-fits-all book requirement is going to be too easy or too little for some kids, too much and too difficult for others. If our goal is to create readers, this is not the way to go about it.
- People have rights as readers. Think about it. You're probably looking forward to some summer reading yourself, right? I'll bet you have some titles in mind, and I'll bet that some books will pop up over the next few months, too -- books that your friends recommend or books you read about online. But wait.... On June 24th, someone gives you a list. "This is what you'll be reading this summer," they say. "Okay?"
No. Not okay. Not even if it's a list of, say, twenty titles and I get to pick any five I want. Twenty titles? Out of all the books in the world? I get to choose from these twenty? Really?
- Summer is a time when our kids actually have the luxury of extra reading time, and if they're passionate about what they're reading, they can read for hours on end. We can't do that in school (as much as it's a lovely thought). But summer readers only show that kind of passion when they have choices. As teachers -- and parents -- we need to respect those choices.
I live in a fairly small community, and sometimes, parents approach me in the dentists' office or the waiting room at ballet lessons to talk about concerns over their kids' reading.
"I've been wanting to talk with you about Jane," they'll whisper, leaning forward as if they're about to confess her addiction to heroin. "She reads those...those....Clique books. What should I do?"
"Get the rest of the series for her," I'll say. "The library has all of them."
I've had this conversation more times than I can count, with slight variations. You can substitute graphic novels, Gossip Girls, R.L. Stine, Manga, or any number of books that kids love, that their parents have judged as less than literary. And sure...there's an argument that those books are the crack of the reading world. But guess what? An addiction to reading is what we're after here. And rabid, passionate reading can mean huge growth for kids' literacy. I was reminded of that this week, grading my English final exam, a reflective essay in which students discuss their growth as readers. One student wrote:
I used to read mega-slow, and by mega, I mean ultra-mega slow. But then I picked up the Clique series and it’s like everything changed. I couldn’t put down that book at all. So I kept reading and then I noticed I was reading at least 60 pages in one class period.
That's what we in the education world call fluency. And it's an essential element of literacy -- one that we can't always develop as well as we'd like in the classroom because it takes time. Lots and lots of time reading books that kids love. Books that might or might not be on that Summer Reading list with the capital letters.
"I've been wanting to talk with you about Jane," they'll whisper, leaning forward as if they're about to confess her addiction to heroin. "She reads those...those....Clique books. What should I do?"
"Get the rest of the series for her," I'll say. "The library has all of them."
I've had this conversation more times than I can count, with slight variations. You can substitute graphic novels, Gossip Girls, R.L. Stine, Manga, or any number of books that kids love, that their parents have judged as less than literary. And sure...there's an argument that those books are the crack of the reading world. But guess what? An addiction to reading is what we're after here. And rabid, passionate reading can mean huge growth for kids' literacy. I was reminded of that this week, grading my English final exam, a reflective essay in which students discuss their growth as readers. One student wrote:
I used to read mega-slow, and by mega, I mean ultra-mega slow. But then I picked up the Clique series and it’s like everything changed. I couldn’t put down that book at all. So I kept reading and then I noticed I was reading at least 60 pages in one class period.
That's what we in the education world call fluency. And it's an essential element of literacy -- one that we can't always develop as well as we'd like in the classroom because it takes time. Lots and lots of time reading books that kids love. Books that might or might not be on that Summer Reading list with the capital letters.
There are some great summer reading idea lists floating around - here's one that Josie Leavitt over at ShelfTalker pulled together from reader suggestions after lamenting the state of summer reading lists. And here's a list of recommendations from
literaticat at Not-Your-Mother's-Book-Club.And one more...courtesy of my students. I love
cfaughnan 's end-of-the-year assignment and stole it last year to use with my own 7th graders. I use their suggestions of "The One Book to Read This Summer" to make a list of recommendations that I send home in their portfolios.( Here are their summer reading suggestions for one another: )
I hope your summer is filled with icy lemonade and great books -- that you choose for yourself.
I've always been a fan of technology and its potential to help people learn and collaborate. I've been thinking for a while about social networking and education, and how it's probably not such a great idea for schools to simply block sites like Facebook & Twitter and pretend they don't exist, rather than teaching kids how to use them responsibly. I'm hoping to do some collective tweeting with my classes in the fall as a way to model effective, responsible use of social media. I've been on Twitter as @KateMessner for a while, but I've set up a special account, @TweetK12, to talk with other educators interested in the concept of using Twitter in the classroom. Feel free to follow & join in that conversation if you'd like. I'm working on a proposal to present to our district technology coordinator for approval right now.
This past week, I've also been lamenting the fact that our regular classes are over -- and that I didn't have the opportunity to talk with my students about the way the world is changing right before their eyes...on Twitter.
Even if you aren't on Twitter, you've probably heard the news reports of how protesters in Iran are using it to overcome government censors, to organize and share news and images of the demonstrations with one another and with the world. If I were still teaching this week, we'd be talking about the history of uprising, thinking back to Thomas Paine and our reading of Laurie Halse Anderson's CHAINS and how Isabel had to hide her illicit copy of Common Sense. We'd talk about the efforts that those in power have always made to control the flow of information. Totalitarian regimes, in particular, use isolation as a weapon against their people.
Only now it's not working. Iranian protesters are using 21st century communication tools to circumvent government filters, and people around the world are using those same tools to help them - changing the time zones in their profiles to Tehran to help shield those tweeting from Iran, even showing support by tinting their avatars green, the color that's come to symbolize the Iranian opposition.
John Green talks about all this much more eloquently today at his blog, Sparks Fly Up, summing up with this:
Twitter is not about what you had for breakfast, or Khloe Kardashian, or me. It's about evening the playing field.
Exactly. How the story of #iranelection will end is anyone's guess, but I believe the world is a different place than it was just a week ago. A place that's a little less safe for governments that deny human rights, and a place where people living under those governments feel a little less alone.
This past week, I've also been lamenting the fact that our regular classes are over -- and that I didn't have the opportunity to talk with my students about the way the world is changing right before their eyes...on Twitter.
Even if you aren't on Twitter, you've probably heard the news reports of how protesters in Iran are using it to overcome government censors, to organize and share news and images of the demonstrations with one another and with the world. If I were still teaching this week, we'd be talking about the history of uprising, thinking back to Thomas Paine and our reading of Laurie Halse Anderson's CHAINS and how Isabel had to hide her illicit copy of Common Sense. We'd talk about the efforts that those in power have always made to control the flow of information. Totalitarian regimes, in particular, use isolation as a weapon against their people.
Only now it's not working. Iranian protesters are using 21st century communication tools to circumvent government filters, and people around the world are using those same tools to help them - changing the time zones in their profiles to Tehran to help shield those tweeting from Iran, even showing support by tinting their avatars green, the color that's come to symbolize the Iranian opposition.
John Green talks about all this much more eloquently today at his blog, Sparks Fly Up, summing up with this:
Twitter is not about what you had for breakfast, or Khloe Kardashian, or me. It's about evening the playing field.
Exactly. How the story of #iranelection will end is anyone's guess, but I believe the world is a different place than it was just a week ago. A place that's a little less safe for governments that deny human rights, and a place where people living under those governments feel a little less alone.
I had a fantastic experience at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum this weekend. Museum Educator Sarah Lyman emailed me a few months ago with an invitation. Would I like to participate in a book club for Champlain and the Silent One hosted at the museum? Kids would read the book along with their parents, then come to the museum on the weekend of the Native American Encampment to talk about it and learn more about what Silent One's life might have been like. Would I be interested in participating? You bet!
The reenactors who took part in the weekend were fabulous educators and spent lots of time showing hands-on displays of everything from cooking utensils to weapons they'd set up on the museum grounds. The kids who attended had great comments and questions during my presentation, and the group was small enough that we actually got to have a discussion -- something you can't really do when you're talking in front of an assembly of 300 kids. We were still chatting away when the next group started filing into the auditorium for a screening of Dr. Fred Wiseman's Quadricentennial film 1609: The Other Side of History, so we moved our party outside and talked some more during book signing time.
I was especially impressed with some of the younger readers, or listeners as the case may be, who enjoyed the book as a read-aloud with their parents and older siblings. They had great observations, too, and reminded me that when we write a book and send it out into the world, we can put whatever age range we want on the cover, but that book will find readers of many ages -- younger and older than perhaps we'd intended -- and some of those unintended readers bring wonderful new perspectives on a story we thought we knew inside and out.
This was the first in a series of summer Quadricentennial events on my calendar. I'll be reading & signing books at the South Burlington Barnes & Noble from 4-6pm on Friday, July 24th. It's a "Lake Champlain Weekend" there; right after my event, Mike Winslow of the Lake Champlain Committee will be signing his new book, Lake Champlain: A Natural History.
On July 25th, I'll be speaking at the League of Vermont Writers summer picnic, along with poet Daniel Lusk, whose new collection of poems explores what's under Lake Champlain's surface. I'm intrigued by this idea and can't wait to hear his talk.
On July 29th, I'll be giving a presentation for kids & families at the Alburg Public Library. And in August...I'll be home, enjoying my family and summer and the lake, and gearing up for a busy autumn when The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z is released September 1st.
The reenactors who took part in the weekend were fabulous educators and spent lots of time showing hands-on displays of everything from cooking utensils to weapons they'd set up on the museum grounds. The kids who attended had great comments and questions during my presentation, and the group was small enough that we actually got to have a discussion -- something you can't really do when you're talking in front of an assembly of 300 kids. We were still chatting away when the next group started filing into the auditorium for a screening of Dr. Fred Wiseman's Quadricentennial film 1609: The Other Side of History, so we moved our party outside and talked some more during book signing time.
I was especially impressed with some of the younger readers, or listeners as the case may be, who enjoyed the book as a read-aloud with their parents and older siblings. They had great observations, too, and reminded me that when we write a book and send it out into the world, we can put whatever age range we want on the cover, but that book will find readers of many ages -- younger and older than perhaps we'd intended -- and some of those unintended readers bring wonderful new perspectives on a story we thought we knew inside and out.
This was the first in a series of summer Quadricentennial events on my calendar. I'll be reading & signing books at the South Burlington Barnes & Noble from 4-6pm on Friday, July 24th. It's a "Lake Champlain Weekend" there; right after my event, Mike Winslow of the Lake Champlain Committee will be signing his new book, Lake Champlain: A Natural History.
On July 25th, I'll be speaking at the League of Vermont Writers summer picnic, along with poet Daniel Lusk, whose new collection of poems explores what's under Lake Champlain's surface. I'm intrigued by this idea and can't wait to hear his talk.
On July 29th, I'll be giving a presentation for kids & families at the Alburg Public Library. And in August...I'll be home, enjoying my family and summer and the lake, and gearing up for a busy autumn when The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z is released September 1st.
1. I'm Skyping with a before-school book club in Vermont this morning! Five avid fifth grade readers are meeting me on the computer in a little while to talk about THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z. They read the ARC to help me with a special project, and I'm looking forward to our chat.
2. Gianna Z has her own Facebook page now. Won't you stop by and be her friend?
3. One of my FB and real life friends, author Mitali Perkins, has a fascinating discussion about race and class in THE HUNGER GAMES up on her blog now.
4. Have I mentioned that I only have 10 days of school left, counting today? As bittersweet as it is to say goodbye to this year's crew of 7th graders, I'm so looking forward to a summer that includes a retreat with some wonderful writer friends, a trip to NY to meet with my Walker publicist and editor and my editors at Scholastic, and my first ALA Conference. Yay!
5. It is raining today, which is...well...I've had about enough of the rain, even though my garden has probably enjoyed it. I'm hoping this afternoon might bring one of these...
Hope your day is full of colors. Have a great weekend!
2. Gianna Z has her own Facebook page now. Won't you stop by and be her friend?
3. One of my FB and real life friends, author Mitali Perkins, has a fascinating discussion about race and class in THE HUNGER GAMES up on her blog now.
4. Have I mentioned that I only have 10 days of school left, counting today? As bittersweet as it is to say goodbye to this year's crew of 7th graders, I'm so looking forward to a summer that includes a retreat with some wonderful writer friends, a trip to NY to meet with my Walker publicist and editor and my editors at Scholastic, and my first ALA Conference. Yay!
5. It is raining today, which is...well...I've had about enough of the rain, even though my garden has probably enjoyed it. I'm hoping this afternoon might bring one of these...
Hope your day is full of colors. Have a great weekend!
This colorful collection of homemade cards arrived in the mail today, from some kids whose school I visited a few weeks ago. The artwork they created in response to my two Lake Champlain historical novels is gorgeous, and their letters made me smile over and over again.
If you're a writer, you know that certain parts of our amazing job can be tough, particularly the waiting parts. Waiting for news on a project. Waiting for reviews to come in on a new book. Waiting to find out if people like it. And a bit of worrying, too. I was having one of those waiting, worrying days, until I saw all these gorgeous drawings, read about the kids' favorite scenes, and finally, read this from Lily.
If Lily is full of excitement to read, then I am one happy author. How do you worry with a fat exclamation point like that staring you in the face?
Thanks, Lily, Tenzin, Ben, Konner, Kylei, Lawrence, Riana, Carson, Gooey, Rebecca, Emma, Cameron, Lauren, Danny, Madison, Dennis, Cedric, and Caiden. I love that you took the time to write and to draw the pictures you saw while you were reading.
I love the elementary school science fair. I have plans to sneak back in, even when my kids are grown, just for the pleasure of watching the baking-soda-and-vinegar volcanoes erupt. There's something magical about science fair night...when everyone is herded outside for the messiest of the demonstrations, and the grownups are required to just stand around and watch helplessly while things explode. I find it delightful.
There were volcanoes galore tonight, earthquake demonstrations, solar system models, a trained mouse, some really terrific rockets, and a most spectacular Mentos/Diet Coke display...
We all clapped and cheered. And if I ever write a book about a science fair, you can bet your Mentos this scene will make an appearance.
There were volcanoes galore tonight, earthquake demonstrations, solar system models, a trained mouse, some really terrific rockets, and a most spectacular Mentos/Diet Coke display...
We all clapped and cheered. And if I ever write a book about a science fair, you can bet your Mentos this scene will make an appearance.
Announced in a video blog so it's just like watching the lottery numbers drawn on live TV. Sort of.
Thanks again to all who entered - I loved reading your comments!
Thanks again to all who entered - I loved reading your comments!
1. Thank you so much to everyone who answered my plea for advice for a plunge-in sort of writer working on a project that demands an outline. The fact that I can post a note asking for help here and have so many wise and wonderful writers respond with just the kinds of encouragement and ideas I needed...well, that's just awesome. Thank you. And if anyone else is looking for advice about outlining, click here to get to the post - then skip my ramblings and proceed to the wise, wonderful comments.
2. Based on #1, I have taken the plunge and downloaded Scrivener, a writing/organizing/drafting program for Mac people. As much as I feel a little overwhelmed about learning a new software program right now, the arguments were there. I like technology. I am a Mac girl. Andsarazarr dropped me a note with information about "the Scriv" as she calls it, and told me she used it when she was working on ONCE WAS LOST. (October 2010, Little Brown). I read my ARC of this book in a single sitting on the porch this week while I was home sick; it's truly one of the best, most beautifully crafted books I've ever read (and you know I read a lot.) I'm not expecting Scrivener to turn me into Sara, but if it helped her to keep all those amazing characters and plot threads organized, that's a good reason to give it a try. I'll let you know how it goes.
