Haunts of a Children's Writer

Review: BETWEEN TWO ENDS by David Ward

2011-04-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

Product Description from Net Galley:

When Yeats and his parents visit his grandmother's creepy old house, Yeats reunites a pair of pirate bookends and uncovers the amazing truth: Years ago, Yeats's father traveled into The Arabian Nights with a friend, and the friend, Shari, is still stuck in the tales. Assisted by the not-always-trustworthy pirates, Yeats must navigate the unfamiliar world of the story of Shaharazad--dodging guards and tigers and the dangerous things that lurk in the margins of the stories--in order to save Shari and bring peace to his family.

David Ward has created a fantasy rich with atmosphere and full of heart-stopping drama.

Title: Between Two Ends
Publisher: Abrams Books
Imprint: Amulet Books
Pub Date: 05/01/2011
ISBN: 9780810997141

My Review:

Characters: The reader can't help but like Yeats, a twelve-year-old boy willing to jump into the dangerous unknown to save his family, which is being torn apart by his father's depression. The magical pirate book ends kept me smiling and actually had me laughing out loud during the trip back into the book.

Setting: David Ward has created interesting surroundings both at Yeats' grandmother's house and in the world of Shaharazod. Although I haven't recently read One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, I felt like David Ward knew every possible detail about the setting.

Plot: The action is non-stop from the time Yeats finds the magical book ends through the time he completes his quest. The action and plot twists made it difficult to put the book down. The one problem I had was the story did not take off until about Chapter Three.

Overall: I highly recommend this book for middle grade boys and girls. My caution is to make sure young readers are not discouraged by the opening chapter. I fear some of them might find the multiple points of view hard to follow while Ward initially introduces us to the characters at Grandmother's house. I might add the issue disappears for the remainder of the book. Find a way to keep them interested through Chapter Three -- they won't be disappointed.

Overall Rating: 4 of 5 stars.

(Galley supplied via Netgalley.com)

A Poetry Month Review

2011-04-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

Review: Your Own Sylvia: a verse portrait of Sylvia Plath by Stephanie Hemphill Stephanie Hemphill (left) with Alison Hertz at the 2011 Anderson's Breakfast.

What could possibly be more appropriate than reading the story of a gifted American poet during National Poetry Month? And the answer is: reading that story written in verse by another gifted American poet.

Stephanie Hemphill has taken the story of Sylvia Plath and told it using a series of moving verses through the eyes of the people in Sylvia's life. Each verse is accompanied by a short, unobtrusive history of facts surrounding it.

If you're looking for a great National Poetry Month read, I highly recommend YOUR OWN SYLVIA. The book was published in 2007 by Alfred A. Knopf and was a Printz Honor Book recipient.

Things Recently Learned about my WIP

2010-10-04T17:30:00.000-07:00

I was reminded recently while attending a Heartsaver First Aid course for work that writing material can come from just about anywhere. The instructor told a true story about an auto accident/rescue attempt that wound up costing the rescuer's life. It fits so much better than him just being killed in the crash itself. Had you told me I would change the story based on something from that class, I probably would have just laughed.

The second thing I learned based on reading I did for the Anderson's YA Conference is that a lot of YA is told in multiple voices. I'm doing that now too!

The third thing I learned (today) is how excited I am about this WIP. Ghost story + YA + in verse + kind of aimed at guys (involves sports) + multiple voices = Jim Excited.

Anderson's YA -- Part 4 : The final chapter

2010-10-02T19:30:00.001-07:00

Writing friends Michelle Sussman and Karly Kirkpatrick shopping for books.

A picture of the author that graced our table. (At one point, an Anderson's employee pointed out to David Levithan that the author chair reserved at our table was empty--he looked ever so briefly and headed toward the back of the room. In all fairness, there were more tables than authors.)

John Green, David Levithan, Sioban Vivian and Dana Reinhardt after "Contemporary Edge" breakout session.

Kenneth Oppel holding a copy of his book HALF BROTHER.

And a slide of the half brother.

A few tidbits:

John Green says "maybe when I get old I'll have to do the Richard Peck trick and write historical fiction."

David Levithan says "Our job as writers is to choose the exact right words to express our feelings."

Siobhan Vivian picked up the phrase " wild pack of Freshman slut La Crosstitudes" talking to a high school upper classman.

Pam Munoz Ryan said "momentum developes creativity" (refering to writing)

Blue Balliett wrote the ending of Chasing Vermeer on a piece of cardboard she pulled from her garbage can in the middle of the night. It turned out to be packaging cardboard from her son's boxers. He made her swear she'd never tell anyone. Hmmm... I wonder if she kept that promise.

When Lisa asked about interesting fan letters, Kenneth Oppel said something to this effect:

He got a letter about his Silverwings series which avoids using colors because it is about bats (which can see only in black and white). The young girl said you mention "yellow" on page 12. You said "an" instead of "and" on page 50. I've noted similar problems in C. S. Lewis' Lion, Witch and Wardrobe series. I wrote him too. He never wrote back or made the corrections because he's dead. Hopefully you can correct yours. Kenneth suspects she will someday be a copy editor.

I hope you've enjoyed my four part account of the conference!

Anderson's YA -- Part 3 : Multiple Author Tidbits

2010-09-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

That's Charles Benoit after a "Contemporary Edge" breakout session talking to an audience member. His featured speech, by the way, was fantastic. He told the story of his mom always having a book when he was a child and encouraging him to come sit with her and read. At some point he realized she wasn't actually reading and questioned her. She replied that she needed glasses and couldn't afford glasses for both herself and her kids. When questioned why she always had a book: because she wanted to be a good influence. He also told other very funny "mom" stories. This was his first YA conference and he spoke of his book YOU which is in second person! Writing in second person would scare the crap out of me.

Simone Elkeles told another story about cover demands--she had to write a scene into RULES OF ATTRACTION for the scene of the guy and girl leaning out of car windows kissing (my last blog talked of Stephanie Hemphill's change for matching cover art). I have another note of Simone talking of cover art for another book showing a flat model representing a well endowed main character, but my notes are a bit vague. One of Simone's fears: Being seen in public (and recognized) when she's in the midst of an intense writing period and hasn't showered or washed her hair in days. One of my fears: That Simone will kill me for blogging that she said this.

Stacy Kade compares the banter between her two main characters to that on the old TV show "Moonlighting". I might add I read the first couple chapters of THE GHOST AND THE GOTH and loved the voice.

I still need to talk about friends I saw and which author graced my table. Oh, and John Green, David Levithan and Kenneth Oppel. But that will be another day or three.

Anderson's YA -- Part 2 : Stephanie Hemphill

2010-09-27T17:38:00.000-07:00

One of the authors I was most looking forward to meeting at Anderson's YA Conference this year was Stephanie Hemphill. I have fallen in love with writing novels in verse and Stephanie writes in verse. I confess I haven't finished reading WICKED GIRLS, but only because I haven't had the time. I promise a review when I do finish reading it.

WICKED GIRLS is a historical fiction account of the Salem witch trial from the points of view of the young girl accusers.

A couple notes from her speaking at the "In My 'hood" breakout (local authors):

She describes her book as mean "mean girls crossed with 1692".
She removed a descriptive line about a character's blond ringlet curls because of the cover picture (straight hair which would not be common in 1692).
She grew up in the Naperville area and now splits time between Illinois and LA.

Two other note: I loved how she signed my copy (and not just because she called me a poet). Also, she will be doing a reading at Anderson's store in October.

Anderson's YA -- Part 1 : Andrea Cremer

2010-09-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

Because there was just TOO much that happened at Anderson's YA Conference to include in a single blog... I decided to break it into smaller pieces over a number of days. The started with free ARCs at check-in. One was by Andrea Cremer who was one of the authors on the "New Voices" panel.
Now if you think I was excited about getting a free ARC of her book, check out how excited she was to have everyone get them!

A few brief notes from Andrea's comments in the breakout session:

She dreamt of writing novels and riding horses. She decided to spend a summer riding--until the first day a spooked horse crushed her foot. Since she spent the next weeks unable to apply weight to the foot, she wrote a novel. (For those who know how I spent last summer, yell at me for not working as hard as Andrea!)
She had two "practice novels before NIGHTSHADE.
NIGHTSHADE is not just another werewolf book -- The characters revel in the beauty wolves and the magic which surrounds their lives. (Andrea: I hope I expressed that correctly from my notes.)
Andrea writes a novel's first draft in about four weeks.
Andrea is a punctuation freak in the sense she loves to use commas, semi-colons, ellipses -- she's also a copy editor's nightmare. In spite of the fact that she is a full time college professor.

Next post: Stephanie Hemphill

Poetry Friday -- Life

2010-05-27T19:55:00.000-07:00

My poetry Friday original verse celebrates the birth of my first grandchild, Haily Ann.

Life
A miricle
Where life rebounds
Regenerates
Finds new purposes
To move forward.

Poetry Friday is hosted this week at: The Miss Rumphius Effect

Thank you Tricia for hosting!

Ghosts are complicated

2010-05-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's been two months since my last blog. Not good.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending an Illinois-SCBWI program featuring 2010 Golden Kite winner Julia Durango. After the main program, a few of us lingered and continued talking about writing.

I can't remember the exact topics others were writing about, but they all seemed more important than ghosts. One of my writing insecurities is that my stories are pretty much just stories. They don't teach the reader about another historical era, or another culture or touch upon tough subjects like prejudice, drugs and so on.

When I expressed this, Julia disagreed. Three words of her response gave my subject matter credibility.

"Ghosts are complicated."

It took a while for that to sink in. I feel good about my ghosts, but realize they now need size 14 shoes to grow into.

What statements have you heard from other writers that really made an impact?

And the winner is.....

2010-03-12T18:34:00.000-08:00

Kelly! See details in comments from the original contest posting.

9 facts and a lie contest prize package

2010-03-08T19:04:00.000-08:00

So I promised to come up with a prize package. My decision -- the two ARCs pictured above.

I am, however, willing to try to find a substitute prize if the winner already has them.

9 facts and a lie contest

2010-03-04T19:30:00.000-08:00

Because of the great fun this game was at Tabatha's blog, I've decided to do it too. It's very simple -- I type out 9 facts and one lie about myself. Pick out the lie and in the comments tell what you think the lie is. On Friday, March 11 at 8PM I will randomly pick a winner from everyone who guessed correctly. If nobody gets it right, I'll draw a winner from everyone.

Now, as for the prize: It will be a choice of a book of your choice from a list to be posted say Monday (I promise some good choices).

Anyhow, the facts and lie:

1) I wrote the original computer program that shut off the lights at the IBM Building in Chicago It was written in Fortran and ran on an 1800 computer. (Think punch cards and removable disks the size of a large stuffed pizza.)

