Oh, happy spring! After a three month break, I’m back. I’ve run with springtime revelers. chomped on chocolate bunnies and now I’m clearing dust bunnies, literally and figuratively.

I’ll bring this blog up to date by interspersing stories from the past few months with current news and happenings. I might post pics from my trip to the Winter SCBWI conference in NYC in the morning, then later in the day post about a booksigning. It’s a random yet goal-oriented game plan. Inspired by soccer, of course!

So, stay tuned for more ramblings cuz I’m springing forward!

About the photo: Wildflower garden bursting with color at Giverny, the home and garden of French Artist, Claude Monet. Photo taken by my son on a French club excursion last month.

Remember doing Show ‘n Tell back in grade school? That’s essentially what I do when I visit schools and libraries as a visiting author/illustrator. I love sharing with young audiences the process of creating a picture book. Depending on how long I have, I take my audience through the journey of book-making from idea to publication and printing. Often, I’ll share a little bit extra about the culture and food of Hawai’i. If there is time, I’ll even perform a sitting hula like I did at Fairytale Town in Sacramento this fall. The photos above and below show the audience involvement. Fun for all ages!

I’ve performed in classrooms and school assemblies of all sizes since my book, The Sleeping Giant: A Tale From Kaua’i was released in fall 2006. I look forward to doing more school and library performances in 2009. To find out how to book me for a school appearance, please visit this link.

Hau’oli Makahiki Hou! Happy New Year!

Monday, 8 AM.

Yesterday, while walking along Lincoln Avenue, I came upon this worn-out wooden knob. There was no apparent use for it other than it occupying a space atop a post, between two small Victorians. Whatever fence was previously attached to it was now completely gone. Probably torn away decades ago. I find the ratty condition of the wood quite charming–its shape and linear patterns, along with all the knicks and scratches, leading my eye into a richly-textured background.

 This week I’m playing around with my fisheye cam as much as I can. Is it the holidays or is it me? I feel like gobbling up all the eye-candy around me. The images I see today will surely show up in my paintings in one form or other. Perhaps I’ll shoot and post something everyday for five straight days. Then again. Perhaps not.

Putting my Lomo to the Test

Finally, I am using my Lomographic camera: Fisheye No. 1. I first saw it in an art store near the check-out table. Yes, it was conspicuously displayed for impulse buying. Yes, I was an impulse buyer. And yet, I’d always wanted to experiment with fisheye lens photography and there was my chance.

I toted the camera to the other end of town where I began shooting the industrial landscape of the old Naval Air Station and working my way home along the beach.

My first lesson with the Fisheye Lomo was: Take the picture, take the leap. WYSIWYG doesn’t exist. You look into the lens and that is not what you’ll get. According to Fisheye’s “instructions,”  there are no rules. Anything goes. Experiment.

I began the shoot trusting that something interesting or half-way decent would turn up. The grey lighting and cloudy sky were not promising. I wanted to come up with some intriguing angles to make for a decent composition.

So, I played.

In the end, I liked some of the photos. One image was the result of a somewhat pleasing accident: A quonset hut with color/lighting errors caused by the 35 mm film.

I captured a group of ships with high-contrast lighting.

Based on my results, I know what I’ll do next:

• Take more photos using dramatic lighting.

• Push the drama with more close-ups.

• Experiment with the flash.

• Bring extra rolls of film.

• Use some of the tips shared on the online Lomo site.

Notes: The above images were taken with 400 speed 35 mm film on a manual lomographic camera, processed at a local drugstore and digitized. I tweaked them in Photoshop CS3 making minor adjustments to the levels, hues and contrast.

Until next time!

Steady progress is easier said than done with NaNoWriMo. I started out writing every day, then I dropped down to every 2 or 3 days with wordless spurts in between. I found out that didn’t worked. I slipped further and further behind.

So, yesterday I went from 7.5k to 11k words. How was that possible? By turning off internet access and tying myself to a chair at the local Starbuck’s.

