Beverley BevenFlorez, Children's and YA Writer

VCFA One Year Later...

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 15:47:00 +0000

This past July I was at Vermont College of Fine Arts for the Summer 2011 MFA in Writing for Children residency. As I drove up the hill that leads to the campus I had this feeling of coming home. This was a huge difference from the first trip up the hill when I was twisting my hands and wondering what I was getting myself into. Now that I've been in the program for a year, I can say that entering the program was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

I think one of the best things about VCFA is that during the semester you are working one-one-one with your adviser. It's not like taking a creative writing class or a workshop where the teacher is giving a broad lesson to try to help as many of the students as possible. Your adviser is tailoring the work and her or his instructions directly to your work and your needs. Also, you work with a different adviser every semester, so each semester you are getting new insights. My first two advisers were quite different in personality and outlook, and I felt that working with them both was like being given two halves of a puzzle. It's also probably good practice for working with editors.

The advisers truly care, too. This residency I walked in not clear on what my critical thesis topic was going to be. My first two advisers each spent time helping me with ways I could possibly structure various topics or how to narrow them down (though they both told me that I shouldn't finalize any ideas before meeting my "new" adviser). It made me feel warm, though, knowing that even though I wasn't officially their students anymore, they still felt compelled to help me going forward. In fact, this kind of camaraderie extends past the advisers and onto the students also. You spend most of the time with the people of your class. Several of the Secret Gardeners (that's our class name) spent time with me going through ideas and trying to make them work. In case you're wondering, I did end up with a topic I feel passionate about, and I'm going to be turning in the first draft to my new adviser on Monday.

The residency should be called "Boot Camp for Writers." The days are long and filled with faculty and graduate lectures; workshops; faculty, graduate, and student readings; and meetings with your advisers. Many VCFAers joke that when they return home they still look for the pink schedule to see when lunch time is. I think the system works, though. It jump starts your muse. By the end of the ten days my fingers are itching for my keyboard. I'm yearning to write. If I need another jump start later in the semester I can always download one of the lectures from our bookstore website (one of the perks of being a VCFA student or alumni). This time around I was also in the library doing research or reading critical theses in College Hall. Yet I also made time for going to the Skinny Pancake in town with friends and chatting with my roommate over a cup of coffee in our room.

I'll admit that I've warmed up to the dormitories. They have improved them a bit. Also, the weather this July was much cooler. We actually had some gorgeous days--big blue sky, cool breeze, and enough sun to make your skin feel toasty. It is the east, so there was a bit of humidity, too, but the temperature remained in the 70's and 80's the weeks we were there.

The big question, though, is if my writing has improved. Undoubtedly, I feel more confident as I tackle novels. If I look at my work before the program and compare it to what I've done since then there's a definite change for the better in my later work. One of the things to consider if you're thinking about the program is that you aren't going to VCFA to book doctor the novel you are currently working on--you're here to get the tools you need to write and edit any novel. I think some people feel a little worried that they might not finish a novel while at VCFA. It isn't really the point. Sure, the advisers could edit your work, and you would finish the two years with a publishable manuscript. But then would you be able to write another novel without their help? I worked on a brand new project last semester and was glad that I did. It was a contemporary middle grade, and something quite different from what I had worked on in the past. I plan on continuing that project this semester. I would feel cheated, though, if I only worked on one project while at VCFA.

After the ten days were up, I was back on the plane and heading home. The hardest part of being at VCFA was being away from my husband that entire time. I was excited to see him again. I will admit, though, that I also felt a bit wary of returning to a world where writing isn't the highest priority (where you have to balance your writing life with your day job, television, laundry, and cooking). But I knew that I had a new adviser to work with, and new goals to achieve. When the plane touched down in LAX, I knew I was home. Again.

VCFA MFA in Writing for Children and YA - 1st Residency

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 04:53:00 +0000

I kept putting off writing a blog post thinking I'd wait until I had more time. Tonight I realize that magic day probably isn't going to happen, so I'll squeeze in the time now.

