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Hi Ron & Archivemanager…thank you!

Thanks Kenneth!

Hi Theadora, thank you.

Wonderful, I like her elegant hands and feet.

Hi Advocatemmmohan and Amber, thank you!

Thank you, Josette!

Hi Andres, Andrea, and Antonio, thank you!

Thank you, Miss Carina, Karisha, Rachel and OurExcelsior!

Hi SkyFox, Sage Doyle, Lakshmi, Violet, K Cutler, G.E. Gallas and Otto, thank you!!

I love it! I'd bet people look for the new messages on that sign every time they drive by. We have a nearby car wash like that, and I always look for the new message! Great for PR!

"If you can read this sign, you can read a book"

Yes, I enjoyed Friends With Boys (which I learned about here, thanks to you), so I will definitely pick this up. Love the premise! I LOVE graphic novels of high school life. I read THE PLAIN JANES and JANES IN LOVE.

Oh, great--if you liked Friends With Boys I'm sure you'll enjoy this one. It had a very positive feel to it, which in this day and age of constant bullying overload, was refreshing without being cloying, if that makes sense.

He’s absolutely gorgeous! Just like a teddy bear
xx

Cute boar. He he he

Thanks Madre! (0:

This child adores your balancing boar.

Aww, thanks Julie!

Love this! So clever!!

That big boar has a wee butt on a wee chair.
This is soooo cute.

Great drawings!!

‘He’ll just have to do’? I think it’s brilliant, a docile boar that’s all about tea. Wonderful illustration!

So cute! Great work!

Wonderful drawing!!

This is great! Love the composition and the balancing bulky boar!!

That’s some wild tea party…love it! Can’t wait to look through your portfolio. I ended up going with Animals gone wild…http://www.bitsnbaublesstudio.com/apps/blog

This is one of my favorites! Thanks for the laugh.

F U N N Y !!

“I love it when a plan comes together.”
Happy April Sketchie!

Who’s your friend?

Happy Easter!

Cute as the dickens.

Thank you,

We celebrate Easter in Autumn here in Tasmania, Australia.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday also.

Kind Regards

Desma Pacitto

Lovin' this review, Tanita.

As it turns out my illustrator had very specific reasons for his choices regarding the cover. And I know them! I'm looking forward to talking with you about it.

@ Gail: Looking forward to chatting on Friday about it.

What I like about the original cover is it reminds me a little of the old Hitchhiker's Guide cover: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/edition/?isbn=0671527215 (I have this one...and it turned out my mom had borrowed it from the library in 1983 and never returned it...and I still have it.)

Anyway, I'm going to have to get a copy of this one. I really like Carl Hiaasen's books for MG readers, and I keep cracking up already at The Earth's Wife.

Love it!

OK, this is a fav!

Very cute. I like your use of perspective.

That is fabulous. Your whole portfolio is super fun and clever. What joy!

I feel like dancing…

LOVE the perspective on the elephant, Linda!

cute!

Ohhh Love this!!

You crack me up! Nice illustration and nice recovery. I’d like to see more about this raccoon.

excellent, love it

I just added this to my list. Sounds like great fun!

Oh, what a lot to love, and even a fun cover!

I'm still squeeing for you, Robin! And I hope you'll continue to share your insights about the whole process. I can't wait to read every word.

As for me, I rarely tell anyone I write. I used to, but no more. I hate the same set of questions. And you all know what they are.

So in casual conversation, mums the word. Even my husband has learned that. He's hears the same questions too many times.

But I do love to talk writing and process with people who understand or who are genuinely curious.

Judy, Thanks! I was really thrown by the questions/comments that people had. It's very scary putting yourself out there and saying "Yes, I write".

I know exactly the questions you are talking about too!!
And ditto for talking about the writing process. I LOVE that :)

Congrats again, Robin! It's just such great news. I have had some odd reactions to my role as writer too. I don't think people even realize how they come off, half the time. I remember shortly after I graduated college, one of my uncles asked me what I wanted to do and when he heard the answer, he said lightly "Oh, another unpublished writer!" Oh, how it stung! Well,, some years passed and I published some magazine articles and came back to him proudly saying, "Not another unpublished writer anymore!" Well, he had forgotten all about what he said and when he heard it repeated back to him he was mortified. He isn't a bad guy, he simply didn't realize how it sounded at the time. But it stayed with me for years.

Robin,
I have often heard children's writers say that they aren't considered "real writers" unless they write for adults. Now, I guess having a movie made from your book is the new test of your worth. Ouch! Well, I think it's terrific that you have a book coming out. People mean well--keep that in mind. Hopefully, they'll buy a copy.