3. Speaking of ARCs, if you'd like to be entered to win an ARC of my upcoming middle grade novel, THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z, you still have time to click here and leave a comment telling me what kind of tree you'd be if you were a tree. It's fun, really... Deadline is 11pm EST.
4. My list of Authors Who Skype with Book Clubs has grown by leaps & bounds this week and somehow ended up with a link on a librarians' listserv. I've gotten a handful of notes from librarians in different states saying they're excited to help their reading groups connect with authors for book discussions, so I'm tickled to know that folks are finding the resource to be helpful. If you'd like to check out the list, it's here, along with a link to some helpful information about Skype visits.
5. Including today, I have eight regular teaching days left, and then eight days of final exams, and then it is SUMMER! Not that I'm keeping track or anything...but I'm kind of excited to have more time for bike riding and hiking and reading and writing and Scrivenering. What are you most looking forward to this summer?
2. Based on #1, I have taken the plunge and downloaded Scrivener, a writing/organizing/drafting program for Mac people. As much as I feel a little overwhelmed about learning a new software program right now, the arguments were there. I like technology. I am a Mac girl. And
sarazarr dropped me a note with information about "the Scriv" as she calls it, and told me she used it when she was working on ONCE WAS LOST. (October 2010, Little Brown). I read my ARC of this book in a single sitting on the porch this week while I was home sick; it's truly one of the best, most beautifully crafted books I've ever read (and you know I read a lot.) I'm not expecting Scrivener to turn me into Sara, but if it helped her to keep all those amazing characters and plot threads organized, that's a good reason to give it a try. I'll let you know how it goes.3. Speaking of ARCs, if you'd like to be entered to win an ARC of my upcoming middle grade novel, THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z, you still have time to click here and leave a comment telling me what kind of tree you'd be if you were a tree. It's fun, really... Deadline is 11pm EST.
4. My list of Authors Who Skype with Book Clubs has grown by leaps & bounds this week and somehow ended up with a link on a librarians' listserv. I've gotten a handful of notes from librarians in different states saying they're excited to help their reading groups connect with authors for book discussions, so I'm tickled to know that folks are finding the resource to be helpful. If you'd like to check out the list, it's here, along with a link to some helpful information about Skype visits.
5. Including today, I have eight regular teaching days left, and then eight days of final exams, and then it is SUMMER! Not that I'm keeping track or anything...but I'm kind of excited to have more time for bike riding and hiking and reading and writing and Scrivenering. What are you most looking forward to this summer?
Big news from Lake Champlain this week... Our local media has picked up the story of a Vermont man who videotaped a mysterious-looking something apparently swimming in the lake near Burlington over the weekend. He shared the video to YouTube. Is it a really big dog? A deer? Could it be Champ, Lake Champlain's resident monster?
Still from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT49LQMxt
People are naturally skeptical, and at least one scientist has suggested that it actually looks like a moose in distress. I can't say for sure what's swimming through the water in this shot. But I can say that it's very different from my own experience with the legendary Champlain monster.
That's right...I've seen the lake monster. I don't talk about it much (because I'm afraid of getting those looks that I always used to give people who talked about seeing lake monsters). But the creature I saw was longer - probably 15-20 feet, with bumps along its back, and its head didn't stick out of the water so much. I've seen it twice.
The first time was late spring of 2003. I was making dinner, and my son called to me from the living room.
"Mom.... What's that?" He stared out the window, and when I saw what he was pointing at, I stared too.
"Well..." About 60 yards offshore, I could see a series of small bumps in the water that stretched out for at least fifteen feet. And the whole thing was moving. Swimming. There was a small wake behind it.
"Well," I said again. "I think...uh...." The thing turned in the water, and the bumps snaked around. It straightened out and swam a little closer to shore. "Well...I think that's what people see when they say they see Champ."
We rushed outside and stood on the seawall, watching it swim back and forth for at least five minutes. Then it sank below the surface and disappeared. About an hour later, my husband came home for dinner.
"What's new?" he asked.
"We saw Champ," my son told him.
"Right..." No matter how many times we insisted it was true, he shook his head and laughed. Until the following week.
"Hey, Kate?" he called from the living room window. "Is that what you saw the other night?"
There it was again. This time, we all ran outside, along with a dozen people from the birthday party that was going on next door. The creature was just the same...bumps protruding from the water just a little...and easily 20 feet long.
And then... a second creature appeared, looking just the same, but swimming in the opposite direction. They crossed paths, back and forth several times, and didn't even seem to acknowledge one another. Were they feeding on a school of fish? What were they? No one left to get a video camera; we were sure they were about to disappear. But they stayed for another ten minutes, swimming back and forth. And then swam off.
Were they lake creatures left over from centuries past? Was each long creature really just a few giant sturgeon, swimming in perfect single file?
I don't know. And part of me... likes not knowing. I love living here, for the mountains and cool still water, for the historical shipwrecks and musical waves. And for the mystery. I love that Lake Champlain still has some secrets she's not giving up just yet.
Still from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT49LQMxt
People are naturally skeptical, and at least one scientist has suggested that it actually looks like a moose in distress. I can't say for sure what's swimming through the water in this shot. But I can say that it's very different from my own experience with the legendary Champlain monster.
That's right...I've seen the lake monster. I don't talk about it much (because I'm afraid of getting those looks that I always used to give people who talked about seeing lake monsters). But the creature I saw was longer - probably 15-20 feet, with bumps along its back, and its head didn't stick out of the water so much. I've seen it twice.
The first time was late spring of 2003. I was making dinner, and my son called to me from the living room.
"Mom.... What's that?" He stared out the window, and when I saw what he was pointing at, I stared too.
"Well..." About 60 yards offshore, I could see a series of small bumps in the water that stretched out for at least fifteen feet. And the whole thing was moving. Swimming. There was a small wake behind it.
"Well," I said again. "I think...uh...." The thing turned in the water, and the bumps snaked around. It straightened out and swam a little closer to shore. "Well...I think that's what people see when they say they see Champ."
We rushed outside and stood on the seawall, watching it swim back and forth for at least five minutes. Then it sank below the surface and disappeared. About an hour later, my husband came home for dinner.
"What's new?" he asked.
"We saw Champ," my son told him.
"Right..." No matter how many times we insisted it was true, he shook his head and laughed. Until the following week.
"Hey, Kate?" he called from the living room window. "Is that what you saw the other night?"
There it was again. This time, we all ran outside, along with a dozen people from the birthday party that was going on next door. The creature was just the same...bumps protruding from the water just a little...and easily 20 feet long.
And then... a second creature appeared, looking just the same, but swimming in the opposite direction. They crossed paths, back and forth several times, and didn't even seem to acknowledge one another. Were they feeding on a school of fish? What were they? No one left to get a video camera; we were sure they were about to disappear. But they stayed for another ten minutes, swimming back and forth. And then swam off.
Were they lake creatures left over from centuries past? Was each long creature really just a few giant sturgeon, swimming in perfect single file?
I don't know. And part of me... likes not knowing. I love living here, for the mountains and cool still water, for the historical shipwrecks and musical waves. And for the mystery. I love that Lake Champlain still has some secrets she's not giving up just yet.
Consider this a combination writing-process-post and request for help. There's always a debate about whether it's better to plunge right into writing a new draft or to craft a meticulous outline first. I know of hugely successful authors who do both, and I think a lot of it comes down to what works for the individual writer. But what if you're a plunger...working on a project that wants an outline?
I've never really been an outline person. More often than not, I start a new book with a bare-bones premise and a fairly clear sense of who the characters are, and then I let them guide the story. I write every night but usually go to bed without a clue as to what will happen next. Then I sit down the next night, read over what I've written, close my eyes for a few minutes, and watch and listen until the characters do or say something. Then I write it down. I keep doing this over and over until eventually I can see the end.
It's the driving-at-night approach, where the headlights illuminate things bit by bit, but only as you move forward. In THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z, for example, I was writing about Gianna's grandmother for months, following her around, thinking, "Why does she keep doing things like this?" before I could see that she was showing real signs of dementia and that was what was really upsetting the family apple cart.
All of this plowing ahead and figuring things out as I write leaves me many, many messes and dangly bits to clean up in revision, but I'm good with that. I like revision, and the whole process has worked pretty well for me. Until now.
Enter the middle grade mystery project...the one that makes me bounce up and down in my chair with excitement. The one that sent me off to Washington D.C. a couple weeks ago for research, certain that completing said research would throw open the doors and make the process work for this book, too. The research trip was wonderful and illuminating and really, really fun. But I have started writing this book five times now, and I'm ready to face the truth. It wants...no...needs an outline.
So here's the request for help part... If you are an outliner, what do your outlines actually look like? Are they formal outlines? Or just summaries of each chapter, written out in a synopsis? Do you use some fancy-schmancy outlining software that stores only sell to organized people? Index cards?
And are there any "plungers" out there who have needed to outline for a particular project? I'd love to hear how it all worked out.
I've never really been an outline person. More often than not, I start a new book with a bare-bones premise and a fairly clear sense of who the characters are, and then I let them guide the story. I write every night but usually go to bed without a clue as to what will happen next. Then I sit down the next night, read over what I've written, close my eyes for a few minutes, and watch and listen until the characters do or say something. Then I write it down. I keep doing this over and over until eventually I can see the end.
It's the driving-at-night approach, where the headlights illuminate things bit by bit, but only as you move forward. In THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z, for example, I was writing about Gianna's grandmother for months, following her around, thinking, "Why does she keep doing things like this?" before I could see that she was showing real signs of dementia and that was what was really upsetting the family apple cart.
All of this plowing ahead and figuring things out as I write leaves me many, many messes and dangly bits to clean up in revision, but I'm good with that. I like revision, and the whole process has worked pretty well for me. Until now.
Enter the middle grade mystery project...the one that makes me bounce up and down in my chair with excitement. The one that sent me off to Washington D.C. a couple weeks ago for research, certain that completing said research would throw open the doors and make the process work for this book, too. The research trip was wonderful and illuminating and really, really fun. But I have started writing this book five times now, and I'm ready to face the truth. It wants...no...needs an outline.
So here's the request for help part... If you are an outliner, what do your outlines actually look like? Are they formal outlines? Or just summaries of each chapter, written out in a synopsis? Do you use some fancy-schmancy outlining software that stores only sell to organized people? Index cards?
And are there any "plungers" out there who have needed to outline for a particular project? I'd love to hear how it all worked out.
As a teacher, I'm often asked to recommend summer reading for kids. I don't like one-size-fits-all summer reading lists, but I often provide "idea lists" -- with lots and lots of possibilities for lots of different kinds of readers. Along those lines, I'm trying something new on my Twitter feed... Kate's Great Summer Reads will feature a book a day with thoughts on who might like it and a link to IndieBound. Today's tweet:
Kate's Great Summer Read #1: For mystery-lovers ages 8-12, E.B. White Read-Aloud Winner MASTERPIECE by Elise Broach. http://tiny.cc/summer1
I'm KateMessner on Twitter if you'd like to follow and make summer reading suggestions of your own, too!
Now on to the free books...
If you haven't had a chance to play the "What Tree Are You?" game & enter to win an advance reader copy of THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z, you have until Friday, and you can click here to enter. I'm loving the comments so far. For example, did you know thatliteraticat is a purple-leaf plum, robinellen is an aspen, and jbknowles is a Charlie Brown Christmas tree? What kind of tree are you??
Also in the blog-world this week:
You can visitcynthialord and enter to win a copy of Linda Urban's delightful, foot-stomping picture book MOUSE WAS MAD.
Mary of KidLit fame is just back from BEA and giving away CATCHING FIRE, SHIVER, and ALONG FOR THE RIDE over at her KidLit blog.
And Reviewer X has a bunch of contests (some ending June 3rd so be quick!) Titles up for grabs include CATCHING FIRE as well as books bylisa_schroeder and Elizabeth Scott.
And one more thing...
If you have not checked out this post fromlgburns about the caterpillars/eggs in her backyard, you should go see her photos and then get yourself outside to explore your own yard. In my little world, this is what summer's all about.
Kate's Great Summer Read #1: For mystery-lovers ages 8-12, E.B. White Read-Aloud Winner MASTERPIECE by Elise Broach. http://tiny.cc/summer1
I'm KateMessner on Twitter if you'd like to follow and make summer reading suggestions of your own, too!
Now on to the free books...
If you haven't had a chance to play the "What Tree Are You?" game & enter to win an advance reader copy of THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z, you have until Friday, and you can click here to enter. I'm loving the comments so far. For example, did you know that
literaticat is a purple-leaf plum, robinellen is an aspen, and jbknowles is a Charlie Brown Christmas tree? What kind of tree are you??Also in the blog-world this week:
You can visit
cynthialord and enter to win a copy of Linda Urban's delightful, foot-stomping picture book MOUSE WAS MAD.Mary of KidLit fame is just back from BEA and giving away CATCHING FIRE, SHIVER, and ALONG FOR THE RIDE over at her KidLit blog.
And Reviewer X has a bunch of contests (some ending June 3rd so be quick!) Titles up for grabs include CATCHING FIRE as well as books by
lisa_schroeder and Elizabeth Scott. And one more thing...
If you have not checked out this post from
lgburns about the caterpillars/eggs in her backyard, you should go see her photos and then get yourself outside to explore your own yard. In my little world, this is what summer's all about.
My new middle grade novel, THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z, will be released from Walker Books for Young Readers September 1st, three months from today! To celebrate, I’m giving away an advance reader copy this week. To enter the drawing, I'm asking you to try out a fun game that Gianna and her best friend Zig play in the book.
Zig invents “The Tree Game” to help Gianna remember the different kinds of trees she’s supposed to be learning about for her monster school leaf collection project. Here’s a sample from Chapter 3:
Zig points to me. “You’re a sugar maple because they’re colorful and fluttery. I’m…”
“You’re that big tall brown tree in front of the school!” I get it now.
“The oak?” Zig says. “Why am I an oak?”
“Because you’re not all showy. But you’re important and…stable.”
Zig taps his chin with his finger. “Okay.” He nods. “I’m an oak. But I want to be a red oak. White oak leaves are all loopy and weird looking.”
And from Chapter 5, when Gianna’s dad is dropping her off at school…
“Hey wait!” Dad calls.
“Yeah?”
“You never told me about that tree game.”
“What about it?”
“Did you decide about me?”
“Umm…” The bell is about to ring, and I haven’t used the leaf guide enough to decide what a Dad-tree would be. I flip through the book until I find a short tree that’s kind of chubby and droopy. “How about a dwarf mulberry?” I blow him a kiss.
“Hmph.” Dad puts the car in gear as I slam the door. Clearly, he was hoping to be a redwood.
So what about you? If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?