2) The first children's writing I did was a short chapter book titled "Kelly and the Mystery of the Ring". Well, I think the girl's name was Kelly. The "and the Mystery of the Ring" part is right. I wrote it for my daughter Kelly, who was an avid reader. She read it in about 20 minutes and said I should write more. It was never submitted anywhere and never will be.

3) Last June I was the victim of a sports injury. I ripped my Achilles tendon playing hopscotch with my niece. It required surgery and I spent a good part of the summer recovering enough to go back to work.

4) I have been to every presentation of the Chicago Tribune Young Adult Book Prize/Award. I thought the streak was ending this past year when tickets for Neil Gaiman "sold" out, but HB had 2 tickets and came to the rescue.

5) I am not a member of MENSA in spite of the fact that my wife has told me I'm brilliant. I seriously doubt I'd be eligible.

6) During the filming of the last Batman movie I had multiple conversations with someone who was nominated for an Academy Award for the film. I'd say the conversation helped him win, except he didn't.

7) After college, my senior year roommate apparently told his wife that she should cook things more like I cooked them. (Isn't it usually the guy's mom???) I heard this from a reliable source-- my ex-roommate's wife herself.

8) I almost didn't make it to my first SCBWI Southlands coffee shop meeting due to the worst snow fog I've ever seen. My wife had seen a blurb in the local paper about children's writers meeting that night. Since there was no indication it was a monthly thing, I may have never gotten involve had I not made it. I swear visibility on I-80 was about 10 feet! (If it was really 20 feet that doesn't make this a lie.)

9) On the subject of local papers: I received honorable mention in a Christmas story writing contest. Everyone was given the beginning of the story and then had to finish it. This was pre-SCBWI, but two of the people who entered eventually became SCBWI friends through coffee shop meetings. Neither of them won even honorable mention, but both are now published (and I am not). I think the reality is that they did win!

10) When my daughter was in high school, I embarrassed her on multiple occasions by singing a verse of a Santa rap song I made up. Jim the rapper -- hmmm -- pretty scary!

Now, if by chance you happen to know any of these are true, please don't pass that along in comments. Speculate, however, to your heart's content.

Poetry Friday Winter Olympic Haiku -- Original

2010-02-26T03:00:00.000-08:00

It's only fair that since I did a Summer Olympics Haiku, that I do one for the Winter Games too. That is especially true since a "golden" opportunity presented itself this week. Ironically, it involves one of the people from my summer haiku.

Olympic Wisdom:
Nastia doesn't get mad
She just gets Evan

Thanks to Jone at Check It Out for hosting.

Poetry Friday Scrabble Challenge -- 2010

2010-02-05T03:00:00.000-08:00

Well Jenn, Lisa and I are making the Scrabble challenge an annual event making this the second annual Scrabble poem Challenge. The idea is simple -- write a poem/verse at least 125 characters long, attach the Scrabble point value to each letter, add them up and divide by the number of letters. This gives you the average point value per letter in your poem. The highest average point value wins. (but there is no prize). By the way, titles are not in the letter count.

I don't feel confidant I have the winning poem -- not enough "PIZZAZZ" -- I am sure I had fun!

PERSONAL HEALTH CARE REFORM
-- THE BEFORE AND AFTER

Jazzy thumb moves
"Text"-ercise
Quick gym jog
My exercise

Tequila buzz
Glazed over eyes
Liquids quench
Revitalize

Greazy, sleazy
Pizza pie
Veg bedazzled za
Oh my!

Line by line scoring:
25/74
21/64
25/71
23/59
20/67
18/61

132/396 (total) Average letter score: 3.000000000000000

Hopefully Blogger doesn't mess up the formatting since I'm scheduling this for 3 AM (in honor of the 3.000000000000) and the 3 original participants. All are welcome to join the fun!

I'll add links to this post tomorrow.

Poetry Friday - Revisiting Poetry Challange

2010-01-29T01:00:00.000-08:00

Last year on the first Friday in February Jenn, Lisa and I challanged each other to create poems with the highest average Scrabble point value per letter. We are making it an annual event and would welcome anyone and everyone to join the challange. I'm reposting my entry from last year to give you the idea. The one rule we've added is a minimum of 125 letters (which would have made my entry too short).

An HP Ditty

Wizardly quizzes
Quidditch game flights
Phoenix quilled wand
JK's dazzling delights

Average letter score (title not included): 2.8194 (203 points, 72 letters)

Links to last year's other entries: Jenn's entry

Lisa's entry

The 2010 Scrabble challange is next Friday (Feb. 5) for anyone interested.

This week Poetry Friday is hosted by Anastasia Suen. Thank you Anastasia!

SCBWI-Illinois Jan Dundon/Mary Harris Russell Program

2010-01-16T13:40:00.000-08:00

Jan Dundon and Mary Harris Russell

Today's presentation by Jan Dundon (Anderson's Bookshop) and Mary Harris Russell (Chicago Tribune children's book reviewer) was fantastic. I left feeling excited, enlightened and energized to write.

Both touched upon the ALA awards (to be announced Monday):

Mary Harris Russell predicts: Newbery to THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE by Jacqueline Kelly; honors to WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead and CLAUDETTE COLVIN by Philip Hoose. Prinz to MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD by Francisco X. Stork (and this is a book she really likes).

Anderson's Mock Newbery winner: 11 BIRTHDAYS by Wendy Mass

There were a couple books that Jan talked about that I'd really like to mention:

1) MIRROR MIRROR: A BOOK OF REVERSIBLE VERSE by Marilyn Singer, il Josee Masse (due out 3/4/2010) I can't even describe how the author can write a verse, presents the same lines in reverse order on the neighboring page and they both sound wonderful, with unique feeling. This is the book I wrote "WOW!" next to (instead of using a simple asteric).

2) 14 COWS FOR AMERICA by Carmen Agra Deedy w/ Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah, il Thomas Gonzalez. True story that will touch deeply about a gift to our hurting nation following 9/11. The book is published by Peachtree. Web site: www.14cowsforamerica.com

3) ODD AND THE FROST GIANTS, Neil Gaiman, il Brett Helquist Jan called it a very different style book from Neil Gaiman. It is based on Norse mythology. That's enough to interest this writer since my own father was born in Sweden. Then add Mr. Gaiman's talent -- I want the book.

Our Cristmas Feast

2009-12-28T18:31:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas with family at my brother-in-law's home and thought I'd share the food pictures. I have to admit getting the idea from Lisa Yee. After seeing her pics, I jumped right on sharing mine with the blogosphere -- well after a major snack (they made me VERY hungry).

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!

Believe

2009-10-15T20:08:00.000-07:00

Worked on my novel-in-verse during my commute home (and NO, I don't drive -- I ride the train). It's slow work and I'm afraid to see what year I could possibly finish it at this speed. Just now, however, I opened my autographed copy of CRANK. Ellen Hopkins gave a one universal word of encouragement: "Believe". I don't think she even knew what I need to belive in when she wrote it, but I'll be writing a bit more in verse tomorrow.

Poetry Friday Original

2009-10-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

Reading CRANK by Ellen Hopkins inspired me to write the start of one of my works-in-progress in verse.

I offer this (fictional) original poem. I'm not sure who is hosting tomorrow, but I'll put it in comments when I find out.

BASKETBALL
Varsity team my senior year
That’s all I wanted
Instead I’m shamed
Shipped down to J.V.
But that was two months ago
Now coach wants me back
But it just can’t….................................................... BE

FOOLPROOF
My perfect tryout strategy:
No mistakes
I knew the players
Did the math
I’d be a shoe-in for ninth or tenth
On a ten man roster
Only word I had to remember…......................... CAREFUL

TRYOUT DAY
Who’s the new kid?
Adam says “relax”
A kind word from my best friend
Thought tryout went great
Til coach announced the team
Then I thought WTF
But only said…........................................................ WHAT

BLAME
Clearly fell on the new kid
Maybe he’d fail a class
Break a leg
Or go back where he came from
And give back my spot on varsity
Where players have names
Other than #45 or ….............................................. YOU

WISHING
For something bad to happen
To the new kid – anything
I could regain my name
My spot on varsity
My best friend
I know it’s wrong
But each day I still …............................................. ASK

KARMA
Mine gone amuck
Followed Adam home last week
It took shape as a SUV/drunk driver duo
But I know why
Adam never made it home
Why I can never replace him on varsity
Be careful what you ask …................................... FOR.

More Pictures from Anderson's YA conference

2009-09-30T19:46:00.001-07:00

As promised a few pictures from the Anderson's YA Conference last Saturday.

"Local Treasure Panel": Cythia Liu, Claire Zulkey, Susan Fine and Daniel Kraus

I bought Susan Fine's book Initiation later in the day , but missed getting it autographed.

Gennifer Choldenko

Lisa Yee

Ellen Hopkins ... if I could write verse one tenth as powerful as yours.............

James A. Owen.... I tried drawing four lines on a page, but the dragon hasn't appeared yet. I know the secret, however, and will figure out where the others go.

Contemporary Panel: Jill Wolfson, Lisa Yee and Ellen Hopkins

Libba Bray

Anderson's YA Conference

2009-09-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying that last Saturday was an amazing day. I could try to put together an orderly proper report, but I'd rather give you that head spinning feeling I had while attending. So.........

Here are some of the notes I jotted down throughout the day:

Judy Blundell: Does entire first draft without any rewrites (and then goes back).

Ellen Hopkins: Goes back immediately if a change is needed due to something unforeseen occurring. She also said the longest revision for an editor she's done was -- 8 hours. She also said it's because each poem has to be perfect before she moves on. Still -- 8 hours -- WOW!

Lisa Yee listens to sad songs while writing? (That's what the notes say.)

Ellen likes quiet.

Libba Bray does an IPod playlist for each book.

James A. Owen is a total inspiration -- on writing -- on life.

Lisa Yee wrote the jingle "Pass the Old El Paso" (and a YA book about a girl who worked on a taco truck).

Libba says that YA matters because we never stop coming of age.

Libba is very funny, by the way.

Gennifer Choldenko mentioned another Al Capone book: "Al Capone is My Librarian"

James A. Owen: The secret of drawing is making lines and choosing where they go. That's kind of how he spoke of life in general too. (If ever you have the chance to hear him speak -- GO!)

Libba Bray loved DARK SHADOWS.

James A. Owen writes 4 pages/day every day. He outlines, but only a page. He also does thumbnail sketches.

I was fortunate enough to grab a seat next to Lisa Yee for all the non-breakout events (5 featured speakers and lunch). Unfortunately, my flash was off for the picture I had taken with her, so it's not the best....I'll post it anyway. You might note that Peepy is not in the picture. My theory is that Lisa was afraid Peepy might spill the beans about whatever Lisa might have planned for her next contest on her blog. (I did see Peepy briefly.)

More pics tomorrow.

