december 16, 2014

'Tis the season to be nice to your sibling.

books to read

Excited about 

my newest stack of 

books to read.

The God of Animals - Aryn Kyle

Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child - Maria T. Lennon

The Silver Star - Jeanette Walls

Ham on Rye - Charles Bukowski

Where'd you go, Bernadette? - Maria Semple

word of the week

Our Word of the Week

that I added to the fish bowl on my desk

is...

linger (verb) 1. to remain or stay in a place longer than necessary, typically because of a reluctance to leave

three months to go

perks of being pregnant

strangers smile at you

ice cream every night after dinner

naps with no guilt

the great name hunt

presents (see picture)

and of course,

the best part of all,

you get to meet you your baby

at the very end

occupational hazard of a writer

I was so busy thinking about my new story, 

I walked into this tree.

Embarrassing, but true.

books to read

Excited about 

my newest stack of

books to read.

Wild - Cheryl Strayed

Fortunately, the Milk - Neil Gaiman

The Meaning of Maggie - Megan Jean Sovern

Siblings without Rivalry - Faber and Mazlish

No-Drama Discipline - Siegel and Bryson

(Siblings Without Rivalry + No-Drama Discipline = 

I have a toddler who's not altogether thrilled that I'm pregnant.)

word of the week

Our Word of the Week

that I added to the fish bowl on my desk

is...

scrumptious (adjective) 1. extremely appetizing or delicious

the great roald dahl

If someone was able to scoop up the thoughts inside my brain and pull out the reason why I love to write for kids, this is exactly what I’d want to say.

“I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers, to become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn’t be daunting, they should by funny, and wonderful; and learning to become a reader is a terrific advantage.”                                                                                                           –Roald Dahl

I’d also like to add, in addition to inspiring kids to read, I’m also passionate about inspiring kids to write. I think reading and writing walk hand in hand. Writing shouldn’t feel daunting either. It should be fun and exciting!

Every Wednesday, I teach a Creative Writing class to 4^th and 5^th Graders. Along with writing, we talk about the books my students are reading. I find it interesting that the things my students enjoy about their favorite books are qualities that show up in their own work. Which leads me to believe if you're a writer, I imagine you also love being a reader. I know I sure do.

word of the week

Our Word of the Week

that I added to the fish bowl on my desk

is...

translucent (adjective) 1. not completely clear or transparent, but clear enough to let light pass through  2. free from disguise or falseness

thick and heavy

Today on my walk, I passed by this:

The words made me think.

I wondered who wrote it? 

I wondered how they are doing? 

I wondered if they are still writing? 

I certainly hope so.

collectors

I’m curious about people who collect things. While I was at an SCBWI writing conference this summer, author/illustrator Judy Schachner described her creative process as an act of collecting. She creates characters by collecting and collaging images. I love this idea! So much, I began to search the Internet for things that people collect. Here’s a few of my favorites:

alarm clocks

baseball cards

bumper stickers

coins

Cracker Jack prizes

dried flowers

garden gnomes

guitars

insects

lunch boxes

marbles

mason jars

rocks

sea shells

stickers

t-shirts

vinyl records

Another thing I’d like to add to this list is... words. That’s what I collect.

In third grade, I started my first journal. Since then, I’ve accumulated dozens of journals, filled with thousands and thousands of words. Interestingly enough, I rarely reread what I’ve written. I don’t keep the journals to look over my past. Instead, I keep them because they mark time. I look at the big stack and see the years I’ve lived and the things I have inside me.

How about you? Are you a collector? What do you collect?

word of the week

Our Word of the Week

that I added to the fish bowl on my desk

is...

become (verb) 1. to grow or come to be  2. to be appropriate or suitable to  

3. to show to advantage; look good with

books to read

Excited about

my newest stack of

books to read.

The Lightening Thief - Rick Riordan

Warp Speed - Lisa Yee

Under the Egg - Laura Marx Fitzgerald

We Were Liars - E. Lockhart

The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt

ambition

Here’s what I thought about today:

Ambition is pushing through things that sometimes make you uncomfortable. Whereas, contentment is doing the things you’re good at, over and over.

Along this line of thinking, Ramona Quimby just might be the most ambitious character I’ve ever met. I love her curiosity, determination, and willingness to try something new.

Photo source: www.keepingupwithmrssmith.com

word of the week

Our Word of the Week

that I added to the fish bowl on my desk

is...

cyclical (adjective) 1. something that goes in cycles, or something that occurs in a repeating pattern

SCBWI LA 2014

Whenever I get home from a writing conference, I feel inspired. At the same time, I’m slightly overwhelmed. There’s so much amazing information, it’s hard to focus.

So, as I read over my notes and think about all of the wonderful speeches, I circle sentences that tug at my heart. Here’s a few:

If you want to write, find your splinter - the thing that pierces you and won't let you go. -Megan McDonald

Treasure your faults. –Meg Rosoff

Be brave in your writing, even if you are not always brave in your life. 