Is this you?? It's a Swamp Chestnut Oak outside the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
If you’re like Gianna and need to do a little research, here’s a great online tree reference site to help you out.
Just leave a comment about what kind of tree you’d be and why, and I’ll enter your name in a drawing for an advance reader copy of THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z. Please keep all entries appropriate for a middle grade audience! If you leave an anonymous LJ comment, please make sure I have a way to contact you in case you win.
The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada, and the deadline is 11 p.m. EST on Friday, June 5th. After that, I’ll draw a random winner and send GIANNA Z your way! (And I may give away an additional ARC if anyone makes me laugh hard enough to snort tea out my nose. You never know...) Feel free to share the link or tweet or do whatever you do to spread the word.
Ready... Set... What kind of tree are you?
This post is part of a year-long series of blog interviews I'll be hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here."
It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids. 2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors. (You'll even be able to read some successful query letters!) If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!
Today... Danielle Joseph, author of SHRINKING VIOLET!
So I'm extra pleased that I'm Danielle's blog tour stop today, since I just finished reading SHRINKING VIOLET yesterday and loved every minute. This is the kind of book teens love for its authentic voice and realistic portrayal of what it's like to be graduating from high school.
Tere Adams is a super-shy senior who loves music and has dreams of being a radio DJ. Her inner strength is tested when her mom's boyfriend provides an "in" to the local hit station at the same time a dreaded group presentation at school forces her out of her shell there. As someone who worked in radio right after college, I laughed like crazy at Joseph's dead-on characterizations of the personalities that inhabit popular radio stations, from the shirt-open prime time DJ, to the music-loving cool guy, to the front desk receptionist. This novel will especially appeal to teens who are constantly attached to their iPods and those who love popular music, and it has a mysterious love interest to satisfy romance fans, too. A fun, fantastic summer read!
Welcome, Danielle! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.
"Mommy, Can I Go to the Zoo?" Written and illustrated by me in first grade and laminated by my teacher.
What books did you love when you were a kid?
Pippi Longstockings, all Judy Blume books and I was a big fan of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.
Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?
I was lucky to have many inspiring and supportive teachers but I will always thank my mom for reading to me every night.
Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals?
I sometimes write in my office and other times I head off to Starbucks with my laptop. Sometimes I sit down with a cup of coffee, other times it's all about the chocolate. If I'm editing I like quiet. If I'm writing something new, I often turn up the music.
Your favorite strategy for revision?
I like to break things up into segments and I often jump around.
Best advice for young writers?
Be true to yourself. Write what you want!
What’s special about your debut novel?
That I wrote about real people and their fears.
What were the best and worst parts of writing it?
The best was just getting my thoughts down on paper. There really was no worst because I had so much fun writing this book!
How did you find your agent and/or editor?
I read a book that I really enjoyed and then decided to query the agent. She liked my sample and requested the full manuscript and soon after we began working together!
Thanks for sharing your journey, Danielle!
You can read more about Danielle at her website, and of course, you can ask for SHRINKING VIOLET at your local independent bookseller. You can also order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!
It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids. 2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors. (You'll even be able to read some successful query letters!) If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!
Today... Danielle Joseph, author of SHRINKING VIOLET!
So I'm extra pleased that I'm Danielle's blog tour stop today, since I just finished reading SHRINKING VIOLET yesterday and loved every minute. This is the kind of book teens love for its authentic voice and realistic portrayal of what it's like to be graduating from high school. Tere Adams is a super-shy senior who loves music and has dreams of being a radio DJ. Her inner strength is tested when her mom's boyfriend provides an "in" to the local hit station at the same time a dreaded group presentation at school forces her out of her shell there. As someone who worked in radio right after college, I laughed like crazy at Joseph's dead-on characterizations of the personalities that inhabit popular radio stations, from the shirt-open prime time DJ, to the music-loving cool guy, to the front desk receptionist. This novel will especially appeal to teens who are constantly attached to their iPods and those who love popular music, and it has a mysterious love interest to satisfy romance fans, too. A fun, fantastic summer read!
Welcome, Danielle! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.
"Mommy, Can I Go to the Zoo?" Written and illustrated by me in first grade and laminated by my teacher.
What books did you love when you were a kid?
Pippi Longstockings, all Judy Blume books and I was a big fan of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.
Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?
I was lucky to have many inspiring and supportive teachers but I will always thank my mom for reading to me every night.
Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals?
I sometimes write in my office and other times I head off to Starbucks with my laptop. Sometimes I sit down with a cup of coffee, other times it's all about the chocolate. If I'm editing I like quiet. If I'm writing something new, I often turn up the music.
Your favorite strategy for revision?
I like to break things up into segments and I often jump around.
Best advice for young writers?
Be true to yourself. Write what you want!
What’s special about your debut novel?
That I wrote about real people and their fears.
What were the best and worst parts of writing it?
The best was just getting my thoughts down on paper. There really was no worst because I had so much fun writing this book!
How did you find your agent and/or editor?
I read a book that I really enjoyed and then decided to query the agent. She liked my sample and requested the full manuscript and soon after we began working together!
Thanks for sharing your journey, Danielle!
You can read more about Danielle at her website, and of course, you can ask for SHRINKING VIOLET at your local independent bookseller. You can also order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!
I spent part of Friday afternoon celebrating with Peru Intermediate School 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders to mark the end of their big reading incentive month. While reading is always important, Peru decided to give it some extra attention in May by asking kids to set personal reading goals. (I set one, too, and finished my 8th book just last night!) And I wasn't alone in meeting my goal - check out all these successful readers!
I loved the way the school celebrated. Since their theme for the month was Lake Champlain, they created a lake in the front hallway and gave each class a ship. When students met their goals, they put their photographs on the ships and signed them.
The school also gave away 30 copies of SPITFIRE and CHAMPLAIN AND THE SILENT ONE in a drawing for students who met their goals. By the end of the afternoon, my voice was hoarse from cheering, my hand was tired from signing, and my head was full of great book suggestions from these awesome readers.
Congratulations, Peru kids!! I hope you find just as many fantastic books to read over the summer. If you need some new suggestions, here's the latest ALA Notable Books list with plenty of great choices. Happy Reading!
I loved the way the school celebrated. Since their theme for the month was Lake Champlain, they created a lake in the front hallway and gave each class a ship. When students met their goals, they put their photographs on the ships and signed them.
The school also gave away 30 copies of SPITFIRE and CHAMPLAIN AND THE SILENT ONE in a drawing for students who met their goals. By the end of the afternoon, my voice was hoarse from cheering, my hand was tired from signing, and my head was full of great book suggestions from these awesome readers.
Congratulations, Peru kids!! I hope you find just as many fantastic books to read over the summer. If you need some new suggestions, here's the latest ALA Notable Books list with plenty of great choices. Happy Reading!
This fall, in addition to visiting schools in person, I'll be offering "virtual visits" to talk about research, writing, and THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z (Walker/Bloomsbury Sept. 1 '09). I'm also extending that offer to book clubs and realized that many groups may not know that it's possible to invite the author along for the book club discussion!How does a Skype virtual visit work? Click here to read a blog entry about my students' virtual visit with the fantastic Laurie Halse Anderson. It includes an overview of how a Skype chat with an author might work, as well as tips for teachers, librarians, & book club organizers to help your virtual visit run smoothly.
If you're interested in booking a "virtual visit" with me next fall, visit my website or drop me an email (kmessner at katemessner dot com).
I've also created a list of authors who offer free 20-minute Skype chats with book clubs. My agent
literaticat , also a fantastic indie bookseller, got me thinking about how to get that information to bookstores so they can get it to customers, and here's a start. The initial list of authors with links to their websites is below.Authors Who Skype With Book Clubs
The following authors offer free 20-minute Skype chats with book clubs that have read one of their books! (Many also offer more in-depth virtual school visits for a fee.) To arrange a virtual visit, check out the authors' websites for book choices and contact information. Then ask for their books at your favorite independent bookseller or visit IndieBound to find a store near you!
For Middle Grade Book Clubs (Ages 8-12)
R.J. Anderson
Julie Berry
Susan Taylor Brown
Katie Davis
Julia DeVillers
Erin Dionne
Sarah Beth Durst
Dotti Enderle
Donna Gephart
Irene Latham
Cynthea Liu
Leslie Margolis
Kate Messner
Mitali Perkins
Sarah Prineas
Kurtis Scaletta
Tanya Lee Stone
Tracie Vaughn Zimmer
For Teen Book Clubs
Ann Angel
Cyn Balog
Tracey Baptiste
Lauren Bjorkman
Leigh Brescia
Sarah Rees Brennan
Jennifer Brown
Jessica Burkhart
Crissa-Jean Chappell
Sarah Beth Durst
Megan Frazer
Brendan Halpin
S.A. Harazin
Cheryl Renee Herbsman
Jennifer Jabaley
Jo Knowles
Daniel Kraus
Cynthia Leitich-Smith
Anita Liberty
Sarah Darer Littman
Cynthea Liu
Eric Luper
Katie MacAlister
Sarah Maclean
Lisa Mantchev
Leslie Margolis
Neesha Meminger
Saundra Mitchell
Greg Neri
Micol Ostow
Jackson Pearce
Mitali Perkins
Carrie Ryan
Sydney Salter
Lisa Schroeder
Kristina Springer
Tanya Lee Stone
Melissa Walker
Mary Rose Wood
For Adult Book Clubs
(Also check out the authors listed above; middle grade & teen novels can be great book club selections!)
Charlene Ann Baumbich
Anita Liberty
CJ Lyons
Katie MacAlister
Sarah Maclean
Maryann McFadden
Garth Stein
Gwendolyn Zepeda
Picture Book Clubs for Younger Readers (4-8)
Susan Taylor Brown
Katie Davis
Cynthia Leitich-Smith
Melissa Stewart
Tanya Lee Stone
Gwendolyn Zepeda
If you're an author of a traditionally published book who would like to be added, please email me (kmessner at katemessner dot com). If you're a publicist and would like to send a list of all your authors who Skype with book clubs, that's fabulous, too.
If you're a bookseller or book club member, thanks for stopping by - and feel free to comment with any questions!
Last weekend, aside from researching my new book in Washington, D.C. I got to visit someplace I've always wanted to go.
The National Archives is home to the Charters of Freedom exhibit, including the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. They were breathtaking, but it was this document set off to the side, rather than one of the "big three" that captured my imagination the most.
This is a rough draft of the Constitution. In 1787, they printed up one of these for each delegate to the Constitutional Convention, and each man marked up his copy with revisions & suggestions. This one is believed to have belonged to David Brearly of New Jersey, and you can see how he changed phrases, crossed out parts he didn't like, and added lines here and there.
Now imagine 55 of these marked-up documents in the same room, along with all the folks who did the adding and the crossing out, arguing for their ideas...
I would have loved to see each delegate's revised version side by side with the final draft, to see whose ideas were included, whose were ignored, and how the compromises happened. And while I'm wishing... oh, what I wouldn't give to go back in time and listen at an open window of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, even for a moment. It must have been an amazing, amazing process.
The National Archives is home to the Charters of Freedom exhibit, including the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. They were breathtaking, but it was this document set off to the side, rather than one of the "big three" that captured my imagination the most.
This is a rough draft of the Constitution. In 1787, they printed up one of these for each delegate to the Constitutional Convention, and each man marked up his copy with revisions & suggestions. This one is believed to have belonged to David Brearly of New Jersey, and you can see how he changed phrases, crossed out parts he didn't like, and added lines here and there.
Now imagine 55 of these marked-up documents in the same room, along with all the folks who did the adding and the crossing out, arguing for their ideas...
I would have loved to see each delegate's revised version side by side with the final draft, to see whose ideas were included, whose were ignored, and how the compromises happened. And while I'm wishing... oh, what I wouldn't give to go back in time and listen at an open window of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, even for a moment. It must have been an amazing, amazing process.
This post is part of a year-long series of blog interviews I'll be hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here."
It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids. 2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors. (You'll even be able to read some successful query letters!) If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!
Today...Cindy Pon, author of SILVER PHOENIX!
No one wanted Ai Ling. And deep down she is relieved—despite the dishonor she has brought upon her family—to be unbetrothed and free, not some stranger's subservient bride banished to the inner quarters.
But now, something is after her. Something terrifying—a force she cannot comprehend. And as pieces of the puzzle start to fit together, Ai Ling begins to understand that her journey to the Palace of Fragrant Dreams isn't only a quest to find her beloved father but a venture with stakes larger than she could have imagined.
Bravery, intelligence, the will to fight and fight hard . . . she will need all of these things. Just as she will need the new and mysterious power growing within her. She will also need help.
It is Chen Yong who finds her partly submerged and barely breathing at the edge of a deep lake. There is something of unspeakable evil trying to drag her under. On a quest of his own, Chen Yong offers that help . . . and perhaps more.
Welcome, Cindy! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.
probably a short story i wrote in 9th or 10th grade? i won some awards for district writing contests back in high school. made me feel like "a writer" and proud.
What books did you love when you were a kid?
noel streatfield's dancing shoes and ballet shoes. island of the blue dolphins by scott o'dell. a little princess by frances h burnett.
Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?
mr. cox who i had for ap english junior and senior year. we didn't do much creative writing, but he was the first teacher to introduce me to elements of style. and remains my favorite english teacher to this day.
What’s your best advice for young writers?
to keep writing. to believe in yourself. push yourself so you can grow as a writer. this is the only way to find your story and your voice.
What’s special about your debut novel?
i think mainly that it features an asian heroine in a fantasy setting that is ancient china.
How did you find your agent and/or editor?
i queried 121 agents and was fortunate enough to sign with bill contardi. we went on submission and my book went to auction. i was able to speak with the editors who were interested, but felt a connection with virginia from greenwillow books from the start. i couldn't be happier that my book finds home there, and i feel very blessed.
You can read more about Cindy's writing (and her beautiful brush art) at her website. You can pick up your copy of SILVER PHOENIX at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!
Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series... Danielle Joseph, author of SHRINKING VIOLET, will be stopping by on Monday.
Has anyone ever noticed that the number of volunteer "research assistants" you have is in direct proportion to the coolness of your research trip? When I was able to schedule my Smithsonian trip for this weekend, it seemed like a great idea for the whole family to come along, and we've been able to squeeze in plenty of fun in between my appointments. Last night, we picked up dinner to go at the Union Station food court and headed for the Capitol lawn, where they were holding dress rehearsal for the National Memorial Day Concert featuring the amazing National Symphony. Not a bad spot for a picnic...
The actual concert is tonight, and if you don't happen to be in D.C. you can also see it aired on PBS Monday night at 8pm.
The actual concert is tonight, and if you don't happen to be in D.C. you can also see it aired on PBS Monday night at 8pm.
- First of all, if you are a teacher or librarian interested in a possible author visit for the 2009-2010 school year, please drop me an email. (kmessner at katemessner dot com with no spaces or anything) Several people had asked about this before I was ready to start thinking about next year, and I promised to get in touch when I was feeling more organized. I have next year's calendar out, and I think I touched base with all of those folks tonight. But if not - or if you're a new person just now thinking "Hey! Author visit!!" - by all means, please drop me a note.
