EIGHT DAYS UNTIL THE BOOK LAUNCH
Okay there are eight days left before the big book launch party for THE BEAST OF NOOR at Parkplace Books in Kirkland, Sat 8th 7pm and what am I doing? Revising the sequel of course! Writers write right? But I know I have to get cracking (as my editor in the UK says). Of course I've already collected cool magical objects to fill the Falconer's trunk (glisten powder, magical tinctures, the Shriker's fang), and I have fun gifts for everyone (all readers are welcome to come so I won't tell what gifts are) .
We've done the Costco trip to check out food and drinks and I went nuts gathering fairyland party decorations.
What's next? Time to panic! Is my reading ready? How many plastic forks again? What about punch? Wine? Music? Are the books here?
The job for today is WORRY. Write. Take a swim. Write some more. Oh, and blog.
Until the next blog. Be well
Friday, June 30, 2006
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
LAST NIGHT AT P&G SPEAKEASY CAFE IN DUVALL Poet Margaret D. Smith read from her new book BARN SWALLOW (Brass Weight Press 2006) and sang us songs from her upcoming CD.
We were all hot and downing much lemonade or rubbing ice across our necks and foreheads but Margaret's surprising images, bright/dark words, and songs took us into gardens, beaches, on winter walks, down under ponds, into childhood, old age, and back again. Oh, and did I mention Ireland? Yes we went there too.
More poets read at the open mic. War and peace where words that ran deep. Poet Katherine Grace Bond was emcee -- she will be reading from her book CONSIDERING FLIGHT next month July 24 at the P&G Speakeasy. Who wants to go? I do! I do!
Here's a poem from BARN SWALLOW
Lemon
This would sound more beautiful in Greek.
In Grandma's garden, a lemon tree
so heavy with fruit she would lead us
long times around the tree with buckets,
wrapping our hands around them, telling
us, Pull, letting them sleep in deep piles
in our laps. To our noses they grew so
holy, too bad we had to pull them down
for tea and lemon pie.
Our fingers dug through ivy and surprised
a nest of mice babies, climbing blind,
squeaking for mice milk with no mother,
no father anywhere. We shouted to Grandpa,
Come look! We never saw any babies
more pink we wanted to hug before.
And do you know what he did? He scooped
them up and dumped them all
in the incinerator behind the garage.
I know what we wanted to do, shut our ears,
run downhill screaming at Grandpa, but
it was too sad. We didn't move by
the new grave, just sat. Mignon
and Celeste came up to us wagging
their tails with puff balls, puff hairdos,
puff shoulders and eyes with sad water,
sat down in our laps, letting us rub
their ears as long as we wanted.
Margaret D. Smith is author of six books.
Barn Swallow(Brass Weight Press, 2006) A Holy Struggle (Shaw, 1992) and The Rose and
the Pearl (Inchbird, 1998). Margaret also speaks internationally on the work of Gerard Manley Hopkins.
May poetry find you this week.
May the words surprise you and may your pen flow
in cool dark evening rivers.
Until the next blog. Be well.
We were all hot and downing much lemonade or rubbing ice across our necks and foreheads but Margaret's surprising images, bright/dark words, and songs took us into gardens, beaches, on winter walks, down under ponds, into childhood, old age, and back again. Oh, and did I mention Ireland? Yes we went there too.
More poets read at the open mic. War and peace where words that ran deep. Poet Katherine Grace Bond was emcee -- she will be reading from her book CONSIDERING FLIGHT next month July 24 at the P&G Speakeasy. Who wants to go? I do! I do!
Here's a poem from BARN SWALLOW
Lemon
This would sound more beautiful in Greek.
In Grandma's garden, a lemon tree
so heavy with fruit she would lead us
long times around the tree with buckets,
wrapping our hands around them, telling
us, Pull, letting them sleep in deep piles
in our laps. To our noses they grew so
holy, too bad we had to pull them down
for tea and lemon pie.
Our fingers dug through ivy and surprised
a nest of mice babies, climbing blind,
squeaking for mice milk with no mother,
no father anywhere. We shouted to Grandpa,
Come look! We never saw any babies
more pink we wanted to hug before.