Chicago Tribune Young Readers Book Reviews - Sept 12

2009-09-13T04:08:00.000-07:00

Mary Harris Russell reviews three books including one by fellow Illinois-SCBWI member Esther Hershenhorn. I might add Esther recently stepped down as Regional Advisor for Illinois SCBWI (after serving for 17 years). She will always, however, be my writing Mom! Her book sounds wonderful.

'S is for Story: A Writer's Alphabet' By Esther Hershenhorn
Illustrated by Zachary Pullen
Sleeping Bear Press, $17.95 Ages 9-14

'The Ask and the Answer' By Patrick Ness
Candlewick Press, $18.99 Ages 13-15

'All the World' By Liz Garton Scanlon
Illustrated by Marla Frazee
Beach Lane Books, $17.99 Ages 4-8

Chicago Tribune Young Readers Book Reviews 8/22/2009

2009-08-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

Mary Harris Russell reviews three books including one by my fellow Illinois-SCBWIer Carolyn Crimi.

'Henry & the Crazed Chicken Pirates'
By Carolyn Crimi
Illustrated by John Manders
Candlewick Press, $15.99, ages 4-8

'Can You Make a Scary Face?'
By Jan Thomas
Simon & Schuster, $12.99, ages 3-5

'Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute
'By Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Knopf, $5.99, ages 7-10

Chicago Tribune Young Readers Book Reviews 8/9/2009

2009-08-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

In todays' Chicago Tribune, Mary Harris Russell reviews three picture books.

'Applesauce Season'
By Eden Ross Lipson, illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein
Roaring Brook, $16.99, ages 4-8

'The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School'
By Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrated by Ard Hoyt
Simon & Schuster, $16.99, ages 5-8

'Hush, Baby Ghostling'
By Andrea Beaty, illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre
McElderry Books, $14.99, ages 3-7

Special congrats to my Illinois-SCBWI friend Andrea Beaty for another published book!

The Smell of Good Fortune

2009-08-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

I had posted earlier in the week that I needed to figure out my next project. Well, I had decided to jump into the other revision and.....I already got back my full MS critique. The other project will wait a bit longer.

I can't believe my good fortune to have gotten it back in such a short time -- and done so well.

One of the line comments refered to my MC's mom not liking the smell of vanilla as an interesting characteristic (Who doesn't like the smell of vanilla?). Well, there's a reason for it. She associates someone/something with it.

What smells do you like or dislike based upon association rather than normal perception? My wife, for example, likes the summertime smell of dead alewives because it reminds her of growing up near the Lake Michigan beach.

I'm going to light a vanilla candle.

Picking Next Writing Project

2009-08-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

I'm at the point where I've just sent out a full MS for critique and need to figure out which of my unfinished projects is attended to next.

Project A: Completed novel requiring both 3rd to 1st person change and gender change for MC. General subject is time suspension.

Project B: Ghost/basketball story. Originally a 3500 word short story, but it's in reality the beginning of a novel. (I pretty much need more than 3500 words to tell any story.)

I like both stories. A requires less time than B, but I'm coming off a lot of revision work and the change of pace of new writing might be good. Then again if I procrastinate long enough I'll be back to the project I just "finished" for the next round of revisions.

I'll wake up tomorrow with a decision and it won't be based on blood type (I'm O).

Best Man Toast

2009-07-27T04:58:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is Mark's wedding toast to his twin brother and Laurie. This was a draft version and I know he added one line in the Batman section about every superhero needs a cape. There may have been other small changes.

Good Evening. On behalf of the entire wedding party, I would like to thank everyone for being here tonight to join Jason and Laurie on their very special day. I would like to thank both Jason and Laurie’s families for all of their preparations for this day as well. I also need to thank Jason for giving me the privilege of being your best man. Last of all, I would like to thank Laurie. Thank you for your patience with me while learning what it’s like to have a brother around to tease you.

For those that don’t know me, my name is Mark. Jason and I go back a long time. (About 9 months before he or I were born, give or take a few days). Our mom always told us that we must have been playing football in her belly when she was giving birth and I must have tackled Jason to get out first. Must have been a pretty good tackle, took him 15 minutes after I was out. Today, I really doubt it would be me tackling Jason, most likely it would be the other way around. Even though I am Jason’s older brother, I have always looked up to him. He has always been their as a guide for me and I will always appreciate all you have done for me.

For those that don’t know Jason very well, he’s quite competitive. Just ask any of the guys on our softball team, or better yet, the umpires in our softball league. Perhaps that competitive edge makes him and Laurie a good match. One of my first memories of hanging out with Jason and Laurie involved losing to the two of them in bags, ladder ball, and tennis (they could probably list about 6 other things they beat me in that day as well). You would have thought we were playing in the Olympics they took things so seriously. But it was that day, not too long after their relationship started that I realized they share something special. They truly do have a lot in common.

I have seen Jason through a lot in his life. Little league games, football games, sleepovers, school, homework, hanging out with friends on weekends, driving around aimlessly because we had nothing better to do, visiting each other at college, college parties. We shared bunk beds, late night conversations, ups, downs, and everything in between. I want you to know Jason, that through all of that I have seen you grown into an extraordinary individual. You are successful in all that you do and I admire that. I admire your determination, your drive, and your desire to always be better at what you do. That competitiveness in you really is a great quality.

And Laurie, some advice for you in regards to making Jason happy:
1. Bears games are sacred…do not interrupt them.
2. Golfing with friends and Softball are necessary for his health…they are great forms of exercise.
3. Love him and support him with all of your heart
I know you will take good care of him. As his brother, it’s hard to believe he’s married. I am very happy for him, and I hope the two of you see all of the love here with you in this room today. You are surrounded by family and friends share a lot of love with you. Take example in the love your families have for each other and for you. Harness that love and always show that love to each other and the family you will begin to build.

While I started writing this speech, many childhood memories came into my head, but one stuck out. Being a twin had its advantages. When Jason and I were little, we used to pretend to be Batman and Robin. I was batman, Jason was Robin. We would play Batman and Robin, watch the show, the movie. We even had pajamas that were costumes. Now these pajamas were the coolest things. They even had velcro capes in the back. There was one problem. When you’re 3 or 4 it’s hard enough to get dressed, let alone put a cape on your own back. Of course our parents would help us, but I remember we would always help each other out by attaching the capes to each other’s backs. We were best friends, still are. There’s not a thing we wouldn’t do for each other. Jason and Laurie…you are now in this together. If I could leave you with one piece of advice, it would be to help each other put their capes on. You can both be superheroes in your own lives, but if you don’t have each other’s backs, you cannot be that superhero. You need to look after one another, help each other heal when one falls down, live every day to the fullest.
May everyone raise your glass and toast…to Jason and Laurie, may you have a lifetime of happiness, good health, and good fortune.

The Real Winning Toast

2009-07-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

I've been speaking of toasts this week. Well, the real blue ribbon winner was delivered last night by Jason's twin brother (and best man) Mark.

Mark spoke of how he and Jason loved Batman and Robin as small boys. How they had Batman and Robin pajamas, complete with capes. How it was dificult to attach those capes to the velcro tabs yourself, so they did each other's -- as Mark relayed "your not really a superhero without a cape". He tied that to how as twins, they always had each other's back. I know I'm a bit biased, but it was the best toast ever. I'm not doing it justice, but if by chance Mark has the whole thing typed out, I will try to post it.

Mark (Batman) and Jason (Robin) were my superheroes last night.

Toast Decision

2009-07-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

I've decided to include this limerick as part of my toast at the rehersal dinner for my son's wedding. I also offer it for poetry Friday.

There once was a girl from Munster
Who would marry the one I call "son-ster"
Now I need a great toast
But must be a good host
Instead of the usual "pun-ster"

Roundup is at Year of Reading.

The Toast

2009-07-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

Today is the day set aside to write the toast for the rehersal dinner for my son's upcoming wedding. Now I've looked at the "Complete Guide to Wedding Toasts", but nothing quite fits right. So.... I can do better.... After all I am a writer!

Here's part of the problem: It's a serious thing. If I wanted to be funny and really didn't like them, the task would be trivial. But we're talking about my son and the girl (woman) he has chosen to spend his life with -- two very special people.

So, it's time for my serious/sentimental side to show.

Do you think a limerick could be appropriate?

Digit Day

2009-07-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

Did anyone celebrate Digit Day today at 12:34:56 7/8/9 ???????

My daughter the HS Math teacher pointed this one out to me this morning.

Writing Cleanup

2009-07-07T08:44:00.000-07:00

I've spent a good deal of time over the last couple weeks cleaning up my MG fiction manuscript one last time before submitting. I'm roughly 50% done. Now having said this, most of you out there realize that my first sentence is an example of adult fiction -- once the other 50% is complete I'll wind up having it critiqued which means it should say "next to the last time". At that point I need to be ready to let go and move on to the next project.

Also, yesterday was spent cleaning out old writing papers and materials (from the coat closet). It actually feels good to get organized. Next step -- shredding old MS copies -- and the other 50%.

In other words, still making a little good out of my forced time off my foot. Had first bit of physical therapy today. It seemed to go okay.

Poetry Friday -- Lemonade

2009-06-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

My original poem for today:

LEMONADE

by Jim Danielson

Life
A jumble of cliches
Challenges

When life gives us lemons,
We make lemonade

We walk a mile in an other's moccasins
Or a hundred yards with their walker
One foot dangling in the air behind

If it doesn't kill you,
It'll make you stronger
I feel the strength
First and foremost
From the love that surrounds me
And second
From my personal lemonade
My writing.

Kelly Herold is hosting Poetry Friday this week : http://crossoverbooks.blogspot.com/

Thanks Kelly!

The Doc Says I Need a Better Story

2009-06-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

Let me set the scene. We were in a joint garage sale with my wife's sister and S-I-L. Her brother and S-I-L have a 3 yr old (our niece) who is cute as anything. I read her "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty and the Seven Dwarfs" -- she insisted Snow White was Sleeping Beauty. Then she wanted me to play with chalk on the driveway. WARNING: Playing hopscotch can be dangerous to the achiles tendon. Hopping on one foot was a very bad idea. My achiles underwent surgery this morning. Just goes to show how healthy reading is -- should have stuck to the books.

The foot/ankle doctor thinks I might want to change the story to basketball or football or ........

Hey, my few readers are primarily fiction writers......who can make up a better story for me???

(I actually think the truth is pretty funny, but I'm betting someone can come up with a better one.)

Jim aka Bigfoot

Poetry Friday Haiku Review

2009-06-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

A lunchtime posting of the haiku I wrote upon finishing THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman (who I will see speak at Noon tomorrow).

Once Jack of All Trades
Frost is taught by the graveyard
He's master of one

Thanks go out to Sara who is hosting this week.