- I have read a whole bunch of great MG and YA novels lately and promise to blog about them soon.
- I'm leaving Friday for a research trip to Washington, D.C. Without getting into too many details about my MG mystery (because I am superstitious that way), I can share that I'll be spending some time behind-the-scenes at the Smithsonian for this project. This, my friends, is research-geek heaven.
Growing up, I was always that girl sitting on the floor in the library stacks. You know the one? She'd breathe in the smell of books and read through half of recess, always hoping to check out just one more book than she was allowed, making up reports to assign herself.
"Gorillas!" She'd decide. "I need to research gorillas."
I'd love to go back in time just long enough to whisper in her ear, "Some day, you'll get to do research at the biggest museum complex in the whole world." She'd think that was the coolest thing ever.
And so do I.
"Gorillas!" She'd decide. "I need to research gorillas."
I'd love to go back in time just long enough to whisper in her ear, "Some day, you'll get to do research at the biggest museum complex in the whole world." She'd think that was the coolest thing ever.
And so do I.
I teach middle school, first and foremost, because I love kids that age and love sharing books and writing with them. Reason #2? Probably the field trips. I have never quite gotten over that feeling I used to get in second grade when I'd arrive at school, see the yellow buses waiting outside, and know that we were leaving. Walking right out of the building to go to an official interesting place.
My seventh graders and I went to one of those places on the Burlington, VT waterfront today. We took a trip on the University of Vermont's research vessel, the Melosira. If you teach and live within striking distance, I highly recommend this trip. My group started the day with some activities in the lab, then ate lunch and climbed on board for a variety of lake-science activities.
Our guides used this special net to collect plankton samples for examination under the boat's two dissecting microscopes.
( Want to peek through the microscope? Go on... Zooplankton and other lake critters under the cut. )
If our boaters looked a little chilly in the photos, it's because the weather didn't entirely cooperate. We finally saw the sun as we headed back into Burlington Harbor, though - a perfect end to a perfectly fascinating afternoon.
My seventh graders and I went to one of those places on the Burlington, VT waterfront today. We took a trip on the University of Vermont's research vessel, the Melosira. If you teach and live within striking distance, I highly recommend this trip. My group started the day with some activities in the lab, then ate lunch and climbed on board for a variety of lake-science activities.
Our guides used this special net to collect plankton samples for examination under the boat's two dissecting microscopes.
( Want to peek through the microscope? Go on... Zooplankton and other lake critters under the cut. )
If our boaters looked a little chilly in the photos, it's because the weather didn't entirely cooperate. We finally saw the sun as we headed back into Burlington Harbor, though - a perfect end to a perfectly fascinating afternoon.
This post is part of a year-long series of blog interviews I'll be hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here."
It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids. 2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors. (You'll even be able to read some successful query letters!) If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!
Today...Leigh Brescia, author of ONE WISH!
If Wrenn Scott had only ONE WISH she'd wish to be thin. She desperately wants to be popular and snag a hot boyfriend. Her amazing voice (for once) overshadows her weight when she lands a lead role in the high school musical. Pushing to get thinner by opening night, Wrenn's waistline shrinks as she learns all the wrong ways to lose weight from a new "it-girl" friend in the show. By opening night, the old Wrenn has almost disappeared. After a crisis reveals her weight-loss tricks, Wrenn realizes there are much more important things than being thin, popular, or even dating a hunk.
Welcome, Leigh! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.
My mom signed me up for a poetry class at the local library when I was in the sixth grade. I wrote a poem about my cats Tiny and Tiffy, and my teacher loved it. I thought: “All right! I can do this.” I can still quote the poem. :)
What books did you love when you were a kid?
My mom read to me a lot when I was younger, and I participated in the summer library reading program (you know: read 100 books and get a medal/trophy/certificate), but I remember devouring Sweet Valley Twins and Babysitters Club books. I couldn’t get enough of them.
Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?
Not particularly. All of my English teachers/professors impacted me in some way. I thank a number of them in the acknowledgements section of One Wish. I figured I should thank them all at once, in case I never publish another book. :)
Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals? Music? Food & beverages?
Because I teach online English courses, I usually write at night. My mid-morning to dinner hours I devote to grading papers and answering student emails. I do my serious writing when my little girl is in bed. And yes, there are rituals: I must have a glass of milk (and some kind of snack: chocolate, ice cream, cookies, etc.). I listen to music depending on my mood.
Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?
I try to edit as I go. Before I begin writing I’ll re-read the chapter/content I wrote the night before. After I finish the ms, I usually go back and re-read it twice on the computer. Then I print it and break out the red pen. I usually print and edit the ms 3-5 times before I think my agent is ready to see it.
What’s your best advice for young writers?
Read a lot of good books, and keep practicing. Don’t give up! Not everyone will understand why you want to be a writer, but if it’s meant to be you’ll make it happen.
What’s special about your debut novel?
I think a lot of teen girls will relate to Wrenn. I wasn’t overweight in high school, but I had many of the same thoughts and fears. Everyone wants to be accepted.
What were the best and worst parts of writing it?
This was the second book I officially wrote, and I think the best part, as I was writing, was knowing that I had the strength to finish it. When I was writing my first ms, I was so concerned about word count that I couldn’t focus on the story. Since I’d already proven that I could finish a book-length ms, I was able to focus more on plot and character development.
How did you find your agent and/or editor?
After I finished the ms, I bought a copy of Writer’s Market 2004 and started querying the agents who represented YA writers.
Thanks for joining us, Leigh!
You can learn more about Leigh at her website. You can pick up your copy of ONE WISH at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!
Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series... Sarah Cross, author of DULL BOY, will be stopping by on Thursday.
I spent my Children's Book Week Wednesday at an extra-special school visit. All this month, the kids at Peru Intermediate School are reading my Lake Champlain historical novels, Spitfire and Champlain and the Silent One with their teachers, while they read other books at home to work toward meeting personal reading goals for the month. Today, I gave presentations to the third, fourth, and fifth grade classes.
Here are some very enthusiastic third graders.
The kids all had terrific questions, and when I left the presentation area, I found a surprise...
Hallways with beautiful student artwork, inspired by Spitfire and Champlain and the Silent One! This is one of the things they don't tell you about when you are about to have a book published...how some day, you'll be walking down a school hallway and see the scenes you wrote brought to life in color by amazing young artists. This has happened to me a few times now, and every time, I fight back tears. (Good ones... so thanks, Peru kids!)
This illustration shows a scene where some of the members of Silent One's tribe are sick from eating flesh from an old pig carcass they found at the French settlement. My favorite part? Silent One's speech bubble... "I told you not to eat the meat."
After my two morning presentations, it was time for a luncheon in the library, where I ate cookies, talked with kids about their favorite books, and signed lunch napkins and books (most that I had written and one that I didn't, but its owner insisted that I sign anyway). Really, lunch time doesn't get much better than that.
I'm looking forward to one more visit to Peru Intermediate at the end of this month, when we'll be celebrating meeting our reading goals and giving away books. For now...it's time for me curl up with tonight's reading. I still have three more books in my pile to reach my goal!
Here are some very enthusiastic third graders.
The kids all had terrific questions, and when I left the presentation area, I found a surprise...
Hallways with beautiful student artwork, inspired by Spitfire and Champlain and the Silent One! This is one of the things they don't tell you about when you are about to have a book published...how some day, you'll be walking down a school hallway and see the scenes you wrote brought to life in color by amazing young artists. This has happened to me a few times now, and every time, I fight back tears. (Good ones... so thanks, Peru kids!)
This illustration shows a scene where some of the members of Silent One's tribe are sick from eating flesh from an old pig carcass they found at the French settlement. My favorite part? Silent One's speech bubble... "I told you not to eat the meat."
After my two morning presentations, it was time for a luncheon in the library, where I ate cookies, talked with kids about their favorite books, and signed lunch napkins and books (most that I had written and one that I didn't, but its owner insisted that I sign anyway). Really, lunch time doesn't get much better than that.
I'm looking forward to one more visit to Peru Intermediate at the end of this month, when we'll be celebrating meeting our reading goals and giving away books. For now...it's time for me curl up with tonight's reading. I still have three more books in my pile to reach my goal!
Shelly Burns, over at Write for a Reader, asked me to answer a few interview questions to help her celebrate Children's Book Week on her blog, and she's giving away an advance reader copy of THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z.
To enter her drawing, just read her blog post and leave a comment. She's offering extra entries to folks who post or tweet about the contest, too.
Click here to check it out.
This post is part of a year-long series of blog interviews I'll be hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here."
It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids. 2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors. (You'll even be able to read some successful query letters!) If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!
Today...Deva Fagan, author of FORTUNE'S FOLLY!
I had the good fortune (no pun intended) to read an early copy of Deva's book, and I SO wish this book had been around when I was ten years old. FORTUNE'S FOLLY is the kind of book that made me a reader -- the kind of book I would have disappeared with into my room for hours on end, until I knew everything would be okay, because these characters from another time and place feel so very, very real.
Thankfully, I haven't grown up all that much. I still love stories like this, and most of all, reading this ARC, I was excited for my students and my daughter because they're just going to love Fortunata, a heroine who doesn't wait around waiting to get saved. This book has an enchanting romance, to be sure, but in no way does Fortunata compromise her sense of self or forget where she came from. In fact, she's the one who does the rescuing, with bravery, cleverness, humor, and pure will that will leave kids cheering.
Welcome, Deva! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.
When I was in the fourth grade we did a unit on mythology, and had to come up with our own myths. I wrote a story about a bard who gives his lyre to a toothless whale so it can strain the krill from the ocean and get enough food to eat (thus bringing baleen into the world). What was even better, though, was that our teacher printed up a collection of stories, poems, essays and book reviews from everyone in the class (including my whale myth) and then we bound them into little books. I was so excited to have a story in a "real book"!
What books did you love when you were a kid?
I particularly loved (and still love!) L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series, Laura Ingles Wilder’s Little House books, the Mrs Piggle-Wiggle books by Betty MacDonald, the All-of-a-Kind Family books by Sidney Taylor, the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace, the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary, Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising series, Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain, Dragonsong and Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffery, The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley, C.S.Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, Dogsbody and Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones, So You Want to be a Wizard? and Deep Wizardry by Diane Duane, and The Darkangel by Meredith Ann Pierce.
Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?
When I was in High School, we had this excellent program in which some of us got matched up with students from nearby Princeton University, who served as mentors for whatever field we were interested. I worked with a young woman named Cara Garofalo, who was studying creative writing and English. She (very very kindly, I recognize in retrospect) encouraged me on my first novel (which is horrible, full of purple prose and a girl with silver eyes and an anti-hero who looked like my favorite pop star at the time). She also introduced me to the wonderful musical Into The Woods, which was really inspiring. And just going to visit her in the old gray stone towers of the wisteria-covered dorms was a really positive experience, seeing how much people valued education and literature and talking about ideas and books. I wish I knew how to find her now, so I could thank her for everything!
Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals? Music? Food & beverages?
I write in the early morning, usually. Since my day job involves sitting at a computer too, I like to do my creative work before I get burned out. I usually turn on the computer, make a cup of hot black tea with milk (the first of many!), and sit down. If I am in the groove, I sometimes just start writing. Other times I re-read what I wrote the day before, or turn on inspirational music, or spend some time playing out a little mental movie of the current scene.
Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?
If I am working on my own first revision of the rough draft and there is substantial work to do, I usually create a brand new document and cut and paste everything I want to keep into it, with big "TO DO: " notes in bold red sprinkled throughout. I also like to redo my outlines when I am doing a major revision, to get a mental framework in place. If I am working from an editorial letter or feedback from critique partners, I generally do the smaller things first, then tackle the bigger issues.
What’s your best advice for young writers?
To read broadly, and think about WHY you love the books you love.
What’s special about your debut novel?
It's the kind of book I particularly enjoyed when I was about 10 or 12: mixing adventure, romance, humor and fantastical settings. Also, it has some really horribly ugly shoes in it.
What were the best and worst parts of writing it?
The worst part was struggling to fix the ending. I knew something was wrong, and for a long time I was trying to just tweak it and coax it into something I liked. Finally I had an epiphany and realized I needed to rework it more substantially, by adding a new chapter and making the main character more proactive. But once I made those changes I knew it was better. Hopefully readers will agree!
The best part was writing it all in a madcap dash for NaNoWriMo. I started the first draft November 1 and finished it about 5 weeks later. I've never written so fast, and it was very thrilling! I would love to try writing like that again but I am not sure my schedule nowdays will allow for it.
How did you find your agent and/or editor?
I found my agent first, by researching (mostly online) to find agents who represented books like mine and mailing out lots and lots of queries. Eventually, I started getting positive responses, and ultimately an offer of representation. I had no connections or anything like that! There were definitely points where I thought about giving up and struggled with the hundreds of rejections, but I knew I had to stay determined and keep trying.
And here's the pitch from Deva's successful query letter:
All Prince Leonato needs to do to find a bride is to ride off on a snow-white steed, secure a magic sword, vanquish the wicked witch, recover the enchanted slipper, and rescue the princess who fits it. That is the prophecy Fortunata makes for the queen. The problem is: it’s not true!
Ever since her mother died and her father lost his shoemaking skills, Fortunata has survived by telling sham fortunes. Now, if her prophecy for the queen does not come true, her father’s life will be forfeit. To make matters worse, Prince Leonato is handsome, brave and kind, and Fortunata is falling in love with him.
(Deva had more great query letter material here, but it was spoilery...so that's all you get for today!)
Thanks for joining us, Deva!
You can read more about Deva at her website. You can pick up your copy of FORTUNE'S FOLLY at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!
Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series... Leigh Brescia, author of ONE WISH, will be stopping by on Tuesday, May 19.
I love hearing about the whispers that start a story churning, so I thought I'd share the stories behind my two latest works in progress, both of which started with setting.
Right now I'm working on a middle grade mystery that grew out of my editor's travel troubles. (She has no idea about any of this, so if you are reading this, Mary Kate, thanks for the inspiration! *waves to Mary Kate* ) When bad weather stranded her in Atlanta this spring, I got thinking about airports and how much I like them and how I'd love to set a book in one. And then I got thinking about being stuck in airports and how I often end up meeting the most interesting people, just because we can't get to Tulsa or wherever for three more hours, and that's where my middle grade mystery begins...with three kids, snowed in at a Washington D.C. airport, and a stolen treasure. I'm in the early stages of this book, just a few chapters in and stalled until I get to D.C. for a research trip later this month, so it's too early for me to share more. But it's interesting to me that the story started with setting.
That was the also case with SUGAR ON SNOW, the middle grade novel I worked on much of last year. The whispers started here...
...at a sugar house on pancake weekend, where I crunched through the spring snow with my daughter, watched the sugar steam puff into the sky, inhaled the sweet smell of sap being boiled down to syrup, and watched the hustle and bustle of the family that owns this farm. For the next few weeks, I toyed with the idea of a character who lives on a maple farm near the Canadian border, and that's when Claire showed up and started whispering in my ear.