And do you know what he did? He scooped
them up and dumped them all
in the incinerator behind the garage.
I know what we wanted to do, shut our ears,
run downhill screaming at Grandpa, but
it was too sad. We didn't move by
the new grave, just sat. Mignon
and Celeste came up to us wagging
their tails with puff balls, puff hairdos,
puff shoulders and eyes with sad water,
sat down in our laps, letting us rub
their ears as long as we wanted.
Margaret D. Smith is author of six books.
Barn Swallow(Brass Weight Press, 2006) A Holy Struggle (Shaw, 1992) and The Rose and
the Pearl (Inchbird, 1998). Margaret also speaks internationally on the work of Gerard Manley Hopkins.
May poetry find you this week.
May the words surprise you and may your pen flow
in cool dark evening rivers.
Until the next blog. Be well.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Paul Klee said ~ Art does not reproduce the visible. Rather it makes visible ~
In order to make things visible we must turn away from the busy, visible world and move into the inner world. It's a paradox that we must close our eyes for a time in order to make something visible: that we must be silent for a time in order to let the story speak.
But there's power in paradox.
The inner storyteller is a strange illusive being that refuses to be captured or defined. In times of silence, the imagination, which links the conscious and unconscious mind, is given a voice. There is so much the unconscious mind has to say, if we practice the art of waiting, listening, allowing the words to rise up.
Art is less doing
More being
Until the next blog. Be well.
In order to make things visible we must turn away from the busy, visible world and move into the inner world. It's a paradox that we must close our eyes for a time in order to make something visible: that we must be silent for a time in order to let the story speak.
But there's power in paradox.
The inner storyteller is a strange illusive being that refuses to be captured or defined. In times of silence, the imagination, which links the conscious and unconscious mind, is given a voice. There is so much the unconscious mind has to say, if we practice the art of waiting, listening, allowing the words to rise up.
Art is less doing
More being
Until the next blog. Be well.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Friday, June 16, 2006
What did you do with the Fang?
I'm busily gathering odd things for THE BEAST OF NOOR book launch party. Wednesday I spent hours at Michael's picking out cool beach glass and lots of fun surprising things (I won't tell all here). I have Noor party favors to make and a Falconer's trunk to fill. I'll be describing some of the behind the scenes magic below, so stop reading if you think it might spoil the fun.
The Falconer's Quill:
During the writing session today, I paused to make a quill. Here's the trick I've come up with. You know those clear bic pens? Well pull the innards out so it's just the tip and tube. Next grab a good sized feather and jam that baby up inside the hollow rachis of the feather. Voila! Instant quill (sort of). Well it looks like a quill and it writes, so Hey :)
Next I tackled another object for the Falconer's trunk.
Down in the kitchen I took an old box filled with perfect little vials and poured out the ginseng (hey it was way past usable date! And I had a plan!) Next I stripped off the labels and boiled the little glass bottles to get the residue out. After a good washing and cleaning out with a pipe cleaner (pretty sticky stuff in there) I filled each vial with pure water and added droplets of food coloring. Ah -- blue, purple, orange, yellow, green. I now have the Falconer's tincture bottles. He gives Miles Orasian (orange healing tincture)when he's in need. So much fun to have these bottles to show. They are tucked into the Falconer's trunk now. My fingertips are purple-green. But there's more room in the trunk, and more fun to be had.
The Fang:
On the way to the movies the other night with friends Heidi and Katherine,
I was jammed into the teeny-tiny back seat of Katherine's truck. I leaned forward and said, "Hey Heidi have you found the giant fang?"
"No."
"Oh man! Where did you look?"
"I looked all through my stuff. I think we left it at your house. You were so nervous that it would get lost."
"What will I do if I can't find it?" I moaned. "I mean where can you get a giant fang?"
"What about a longhorn cow skull," suggested Heidi.
"Yea. I went into the Western Apparel shop and asked if I could buy the cow skull in the window a few months back. They said it was a window display. When I asked the guy where I could get a cow skull, he got a little nervous."
At this point Katherine said, "Fang??? Can you please enlighten me as to what in the heck you're talking about?"
