Most people either claim to be artistic or not. Typical responses include...

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Don't you just love opening up a book and discovering a map on the inside cover? This is especially exciting in the case of novels, when the prospect of finding anything visual is on the low side. Most fantasy novels have some sort of orientation map, an invaluable aide for the reader to navigate the often complex journeys the protagonist travels. But it's the other books, the contemporary novels, that offer a promise of slipping into a world that is familiar yet new at the same time.

More specifically, maps appear more in middle grade than Young Adult novels. A few of my favorites are:

The Callahan Cousins by Elizabeth Doyle Carey. The map of Eastport Harbor on Gull Island is charming and sets up this quintessential girls summer adventure story. I mean, who wouldn't want to spend their summer on Gull island with three of your best pals?

Bloomibility by Sharon Creech has a map. More like a whimsical piece of art. It sets the tone and setting but sadly, is the only illustrated piece in the book. Don't you wish there were more illustrations in middle grade?

Another one that I love is printed on the inside cover of The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls by Elise Primavera. The map is hard to read, even with a magnifying lens, but the impact is perfect.

A few books make it necessary to provide a map, some type of guidance system for the reader. The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau has two: One on the back jacket flap and another on the first two pages. Both are beautifully illustrated and both are helpful for following the story.

Perhaps the most classic map of all is The Sea of Knowledge Map in The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster. Who wouldn't want to travel to the Foothills of Confusion or The Mountains of Ignorance?

One of my favorite books, Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale, has a map, but it's a bit of a disappointment. It doesn't match the richness of the story or the text. Oh well, at least it makes some sense of the Eight Realms.

Of course, this post is not random. I've been visualizing my own story's map for quite some time now. The aerial view of Greenwood Academy; the equestrian center, the gymnastic and skating complex, the woods where the tragic accident occurred, the maze, etc. I thought I had it locked in my brain, but confusion from my fellow critique partners prompted a closer look.
How do the buildings piece together? How far apart are the complexes? What's the topography like? How are the dorm rooms separated?
I finally took some time the other day to draw something. I've attempted this before, but when logistics crashed with actual descriptions, I threw away the pencil and went back to the keyboard. No will notice, I said. But they did.

It's rough. And dry. Not a lot of exciting visual elements but it provides a much needed overview of my setting. I even added faculty housing. Never once thought about where the headmistress or Coach Jennings lived. Next task? Doing a detailed drawing of the main building. Addressing issues like how the dorms are connected, where the dining hall is, if a dining hall annex is needed and how far away is the library that connects to the secret passage?
I wish there were a drawing program out there that can could create this for you. Just plug in your needs and poof! A beautiful map of you fictional setting.
Of course, there is. They're called artists.

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Been perusing the internet lately. As research for my school art blog, Deep Space Sparkle, I've been looking for other blogs that share the same art philosophy. In my search, I've come across beautiful blogs filled with energy, creativity and humor. Only a few relate directly to teaching elementary school art, but tons, and I mean TONS are on living a creative life.

Check out these fun but utterly random blogs:
Flat Betty
Gennine's Art Blog
Gourmet Momma
Today's Creative Blog
Kelly Rae: Taking Flight into Art, Love and Life

I know, none of them have anything to do with writing, but I love how the essence of their personality is displayed on the page. And besides, just because we are writers, we can still have artistically exciting blogs.
So, back to being creative...I wanted to redesign my blog header to capture more of who I am. It's been a challenge learning how these blasted things are created. My sensible side tells me to just pay the $50 bucks and have someone who knows what they're doing design my blog, but the creative side in me demands that I at least try.

If you're interested in changing your header, I believe you will need some type of creative photo-editing program like Photoshop. I use Picnik, because it is mostly free ($24 for the year for the advanced version).
All you need to do is download a few photos (Stockxpert has great ones) and start playing. Okay, so it's not quite that easy. I found this great tutorial at Photoshop Support which guided me through the process. I won't even try to explain it the way Jennifer does, so I will bow out now and just say that it helped a great deal.

If all of this makes your head swim, check out Eight Crazy Designs which has great pricing and layouts. This gal is truly creative and I love the variety of designs she has. For the time it takes to figure out how to do it on your own, her pricing makes the prospect of hiring out very appealing.
Note: Here's another great site to help you design your blog: Tip Junkie

Here are a few author blogs that I thought were worthy of a creative pat-on-the-back.
R.L. LaFevers for her new blog that really sets the mood for her books.
Laini Taylor's Grow Wings for her mix of artistry and writing nuts 'n bolts
Barrie Summy's blog for perfectly capturing her audience
CookieBooky for a clean, simple, yet charmingly creative blog

Runner's up:
Read, Imagine, Talk for the simplicity with a shot of Kandinsky!
Pixie Stix Kids Pix for the cool banner


Do you know of any superbly creative writing blogs? If so, i'd love for you to pass them on. A little inspiration always helps.
Have an artful day everyone!

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In keeping my previous theme, the third best thing I did for myself in 2008 was....

Create an inviting, inspiring, and away-from-the-kids writing space.

I had an office. Downstairs, just off the kitchen, steps from the den. A nice 10' x 12' room with a window and plenty of space for all my books and my computer...and my son's computer and my other son's guitar and two amps...and, oh wait, another computer. More like a TV really, considering the size.

My office was becoming a hang-out. Not exactly conducive for plot layering exercises.
I needed another space. Away from the texting, the gaming, the NOISE.
I knew just the right spot.

The floor plan called it a "retreat". To me it was an awkward nook in my bedroom, that would have been better served as an extra room or closest. For years it was the dumping spot for magazines, books, and furniture. My kids used to sleep on the old couch that found it's way into the space, claiming brothers or nightmares kept them from their own beds.