I'd talk back to her on my morning run. "Well, sure...you're a great kid and you have a fascinating life up there, skating on the frozen cow pond in the winter and everything. And sure, it would be fun to write the sugaring scenes, but what are you going to do? You have to do something. You can't really have your own book until something happens, you know?"
Claire would sigh and go away for a few days, but she kept coming back. I liked her, but I didn't start to write about her until summer, when I spent a weekend with my daughter at a basic skills figure skating camp in Lake Placid. She was excited to take different kinds of skating classes at the camp, and I was excited to sit in the coffee shop across the street and work on revisions for the first book in my MARTY MCGUIRE chapter book series with Scholastic.
But it turns out I hadn't read the fine print on the skating camp brochure. When I signed my daughter up for camp, I had also signed myself up for a weekend of "parent education" workshops. So instead of drinking mocha lattes with my laptop, I found myself in the Olympic Center Hall of Fame Room with a bunch of other skating parents, learning about figure skate blades that cost more than my car is worth. Although they weren't what I had planned, the workshops were fascinating, particularly the one that featured a sports psychologist who works with figure skaters and talked about the stress, the pressure to commit more time and money, the competitive nature of the sport. What if my sweet Claire from the maple farm somehow ended up training here? I pulled out my notebook and started scribbling ideas.
After that, there was a whole lot of research and writing and revising, brilliant critiques from writing friends, more revising, an editorial letter from my agent, and more revising. And here's what grew out of that pancake breakfast in the March sunshine and not reading the fine print about skating camp. From yesterday's Publishers Marketplace...
BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z author Kate Messner's SUGAR ON SNOW, in which a farm girl is discovered by a charismatic Russian skating coach and thrown into the uber-competitive world of elite figure skating, where she must stand up to the mean girls on ice and find the courage to follow her dreams, again to Mary Kate Castellani at Walker Children's, for publication in Winter 2011, by Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency.
This post is part of a year-long series of blog interviews I'll be hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here."
It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids. 2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors. (You'll even be able to read some successful query letters!) If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!
Today...C. Lee McKenzie, author of SLIDING ON THE EDGE!
Shawna Stone is a heartbeat away from making the worst mistake anyone can. She’s close to taking her own life. Kay Stone is a grandmother Shawna has never known, and at sixty-four Kay feels there is little left in her life to look forward to. When they are thrown together they circle each other in a crucible of secrets and distrust until saving a doomed horse unites them and gives each a reason to live.
Welcome! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.
The first piece of fiction I ever wrote was a short story for an East Indian magazine. Now that I think of it, that was pretty audacious. I have no first-hand experience about India, but I won the $100 first prize! Naively, I patted myself on the back and decided I could publish just about anything. Not true!
Most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals? Music? Food & beverages?
I'm an early morning writer. I mean like sometimes 4 am if I wake up with a good idea. I write at my desk on my computer, sip a cappuccino, and work until sunup. Then I take a break, do chores, make my list and get dressed before going back to read what I've written and start the re-write or whatever.
Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?
I don't have a specific strategy for revision. If I'm stuck I often do a printout and take a hard copy someplace away from my desk. Sometimes that gives me a new perspective on the critter that's giving me problems.
What’s your best advice for young writers?
I guess I'd say, "Keep writing. You'll only get better."
What’s special about your debut novel?
Well, obviously, the best part is I wrote it. Next, I don't have to write it again. But if I were to be serious I'd have to say the best part is I think my book has appeal for younger and older readers. That's what I'm hearing anyway, so I hope it's true.
What were the best and worst parts of writing it?
The best part was when I wrote the chapters from two different points of view (pov). That is, I wrote what happened from my young main character's pov; then I wrote the same set of events from her grandmother's pov. That was interesting and fun to do.
The worst part was getting the opening paragraph. That took forever.
How did you find your agent and/or editor?
I always read the SCBWI Bulletin and WestSide was open to young adult submissions with edginess. "I've got one of those!" I said and sent off my query.
Thanks, Kate. Your questions were a challenge, but I enjoyed thinking about them.
You can read more about C. Lee McKenzie at her website. You can pick up your copy of SLIDING ON THE EDGE at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!
Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series... Deva Fagan, author of FORTUNE'S FOLLY, will be stopping by on Sunday!
It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids. 2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors. (You'll even be able to read some successful query letters!) If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!
Today...C. Lee McKenzie, author of SLIDING ON THE EDGE!Shawna Stone is a heartbeat away from making the worst mistake anyone can. She’s close to taking her own life. Kay Stone is a grandmother Shawna has never known, and at sixty-four Kay feels there is little left in her life to look forward to. When they are thrown together they circle each other in a crucible of secrets and distrust until saving a doomed horse unites them and gives each a reason to live.
Welcome! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.
The first piece of fiction I ever wrote was a short story for an East Indian magazine. Now that I think of it, that was pretty audacious. I have no first-hand experience about India, but I won the $100 first prize! Naively, I patted myself on the back and decided I could publish just about anything. Not true!
Most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals? Music? Food & beverages?
I'm an early morning writer. I mean like sometimes 4 am if I wake up with a good idea. I write at my desk on my computer, sip a cappuccino, and work until sunup. Then I take a break, do chores, make my list and get dressed before going back to read what I've written and start the re-write or whatever.
Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?
I don't have a specific strategy for revision. If I'm stuck I often do a printout and take a hard copy someplace away from my desk. Sometimes that gives me a new perspective on the critter that's giving me problems.
What’s your best advice for young writers?
I guess I'd say, "Keep writing. You'll only get better."
What’s special about your debut novel?
Well, obviously, the best part is I wrote it. Next, I don't have to write it again. But if I were to be serious I'd have to say the best part is I think my book has appeal for younger and older readers. That's what I'm hearing anyway, so I hope it's true.
What were the best and worst parts of writing it?
The best part was when I wrote the chapters from two different points of view (pov). That is, I wrote what happened from my young main character's pov; then I wrote the same set of events from her grandmother's pov. That was interesting and fun to do.
The worst part was getting the opening paragraph. That took forever.
How did you find your agent and/or editor?
I always read the SCBWI Bulletin and WestSide was open to young adult submissions with edginess. "I've got one of those!" I said and sent off my query.
Thanks, Kate. Your questions were a challenge, but I enjoyed thinking about them.
You can read more about C. Lee McKenzie at her website. You can pick up your copy of SLIDING ON THE EDGE at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!
Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series... Deva Fagan, author of FORTUNE'S FOLLY, will be stopping by on Sunday!
The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum is an amazing resource for lake history, so when their educators asked if I'd be part of a book club for families, I jumped at the chance. I love the way they've scheduled the book club event to coincide with the museum's Native American Encampment so kids will get to see and touch so many of the things they read about in Champlain in the Silent One -- right down to a replica of a birch bark canoe. Here's the flyer... Feel free to share the link if you know families that might be interested!
Linda Urban's fantastic picture book MOUSE WAS MAD is officially out this week, and she's hosting a contest on her blog. If you visit lurban , you can win a signed copy, along with some Lake Champlain Chocolate Truffles. As someone who has enjoyed both Linda's book and Lake Champlain Truffles, I can tell you that both are darn close to perfect.To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on Linda's blog, saying what makes you mad and how you feel better. For example, yesterday, I had one of those terrible, horrible, no-good, etc. etc. days...ala Judith Viorst. Eating chocolate often makes me feel better, but since I'm trying to be healthy at the moment, I went outside and shot baskets. I discovered that I am a remarkably good shot when I'm miffed, and I was wishing my husband had been there to play HORSE because we are competitive with things like that, and I am certain I would have beaten him without even racking up an H.
Anyway...share your story here for a chance to win!
This is just too cool. In my upcoming middle grade novel The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z, the main character has a monster leaf collection due. It's a project she's put off to the last minute, and now everything that can possibly go wrong...does. If only she'd had access to this iPhone application, I might have written a whole different story. The scientists developing this particular app say if all goes well, you'll be able to identify a plant from a photo of its leaves that's then uploaded to a database. Ultimately, they say it could help researchers learn more about climate change and changes in biodiversity. And of course...it would make those school leaf collection projects a walk in the park. Thanks to
marjorielight for the link!
This post is part of a year-long series of blog interviews I'll be hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here."
It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids. 2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors. (You'll even be able to read some successful query letters!) If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!
Today...Aprilynne Pike, author of WINGS!
Aprilynne Pike's WINGS is the first of four books about an ordinary girl named Laurel who discovers she is a faerie sent among humans to guard the gateway to Avalon. When Laurel is thrust into the midst of a centuries-old battle between faeries and trolls, she's torn between a human and a faerie love, as well as her loyalties to both worlds.
Welcome, Aprilynne! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.
I had a fiction instructor in college who would occasionally, at the end of a short-story critique, say, "Clean it up; send it out." It was the highest of compliments, and something she didn't say often. I was part of an extremely talented class and I didn't (still don't) think my stuff was as good as theirs. But I had one story that I really liked and worked really hard on. And at the end of the class critique, my professor looked at me, met my eyes, and say, "Clean it up; send it out." That was the moment I thought it just might be possible to someday get something published.
What books did you love when you were a kid?
I loved way too many books to list here, but some of my most memorable ones were The Boxcar Children, anything by VC Andrews, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi, The Fairy Rebel by Lynne Reid Banks, and The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.
Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?
Janet Cain; my junior English teacher. She taught me to love literature, Not just books, and not just modern texts, she taught me to love all well-written literature. I read more classic literature in her class than any other I've ever taken . . . and half of it was unassigned!:)
Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals? Music? Food & beverages?
I have three young children and--until recently--a husband in law school. So I write when I can. Ideally, I like to lock myself in my office and get comfy with my laptop, but that's not always possible. I like drinks and snacks while working, because I've learned that writing takes a degree of physical stamina as well as mental. I don't generally listen to music, because I find myself typing the lyrics instead of my story.:) But I am a Diet Root Beer junkie and often have a cup of tea at hand as well.
Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?
I know a lot of authors who save everything they cut out of their manuscripts, just in case. I have found that I do better revisions when I just delete stuff. After all, if I decide later that I really do need that paragraph that I cut, I can probably write it better the second time anyway. I have to just move forward and not dwell on what parts of my original baby aren't there anymore. I don't hang on to them. (Unless they'd make a really fun deleted scene; I give myself one of those per book. Everything else goes.)
What’s your best advice for young writers?
Read. You will never learn more about story and plot than by reading. I think that authors who either don't read, or don't read much, are missing out.
What’s special about your debut novel?
I have faeries like no faeries you've ever seen before. It's one of the things I am proudest of!
What were the best and worst parts of writing it?
The best part of writing my book was discovering the perfect ending.
The worst part was discovering that the previous ending that I thought was perfect, well, wasn't. Not being able to write the right ending on WINGS was the first time I ever cried about my writing.
How did you find your agent and/or editor?
I was lucky enough to have a recommendation for my agent, however, there was a mix-up in the office and she didn't actually get it for over ten months. During that time, I did the query thing. I got rejections (lots of them) and several requests for partials and fulls . . . and more rejections.;) Even though I ended up signing with the first agent I sent stuff to, I feel like experiencing the full gamut of querying was really good for me. Every author should be intimately acquainted with the sting of rejection. Then they are less likely to forget just how sweet that first yes is.
Thanks, Aprilynne!
You can read more about Aprilynne at her website. You can pick up your copy of WINGS at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!
Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series... C. Lee McKenzie, author of SLIDING ON THE EDGE, will be stopping by on Thursday.
It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids. 2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors. (You'll even be able to read some successful query letters!) If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!
Today...Aprilynne Pike, author of WINGS!Aprilynne Pike's WINGS is the first of four books about an ordinary girl named Laurel who discovers she is a faerie sent among humans to guard the gateway to Avalon. When Laurel is thrust into the midst of a centuries-old battle between faeries and trolls, she's torn between a human and a faerie love, as well as her loyalties to both worlds.
Welcome, Aprilynne! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.
I had a fiction instructor in college who would occasionally, at the end of a short-story critique, say, "Clean it up; send it out." It was the highest of compliments, and something she didn't say often. I was part of an extremely talented class and I didn't (still don't) think my stuff was as good as theirs. But I had one story that I really liked and worked really hard on. And at the end of the class critique, my professor looked at me, met my eyes, and say, "Clean it up; send it out." That was the moment I thought it just might be possible to someday get something published.
What books did you love when you were a kid?
I loved way too many books to list here, but some of my most memorable ones were The Boxcar Children, anything by VC Andrews, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi, The Fairy Rebel by Lynne Reid Banks, and The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.
Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?
Janet Cain; my junior English teacher. She taught me to love literature, Not just books, and not just modern texts, she taught me to love all well-written literature. I read more classic literature in her class than any other I've ever taken . . . and half of it was unassigned!:)
Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals? Music? Food & beverages?
I have three young children and--until recently--a husband in law school. So I write when I can. Ideally, I like to lock myself in my office and get comfy with my laptop, but that's not always possible. I like drinks and snacks while working, because I've learned that writing takes a degree of physical stamina as well as mental. I don't generally listen to music, because I find myself typing the lyrics instead of my story.:) But I am a Diet Root Beer junkie and often have a cup of tea at hand as well.
Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?
I know a lot of authors who save everything they cut out of their manuscripts, just in case. I have found that I do better revisions when I just delete stuff. After all, if I decide later that I really do need that paragraph that I cut, I can probably write it better the second time anyway. I have to just move forward and not dwell on what parts of my original baby aren't there anymore. I don't hang on to them. (Unless they'd make a really fun deleted scene; I give myself one of those per book. Everything else goes.)
What’s your best advice for young writers?
Read. You will never learn more about story and plot than by reading. I think that authors who either don't read, or don't read much, are missing out.
What’s special about your debut novel?
I have faeries like no faeries you've ever seen before. It's one of the things I am proudest of!
What were the best and worst parts of writing it?
The best part of writing my book was discovering the perfect ending.
The worst part was discovering that the previous ending that I thought was perfect, well, wasn't. Not being able to write the right ending on WINGS was the first time I ever cried about my writing.
How did you find your agent and/or editor?
I was lucky enough to have a recommendation for my agent, however, there was a mix-up in the office and she didn't actually get it for over ten months. During that time, I did the query thing. I got rejections (lots of them) and several requests for partials and fulls . . . and more rejections.;) Even though I ended up signing with the first agent I sent stuff to, I feel like experiencing the full gamut of querying was really good for me. Every author should be intimately acquainted with the sting of rejection. Then they are less likely to forget just how sweet that first yes is.
Thanks, Aprilynne!
You can read more about Aprilynne at her website. You can pick up your copy of WINGS at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!
Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series... C. Lee McKenzie, author of SLIDING ON THE EDGE, will be stopping by on Thursday.
My Friday started early, with a rocky, bumpy ferry ride to Vermont for the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Conference. I don't think I've ever been on the lake when it was this rough.
This is my windshield. There was no fog & It was not raining...just a sheet of lake water coming over the front of the boat.
Truth be told, it was kind of fun and exciting. Part of me wanted to get out of the car, cling to a railing and shout, "Batten down the hatches!!"
But I'm not sure they have hatches on the ferry and I would have gotten my conference clothes all wet, so I refrained.