And thanks to my NaNo system of support–my Nano Buddies and fellow Nano BlueBoarders–seeing their progress inspires and motivates me.

I also heard from notable author, Katherine Paterson, who sent a goodwill email blast to those of us in NaNoland. Her message, laden with encouragement, melted away my feelings of despair. Here’s an excerpt:

I aim always to get to the end of the first draft even though all the time I’m telling myself that I’m writing nothing but garbage that no one on earth would ever want to read, especially me. But I tell myself that this poor little attempt, this garbage, deserves a chance.

Just as our beautiful dog Annie, who was the runt of her litter, grew into the most beautiful, loving dog anyone would want, so there may be hope, even for this pitiful mess of words I’m accumulating. So I say to myself: Don’t read back too far, don’t try to start rewriting, just get to the end.

Alas, my story is a runt. It is a middle grade novel called Between Friends. I’m enjoying the process of writing it but sometimes it’s scary. I’m doing the whole thing as a rough draft and I can’t slow down to edit or even spell check. One might say it’s a homely little runt, at this point, but I’m committed to feeding and caring for it and I’ll watch that puppy grow! The half-way point of 25k is this weekend. I must speed up my typing like my story depends on it. (It does!) Wish me luck!

Feel free check out my Nano page here.

That’s right: NaNo. Short for NaNoWriMo aka National Novel Writing Month.

Here’s how it works: You pledge, along with a trillion other crazy writers, to write your own 50k novel within 30 days, in the month of November.

Whatever you write is your call. For example, I’ve got a middle grade story brewing in my head. I’ve no outline, no character studies and no particular theme in mind. I’ve only the audacity of trust that a novel will sprout from a few lines of notes.

My method certainly doesn’t suit everyone. Some writers begin with a high degree of preparedness. They arm themselves with enough research and source material to dig themselves out of trouble–even they expect surprises along the way. For other writers, surprises are the way. They have no inkling of the story that will surface as they are 110 per cent reliant on their muse.

There is no right or wrong way to start. It’s all about the writing.

I know I’m in for a wild ride. I did NaNo twice before. Got to 35k in 2005 and 14k in 2007. (I skipped 2006, the year my PB came out.) Not bad for a picture book writer, eh?

Okay, so if I didn’t make it to the finish the first two times, what makes me think I’ll do better this time?

I have a few things figured out. Besides having learned something from the previous times, and the growing vault of Nano wisdom tricks and tips, I have three things in place:

1. A laptop. I am the proud owner of an Intel Macbook Pro—my main computer since my beloved workhorse PowerMac died last spring. Have laptop, will travel… and this laptop shall remain near my fingertips the entire east coast family trek come Thanksgiving break.

2. Goodies. This includes rewards and self-administered bribes. I’ve grown wise to the fact that I need the carrot, as well as, the stick. So, some weekly rewards or incentives are in order, starting with a new chocolate brown NaNo t-shirt. Love its cool front design and 10-year anniversary pronouncement on the back!

Other potential rewards: A new book, a visit to a local day spa and chocolate. I could get used to this!

Of course, completing a 50k first draft is it’s own reward.

3. It’s the 10-year Anniversary. NaNoWriMo reaches a new milestone year so I’m pumped up and inspired to succeed. Nevermind the two trial runs I’ve had as a participant. Three’s a charm, right?

One of the perks about NaNo are the friendships and cameraderie that develop. I have my talented friend, Laura, to thank for telling me about NaNo back in 2005. She is a NaNo winner two or three times over and the coolest NaNo buddy one could ask for.

Kai, my daughter, is also taking the NaNo challenge. With her natural gift for words and storytelling, I’m curious to see what she’ll write.

With a heap of inspiration from Laura, Kai and others in NaNoland, I’m fixing my eyes on the 50k finish-line. If I hardly blog, it’s because of NaNo. If I skip meals or forget to floss, blame NaNo.

For all you dear, brave and crazy fellow NaNoers:

May your fingers fly to the finish!