In a matter of four hours, the useless waste of a space in my bedroom was transformed into my new writing retreat. My desk faces two windows that overlook a beautiful country side with hills and mountains. It's a great perch to view countless birds, watch the runners and those out walking their dog olong the bike path that ambles past the back of our home.
It's a great space and I'm sure I've gotten more writing done in the past two months than all of last year. The difference is really staggering.


Let the words flow....

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In the spirit of positive thinking, I wish to list a few more things that worked for me this year. Getting right to it, the next Best Thing That I Did For Myself This Year is:

1. Join a Critique Group
I belong to an online critique group and, speckled throughout the year, a local writing class. Both have been indispensable in different ways. My writing class group has met on and off for three years now. It's run by YA/MG author Valerie Hobbs. It's more than a critique group; it's a class, with the first hour focusing on a particular writing technique and the last hour on writer's works. As good as an online critique group is, there really is nothing more valuable than having an experienced, talented author teach you the finer points of writing. On top of this, Val is exceptional at dishing out the appropriate amount of encouragement and criticism. As a somewhat naive, blindly enthusiastic writer like myself, this level of tempering has kept me motivated and learning for quite some time.
Problem: Right around this time last year, I felt ready for more. The writing class was working but each writer is only critiqued a few times in one session. I needed more. I had begun investigating some groups on the SCBWI site and then, around March, one of my blogging friends told me about an opening in her group and soon after, I became one of The Farflung Writers.

Solution: The group is run on a Google site and as far as I can tell (I'm not the administrator, Kelly is!) the set-up seems moderately easy and the page easy to navigate. There are eight of us; two writers submit 5000 words (about 17-19 pages) each week. At first that seemed excessive, considering my writing class critiqued only 10 pages. I started out having the group critique a new WIP, but with the large chunk to critique and write for the next session, it felt too overwhelming. I had always preached that critiquing a first draft when the first draft is not yet done is a sure way to writer's block and yes, that' exactly what happened.
So I began submitting the rewrite of Greenwood Girls and the feedback couldn't have been better. Each member brings a different flavor of critiquing and there are some critiques that I really just couldn't do without. They are so vital to completing this novel.

Results: This group has brought my writing to new levels. I try hard to show not tell, force myself to look at the character's motivations in each scene and continue to realize that the book is not quite ready...yet. The absolutely best comment I got recently had confirmed a nagging suspicion about an element in the story that I couldn't quite pin down. She nailed it and wasn't afraid to say so. It was like she gift-wrapped her comments and placed them under the tree. They were that welcomed.

I encourage you to take your writing farther by engaging in a critique group...but not until you have your first draft completed. I truly believe that this should be done without any critical eyes.
I love the name of our critique group. It fits us perfectly. We are far flung, residing in the east, west, mid west...everywhere. There is even a wine label called Far Flung and an album...Does your group have a cool critique name?

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There's one thing I know to be true and that is: if you want to be happy, you, and only you, have the power to make that happen.
I hear some of you saying right now, "Well, not exactly." I'm holding up my hand to all you naysayers! True, I'm an optimist, someone who (annoyingly to some) finds the good in most everything. I can say no easily. I recognize my limits and most importantly, I know what fulfills me. So with all that smugness behind me, I'm letting you know that to achieve happiness, you first have to experience unhappiness, or in my case, restlessness.
So, in the essence of pure self-indulgence...I'm offering a few posts on the best things I did for myself this year....

Number one on my dissatisfaction list was: Losing a Healthful Mindset.

Problem: Last year, at this exact time, I weighed my heaviest. I don't have weight problems, but my caloric indulgences went way over the top. I noticed my pants no longer fit and my knees were developing some issues. On top of that, my generally fit husband had elevated cholesterol levels for the first time in his life. Something was wrong.

Solution: So after watching Bob Greene on Oprah one day, I signed up for his Best Life Diet. Okay, I'm not a fan of diets, but rather subscribe to the mantra that everything is fine in moderation. Having read his book of the same name, I knew of Bob's healthful mindset and so subscribing to his tactics was natural for me. His meal plan, all of which you make yourself (recipes provide) is not one of deprivation, but of elimination. Remove white bread from your diet and replace with whole grain--that type of thing. As you get use to one thing, he takes you a little farther. It's a great education in nutrition. If you don't lose a single pound (which is impossible if you follow his advice) this knowledge alone will improve your life.
But food is only one part.
Exercising is a major part of a healthful lifestyle and this is where The Best Life Diet challenged me most. I'd been spending far too much time with BIC (writer's know this acronym well) and not enough time in the great outdoors. So, with an online record keeping journal, I methodically began to add exercising into my life again.

Results: I lost ten stubborn pounds in three months and have kept it off. I feel very satisfied with my weight, even better with my fitness. I have more energy, my husband lost 15 pounds, and my kids are eating healthier than ever before (even though my fifteen year old claims that I'm starving him to death).
I encourage you to explore Bob Greene's philosophy if you ever wanted to improve your overall well being.

So that's enough for one post. I know the Oprah Show has a show devoted to Bob Greene next week and I encourage you to watch. He is really the most sensible voice in developing and maintaining a healthful mindset.

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I'm so full. The mere thought of another granule of sugar touching my tongue leaves me queasy. This is a good thing. More sugar means more pounds and more pounds means more working out and of course, more working out means I have less time to write. So you can see the vicious cycle.

It's been a great Christmas, with lots of time being spent with my little darlings, martini's with friends, snuggles with my hubby and the overall satisfaction that I live a good life. But having said that, I can't wait to get back to writing....

I've finished my rewrite. (YIPEE!!!). I've re-organized chapters and even in this late in the game, deleted scenes. I discovered some important elements that had been left out. Finding the right place to slip them in has been a bit challenging. I've added sensory details where there weren't any before; I've added action in place of tags: I've introduced new settings instead of using the same ones over and over. Now, I need to finish my read-through on my computer and then...(drumrolls, please)...it's the BIG PRINTOUT.

