There's so much cool stuff happening in August I just had to share!
1. Most of you know I have an author crush on Laurie Halse Anderson. Nothing creepy, I promise. She's an incredibly gifted children's author whom I greatly admire and had the pleasure to meet last year. For the past 4 years Laurie has encouraged writers to devote 15 minutes a day during the month of August. There are no rules, though she does provide daily prompts if needed. Check out the Write Fifteen Minutes A Day Challenge on her blog.
2. Did you know that kidlit literary agent extraordinaire, Mary Kole, from the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, has invited writers to post their first lines from a current ms on her blog to be critiqued by other bloggers (and a few lucky ones from Mary herself)? I held my breath, typed the first line from my ms Nitpicky, and then quickly clicked "post" before chickening out. Why not post yours?
3. Natalie Whipple celebrates her 1000th post with a video post.
4. Write On Con, the online conference for kidlit writers is right around the corner! Woot!
5. Karen G. is planning her second virtual Labor Day BBQ! I don't participate in many blogfests, but this one is right up my alley. Just blog hop, say hi, and bring a virtual dish to the BBQ. What could be easier? It's a great way to connect with other writers. For more details visit Karen's blog, Coming Down the Mountain: A Writer's Blog.
6. My blog is celebrating its 1st birthday this month! Details to follow since I, er, have nothing planned yet.
Did I miss anything? What are you looking forward to this month?
Showing posts with label laurie halse anderson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label laurie halse anderson. Show all posts
Monday, August 1, 2011
Sunday, November 28, 2010
'Tis the Season to Reread
Fa la la la la...la la la la!
With Thanksgiving come and gone and the Black Friday craziness over (complete with sore legs and feet the next day), not to mention celebrating my first Christmas party of the season Friday night – yes, I’m aware that it’s still November – I’m ready to dive into the holiday season with gusto (now there’s a word I don’t use that often).
I spent Saturday cleaning so that we could take down the Fall decorations and begin decorating for Christmas. I even got my first holiday card in the mail yesterday. By far the earliest I’ve ever received one. They even beat my parents who usually send theirs out December 1st. I like to wait until the first Sunday of Advent to begin transforming my house from Fall to Christmas, and traditionally we start with the Nativity set. It’s my little way of reminding myself and my family about the humble beginnings of this holiday before we get caught up in the holiday hustle and bustle.
As I try to juggle a few extra balls during the season, keeping up with reading and writing can be difficult. I enjoy reading too much to stop, so I’ve decided to devote this time of year to rereading books that I’ve wanted to revisit. I’m doing this for a few reasons: 1) I already have the book in most cases, so I don’t have to make a trip to the bookstore or library. Most books that I’ve loved enough to reread, I’ve purchased to add to my collection. 2) Knowing the story prior to reading, I don’t have to guess what will happen and can enjoy other aspects of the novel (plotting, dialogue,characters). After a few hectic days, it’s easy to pick up the story where I left off.
In my last post I mentioned that I was rereading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and I’ve finished it. The first time I read this novel I had purchased it at midnight, read a few chapters, went to bed, then inhaled it the next day until I finished that night. I read it one other time with a reading group then forgot about it for 2 years. Until last week. Can I tell you how much I loved it? I really savored it this time, knowing what was going to happen, and found some lovely treasures along the way.
Currently, I’m finishing up a reread of Speak (I didn’t get to finish it the week I met Laurie Halse Anderson) and loving it. After that I'm looking forward to rereading Gossamer by Lois Lowry and I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. Maybe I'll throw in A Christmas Carol by Dickens to get in the holiday spirit.
How do you keep up with reading time during the holidays? Or do you just take a break and resume reading after receiving new books as presents when the season is over?
With Thanksgiving come and gone and the Black Friday craziness over (complete with sore legs and feet the next day), not to mention celebrating my first Christmas party of the season Friday night – yes, I’m aware that it’s still November – I’m ready to dive into the holiday season with gusto (now there’s a word I don’t use that often).
I spent Saturday cleaning so that we could take down the Fall decorations and begin decorating for Christmas. I even got my first holiday card in the mail yesterday. By far the earliest I’ve ever received one. They even beat my parents who usually send theirs out December 1st. I like to wait until the first Sunday of Advent to begin transforming my house from Fall to Christmas, and traditionally we start with the Nativity set. It’s my little way of reminding myself and my family about the humble beginnings of this holiday before we get caught up in the holiday hustle and bustle.
As I try to juggle a few extra balls during the season, keeping up with reading and writing can be difficult. I enjoy reading too much to stop, so I’ve decided to devote this time of year to rereading books that I’ve wanted to revisit. I’m doing this for a few reasons: 1) I already have the book in most cases, so I don’t have to make a trip to the bookstore or library. Most books that I’ve loved enough to reread, I’ve purchased to add to my collection. 2) Knowing the story prior to reading, I don’t have to guess what will happen and can enjoy other aspects of the novel (plotting, dialogue,characters). After a few hectic days, it’s easy to pick up the story where I left off.