Love this post, Robin! And congrats again!

I think the question that got the oddest reactions for me is-- when is it coming out? In publishing time, my book came out pretty quickly, but for the rest of the world it seemed really slow. Friends celebrated my good news and then they wanted to see my book in a book store... soon! I would explain that there's a lot that needs to happen to get my book ready-- including time for the illustrator to make all his incredible illustrations. But often, I got the sense that they slightly doubted that my book was real if it was taking this long. :o)

p.s. Their apparent doubts that it was real reinforced my own doubts that it was real, 'cause I could hardly believe it myself. :o)

You deserve a long, loud squee!! And as for the questions and comments, just chalk them up to well-meaning ignorance. I imagine lawyers and doctors get some irritating/funny comments also.

Thanks, ladies! Glad to know I'm not alone with odd questions being tossed my way!!

The only think that really threw me was the advance question...but like you said, most people are well meaning and eager to say congrats!!

Nerija! You make your lithuanian ancestors proud! (Oh…and me too! )

Aww, thanks!

I dunno, he was alright. I was just glad not to see Billy Crystal again. He kind of looks like Bob Hope or something, seemed to fit the look of the show. He wasn’t always tasteful but thats the humor of the times, a bit nerdy to me but not that bad.I thought he worked for South Park. I kind of enjoyed him irritating the audience. Does all that genius and craft of acting talk at the Oscars any more sincere. George Clooney dates tons of starlets and models that don’t look like intellectual equals either (to my great envy) No one complains about him since he has all those causes (= free pass from prudish judgments), a bit of a double standard… People like to judge too much in this society. (isn’t there like 50 judging reality show contests on now)..Especially with sex. It always has to be hidden but everything else is fair game. In France, this would be funny… (and they respect comics)

The Oscars are so irrelevant I’m not sure it’s worth it to even get bothered by the host or anything else involved in them.

Do people under 35 even know who half the “stars” are?

I think Family Guy has been terrible for the past couple of seasons but his other creation American Dad consistently makes me laugh. Could be because the writing staff is different. I thought he did a good job as the host on Oscar night. I liked the “we saw your boobs” song and I was aware that the reaction shots were pre-recorded. I guess it is because I am ok with his crude style of humor at times and this one worked for me. The Zero Dark Thirty joke got a laugh as well. I have liked both Seth and Gervais but then again I like people who don’t play it “safe”

Maverickman — it’s not a question of “playing it safe” — it’s just a matter of pointing out how humor is used to undermine women’s achievements.

I really think the Oscars should embrace the fact that they’ve got an older demographic and not work so hard to get kids who aren’t familiar with 80% of the nominees to watch the show. It’s a show you grow into. When you’re 16, you’ve only seen the movies that are up for technical awards and some of the animated features, and you’re more excited about the MTV Movie Awards. You don’t get into Oscar-type movies until you hit college, and letting the kids from Modern Family host isn’t somehow going to make you more interested in whether or not Meryl Streep wins something.

The Oscars are like golf. Some kids will be into it, but it’s one of those things that survives because there will always be more old people coming along to replenish the ranks of people who’ll sit around watching it on Saturday afternoons.

Heidi,
Feel free to use me as a punching bag if you like, but I fail to see how his humor is used to undermine women’s achievements???

I’m not a McFarlane fan – for the most part his humor is the same childish bullshit revamped from episode of Family Guy to episode of Family Guy – crudely Funny the first couple of times around but nothing special unless you are a goofy high school kid or dip shit college student after that.

Havind said that I fail to see how any joke made by McFarlane during the Oscars (or at any other time for that matter) undermine’s the achievement of any woman, any where, at any time.

Please give me an example – or perhaps explain what you mean by under mine because I simply don’t see it based on how I understand the word and its usage.

un·der·mine (ndr-mn)
tr.v. un·der·mined, un·der·min·ing, un·der·mines
1. To weaken by wearing away a base or foundation: Water has undermined the stone foundations.
2. To weaken, injure, or impair, often by degrees or imperceptibly; sap: Late hours can undermine one’s health.
3. To dig a mine or tunnel beneath.

This was from FREEDICTIONARY.com

Is McFarlane an idiot – sure (others may find him funny or even a genius, but hey, a lot of folks watch Fox News and MSNBC and believe what each says whole heartedly…but I digress…)

But again, to say his comments, jokes, whatever have undermined woman is just a bit much. Are there woman somewhere right now sitting in a job interview thinking “my god, I hope this guy who is about to hire me didn’t watch the Oscars this past weekend, he may have heard Seth crack a dumb ass joke and think less of me because of it!”