The conference was held at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, Vermont. This has to be one of the prettiest views I've ever had from a workshop room.
I loved visiting with the teachers & librarians in my workshop, and one of them made me laugh at the end, when I shared the news that the nice folks at Bloomsbury/Walker had sent along ARCs of my new book, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z, for everyone who attended my presentation.
"Oh!" she said. "It's just like Oprah!"
Not quite...but there was a celebrity on hand, of near-Oprah status.
Caldecott Medalist David Macauley, who gave the morning keynote address, was gracious enough to sign books for my kids.
We had David's new book, The Way We Work, out at the Messner house just last night. We were talking about the swine flu, and my son was trying to explain to my daughter how a virus isn't really a living thing. "Hold on," I said...and sure enough, we found a fantastic illustration of an influenza virus, along with a great explanation of why it needs a host cell to reproduce.
Vermont's DCF Committee did a phenomenal job with this conference, and it was lovely to spend the whole day talking about books with people who love them so much. Thanks, Vermont teachers & librarians, for a terrific day!
This is my windshield. There was no fog & It was not raining...just a sheet of lake water coming over the front of the boat.
Truth be told, it was kind of fun and exciting. Part of me wanted to get out of the car, cling to a railing and shout, "Batten down the hatches!!"
But I'm not sure they have hatches on the ferry and I would have gotten my conference clothes all wet, so I refrained.
The conference was held at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, Vermont. This has to be one of the prettiest views I've ever had from a workshop room.
I loved visiting with the teachers & librarians in my workshop, and one of them made me laugh at the end, when I shared the news that the nice folks at Bloomsbury/Walker had sent along ARCs of my new book, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z, for everyone who attended my presentation.
"Oh!" she said. "It's just like Oprah!"
Not quite...but there was a celebrity on hand, of near-Oprah status.
Caldecott Medalist David Macauley, who gave the morning keynote address, was gracious enough to sign books for my kids.
We had David's new book, The Way We Work, out at the Messner house just last night. We were talking about the swine flu, and my son was trying to explain to my daughter how a virus isn't really a living thing. "Hold on," I said...and sure enough, we found a fantastic illustration of an influenza virus, along with a great explanation of why it needs a host cell to reproduce.
Vermont's DCF Committee did a phenomenal job with this conference, and it was lovely to spend the whole day talking about books with people who love them so much. Thanks, Vermont teachers & librarians, for a terrific day!
May just might be my new favorite month. Not only are my tulips about to burst into bloom, but it's also Reading Celebration Month at Peru Intermediate School. I'm their guest author, which means I get to spend time talking books with a crew of excited kids who love to read.
This poster in the front hallway made me smile. I'm so glad I could visit on an outdoor recess day!
What could be better? More than 500 enthusiastic Peru kids were at the assembly where I spoke this afternoon to kick off their May reading extravaganza.
Note: That's not me up front. It's Mr. Storms, the principal of Peru Intermediate, who chose David Wisniewski's GOLEM as his favorite book for the faculty/staff slideshow. This is, in my book, solid evidence that he is a very cool principal.
I love how this school has set up its reading incentive program, making room for all kinds of readers. Students are meeting with their teachers to decide on their own individual reading goals. When they meet their goals, which they can choose to make public or keep private, they get to put their names up on one of these way-cool ships in the front entrance display.
Why ships? The theme for this year's reading incentive program is Lake Champlain. Since my historical novels are set on the lake, all of the classes are reading at least one of them. I'll be spending a full day with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders later on this month to talk about the research and stories behind Spitfire and Champlain and the Silent One. They'll also get a super-sneak preview of my new book, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z (Walker, Fall '09), which is set near the lake in modern times.
Today, though, it was all about the reading. After a slideshow of their teachers' favorite books, I talked about some of my favorites, past and present. We talked about how books let us travel through time, show us ourselves, and bring us together. And I shared my own reading goals for the month of May. I'm planning to read a mix of picture books, poetry, novels for younger kids, high school novels, and books for adults.
Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon by Jeannine Atkins (I have a shiny new, signed copy from the NESCBWI Conference!)
Masterpiece by Elise Broach (I've been wanting to read this for ages - can't wait!)
Border Songs by Jim Lynch (I loved his novel The Highest Tide and was happy to pick up this advance copy of his latest.)
The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry (I read an early draft of this book and can't wait to dig into the final version!)
Bug Boy by Eric Luper (Is it cheating that I've already started reading this ARC? I was going to save it, but it just didn't work out.)
Nine Horses by Billy Collins (This is the book of poetry that I was so excited to find on the library book sale cart for fifty cents.)
This poster in the front hallway made me smile. I'm so glad I could visit on an outdoor recess day!
What could be better? More than 500 enthusiastic Peru kids were at the assembly where I spoke this afternoon to kick off their May reading extravaganza.
Note: That's not me up front. It's Mr. Storms, the principal of Peru Intermediate, who chose David Wisniewski's GOLEM as his favorite book for the faculty/staff slideshow. This is, in my book, solid evidence that he is a very cool principal.
I love how this school has set up its reading incentive program, making room for all kinds of readers. Students are meeting with their teachers to decide on their own individual reading goals. When they meet their goals, which they can choose to make public or keep private, they get to put their names up on one of these way-cool ships in the front entrance display.
Why ships? The theme for this year's reading incentive program is Lake Champlain. Since my historical novels are set on the lake, all of the classes are reading at least one of them. I'll be spending a full day with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders later on this month to talk about the research and stories behind Spitfire and Champlain and the Silent One. They'll also get a super-sneak preview of my new book, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z (Walker, Fall '09), which is set near the lake in modern times.
Today, though, it was all about the reading. After a slideshow of their teachers' favorite books, I talked about some of my favorites, past and present. We talked about how books let us travel through time, show us ourselves, and bring us together. And I shared my own reading goals for the month of May. I'm planning to read a mix of picture books, poetry, novels for younger kids, high school novels, and books for adults.
Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon by Jeannine Atkins (I have a shiny new, signed copy from the NESCBWI Conference!)
Masterpiece by Elise Broach (I've been wanting to read this for ages - can't wait!)
Border Songs by Jim Lynch (I loved his novel The Highest Tide and was happy to pick up this advance copy of his latest.)
The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry (I read an early draft of this book and can't wait to dig into the final version!)
Bug Boy by Eric Luper (Is it cheating that I've already started reading this ARC? I was going to save it, but it just didn't work out.)
Nine Horses by Billy Collins (This is the book of poetry that I was so excited to find on the library book sale cart for fifty cents.)
I'll be sure to post some thoughts as I finish each one. And if you're a Peru student reading this...know that as I work my way through my pile of books, I'm cheering for you to meet your goal, too!
Tomorrow, I'm the author guest at Peru Intermediate School's Reading Celebration Kickoff for the month of May. (That's Peru, NY...not Peru, South America. If you want to hear about the South America Peru, you should visit halseanderson , who just had a school visit there!) I'm excited to meet the kids, talk about some books I loved when I was younger, and share our reading goals for the month.
Friday, I'm presenting a workshop at Vermont's DCF Conference:
Celebrating 400 Years on Lake Champlain: Author and English teacher Kate Messner discusses her two historical novels set on Lake Champlain as well as her upcoming book The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z (Walker, Fall '09). Kate will share her research and writing process as well as strategies for using her books in the classroom to help celebrate the history and natural landscape of Vermont.
I'm looking forward to spending the day at the conference. I'll get to hang out with cool librarians and hear talks from David Macauley, whose new book The Way We Work is just so cool, and Beth Kanell, whose historical YA novel The Darkness Under the Water is wonderfully haunting.
And now, some places you might want to go and people you might want to visit...
First of all, have you read Winnie's War by Jenny Moss? This historical novel, set during the 1918 influenza epidemic, is terrific and suddenly feels very timely. I'm on a panel with Jenny at the 2009 NCTE conference, talking about pairing fiction and nonfiction in the classroom, so we chat online from time to time. She was telling me that she has a school visit coming up soon, and I can just imagine the questions she'll be getting. It's a great title for teachers who want to explore the changes in medicine, disease preparedness, and technology over the past century.
Kristy Dempsey's picture book Me With You is on its way to bookstores as we speak, and if you've had a peek at the book trailer on her website, you know how cute this one is. The illustrations by Christopher Denise are just charming. Kristy is running a contest where you can win a copy over atkristydempsey .
Linda Urban is reading and signing copies of her new picture book Mouse Was Mad, illustrated by Henry Cole, at Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne, VT Saturday morning at 11. I already have my signed copy and have read it at least a dozen times since Saturday. I've laughed every single time.
And finally, my friendmarjorielight has a new hedgehog. Seriously. Go visit and help her name the prickly critter.
halseanderson , who just had a school visit there!) I'm excited to meet the kids, talk about some books I loved when I was younger, and share our reading goals for the month.Friday, I'm presenting a workshop at Vermont's DCF Conference:
Celebrating 400 Years on Lake Champlain: Author and English teacher Kate Messner discusses her two historical novels set on Lake Champlain as well as her upcoming book The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z (Walker, Fall '09). Kate will share her research and writing process as well as strategies for using her books in the classroom to help celebrate the history and natural landscape of Vermont.
I'm looking forward to spending the day at the conference. I'll get to hang out with cool librarians and hear talks from David Macauley, whose new book The Way We Work is just so cool, and Beth Kanell, whose historical YA novel The Darkness Under the Water is wonderfully haunting.
And now, some places you might want to go and people you might want to visit...
First of all, have you read Winnie's War by Jenny Moss? This historical novel, set during the 1918 influenza epidemic, is terrific and suddenly feels very timely. I'm on a panel with Jenny at the 2009 NCTE conference, talking about pairing fiction and nonfiction in the classroom, so we chat online from time to time. She was telling me that she has a school visit coming up soon, and I can just imagine the questions she'll be getting. It's a great title for teachers who want to explore the changes in medicine, disease preparedness, and technology over the past century.
Kristy Dempsey's picture book Me With You is on its way to bookstores as we speak, and if you've had a peek at the book trailer on her website, you know how cute this one is. The illustrations by Christopher Denise are just charming. Kristy is running a contest where you can win a copy over at
kristydempsey .Linda Urban is reading and signing copies of her new picture book Mouse Was Mad, illustrated by Henry Cole, at Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne, VT Saturday morning at 11. I already have my signed copy and have read it at least a dozen times since Saturday. I've laughed every single time.
And finally, my friend
marjorielight has a new hedgehog. Seriously. Go visit and help her name the prickly critter.
At the request of some folks on Twitter, I'm posting the handout from last weekend's NESCBWI panel discussion, "Everything You've Always Wanted to Know About Agents...But Were Afraid to Ask." I participated in the panel, along with my agent Jennifer Laughran of ABLA, author Jo Knowles and her agent Barry Goldblatt, and author/illustrator Carlyn Beccia and her agent Tracey Adams. We talked about many elements of the agent-author relationship Saturday afternoon and promised more on how to query an agent in the handout. Some of it will seem obvious, but believe it or not, agents see query letters that don't follow guidelines all the time.
Tips for Querying Agents
1. Do your homework. Make sure you know what kind of work the agent generally represents. Spell the name correctly. Make sure your manuscript is ready to submit. Then follow the submission guidelines exactly.
Why is this important? Because you’re asking someone to represent you as a professional in a career where you will frequently need to follow directions and do things a certain way. Prove that you can do it up front. Don’t give an agent a reason to say no.
2. When you write your query letter:
a. Address the agent by his or her name, i.e. Dear Mr. Goldblatt
b. Write a very brief first paragraph explaining why you are writing (to see if the agent is interested in representing your project) and why you chose that agent in particular. Did you read that the agent was looking for paranormal romance? Does he or she represent an author you love?
c. It’s fine to say you’ve met one of the agent’s clients or admire their books, but don’t make it sound like you were referred to an agent unless an author specifically referred you and offered to contact the agent to say so. Agents will check on this, and you’ll look unprofessional if you’ve stretched the truth.
d. In your next paragraph or two, give a brief summary of your book. This summary should read more like jacket copy than a book report. It’s meant give a quick overview to entice the agent to request your manuscript and does not need to include every little plot element. It does need to be clear, concise, and well written. If your book is funny, it helps if your query is funny, too.
e. In your last paragraph, give a brief closing. You might say to whom your book would appeal or how you think it fits into the market. Thank the agent and offer to send your manuscript along at his or her request.
Keep in mind, there's a lot of advice out there on querying, and this is just one take on the process. There are no magic query potions. If you're interested in learning more about what to do and especially what not to do, you'll want to check out this post from Scholastic editor Cheryl Klein.
Tips for Querying Agents
1. Do your homework. Make sure you know what kind of work the agent generally represents. Spell the name correctly. Make sure your manuscript is ready to submit. Then follow the submission guidelines exactly.
Why is this important? Because you’re asking someone to represent you as a professional in a career where you will frequently need to follow directions and do things a certain way. Prove that you can do it up front. Don’t give an agent a reason to say no.
2. When you write your query letter:
a. Address the agent by his or her name, i.e. Dear Mr. Goldblatt
b. Write a very brief first paragraph explaining why you are writing (to see if the agent is interested in representing your project) and why you chose that agent in particular. Did you read that the agent was looking for paranormal romance? Does he or she represent an author you love?
c. It’s fine to say you’ve met one of the agent’s clients or admire their books, but don’t make it sound like you were referred to an agent unless an author specifically referred you and offered to contact the agent to say so. Agents will check on this, and you’ll look unprofessional if you’ve stretched the truth.
d. In your next paragraph or two, give a brief summary of your book. This summary should read more like jacket copy than a book report. It’s meant give a quick overview to entice the agent to request your manuscript and does not need to include every little plot element. It does need to be clear, concise, and well written. If your book is funny, it helps if your query is funny, too.
e. In your last paragraph, give a brief closing. You might say to whom your book would appeal or how you think it fits into the market. Thank the agent and offer to send your manuscript along at his or her request.
3. Give it time. Agents are incredibly busy and may take weeks or months to respond to your query. Status query only after three months or whatever the agent’s guidelines suggest.
Keep in mind, there's a lot of advice out there on querying, and this is just one take on the process. There are no magic query potions. If you're interested in learning more about what to do and especially what not to do, you'll want to check out this post from Scholastic editor Cheryl Klein.
10. An unreliable narrator -- one who doesn't tell the truth for any number of reasons -- can add tension to a story. In her workshop called "You Lying Scumbag" (love that title!), Jacqueline Davies read a bit from her new historical novel LOST and shared an Ian McEwan quote that stuck with me. "Narrative tension is primarily about the withholding of information."
9. Being sort of scared to write about race, for fear of messing up, is not a good reason to avoid it. Mitali Perkins challenged her workshop participants to include more diversity in their casts of characters, and not in just superficial ways.
8. Along those same lines...a quote from Floyd Cooper during the diversity panel... "A good multicultural book should start as a good book."
7. It is possible to remain calm, cool, collected, and friendly while coordinating a conference for hundreds of writers. Co-directors Anna Boll and Anindita Basu Sempere proved it over and over again.
