What is it about bird song that shoots such joy through your heart? This English one even makes me feel homesick!!
I am busy researching the Contents content for my Haiku Picture Book - Dawn to Dusk in the Forgotten Garden. It's so much fun to get back to poetry and nature again it feels like I'm on a writing vacation - in the bus man's holiday sense.
I guess it's because my WIP Young Adult book is getting into the gnarly stage both in terms of twisting the plot into a coherent story and because of the angst level the main protagonist is facing.
I took some time out yesterday and visited Towne Center Books with my friend Anne, for an author coffee event with crime writer Catriona McPherson , promoting her new book DANDY GILVER AND THE PROPER TREATMENT OF BLOOD STAINS.
Yes, she is Scottish, a recent implant to California. She was a hoot, really fun to hang out with, great writer, full of very funny tales. And it totally took me out of my week of writing angst. There's that word again!
One thing she said really took root in my mind - what is it you like to do?
Which made me think of my first ten pages struggle and how much I did not like sharing the first ten pages of an unfinished novel whose direction I was unsure of, whose themes were only partially baked. And how much I did love writing poetry, so I had my aha moment - why not send off my unsold but completed haiku picture book instead.
Oh, the relief! Now at least I'll find out why it's not selling, maybe how to fix it and if I'm totally lucky a miracle will happen and an editor will actually buy it.
The first ten pages are for a professional critique at this event - SCBWI Fall Conference @ Mills College, Oakland, CA.
It will be wonderful - I know because I hired the speakers! Two editors, two agents, two awesome writers = one fabulous day! There are still a smattering of tickets left, but you'd better run! Tickets and more info here.
