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PB learns to ride the unicycle!
UPDATE: my unicycle hangs from a hook in our garage. Sometimes I tell it: I'll be back.January 1, 2025-
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Category Archives: middle grade
Angst (Cheese & Strawberries Edition)
When you man your bookshelves for hours, reading first pages because you are maddened by your own first pages and can’t recall how to begin a story or a novel without every palabra jumping out at you with a buzzer sound … Continue reading
Update: NaMeSiDifStaDaiWri(expletive)Po
I forgot to go on Monday. Ummm…And here is a cat.
Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Poetry, Writer's Angst, Writing
Tagged 2013, cats, fiction writing, middle grade writing, personal goals, poetry, Starbucks
3 Comments
Courage! (Neigh Edition)
I was late to retrieve the boy from school because I Face Sucked like a fiend AND watched the latest episode of “Once” on hulu AND in another open hulu tab caught up on the latest episode of “Revenge” WHILE checking … Continue reading
Posted in Adult writing, Avoiding My Writing, books, Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Pets, Steps In Promotion, Writer's Angst, Writing Progress, WTF
Tagged 2013, chaos, children's literature, Downton Abbey, Facebook, fiction writing, horses, hulu, life, Los Angeles, Masterpiece Theatre, middle grade writing, Once Upon A time, personal goals, preschoolers, Revenge, smoothies, writer, writer's angst, writing
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To All Rejections
To all rejections: I am building a cathedral. I am building a cathedral. I am building a cathedral. I am building a cathedral. I am building a cathedral. I am building a cathedral. I am building a cathedral. I am … Continue reading
Posted in books, Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Poetry, Quotes, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, Writing Publications, Writing Tips, WTF, YA Novels
Tagged 2013, cathedrals, children's literature, empires, fiction writing, life, middle grade writing, personal goals, poetry, quotes on writing, Salisbury Cathedral, writer, writer's angst, writing
5 Comments
Reading List 2013 (So Far)
This morning my husband burst through the front door, yanked the tiny earphones out of his ears and, flushed from his post-run endorphin rush, declared: The Death Of Bees, we must own it! The Death Of Bees, by Lisa O’Donnell (check out … Continue reading
Posted in Adult writing, Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Poetry, poetry reading, Writing, YA Novels
Tagged 2013, Ann Patchett, Anne Lamott, Dave Eggers, Dragons Love Tacos, Edward P. Jones, fiction writing, Help Thanks Wow, Lisa O'Donnell, Maria Semple, poetry, The Death Of Bees, The Known World, Tina Fey, unicycles, Where'd You Go Bernadette, writing, YA Muses
5 Comments
Good Morning Boo
I know it’s a grand revising day when I sit down at the computer to check email, but end up obsessed with the Word document on the desktop instead, until my son reminds me it’s time to brush his teeth so … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, To Explain, Writing, Writing Progress
Tagged 2012, Amazon, children's literature, email, Facebook, fiction writing, Goodreads, Halloween, hulu, Louise Hay, Lowes, middle grade writing, personal goals, Pinterest, preschoolers, pumpkins, The Pioneer Woman, Weelicous, YA Muses
7 Comments
Once Upon A Time In Gloomy Oxford
1970-something, bookstore, downtown Oxford, England. Cloudy, moody late afternoon (there were so many, which makes the memories of sunny days–sky a blue to gasp over, cottonball clouds, Radcliffe Camera’s dome sunsparked, even musty old Carfax Tower rinsed and bright—stand out all the … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Writing
Tagged 2012, Carfax Tower, children's literature, fiction writing, middle grade writing, Oxford, PG Tips!, Radcliffe Camera, Roald Dahl, writing
2 Comments
Dear Lucky Agent Contest
I’m going to enter. Are you? Follow the link below for complete details. Link: Lucky Agent Contest CONTEST DETAILS This contest will be live for approximately 14 days—from Aug. 13, 2012 through the end of Monday, Aug. 27, 2012, PST. … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Writing
Tagged 2012, fiction writing, Lucky Agent Contest, middle grade writing, writing, writing contest
4 Comments
Links Time
It’s been a week of discovering useful blog links. I’ve hopped from link to link and then some, pausing only to drop the boy off at summer camp, pick him up, play Batman & Dinosaurs, fix dinner, twist myself into … Continue reading
Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Writing, Writing Tips
Tagged 2012, Alexandra Sokoloff, Beth Hull, children's literature, creative commons, fiction, middle grade writing, paninis, Pinterest, Pub Rants, public domain, Talia Vance, Veronica Rossi, wikimedia commons, writing, YA Highway, YA Muses
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Deep Summer Checkpoint
Two summers ago I wrote: I create escape beneath my yard’s wind- bent gazebo, books on spread gingham, the shrunk house I dragged into our shade, ticking stove, stranger’s voice in the toy wall phone he refuses. Create with a … Continue reading
When Agents Call (Others)
If you’re agent hunting, you’re going to want to click on over to Beth Hull’s website for installments 1 and 2 of how she procured her literary agent. I find such stories fascinating. And Beth’s pieces are accompanied by drawings that always make … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Writer's Angst, Writing Progress
Tagged 2012, Beth Hull, Literary Agents, writing, YA Novels
2 Comments
Spring Spirit Conference, 2012
What a delightfully smooth, well-run, 1 day conference. As I drove away, the GPS taking me on a spooky off-the-freeway-then-back-on mini-adventure, as I sped past miles of crops (previously mist-blanketed, cooling off from a day of baking in 93 degrees), … Continue reading
Quote For The—Blrrrrrrrrrrgh
This is what I remember about Friday: feeding the boy, hug-sandwich as we said bye-bye to his dad, finally getting the boy to preschool (I thought I was a slow eater!), speeding to Starbucks as forgot to buy coffee for … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Writer quotes, Writing
Tagged 2012, children's literature, fiction writing, middle grade writing, personal goals, writing
2 Comments
Middle Grade Tidbit
In case you’re missing it, agent Michael Bourret from Dystel & Goderich and editor Molly O’Neill are conversing via their blogs about middle grade novels–what they look for, what they like, what middle grade is or might be or possibly isn’t but … Continue reading
And Now This
Remember in the movie Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs when Flynt pulls up that kitten bit on his computer screen and 3 hours fly by? Or maybe you don’t as, unlike me, you have not seen the movie 40,000 … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, To Explain
Tagged 2012, children's literature, fiction writing, personal goals, preschoolers, writing
6 Comments
Quote For The Weekend (Late Edition As Was OOT With Feet In Ocean, Wot!)