So, okay I'm looking for a Shriker's fang for the Falconer's trunk -- it's about the size of a cow horn. Has anybody seen it? Or do you know where I can find one?
Until the next blog. Be well.
Janet
I'm busily gathering odd things for THE BEAST OF NOOR book launch party. Wednesday I spent hours at Michael's picking out cool beach glass and lots of fun surprising things (I won't tell all here). I have Noor party favors to make and a Falconer's trunk to fill. I'll be describing some of the behind the scenes magic below, so stop reading if you think it might spoil the fun.
The Falconer's Quill:
During the writing session today, I paused to make a quill. Here's the trick I've come up with. You know those clear bic pens? Well pull the innards out so it's just the tip and tube. Next grab a good sized feather and jam that baby up inside the hollow rachis of the feather. Voila! Instant quill (sort of). Well it looks like a quill and it writes, so Hey :)
Next I tackled another object for the Falconer's trunk.
Down in the kitchen I took an old box filled with perfect little vials and poured out the ginseng (hey it was way past usable date! And I had a plan!) Next I stripped off the labels and boiled the little glass bottles to get the residue out. After a good washing and cleaning out with a pipe cleaner (pretty sticky stuff in there) I filled each vial with pure water and added droplets of food coloring. Ah -- blue, purple, orange, yellow, green. I now have the Falconer's tincture bottles. He gives Miles Orasian (orange healing tincture)when he's in need. So much fun to have these bottles to show. They are tucked into the Falconer's trunk now. My fingertips are purple-green. But there's more room in the trunk, and more fun to be had.
The Fang:
On the way to the movies the other night with friends Heidi and Katherine,
I was jammed into the teeny-tiny back seat of Katherine's truck. I leaned forward and said, "Hey Heidi have you found the giant fang?"
"No."
"Oh man! Where did you look?"
"I looked all through my stuff. I think we left it at your house. You were so nervous that it would get lost."
"What will I do if I can't find it?" I moaned. "I mean where can you get a giant fang?"
"What about a longhorn cow skull," suggested Heidi.
"Yea. I went into the Western Apparel shop and asked if I could buy the cow skull in the window a few months back. They said it was a window display. When I asked the guy where I could get a cow skull, he got a little nervous."
At this point Katherine said, "Fang??? Can you please enlighten me as to what in the heck you're talking about?"
So, okay I'm looking for a Shriker's fang for the Falconer's trunk -- it's about the size of a cow horn. Has anybody seen it? Or do you know where I can find one?
Until the next blog. Be well.
Janet
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Why Join a Critique Group?
Some writers feel that joining a critique group is too time consuming. Going to a critique group once a week or twice a month IS time consuming. It's also rewarding. I can't imagine facing the writing life alone with no one to commiserate with when I get rejections and (more importantly) no one to party with when I sell a book!
My critique group, The Diviners, really parties when one of us sells a story. Yeah!!! Peggy King Anderson usually writes a cheer (complete with pom poms)and we eat cake and drink bubbly and throw confetti!!!
Each week before we begin critiquing, we share writing news. A few weeks ago Justina Chen Headley shared about her amazing Hi-YAH! Book Tour with
Janet Wong and Grace Lin. They toured across the U.S. with countless print, radio and TV interviews, school visit (how about Harvard and Stanford!) She came home tired and happy.
For more on Tina's tour www.justinachenheadley.com
The rest of us shared about classes we're teaching, editing jobs, revisions for editors, etc. Judy Bodmer, Peggy King Anderson, and Katherine Bond usually have stories and articles in magazines to show us -- Hooray! Then it's down to business.
With seven members and most of us including Dawn Knight and Holly Cupala reading from novels, we have to divide up the time. The session is about good, hard, critique -- with a touch of kindness. Even when I'm on a strict deadline, I try to go and read (I know it saves my editors hours of grief).
So if you're writing alone, find a critique group that nourishes your creative spirit, feeds your writing, and forces you to grow.
Until the next blog. Be well.
Some writers feel that joining a critique group is too time consuming. Going to a critique group once a week or twice a month IS time consuming. It's also rewarding. I can't imagine facing the writing life alone with no one to commiserate with when I get rejections and (more importantly) no one to party with when I sell a book!