As some of you know, I entered my first semester at Vermont College of Fine Arts this past July. They have a superb MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults low residency program. Of course, hearing alumni rave about the program, talking to professors, and seeing the program ranked number one in the country isn't enough for you to truly know how your experience is going to be. For me, it was exactly what I needed.

So in July I flew off to Vermont not exactly knowing what to expect. Sure, I had a schedule, but even that turned out not to give the full picture of what a VCFA MFA residency is all about. Sure, I knew that there were faculty and graduate lectures, readings, and workshops. But I didn't know how special the graduate readings were until I went to one. The graduate is introduced by their last advisor, who talks about their two years in the program. Then the graduate begins by thanking their four advisers plus anyone else who supported them. I teared up during many of these readings and I didn't know most of the graduates well! After the introduction and the thanking they would read a sample from their creative thesis--in every case, the work was fabulous.

Every graduate must give a lecture their last residency to graduate. These lectures are on diverse topics, and are well-researched. There are usually two graduate lectures happening simultaneously, so you choose the lecture that applies most to your work (or something that you don't know much about).

There were times when I needed a break and I simply couldn't go to a graduate lecture. However, I never missed a faculty lecture since I wanted to get to know the faculty members. Lectures ranged from structural issues to voice to language.

During the residency, you are put into a workshop group with two faculty members leading each group (some smaller groups with one faculty members are available, too). You're sent copies of everyone in your group's work (20 pgs) so you have an opportunity to read and make notes before the workshop. I'll admit--I felt nervous about this most of all. For one thing, each person's work is critiqued for 50 minutes. 50 minutes. This seemed...well...long. However, I needn't have worried. The faculty make sure that everyone mentions what's working about the piece first, and they keep to the positive for awhile. Then, yes, they tear into it, but in a constructive way. Usually when I've gone to conferences there's always that one person in your group who doesn't have any tact and thinks insults are the same as critiques. There was no one like that in my group. Truly, it was the best workshop experience I had.

During the residency, you get paired up with a faculty member who will be your advisor during the coming semester. Of course, we were all nervous about it. After hearing the lectures, and getting to know the faculty, I realized I didn't have anything to worry about. Seriously, working with any of the faculty would be rewarding. So I focused on choosing faculty that would allow me to work on my novel and also write a picture book. Still, I was nervous because I had to create a semester plan. That also turned out to be easy, as my advisor converted my ramblings into cogent, intelligent ideas. Then she offered suggestions or told me when I was heading in the wrong direction.

Just in case you're thinking this is too good to be true...there must be something wrong with the program, you're right. There is. And that would be the dorms.

When I arrived, the heat wave was just at its end. But it was still going on, which meant it was freaking hot and humid. I might have been able to live with the heat, but the humidity totally ruined me. The first night I didn't sleep at all. There's no air conditioning in the dorms. The dorms, in fact, are utilitarian. Or, put another way, horrible. I went searching in town for box fans that you could put in the window, but of course they were sold out. Heat wave, you know. So my roommate and I had two small fans going all the time, but it didn't help that much. The dorms that had box fans in the windows were noticeably cooler.

The other thing is that you really work hard those ten days. You're around people all the time; and you're sharing a room with someone. It is worth it--completely worth it, but it's not easy. But it shouldn't be, right?

Oh, and the food. Not always good.

But somehow the dorm, the heat, the lack of sleep, the food...it just doesn't matter. In some ways, it's a bonding experience. We all eat the same food, sleep in the same horrible rooms, and these shared experiences bring you together. Even if it's to go to town to escape the rooms and the food and the heat.