Most of us are called on to perform tasks far beyond what we can do. Our capabilities seldom match our aspirations, and we are often woefully unprepared. To this extent, we are all Assistant Pig-Keepers at heart. —Lloyd Alexander I … Continue reading
Spring Spirit 2012
Recently writer Beth Hull turned me on to the Spring Spirit conference, an annual SCBWI California North/Central event held in Rocklin, CA. This year, I’m excited to say I will be attending. The lineup is top notch, including the YA Muses … Continue reading
Time Spent
Roaming the house looking for my reading glasses when on top of head entire time: a good 15 minutes (additional minutes tacked on when distracted by each room’s white elephant: mound of clean yet hopelessly wrinkled laundry on guest room bed, … Continue reading
Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Pets, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF
Tagged 2012, children's literature, fiction writing, Llamas, Starry, starry night, tapas, Van Gogh, writer's angst, writing
4 Comments
Writer’s Day 2011
This photo is from the SCBWI Central-Coastal Writer’s Day 2010, at which I won a Special Mention for my middle grade novel and half off the price of this year’s Writer’s Day, which took place today, all day, and in which … Continue reading
Posted in books, Fiction, middle grade, Writer's Angst, Writing
Tagged 2011, Lin Oliver, middle grade writing, SCBWI, Writer's Day 2011, writer's retreat
2 Comments
Quote For The Weekend (TGIF Edition)
Gore Vidal on E. Nesbit (1858-1924): “I do not think it is putting the case too strongly to say that much of the poverty of our society’s intellectual life is directly due to the sort of books children are encouraged … Continue reading
Posted in books, Fiction, middle grade, Quotes
Tagged 2011, children's literature, E. Nesbit, Five Children And It, Gore Vidal
1 Comment
Quote For The Weekend (Late Edition As was Ocean-Distracted–Luckily It’s Never Too Late For Quotes)
“One of my favourite places to read was my elder brother’s bedroom. It was a tiny room with a bed, a chest-of-drawers, bookcases full of books, and shelves where he kept his seashells, butterflies, pressed wild flowers and microscope, because … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, middle grade, Quotes, Writing
Tagged 2011, beach, children's literature, fiction, Joan Aiken, middle grade writing, ocean, The Cuckoo Tree
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Quote For The Weekend (Early Edition As Family Member Arriving And Will Only Have Time For Sisterhood, Lion King, That Thomas The Train Game Which Is Much Better When Played With 3 Persons And Will Delight The Boy, The Consumption Of Healthy Salads For Dinner–Preceded By Slabs Of Brie And Chunks Of Olive Bread Ripped Savagely From Loaf With Bare Hands Then Dunked In Olive Oil And Balsamic Vinegar And There Might Be Almonds Coated In The Sweetly Outrageous, Plus Ice Cream For Dessert, The Kind You Add Scoops Of Peanut Butter To. And Storytime–Here, We Force Our Guests To Read The Bedtime Stories. So, You Know, Beware. And Then Adult Movie Night. Well, Not ADULT Movies, Ha Ha! And Let Us Not Forget Popcorn. Popped In Olive Oil. And Chardonnay Served In Colored Crystal Wine Glasses, Even Though Yes, I Know You’re Not Supposed To Drink Fine Wine From Colored Glasses, But, Frankly, It’s Fun To Be Plebeian. And This Weekend There Are Park Dates And Birthday Parties In Pumpkin Patches And Ducks To Visit And These Things Called Pedicures To Be Had And If You Ask Me When I’ll Be Writing This Weekend, I’ll Tell You: The Seconds I Can.)
“I won’t speak at schools where the students haven’t read my books. I have certain grades I like to talk to more than others. I won’t drive great distances. I am sort of a pill about all this. On the … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, middle grade, Quotes
Tagged 2011, Author quotes, City Of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau, middle grade writing, writing
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The Elusive Palomino
As I was writing/editing and avoiding my laptop’s Internet connection in my bed office yesterday (see canny Zadie Smith quote from previous post), utilizing the sweet patch of me-as-writer time following leg-destroying yoga and before I was to pick my son up … Continue reading
Posted in Adult writing, Avoiding My Writing, books, Fiction, middle grade, Poetry, poetry reading, Quotes, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress
Tagged 2011, fiction writing, middle grade writing, Modern Family, palominos, personal goals, poetry, preschoolers, TV, writer's angst, writing, Zadie Smith
3 Comments
PB Rippey Writes 
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