My critique group, The Diviners, really parties when one of us sells a story. Yeah!!! Peggy King Anderson usually writes a cheer (complete with pom poms)and we eat cake and drink bubbly and throw confetti!!!
Each week before we begin critiquing, we share writing news. A few weeks ago Justina Chen Headley shared about her amazing Hi-YAH! Book Tour with
Janet Wong and Grace Lin. They toured across the U.S. with countless print, radio and TV interviews, school visit (how about Harvard and Stanford!) She came home tired and happy.
For more on Tina's tour www.justinachenheadley.com
The rest of us shared about classes we're teaching, editing jobs, revisions for editors, etc. Judy Bodmer, Peggy King Anderson, and Katherine Bond usually have stories and articles in magazines to show us -- Hooray! Then it's down to business.
With seven members and most of us including Dawn Knight and Holly Cupala reading from novels, we have to divide up the time. The session is about good, hard, critique -- with a touch of kindness. Even when I'm on a strict deadline, I try to go and read (I know it saves my editors hours of grief).
So if you're writing alone, find a critique group that nourishes your creative spirit, feeds your writing, and forces you to grow.
Until the next blog. Be well.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Held in the clutch of a Dragon!
I just sent my second revision of DRAGON'S KEEP back to my editor at Harcourt. This was an amazing process as I only had 10 days to work on it. I was in the Dragon's clutches from 5 to 9 hours per day.
I'm reeling. I'm also elated that I made it through. The cuts and changes were challenging but Kathy Dawson's editorial eye has made the story leaner and more elegant. It's now a svelte 277 pages. The first drafts (a long while before Kathy Dawson ever saw it) had the story close to 500 pages. Oh my!
Time for me to go celebrate!
Until the next blog. Stay well.
I just sent my second revision of DRAGON'S KEEP back to my editor at Harcourt. This was an amazing process as I only had 10 days to work on it. I was in the Dragon's clutches from 5 to 9 hours per day.
I'm reeling. I'm also elated that I made it through. The cuts and changes were challenging but Kathy Dawson's editorial eye has made the story leaner and more elegant. It's now a svelte 277 pages. The first drafts (a long while before Kathy Dawson ever saw it) had the story close to 500 pages. Oh my!
Time for me to go celebrate!
Until the next blog. Stay well.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
It's Time to Party!!
Busy days just now revising THE ANCIENTS Book Two of the Noor Chronicles for Atheneum Books and DRAGON'S KEEP for Harcourt, but it's also getting close to the book launch party for my first fantasy novel THE BEAST OF NOOR! I'm planning a great party July 8th, 7pm at Parkplace Books in Kirkland WA. All you faithful blog readers within the Seattle area are welcome to attend. If you'd like a formal evite, just send your email address to janetleecarey@hotmail.com. I'll send the evite your way.
Open as you have before
Let the traveler through the door
From this opening begin
The only way out
Is in
(opening spell from the Falconer's book. THE BEAST OF NOOR)
Busy days just now revising THE ANCIENTS Book Two of the Noor Chronicles for Atheneum Books and DRAGON'S KEEP for Harcourt, but it's also getting close to the book launch party for my first fantasy novel THE BEAST OF NOOR! I'm planning a great party July 8th, 7pm at Parkplace Books in Kirkland WA. All you faithful blog readers within the Seattle area are welcome to attend. If you'd like a formal evite, just send your email address to janetleecarey@hotmail.com. I'll send the evite your way.
Open as you have before
Let the traveler through the door
From this opening begin
The only way out
Is in
(opening spell from the Falconer's book. THE BEAST OF NOOR)
Friday, May 26, 2006
Writing Challenge = Sweet Dreams.
More running around yesterday and I had to leave right in the middle of a good writing session. Oi! Hard to keep my mind in the world of NOOR when I'm negotiating traffic, dropping sons off at appointments, filling granola bags at the PCC, pumping gas yadda, yadda, yadda.
At some point once I'm out in the world my "writing mind" vanishes. I find it hard to get back into the creative flow, but I have a few secret ways back.