The last time I finished a revision and printed out my manuscript, I fell into a state of depression. I felt the story could have been better. I even rejected an offer from an agent (who said he loved the first fifty) to read the whole manuscript. Might have been a bad move, but I couldn't possibly hand him over the rest of the story when I knew in my heart it wasn't strong enough.

It still might not be, but at least I love it.

The story now involves Dree's mom. Where once she was dead, she now lives on as a disgraced, former national champion gymnast. Her reluctance of having her daughter train as an elite gymnast, at the same school where she herself trained, evolves from an an initial maternal fear for her daughter (life ain't pretty as an elite gymnast and she knows it best) to one of self-preservation. Who knew that the secret she held onto all these years would be discovered by her own daughter?

I feel this is my last run-through. The final edit before the crunch. I feel a deep anxiousness (is that a word?) to get this story out. The old adage "You can't win if you don't play" haunt me everyday. I know Greenwood Girls will never be published if I keep revising, but then again, it will never be published if I don't revise. It's a horrible cycle, but the fact that this story is deeply personal, motivates me to push on with what feels right.

So having said that, it's back to my story....
Wishing you all much luck and the ability to persevere with your first draft, rewrite or edits.

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I absolutely adore christmas time. The days off, my kids, the food, the tree and most of all, the smells. I've been grinding gingerbread infused coffee instead the usual french roast, the tree is filling our home with the most nostalgic, woodsy aroma, and everything smells of peanut butter balls.
What could be better?
We never travel. Visiting family has happened once in 16 years (we like them it's just that they're all in Canada!) so establishing our own holiday traditions has been a priority. My favorite one is having my girlfriends and their growing families over for our annual Family Holiday Party.
I don't know exactly how long we've been doing it, but I know I was pregnant for one of them...so at least nine years. We have a gift exchange (more fun now that the kids are older and don't cry if mom steals their gifts) and eat a huge dinner.

The best part? I make Bourbon Spiked Egg Nog and let me tell you, if you've never made your own nog, you're missing out. The difference is HUGE. Like fresh peas compared to canned.
I've found a recipe from Paula Dean that's just fabulous and super easy. The only thing you need is 3 bowls and room in your freezer...read on...

Mama's Egg Nog
6 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1 pint heavy cream
4 pints milk
1/2 pint Bourbon
1 tablespoon of vanilla
Nutmeg

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar until thick. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with 1/4 cup of the sugar until thick. In a third bowl, beat the cream until thick (soft peaks). Add the cream to the yolks, fold in the egg whites and add the milk, Bourbon, vanilla and a pinch of nutmeg. Chill in freezer before serving.

Of course, the above recipe is not nearly enough, so I double it. I usually make it the morning of the party and put in the freezer until is very firm. Then I set it out to "thaw" about 30 minutes before everyone arrives. I keep a shaker of nutmeg (or a grater and nut) beside the punchbowl so guests can add extra if they like.
One more tip: throw away those tiny matching punchbowl cups and set out some good sized glasswear. This drink is so impressively good, a small cup is an insult.

Let me know if you make this and tell me what you think.

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday filled with good food, great friends and lots of bourbon...
Cheers!

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Friday Night: Santa Barbara held it's annual Holiday Parade. We go every year. It's a combination of school bands, dance squads, a few horses and lots of holiday cheer. In past years, my boys rode the 24 wheeler and shouted Christmas greetings aboard the Boy Scout float. This year, Elly, dressed as a fairy, did the same with her girl scout troupe. She claims to have rallied the girls into singing carols the whole length of the parade route. I believe her.

Decided I don't like MyPunchbowl.com. Sent invitations via this recommended site from Oprah magazine and really shouldn't have. Evite is my much preferred method.

Saturday morning: I unpacked the mountain of boxes containing holiday cheer and tried to recreate the magic my mother made last year. My parents visited for Thanksgiving last year and while I attended The Big Sur Writer's workshop, she decorated my house. I walked in late Sunday night and gasped. Was this my house??? This year, I'm on my own. I succeeded, but like my daughter said,"Well, it's nice but you just can't beat Nanny." Who said I was trying for Pete's sake? Oh well. It's done. Now...just the tree.

Saturday Night: Gussied myself up in a sparkly top and waited while Neil caught the first quarter of the OU game against Mizzou. Threw back a Saporro with my friend LynnDee. Departed while OU was up 10-7 and enjoyed a festive evening at Fess Parker's for Neil's annual work party. Home by 9:15. I repeat 9:15. Hmmmm.

Sunday: Big plans for today. Post blog and finish my rewrite on Greenwood Girls. I'm on my FINAL CHAPTER!!!! Ahhhh. It feels so good, especially since I get to reread the whole dang thing next and make notes.
While I work on my weekly critique group critiques, Neil will hopefully fix my dishwasher and put up the outside lights.

Now...back to my rewrite...Happy Holidays!

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It's the number one reason why editors tell us why your manuscript doesn't cut it. It's the first rule we learn when writing fiction, yet in my opinion, it's one of the hardest.
I'm not going to pretend that I'm an authority because truthfully, it's something I struggle with daily. Some of my critique partners are quite skillful in picking out sentences and paragraphs that tell not show. Once the area is pointed out, it should be easy to fix it right? Not necessarily.
I think you need to be in the rhythm. The flow.
Reading works of fiction that "show" well is what really cements it for me.
I've been reading What I Saw and How I lied by Judy Blundell and I have to say that, so far, this lady is a master at showing not telling.