6. My agentliteraticat is just as terrific in person as she is online. We met for the first time Friday and got to spend lots of time talking and laughing over the weekend.
5. Agents in general -- at least the good ones -- are incredibly committed to good books. I was impressed when an audience member at our panel discussion on agents & authors asked how long an agent will shop a manuscript before it's dead in the water. The answer? A really, really long time, if they believe in the manuscript. Barry Goldblatt told the story of a book he sold after seven or eight YEARS of trying on and off, and Tracey Adams shared a similar experience. Sometimes, depending on what the market is like, they'll put a story on the back burner for a while, but that doesn't always mean giving up on it.
4. The Nashua Crowne Plaza has very good chocolate chip muffins, but it's impossible to eat them without making a mess. There are chocolate smudges on half of my notebook pages.
3. Sometimes, when I am really busy and having lots of fun, I forget to take all the great pictures I intended to take. But I have these...
What we had for dinner there, which brings me to....
2. I do like fish & chips! I do, I like them, Sam-I-Am. Actually, that would be Linda-I-Am, since it waslurban who told me I really ought to order them, since they are the specialty of this great Nashua pub and come all wrapped up in newspaper. The meal was fantastic, as was the company.
1. Children's writers & illustrators and the editors and agents who work with them are some of the friendliest, funniest, smartest, most supportive and generous people on the planet. I so loved meeting new writer-friends and spending time with people I usually talk with online, including my agent and online critique buddies. Truth be told, I knew that before this weekend, but every time I attend an event like this, I'm reminded of it, so it's still #1.
9. Being sort of scared to write about race, for fear of messing up, is not a good reason to avoid it. Mitali Perkins challenged her workshop participants to include more diversity in their casts of characters, and not in just superficial ways.
8. Along those same lines...a quote from Floyd Cooper during the diversity panel... "A good multicultural book should start as a good book."
7. It is possible to remain calm, cool, collected, and friendly while coordinating a conference for hundreds of writers. Co-directors Anna Boll and Anindita Basu Sempere proved it over and over again.
6. My agent
literaticat is just as terrific in person as she is online. We met for the first time Friday and got to spend lots of time talking and laughing over the weekend.5. Agents in general -- at least the good ones -- are incredibly committed to good books. I was impressed when an audience member at our panel discussion on agents & authors asked how long an agent will shop a manuscript before it's dead in the water. The answer? A really, really long time, if they believe in the manuscript. Barry Goldblatt told the story of a book he sold after seven or eight YEARS of trying on and off, and Tracey Adams shared a similar experience. Sometimes, depending on what the market is like, they'll put a story on the back burner for a while, but that doesn't always mean giving up on it.
4. The Nashua Crowne Plaza has very good chocolate chip muffins, but it's impossible to eat them without making a mess. There are chocolate smudges on half of my notebook pages.
3. Sometimes, when I am really busy and having lots of fun, I forget to take all the great pictures I intended to take. But I have these...
Saturday night dinner at The Peddler's Daughter in Nashua
What we had for dinner there, which brings me to....
2. I do like fish & chips! I do, I like them, Sam-I-Am. Actually, that would be Linda-I-Am, since it was
lurban who told me I really ought to order them, since they are the specialty of this great Nashua pub and come all wrapped up in newspaper. The meal was fantastic, as was the company.1. Children's writers & illustrators and the editors and agents who work with them are some of the friendliest, funniest, smartest, most supportive and generous people on the planet. I so loved meeting new writer-friends and spending time with people I usually talk with online, including my agent and online critique buddies. Truth be told, I knew that before this weekend, but every time I attend an event like this, I'm reminded of it, so it's still #1.
Highlights of my Saturday afternoon at NESCBWI...
- I was part of the panel discussion "Everything You've Always Wanted to Know About Agents...But Were Afraid to Ask," along with my agent Jennifer Laughran, Jo Knowles and her agent Barry Goldblatt, and Carlyn Beccia and her agent Tracey Adams. This was my first time presenting at an SCBWI Conference, so I was a little nervous, but having so many smart, nice people on the panel made it a million times easier. We had great questions. Can a first-time novelist still find an agent? (Yes!) How do you usually communicate with your agent? (Email, mostly. It was interesting to note that two of the three agents on the panel had met their clients in person for the very first time just this weekend!) More on the panel, questions & answers later on. And if you were at the panel, thank you so much for coming and for your great questions! Watch your email for the handout later this week!
- I loved looking at the posters for the illustrator showcase. I'm always in awe of illustrators, and the folks who created work for us all to enjoy in the conference lobby deserve a big thanks!
- Fish & Chips! At a local pub so loud my ears are still kind of ringing. With homemade ketchup... Mmmmm....
- I stayed up wayyyyy too late talking with friends in the hotel lobby. To that end.... time for coffee. I'll post some photos later in the week!
Cynthia Lord's keynote talk at NESCBWI this morning was...well...it was everything that Cynthia is. Smart and warm and inspiring and nurturing and wonderful. If you've met Cindy or know her on LJ, you know exactly what I mean. And she was right...we did need the Kleenex when she shared some of the letters she's received from kids about RULES.
Other highlights... Jacqueline Davies got us thinking about the different kinds of unreliable narrators in her workshop whose title, "You Lying Scumbag," should probably be in the running for most intriguing workshop title ever.
And Mitali Perkins gave a fantatic workshop on race in children's literature. Many highlights were in her SLJ article on that topic that you can read here.
Time for my authors & agents panel! EEEeeeEEE!!! More to come later on...
Other highlights... Jacqueline Davies got us thinking about the different kinds of unreliable narrators in her workshop whose title, "You Lying Scumbag," should probably be in the running for most intriguing workshop title ever.
And Mitali Perkins gave a fantatic workshop on race in children's literature. Many highlights were in her SLJ article on that topic that you can read here.
Time for my authors & agents panel! EEEeeeEEE!!! More to come later on...
I left my camera connector thing at home, so photos will have to wait, but I thought I'd post a quick update from Nashua all the same. (For my mom and others who may not know writer acronyms, NESCBWI stands for New England Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.)
Highlights of Day 1:
Highlights of Day 1:
- Meeting conference co-chairs Anna Boll and Anindita Basu Sempere and other conference organizers at lunch. Honestly, the organizational abilities of these women has me in awe. And they shared some exciting news about next year's conference - a new venue and a 21st century theme, "Moments of Change," focusing on the way technology impacts our craft and careers.
- Meeting my agent literaticat in person for the first time! She is just as funny and friendly and smart in real life. I knew it!
- Seeing writer friends from all over New England, meeting people I've only talked with online, and celebrating recent good news with so many of them. We New England folks are a busy, busy bunch of writers & illustrators!
- Coming back to my hotell room to find an email from a young reader that started out, "I wanted to write and thank you for being an author!!!" Every sentence in her email had three exclamation points. It made my day and was a lovely reminder of why we're all here.
- I'm so looking forward to Cynthia Lord's keynote address after breakfast. She warned us to bring the Kleenex. This is just trouble for those of us who are known to cry during Folgers coffee commercials.
- Terrific workshops on tap - and I'm wishing I could be everywhere at once! First stop for me today...Jacqueline Davies' session called "You Lying Scumbag: The Joys and Perils of Creating an Unreliable Narrator."
- I'm presenting this afternoon as part of a panel on "Everything You've Wanted to Know About Agents... But Were Afraid to Ask" along with my agent Jennifer Laughran, Jo Knowles and her agent Barry Goldblatt, and Carlyn Beccia and her agent Tracey Adams. We have a crowd of 80 people signed up for the session, and I bet they'll have some great questions.
- Then I am going to the conference bookstore, where I will proceed to buy more books that do not fit on my shelves at home. We need more shelves.
- Then off to dinner with friends at a place with what's been pitched to me as the best fish & chips ever. Stop by for the full rundown on unreliable narrators, friends, fish & chips later on....
Lots to be thankful for today!
1. When I walked to the library to return books at lunchtime, I found a book of Billy Collins poetry on the 50-cent book sale rack.
NINE HORSES is the only one I didn't already own. Suffice to say, I own it now and read it all the way back to school.
2. I'm thankful for the guy who almost ran me over because I was crossing the street reading. He didn't run me over, and when I finally looked up from my poem, alarmed and sheepish, he smiled instead of making a rude gesture. That was nice of him. Happy National Poetry Month, guy-in-the-pickup-truck!
3. My Advanced Creative Writing students are giving the spotlight presentation at tonight's school board meeting. Four of them are reading from their works in progress. They are brave and talented and awesome, and I'm mighty proud of them.
4. Tomorrow, I leave for the NE SCBWI Conference! I'm going to see my critique buddieslgburns and eluper and so many other writer friends, and I'll get to hear cynthialord 's keynote address and meet my agent literaticat in person for the first time ever...and...and....and... I'm excited and thankful and sounding like an overzealous first grader now so I'll stop at that.
1. When I walked to the library to return books at lunchtime, I found a book of Billy Collins poetry on the 50-cent book sale rack.
NINE HORSES is the only one I didn't already own. Suffice to say, I own it now and read it all the way back to school.
2. I'm thankful for the guy who almost ran me over because I was crossing the street reading. He didn't run me over, and when I finally looked up from my poem, alarmed and sheepish, he smiled instead of making a rude gesture. That was nice of him. Happy National Poetry Month, guy-in-the-pickup-truck!
3. My Advanced Creative Writing students are giving the spotlight presentation at tonight's school board meeting. Four of them are reading from their works in progress. They are brave and talented and awesome, and I'm mighty proud of them.
4. Tomorrow, I leave for the NE SCBWI Conference! I'm going to see my critique buddies
lgburns and eluper and so many other writer friends, and I'll get to hear cynthialord 's keynote address and meet my agent literaticat in person for the first time ever...and...and....and... I'm excited and thankful and sounding like an overzealous first grader now so I'll stop at that.
A couple weeks ago, I had the good fortune to spend a day with the terrific kids at Grand Isle School and their equally terrific librarian, Susanna Paterson, who is both a fellow teacher and a fellow writer.
Susanna was an amazing hostess who kept me right on schedule through three presentations and a lunchtime book signing, and her students were delightful, smart kids with fantastic questions.
Two of them made me smile within minutes of my arrival. The first one, a seventh grade boy who was helping Susanna get the library arranged for my presentation, stopped setting up chairs, walked right up to me and said, "Hi. I love your book!" I'm sure he didn't realize at the time just how much that means to an author who's just about to start a full day of presentations, full of too much coffee and nerves, but I hope he knows now that he absolutely made my day.
The other kid-who-made-my-day was a second grader who grabbed a front row seat for my presentation to the younger kids.
"'Are you Kate Messner?" He bounced up and down a few times.
"Yes, I am," I told him. "It's nice to meet you!"
"We went to your website with our teacher!" More bouncing.
"Really?"
"Yes..." (pause) "You look older than I thought you would."
I laughed. "Well, that happens sometimes, huh?"
He nodded. "But don't worry. Not much older. Just a little bit older."
He and his classmates proceeded to tell me all about some of the other things they learned at my website. You ate fried crickets once! You keep pet worms in your basement! We had a grand time talking about my upcoming picture book, OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW (Chronicle, 2010), animal tracks, and which critters might be hiding under Vermont's winter snow pack.
They were a fabulous audience, just like the older students I saw later in the morning. Thanks, Susanna and all my other new friends, for a great day at Grand Isle School!
Susanna was an amazing hostess who kept me right on schedule through three presentations and a lunchtime book signing, and her students were delightful, smart kids with fantastic questions.
Two of them made me smile within minutes of my arrival. The first one, a seventh grade boy who was helping Susanna get the library arranged for my presentation, stopped setting up chairs, walked right up to me and said, "Hi. I love your book!" I'm sure he didn't realize at the time just how much that means to an author who's just about to start a full day of presentations, full of too much coffee and nerves, but I hope he knows now that he absolutely made my day.
The other kid-who-made-my-day was a second grader who grabbed a front row seat for my presentation to the younger kids.
"'Are you Kate Messner?" He bounced up and down a few times.
"Yes, I am," I told him. "It's nice to meet you!"
"We went to your website with our teacher!" More bouncing.
"Really?"
"Yes..." (pause) "You look older than I thought you would."
I laughed. "Well, that happens sometimes, huh?"
He nodded. "But don't worry. Not much older. Just a little bit older."
He and his classmates proceeded to tell me all about some of the other things they learned at my website. You ate fried crickets once! You keep pet worms in your basement! We had a grand time talking about my upcoming picture book, OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW (Chronicle, 2010), animal tracks, and which critters might be hiding under Vermont's winter snow pack.
They were a fabulous audience, just like the older students I saw later in the morning. Thanks, Susanna and all my other new friends, for a great day at Grand Isle School!
I've been a quiet blogger lately, mostly because we've been on vacation, visiting family in Southwest Florida. The sunshine was a welcome break from our Northern NY skies that spit snowflakes well into April. For the past five months, spending time outdoors has meant cold, crisp air, jackets, and gloves...ice-covered lakes and snowy mountains, so it was almost like exploring an alien landscape when we visited Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and enjoyed a 2.25 mile boardwalk hike through stunning Florida wilderness.
Because it's been such a dry season, the swamp wasn't as swampy as usual though. Many of the lakes were dried up or reduced to small ponds with muddy alligator trails leading from one to another.
We did eventually find water, and with it, a couple lounging alligators and dozens of gorgeous wading birds.
The birds here were incredible. We spotted so many species we just don't see at home...wood storks, roseate spoonbills, great egrets, black and white warblers, gray catbirds, pileated woodpeckers, and red-shouldered hawks. We never saw them, but we heard barred owls calling to one another, "Who? Who? Who-cooks-for-you?"
E and I enjoyed the trail so much that we left the boys sleeping the next morning and came out for an early morning walk. This time, a fog sat over the swamp, lacing spiderwebs that had been invisible on our first visit.
Just as we were about to leave, an older woman who was walking a ways behind us called out in a loud whisper, "Come back! There's something here you'll want to see." She was right.
We stood silently with her and watched the red-shouldered hawk until it flew off to a different treetop.
I thanked her for calling us back and asked if she lived nearby.
She nodded. "I come here every morning."
I didn't need to ask why. Walking out of the swamp with her that morning, I could tell she feels the same way about this place that my family feels about Lake Champlain. When a landscape is home, you have a special appreciation for it -- not a visitor's wide eyed wonder, but a deeper connection...a sense for how it breathes and grows and changes every day. There was a reason she spotted the hawk that we missed, even though he was right along the boardwalk. Calling us back was her way of sharing a little bit of her morning turf with visitors, and we're so very thankful that she did.
Because it's been such a dry season, the swamp wasn't as swampy as usual though. Many of the lakes were dried up or reduced to small ponds with muddy alligator trails leading from one to another.
We did eventually find water, and with it, a couple lounging alligators and dozens of gorgeous wading birds.
The birds here were incredible. We spotted so many species we just don't see at home...wood storks, roseate spoonbills, great egrets, black and white warblers, gray catbirds, pileated woodpeckers, and red-shouldered hawks. We never saw them, but we heard barred owls calling to one another, "Who? Who? Who-cooks-for-you?"