In my last post I mentioned that I was rereading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and I’ve finished it. The first time I read this novel I had purchased it at midnight, read a few chapters, went to bed, then inhaled it the next day until I finished that night. I read it one other time with a reading group then forgot about it for 2 years. Until last week. Can I tell you how much I loved it? I really savored it this time, knowing what was going to happen, and found some lovely treasures along the way.
Currently, I’m finishing up a reread of Speak (I didn’t get to finish it the week I met Laurie Halse Anderson) and loving it. After that I'm looking forward to rereading Gossamer by Lois Lowry and I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. Maybe I'll throw in A Christmas Carol by Dickens to get in the holiday spirit.
How do you keep up with reading time during the holidays? Or do you just take a break and resume reading after receiving new books as presents when the season is over?
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Laurie
How do you condense an incredible experience in one post?
I’m not sure, but I’ll give it a try.
My birthday present to myself was to buy Laurie Halse Anderson’s newly released historical fiction novel, Forge. It’s the second book in a trilogy for kids. My husband left work early so that my 14-year-old daughter and I could attend a presentation/book signing that Laurie was giving in Wellesley.
After overcoming various obstacles – slow traffic, trying to locate the bookstore while driving behind a large truck, driving past the bookstore and having to turn around at Wellesley College, my uptightness (though honestly, my poor daughter had to endure that more than me), arriving at the WRONG location, driving to the LIBRARY instead – we managed to make it with 10 minutes to spare (whew!).
Wellesley has a gorgeous library and the presentation was held in a beautiful, intimate room. When we arrived there were maybe 25 people present at the time and we sat in the front row – less than 10 ft. from the podium. As I waited I felt relief, excitement, and gratefulness all rolled up together. I enjoyed listening to 2 boys sitting behind me. “I’m here ‘cause my teacher said I’d get extra credit if I came.” The other boy replied, “My mother made me go.” I smiled to myself thinking, “They are in for a real treat.”
Although I felt like I might burst with excitement sitting there, fortunately I didn’t have to wait long before Laurie was introduced. She started with a brief bio: how school was a struggle for her, how she sat in the back row because she was tall and shy, how she made “picture movies” in her head as she lay in bed trying to get to sleep, how 9th grade was difficult and she was often depressed, how she never planned to go to college and why/where she did, how she never dreamed of being an author and why she did, and about her love for history and historical fiction. She spoke about her first historical fiction book, Chains (which I’m currently reading) and its sequel, the newly released, Forge, and how she researches using primary sources for her factual information.
Laurie was warm, funny, passionate about her love of history and bringing that to kids through her writing - a dynamic speaker. I sat there grinning - savoring this special time. Then came the Q&A. I held back because there were quite a few kids with questions, mostly related to Chains and Forge. Then my daughter nudged me and whispered, "Go ahead," and I timidly raised my hand.
Moment #1 that I’ll never forget:
With her full attention and eyes on me, I asked, “Are you currently working on a young adult contemporary novel?” She is. *big grin*
A couple of questions followed about her YA novels, Speak and Wintergirls, and then it was time for the signing. There were about 20 people in front of J and me. She brought her copy of Speak, I brought Forge. We were given a post-it to write our names on so Laurie would know the spelling ahead of time. Can I tell you how impressed I was with her? She took the time to speak to each child as she signed, asked if they had a question for her, and posed for pictures.
Moment #2 that I’ll never forget:
Then we approached the table; it was our turn. My daughter went first, asked a question about Speak, and then posed for a pic. Then she took my book and asked if I was a teacher. I swallowed and willed myself not to gush. I told her that I once taught but am now raising 4 kids of my own (she’s a mom of 4 too), and that now I’m writing for teens and hoping to be published some day. She asked if I belong to SCBWI. I confessed that I had thought of joining but how I decided to wait until I finished a first draft to see if I was committed to writing. “You don’t have to finish to join,” she told me and that New England has a wonderful chapter. She then turned to J and said, “Make sure she signs up this weekend!” and wrote the link on my post-it. Grinning (and by this time a deep shade of red), I stood beside her and J took our pic. And then, because I knew this was my last moment with her, the gushing started. It went something like, “I admire you so much and thought it was great how the writing community backed you during the Speak controversy, it was an honor to meet you, thank you!”
Moment #3
I'm not sure how I got to my car but I think I floated out of the library to the parking lot. When we got in the car, J and I read our dedications to each other. Sorry, I can't share it with you - it's powerful but very personal. And I tear up every time I read it.
Laurie is on tour right now for Forge. If you have the opportunity to hear her and meet her, I encourage you to do so.
I’m not sure, but I’ll give it a try.
My birthday present to myself was to buy Laurie Halse Anderson’s newly released historical fiction novel, Forge. It’s the second book in a trilogy for kids. My husband left work early so that my 14-year-old daughter and I could attend a presentation/book signing that Laurie was giving in Wellesley.
After overcoming various obstacles – slow traffic, trying to locate the bookstore while driving behind a large truck, driving past the bookstore and having to turn around at Wellesley College, my uptightness (though honestly, my poor daughter had to endure that more than me), arriving at the WRONG location, driving to the LIBRARY instead – we managed to make it with 10 minutes to spare (whew!).