Check this out:
"A breeze ruffled her blonde hair. She stared out into the air and flicked an ash off her cigarette."
and
"She reached over to his pack of cigarettes on the table and extracted one slowly. She tapped it on the table while she gave him a long look. She placed it between her lips and he leaned over to light it, cupping the flame against a nonexistent breeze."

There are many, many books that show really well. Okay, most published books, but this one stood out to me. I'm only on page 60 but so far, every page is chock full of visual details.

Showing not telling has been a particular problem for me. I've been reworking/rewriting my manuscript for a while now, and some parts of it were written a while ago when my show vs tell skills weren't as polished. More often than I care for, the telling areas will sneak back into my manuscript. Kind of like a bad habit in golf. It feels natural, so it's easy to ignore.

Tami Lewis Brown over at Through the Tollbooth wrote about her "secret" which is showing, not telling. It's a great post that might help you see your trouble spots.

Obviously, the rule doesn't apply to all books. Some books excel in telling not showing. On our SCBWI community list-serve in Southern California, the book talk for this month was The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Some readers posted that they were disappointed that Alexie used so much telling when writing his story, feeling that he could have deepen the connection between reader and character more had he "showed" more. Can't disagree yet the story is fantastic.
Still, I'm no Sherman Alexie, so I'm going to stick with the rules.

On a personal note, Thanksgiving in Yosemite Valley was breathtaking as usual. We hiked until my knees gave out, biked until I literally fell over from exhaustion and ate until I gained 3 pounds. The calorie consumption must have been enormous considering all that exercise.
I blame the trail mix.

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Sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am. Five years ago, I tackled my life-long dream of bringing Greenwood Academy to life in the pages of a novel and today I'm almost there. I visualize (embarrassingly almost everyday) what my book might look like on the shelves of bookstores across the country. I even go as far as designing a few book covers myself!
There is still plenty of dreaming left but here's what I know. I wouldn't have been able to do this writing thing without the internet.
Not only have I've been able to research gymnastics and boarding schools, I've been able to research concrete writing tools; plots, outlines, character development, inspirations,and even emotions. It's staggering really.

One of my favorite sites is The Bookshelf Muse. Basically, it's an emotion thesaurus. What a concept. My writing group friend turned me on to this site and I've been forever grateful. The idea is simple. Click on the emotion you're writing about and see what the authors have come up with in terms of the physicality of the emotion. Reading just a few helps trigger my own recollections and viola! No more shrugging, rolling of the eyes and head flicks.

My writing teacher, Valerie Hobbs, is new to the blogging world but already, her blog, Writing For Life, is quickly becoming my favorite. She shares her own struggles with her writing process and offers a writing exercise to think about. Val is really the queen of character. No one I know can identify internal conflict better than her. I look forward to seeing more posts.

Through the Tollbooth has been one of my favorites for a while now. A slew of MFA graduates form Vermont College, gather valuable writing tips, complete with examples, and show you how it's done. Hat's off to these ladies who really provide a wonderful gift to all aspiring writers out there.

Do you have a favorite that helps you in your writing process? There are so many out there that it's impossible to know of them all. Go on...share your favorites!

On a personal note, my family is off to the beautiful Yosemite Valley for another Thanksgiving. This will be our fourth time making the trek and truly it's become more and more enjoyable as the years go on.
Just picked up a copy of Judy Blundell's What I Saw and How I Lied and Wendy Mass's Every Soul a Star. Both look absolutely delicious. Can't wait to read them!

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I'm at the three quarter pole of my rewrite. The words are flowing effortlessly and frankly, I'm in writing nirvana.
I've spent the last two weeks outlining and rewriting the final chapters.
Since I'm a new writer, I try and seek out as much advice as I can. One of my favorite articles on outlining and revision came through Cheryl Klein's blog, Brooklyn Arden. Anita Nolan's "The End" is only the beginning...a step-by-step guide to refining your manuscript has been very helpful in providing concrete advice. I've been using her methods for a few months now.

One of my favorite sections in her approach is to make a list of scenes (within chapters is fine). Number them and write down how many pages in that scene. The idea is to check and make sure the scenes aren't too skimpy. Too many slight scenes can make a chapter too fragmented. I know I was guilty of this. I had proof!
By going over each scene, counting the number of pages it took up and deciding what plot point it was connected to, my scenes went from choppy to (hopefully) fluid.
This was a good thing.

Another strategy Nolan employs is to make good use of your outline. The first revision should ultimately be done within the outline only.
With it, Nolan suggests the following:

• add chapter numbers
• scene numbers
• a list of plot points you are aiming to achieve
  
• starting/ending page numbers
• characters involved
• setting
• time frame
• number of pages in scene/chapter
• highlight turning points
  

It seems like a lot, but it's very helpful. Since my novel takes place during a school year (September to June), adding a time frame to my outline is crucial. I can't tell you how many times during critiques, people asked me for a time reference. I knew this important detail well but hadn't been providing that knowledge for my readers.

The setting became rather important as well. With over 35 scenes in Greenwood Girls, variety keeps my readers interested. My first few drafts used the same settings over and over, until one brave reader asked if I could pick another place to have a particular conversation. I did, and found a spot at Greenwood Academy that no one had seen before. How fun is that!

In particular to my story, I wanted to highlight the scenes containing gymnastics sequences. It's important for me to break these scenes up and balance them throughout the book. I do this all on my computer, using the built-in highlighters to color code characters, settings and plot points.
This type of writing is so different from first draft writing. I know where the story must end, I know how my characters will feel at the end and it's just a matter of taking the reader along for the ride.

On a side note, I've been busy turning my downstairs home office into an electric guitar-jumbo computer-gaming station for the teens in my house. In doing so, I've converted a quiet, never used spot in my bedroom for my new writing retreat. It's glorious and quiet! No more Highway to Hell vibrations clashing with my need for concentration.

