Hats off to iconic writing great, Ray Bradbury, and his generous assessment of writing:

He is also quoted as saying:

“My job is to help you fall in love.”
—Speech at Brown University, 1995

“I am the greatest lover of other writers, old or new, who ever lived. I have never been jealous of any writer, I only wanted to write and dream like them.”

I heart Ray Bradbury. His head could be as big as the state of Texas and noone would blink twice. He is, after all, a living legend. But Bradbury’s no Diva. He gets it: it’s all about the writing.

 

I won my first NaNoWriMo. Yipee-Yi-Yi-Yay!

The third time’s a charm, as the saying goes. In previous years, I’d reached 35k and 14k. But this go-round I wrote beyond 50k with a story I had swimming around in my head for a while. It’s a middle-grade tale and it’s far from complete. It’ll probably end at 70-80k. Then I’m onto rewriting and editing.

The above image is a composite of Norman Rockwell’s Thanksgiving dinner with a girl typing away at her laptop. That’s me (symbolically). I typed my NaNo novel like a maniac over Thanksgiving holiday: en route to Philly, Delaware, D.C. and back. (Thankfully, my family understood.)

Venturing into NaNo-land, especially this time of year, requires a steel gut and harded-headed determination. Was I made of the right stuff? Could I pull if off? Here’s what I did: After downing several helpings of turkey and all the trimmings and favorites like green bean salad, Tex-Mex salad, pumpkin pie and my mom-in-law’s special thumbprint cookies, I tickled my NaNo reflex and purged my story in all its glory, its nouns, pronouns, verbs and adjectives, spiked with typo’s, adverbs and run-on sentences into my trusty Macbook Pro. Yes, it was far from pretty. I slogged my laptop around, hunching over the shining LCD screen with a bum wrist from tennis elbow, wherever and whenever, I could. This got the job done. Whew.

So, what had I learned? I found that the same writing muscles for PB’s are the same as in noveling, with slight differences. Both require a love of language and story and an eagerness, perhaps an obsession, for taking a risk. I discovered that my inner novelist eye could be fine-tuned with a story that reached into distant memories, while my eye for picture books was bent on something more immediate, neatly wrapped with colorful ribbons.

Also, I learned that I enjoyed writing novels, as much as, PB’s and that the 50k goal was attainable with people cheering and prodding you on like family and NaNo buddies—notably, Laura, Kailani and the NaNoWriMo crew at Verla’s Blueboards.

Winning NaNo is only the beginning, so I’ll close the post with an inspirational tag that has followed me throughout the years a la my French college roommate, Eliane: Reagis bon sang! Loose translation: React. Do it now. Make today count.

I did it! I’m almost caught up on my words as I did a lot of NaNo writing today—chalking up over 6k words! Not an easy task for an AR *anal retentive* writer like me. Usually, I stop every thousand words or so and whittle down to the basic bones of the story.

Like I’ve said before… NaNo writing requires a large degree of commitment and risk-taking. You write a story dictated entirely by your muse. No questions asked. It’s like diving into a pool blindfolded with no idea of how deep it is or what lies at the bottom. Okay, maybe the blindfolds are off if you have a loose outline.

I’m very close to 20,000 words (yipee!), so I’m posting two things to help mark the occasion:

1. Just a fun pic of me (above) dressed as a RoboCat at a New Orleans Halloween event last month with halau Na Lei Hulu. I promised my costume maven friend, Sandra, that I’d post a pic so… voila! I’m posing with Lela, a character from Futurama, AKA Rose from halau. Yes, I’m like a B-movie RoboCat.

2. Here’s a paragraph from my NaNo middle-grade novel called Between Friends. Thanks to my NaNo buddy, Laura, who has posted sentences from her novel, I’m inspired to post an entire paragraph from mine. Disclaimer: This from my first draft. Just a first draft…

“I dunno. I’m just making up something,” she says. I know and I’m a bit wary about what she’s making. I inspect the floor to see if there’s anything from the kitchen. The last time Deanna made her concoctions, or whatever it is she calls them, she used real milk in some of those bottles. Then she stored them under her bed and forgot all about them. A week or so later there was a gross smell. Worse than that were these little maggots, horrible spindly white things, crawling out from under her bed. Deanna refused to sleep in her bed for weeks, long after the mess was cleaned up.

I aim to get to 30k words by mid-week. Stay tuned…!