Once home, if I putter, wipe counters with windex (I'm a windex freak), pick up a little and let my mind wander, sometimes the story comes back to me. Many writers know this trick. Forcing yourself to get right back to the computer and shouting OKAY GET BACK TO WORK usually = brain freeze.
Another secret way in is taken from Shakespeare's Hamlet, "To sleep perchance to dream." I lie down. Breathe deep. Sometimes I just fall asleep for a while and that's okay. I know I can't force it. But other times my mind begins to float. I follow the lazy stream and drift back into the storyworld.
That's what happened yesterday. I shut my eyes and soon enough I saw a scene. Not the one I'd worked on that morning, but a new one. The next step in THE ANCIENTS tale. I relaxed and waited. Ah, the characters in the mountain cottage were talking.
I crept up a little closer to the cottage and listened in. The dialogue was quick, exact, tense, and funny. Everything I needed to move the story forward was there. I threw off the covers, raced up to my office and typed the scene. A new chapter was born at 4:30 yesterday. A bit of a scrawny baby chapter now but she'll fatten up soon I know.
There is a Quaker saying, "Proceed as the way opens." And yes, if I've done a little writing early in the day, the way might open later if I let myself rest and drift back into the stream.
So all you hard working writers out there. Here's your assignment. If your writing time gets interrupted and it's a while before you can get back to your book.
Yawn
Get cozy
Rest
Relax
Listen.
If the story begins to speak again, dreamwalk to your writing desk, have a seat and write.
Until the next blog. Be well.
Janet
More running around yesterday and I had to leave right in the middle of a good writing session. Oi! Hard to keep my mind in the world of NOOR when I'm negotiating traffic, dropping sons off at appointments, filling granola bags at the PCC, pumping gas yadda, yadda, yadda.
At some point once I'm out in the world my "writing mind" vanishes. I find it hard to get back into the creative flow, but I have a few secret ways back.
Once home, if I putter, wipe counters with windex (I'm a windex freak), pick up a little and let my mind wander, sometimes the story comes back to me. Many writers know this trick. Forcing yourself to get right back to the computer and shouting OKAY GET BACK TO WORK usually = brain freeze.
Another secret way in is taken from Shakespeare's Hamlet, "To sleep perchance to dream." I lie down. Breathe deep. Sometimes I just fall asleep for a while and that's okay. I know I can't force it. But other times my mind begins to float. I follow the lazy stream and drift back into the storyworld.
That's what happened yesterday. I shut my eyes and soon enough I saw a scene. Not the one I'd worked on that morning, but a new one. The next step in THE ANCIENTS tale. I relaxed and waited. Ah, the characters in the mountain cottage were talking.
I crept up a little closer to the cottage and listened in. The dialogue was quick, exact, tense, and funny. Everything I needed to move the story forward was there. I threw off the covers, raced up to my office and typed the scene. A new chapter was born at 4:30 yesterday. A bit of a scrawny baby chapter now but she'll fatten up soon I know.
There is a Quaker saying, "Proceed as the way opens." And yes, if I've done a little writing early in the day, the way might open later if I let myself rest and drift back into the stream.
So all you hard working writers out there. Here's your assignment. If your writing time gets interrupted and it's a while before you can get back to your book.
Yawn
Get cozy
Rest
Relax
Listen.
If the story begins to speak again, dreamwalk to your writing desk, have a seat and write.
Until the next blog. Be well.
Janet
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Dreamtime on the run!
Danger! Don't take your journal out in public! Well, it's hard not to the way I run around, but I left my journal in the waiting room at the Group Health pharmacy yesterday. Oi!!
A few days ago, Tess said in her comment:
Writers have to live in dreamtime in order to create. Why don't people understand when that dreamtime extends to "practical" life? Readers want books? They'll just have to deal. :-)
And yes, dreamtime is needed. We writers are not spaced-out. We're just creating. We only LOOK spaced-out (except, of course, when we do things like abandon our journals).
My journal had personal stuff in it and I was worried someone might peek inside. It also had thoughts on where my revision for THE ANCIENTS is going = some new plot ideas that are still in their early dreamstage -- so I was desperate to get the journal back. I was also an hour late to critique group after taking my son to the Dr. Appt. What to do?