I just don’t see it. Was his humor offensive to some…..absolutely. Funny to others, you bet. But undermining……..uhhh…..this guy has no where near that amount of stroke.

Does anyone think less of Kate Winslet because he mentioned around 8 movies she was in during his “boobs” bit?

If anything, it reminded me why I would much rather watch Winslet in her worst flick than McFarlane any day of the week.

The Oscars wasn’t his best stuff but he is still a genius. I normally hate when people say “you just don’t get it” but i think this time that’s the case. I don’t even know how to explain it but it’s not as “one dimensional” as you think. I saw your boobs was not meant to shame anybody. I have seen it reported that the reactions were pre-taped which is why Naomi Watts & Charleze Theron were wearing different clothes.

For those who think he is terrible, what comedians or actors do you think are funny?

“Looking at his unvarying smile, and smooth 39-year-old visage, one might guess some of the work included botox.”

And if that was a male writer writing that about a female host, the outrage would be overwhelming. Do as I say not as I do, hm?

I am at the point where I couldn’t care less about the Oscars. The show skews older, yet every movie playing in widescreen release is aimed at teenage boys. People who used to write great movies are now writing great cable dramas, and the movies are either whiz bang blockbusters or wanting to be whiz bang blockbusters.

Besides, in 1994 they gave best picture to Forest Gump instead of Pulp Fiction. Why bother with anyone who would do that?

MacFarlane’s not a satirist at all. He’s a farceur; he makes his daily bread poking at any and all sensitive areas (unlike the SOUTH PARK posers).

The object of his humor in the “boobs” skit was to point out that Oscar can nominate all the high-falutin’ flicks, can ignore pretty much every good comedy every made– and hetero guys will still primarily remember which hot chick showed her tatas in which flick.

“Forget it, Jake. It’s hardwired sexual response.”

Here’s the problem with the Oscars:
You can’t win. No matter who the host is, everyone is waiting to criticize the show. If the host plays it safe, it’s boring. If the host is provocative, then the show is offensive.

The balancing act: giving out the awards (boring) while entertaining the viewing audience (interesting). Do you go for comedy? Then how far do you go? Do you go for song-and-dance? Then how do you make it memorable?

Norah Jones sang a great song, but nobody noticed. Michele Obama announces the winner for Best Picture, and commentators criticize her for using the military as a prop. (Imagine that… Rush Limbaugh and Iran are on the same side of an issue!)

The final song, about losers, required a huge amount of up-to-the-minute re-writes, and actually gave the Oscars an ending over the credits, instead of a glib farewell from the host. Yup, people didn’t like that either.

I want an edgy host, or hosts which make me expectant. It’s a live event, and in this day of live blogging via Twitter and Facebook, you gotta be watching to catch the OMG moments. (And to give snark as good as the host, like during the red carpet.)

And you know what? Nobody writes about the Grammys or the Emmys or any other award show like the Oscars. Nobody remembers who hosted the Emmys or the Grammys (does anyone watch?).

And yes, even Johnny Carson was a bit racy.

Of course, if the Oscars are so lackluster, then why do they win so many Emmys?

@ The Beat

What achievement are we talking about ? About Chastain’s character’s key role in the OBL search ? I don’t see how Seth’s crack undermines that. But I am coming from the perspective of someone who is not female.So I can see why men or women might have a problem with it , because it reinforces some stereotype about women being stubborn, vindictive or something. But I laugh at it being mindful that it was poke at a stereotype, which like most have no basis in reality.

There are a lot of writers who could benefit from this description-- we need more funny books! I'll have to look at the Pranklopedia-- looks like a must have for middle school!

Thanks for this post Sue and Julie! I try to embed a sort of low grade humor in my books, as if I'm winking at the reader. Isn't there a spectrum in humor writing? Writing something that makes people LOL has a much higher bar than a witty little comment. My book, Science Experiments You Can Eat, has been in print more than 40 years largely because the title still makes people smile. But I don't think I could write something hilarious.

Nice post, Julie! I'm finding a muse at Cracked.com, which is way off the charts for kids (too crude) but has a very strong voice and tone, punctuated by the perfect visuals, a kind of one-two punchine. Good luck with the book.

Vicki, I agree that there is a spectrum in humor writing and I like your notion of "low-grade" humor when it comes to nonfiction. Often finding a witty tone works much better than striving for LOL comedy. But it's also good to be open to a finding the occasional funny angle to a serious subject, even if the material becomes just one sidebar in a book. I once interviewed Kofi Annan for Nick Mag and in addition to the more serious questions, I asked him who he thought was the funniest world leader (Jacques Chirac) and what his favorite joke was (too long to tell here).

And, Lorraine, I agree about Cracked.com!