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Laura, this one's for you! Without your last comment, I'd have continued with my self-imposed blog blackout for a little while longer. But what the heck..the end of my rewrite is nowhere in sight so my blogisphere exile really didn't do much good.
Well, not exactly true.

Greenwood Girls has developed into a different story. I worked hard rewriting the front end and with the help of my critique group, been ironing out the inconsistencies and questions about the elite gymnastic world. Have to say, it's great to have fresh eyes!

Now I'm working on the back end, building to the climax and working on a dramatic ending. My writing class friend, Marisa, pointed out a cinematic ending to me that was brilliant. Her interpretation of the summary of my plot points sparked a clear picture of how the book should end. It's perplexing to me how she did this. How can someone, who hasn't spent a thousand hours mulling over your book, be able to see so clearly the ending? I think this is the gift editors posses.

For the record, this was the single biggest highlight of my Fall, besides of course, drinking a $300 bottle of Dom Perignon on my wedding anniversary...but that's another story.

So for the last few days, in between parenting and work, I've been trying to capture Marisa's clear vision and blend it with my own. I think this has given me the legs needed to push on with the rewrite and perhaps, carve out some time for a little joy....

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September has proven to be a busy time of year. As much as I love my blog, I need to sign off for a while and devote every spare moment I have to completing my re-write of my first novel. I'm anxious to finish it so I can get working on the first draft of my second! So much to write, so little time!
See you in a month!

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Good question, huh?
Think about it, and I'll get back to it....

I've embarked on my fifth, maybe sixth writing class with Val Hobbs last night. It's an eight week session, then after the holidays, she begins again. And, unless I plan to go to a conference, I usually sign up for another round. I love it. The rituals, the pace, the writers, the discussions and especially Val herself.
The writers in the class are accomplished. Many I have known for quite a few years. Everyone brings a new viewpoint or suggestion to a piece. This is, after all, what we're there for.

With writing, the learning never stops. My husband knows this. Not once in the past four years has he said, "Really? You're taking another class?" I'll admit, at times, that's exactly what I say to myself. But the truth is, you never stop learning. Even Val herself said so last night. She explained that there are only a few things to teach about writing but our filters change as we grows as writers, and so, we hear the same things differently each time.
So true.
How many times have we all heard show, not tell? It's the first piece of advice I read when I was starting out, and it's still challenging to master.

My critique group did a challenging exercise last week. We had to come up with a one sentence premise for our WIP that indicated genre, conflict our MC faces and a hook. Not easy. We also had to list what our MC desired, what her strengths and weaknesses are and what her view of the world is. It was a great exercise. Since I did a lot of groundwork before starting my novel, I felt I knew the answers to these questions.

But...

Last night, Val presented us with two more questions, that in my opinion, were tough. She asked, "Regarding your WIP, who needs to tell this story and why does it need to be told?"
Let me tell you, answering these two questions can leave a writer very depressed. Perhaps it's not enough to know what your characters strengths are...or how she struggles with daily life...there is something deeper that we need to seek out. That something special that makes a promise to our reader that the book will be worth reading.

So that's my current goal. To listen very carefully for the answers to these questions. I've taken the guilt out of it, not feeling too bad that my book isn't earth shattering. In fact, it probably won't ever be, but, it'll be her story...and for that, I need to keep going.

Do you know why the story you're working on needs to be told???

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I have one more week of my "official" summer break left. It's been long. Three whole months of no work. Soon, my structure-less days will end. I've been writing like crazy. Rewriting my first novel, making sure the plot lines are threaded throughout the story, and the biggie, ensuring my character's motivation is consistent. That, I have to say, is really freakin' HARD!!! Arggh!

Just when I think I have it right, I'll re-read a chapter and groan. With rewrites, the biggest hazard, as least for me, is eliminating an important piece of information (not intentionally) the reader needs to know. You know, a logistical question that pops up in critique groups, a problem that needs to be mentioned but not elaborated on, then poof. You rewrite and take it out, thinking it's not important because you're going in a new direction. I'm probably not making sense. But that's where I am. Ironing out the consistency's. And it's really difficult.

This is what occurred to me. Writing a novel is painstaking. It really is. Do I sound negative? Good. It's reality smacking me in the face.

But, and there is always a but, I love my story. I believe it has potential. I know I'll rewrite until I'm happy with it.

But...

"Don't sit on it too long," people have said.

I seriously don't understand this contradiction. I think the best thing you can do is sit on it (or rewrite it) until it feels right. Maybe it means, don't expect it to be perfect. Believe me, I don't. I just want it to be enjoyable.

To lighten my mood, I visited my favorite bookstore, Chaucer's, and picked up a few tantalizing novels.
Savvy by Ingrid Law, the paperback version of An Abundance of Katherines by John Greene, and The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart.

I plan to write a few more hours today, maybe switch gears and focus on my second novel. My critique group has a fun writing exercise that we're doing next week...looking at plot lines and chapter details to ensure our story is flowing the way it should. Perfect timing, I think.

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Early morning fog did not dampen my family's back-to-school enthusiasm. I'd love to bottle that first day of school energy and save it for a rainy day in February.
My high school freshman son bounded down the stairs (which I'm sure will never happen again) energized about his "options" for the coming year. And I don't mean academic choices.
Tate hobbled, excited yet reserved, about his first day of junior high on crutches.
Elly drove off with her best friend and most loyal companion, for their first day as fourth graders.
Have to say, it was blissful seeing them all go. I'm sure every parent out there can relate.

I've always considered September my "New Year's Eve". It's the start of a new year for my kids and for me, it's when I reestablish my own goals and consider what I'd like to accomplish for the upcoming year.