 

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!

After months of all work-no play, I dragged myself to the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators LA Conference, Aug 1-4, 2008. I came back feeling renewed, refreshed and rarin’ to go!

Here are some conference notes and impressions, from A to Z:

Aspire. Aspire to reach your goals and dreams in kid lit. In her closing speech, Newbery-winning author, Susan Patron, recalled what it was like to sit in the audience. She attended conferences as a “writer disguised as a librarian.” She had me thinking: What are my true aspirations? We’re served heaps of wisdom during the conference, but certain words and phrases stick with us, help us turn a corner. Susan gave a quote about “the clear-eyed truth”: Writing can be compared to “hanging by a thread sprung out of your own guts.” Wow. To which she added: “If you use your very guts to spit out the very finest book you can, call Sue Patron.” It’s a deal.

Books. Read a lot of Books. Read Books in the genre(s) you write. I steered clear of the SCBWI bookstore until the third day of the conference. When I got there, I was like a chocaholic at a chocolate factory! I ended up shlepping a fair number of books home but that’s okay. I have enough books to keep me happily reading through fall. (I need another book shelf though.)

Craft. Workshops focused on the craft of writing in all genres–humor, mass market, graphic novels and more. From Mac McCool, I learned about France’s long-standing tradition in “Comix Albums.” I also heard that Japanese manga is quickly turned-around because it is produced by whole studios of artists. Graphic novel works by individuals take longer. Maus by Art Speigelman took 10 years to produce. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi took 5 years.

Dig. As in “Dig in.” Best-selling author Margaret Peterson Haddix’s words. Margaret shared her journey as a writer, signifying the importance of focus.

Editors. Editors have similar concerns as writers, according to a panel of editors at the Pro-Track Luncheon. They worry about how their email sounds–whether they’ve offended an author, etc. Sure. Rolling up your sleeves and meeting deadlines is important. But prompt, friendly emails will earn you extra points.

Fresh. Fresh take on topics. Fresh illustration styles. What editors and agents want.

Gala, Golden Kite Awards & Giggles.

Paint-the-Town-Red Gala… What a Blast! SCBWI sure knows how to throw a party! Plenty of food and drink, great DJ, dancing, plus a costume contest! I dressed in red as an “Artist.” (I got carried away with the red make-up!). I ran into fun-loving fellow Blueboarders, Cindy and Christy…

I met my statuesque crit friend, Laura, from the Poet’s Garage.

For my “outfit,” I fashioned a fake bag with two reddish paintings of “LA town.” Each side featured an LA image–the “Hollywood letters” and the palm trees of Sunset Blvd. I included the SCBWI kite, of course.

Golden Kite Awards presentations and luncheon. Enjoyed the conversation and camaraderie. Heard some wonderful speeches by the winners. I loved Bay Area author/illustrator Yuyi Morales‘ animated finale. Here’s a photo snapped with her after she signed her Golden Kite Award-winning picture book, Little Night.

Now about the Giggles… Executive Director of SCBWI, Lin Oliver, is a sharp, funny and cool-headed MC. She co-writes the humorous Hank Zipzer series with Henry Winkler. So, we had no idea Lin had a “problem” with giggling, until she told us (and even better–demonstrated). Lin’s teachers would actually send her out of the classroom for giggling (!)

This happened during the last conference session: A woman interrupts Lin at the podium. The lady has something important to say, so she walks up to Lin, chitchats and returns to her seat. Lin says into the mic: “You want me to announce what?!” Turns out the woman lost a shoe ornament! Lin asks the lady stand. The lady’s face is beet red and I’m thinking: All this for a shoe ornament? Well, I’m not alone. Lin starts to…

Giggle. The crowd giggles. Even Steve Mooser, President of the SCBWI, is wiping his eyes and giggling. It was pure fun watching Lin Oliver’s giggling girl in action. So glad the giggling girl made it to the conference.

Lin Oliver signs a copy of her Hank Zipzer book :-).

Heroes. “Kids need heroes,” said prolific author, Bruce Coville, in his opening talk, “That’s how they create themselves.” Indeed, the writer creates heroes through story. How’s that for noble responsiblity?

Inspiration. This was freely distributed in large doses for four days straight.

Jobs. Aside from performing the self-imposed job of writing, having a “daytime job” and interests beyond writing is a plus, according to editors and agents. Being well-rounded is good. Of course, having a job also helps pay the bills!