E and I enjoyed the trail so much that we left the boys sleeping the next morning and came out for an early morning walk. This time, a fog sat over the swamp, lacing spiderwebs that had been invisible on our first visit.
Just as we were about to leave, an older woman who was walking a ways behind us called out in a loud whisper, "Come back! There's something here you'll want to see." She was right.
We stood silently with her and watched the red-shouldered hawk until it flew off to a different treetop.
I thanked her for calling us back and asked if she lived nearby.
She nodded. "I come here every morning."
I didn't need to ask why. Walking out of the swamp with her that morning, I could tell she feels the same way about this place that my family feels about Lake Champlain. When a landscape is home, you have a special appreciation for it -- not a visitor's wide eyed wonder, but a deeper connection...a sense for how it breathes and grows and changes every day. There was a reason she spotted the hawk that we missed, even though he was right along the boardwalk. Calling us back was her way of sharing a little bit of her morning turf with visitors, and we're so very thankful that she did.
This post is part of a year-long series of blog interviews I'm hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here."
It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids. 2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors. (You'll even be able to read some successful query letters!) If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!
Today...Cheryl Renee Herbsman, author of BREATHING!
What if the guy who took your breath away was the only one who could help you breathe? Savannah would be happy to spend the summer in her coastal Carolina town lying in a hammock reading her beloved romance novels and working at the library. But then she meets Jackson. Once they lock eyes, she’s convinced he’s the one—her true love, her soul mate, a boy different from all the rest. And at first it looks like Savannah is right. Jackson abides by her mama’s strict rules, and stays by her side during a hospitalization for severe asthma, which Savannah becomes convinced is only improving because Jackson is there. But when he’s called away to help his family—and seems uncertain about returning—Savannah has to learn to breathe on her own, both literally and figuratively.
Welcome, Cheryl! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.
I started out writing personal essays, journaling, etc. But then, over a period of five years, I wrote a novel for adults. That was when I said, hey, maybe I could really do this.
What books did you love when you were a kid?
I loved to read as a kid – anything from The Boxcar Children and Anne of Green Gables to A Wrinkle in Time and The White Mountains Trilogy. I would read pretty much anything.
Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals? Music? Food & beverages?
I write while my kids are at school. My writing space is my bed, where I sit with my laptop. I always have candles and incense burning to help me leave the daily world behind. I don’t eat while I’m writing. But afterwards, I often crave chocolate.
Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?
I’m not really a strategy type of person. I just sort of dive in wherever and see where it takes me.
What’s your best advice for young writers?
Read a lot, write a lot and never give up.
What’s special about your debut novel?
My novel is about learning to trust yourself and follow your dreams. Also, the main character, Savannah has very severe asthma. I don’t think there are a whole lot of novels about a character with asthma.
What were the best and worst parts of writing it?
Falling into the story and letting it happen was the best part. The worst part is those rare occasions of getting stuck.
How did you find your agent and/or editor?
I looked at Publishers Marketplace to see what agents had sold a young adult novel in the past year. Then I sent out e-queries to my top eight choices.
Thanks, Cheryl! Click here to learn more about Cheryl at her website. You can pick up your copy of BREATHING at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!
Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series... Aprilynne Pike, author of WINGS, will be stopping by on May 5th.
It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids. 2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors. (You'll even be able to read some successful query letters!) If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!
Today...Cheryl Renee Herbsman, author of BREATHING!What if the guy who took your breath away was the only one who could help you breathe? Savannah would be happy to spend the summer in her coastal Carolina town lying in a hammock reading her beloved romance novels and working at the library. But then she meets Jackson. Once they lock eyes, she’s convinced he’s the one—her true love, her soul mate, a boy different from all the rest. And at first it looks like Savannah is right. Jackson abides by her mama’s strict rules, and stays by her side during a hospitalization for severe asthma, which Savannah becomes convinced is only improving because Jackson is there. But when he’s called away to help his family—and seems uncertain about returning—Savannah has to learn to breathe on her own, both literally and figuratively.
Welcome, Cheryl! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.
I started out writing personal essays, journaling, etc. But then, over a period of five years, I wrote a novel for adults. That was when I said, hey, maybe I could really do this.
What books did you love when you were a kid?
I loved to read as a kid – anything from The Boxcar Children and Anne of Green Gables to A Wrinkle in Time and The White Mountains Trilogy. I would read pretty much anything.
Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals? Music? Food & beverages?
I write while my kids are at school. My writing space is my bed, where I sit with my laptop. I always have candles and incense burning to help me leave the daily world behind. I don’t eat while I’m writing. But afterwards, I often crave chocolate.
Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?
I’m not really a strategy type of person. I just sort of dive in wherever and see where it takes me.
What’s your best advice for young writers?
Read a lot, write a lot and never give up.
What’s special about your debut novel?
My novel is about learning to trust yourself and follow your dreams. Also, the main character, Savannah has very severe asthma. I don’t think there are a whole lot of novels about a character with asthma.
What were the best and worst parts of writing it?
Falling into the story and letting it happen was the best part. The worst part is those rare occasions of getting stuck.
How did you find your agent and/or editor?
I looked at Publishers Marketplace to see what agents had sold a young adult novel in the past year. Then I sent out e-queries to my top eight choices.
Thanks, Cheryl! Click here to learn more about Cheryl at her website. You can pick up your copy of BREATHING at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!
Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series... Aprilynne Pike, author of WINGS, will be stopping by on May 5th.
This post is part of a year-long series of blog interviews I'm hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here."
It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids. 2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors. (You'll even be able to read some successful query letters!) If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!
Today...Sydney Salter, author of MY BIG NOSE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS!
Seventeen-year-old Jory Michaels wakes up on the first day of summer vacation with her same old big nose, no passion in her life (in the creative sense of the word), and all signs still pointing to her dying a virgin. In spite of her driving record (it was an accident!), Jory gets a job delivering flowers and cakes to Reno's casinos and wedding chapels. She also comes up with a new summer goal: saving for a life-altering nose job. She and her new nose will attract a fabulous boyfriend. Jory survives various summer disasters like doing yoga after sampling Mom's Cabbage Soup Diet, enforced-mother-bonding-with-crazy-nose-o
Welcome, Sydney! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.
I felt like an impostor until I wrote my first novel JUNGLE CROSSING.
What books did you love when you were a kid?
I loved Jenny And The Cat Club by Esther Averill. I still long to have a little black cat that I can name Jenny, and possibly entice to wear a red scarf.
Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?
Mrs. Muth at Reno High School. She's the first one (besides my mother) who believed in me--it still took me several years to believe in myself.
Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals? Music? Food & beverages?
I write while my daughters are in school. I love background music and I drink lots and lots of tea.
Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?
I make a numbered list of all the suggestions and then I march through the manuscript and cross them off as I complete them.
What’s your best advice for young writers?
Keep a daily diary--it will help you develop your voice without the pressure of having to write something others will read.
What’s a mistake beginning writers often make?
They don’t read enough. If you want to write, read, read, read as much as you can across all genres.
What’s special about your debut novel?
I really put a lot of myself into this novel--all those feelings of insecurity I had about my looks in high school. I think it makes the book stronger, but I still hate talking about my nose. And now I’m doing it all the time!
What were the best and worst parts of writing it?
I loved writing about some of my horrible experiences--like wrecking a delivery van and a wedding cake on the same day. Sometimes it was hard to write about difficult situations while keeping the novel's overall tone light and humorous.
How did you find your agent and/or editor?
I queried Firebrand Literary at another agent's suggestion and got picked up by a new agent Ted Malawer. He matched me with Julie Tibbott at Harcourt and I absolutely adore her!
Here's the query letter:
Dear Ms. Cornier,
I would like you to represent my 65,000 word contemporary teen novel My Big Nose & Other Natural Disasters.
Seventeen-year-old Jory Michaels wakes up on the first day of summer vacation with her same old big nose, no passion in her life (in the creative sense of the word), and all signs still pointing to her dying a virgin. Plus, her mother is busy roasting a chicken for Day #6 of the Dinner For Breakfast Diet.
In spite of her driving record (it was an accident!), Jory gets a job delivering flowers and cakes to Reno’s casinos and wedding chapels. She also comes up with a new summer goal: saving for a life-altering nose job. She and her new nose will attract a fabulous boyfriend. Nothing like the shameless flirt Tyler Briggs, or Tom who’s always nice but never calls. Maybe she’ll find someone kind of like Gideon at the Jewel Café, except better looking and not quite so different. Jory survives various summer disasters like doing yoga after sampling Mom’s Cabbage Soup Diet, Enforced Mother Bonding With Crazy Nose Obsessed Daughter Night, and discovering Tyler’s big secret. But will she learn to accept herself and maybe even find her passion, in the creative (AND romantic!) sense of the word?
I have written for APPLESEEDS, Children’s Playmate, Confetti, FACES, Hopscotch, Story Friends, Wee Ones Magazine, the Deseret News, and Blooming Tree Press’ Summer Shorts anthology. I won the Utah Arts Council prize for Not-A-Dr. Logan’s Divorce Book. My novels Jungle Crossing and Going Native! each won first prize in the League of Utah Writers contest. I am currently serving as a Regional Advisor for SCBWI.
I submitted My Big Nose & Other Natural Disasters to Krista Marino at Delacorte because she requested it during our critique at the summer SCBWI conference (no response yet).
Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Thanks, Sydney! Click here to learn more about Sydney at her website. You can pick up your copy of MY BIG NOSE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!
Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series... Cheryl Renee Herbsman, author of BREATHING, will be stopping by on Monday.
It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids. 2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors. (You'll even be able to read some successful query letters!) If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!
Today...Sydney Salter, author of MY BIG NOSE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS!Seventeen-year-old Jory Michaels wakes up on the first day of summer vacation with her same old big nose, no passion in her life (in the creative sense of the word), and all signs still pointing to her dying a virgin. In spite of her driving record (it was an accident!), Jory gets a job delivering flowers and cakes to Reno's casinos and wedding chapels. She also comes up with a new summer goal: saving for a life-altering nose job. She and her new nose will attract a fabulous boyfriend. Jory survives various summer disasters like doing yoga after sampling Mom's Cabbage Soup Diet, enforced-mother-bonding-with-crazy-nose-o
Welcome, Sydney! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.
I felt like an impostor until I wrote my first novel JUNGLE CROSSING.
What books did you love when you were a kid?
I loved Jenny And The Cat Club by Esther Averill. I still long to have a little black cat that I can name Jenny, and possibly entice to wear a red scarf.
Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?
Mrs. Muth at Reno High School. She's the first one (besides my mother) who believed in me--it still took me several years to believe in myself.
Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge. When and where do you write? Do you have any special rituals? Music? Food & beverages?
I write while my daughters are in school. I love background music and I drink lots and lots of tea.
Do you have a favorite strategy for revision?
I make a numbered list of all the suggestions and then I march through the manuscript and cross them off as I complete them.
What’s your best advice for young writers?
Keep a daily diary--it will help you develop your voice without the pressure of having to write something others will read.
What’s a mistake beginning writers often make?
They don’t read enough. If you want to write, read, read, read as much as you can across all genres.
What’s special about your debut novel?
I really put a lot of myself into this novel--all those feelings of insecurity I had about my looks in high school. I think it makes the book stronger, but I still hate talking about my nose. And now I’m doing it all the time!
What were the best and worst parts of writing it?
I loved writing about some of my horrible experiences--like wrecking a delivery van and a wedding cake on the same day. Sometimes it was hard to write about difficult situations while keeping the novel's overall tone light and humorous.
How did you find your agent and/or editor?
I queried Firebrand Literary at another agent's suggestion and got picked up by a new agent Ted Malawer. He matched me with Julie Tibbott at Harcourt and I absolutely adore her!
Here's the query letter:
Dear Ms. Cornier,
I would like you to represent my 65,000 word contemporary teen novel My Big Nose & Other Natural Disasters.
Seventeen-year-old Jory Michaels wakes up on the first day of summer vacation with her same old big nose, no passion in her life (in the creative sense of the word), and all signs still pointing to her dying a virgin. Plus, her mother is busy roasting a chicken for Day #6 of the Dinner For Breakfast Diet.
In spite of her driving record (it was an accident!), Jory gets a job delivering flowers and cakes to Reno’s casinos and wedding chapels. She also comes up with a new summer goal: saving for a life-altering nose job. She and her new nose will attract a fabulous boyfriend. Nothing like the shameless flirt Tyler Briggs, or Tom who’s always nice but never calls. Maybe she’ll find someone kind of like Gideon at the Jewel Café, except better looking and not quite so different. Jory survives various summer disasters like doing yoga after sampling Mom’s Cabbage Soup Diet, Enforced Mother Bonding With Crazy Nose Obsessed Daughter Night, and discovering Tyler’s big secret. But will she learn to accept herself and maybe even find her passion, in the creative (AND romantic!) sense of the word?
I have written for APPLESEEDS, Children’s Playmate, Confetti, FACES, Hopscotch, Story Friends, Wee Ones Magazine, the Deseret News, and Blooming Tree Press’ Summer Shorts anthology. I won the Utah Arts Council prize for Not-A-Dr. Logan’s Divorce Book. My novels Jungle Crossing and Going Native! each won first prize in the League of Utah Writers contest. I am currently serving as a Regional Advisor for SCBWI.
I submitted My Big Nose & Other Natural Disasters to Krista Marino at Delacorte because she requested it during our critique at the summer SCBWI conference (no response yet).
Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Thanks, Sydney! Click here to learn more about Sydney at her website. You can pick up your copy of MY BIG NOSE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS at your local independent bookseller, order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!
Up next in the "How They Got Here" Debut 2009 series... Cheryl Renee Herbsman, author of BREATHING, will be stopping by on Monday.
My talented friend, art teacher Scott Given, has been getting his portfolio together for the NE SCBWI conference and was looking for new illustration ideas a while back. "How about a lonely sea monster?" I tossed out. (One of my picture book manuscripts is about just such a sea monster.) And look what showed up in my email today...
I'm always in awe of illustrators...how they can conjure scenes and sea monsters out of thin air.
Isn't he the cutest fellow? I want to pinch his little sea monster cheeks and feed him cookies.
I'm always in awe of illustrators...how they can conjure scenes and sea monsters out of thin air.
Isn't he the cutest fellow? I want to pinch his little sea monster cheeks and feed him cookies.
...they finish eating the cucumber scraps and seedlings pop up amid the worm castings.
The kids I met during my author visit to Grand Isle School today loved the pictures I showed them of my basement worm farm (it's research for my second Marty McGuire book!). That reminded me that I haven't posted a worm update in a while.
Never fear...the little guys/girls (worms are hermaphrodites) are doing their jobs well and enjoying a new layer of damp shredded newspaper bedding tonight. The compost you see above is awaiting the end of mud season and will soon be nourishing seedlings in the vegetable garden outside.
Meanwhile, we're trying to decide what to plant this year - a big decision at our house since the garden has a number of raised beds, with each family member responsible for planning and tending to his or her own territory.
Any suggestions? (We're Zone 4 on a good day!) What are your favorite vegetables to grow in the garden?