Once I got home, I started working on my first packet. That includes two essays (short, 2-3 pgs

Since I'm continuing to work during the day, many of my evenings and weekends are now going to this MFA program. So...I'm afraid that this blog will continue to be neglected. I will not be doing the Writers' Well until my schedule opens up. Unfortunately, I won't be able to read enough blogs to make it interesting. Every now and then I'll check in. In the meantime, I hope you all have pleasant writing journeys.

The Writers' Well: A Weekly Recap of the Best Kidslit Blog Posts

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 07:01:00 +0000

I was given a blog award this week by Julie Musil. It always brightens my day when I hear that someone enjoys my blog. It's nice to be appreciated. :)

This has been a busy week with work and getting ready for my first residency at VCFA, which is just a couple of weeks away now. Since next month is going to be so busy, I've decided that I won't be blogging for the entire month. In August, I'll be sure to share my experiences in case any of you are considering the MFA program.

Now let's get started and discover some fantastic kidslit posts:

Inspiration
WriterJenn talks about the importance of Refilling the Well.

For Fun
I loved this post on The First Novels Club about how their mothers read YA. It's really true that many adults are now gravitating to the YA section. There are many theories as to why, but I think it's because the books are just freaking awesome.

Apparently, Carrie Ryan's mother reads YA novels, too. Ryan discusses how they share a love for the series Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.

Writing Craft
In the Wordy Wednesday post over at Kirby's Lane, she discusses tight writing.

Sarah's Journal has a great list of links on Writing Advice and she also shares her own thoughts on how to start a novel.

If like me, you enjoy reading about how other writers work you'll enjoy Kathleen Duey's recent post on what she's currently working on.

Author Appearances
Amy Brecount will be signing Forget-Her-Nots at the ALA conference on Sunday. You can read more on her post here.

Interviews
Kiersten White, author of Paranormalcy, is interviewed over at Market My Words.

Hanna, the main character of Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves, is interviewed over at Paranormal Point of View. ;)

Literary Asylum interviewed Chelsea Campbell, author of The Rise of Renegade X.

Alyxandra Harvey, author of Hearts at Stake, is interviewed at Cynsations.

Teaching Authors interviewed Claudia Fridell, author of Goliath.

Through the Wardrobe interviewed N. H. Senzai, author of Shooting Kabul.

Announcements
Laina Taylor's new book has been announced. It's tentatively titled Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and was purchased by Little Brown at auction. You can read more about the novel here.

Kiersten Whites novel Paranormalcy will be released August 31, a month earlier than planned.

That's it for this week! Have a wonderful weekend. See you in August!

The Writers' Well: A Weekly Recap of the Best Kidslit Blog Posts

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 07:01:00 +0000

Happy summer! It's finally starting to heat up in southern cal, and I'm LOVING it. I'm also excited because in July I'll be starting my first residency at the Vermont College of Fine Arts!

As usual, there were plenty of awesome posts this week so let's plunge right in.

Inspiration
I enjoyed WriterJenn's post on Novel Milestones.

This post isn't writing related necessarily, but it's by a kidslit writer so I'm including it! Jay Asher talks about being grateful for what you have.

Technically, this series of posts is from a week ago, but they are too good not to mention. Beth Revis discusses her transition from college to teacher to author (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, & Part 5).

Interviews
Shari Maurer, author of Change of Heart, is interviewed on Janet Fox's blog Through the Wardrobe. Fox also interviewed JT Dutton, author of Stranded.

Kirsten Miller, author of Eternal One, is interviewed over at Market My Words.

Barry Lyga, author of Archvillain (as well as Fan Boy and Goth Girl, one of my favorite YA novels), is interviewed over at Literary Asylum.

For Fun
Suzanne Young occasionally posts excerpts from unfinished manuscripts. The latest in her Novel Graveyard is a lot of fun.

Megan Frances shared how she reconnected to a childhood favorite book: The Golden Phoenix.

Conferences
Julie Musil had a post on a free Writer's Conference called WriteOnCon. Registration begins July 1st!

Writing Craft
The Bookshelf Muse thinks outside of Character Sheets and gives some great tips on Characterization.