Poetry Friday - Late Edition

2009-05-29T21:04:00.001-07:00

It's been a long time since I've posted anything for Poetry Friday and this just kind of came to me tonight and I thoughtI'd share:

Sounds of Night

By Jim Danielson

I sit in silence, reading
Family away or asleep
Little by little
I hear the sounds of night
A distant train whistle
The neighbor’s dog barking
Both amplified by lack of reality TV
And then a clicking
The sound of sleet against glass?
On night late in May?
No
I turn off the light
And peek through the blinds
But the noise stops
I turn back on the light
Click...Click…Click…
Light off again and tiptoe to the window
Silence
I return to my book
Click…Click…Click…
Once more I tiptoe to peek out
No warning – the light still on
A soft laughter fills the room
My laughter
As I watch large moths
Bounce against the glass

2009 Danielson Easter Egg Hunt Help

2009-04-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, my two kids still at home are 21 and 24, but still wanted an egg hunt. I hid 3 eggs. They found 2. This is their hint.

I greet the playfield
Edge to edge
While perched upon
A tiny ledge.

By the way, feel free to offer help in comments if the verse rings a bell with any hiding places you've used.

Chicago Tribune Young Readers Book Reviews - April 11

2009-04-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

Mary Harris Russell reviews three books about man's trip to to the moon. It's hard for me to believe it will be 40 years ago this July! I'm happy to see new books coming out about an exciting period in history that I lived through, but obviously the 5-10 year olds the books are aimed at did not -- nor did their parents in all likelyhood.

April Snow poem revisited

2009-04-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

I notice a number of people visited an entry from two years ago. If you live in Chicago (or I'm sure many other areas that suffered the same weather fate), you know why.

I'll just repeat the poem here -- it needed a spelling correction anyway:

APRIL SNOW

by Jim Danielson

Here's a fact
You really must know
I'm allergic
To all April snow

AaaaChoooooo!

It's ugly and cold
It's slushy and wet
My shoe sprung a leak
Now I'm really upset

Grrrrrrrrrrr !!!!!
Oh that snow in December
Was fluffy and white
With soft flowing drifts
That glistened at night

But.................

Here's a fact
You really must know
I'm allergic
To all April snow

Chicago Tribune Young Readers Book Reviews -- March 21

2009-03-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

Mary Harris Russell reviews three books in this week's Saturday Chicago Tribune. All are for children seven or under.

Duck! Rabbit! By Amy Krouse Rosenthal Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
Chronicle, $16.99 Ages 4-7

Little Chick By Amy Hest Illustrated by Anita Jeram Candlewick, $17.99 Ages 3-5

All In A Day By Cynthia Rylant Illustrated by Nikki McClure Abrams, $17.95 Ages 4-7

Kristin Kloberdanz does one-minute reads on two books for teens.

Becoming Billie Holiday By Carole Boston Weatherford; Illustrated by Floyd Cooper Wordsong, $19.95; Ages 12 and up

Marcello in the Real World By Francisco X. Stork; Arthur A. Levine Books, $17.99; Ages 14 and up

2 More Things I'm Learning After Darcy (Pattison Retreat)

2009-03-17T17:44:00.000-07:00

1) Shrunken manuscripts can be good for searching for where things occur in the manuscript. I have a lot of ghosts that pop in to give my main character clues to solve a mystery. I picked all eleven out what would normally be a 120 page mss. in a 25 minute train commute, took notes and made a family tree. (I'd still be fumbling with the full 120 pages!)

2) I have a breakfast scene with no taste or smell sensory detail! Sure, there's conversation saying it's a special breakfast, but jeesh.....no sensory detail. It was obvious in about 2 minutes when I started using five color highlighters to mark the different kinds of sensory detail. (I'm definitely a visual person.)

There are other things I've been doing, but these two struck me as interesting.

Links to Chicago Tribune

2009-03-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

This week Mary Harris Russell reviews three:

Lucky Breaks By Susan Patron Atheneum Ages 8-12

Bob's Best Ever Friend By Simon Bartram Templar Books Ages 5-8

Crocodile Safari By Jim Arnosky Scholastic Ages 9-12

As an added bonus, Kristin Kloberdanz reviews JUMPED by Rita Williams-Garcia and WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson. I think Wintergirls is due out right around now, but I won an ARC at the Anderson's Breakfast three weeks ago. I'm only a short way into it, but it is a strong story dealing with anorexia. Both of these books are for ages 12 and up.

Poetry Friday - Robins

2009-03-12T20:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I saw snowflakes and subfreezing temps today, but....

IT IS SPRING!!!!!!! I know this because I saw two robins in my yard when I came home tonight. So for poetry friday tomorrow I offer an original young children's poem:

ROBINS

by James Danielson

Mother robin
On the nest.
Warm blue eggs
Beneath your chest.

Baby robins
Hatch, hatch, hatch.
Call for food
Dad goes to catch.

Father robin
Brings food back.
Open beaks
Stretch for their snack.

Poetry Friday is hosted this week by Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect. THANKS!!!

Contests, Contests, Contests!!!

2009-03-09T18:14:00.000-07:00

March is the season of contests! There are books and gift cards to be won and I'll share the links with all of you.

Contest #1: Deadline is Thursday, March 12. Win a copy of UNDERCOVER by Beth Kephart from HipWriterMama by drawing of those commenting on her blog.

Contest #2: Enter a Snarfy Subtitle Contest to win a $25.00 gift card from Carrie Harris at The Wonder That is my Blog. Click on the link for details, but deadline is Noon EST on Thursday, March 12. Note: Multiple entries encouraged! This is a chance to show how clever you can be with a few words.

Contest #3: Win a copy of THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH by Carrie Ryan from Tabitha at Writer Musings by posting a comment by Saturday, March 28.

Good Luck!!

Post Retreat Darcy Pattison Advice and Chicago Trib Link

2009-03-07T19:12:00.000-08:00

Darcy Pattison posted an additional piece of advice about revision -- it takes time. Although in the back of my mind I know, seeing it on her blog allows me to take that necessary revision time guilt free. Darcy, thanks once more for sharing your wisdom.

A couple weeks ago PJ Hoover talked about the trend to have butterflies on the covers of books. Among the three reviews by Mary Harris Russell we have another one. Well, I guess PJ was talking fiction, but let's face it -- the world loves butterflies.

Butterflies and Moths By Nic Bishop
Scholastic, Ages 8-10

Claudette Colvin Twice Toward Justice By Phillip Hoose
Farrar Straus and Giroux, Ages 10-15

Living Sunlight How Plants Bring the Earth to Life By Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm
The Blue Sky Press, Ages 5-8

Darcy Pattison Revision Retreat -- Shrunken Manuscripts

2009-03-05T19:51:00.000-08:00

I had the great fortune to attend a novel revision retreat instructed by Darcy Pattison and organized by the Illinois-SCBWI people from central Illinois. First of all, hats off to all who planned the retreat!

One of the things I've always kept in mind when reporting on conferences and retreats is that the information taught is not mine to reteach. Reporting on Darcy's retreat will be easy -- I can point you straight to sections of her blog.

Topic #1 : Shrunken Manuscripts

The above link will give you insight into shrinking your own manuscript and how it can be helpful. The basic idea is condense it into 30 or less page and use highlighters to mark different aspects of the book (a different color for each aspect). These might be strong chapters, conflict, interaction between two certain characters and so on. You then lay out the pages and can get an overall view of your work.

I encourage you to try this. Shrinking the manuscript is really easy, too. (I think it took me about 3 minutes.)

Here are a few of my plans (which will use multiple shrunken manuscripts):

1. Track when five of my supporting characters are in the book. (Mom, Dad, best friend, brother and the young guy-ghost. My MC is a girl.) I'll also track conflict here.

Problems to check: Dad, I believe got lost for a while -- little brother too. Looking for more Mom in early section and conflict with her.

2. Check overall strong chapters and conflict (internal and external).

Problems to check: Sagging middle (or Chapters 2-6 of 25). Story arch.

3. And similarly with small sections (scenes and probably individually as opposed to a shrunken manuscripts) highlight sensory details, color coded by type.

Problem to check: Making each scene strong with varied sensory details -- not just sight.

The multicolor highlighting and shrunken manuscripts are tools that can be applied to meet our own needs. Make sure you click on the link to Darcy's blog/website for infinitely more free information.

Fun moment #1 from retreat -- We did charades of a few manuscript titles as an ice breaker:

Chicago Tribune Young Readers Book Reviews -- Feb 28 (a bit late)

2009-03-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late posting the link to the Chicago Tribune book reviews this week -- I was out of town at a revision retreat given by Darcy Pattison. I'll be posting more on that later (including lighter moments such as pirates, purple hair and letting go of the condom chapter).

This week Mary Harris Russell reviewed three books:

Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude is Gertrude By Jonah Winter Illustrated by Calef Brown
Atheneum Ages 8-11

Lexi By L.S. Matthews Delacorte Press Ages 9-12

The One and Only Marigold By Florence Parry Heide Illustrated by Jill McElmurry
Schwartz & Wade Ages 4-8

Poetry Friday -- Original Lipogram: SCRABBLE

2009-02-27T01:00:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Lisa Chellman posted a fantastic lipogram on her blog. The following week she posted a "Scrabble" poem (trying for max. average points per letter). My original for this week is a lipogram about Scrabble (with no attempt at high points).

SCRABBLE

I play my word,
Replace each tile,
Look there's a Q,
Drawn from the pile.

Now Qs are good,
Except near game's end,
When I'm missing,
Q's best friend.

They all are played,
And both blanks too,
No sole mates for,
A lonely Q.

My spelling's fishy,
As yew can see,
With Q's friend gone,
I'm in a tree.

But I'll charge ahead,
A fearless ram,
I'll prove the player,
That I am.

And Q-A-T,
Will have to do,
Scrabble's not as good,
When there's no ewe.

Roundup is at Mommy's Favorite Children's Books . Thanks go out to Karen for hosting!

Deborah Hopkinson Blog Tour

2009-02-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

I welcome Deborah Hopkinson to my blog as part of her blog tour. We will be discussing her recently released picture book Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek. I might point out that not only did I love the book, but it has been named an ALA Notable Book for 2009 and was a Cybil Award finalist.

Where did you first come across the story behind Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek ?

My editor, Anne Schwartz, had asked me to think about writing a book in honor of the Lincoln Bicentennial. I wanted to find a relatively untold story about Lincoln’s life, and to find a way to tell it that would get young readers excited about history.

When I came across this incident of Abe being rescued from Knob Creek by a childhood friend when he was seven, it seemed like the perfect match. I found the incident mentioned in several places, including the Lincoln birthplace site. There is also a historical marker honoring Austin Gollaher.

Do you think having an unknown historical hero like Austin Gollaher will help children feel closer to history?