• Most of you know that I ripped apart my first novel. I've spent most of my free time this summer reworking, rewriting and rethinking many parts. In between watching Nastia Liukin absolutely shine at the Olympics, I hammered away mostly at internal and external motivation. I'm thrilled with what I accomplished. But my goal is to finish this rework by the end of the month. I can do it. I'm on a roll...
• Work on finishing my first draft of my second. I'll be bringing this novel to my Writing Class with Valerie Hobbs later this month. I like the way this novel has evolved. With the help of my critique group, FarFlung Writer's, and with my writing class critiques, I should have lots to think about with this one.
• Chose a weekend writing retreat to attend. Last November, I went to Big Sur Writing Workshop and loved it. I'm considering going again but want to explore others as well. Does anyone know of a great retreat coming up in California this Fall?
• Enter the Santa Barbara SCBWI Writer's Day Writing Contest. LOVE attending this event. Great people. Great organizers, Great time.
  

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Joy. It's kind of an old-fashioned word. A bit hokey. Somewhat idealistic. Still, to me, it describes exactly what I chase everyday. My own personal joy.
And I find it.

• Eating my Kashi Autumn Wheat cereal with fresh blueberries and slivered almonds is joyful.
• Sitting in my Raspberry Red living room chair watching my kids drag (and lately crutch) their way down to breakfast, brings me joy.
• Sipping a Starbucks Latte while talking writing and books with my writing pals, brings me joy.
• Breathing in the ocean air laced with the stinging smell of seaweed brings me joy (and peace).
• Developing art lessons that will excite hundreds of sweet, freckle-faced, toothless kids brings me unmeasurable joy.
• Watching my husband's face as he tells stories to his friends and children, brings me more amusement than joy, but it's still a happy thing.
  

Lately, I've been interested in quotes. While on the airplane the other day I picked up the September issue of Oprah magazine. As I read through the myriad of articles, quotes exuding a strong happiness vibe kept on popping up. I seemed to be inspired by these lately. Quotes. Of all things.
Even while in Charlottetown, at a cute cafe called "Just Us Girls", I noticed that the walls were covered with inspiring quotes. Things like Eat Live Breathe in big, gigantic letters.
They called it wall art and they had racks of the pre-package rolls for sale. I felt a new decorating project coming on, so I got out of there fast.

My writing pal, Maggie,and I talked about finding our own joys recently. She told me about an Otto Heino, a 94 year old man from Ojai, California who seeks joy in his everyday life. She was alos inspired by a few quotes in the LA Time's article. She and I agreed that it would be fun to put a joy-inspired quote in the blog each week.

So, in honor of my first "What Brings You Joy?" installments, Maggie sent me this...

"Never hurry, never worry," he says describing his attitude toward art and life. "If you're negative you'll never make it." Otto Heino, 94, Ojai, California

Well said, Otto. I think as writers, we could all stand to learn form this. Thanks, Maggie!

If anyone else has a few joy-inspired quotes to share, please do. Ones dedicated to the craft of writing or art in general are especially welcomed.

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Famous words from my sister, Tammy, referring to the mystery of our rain-filled summer. I laugh every time I see one of those cotton batten-like clouds hovering, knowing full well that it will, given some time, drop some big rain.
It did last night. Enough to sound the sirens in Baddeck, Nova Scotia and to make the power go off during the Olympic gymnastic AA coverage. I won't say anything else...

Tate had his follow up visit with his surgeon yesterday in Halifax (the bone is healing wonderfully) so we decided to play tourist and hop aboard the Halifax version of the amphibious water boat, the Harbour Hopper. The kids and I got a great historical tour of Halifax, some cool facts about the Halifax explosion that could be felt as far away as PEI. Even my grandmother had memories of this experience.
Yesterday we drove to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Never been around the famous Cabot Trail and can't wait to embark on our driving adventure today. The beauty of the topography is unrivaled. In many ways, it feels quite similar to Scotland. Rolling, dark green hills, deep blue lakes and winding roadways. Really lovely.
Today we'll start the journey in historic Fort Louisburg. Tate gets a wheelchair. Must keep him away from big brother.

Oh...did I mention that I won back the coveted Coral Jacket in the Rice Point Invitational Golf Tournament? Hee! Hee! I lucked out Meredith. You're still the best golfer in my eyes!

Greenwood Girls has been rewritten. Between caring for Tate and numerous house guests, I've found time to dig deeper into my story. Still need to do a final run through, but I'm proud of this accomplishment. After this, it's going to an agent who requested to see more, plus an editor or two. Finally.

My wonderful FarFlung Writers group has not heard from me in over a month. I have a lot of terrific stories to catch up on and I'm eager to do it. Reflecting on my past 5 months with this group, I think I've experienced my biggest leap in writing ability. I can't say enough about the power of critiques. Receiving them is great but it's the giving that's been the most valuable to me. Really considering what works and what doesn't work in a story is quite an effective lesson. So to my group...don't write me off...I will be back!

Life will get back to normal on Monday. Have to say this is the first summer that I'm more than eager to get back to a routine. Can't wait to settle in with my writing group, writing class (thanks Val for starting up again!) and coffee talks with Maggie.

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Summer.
Golf, sand, books, mosquitoes, water skiing...and broken bones. Life can go from this idyllic picture to one in which I'd rather not post. Poor Tate. A wild water ski run landed him in the ER with a broken femur. Serious ouch. Don't ask how we got him out of the water.
But he's okay. He had surgery on Friday and is now resting, although not very comfortably, in the amazing IWK Children's hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The hospital is like a hotel. It's designed for families. There is a flat screen TV, full bed, comfy linens and get this...high speed internet, all in Tate's private room! Gotta love the Canadian Health Care system. They even have a kitchen stocked with food. Never been in a hospital long enough to appreciate these types of amenities. Oh, and did I mention the really super nurses?