There's a panel of writers over at Kirby's Lane that discuss the benefits of Critique Groups.

Bish Denham has an interesting writing prompt on Dreams.

Sara Wilson Etienne talks about how she uses music to Hear Her Story.

Points to Ponder
Uma Krishnaswami has a post discussing outsider narratives. It's an interesting issue.

I loved Carrie Ryan's post on the difficulty of sharing too much or too little on your blog.

That's it for this week. Have a wonderful weekend!

SCBWI-LA Critiquenic

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:28:00 +0000

On Saturday I attended the LA Critiquenic in Roxbury Park. It was the first time I had attended it, and now I wonder why I didn't attend before! There were about sixty attendees, and we were in groups of about eight. Each group was organized by genre and was led by a published author. I was lucky enough to be in Cecil Castellucci's group (she's the author of young adult novels and graphic novels).

Our group would begin by the author reading her work, and then Castellucci would "send the author to the moon" while the rest of the group would critique what we had heard. The point was for the author to listen to the comments before asking questions or addressing the critique in any way. I thought this was a brilliant way to keep from getting defensive or talking over the critiquers. If you're at the moon, then you can't respond even if you'd like to. After everyone gave their comments, the author would return from the moon and get to respond.

I'm glad that I attended because Castellucci's comments helped me look at my novel in a fresh way. I think you can be so close to a work that sometimes you miss things. I left the Critiquenic feeling energized.

Next year if you're in the Los Angeles area I would highly suggest attending. It's free, which is incredible considering that I've paid forty-five dollars for a critique from a published author not including the price of the event itself (usually around eighty-five for a half day seminar). It isn't perfect. You have to deal with the noise of children playing in the park, and worry over parking meters, but the benefits definitely outweigh the costs.

The Writers' Well: A Weekly Recap of the Best Kidslit Blog Posts

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 07:01:00 +0000

Happy Friday! As usual, there were some wonderful kidslit posts, so let's plunge right into the well!

Writing Craft
Beth Kephart tackles two issues in a short post (yet still beautifully written as all of hers are): Losing Sentences to strengthen story and Pursuing a project that is just beyond your skill level.

On the Writers in Residence blog, Jackie Houchin discusses interview techniques.

WriterJenn gives examples of novels that start with character, not necessarily action-packed sequences.

Barbara O'Connor shared an inspirational quote to help writers stay focused on writing.

On her Question of the Day blog, Suzanne Casamento discusses the importance of structure in your novel and finding a mentor.

On Kirby's Lane, Kirby Larson discusses how food can add spice to novels.

Interviews
Andrea Cremer, author of Nightshade, is interviewed on Market My Words blog.

Denise Jaden interviewed Chelsea Campbell, author of The Rise of Renegade X.

Sea author Heidi Kling is interviewed by Holly Cupala.

Marketing
There's a fantastic marketing roundup over at the Market My Words blog.

Themes
It was friendship week over at the Books, Boys, Buzz blog to celebrate the release of Lifted by Wendy Toliver (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday).

New Kidslit Blog
Gregory K. had a post about a new kidslit blog launched by twenty-six middle grade novelists. It's called From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle-Grade Authors.

Interesting Discussions
Shannon Hale discusses the flaws of a Book Rating System.

Carrie Jones posted a video on her blog of Colin Farrell speaking out against Bullying.

For Fun
Nancy Sanders is beginning a Summer Reading Club over at her blog. Sounds like fun!

If you like reading the Kiersten Writes blog, you'll love the guest post by Stephanie Perkins that uncovers the real Kiersten White.

D. M. Cunningham over at Literary Asylum reminds us that it's Batman has recently published it's 700th issue!

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Writers' Well: A Weekly Recap of the Best Kidslit Blog Posts

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 07:01:00 +0000

I believe someone has been influencing the time space continuum. Just before I left for vacation time slowed down to a crawl, while the vacation time zoomed by. Regardless of time problems, there have been a ton of fantastic writer blogs this week, so let's plunge right into the well.