I do think that children, like adults, are drawn to stories about people to whom they can relate. History is only before if it is reduced to memorizing the dates of battles and the names of presidents. Luckily, there are many more historical fiction and nonfiction books for young readers than there were when I was growing up.

In ABE LINCOLN CROSSES A CREEK I explore a specific incident in Lincoln’s childhood in which he was saved from drowning by his friend, Austin Gollaher. I wanted not just to introduce an unknown hero, but also to encourage children to ask questions about the role of ordinary people in history. I also hope the story reminds readers that our individual lives and choices matter, whether we’re famous or not.

Can you tell me a little about the research that went into the book?

While I wasn’t able to travel to Kentucky, I did try to read all the early biographies of Lincoln, as well as a “told to” autobiography by Austin Gollaher, who was apparently interviewed in his later years by a newspaper reporter. Of course, the book is historical fiction, so I fabricated all the dialogue.

Which is more fun: the research or the writing?

That’s easy: I love research! In fact, I sometimes have a hard time stopping the research to begin the writing process.

While I was reading Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek, it felt like you and illustrator John Hendrix were in the same room, creating the finished book together. I'm guessing that isn't true, but was there any contact during the illustration process? Or have you met John after the book was completed?

You’re right. There was no contact during the illustration process and, in fact, the text in the book is exactly what John Hendrix received when he first was given the manuscript to illustrate. However, coincidentally I have been invited to speak in St. Louis this spring so we will have the chance to meet and autograph books together.

I loved the fact that the story felt whole and still prompted my imagination to wonder how Abe and Austin did on their journey back home that day. Have you ever daydreamed about it? I'm also curious if you've heard of any teachers challenging their students to speculate what might have happened?

The book is fairly new, so I haven’t met any teachers who have used it in their classrooms as yet.

Actually, I don’t think so much of Austin and Abe heading home that day. To me the bittersweet, lingering part of this story is the incident years later during the Civil War, when Lincoln remembers his childhood friend, apparently with great affection.

One can imagine him taking a moment to look back at some of his pranks – and perhaps that near drowning in the creek that day – and reflect just how far he had come from that simple frontier boyhood, wandering by Knob Creek with his good friend, Austin.

........

Thank you, Deborah, for taking the time to answer my questions and thanks to Michele at Provato Marketing for arranging the blog tour. Click here to see other tour stops.

Anderson's Breakfast

2009-02-21T17:39:00.000-08:00

Today was Anderson Bookstore's 7th annual Children's Literature Breakfast.

Guest speakers were:

Meg Cabot

Check out "Meg's Rules" #1 Never pass up a bathroom without going in (because you never know when you'll have another chance to go) #2 Treat other people the way you would want to be treated #3 Never give up

Steven Kellogg who drew this picture in about 27 seconds while talking.

Sharon Draper

And Peter Yarrow who invited a crowd of us on the stage to sing Puff the Magic Dragon with him. Among the writers up there were Trina Sotira, Adam Selzer, Alice McGintey (well she was just off to the side, but part of the group) and me. (Apologies to all I missed.)

If that wouldn't be enough, there were about 50 Illinois authors and illustrators who rotated from table to table (each table got to visit with four of them). My table was visited by

Kevin Luthardt

Andrea Beaty

Robert Burleigh

Laura Crawford (center with Trina on right and me on left)

(Stop by Trina's blog for a fantastic summary of the day.)

Chicago Tribune Young Readers Book Reviews -- Feb 21

2009-02-21T17:28:00.000-08:00

Today, Mary Harris Russell reviews two books:

The Graveyard Book By Neil Gaiman Ages 11-15

and

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw By Jeff Kinney Ages 9-12

Busy Writing Times Ahead

2009-02-19T18:16:00.000-08:00

The next couple weeks are really packed with writing things. I mentioned a while back that I'll be attending a revision retreat run by Darcy Pattison. I'm on track with my prep, which is around 1000 pages of reading (two craft books and 3 mss.) and brief critiquing. I'm in the home stretch and getting excited.

This Saturday is the annual Anderson's Bookstore Literary Breakfast with guest speakers Meg Cabot, Sharon Draper, Steven Kellogg and Peter Yarrow. (I will refrain from asking what Puff the Magic Dragon is really about.) Oh, and I'm typing this with Princess Diaries on the Lifetime channel. Another Meg Cabot note: she was interviewed on ABC News midday.

A final note: Remember that Deborah Hopkinson will be here on blog tour this coming Monday to talk about her picture book ABE LINCOLN CROSSES A CREEK. Chicago Parent Magazine had an article this month mentioning her book. Okay...confession time....I haven't read that article, but the person sitting next to me on the train tonight did (I recognized the picture of the book cover)....and I will read it.

Chicago Tribune Young Readers Book Reviews are back online!

2009-02-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

Mary Harris Russell is back online with this weeks two reviews.

This week she reviews:

Tales From Outer Suburbia By Shaun Tan Ages 11-15

and

Heroes of the Valley By Jonathan Stroud Ages 10-15

Chicago Tribune Young Readers Book Reviews -- Feb 7th Link MIA

2009-02-08T11:28:00.000-08:00

The link for Mary Harris Russell's book reviews for yesterday is MIA.

I did buy the newspaper and she did review three books -- just no link. Hopefully this is a fluke and not a trend of things to come.

Poetry Friday Scrabble Challange

2009-02-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Jenn Knoblock at Ink for Lit threw out the gauntlet to write Scrabble poems. The goal is to have the highest average letter score for your poem. Here's my entry:

An HP Ditty

Wizardly quizzes
Quidditch game flights
Phoenix quilled wand
JK's dazzling delights

Average letter score (title not included): 2.8194 (203 points; 72 letters)

Chicago Tribune Young Readers Book Reviews -- January 31

2009-01-31T14:11:00.000-08:00

This Saturday's Chicago Tribune offers three reviews from Mary Harris Russell aimed at readers from 10 to 15 years old.

I Heard God Talking To Me William Edmondson and His Stone Carvings By Elizabeth Spires
Ages 10-14

Amiri & Odette, A Love Story Poem by Walter Dean Myers Paintings by Javaka Steptoe Ages 12-15

Ashley Bryan: Words To My Life's Song By Ashley Bryan Ages 11-14

Deborah Hopkinson Blog Tour Date and more

2009-01-30T11:48:00.000-08:00

On February 23rd Deborah Hopkinson will be visiting this humble blog in the land of Lincoln to talk about her picture book Abe Lincoln Crosses A Creek.

I received an e-mail promo from Anderson's Bookshops featuring books to celebrate Lincoln's upcoming 200th Birthday and guess what one of the featured books was.....

Here's the book description featured in their ad:

ABE LINCOLN CROSSES A CREEK by Deborah Hopkinson

This is a tale of two boys who get themselves into more trouble than bear cubs in a candy store during the year 1816. Abe is only seven years old, and his pal, Austin, is ten. Abe and Austin decide to journey down to Knob Creek. The water looks scary and deep, and Austin points out that they don't know how to swim. Nevertheless, they decide to traverse it. We won't tell you what happens, but let's just say that our country wouldn't be the same if Austin hadn't been there to help his friend.

Remember to stop by this blog on February 23 for my interview with Deborah Hopkinson, but you might want to go to Anderson's or your own local bookstore by February 12 and add her book to your library!

OT: Xanadu

2009-01-25T19:41:00.000-08:00

Xanadu is coming to Chicago. Here is a link to the article in today's Chicago Tribune. I mentioned Xanadu in my post last June.

Darcy Pattison Retreat Prep #1

2009-01-24T07:14:00.000-08:00

I will be attending a revision retreat in very late February hosted by SCBWI-Illinois, taught by Darcy Pattison. I thought it might be nice to step everyone through the experience, which has already begun. I'll warn you up front -- I will not be sharing detailed notes from the retreat.

Let's start with a to do list:

Complete a middle grade or YA manuscript and share it with the three other writers in my retreat critique group. (completed)
Read the three manuscripts of the other critique group members. (shortest of the three read, started on the second)
Read The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman and Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King. (both purchased)
Read your own MS so it is fresh in your mind. (complete)
Mail first chapter/query letter/synopsis of your MS to Darcy Pattison. (complete)
Fill out short critique forms on the critique group manuscripts. (Okay, I should have done the first one before starting the second book.....)

The retreat is set up for a max of twenty attendees -- as of January 12th there were still three openings. I'm looking forward to the retreat. Now, I have a lot of reading to do!

Oh, one last thing. Since I have so much reading to do, here's a little quiz I found at Writer Musings with my results:

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Literate Good Citizen You read to inform or entertain yourself, but you're not nerdy about it. You've read most major classics (in school) and you have a favorite genre or two.
Dedicated Reader
Fad Reader
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Book Snob
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Chicago Tribune Young Readers Book Reviews

2009-01-24T06:04:00.000-08:00

Today in the Chicago Tribune, Mary Harris Russell reviews three new books:

3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows By Ann Brashares Delacorte Press, $18.99 Ages 11-14

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed By Mo Willems Hyperion, $16.99; Ages 4-6

The Odd Egg By Emily Gravett; Simon & Schuster, $15.99; Ages 3-6

January 17 Chicago Tribune Book Reviews

2009-01-17T19:43:00.000-08:00

This week Mary Harris Russell reviews four books about our nation's presidents.

Change Has Come: An Artist Celebrates Our American Spirit Drawings by Kadir Nelson with the words of Barack Obama Ages 8 and up

Our Country's Presidents By Ann Bausum Ages 10-14

Encyclopedia of the Presidents and Their Times By David Rubel Ages 10-14

The Look-It-Up Book of Presidents By Wyatt Blassingame, 2008 edition Ages 9-12

Another book about one of our presidents will visit Haunts of a Children's Writer the last week in February. I am pleased to announce that I will be doing a Blog Tour interview of author Deborah Hopkinson talking about her book Abe Lincoln Crossing a Creek. Watch for the exact date which is still to be determined. (Deborah's book Home on the Range: John A. Lomax and His Cowboy Songs was reviewed by Mary Harris Russell last week.)

January 10 Tribune Book Reviews + Wired

2009-01-10T08:31:00.000-08:00

Gail at The Riant Writer alerted our SCBWI-Illinois listserv of an article in WIRED magazine featuring a soon to be published book by Alice McGinty titled DARWIN. Alice is the assistant regional advisor for SCBWI-Illinois and a well published author of fiction and non-fiction. The link takes you directly to Alice's book, but 7 or 8 other books about Darwin are also featured.