Wellesley has a gorgeous library and the presentation was held in a beautiful, intimate room. When we arrived there were maybe 25 people present at the time and we sat in the front row – less than 10 ft. from the podium. As I waited I felt relief, excitement, and gratefulness all rolled up together. I enjoyed listening to 2 boys sitting behind me. “I’m here ‘cause my teacher said I’d get extra credit if I came.” The other boy replied, “My mother made me go.” I smiled to myself thinking, “They are in for a real treat.”
Although I felt like I might burst with excitement sitting there, fortunately I didn’t have to wait long before Laurie was introduced. She started with a brief bio: how school was a struggle for her, how she sat in the back row because she was tall and shy, how she made “picture movies” in her head as she lay in bed trying to get to sleep, how 9th grade was difficult and she was often depressed, how she never planned to go to college and why/where she did, how she never dreamed of being an author and why she did, and about her love for history and historical fiction. She spoke about her first historical fiction book, Chains (which I’m currently reading) and its sequel, the newly released, Forge, and how she researches using primary sources for her factual information.
Laurie was warm, funny, passionate about her love of history and bringing that to kids through her writing - a dynamic speaker. I sat there grinning - savoring this special time. Then came the Q&A. I held back because there were quite a few kids with questions, mostly related to Chains and Forge. Then my daughter nudged me and whispered, "Go ahead," and I timidly raised my hand.Moment #1 that I’ll never forget:
With her full attention and eyes on me, I asked, “Are you currently working on a young adult contemporary novel?” She is. *big grin*
A couple of questions followed about her YA novels, Speak and Wintergirls, and then it was time for the signing. There were about 20 people in front of J and me. She brought her copy of Speak, I brought Forge. We were given a post-it to write our names on so Laurie would know the spelling ahead of time. Can I tell you how impressed I was with her? She took the time to speak to each child as she signed, asked if they had a question for her, and posed for pictures.
Moment #2 that I’ll never forget:
Then we approached the table; it was our turn. My daughter went first, asked a question about Speak, and then posed for a pic. Then she took my book and asked if I was a teacher. I swallowed and willed myself not to gush. I told her that I once taught but am now raising 4 kids of my own (she’s a mom of 4 too), and that now I’m writing for teens and hoping to be published some day. She asked if I belong to SCBWI. I confessed that I had thought of joining but how I decided to wait until I finished a first draft to see if I was committed to writing. “You don’t have to finish to join,” she told me and that New England has a wonderful chapter. She then turned to J and said, “Make sure she signs up this weekend!” and wrote the link on my post-it. Grinning (and by this time a deep shade of red), I stood beside her and J took our pic. And then, because I knew this was my last moment with her, the gushing started. It went something like, “I admire you so much and thought it was great how the writing community backed you during the Speak controversy, it was an honor to meet you, thank you!”
Moment #3I'm not sure how I got to my car but I think I floated out of the library to the parking lot. When we got in the car, J and I read our dedications to each other. Sorry, I can't share it with you - it's powerful but very personal. And I tear up every time I read it.
Laurie is on tour right now for Forge. If you have the opportunity to hear her and meet her, I encourage you to do so.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Speak Up
First, please read this post over at Mad Woman in the Forest, Laurie Halse Anderson's blog. To say I'm angry is an understatement.
This book made me feel.
This book made me cry.
This book has helped so many young girls and boys care, know they were not alone, that it wasn't their fault, that they could SPEAK.
I wish that I had this book to pass on to some of my friends when I was a teen, a college student. I will strongly encourage my daughters to read this book.
If you've read Speak you know how powerful this book is.
If you haven't, watch Laurie Halse Anderson reading a poem she composed mainly from the reactions of readers who sent her mail after reading Speak, and you'll get a sense of the impact her book has had on them. Maybe you'll be inspired to read it. The name you hear, Melinda, is the name of the main character.
If you feel inclined to speak out against Dr. Wesley Scoggins and his poisonous remarks you can do so by clicking the links on Laurie's site. Why can't more energy be used toward educating people and helping the victims who feel they have no voice, like Laurie has done with one book?
This book made me feel.
This book made me cry.
This book has helped so many young girls and boys care, know they were not alone, that it wasn't their fault, that they could SPEAK.
I wish that I had this book to pass on to some of my friends when I was a teen, a college student. I will strongly encourage my daughters to read this book.
If you've read Speak you know how powerful this book is.
If you haven't, watch Laurie Halse Anderson reading a poem she composed mainly from the reactions of readers who sent her mail after reading Speak, and you'll get a sense of the impact her book has had on them. Maybe you'll be inspired to read it. The name you hear, Melinda, is the name of the main character.
If you feel inclined to speak out against Dr. Wesley Scoggins and his poisonous remarks you can do so by clicking the links on Laurie's site. Why can't more energy be used toward educating people and helping the victims who feel they have no voice, like Laurie has done with one book?
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