Writers Speak Out
Holly Black answers questions about White Cat, Spiderwick, and The Modern Faerie Tales.

Donna Gamble talks about what it's like to work on book number two.

Georgia McBride has an interesting post on what YA writers really make. She has links to a ton of articles and posts on the subject.

I loved Aprilynne Pike's post on You Are Not Your Novel--and how you shouldn't apologize for not having written a bestseller or award winning novel.

New Releases
Suzanne Young's next novel So Many Boys comes out next week. The first review is in and it's positive.

Author Appearances
Carrie Ryan fans who live in the south will be happy to hear that she's going to be attending the Con-Carolinas this weekend.

For Fun
There's a fun post on The Pen and Ink blog titled Writing Seminars I'd Like to See.

I found WriterJenn's post on The Evolution of Ideas hilarious.

Laurie Halse Anderson posted a video made by University of Washington Librarians that's awesome. It's Lady Gaga in the Library. Now you've got to watch it. By the way, Holly Cupala posted it to her blog, too.

Writing Craft
Bish Denham has a series of posts on Writing Prompts.

The Wagging Tale blog has a fantastic post on how Imagery beats Description.

Claudia Harrington's blog has some motivational quotes from Sonya Sones and Laurie Halse Anderson.

The fabulous Teaching Authors blog has a post on Reading as a Writer.

I'm sure there are other great posts out there. Be sure to add any that you find in the comments area.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Remembering the Fallen: Specialist Ross A. McGinnis

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 07:01:00 +0000

Specialist Ross McGinnis would have only been twenty-one if he had lived to receive the Medal of Honor. Regardless of his youth, he made an impact on the people he worked with. They call him a natural leader and the comedian of the group. His parents said that after he came back from his Army training it was as though he had grown taller.

McGinnis was part of a group that was delivering a generator that would increase electricity in the community when they were attacked. When a grenade was thrown, McGinnis covered it with his body and absorbed the impact, preventing it from injuring anyone else around it. The entire narrative can be read here.

Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an M2 .50-caliber Machine Gunner, 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, in connection with combat operations against an armed enemy in Adhamiyah, Northeast Baghdad, Iraq, on 4 December 2006.

That afternoon his platoon was conducting combat control operations in an effort to reduce and control sectarian violence in the area. While Private McGinnis was manning the M2 .50-caliber Machine Gun, a fragmentation grenade thrown by an insurgent fell through the gunner's hatch into the vehicle. Reacting quickly, he yelled "grenade," allowing all four members of his crew to prepare for the grenade's blast. Then, rather than leaping from the gunner's hatch to safety, Private McGinnis made the courageous decision to protect his crew. In a selfless act of bravery, in which he was mortally wounded, Private McGinnis covered the live grenade, pinning it between his body and the vehicle and absorbing most of the explosion.

Private McGinnis' gallant action directly saved four men from certain serious injury or death. Private First Class McGinnis' extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

The citation can be found here. McGinnis should not have had to die that day, however, his courageousness will never be forgotten.

Remembering the Fallen: Staff Sergeant Jared C. Monti

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 07:01:00 +0000

None of us know how we will react in a crisis, until we are confronted by the situation. When Staff Sergeant Monti saw one of his fellow soldier's in harm's way he didn't hesitate. He went out to try to save him. Perhaps some people might have tried once, and when it seemed impossible to help without losing your own life, would have stopped. Certainly, no one would have blamed him. But Jared Monti didn't stop. He continued to try to get to the wounded soldier even though it meant walking into enemy fire. Unfortunately, Monti did not survive, but his courageousness motivated the other soldiers and led to a victory.

