I'm NaNo-ing. Are You?

I've decided to participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writers Month) this year. NaNo is where a bunch of crazy people commit to writing 1,666 words a day for 30 days in the hopes of producing the first draft of a novel. Yes, I've decided to be one of those crazy people.

I'm prickly scared. And I must finish the current draft of my WiP in one day so I'll be ready to go on November 1st.

I'm a pretty fast writer, so the idea of 1,666-words-a-day thing doesn't scare me. It's the EVERY DAY thing. Especially since the Dashingly Handsome Sidekick is heading into playoffs with his football team next week. And, you know, the small distraction of lots of little children who are the joy of my life (I am very glad to be distracted with them). And everything that's associated with being responsible for said children--meals, laundry, dirty bathrooms, etc. Oh, and Thanksgiving and my son's birthday also being in November. *deep breath*

But I'm going to attempt it. Just because it will get this novel I have simmering in my head started at the very least. And I may have a first draft at the very most.

I have nothing to lose, right? Except maybe my sanity. But sometimes I think sanity is overrated. If I lived my whole life worrying about keeping it, I'd have a boring life.

So, here's to NaNo! Who else is with me?

I'm registered as A.L. Sonnichsen (I know, very creative) if you'd like to be my buddy.

WiP Wednesday: A Seagull and a Butterfly

It's Wednesday! I haven't done a Work-in-Progress update for awhile, so here's the scoop.

I'm working on two books simultaneously. This isn't ideal, probably because my regular life mothering five kids requires so much multitasking, it's hard to also do that in my writing life and stay sane. But, I'm doing it anyway. Slowly, but surely. 

1) SEAGULL RISING: I'm still editing this one, polishing it for submission. At this point, my agent and I are down to "fine-tooth editing." With this edit I only have one plot point to adjust, which is an improvement over the last round of edits where I rewrote most of the ending. (But it's a much better ending!)

I'm honestly wondering if most writers cause their agent this much trouble. I hope so, because if most people are turning in flawless manuscripts that go straight to submission, I'm going to feel terrible. But I'm thankful to my awesome agent, Emmanuelle, for taking the time to help me get my book as perfect as possible.

And I have a feeling this is good practice for when I do get published *someday.* I'll be that much better at this editorial-feedback back-and-forth thing.

2) RED BUTTERFLY: This is my new novel, set completely in China. Wow, this one has been hard to write because its subject is so emotionally charged. I'm close to finishing my second rewrite and getting it out to a first-round of critique partners. 

Now that I'm almost done with this draft, I'm in love. I liked it okay after the first draft ... I mean, I loved the idea, but I wasn't in love with my execution. But after this rewrite, I can honestly say I've fallen for the characters--all of them, even the male lead who was making me pull my hair out at first. And maybe, just maybe, I'm getting better at plotting? I guess that remains to be seen....

So, I'm dying to hear how your WiPs are going. Even if it's not related to writing, what are you working on right now?

And if you don't feel like answering that question, maybe tell me why you think I've named both my books after animals that fly? I really have no idea, but I'd like to hear your opinion. (There might be a deeply psychological reason.)

Delicious Fall

 It's unmistakeably fall in the Yakima Valley. 

Every year my in-laws make grape juice from the grapes they grow in their back yard.

Here's a sampling. (I wish I could give you a real sampling!)

This stuff is so good, so healthy, so delicious.

And of course my in-laws have too much to drink all by themselves, so they share with us. Yay!

Do you have any traditions or hobbies you enjoy only in the fall?

Just for fun, here's a picture of the cool clouds we had over our valley yesterday. 

Have a wonderful, colorful, delicious day!

My Tribute to Yue Yue

Little Wang Yue, nicknamed Yue Yue, died today. >>Here<<  is the BBC report.

You've probably read the articles, maybe you even watched the footage, but after wandering out into an alleyway near her family's hardware store, Yue Yue was run over by two vehicles that kept on driving. Her plight was then ignored by at least eighteen passersby. The whole incident was captured on a security camera.