Knowledge. Top reason for attending the conference, right? You go for the knowledge, but stay for the motivation. This conference didn’t disappoint.

Love. Beyond the love of writing and love of books. In her Golden Kite acceptance speech, Sara Pennypacker quoted E.B. White: “Each book is a love letter to humanity,” with which she asked, “So, if it’s written in love, then why hold back?”

Marketing & Media. Industry pros shared thoughts and insights on media and market trends that might impact children’s publishing. There was mention of cross-platform publishing, purchase of “properties” as opposed to manuscripts, Kindle and e-books. Note to Self: Learn more about the new media proposals and deals. Keep informed.

Network. The conference offers a chance to meet industry pros and make connections. Meeting fellow writers and illustrators is always a joy. Be it new friends, old friends. Here are Christa, Laura, Stephanie and Cooper–having fun at the Gala.

I also ran into a few folks from the Blueboards, the children’s lit message board at www.VerlaKay.com : Cynthea Liu (with her cute baby girl), Jay (who signed his book!), Linda Joy Singleton, Stephblake24, AngelaF (congrats on winning the costume contest!) and the incomparable Verla Kay, herself!

Open. As in having an Open Mind. Judging from the panel discussions on career and market trends, the value of keeping an open mind while staying true to one’s aspirations cannot be over-emphasized. Learn. Watch trends. Respond to editorial feedback. Agent and editors alike say, “Keep open.”

Plan. Agent, Micheal Bournet of Dystel and Goderich Literary Management, uttered this word to a room full of right-brainers. Michael advises that we create a plan (using our left brain!) and follow that plan to success. His workshop, titled “Building a Career for the Long Haul,” offered a lot of practical gems.

Quirky. Quirky is hot. “Emerging” author & quirky illustrator, Adam Rex, gave an entertaining and informative presentation. Several agents and editors expressed interest in quirky themes or styles. But here’s a caveat: Quirky ought to be your style. (See Voice.) Be yourself. That’s the underlying message. The marketplace caters to a variety of perspectives. Find an agent, editor or house that matches your style.

Remembrance. The 2008 SCBWI Summer Conference is dedicated to the memory of author, Sue Alexander (1934-2008). Her influence, talent and dedication, as the first member helped grow SCBWI into the world-wide organization it is today.

Senses. Bruce Coville, in his opening speech, said: “Bring the reader inside the story through the senses.” He suggested that we note how many senses we’re engaging in our MS.

Today. Today’s stories for today’s kids. What tickles their interest? What worries or concerns them? Today’s market: Brush up on market trends but also look deeper. This message echoed throughout the speeches and talks.

Universal. As in Universal theme. My goal with a certain MS based on a personal story. My conference consultation was just what I wanted: an honest evaluation of my piece. My author consultant gave helpful feedback. I was so pleased to get affirmation of the Universal theme(s) in my story. Yay! Now, on to revision no. 99! (just kidding…I mean no. 98. )

Voice. Veteran editor, Krista Marino moderated a panel of emerging editors and said that every editor has their own Voice. Something to keep in mind. Lin Oliver had this question for the panelists: “Plot or Voice?” All agreed that Voice was the “correct” or “best” answer. Gretchen Hirsch said she wanted “page turners.” However, Nancy Consecu maintained that while she can help a writer improve Plot, she can’t “make” a writer have Voice.

Write. Write up to kids. In her closing speech, Susan Patron quoted E.B. White (he was quoted a lot): “Anyone who writes down to children is simply wasting his [or her] time. You have to write up, not down. Children are demanding…”

Xtras. (This spelling is a stretch but…) “Xtras” can’t be beat! The Century Plaza Hyatt was great and close to a mall with a first-rate food court, grocery store and great selection of restaurants. On Sunday, Brazilian eatery had samba dancing (for everyone) just outside its doors. My writing pal and I couldn’t resist. We danced a bit of samba, working up an appetite for Pan Asian food at the newly opened restaurant, Rock Sugar.

Samba on a Sunday! Photo by Laura Elliott.

YOUth. We were reminded to keep in touch our youthful audience, as well as, listen to our own “inner youth”!

Zest. Zesty! My mind was fed. Now, my heart is aflutter with renewed Zest for kid lit. Happy writing! Happy illustrating!