Summer Reading Program: Been reading plenty of good books. Started with The Absolutely True Story of a part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Was really enjoying it before my son stole it from me. He was very concerned that this was based on a real story. Discussions about Native Americans ensued. Never got to finish the last chapter.
Harmless by Dana Reinhardt was fantastic. Told by three different characters. Loved them all. Appreciated how individual and unique the three girls voices and internal conflicts were. Learned a lot from this book.

After a visit to a rural library close to my cottage, I spotted a book with an interesting cover and title.
The Corps of the Bare-Boned Plane by Polly Horvath was a lesson in uniqueness. The setting (an island off the coast of Vancouver), cast of characters (none entirely likable but all engaging) and a story line that you really weren't sure where it would end up, provided a nearly continuous read. Loved the writing style. Looking forward to reading Hovarth's The Canning Season when I get a chance.

Summer Writing Program: Been doing relatively well with my rewrite. Three hours a day, five days a week is a terrific goal when I don't have visitors or am not in the hospital, which has consumed most of my vacation. Visitors: good, hospital: bad.
I've deleted entire chapters, created new ones and have a much better sense of my character's driving force. Yeah!
Had to set aside my second novel while in this particular summer mode. Been thinking about Ainsley a lot, though, especially while playing golf or watching the Evian Open on TV.

Summer Olympics! I am SO gearing up! The US Olympic gymnastic team was announced last week. Felt bad that Jana Beiger didn't make the official team but was included as an alternate. Looking forward to seeing how the entire team performs. If you don't think that gymnastics is a team sport (or even a sport at all...you know who you are) then watch the Olympics. I can hardly wait for the drama to unfold.

Signing off from the IWK hospital...

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I'm a day away from my 5-week hiatus to Prince Edward Island. My kids are excited, our home in Goleta is safe from threatening fires and despite random power outages, I'm relatively on track with my novel rewrite.

We've had a full summer already. Tate, my 12 year old, has experienced his first "away" camp, not to mention traveling alone as an unaccompanied minor, to Ann Arbor, Michigan; Newt, the 14 year old, has logged a life time of hours on W.O.W. (don't ask if you don't know) and Elliott, my 9 year old daughter, has survived, and actually enjoyed, the dreaded sailing camp.
Damn lucky kids, if you ask me. When I was twelve, I was loading hay...or picking strawberries...or painting 20 acres of chewed up fencing. Ahh, life on a farm.

My friend Maggie and I exchanged reading material for the summer. Walking into her office was the equivalent of Christmas morning in July. Maggie is a voracious reader and picks up all the good books as they come out.
I snagged a bunch of fantastic titles: Harmless and How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt, So B. It by Sarah Weeks, Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay, Absolutely, Positively, Not...by David Larochelle, Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls by Meg Cabot (think Ellie will love this), The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time India by Sherman Alexie and The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler. Whew!
Since we don't have access to cable television, evenings are spent either playing cards, listening to the hi-fi (yes, very retro) or reading.

Reviews on above books:
Check out Jen Robinson's Book Page for a review of Saffy's Angel here.
Teen reads reviews The Earth, My Butt and other Bog Round Things here.
Big A, Little a reviews Harmless here.
Fuse #8 reviews The Absolutely, True story...here.


Summer Writing program: I'm logging close to 15 hours a week. Last week a little less due to evacuation notices but that's really just an excuse. Mostly, I've been thinking. Thinking of different ways to illustrate my protagonists internal goals and creating a flow to my novel. All I can say is, THIS IS JUST SO DAMN MUCH FUN! Seriously!
Although, it makes it more fun when interest for my novel is brewing.
But now I have some deadlines and no matter how much my dad begs me to play golf, or how much the ocean beckons for one last swim or no matter who drops by for a cold glass of Stella...I will not abandon my writing program. That is my promise.

My friend Laura is also experiencing wild fire hell in Big Sur, California. She's blogging for the LA Times. Check it out. On a personal note, I applaud you, Laura, for your ability to stay calm, focused, cheerful and quite prolific in spite of smoke congested air and evacuation logistics.

Next post will be via Prince Edward Island...CHEERS!

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It has been a big week in the life of my first novel. A couple of months ago, I deemed my book ready (and worthy, I might add) of publication or at least consideration. I compiled a small list of houses, researched the editors, read their books, and committed their submission policy to memory. I made a goal of when I would submit (and posted it on my blog) and felt quite strongly about my research.
(So, you're probably waiting for me to spout the good news. Sorry. No big ones to report just a small one. Read on...)

After making these bold preparations, I hesitated. I had just finished reading a slew of really good books and one night, just before bed, I asked myself if I wrote the story I wanted. Did I do all that I could do to make the story zing? Was it worthy of sitting on the same shelf as the books I just read? I went to bed that night unsure.
The next day, I printed out the entire manuscript and read the whole thing in two sittings. I hadn't read this manuscript in it's entirety for at least a year. Sure, I revised certain chapters brilliantly, but somehow I assumed the whole thing morphed into one big final revision without even checking.
I was disappointed.

There were some definite plot errors, character inconsistencies and a few extraneousness scenes. No big deal. I could fix that. But, the really big issue...the feeling I came away with was that I didn't go deep enough with the story. I left it simmering on the stove when it really needed to be popped in the oven. My character didn't take my breath away like she used to.
To say I felt oddly depressed was an understatement. I knew what I had to do: rework the entire manuscript. Yes, REWRITE the whole bloody thing. New Character GMC. New internal and external goals...the whole shebang.
Those who have traveled this road with me and who have read a certain number of my revisions will surely think I'm crazy. I'm almost positive that I am.
So why am I telling you all this?
Because there's always a little hope that you might have something...

