Tag Archives: 2012

Middle Grade Tidbit

Posted on March 16, 2012 by PB Rippey

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 →

Deadline Mayhem

Posted on March 13, 2012 by PB Rippey

With a house full of in-laws, 1 out-of-his-brain-with-excitement preschooler, visiting dogs, horrified puking and peeing everywhere cats, a small crew installing the new dishwasher and ceiling fans and outdoor sensor lighting, much celebrating involving caramel cakes, Seuss stuffs and misbehaving golfclubs, 1 courtesy-of-kind-in-laws date night … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Me and Us, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2012, domestics, grant deadlines, Kinko's, personal goals, preschoolers, writer's angst | 1 Comment

Quote For The Weekend (Yet Another Late Edition)

Posted on March 11, 2012 by PB Rippey

I am repeat quoting. Visiting the museum this weekend, I was once again struck by Marcel Proust’s words high on a wall overlooking the displays of dinosaur bones. I am constantly trying to quickly evolve new eyes as I revise my novel … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Quotes, Steps In Promotion, Writer quotes, Writing Progress | Tagged 2012, dinosaur poop, fiction writing, James Cameron, Marcel Proust, Mariana Trench, ocean, preschoolers, quotes on writing, writing | 2 Comments

Blog Break: Yes, Kony 2012

Posted on March 7, 2012 by PB Rippey

Click here for the movie. Scroll 1/2 way down their page. Watch. If you haven’t seen the film yet, it’s 27 minutes short and after the first 5 minutes you don’t care how long it is. If, like me, you … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, dog, Fiction, Me and Us, Writer's Angst, Writing Progress, WTF | Tagged 2012, cats, domestics, Invisible Children, Kony 2012, preschoolers, writer's angst, writing, Yaks | Leave a comment

What I Can Do To Promote World Peace

Posted on March 6, 2012 by PB Rippey

548a.m. Pretty dark through the curtains. No birdsong. The bed is mine, S walking the dog, the boy snoozing anywhere from the next 15 minutes to the next hour. Barely awake, I feel the effects from gazing at my work … Continue reading →

Posted in books, dog, Me and Us, Quotes, Writing | Tagged 2012, cats, chaos, domestic bliss, Facebook, fiction writing, Mother Teresa, preschoolers, quotes on writing, Sandra Fluke | 1 Comment

Quote For The Weekend (Churchill Edition)

Posted on March 3, 2012 by PB Rippey

Anticipating the arrival of this plaque for my bedroom office so that every time I glance up from revising, whether it’s going well, or whether I’m making ghastly grammatical errors, whether my mind is filled with creative synapses, or is … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Fiction, Quotes, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2012, personal goals, quotes on writing, Winston Churchill, writer's angst, writer's block | 3 Comments

Critique Etiquette

Posted on March 2, 2012 by PB Rippey

The ever-interesting Beth Hull offers some valuable critiquing advice at her blog today. I highly recommend you check in–especially if, like me, you are gearing up for the Rocklin Spring Spirit conference, where critiquing will be in the air, … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Writing, Writing Tips | Tagged 2012, Beth Hull, CA, Critique Etiquette, fiction, How To Critique, Rocklin, Spring Spirit Conference, Susan Rich, writing, Writing Critique | 1 Comment

Quote For The Weekend (Poem Edition That May Last Until Next Weekend Due To Secret Project, Beautifying The Ponderosa & After Effects Of Polishing Off Box Of Birthday See’s Candy & Snickers Bar Cake—Which Created The Most Hyper Preschooler On The Planet)

Posted on February 24, 2012 by PB Rippey

This poem won me a fellowship to the Abroad Writers’ Conferences. I debated thoroughly utilizing the generous benefits of my fellowship and hightailing it to Thailand, especially as my dear, cool, ever-fascinating friend Chris Abani was a workshop leader and how … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Poetry, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2012, Abroad Writers Conferences, Chiang Mai, Nightmares With Moons, poetry, preschoolers, Pudding House, Thailand, writer's retreat, writing | 1 Comment

And Now This

Posted on February 23, 2012 by PB Rippey

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!)

Posted on February 18, 2012 by PB Rippey

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 →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Fiction, middle grade, Quotes, Writer quotes | Tagged 2012, beach, children's literature, Fflewddur Fflam, Lloyd Alexander, middle grade writing, The Book Of Three, writer's retreat | 4 Comments

Quote For The Weekend (Tide Pool Edition)

Posted on February 12, 2012 by PB Rippey

“If a child is to keep his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.” —Rachel Carson … Continue reading →

Posted in Avoiding My Writing, Children's Books, fish, ocean related, Quotes, Santa Barbara, Writer quotes, Writing, Writing Tips | Tagged 2012, beach, fiction writing, life, ocean, preschoolers, quotes on writing, Rachel Carson, writing | 6 Comments

And Fire

Posted on February 6, 2012 by PB Rippey

Heretic? Yes. However, one thing is certain: having a Kindle Fire will not stop me from buying books. Ever. Actual books, not the virtual kind that pale and irritate on the screen when compared to the hearty, my precious, real deals … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, Poetry, Writing | Tagged 2012, children's literature, Kindle Fire, personal goals, revision, The New Yorker, writing goals | 2 Comments

