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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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Tag Archives: middle grade writing
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
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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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See? Not So Proud
Tripping on stage at the very end of a performance, during the denoument, the final vital monologue. Tripping. So hard, so clumsily, there was no hiding it. Tripping. So that everyone in that theatre was yanked out of their suspension of … Continue reading
Not Avoiding My Writing
See previous post. Now read this: THE PASSAGE OF AT LEAST 2 UNINTERRUPTED HOURS There is no blogging when working. There is no Hulu and bad actors living with dinosaurs. No Elephant Man. No social network. No Internet. They just. … Continue reading
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
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DUMMY
I have a new special writing/revising trick. Starting with the first three chapters of my novel, I copy and paste them into a brand new fresh document, print, then edit/revise/correct/read-aloud/enhance/make-marvelous, etc. I throw the hardcopy edits into the brand new … Continue reading
Quote For The Weekend
I’ve been so busy writing, I haven’t blogged this week—except for this about my armchair—and now this quote for the weekend. Preschool has started up again at last (which my son loves—who wouldn’t love fingerpainting with chocolate pudding?) and I’ve had the … Continue reading
Posted in books, Quotes, Writing
Tagged 2011, children's literature, domestics, His Dark Materials, middle grade writing, personal goals, Philip Pullman, preschoolers, writing
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Armchair Magic (With Tall Reading Lamp)
Last night I accomplished so much in my new special writing place that all day I anticipated my return. Now that I’m here, typing eagerly, feet crossed and slightly off an ottoman, my spine cushioned far more comfortably than when I’m up against … Continue reading
Posted in dog, Me and Us, middle grade, To Explain, Writing, Writing Progress
Tagged 2011, cats, dog, domestic bliss, fiction writing, Marcel Proust, middle grade writing, T-Rex, writing
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When I Write
I might wake up many times during any night due to: Nightmares involving fedora-wearing aliens intent on making off with my son. The certainty that I have heard a loud noise, which means rising from bed and checking my son’s room and the rest … Continue reading
Posted in Adult writing, Avoiding My Writing, books, dog, Faction, Fiction, Me and Us, middle grade, Poetry, Steps In Promotion, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF
Tagged 2011, cats, chaos, children's literature, dog, domestic bliss, domestics, fiction, fiction writing, labrador, life, middle grade writing, personal goals, poetry, toddlers, writer, writer's angst, writer's block, writing
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How Do I Really Feel
When an agent lets me know why he/she is passing on my manuscript after a request to read more (but not all), do I honestly appreciate the feedback? Do I? As I morph into the spitting image of Munch’s scream subject (obviously a multiply … Continue reading
Contest Winner
In a previous post I mentioned the YA Muses were holding a very generous contest. Winners would have the first 15 pages of their WIP or NIPR (novel in perpetual revision) read by one of the Muses. The grand prize … Continue reading
YA Muses Contest
If, like me, you welcome critique on your WIP, which is actually a complete novel you can’t stop revising, then visit the YA Muses and participate in their contest. The prizes are very generous. I hope I win. Something. Thank … Continue reading
Posted in books, Fiction, middle grade, Parakeet, Writing
Tagged 2011, children's literature, fiction, fiction writing, life, middle grade writing, personal goals, writer, writing
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There’s No Place Like Hush
It’s April. I’m quiet. I’m revising. Being a vigilant mother. Cooking for house guests (i.e. Costco-ing for house guests). Hulu-ing Parenthood (help me, Obi Wan—it’s my only vice). Typing in my quips on Facebook (help me, O.W.—it’s my only other … Continue reading
Posted in Adult writing, Avoiding My Writing, dog, Fiction, Me and Us, middle grade, Parakeet, Steps In Promotion, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF
Tagged aliens, children's literature, dog, domestic bliss, domestics, dreams, Facebook, fiction, fiction writing, life, middle grade writing, nightmares, toddlers, writer, writing
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Welcome Vibrations
A striking thing happened this morning after dropping my son off at his preschool. I returned home, did not check email, vacuum up dog hair, make a Trader Joe’s list, stare intently at Yahoo news while groaning at the spelling … Continue reading
Posted in Adult writing, dog, Fiction, Me and Us, middle grade, Parakeet, Steps In Promotion, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF
Tagged children's literature, dog, domestic bliss, domestics, fiction writing, life, middle grade writing, personal goals, preschooler, toddlers, Trader Joe's, writer, writing
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Valuable Information
The ever helpful YA Muses blog has wonderful posts up on the writing process and revision and what the heck writers do to make novels make sense (including cutting mass portions, creating charts—oh, go see, go see). The YAM posts … Continue reading
Posted in Adult writing, Fiction, middle grade, To Explain, Writing, Writing Progress
Tagged children's literature, domestic bliss, domestics, fiction, fiction writing, life, middle grade writing, ocean, writer
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Fever!
I need the sort of writing fever that allows multi-tasking. I need to be able to be ill AND revise a novel and engage the 3 year old and toss the tennis ball for the dog, fold laundry, garden (i.e. yank … Continue reading
Posted in Adult writing, Avoiding My Writing, dog, Faction, Fiction, Me and Us, Poetry, Steps In Promotion, To Explain, Writer's Angst, Writing, Writing Progress, WTF
Tagged 2011, beach, chaos, cornwall, doc martin, dog, domestic bliss, domestics, fiction, fiction writing, flu, guilt, life, middle grade writing, multi-tasking, novels, personal goals, poetry, toddlers, writer, writer's block, writing
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