I haven't watched the video. Can't stomach it. The reports are disturbing enough. I've been told by people who did watch the video that it gave them nightmares.

It's horrifying to look the dark side of human nature in the face. This sickening display of human selfishness at its worst makes us ask questions, at least.

How did this happen?

What were those bystanders thinking?

I would react differently, wouldn't I?

To understand "those bystanders'" thought-processes demands knowing something about Chinese culture. I don't claim to be an absolute authority, but I did live in China for eight years. Those were wonderful years and I met amazing, big-hearted people in my time there, people who would have helped Yue Yue in a heartbeat. I know not every Chinese person would have behaved like the people in the video did.

Still, I wasn't completely surprised by this story. I've been trying to wrap my mind around why it horrified me, but didn't surprise me.

Do I think Chinese people are heartless? No.

Do I think they're afraid? Yes.

Afraid of losing everything they've worked so hard for.

Afraid that if they help, they'll have to face false accusations and will lose "face," as well as money.

It's hard for westerners to understand how important the concept of Face is to a Chinese person. Face is everything.

And in recent years, money runs a close second to Face.

There have been several well-publicized instances in China where a "hero" was later accused of causing the accident. >>This article<< addresses one of these instances.

If we dig just a little into Chinese history, I think we find at least one culprit: the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Brother turned against brother, wife against husband. No one could be trusted, not even a person's own family members. You always worried someone might turn you in to the authorities on a trumped up charge.

The Communists at that time orchestrated that kind of fear to serve its own selfish purposes-- to overthrow the old way and bring in the new. They needed to destroy individual's trust in one another so they would become totally subservient to the government.

Now, all these years later, we still see the consequences of that movement in the new China. The stamp of fear is still on the people. It may take many more generations to completely wear away. Perhaps tragedies like Yue Yue's will encourage people to consider their values, to change their thinking, to reach out to others without fear.

So today ...
Pray for Yue Yue's grieving family.
Pray that this is a wake-up call for this culture, that all of us from every culture will realize we can't let fear stand in the way of doing what's right.
Pray that when we're faced with a big decision like this, we will act compassionately, selflessly, heroically, without taking the time to count the cost.

Rest in peace, sweet baby Yue Yue. Your innocent life's tragedy may become a light for a great nation.

Truth Tuesday: Poop Happens

We writers all look forward to The Call.

It seems illusive and then suddenly it's happening. An agent asks if she can call you! You think she'll probably offer representation! YIKES! Leap around the house. Scrub the bathtub. Sing silly songs. Kiss the baby.

I cleared the house for The Call. I farmed out my children in preparation. I put the baby down for a nap early. It was awesome.

During The Call my house was totally quiet. I was perfectly professional. (*ahem*--except for the nervous giggling at the beginning and the "Oh, I've been so excited to talk to you!" in a sixth-grade girl voice--*ahem*)

Then came The Acceptance Call. Short and sweet. My agent said she was thrilled, we both danced a jig on our opposite sides of the continent. All was well.

Then came The Call After the Acceptance Call to talk details. I didn't prepare so well for this call. My big kids were at school, but my two little girls were home and both awake. I figured it would be fine. My two-year-old was playing nicely, so when the call came, I took it in the office.

I have no idea how long this call lasted, but it was going great, I was making notes, when all of a sudden the door creaked open and my two-year-old was standing in the doorway, bare bottomed, holding out a long stream of toilet paper smeared with poop.

I don't remember exactly what Emmanuelle was talking to me about at that moment. I think it was something about cover ideas (I'm sure it was a wonderful cover idea), but suddenly all her words ran together and I was faced with a dilemma.

I'd been trying so hard to be professional.  

But here is my daughter smeared with poop standing in the middle of my office.

I had to make a decision:

1) FULL DISCLOSURE: "Ha ha! My daughter is standing in the middle of my office with a bare bottom and poop all over her."

2) PARTIAL DISCLOSURE: "Sorry, I have a little emergency here. Can I call you right back?"