I didn't bust the speed limit to race back to Group Health but acted like a responsible, sane person and drove to critique group where I received some fine pointers on how to improve my new chapter three. After critique I returned to GH. My journal was there (though my coffee cup had been pilfered!). I wanted to dust the pages off for suspicious fingerprints but I didn't have the technology. If someone did read it they'd have a good look into my psyche.
Will I ever take my journal into public again? Yep! I can't help it. Will I leave it somewhere? I hope not.
Keep your pens moving and your hearts open until the next blog :)
Janet
Danger! Don't take your journal out in public! Well, it's hard not to the way I run around, but I left my journal in the waiting room at the Group Health pharmacy yesterday. Oi!!
A few days ago, Tess said in her comment:
Writers have to live in dreamtime in order to create. Why don't people understand when that dreamtime extends to "practical" life? Readers want books? They'll just have to deal. :-)
And yes, dreamtime is needed. We writers are not spaced-out. We're just creating. We only LOOK spaced-out (except, of course, when we do things like abandon our journals).
My journal had personal stuff in it and I was worried someone might peek inside. It also had thoughts on where my revision for THE ANCIENTS is going = some new plot ideas that are still in their early dreamstage -- so I was desperate to get the journal back. I was also an hour late to critique group after taking my son to the Dr. Appt. What to do?
I didn't bust the speed limit to race back to Group Health but acted like a responsible, sane person and drove to critique group where I received some fine pointers on how to improve my new chapter three. After critique I returned to GH. My journal was there (though my coffee cup had been pilfered!). I wanted to dust the pages off for suspicious fingerprints but I didn't have the technology. If someone did read it they'd have a good look into my psyche.
Will I ever take my journal into public again? Yep! I can't help it. Will I leave it somewhere? I hope not.
Keep your pens moving and your hearts open until the next blog :)
Janet
Monday, May 22, 2006
The Mark Twain Award:
Since fellow author Kirby Larson said in her comment, "I didn't see your Mark Twain fiasco story -- do tell!" I guess I'd better fess up. By the way you can see more about Kirby and her books on her website www.kirbylarson.com.
Okay time to confess: I flew to Missouri this month to attend MASL, a wonderful school librarian conference at the Tan-Tar-A resort. The conference was packed and I met hundreds of dedicated school librarians. After teaching two workshops, I attended the Awards Banquet where I gave a short speech (I was told to make it short) and accepted the 2005 Mark Twain Award for WENNY HAS WINGS. I began the speech with a dedication to my father who passed away last year. He was a Mark Twain fanatic and actually greeted me at the door one time wearing a white wig and white suit. "Come in and sit down," he said. "Here's my Mark Twain performance piece!"
After the speech, I went off to sign books and was thrilled to see a long line of people actually waiting to get their books signed -- a heavenly sight to any writer.
True Confession:
After signing about 150 books, my head was swimming. I left the room and mistakenly left the award (bust of Mark Twain) behind. I think he was hiding behind the flowers on the table?
It was about midnight before I realized my mistake. I was already in my jammies so
I threw on my clothes and raced down to the lounge. The security guard let
me in the room to search but Mark was gone. Maybe one of the librarians helping me at the signing saw that I'd left the bust behind and was holding it for me? I hoped so! I was way worried that night. A person doesn't show gratitude for winning an award by abandoning it a few hours later! Oi!
I tried to keep the fact that I'd lost the award fairly mum the next morning.
I confessed it to the conference staff and they got on their walkie-talkies "Janet
Carey has lost the Mark Twain Award."
So much for keeping it mum!
Mark arrived safely and was back in my hands 10 minutes before I left for the airport. A librarian had picked it up and given it to a librarian who gave it to another librarian . . . to give it to me.
I suppose I was a bit of comic relief for the conference. Mark T. is safely on
my piano now and he has a pretty mischievous look on his face. Thought he'd escape the way Huck Finn did? No way!
So that's my writing life story until next time.
Since fellow author Kirby Larson said in her comment, "I didn't see your Mark Twain fiasco story -- do tell!" I guess I'd better fess up. By the way you can see more about Kirby and her books on her website www.kirbylarson.com.