This week's reviews in the Chicago Tribune by Mary Harris Russell are:

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg By Rodman Philbrick Ages 10-13

Home on the Range: John A. Lomax and His Cowboy Songs By Deborah Hopkinson; Illustrated by S.D. Schindler Ages 8-11

Always in Trouble By Corinne Demas; Pictures by Noah Z. Jones Ages 5-8

The Snow Day By Komako Sakai Ages 3-5

January 3 Tribune Book Reviews -- plus last weeks

2009-01-03T13:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, part of the reason I decided to post the link was to make it easy. Guess what. Last week I posted the reviews from December 20 as those from December 27. What that means is this: BONUS WEEK!! I'm posting the real December 27 plus January 3 reviews.

December 27 reviews:

Savvy By Ingrid Law Ages 10-14

The Willoughbys: A Novel By Lois Lowry Ages 9-14

The Knife of Never Letting Go By Patrick Ness Ages 13-16

January 3 reviews:

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith By Deborah Heiligman Ages 12-15

One Beetle Too Many: The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin By Kathryn Lasky Illustrated by Matthew Trueman Ages 8-11

Posy By Linda Newbery Illustrated by Catherine Rayner Ages 3-5

Yatandou By Gloria Whelan Illustrated by Peter Sylvada Ages 7-10

If anyone finds any links from other newspapers that they would like me to post next week, e-mail me at jdwrites4kids (at) gmail (dot) com or post them in comments.

Chicago Tribune Book Reviews

2008-12-27T19:05:00.000-08:00

One of the people I had the pleasure to speak with at our recent SCBWI-Illinois conference (Prairie Writer's Day) was Mary Harris Russell who reviews children's books weekly for the Chicago Tribune. We discussed that they can be viewed online, but aren't always the easiest to find. In an effort to make her reviews easier to access, I intend to post a link weekly along with the titles reviewed. I hope you enjoy the reviews as much as I do!

(It's time to get back on task and make this a children's writing blog !)

Reviews for Saturday, Dec 27:

Christmas Farm By Mary Lyn Ray Ages 6-9

How to Heal a Broken Wing By Bob Graham Ages 5-8

Seabiscuit the Wonder Horse By Meghan McCarthy Ages 5-8

On a different subject thanks goes out to Gail at The Riant Writer for awarding me with the Butterfly Award which is now displayed on my blog.

In the spirit of the award, I would like to pass it along to two other people:

Tabitha Olson at Writer Musings, who offers reviews and a wealth of knowledge on the craft of writing.

Lisa Chellman at Under the Covers, who blogs from a librarian's perspective and treats us to wonderful poetry each Friday (very often original!)

The rules (as posted by Gail) are:

1. Put the logo on your blog.

2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.

3. Award up to 10 other blogs.

4. Add links to those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message for your awardees on their blogs.

Christmas things that make me laugh -- part 3

2008-12-25T01:00:00.000-08:00

Here's my favorite.

Merry Christmas! (this blog was scheduled on 12/23....I'm not really blogging at 1AM Christmas)

Christmas things that make me laugh -- part 2

2008-12-24T01:00:00.000-08:00

I think the thing that makes this little guy soooo very cute/annoying is the fact that the sound is totally under the control of the puppeteer. I present #2 and wish you a Merry Cristmas Eve (although I'm actually snug in bed -- this is a scheduled blog):

Christmas things that make me laugh

2008-12-23T15:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas time includes a vast array of toys, decorations and now even cards that make noise/music. I'm the guy who walks through the stores pressing the buttons and opening audio cards. I know -- some of you hate me, but for the rest of you here are my top three that reside at my house. Well actually here is #3 -- the other two will be auto posted the next two days, so come back and visit!

If they actually had gone again, it may have been #2.

Ten Uses for Paper Clips

2008-12-21T11:21:00.000-08:00

Our family hosted a Christmas party yesterday for our daughter, two sons, our two future daughter-in-laws and the daughter-in-law's families. My son the physics teacher and his fiance gave our daughter (who will student teach math next semester) a smorgasbord of teaching supplies. Each had a note taped to it. I share one of the notes:

Paperclips, binder clips, thumb tacks...allvery useful things that you probably know exactly what they could be used for...here are 10 other uses for paper clips...

10. A book mark

9. Unclog glue

8. Rocket Engine Mount (ok, that's for physics teachers only)

7. Lottery Ticket scratcher

6. Pick desk drawer locks...(seriously, it works sometimes)

5. Stress Reliever (just bend away into any old shape!)

4. Guitar Pick

3. Chip clip

2. Christmas Ornament Holder

1. Make-your-own TV antenna!!! (well, until Feb 17th at least)

Other good things from the party:

Mark got a 10 x 10 U of Illinois tailgating gazebo and a propane crock pot (think chili). You might look him up if you're in Champaign-Urbana on a football gameday next fall.

We played a reindeer game:

Here are the reindeers created by the three teams. My son Jason on the right, his fiance Laurie on the left and Mark's future m-i-l in the center.

Peep Video

2008-12-01T19:36:00.000-08:00

Let it never be said that this blog is not receptive to the wishes of its readers. Exactly ONE reader requested the peeps video. Exactly ZERO readers requested it never be posted. So..... here for the first public viewing..... described by my wife during first take "that's disgusting".... I present NUKED TRIPLET PEEPS.

Oh, and thanks to Carrie for taking the bait.

Thing I'm Thankful For

2008-11-26T19:51:00.000-08:00

There are a million things I have to be thankful for this year. Some are hugely obvious if you know me -- see my poetry post from Nov 7 and you'll know how thankful I am for my wife.

Here, however, is an eclectic list of other less obvious things:

I'm thankful we are going to my nephew's for dinner tomorrow leaving us time to go see a movie tonight. We saw 4 Christmases. At the Dad's house (Vince Vaughn's Dad), our cloth countdown calender was in the kitchen -- I think that means ours must be tacky and will be discarded.
I'm thankful my daughter (math major) is home from college for the week. She even shared a mathematician/bartender joke. Now that's a true college student's joke.
I'm thankful for the prize package I got from Lisa Yee's contest. In addition to a signed copy of So Totally Emily Ebers , I received peeps. A few were microwaved here (I took a video). The rest gave their lives to science in my son's physics class (he's the teacher).
I'm thankful for the children's writing community. Special thanks to editor Martha Mihalick (from Greenwillow Books) for a very thorough critique in conjunction with Prairie Writer's Day -- it was far more detailed than those I've received in the past and had some very useful points. (I'm sure she'll never see this, but I'm none less thankful).
You're thankful that I know when it's time to end what could be an endless list.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Jim

Pictures from Prairie Writer's Day

2008-11-18T11:36:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday Illinois-SCBWI's Prairie Writer's Day. The day was fantastic! I share a few pictures.

Harold Underdown who spoke on the state of the industry with the his assistants "Mr. P" and the more upbeat "Mr. O".

Editor Martha Mihalick who spoke on "Character" (as in those in our books).

Editor Cheryl Klein spoke on "Plot".

Illinois SCBWI member and friend Carol Grannick spoke on "Learned Optimism" (right up Mr. O's alley). Jenny Meyerhoff assists with the signs.

Editor Carolyn Meckler spoke on "Voice".

Agent Jennifer Rofe spoke on "Revision".

Sharon Darrow, the Vermont College faculty chair for their MFA Children's and YA Writing, presented a wonderful teaching session.

Carolyn, Martha, Cheryl and Harold at the Mix 'n Mingle.

You can see more pics at Trina Sotira's blog (including one with me in it).

Candidate for Veep helps win Jim peep(s)

2008-11-10T19:09:00.000-08:00

If you head on over to Lisa Yee's Blog you can find out the details. Don't panic at the heading -- "peep(s)" is not capitalized. The real Peep will still be safely in Lisa's custody.

I might add, thanks to Lisa for creating a special category of the contest so that I could win a prize (which included peeps).

Poetry Friday: Original from the distant past

2008-11-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

I was reminded a couple weeks ago by my wife how I have been writing poetry for a long time. I probably gave her a strange look, so she went on to remind me of the verse I wrote while we were dating that ultimately was on the front of our wedding invitations. Had I not taken a 25 or 30 year rest from poetry writing, I could have quite a collection! I share my til now untitled verse (from memory):

LOVE

by Jim Danielson

Sometimes feelings are hard to say
The words I know just can't convey
The warmth that comes from in my heart
So I repeat the words
(That say but just a part)
I love you more than yesterday
And tomorrow's just the start

Today's roundup is at: Check It Out

Poetry Friday - Halloween 2008 Edition

2008-10-31T01:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it's probably a bit lame to post the same poem as last Halloween, but I will anyway since it was not part of Poetry Friday last year. The poem received honorable mention in an SCBWI online contest. Click on the link, select previous contest #8 and you can read the winning entries too.

THE HALLOWEEN SPELL
by James Danielson

Don't cross my path on Halloween night
Or your right will turn left, and your left will turn right.
Your limbs will be sucked through your body in route
To turning your bones and your skin inside out.
Your eyeballs will dangle and bounce to and fro,
Occasionally hitting your liver or toe.
Even your thoughts will turn backwards a lot.
If you say the word TONS, you'll be covered with SNOT.
There's only one way to cancel this spell,
A bag full of candy, and all will be well.

Poetry Friday is hosted this week at Poetry for Children. Thank goes out to Sylvia for hosting!

Lisa Yee's Contest

2008-10-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

I'd like to point everyone over to Lisa Yee's blog to join in the fun of her Bodacious Book Title Contest.

It's fun! There are prizes! Mostly it's fun. (If I were really worried about the prizes would I be encouraging more compitition????)

You can enter as many times as you want. I have three entries -- two are already Newbery winners, the third just came out. Who knows. A year from now all three may be Newbery winners!

Now click on over, read the rules and join in.

LoNoRevMo

2008-10-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

While the rest of the writing world gears up for NaNoWriMo, I am on a personal quest I will call LoNoRevMo (LOcal NOvel REVision MOnth).

I have been treading water with my current revision so long I don't even want to admit it. Every time I think I've found the way to fix it, roadblocks pop up. A member of my face-to-face crit group told me months ago to switch my MS to first person. She liked my main character's voice (in a blog writen by the main character), so why not just write it first person. Sure, there's an issue to be dealt with, but basically I was too lazy to admit she was right. (JK we're about to see!)

I have a plan!

Phase #1: Use find replace to do as many mechanics changes as possible. These are not why we change to 1st person from 3rd, but seem necessary. (for example, "said Cammy" becomes "I said") Every "Cammy" will not become "I", but they can be gone through and change or find next can be clicked.

Phase #2: Proof the MS from changes in Phase #1 and make remaining mechanics changes.

Phase #3: (and this IS why we change to 1st person) Inject Cammy's voice and POV into the MS.

The schedule is:

Phases #1 and #2: Done by end of next weekend (Nov 2)

Phase #3: First revision done by end of November, which is LoNoRevMo.

I'll keep you posted!

LoNoRevMo started tonight.