Quote For The Weekend (Superbowl Edition)

Posted on February 3, 2012 by PB Rippey

1. In modern war…you will die like a dog for no good reason. 2. Man is not made for defeat. —Ernest Hemingway I regret not going into Hemingway’s house when I was in Key West. Instead I stood out on … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Quotes, Writer quotes, Writer's Angst, Writing, WTF | Tagged 2012, beach, Captain Tony's, cats, Ernest Hemingway, Key West, Papa Dobles, scotch and soda, Sloppy Joe's, writing | 4 Comments

Tropic of Dentist

Posted on January 31, 2012 by PB Rippey

Sharing this delightful list after a harrowing dentist appointment for my son (and his parents), in which despite kiddie valium being administered, despite the unfortunately Hannibal-Lecter-like restraints and despite the nose mask pumping in “giggle stuff”, my son raged quite effectively at … Continue reading →

Posted in To Explain, Writer quotes, Writer's Angst, Writing | Tagged 2012, dentist hell, fiction writing, Henry Miller, pedidatric dentists, preschoolers, quotes on writing, writing, Writing Tips | 1 Comment

Quote For The Weekend (Seminar Edition)

Posted on January 28, 2012 by PB Rippey

Some writers, critics, and other assorted literati sniff at plotting as a tool of craft. A synonym of plotting, in this mindset, is slumming, something decent people just don’t do. —James Scott Bell Whose seminar I attended this morning in … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, Quotes, Writer quotes, Writing Tips | Tagged 2012, Alfred Hitchcock, fiction writing, James Scott Bell, Plot and structure, quotes on writing, The Fugitive, writing, writing seminars | 2 Comments

Oak Ents

Posted on January 26, 2012 by PB Rippey

This was the morning: camellias and oak trees. And koi ponds, a small, very green lake with coots and mallards drifting, a Japanese garden with an unattended snack bar my son immediately took over, stepping behind the counter (which came … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing, WTF | Tagged 2012, Descanso Gardens, fiction writing, oak trees, writer's angst, writing | 1 Comment

Speaking Of Poetry

Posted on January 23, 2012 by PB Rippey

Askew , a poetry journal, accepted a poem of mine for their May issue. It’s nice to have an acceptance so early in the year, providing me with impetus to keep submitting my work even when the day starts at … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry, Writing, Writing Progress | Tagged 2012, Askew poetry, Marsha de la O, personal goals, poetry, Ventura, writing | 4 Comments

Quote For The Weekend (Pulled Muscle Edition)

Posted on January 20, 2012 by PB Rippey

“Writers are notorious for using any reason to keep from working: over-researching, retyping, going to meetings, waxing the floors–anything.” —Gloria Steinem I opened the door to my son’s classroom and an invisible claw grabbed the muscles in my right side and … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Children's Books, Fiction, Quotes, Writer quotes, Writer's Angst | Tagged 2012, Albert Einstein, children's literature, Gloria Steinem, personal goals, preschool, Primal screams, String Theory, writer's angst, writing, yoga | 2 Comments

I Told You So

Posted on January 16, 2012 by PB Rippey

We hit town late afternoon-ish and I immediately honor the request for the museum and its entertaining dinosaur footprints indented in cement, pgymy mammoth bones, taxidermied (the fraying sort) mountain animals and vultures, buttons igniting barn owl shrieks and snake … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Books, Fiction, ocean related, Poetry, Santa Barbara, Writing | Tagged 2012, beach, children's literature, fiction writing, ocean, poetry, preschoolers, writing | 1 Comment

Quote For The Weekend (Another Sunday Late Edition Blrrrrgh)

Posted on January 15, 2012 by PB Rippey

The blood jet is poetry/there is no stopping it. —Sylvia Plath I could stare at this photo for hours…

Posted in Poetry, Quotes | Tagged 2012, poetry, Poets, sylvia plath, writer, writing | 1 Comment

Spring Spirit 2012

Posted on January 11, 2012 by PB Rippey

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 →

Posted in Children's Books, Me and Us, middle grade, Writing, YA Novels | Tagged 2012, CA, children's literature, fiction writing, middle grade writing, personal goals, Rocklin, Spring Spirit 2012, writer's retreat, writing | 2 Comments

Time Spent

Posted on January 9, 2012 by PB Rippey

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

Quote For The Weekend (Sunday Late Edition–Oops)

Posted on January 8, 2012 by PB Rippey

Lifted directly from Spiritual Now Dot Com. The Dalai Lama’s 20 ways to get good karma (believe it or not). Compare to Gandhi’s top 10 fundamentals for changing the world. Live well, long and, of course, prosper as you wash dishes, mow the … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotes, Writing | Tagged 2012, dalai lama, good karma, personal goals, quotes on writing, writing | 1 Comment

Under The Never Sky

Posted on January 3, 2012 by PB Rippey

Finally, my Amazon pre-ordered copy of Veronica Rossi’s debut novel arrived. This afternoon I heard a thump on the front porch, opened the door and found the package (it was sealed at the time, of course). The UPS man placed … Continue reading →

Posted in books, YA Novels | Tagged 2012, fiction writing, Under The Never Sky, Veronica Rossi, YA Muses, YA Novels | 2 Comments

A Little Nap Reading