Okay time to confess: I flew to Missouri this month to attend MASL, a wonderful school librarian conference at the Tan-Tar-A resort. The conference was packed and I met hundreds of dedicated school librarians. After teaching two workshops, I attended the Awards Banquet where I gave a short speech (I was told to make it short) and accepted the 2005 Mark Twain Award for WENNY HAS WINGS. I began the speech with a dedication to my father who passed away last year. He was a Mark Twain fanatic and actually greeted me at the door one time wearing a white wig and white suit. "Come in and sit down," he said. "Here's my Mark Twain performance piece!"
After the speech, I went off to sign books and was thrilled to see a long line of people actually waiting to get their books signed -- a heavenly sight to any writer.
True Confession:
After signing about 150 books, my head was swimming. I left the room and mistakenly left the award (bust of Mark Twain) behind. I think he was hiding behind the flowers on the table?
It was about midnight before I realized my mistake. I was already in my jammies so
I threw on my clothes and raced down to the lounge. The security guard let
me in the room to search but Mark was gone. Maybe one of the librarians helping me at the signing saw that I'd left the bust behind and was holding it for me? I hoped so! I was way worried that night. A person doesn't show gratitude for winning an award by abandoning it a few hours later! Oi!
I tried to keep the fact that I'd lost the award fairly mum the next morning.
I confessed it to the conference staff and they got on their walkie-talkies "Janet
Carey has lost the Mark Twain Award."
So much for keeping it mum!
Mark arrived safely and was back in my hands 10 minutes before I left for the airport. A librarian had picked it up and given it to a librarian who gave it to another librarian . . . to give it to me.
I suppose I was a bit of comic relief for the conference. Mark T. is safely on
my piano now and he has a pretty mischievous look on his face. Thought he'd escape the way Huck Finn did? No way!
So that's my writing life story until next time.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Writing Blues
I wish I had more time to write! It's always a challenge to keep a novel bubbling away in my head while running around doing shopping, bill paying, doctor appointments, polishing workshops for conferences, flying across the country to accept an award -- yadda yadda yadda (more on the award later). While awaiting the launch of my YA fantasy, THE BEAST OF NOOR, I've been working on the second book in the NOOR series. My editor at Atheneum Books recently sent me a LONG editorial letter for THE ANCIENTS and I've been trying to get back to the book.
Part of the waiting time isn't just the hurry and scurry of everyday life, but my own needed process time. I've been writing scores of journal pages trying to figure out how to best attack this revision. Now I have a binder full of notes and I've called my editor, but wait! I still need to think some more!
I know I have to let go of many well-polished chapters to get to the core of the story and shorten the 488 page adventure down to a slimmer, trimmer tale. That's never easy. So I need to redream the dream.
Yesterday I took the plunge and rewrote an entirely new chapter one to THE ANCIENTS. The opening now begins with the dragons. My editor asked for this, and now that it's written, I love it. I took it to my critique group who loved it and tore it apart (thanks ladies) so I'm revising yet again. All will be well.
Every book makes me feel like a beginner again. I've learned to enjoy being a beginner. Beginners get to play. They get to make mistakes. They get to learn.
To all you struggling writers out there. Keep well and keep writing.
I wish I had more time to write! It's always a challenge to keep a novel bubbling away in my head while running around doing shopping, bill paying, doctor appointments, polishing workshops for conferences, flying across the country to accept an award -- yadda yadda yadda (more on the award later). While awaiting the launch of my YA fantasy, THE BEAST OF NOOR, I've been working on the second book in the NOOR series. My editor at Atheneum Books recently sent me a LONG editorial letter for THE ANCIENTS and I've been trying to get back to the book.
Part of the waiting time isn't just the hurry and scurry of everyday life, but my own needed process time. I've been writing scores of journal pages trying to figure out how to best attack this revision. Now I have a binder full of notes and I've called my editor, but wait! I still need to think some more!
I know I have to let go of many well-polished chapters to get to the core of the story and shorten the 488 page adventure down to a slimmer, trimmer tale. That's never easy. So I need to redream the dream.