Jim

Prairie Writer's Day IV

2008-10-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

The 4th annual Prairie Writer's Day sponsered by Illinois-SCBWI is coming up this November 15th -- less than a month away! Here's the lineup:

Cheryl Klein of Arthur A. Levine Books
Martha Mihalick of Greenwillow Books
Caroline Meckler of Wendy Lamb Books
Agent Jennifer Rofe of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency
Industry Consultant Harold Underdown
Author Sharon Darrow

I've spent the evening looking for their blogs and websites, and you'll notice a lot of "clickable" names above. Cheryl Klein actually blogged about PWD a couple days ago! Everyone else attending PWD has probably been visiting these sites for months, so.......time for me to catch up. (And in case you haven't, maybe the links will help out.)

Roadtrip -- Peoria via Champaign (and back again)

2008-10-18T19:20:00.000-07:00

It was a great weekend! We had the pleasure of attending an awards banquet for the Illinois Council of Teacher's of Mathmatics where our daughter (a college senior) was awarded a scholarship. It's been a while. There was a flurry of banquets back in our kids high school days, but this is the first in a long time. It's not that there haven't been other scholarships in the interum -- just no banquets.

Here are a few random comments from the weekend:

1) The banquet was held at the Hotel Pere Marquet which is a very cool, old hotel in downtown Peoria. The list of past guests included US presidents, VPs and many celebrities. We stayed there last night and although our room was great (we reserved a room and got a junior suite!), I'm guessing the former Presidents had even nicer rooms. Since this is a writer's blog, I point out that the view out the window was the Peoria Public Library. Now that was my perspective. My wife looked a little different direction and saw the view of the river. My daughter I believe mentioned that the bars across the the street were probably frequented by her brother when he was attending Bradley University.

2) Go Illinois!!! (They just beat Indiana in a night football game 55-13). Which brings up why we had to have our daughter back by around Noon for the Block I tailgate. She's a big time U of I sports fan.

3) Back to the banquet. It was refreshing to see the dedication of math teachers in the ICTM. Thanks for Kelly's scholarship -- I foresee her as a future active member!

4) It was a new experience to have Kelly buy us a drink at the bar afterward. For the record -- yes, she is 21 and no, I couldn't convince the waitress to card me.

5) WooHoo! We have another banquet in less than a month for another scholarship. This one will be brunch. Go Kelly!! Scholarship, food -- life is good.

6) I went by the site of the Darcy Pattison revision retreat (Feb 27, 2009) this morning when we brought Kelly back -- I'm enrolled, excited and revising.

Super Saturday -- part 2

2008-10-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

I've had multiple comments today on how the Kelly Herold program yesterday was informative and got the attendees really thinking about blogging. The ultimate example of the value of yesterday's talk, however, is Gail Piernas-Davenport's new blog. Be sure to check it out!

There are a lot of things I gained personally from the program, but I'll give you two things tonight.

1) I need to stop calling myself Jim D. I am Jim Danielson. Part of the reason we as writers blog is to know each other -- why should there be a mystery? In fact I maybe should be James Danielson since that's the name on my submissions. Maybe I'll start at Jim Danielson and work myself to James (or submit as Jim?).

2) Change the beginning of my MG novel again. Kelly was asked if kids blog. The answer is they prefer community type platforms such as facebook. My MC was blogging on page one -- oops! I figured out the change today and it's full speed ahead with revisions starting tomorrow.

Jim Danielson
(I'm changing the "Jim D" right after this post)

Super Saturday

2008-10-11T19:26:00.000-07:00

While other Chicagoans where preparing for the Chicago Marathon tomorrow, I had the great honor to listen to a fantastic presentation by the Kidslitosphere's own Kelly Herold .

It was a small SCBWI program -- a dozen of us. Only three of us currently blog, but after listening to Kelly today, we might be up to four or five by now!

Here are a few pictures to share from the day:

Kim, Corie, Jenn, Gail and Kelly.

Kelly and my SCBWI Co-Network Rep Corie.

Heather, Kelly and April.

Poetry Friday original - Hummingbird

2008-09-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

Poetry Friday is being hosted this week at Author Amok . Thanks to Laura for hosting!

A week ago last Sunday we had multiple hummingbird sightings in our yard (which was far, far nicer than flood water last Sunday).

I dug out a children's poem I wrote a few years ago, while staying at my sister's house during her battle with cancer -- it is a fond memory.

HUMMINGBIRD

by James Danielson

Hummingbird, hummingbird
Beak black and long
If I could get close
Would your wings sing a song?

Hummingbird, hummingbird
Throat painted red
You spot a sweet meal
In my flowering bed.

Hummingbird, hummingbird
Back shines so green
Bees scare you away
I think they're so mean.

Hummingbird, hummingbird
High in the tree
You need more to eat
So come fly back by me.

Keep your eyes open

2008-09-17T18:01:00.001-07:00

Okay. If you saw this before, it somehow got out of sync and reverted to an incomplete version.

I deleted and started over.

I remember reading in Steven King's On Writing that story ideas come from everywhere and that we need to watch for them.

Here's my extension of that: Watch for details to add to your existing story. At dinner a few nights ago my future daughter-in-law broke open her fortune cookie: "You will learn the truth in time."

My current WIP has a MC who has Chinese food in Chapter 1. The book is a ghost mystery centering around a grandfather clock. Hmmm ....... are fortunes copyrighted???

Jim D

Floods

2008-09-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

Flooded Street/Our Driveway

Overall, we got off a lot easier than many in the Chicago area. I just wanted to share a few pics from the front of our house.

The first is about 2PM Sunday. The second shows who actually enjoyed the flood (look for the ducks). The third is about 5PM as water receded. We are lucky. Many in the area are still severely flooded. We also avoided any flooding inside the house. Many roads are still closed and traffic is snarled beyond belief. Boy did I pick a good week to be at home on vacation (with not much of anywhere to go).

"Duck" Weather

Getting Back Toward Normal

Poetry Friday-Original

2008-09-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

My original intent was to offer up a light and airy children's poem this week. Frustration with politics (and the news surrounding it) has sent me in a different direction.

WAITING FOR THE TRAIN - 2008

by Jim Danielson

I sit on a bench
Waiting for the train
The sun glares through the warming house window
Begging me to wake up
My eyes open wider and I shiver
Is it from the cool morning air?
Or the cold thoughts that plague me?
The heater squeaks its way out of summer retirement
A blast of hot air
The chill remains
Political rhetoric echos through my head
I shiver again and turn on my brain's spam filter
Quieter
No more talk of change where there is none
No more justification of war as God's mission
No more lipstick
Still there are rumbles
Cool wisps from those around me
Wisps of bias -- gender, race, religion
Distractions from economy, education and war
Distractions from our destination
The bell clangs as the train pulls into the station
The doors open and the conductor announces the route
I hear my stop and step aboard
Finally, I am warm.
Did you hear your stop?
Were you listening?

I post this with reluctance -- I've never written anything remotely political.

Next week I promise light and airy for balance -- I promise.

Thanks to Jennie at Biblio File for hosting this week!

Poetry Friday Crickets and Cicada

2008-09-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

Cicada emerging from shell in our back yard.

As summer winds down, the sounds of crickets and cicada will soon be behind us. This week I offer two ancient poems.

They are credited to a Greek-speaking native of ancient Syria by the name of Meleager. More information can be found at the following site (where I found the poems):

http://www.insects.org/ced3/cicada_ancgrcult.html

The Cicada to the Cricket
O cricket, you who soothe my passion and provide the consolation of sleep;
O cricket, shrill-winged rustic Muse;
You natural imitator of the lyre, sing for me some poignant song
As you tap with your charming feet and strum your loquacious wings,
So as to relieve me from toilsome worry that completely deprives me of sleep
As, o cricket, you spin out a song that dispatches Eros.
Then I shall give you as gifts, first thing in the morning, an evergreen leek
Along with dewy droplets that I separate with my mouth.

The Cricket to the Cicada
O resonant cicada, drunk on dewy droplets.
You sing your rustic song that sounds in lonely places.
Perched with your saw-like limbs, high up among the leaves
You shrill forth the lyre's tune with your sun-darkened body.
But, dear friend, sound forth something new for the woodland nymphs,
A divertissement, chirping a tune for Pan as the song which you sing in your turn,
So that I, escaping from Eros, can catch some noon-time sleep
While reclining there under the shady plane tree.

Poetry Friday is being hosted at:

http://wildrosereader.blogspot.com/

Thanks to Elaine Magliaro for hosting this week!

Friday Haiku

2008-08-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

Last week it was the olympics.

This week it's political conventions. I really don't want to get into political issues, but as a writer and a Scrabble player my mind tends to play with words and letter combinations.

Something happened today that triggered my brain. Here is the result. Read nothing more into it than the fact that I write and play Scrabble.

Sarah Plain and Tall
V.P. Candidate's Story?
Just swap two letters

For the record, I have no clue how tall Sarah Palin is.

It's kind of late to officially be part of Poetry Friday, so I'll just post it -- probably better off that way.

Poetry Friday Olympic Haiku

2008-08-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

Since the 2008 Olympics have been keeping me up late watching swimming, beach volleyball and ahh yes....gymnastics, I've been napping more and writing less during my commutes to downtown Chicago.

Having said that, I offer the following silly haiku (17 sylables is a good representation of my output for the week).

Nastia wins gold
The all around champion
But Shawn is butter

If you didn't see this link earlier in the week at Big A, little a (or elsewhere), viewing it will help you understand.

Roundup is at Read, Imagine, Talk.

Jim Danielson

Batman

2008-08-16T19:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally made it to see the Dark Knight. I have to tell you it was wild to watch scene after scene filmed at my building (where I am employed). I walked through the bookcase elevator (that really wasn't an elevator). I was in the boardroom with the sound guy going over how we (the building) could shut off air while scenes were shot. I saw the lobby scene being shot where the DA turned himself in claiming to be Batman. I ate lunch a couple tables away from Christian Bale and Morgan Freeman. I don't claim to have done anything exciting, but I was there and had very minor involvment.

Do I recommend the movie -- not for younger kids.

Questions asked by the Joker such as "Why so serious?" and "would you like to see this pencil disappear?" (or something close to that), were quite dark humor in context.

It was just really exciting to finally see it.

Villain or Olympian?

2008-08-14T20:55:00.000-07:00

I realized today that one of the young Chinese Olympian girls has the name He Kexin. Hmmm.....

A bit weird since my current WIP has an evil villain ghost who is referred to as "He".

Okay, I admit it. I'm watching too much Olympics and not writing enough.