3) DENIAL: Keep talking on the phone and silently guide the poopy child back to the bathroom; try to finish the call with some kind of grace.

It was probably not the best choice, but I chose option 3.

In hindsight, I should have gone with option 2. But I was in panic mode and in panic mode you don't always make good choices.

Now that I know my agent a little better, I'm sure she would have been very understanding even if I'd dropped the Option 1 bomb. She's gracious and has a great sense of humor, so I'm sure she would have laughed along with me.

Did I learn anything from this fiasco?

1) Only that parenthood is sometimes not synonymous with professionalism.

2) That it's good to stay humble. You never know when a child covered in poop will walk into your office and interrupt a phone call.

3) That you can do your best, but in the end, poop still happens.

I'm sure you all would have handled this situation much better than I did, but tell me your thoughts. Any other lessons I could learn from this? Is anyone totally grossed out? Have I convinced anyone to swear off having children forever?

Well, that last one wasn't my intention, so just in case, here's my daughter looking like the angel she often is:

"Mommy, this is for you."

Yep, she's worth it!

The Synopsis as a Tool

We all have our own routines and processes when we write. Some of us wing our way through a draft. Others plan. Years go by and we learn new tricks and techniques. We experiment different ways of writing novels. We try out different methods of drafting and editing.

I'm always trying new things. For instance, with my WiP, I'm typing it in a weird font because for some reason  the voice comes out better than with Times New Roman. Of course I'll change it back to TNR before I submit, but it's fun to draft it this way.

But I did something REALLY crazy for me the other day. I actually PLOTTED out the last quarter of my WiP. I've never done this before, because I've always been a strict pantser (meaning, if you're new to writing lingo, I draft by the seat of my pants.)

I got to this point because of my lovely agent Emmanuelle. She's teaching me seriously helpful things.

For instance, when I got ready to query before, I'd polish up the manuscript, send off a few queries, and then maybe think about writing a synopsis as an after thought. But Emmanuelle has been teaching me how to use the synopsis as a tool. She has taught me to study the synopsis to find places where I can heighten the tension, raise the stakes, and also analyze character arcs.

It occurred to me (I'm slow sometimes) that this is what people do when they plot in depth BEFORE they start the novel. Technically they're taking out the guess-work and going in with a really strong story. (I still think it's possible to mess up with this, because there are always characters who don't want to cooperate with really strong story lines ... but that's a blog post for another day.)

I don't think I'll ever be a firm plotter, but I like the bird's eye view a synopsis gives me when I'm editing.

And in this case, since I was having a hard time envisioning my WiP's ending, a one-page plot plan is helping me get there. Who knows if I'll stick to it. I'm sort of a free spirit. But it's actually nice to have a plan. (I can't believe I'm saying that!)

I know I've asked before whether you're a plotter or a pantser, so I'll change the question. Do you use your synopsis as a tool? Or do you type it up last minute when an agent requests it?

Guest Post by Grace: A Borders Eulogy

An empty bookstore: it has got to be one of the saddest spectacles my young eyes have ever lighted upon.

My mind and heart still hold the images of the knowledge-packed shelves, the navigational signs, the posters announcing the arrival of the latest Harry Potter book, the place where all the Children's award-winners reigned supreme and where I would sit on cold days and peruse what looked adventurously promising.

This was the place I discovered my love for such writers as E.L. Konigsburg and Gordon Korman. It was here that I read the first few pages of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, soon to become one of my very favorites. It was here that I began to learn the way of the Newbery Medal, given out once a year, and of the Honors which were received by a few of the most noteworthy runners-up.

This place was called "Borders," but when we were small one of us mistakenly referred to it as "Boxers." Ah, memories.

I can be sure that I, being a young adult attempting to write Young Adult, am not the only one significantly affected by the existence of good, material bookstores.