Yesterday ( here's the itty, bitty good news) I went to the mailbox and found a SASE. It was from an editor at Philomel. I submitted the book in question after the LA Writer's Day.
As I held the envelope in my hand, I knew it was a rejection. At this point, I recall thinking that all the joys that come from writing are just not worth this horrible feeling one experiences moments before opening up such a letter.
But I was wrong.
The letter made me cry.
The editor was personal, kind, encouraging, offered helpful feedback and ...get this!...invited me to resubmit. I've never been invited to resubmit so this was HUGE for me.
Happy moment. Sigh.

Okay, so why reboot the entire novel?
See this is the thing that was so wonderful about this timely letter. What the editor said about my novel is essentially what I discovered on my final read through. I agreed with her. But more importantly, she didn't have to tell me. I discovered it on my own. To me, this is what I'm after. A little self-knowledge.

This is an unbearably long post. I know.
Sometimes it feels so easy for writers to whip out fantastic manuscripts, get published and do marvelous things. For the rest of us? I believe we'll get there, especially if we have a story that lives in our hearts and needs to be told.

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I've been busy massacring the first draft of my YA novel. Literally deleting, changing, rearranging and rewriting the entire story. Since I only had 20K words written so far, it really wasn't too tragic.
I've been submitting it to my critique group for the last few months. I've gotten a variety of comments that made it clear to me that I had NO IDEA what my character wanted. I'd been taking the organic approach to writing the first draft. Of course, this method is great but only if you have one thing understood. Internal motivation. This differs from External motivation. This is the sequence of events that make up the plot. But I shouldn't try and explain. I'm terrible at that. I'll leave that to someone who really knows what she's talking about.
Robin LaFevers has been posting on this for a few weeks now and in my opinion, speaks very well on the subject. Check out her generous lessons and you'll know what I'm talking about.

The internal conflict has to be clear. When writing Greenwood Girls, I knew I wanted to write about a gymnast who attends a boarding school that trains Olympic caliber athletes. I knew her mom had attended the same school years before and I knew the road to becoming a champion was going to be tough.
It seemed that was all that was needed to fuel my first draft. And it was. I wrote 220 pages of what I thought was fantastic stuff. It had a slew of interesting characters specializing in different sports. The story offered a peek into the world of competitive gymnastics, boarding school life and homesickness. To amp up the conflict, I added a mysterious journal, a secret society and a tragic cover-up. But it wasn't enough.
To really make the story matter to the reader, I had to fully understand what it was that my main character wanted. Her internal goals, motivation and conflict needed to be as important as the external conflict.
As a writer, I'm understanding this more and more. Dree, the main character in Greenwood Girls, desires to become a champion. This is fueled by her desire to be like her late mother, to carry on her legacy of greatness. In the end, Dree realizes that she needs to want it for herself but everything she does up to this point is fueled by her desire to ensure that her mother's legacy lives on.

In my new YA, I've had to really think about what Ainsley wants. What fuels her to do the things she does? She can't be passive in the story, letting events unfold around her. She has to cause them to happen based on what is burring inside her. This hasn't been easy. I've tried a few different scenarios and deleted each one. I might have found a compelling one but we'll see how it pans out.
Have you found your protagonist's internal G/M/C? Do you struggle with it?

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Mother Reader randomly selected me as a winner in the participation category of the recent Book Challenge!
I'm one lucky gal as there were many committed book reader/reviewers/bloggers out there. Check out Mother Reader's Blog to get a sense for how committed these readers were.
Also, click on some of the participants entries for some fantastic reviews of new kid books out there. In particular, I love Jen Robinson's Book Page. She has a great book review format making it easy to search for great titles and I love her review style. I use her site often when deciding what to read next.

The 6th grade mural that I have been working on is finished! Note: Not to be confused with the fundraising mural that has also consumed much of my free time lately. This one will be installed over the summer.
I'm very proud of the kids (especially my son, Tate!) and their enthusiasm. Check out pictures over at Deep Space Sparkle.

Summer Writing Program: I'm pleased to say that so far I have logged over 8 hours of writing time in the last two days. Although in word count, let's just say I'm losing words fast.
I've decided to reboot my manuscript, start from scratch and spend as much time as necessary to get a handle on the story I want to tell.
To do this, I referred back to a fabulous Saturday afternoon, when I was lucky enough to drive twenty minutes to be in the presence of Robin LaFevers. She was giving a Plot Workshop for our Santa Barbara/Ventura SCBWI group. She took us through a detailed explanation and exercises of creating and evaluating your protagonist's goals, motivations and conflicts. And she didn't just let us think about it, she made us write it down and read it out loud so she could help us.
So the group got busy and tried to answer in one simple sentence:

1. What does your protagonist want?
2. Why does she want it?
3. Who or what is getting in her way?

Sounds simple, but it's not. Go ahead, try it. The writers got busy and started belting out their sentences. Robin said so what a lot.
I realized after I read mine that I had a goal and a motivation but no conflict. Sounds familiar.
So this is what I've been hammering out. Testing out different inciting incidents, thinking about who can do my character wrong, plotting via The Hero's Journey ( of which Robin had us do) and basically getting my characters goals, motivations and conflicts down...both internal and external.
This takes mucho concentration for me. It's hard mental work. But fun!

Call my dad in Prince Edward Island last night. He told me that he just got WIRELESS HI-SPEED INTERNET!!! I know, it's hard to imagine not having it, but now he does. Now, I'll be able to keep up with emails, my blog, my critique group...wait a minute. This might interfere with cocktails and golf. I'll have to think about this one....

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Like I said before, I'm not the fastest reader nor the best reviewer but it was fun to participate in Mother Reader's 24 hour Book Challenge.
I read for approximately 8 hours, ingested over 900 pages, stuck in a trip to Target for 3 hours and blogged about it for 1 hour.
Thanks Mother Reader for the challenge!

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