Yesterday I took the plunge and rewrote an entirely new chapter one to THE ANCIENTS. The opening now begins with the dragons. My editor asked for this, and now that it's written, I love it. I took it to my critique group who loved it and tore it apart (thanks ladies) so I'm revising yet again. All will be well.
Every book makes me feel like a beginner again. I've learned to enjoy being a beginner. Beginners get to play. They get to make mistakes. They get to learn.
To all you struggling writers out there. Keep well and keep writing.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Happy Mother's Day!
It's actually sunny here today. We celebrated Mother's Day by gathering together for a delicious brunch with fruit salad and waffles!
At brunch I was talking about how I need a certain size trunk for the next book store presentation and my daughter-in-law said "Hey, we have one here like that."
Cool! I scurried outside and there it was! A small handmade trunk once used as a theatre prop.
It's a perfect Falconer's trunk for THE BEAST OF NOOR book party. What will I put inside? The Shriker's fang, magical glisten powder, strange herbs, giant skullen snake skin, shells from the shores of Noor, and more . . .
Great unexpected Mother's Day surprise. After brunch it was time to rescue the poor old truck from the car hospital. She has a new battery now so she actually starts! Amazing.
It's actually sunny here today. We celebrated Mother's Day by gathering together for a delicious brunch with fruit salad and waffles!
At brunch I was talking about how I need a certain size trunk for the next book store presentation and my daughter-in-law said "Hey, we have one here like that."
Cool! I scurried outside and there it was! A small handmade trunk once used as a theatre prop.
It's a perfect Falconer's trunk for THE BEAST OF NOOR book party. What will I put inside? The Shriker's fang, magical glisten powder, strange herbs, giant skullen snake skin, shells from the shores of Noor, and more . . .
Great unexpected Mother's Day surprise. After brunch it was time to rescue the poor old truck from the car hospital. She has a new battery now so she actually starts! Amazing.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Learning how to Dream
Open as you have before
Let the traveler through the door
From this opening begin
The only way out is in.
Welcome readers, writers and fellow travelers;
I've come to chat about writing, about stories, and think out loud about the mysterious creative energy we all share.
"Where do you get your ideas?"
That question comes up at every workshop and book signing. And, hey, it's a good one.
You'll likely get a different answer every day.One answer = most writers are unabashedly expert daydreamers. We "wander off" at various times and go into "another world."
Ask anyone who lives with a writer how often the rice is burned and how many people in the family are secretly wearing pink-tinted underwear because their stay-at-home writer was plotting a great novel while doing the wash.
Writing stories is a form of dreaming on paper -- so Dreamwalks seemed like a good blog name.
Dream Come True: After publishing 3 realistic fiction books with Atheneum Books for Young Readers, my first fantasy novel THE BEAST OF NOOR is coming out in July! (See a bit more about all my books on www.janetleecarey.com.) Two more fantasy books will come out after this one. That's a lot of writing and revising work "nose to the grindstone" time, or as I like to think of it, "eyes to the sky" time.
Off to work. Looking forward to reading your comments.
Let the traveler through the door
From this opening begin
The only way out is in.
Welcome readers, writers and fellow travelers;
I've come to chat about writing, about stories, and think out loud about the mysterious creative energy we all share.
"Where do you get your ideas?"
That question comes up at every workshop and book signing. And, hey, it's a good one.
You'll likely get a different answer every day.One answer = most writers are unabashedly expert daydreamers. We "wander off" at various times and go into "another world."
Ask anyone who lives with a writer how often the rice is burned and how many people in the family are secretly wearing pink-tinted underwear because their stay-at-home writer was plotting a great novel while doing the wash.
Writing stories is a form of dreaming on paper -- so Dreamwalks seemed like a good blog name.
Dream Come True: After publishing 3 realistic fiction books with Atheneum Books for Young Readers, my first fantasy novel THE BEAST OF NOOR is coming out in July! (See a bit more about all my books on www.janetleecarey.com.) Two more fantasy books will come out after this one. That's a lot of writing and revising work "nose to the grindstone" time, or as I like to think of it, "eyes to the sky" time.
Off to work. Looking forward to reading your comments.
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