Jim D

Poetry Friday: Leigh Hunt and Original

2008-07-25T06:15:00.000-07:00

Lisa Chellman had posted John Keats' fifteen minute sonnet earlier this month. Here is the sonnet by Leigh Hunt who was the other party in the contest:

To the Grasshopper and the Cricket
Leigh Hunt

Green little vaulter in the sunny grass,
Catching your heart up at the feel of June,
Sole voice that's heard amidst the lazy noon,
When even the bees lag at the summoning brass;
And you, warm little housekeeper, who class
With those who think the candles come too soon,
Loving the fire, and with your tricksome tune
Nick the glad silent moments as they pass;
Oh sweet and tiny cousins, that belong
One to the fields, the other to the hearth,
Both have your sunshine; both, though small, are strong
At your clear hearts; and both were sent on earth
To sing in thoughtful ears this natural song:
Indoors and out, summer and winter,--Mirth.

I did my own personal 15 minute poem earlier this week (and quite honestly since I thought about it 5 minutes before writing, make it 20). I'm amazed that Keats and Hunt could do these in 15 minutes. Not only are they roughly twice the length, but they're about 1000% more serious writing. On the positive -- my poem did give me a good jump-start for my novel revisions.

Anyhow, here's what I did with 15-20 minutes:

STOP SIGNS

You know that red, octagonal sign
The word "STOP" on yours and mine

My wheels lock and yours roll through
That brake shop trip must be past due

Or perhaps your foot went numb
You hit the gas -- that thought was dumb

Ahh, you site the legal clause
It's acronymic: Slow To Optional Pause

Poetry Friday is hosted this week at: http://readingyear.blogspot.com/

15 Minute Poetry Recharge

2008-07-23T18:58:00.000-07:00

I've sometimes found it helpful to change writing projects once in a while to recharge the creative juices while I do revisions. The problem is that I then get distracted from the main task.

Here's the new solution. Speed poetry -- speed recharge -- 15 minutes and judging from today, it works (for me).

I sort of got the speed poetry idea from Lisa Chellman's Poetry Friday post of July 11 with a John Keats sonnet he wrote in a 15 minute contest. Well, I knew a sonnet was out of the question -- getting literary takes me toooooo much time. I can get a bit goofy, however, spontaneously. In roughly 15 minutes, half my AM commute, I had writen eight lines about........Stop Signs. (Pretty goofy subject.) That left 45 commuting minutes during which I made good progress and I think the charge will easily carry through tomorrow and beyond. 15 minute recharge every few days sounds good and goofy poems as a byproduct!

Jim D

Batman, writing, life

2008-07-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

On the eve of the release of THE DARK KNIGHT, I think back about a year when they were filming in the building where I work. I actually had important functions -- turning off fans before "action" and back on at "cut". So, when you watch scenes at my building, remember I helped eliminate some of the background noise. Seriously though, it is cool for me to watch the promo clip and pick out the multiple scenes whose sets I was at (not during filming).

Writing is progressing! I do keep revisiting the beginning, however, while I go through the rest. (Thanks Chris for your recent comments including "an old phonograph" -- the one I'm using is a bit different from your thoughts, but will work well. I own it and promise a picture.) On another note, my face-to-face group met Tuesday and someone suggested I might try 1st person. It was kind of a compliment because she liked the voice of my MC in blog entries I'm inserting, but............ As the story progresses, I don't see it working. I love 1st person and actually have another novel going 3rd to 1st. I'm trusting my instinct, and hoping its not just laziness.

Life: This past weekend a new grandpuppy (#2 son and fiancee got a lab puppy) and a new car (needed while old one still had a little value). Coolest part of the car -- it has sync -- you can talk to it! Tell it who to call, what song to play, etc.

Oh, and last but not least we found a room for our SCBWI-Illinois Southlands (south suburbs) program Saturday, Oct. 11 which I'm very excited about.

Jim

Poetry Friday Original: Blue Lake - July 5

2008-07-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

An original poem based on our visit to our friends lake home on the 4th of July weekend.

BLUE LAKE - July 5,2008

by Jim Danielson

Dawn
Still waters
Reflect the crisp image of a fisherman drifting by
His line hits the water
Breaking the early morning silence.

One P.M.
Choppy waters
Speedboats race by towing tubes with clinging children
Their shrieks of delight muffled by roaring engines.

Dark
Still waters
A barge silently settles mid-lake
Fountains of light explode from the deck and high in the air
They sound their own applause
As they view their reflections upon nature's mirror.

Computer Sigh of Relief

2008-07-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

A sigh of relief went up in the south burbs of Chicagoland......the hard drive from our computer that died last Friday has been successfully transplanted into another computer. I even got the case back together correctly with NO extra pieces!

Yes, we had backup, but is it ever 100%? (Correct Answer: NO)

Anyhow, a reminder to everyone to backup often, more often and most often!

Jim

Poetry Friday Original: The Artist

2008-06-27T04:54:00.000-07:00

A recent visit to the roof of the high rise office building where I'm employed inspired this poem. I was escorting a photographer retaking a section for a 360 degree panoramic shot. The day was beautiful.

Jim D.

THE ARTIST

Rooftop
Six-hundred-seventy feet above the ground
Trump's hammers ring
In contrast to the whisper of a gentle breeze
The artist readys his tripod
His camera
And waits for that perfect moment
That perfect light
He stands ready
Near the edge
Head cloaked like photographers of an age gone by
Preparing to record Chicago's skyline at this instant in time
Still he waits
A bird flys within inches
As oblivious to him as he is to it
Then, he emerges from the cape
A touch of the shutter
The stark metal and glass
The backdrop rippling blue water
His canvas is full
He sits for a moment
And inhales the joy of his conquest.

Roundup is at: Biblio File http://tushuguan.blogspot.com/2008/06/last-test.html

Words in the Woods

2008-06-23T18:11:00.000-07:00

I wasn't fortunate enough to attend the SCBWI-ILLINOIS sponsered retreat "Words in the Woods" featuring agent Barry Goldblatt, Holly Black, and editor Namrata Tripathi (Disney-Hyperion). I can, however, share a link to Trina Sotira's blog reporting on it.

http://trinasotira.livejournal.com/1839.html

Jim Danielson

Poetry Friday Kubla Khan

2008-06-18T15:43:00.000-07:00

In honor of the conection of Xanadu to PJ Hoover's book The Emerald Tablet, I offer up Kubl Khan for POETRY FRIDAY. (I had the good fortune to read the ARC -- the novel is due out in October. )

On a total nonpoetic note, does anyone beside me remember the movie Xanadu? I think it starred Olivia Newton John. Just curious and I don't recommend it (in fact I may be the only person who ever saw it).

KUBLA KHAN

By Samuel Taylor Coleridge

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan

A stately pleasure-dome decree:

Where Alph, the sacred river, ran

Through caverns measureless to man

Down to a sunless sea.

So twice five miles of fertile ground

With walls and towers were girdled round:

And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,

Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;

And here were forests ancient as the hills,

Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.

But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted

Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!

A savage place! as holy and enchanted

As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted

By woman wailing for her demon-lover!

And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,

As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,

A mighty fountain momently was forced:

Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst

Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,

Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher's flail:

And 'mid these dancing rocks at once and ever

It flung up momently the sacred river.

Five miles meandering with a mazy motion

Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,

Then reached the caverns measureless to man,

And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean:

And 'mid this tumult Kubla heard from far

Ancestral voices prophesying war!

The shadow of the dome of pleasure

Floated midway on the waves;

Where was heard the mingled measure

From the fountain and the caves.

It was a miracle of rare device,

A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!

A damsel with a dulcimer

In a vision once I saw:

It was an Abyssinian maid,

And on her dulcimer she played,

Singing of Mount Abora.

Could I revive within me

Her symphony and song,

To such a deep delight 'twould win me

That with music loud and long

I would build that dome in air,

That sunny dome! those caves of ice!

And all who heard should see them there,

And all should cry, Beware! Beware!

His flashing eyes, his floating hair!

Weave a circle round him thrice,

And close your eyes with holy dread,

For he on honey-dew hath fed

And drunk the milk of Paradise.

Sunday Summary

2008-06-08T16:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week!

Let me start with my writing. I'm continuing work with adding blog entries to my MS. I took own advice and shortened the first entry a lot. It removes the feeling of info feeding and allows us to get to know the main character better. I think..... I will let it sit and then revisit it.

Item #2: S. E. Hinton at Printer's Row -- what I learned. S. E. Hinton is somewhat of an anomoly among YA writers. She wrote her first (and best known) novel while in high school. She now writes only for adults. She admits she does not read YA novels and has no interest in what is currently being writen in the YA market. In the opposite direction, she states the best prizes she receives are letters from young readers stating that her books convinced them to become readers.

So, the question is: Why did the Chicago Tribune award her this year's YA Book Prize. I think the answer is as simple as The Outsiders marked the beginning of the YA book genre as we know it. The Trib's award is designated to be for a work or body of works. Why not take a year to celebrate YA's beginning?

Now back to what I learned: I learned that as a writer we must always be true to our heart in what we write. Well, I kind of knew that, but let's say it was reinforced. S.E. Hinton was true to her writing in high school -- she got a D in creative writing while working on The Outsiders (assumedly because she was neglecting her class work). I salute the fact that she continues to write what her heart now dictates -- works for adults. I would be curious , however, what she'd think of the Stephanie Meyers books. Did I mention that S. E. Hinton has a vampire in one of her latest works?

Item #3: I picked up an autographed copy of Truck Stuck by Sallie Wolf to add to my collection for my future grandchildren. Did I mention that my twin sons both got engaged in the last month. (Grandkids still a few years away though).

Jim D

Revisions

2008-06-05T15:57:00.000-07:00

Part of the revision process for my current WIP is breathing a little more "life" into the text.

Along those lines, I'm looking at the possibility of my main character becoming a blogger and including said text in my manuscript. The novel is writen in third person. Obviously, the blog would be in first.

Okay...confession time...I'm not the best read person writing MG fiction. (I'd love to read more, but it's a time balancing thing.)

So, my questions to the kidlitosphere: Do any of you know examples of third person MG novels which include daily blogs or diary entries of the main character? Also, is this just a bad idea that popped into my head on the commute to work this morning due to the early hour?

I did get some writing associated with the idea on paper, but I'd love to read examples in recent novels (if they exist).

Jim D

Poetry

2008-05-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

I know this is a poem and I know this is Friday, but this hardly qualifies as a "Poetry Friday" post.

A few weeks ago when Tricia got her pet turtle, I had writen this poem and she requested I share. I waited to share because it was actually submitted. In light of the fact it was not chosen, I'm sharing! No critiques please and be aware it's for very young kids.

Also, if you want to see a really good poem posted, visit Kelly Herold's blog (Big A, little a -- there's a link at the left).

Sea Turtles

Tiny turtles
Three by three,
Trudge through sand
Toward sunlit sea.

Tiny turtles
Two by two,
Tumble in
The waves so blue.

Tiny turtles
One by one,
Time to swim
Life has begun!

Jim D