–Judy Blume

SCBWI is an incredible organization and I’m so grateful to be a member.

rhode island

Here's a few pictures from my recent trip to Rhode Island,
the place where I grew up. 

It has been a treat to introduce my son to
some of the things I enjoyed as a kid.

Plus, I just love being surrounded by nature.

Such a great place for gathering story ideas!

word of the week

Our Word of the Week

that I added to the fish bowl on my desk

is...

conscience (noun) 1. the part of the mind that makes you aware of your actions as being either morally right or morally wrong

exciting news

I have a literary agent!

The wonderful Susan Hawk at the Bent Agency now represents me and I couldn't be happier.

optimism

Here's what I thought about today:

Being optimistic is a lot like brushing your teeth. Doing it everyday takes effort, but the payoff is a really good, genuine smile.

(Photo source: miss-shirley-temple.tumbler.com)

word of the week

Our Word of the Week

that I added to the fish bowl on my desk

is...

hushed (adjective) 1. having a calm and still silence

books to read

Excited about 

my newest stack of

books to read.

Dear George Clooney Please Marry My Mom -Susin Neilson

This is Where I Leave You -Jonathan Trooper

The 14 Fibs of Gergory K. -Greg Pincus

Casebook -Mona Simpson

listen to the teacher

May 5, 1986
When the teacher tells you to be quiet in line, you should! You should stand up straight. You should shut your mouth and be quiet. You should never talk to the person next to you. You should listen to the teacher.

I wrote this journal entry twenty eight years ago. I was in third grade. While the spelling and punctuation leave room for improvement, I continue to find inspiration from a time in my life when the good ideas were just pouring out.

For instance, I just love how opinionated the writing is: Listen to the teacher! The thing is, I can't remember if I was being an over-the-top rule follower. Or, maybe I had just gotten in trouble and I was reminding myself how to avoid getting in trouble again? I've got a feeling it's the latter of the two. I spent a great deal of third grade in trouble.

word of the week

Our Word of the Week

that I added to the fish bowl on my desk

is...

roughhouse (noun) 1. rough, disorderly playing, especially indoors.

a win/win situation

I got this tent  for my toddler and he doesn’t like it.

But here’s the good news: My cat LOVES the tent.

And considering for the past year Calvin has suffered swats, pushes, and fur-pulls from Henry, it seems as though things have worked out perfectly. Calvin totally deserves a safe place away from the grasp of a mischievous toddler. And, Henry is thrilled I’ve stopped forcing him to go into the tent.

Don’t you just love it when things work out in ways you never planned?

sandman

I can't wait to read this book.

(Yes, I'm a diehard Red Sox fan, but there has always been something so wonderful about Mariano Rivera. I think he sets the bar for how to be an intelligent, focused, hardworking, thoughtful athlete.)

word of the week

Our Word of the Week

that I added to the fish bowl on my desk

is...

southpaw (noun) 1. someone who is left-handed; especially: a baseball pitcher or boxer

good morning

Henry hobbled around the kitchen this morning and instead of looking like a toddler, he reminded me of an old war veteran with stiff knees. That’s when I realized he had a small piece of raison bread stuck to the bottom of his foot.

“Henry,” I said.  “Is there bread on your foot?”

“Bread, foot,” he said.

“Let’s put the bread in the trash,” I told him.

Ignoring my suggestion, he stared at me. Then he peeled the piece of bread from the bottom of his barefoot and shoved the food into his mouth.

“Or you can put it in your mouth,” I replied.

That’s when he took the disgusting glob of bread out of his mouth, placed it on the ground, and for the second time of the morning, stepped on it.

“Ah,” I said. “So that’s how you got it to stick.”

He smiled and went back to his hobbling.

what a month of birthdays!

Did you know the following authors were born in March?

Dr. Suess (March 2)
Patricia MacLachlan (March 3)
Mem Fox (March 5)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning (March 6)
Jack Kerouac (March 12)
Carl Hiaasen (March 12)
Sid Fleischman (March 16)
Lois Lowry (March 20)
Louis Sachar (March 20)
Tennesse Williams (March 26)
Robert Frost (March 26)

some of my best work

March 17, 1986

I had a good time at school. First, we did morning work. And then, we watched a movie. And then, we had math. But when I got home, my cat was eating my fish. I said, "No, don't do that" and put him outside. I watched TV. And then, I had dinner.

March 18, 1986

My best part of school is lunch. 

I wrote these journal entries twenty eight years ago. I was in third grade. While my penmanship and grammar leave room for improvement, the writing cracks me up.

The day went by sort of ho-hum, and then my cat ate a fish. Oh no! It's a good reminder that conflict works in even the shortest of passages. I also love that there's no reflection about the fish dying. Nope, I simply put the cat outside. Then, I watched TV and had dinner. End of story.

The next entry begins with the best part of school. Lunch, of course.

I wish I had kept more writing from a time in my life when the good ideas were just pouring out.