We all benefit from a visit to Barnes & Noble, and not just because half of the world's nicest people live between the pages of its merchandise. For all the greatness and triumph of discovery in the form of new places you don't have to pack your suitcase and cross oceans to see, it is, in my opinion, an equally wondrous thing to walk through the doors and enter the familiar building, which is filled to the brim with wisdoms (good and bad), eyes and ears of others destined to become your own (if only for a week or so), lives to be lived, lines to be crossed, and hidden worlds to be found and lifted up into the sunlight of one's own imagination.

There is an atmosphere of mystery, of invisible music that longs to be heard, whist a smell of ages and of knowledge (and of coffee, in some cases) signals the beginning of something wonderful, though who can ever know what it is just yet?

It's an adventure, walking into a bookstore or library. It's an experience; a meditation; a magic spell. The visit itself may be a journey; a quest; or perhaps simply a lazy boat-ride: a drift, if you will. Whatever one's preference, it is what it is, and that is wondrous.

Now, imagine, if you will, the world without bookstores or libraries. If there were none of these available, what should naturally follow but (horror of horrors!) a world without books? "What does it matter?" some might counter. "Who needs paperbacks or places to keep them when one has the internet?"

What do you think?

**

A little more about my guest:  

Hi, my name is Grace. I’m 16 years old, and I write fiction for Children and Young Adults …  Well, technically, I am attempting to write said fiction. I have not ever been published, but it is my goal to finish my first book by summer of next year and begin the dreaded (or joyfully anticipated: whichever you like) campaign to become a published author. 

I began meeting with Amy last year, and she has been amaaaaaziiiiing: Thank you, Amy! I love to write in many genres, though most of my plots seem to have at least a trickle of fantasy threading through them. I am really a wizard at heart, or maybe a fairy: it’s a tough decision. 

Some of my favorite authors are Kate DiCamillo, Madeleine L’Engle, C.S. Lewis, Helen Keller, and J.K. Rowling. If you haven’t read something by one or more of these people, DO IT! They are all different, and they are all wonderful. 

**

Thank you for doing this, Grace! You are wonderful! *hugs*

So, my lovely blog followers, I'd love you to answer Grace's question in the comments. What do you think about Borders' closure? Does this herald the end of bookstores as we know them? Anything else to tell Grace?

Check Baby Check Baby 1234

This is a test. This is only a test.

Because my last blog post never showed up in MY Google reader, so I'm wondering if it showed up in YOURS.

Did you get to read about how I met the wonderful children's book author Karma Wilson at my kids' elementary school? If not, and you want to, click >>here<<.

I have a really fun guest post lined up for tomorrow and I don't want anyone to miss it. So, hopefully this works.

While we're chatting, how was your weekend? Did you do anything fun? I was in my editing cave, but more about that later....

See you tomorrow!

Author Visit: Karma Wilson

   

Last Wednesday, our little community had a treat ... picture book author Karma Wilson came to town! Our lower-elementary school principal invited me to watch her kindergarten presentation. Karma was delightful--in person and as a presenter. 

She read a couple of her books (including BEAR SNORES ON, her best seller) and told another story with a puppet, based on one of her books. I was so impressed with how she engaged her audience. The kids had a blast!

Watching Karma present made me realize how diverse the job of being an author really is. A big part is still holing up in your writing/editing cave and creating. But once you're published, you also have an audience to consider.

To be honest, the idea of taking my book on tour and visiting schools and libraries slightly terrifies me. I mean, I love people, but I think I'll need to work on my public speaking/presenting skills. I'd love to attend a YA author presentation sometime. I'm sure it's different than a picture book author's! (Probably not quite as fun, unfortunately.)

 

During question and answer time, one teacher asked, "When did you write your first book?"

Karma acknowledged that this was a tricky question, since she'd written twenty books before BEAR SNORES ON that weren't good enough to be published.

I loved that she said that. It's inspiring to be reminded that if we keep working at it, we can eventually reach our publication goals.

Have you watched an author present before? I admit, this is only the second author presentation I've attended (not including speakers at SCBWI conferences).  Do you look forward to this aspect of post-publication?