Some of my favorite reads (and examples of Voice!) this year: Agnes Parker . . . Girl In Progress, by Kathleen O'Dell; The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, by Rodman Philbrick; I Am A Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want To Be Your Class President, by Josh Lieb; Hold Still, by Nina LaCour; Gorgeous, by Rachel Vail; The Monstrumologist, by Rick Yancey. (All images from GoodReads.)
All right. So here's the promise Lee and I made to the world in our latest e-blast about the SCBWI Westside Schmooze.
Subject: The SCBWI Westside Schmooze -- Wednesday, October 13th at 7 PM
Does October mean thrills, chills, and suspense to you? Well, it should if you attend the next meeting of the SCBWI Westside Schmooze! Because on October 13th, at 7 PM, we will meet to unmask . . .
VOICE: The End-All Definition
That's right. Editors and Agents often say that while they can fix everything else in a manuscript, Voice is that one special quality a manuscript must have from the start, for them to fall in love. Yet when it comes to defining what Voice IS, even the greats flounder, with many falling back on the axiom "You know it when you see it."
What is THAT about? Are we in the business of describing things or aren't we?? At the next Westside Schmooze we aim to settle this mystery once and for all--AND come up with an End-All Definition--by showing great examples of Voice, analyzing WHAT IT IS, and sharing exercises that will help each of us find and perfect our own. For Picture Book through Young Adult, fiction and non-fiction. Let's do this. It's time.
Now, I'll admit I've been frustrated in my life lately, and I wrote this email with a mad gleam in my eye when the weather had taken a turn for the worse.
But.
I think it's hilarious to set out to do "impossible" things--especially because (in my experience) 60-65% of the time, it totally works. Most of the time, the only
So this is hilarious and a half.
Remember when I blogged “7 Random/Weird Things About My Significant Other” a while back, wherein I changed the rules of a meme to focus on Damon instead of me? Well, that post turned out to be a favorite among friends, including all kinds of people I had no idea were reading. Everyone loved how D loves elevator conversation.
Our friend Emmie Hsu, of Fomato Cards, asked “permission” to use the idea for a birthday greeting card. Then, out of the blue, she sent it to us last week.
I love it!! Both Damon and I love how it turned out so much!
I now present to you . . .
elevator conversations
by fomato cards
(front)
(inside)
(back)
YEAH!!
Click here to see “elevator conversations” on the fomato cards Web site
Click here for the main fomato site, where you can find all her masterpieces!
She tried to work in D's favored Days of the Week, but it didn't fit—at least not in this card. She got more input from our friend Calvin and used Frankie's “Living the dream.”
I love all fomato cards
so much, you guys. I use nothing else. They are hilarious, gorgeously illustrated, high quality, irreverent, totally indie, and smack of asian american pop culture
flava.(Yes, I said
flava. You have no idea how much I resist
yo.)
So get thee to
fomato.com for a hi-larious reading experience! Each card is short, punchy, and
perfect for someone you know. Before you know it, you’ll have read them all. You’ll wind up ordering, too, because her cards totally inspire that “I-have-to-get-this-for-So-and-so!” reaction.
So much fun,
rita
P.S.
A few more of my favorites:
potatoes no facebook intervention ramen noodle festival chinese food sushi lesson school o dissatisfaction (This one’s perfect for pessimists, optimists, and people who love mangoes)
cheese boba time/stress/relationships job unexcitingHere is Damon’s favorite:
screw youWhich ones are yours?
P.P.S.
Photos from Writer’s Day are still coming! This is one of the rules of writing: Never deliver what you promised. That keeps readers coming back.
Thanks for all the congrats, though—here, on Facebook, and everywhere!
Now get to
fomato.com!
Damon’s favorite is apparently fomato’s current bestseller. I am mortified.
I am stunned by the masterful storytelling of Wall-E. 
I wish I could tell you about it, but I don't want to give anything away.
Go see it!
Let's talk!!
