October Goal Report/November Goal Setting

Here's a follow-up to October Goals I set on October 2nd.

I finished the critique of Ann's novel, and finally gave it back to her.
I wrote another picture book manuscript. It is not submittable, but in pretty good shape so far.
I did not read my novel yet. Probably because I'm not feeling moved to work on it, and am otherwise inspired by other projects. I'm going to give myself a break on this one, because I have been writing.

That's it, besides cleaning out my filing cabinet (the small one in my kitchen has been cleaned and re-organized--still have two large ones in the basement to go).

On to November Goals:

1. Write one picture book manuscript (again, doesn't have to be submittable, just a complete story idea.)

2. Finish reading Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson.

3. Clean out one of the filing cabinets in my basement.

4. Do market research and submit finished pb manuscript to three more publishers.

5. Participate in helping one of the libraries Debbie blogs about (Read more about that here.)

Happy goal setting to you. :o)

UPDATE: Goal #6 has been added as follows--My cleaned out filing cabinet will ever after be filled with Dove Chocolates that are wrapped in those nice little fortunes.

Poetry--Boo!--Friday

LOOK AT THAT!

Look at that!
Ghosts lined up
at the laundromat,
all around the
block.

Each has
bleach
and some
detergent.

Each one seems to
think it
urgent

to take a spin
in a
washing machine

before the
clock
strikes
Halloween!


--Lilian Moore

Writing Exercise #6

This exercise is very simple. What do you normally write? (Fiction, non-fiction? Picture books, novels? Poetry, Plays? Sermons, sonnets?Instruction manuals, Grocery lists?) Okay, are you ready? It may seem obvious, but it's taken me years to really give it a good try. Scroll down to see this veritable pearl of wisdom, this advice to surpass all advice, this foolproof way to unclog your imagination.







Keep going. . . .













Keep Going. . . .













You're almost there!












Here it is: Write something different.

That's it?

I know, weird.

But only as an exercise! See how your brain reacts to this possibly lowered expectation. :o) Let me know how it works out!

Mini Me

I decided to participate in Jay Asher's challenge by posting a much younger photo of myself, since I write for middle grade and earlier. I remember when this photo was taken (about winter '74) and what a treat it was to be under specially adjusted lights. This tells you a bit about the kind of kid I was. . . .Quite honestly, not much has changed.

Recalling age three is a pleasant thing. I lived as an only child until I was six. Things were quiet and uncomplicated, there were oodles of imaginary friends and the fluffy pink rug in my bedroom. Love was all around.

Writing for children takes me back to these kinds of memories all the time. I guess I love childhood; my own stories and listening to other people's recollections. Perhaps it's the distance and the sweetness (for us lucky ones) that makes it seem so magical, like another planet altogether. That's what young childhood is to me--a sparkly little world that gets more and more reflective with the gentle polish of memory.

Do you have any vivid recollections from your childhood to share? Do tell. :o)

Write Night Extravaganza

I had the pleasure of enjoying a particularly helpful write night with my group last night. First of all, we are on such a high regarding all the good news some of our members have had lately. This makes everybody hopeful and happy and inspired, which is great creativity food! Tim brought a great voice exercise and we did our usual whining about his rules. Then we followed them like we always do, and I think we were all pretty pleased with what we wrote. Here's what we did:

Pick a magazine picture and then tell a narrative having something to do with that picture, but focus on the writing VOICE and make it very strong. Then we pass our stories to the right and either edit our partner's work to make the voice even stronger, or continue writing in the same voice they used. Challenging and good fun.

I've ended up using a lot of my write night production in projects I'm working on. It's something what you can come up with under the pressure of Tim's stopwatch. :o) And good company!

Poetry Friday

After Years

Today, from a distance, I saw you
walking away, and without a sound
the glittering face of a glacier
slid into the sea. An ancient oak
fell in the Cumberlands, holding only
a handful of leaves, and an old woman
scattering corn to her chickens looked up
for an instant. At the other side
of the galaxy, a star thirty-five times
the size of our own sun exploded
and vanished, leaving a small green spot
on the astronomer's retina
as he stood on the great open dome
of my heart with no one to tell.

--Ted Kooser

Here's a Fun Word

epeolatry

PRONUNCIATION:(ep-i-OL-uh-tree)

This is a word that means "The worship of words." If you subscribe to Word-a-Day then you already knew this (if you've checked today's entry!) If you don't, then what are you waiting for? Go. . .go!. . .GO to Wordsmith.org (The hyperlink function is on the fritz, otherwise I'd get you there).

Get me my Boa

Ah, the joys of parenting: A conversation with my eighth grader:

A: Mom, some people in math class were mad at me today. They say I think I'm always right.

Me: What happened?

A: Well, today was bad because I told them they were wrong. And they didn't like that.

Me: So, first of all, who was right?

A: That's the bad part. Actually, they were.

Me: Hmm. What did you learn?

A: I'm not always right.

Me: Of course. I think you already knew that. What else?

A: Keep my mouth shut.

(That's always the hard one isn't it?)

At this point I gave him a hug, imagining the glee his peers demonstrated at catching his mistake, and thinking he's really feeling bad about all this.

He said, "You know, Mom, I was just thinking when you were hugging me just now, that's the exact same place on the body that a boa constrictor squeezes until it crushes its prey to death."

Me: Are you trying to tell me something?

Tired

I made a point of staying up to watch Saturday Night Live last night, because I just knew they would send up the vice presidential candidates at the debate (which I also stayed up past my bedtime to watch).

No matter which side of the fence you sit, SNL is NEVER better than when they're doing political satire. And Debbie, they referenced the "Maverick" drinking game you said you were glad you weren't playing!

I'm such a sucker for intelligent, talented women and I'm a little bit in love with Tina Fey right now. I fear I'll be tired many a Sunday morning until the election because this is too good to miss.

An Autumn Evening


Dark hills against a hollow crocus sky
Scarfed with its crimson pennons, and below
The dome of sunset long, hushed valleys lie
Cradling the twilight, where the lone winds blow
And wake among the harps of leafless trees
Fantastic runes and mournful melodies.

The chilly purple air is threaded through
With silver from the rising moon afar,
And from a gulf of clear, unfathomed blue
In the southwest glimmers a great gold star
Above the darkening druid glens of fir
Where beckoning boughs and elfin voices stir.

And so I wander through the shadows still,
And look and listen with a rapt delight,
Pausing again and yet again at will
To drink the elusive beauty of the night,
Until my soul is filled, as some deep cup,
That with divine enchantment is brimmed up.


--Lucy Maud Montgomery


Find this and more L.M. Montgomery poems here.

I'm a huge Anne of Green Gables fan, and was sad to read about her mental illness. What's most sad to me is that only now her family felt they could share this. I only hope that writing poems like this one gave her some comfort. Debbie Diesen gave me the heads up on this. You can read the article here.

October Goals

My friend Ann Finkelstein (who knows imitation is the sincerest form of flattery) has inspired me to do some goal setting once again. For some reason, when I do this, things actually get done. We're going to stick with writing goals for the most part. Here goes:

1. Write one picture book manuscript (doesn't have to be submittable, just a finished story idea).

2. Finish compiling feedback on Ann's novel. GIVE IT TO ANN.

3. Read my novel and decide whether to proceed with revisions at this point, or call it a learning experience and move on to better, fresher, more exciting to me ideas.

4. I guess three things for one month is enough, because I must work, and I'd also like to organize my file cabinet.