Staff Sergeant Jared C. Monti distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a team leader with Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3d Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3d Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, in connection with combat operations against an armed enemy in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan, on June 21, 2006. While Staff Sergeant Monti was leading a mission aimed at gathering intelligence and directing fire against the enemy, his 16-man patrol was attacked by as many as 50 enemy fighters. On the verge of being overrun, Staff Sergeant Monti quickly directed his men to set up a defensive position behind a rock formation. He then called for indirect fire support, accurately targeting the rounds upon the enemy who had closed to within 50 meters of his position. While still directing fire, Staff Sergeant Monti personally engaged the enemy with his rifle and a grenade, successfully disrupting an attempt to flank his patrol. Staff Sergeant Monti then realized that one of his Soldiers was lying wounded in the open ground between the advancing enemy and the patrol's position. With complete disregard for his own safety, Staff Sergeant Monti twice attempted to move from behind the cover of the rocks into the face of relentless enemy fire to rescue his fallen comrade. Determined not to leave his Soldier, Staff Sergeant Monti made a third attempt to cross open terrain through intense enemy fire. On this final attempt, he was mortally wounded, sacrificing his own life in an effort to save his fellow Soldier. Staff Sergeant Monti's selfless acts of heroism inspired his patrol to fight off the larger enemy force. Staff Sergeant Monti's immeasurable courage and uncommon valor are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, and the United States Army.

The Army has a fantastic website in honor of him, where you can see photos from his childhood and learn more about who he was and how he earned the award.

Remembering the Fallen: Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:28:00 +0000

I just returned from a relaxing vacation in Lake Tahoe with family. It was peaceful and calm there, cold enough for there to be snow in the mountains, but warm enough that my husband and I were able to kayak on the lake. At one point, though, I watched a documentary on Medal of Honor recipients and was amazed by the bravery and selflessness of these individuals. Memorial Day has just passed, and so I think it's a great time to recap some of their stories.

Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith proved how much he cared about his fellow soldiers long before he earned the Medal of Honor. When he learned that one of his soldier's family couldn't afford to have a Christmas with their children, he went out and purchased gifts for their children. When one of his soldiers had a baby in the hospital, he drove an hour every day to visit them. You can read more here.

He earned the medal of honor in 2003, when he was part of an Engineering company in Baghdad, Iraq. He gave his life to ensure that other soldiers could escape safely.

Sergeant First Class Smith was engaged in the construction of a prisoner of war holding area when his Task Force was violently attacked by a company-sized enemy force. Realizing the vulnerability of over 100 fellow soldiers, Sergeant First Class Smith quickly organized a hasty defense consisting of two platoons of soldiers, one Bradley Fighting Vehicle and three armored personnel carriers. As the fight developed, Sergeant First Class Smith braved hostile enemy fire to personally engage the enemy with hand grenades and anti-tank weapons, and organized the evacuation of three wounded soldiers from an armored personnel carrier struck by a rocket propelled grenade and a 60mm mortar round. Fearing the enemy would overrun their defenses, Sergeant First Class Smith moved under withering enemy fire to man a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on a damaged armored personnel carrier. In total disregard for his own life, he maintained his exposed position in order to engage the attacking enemy force. During this action, he was mortally wounded. His courageous actions helped defeat the enemy attack, and resulted in as many as 50 enemy soldiers killed, while allowing the safe withdrawal of numerous wounded soldiers.

The official citation can be read here.

As writers of fiction, we create heroes from our imaginations. Paul Smith was the real thing.

Five Ways of Making the Most of Your Writing Time

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Wed, 26 May 2010 00:59:00 +0000

The first draft of any novel is difficult. No matter how much you may have outlined beforehand, there are still hurdles you hit along the way. When writing isn't your full-time job, it can be discouraging when the word count doesn't grow very quickly. I've discovered a few tricks of making the most of my writing time.

Assign a Writing Time. Years ago, I decided that I would write during my lunch hour every day. I write at other times, too, but I know that at the very least I have one hour of writing done every day. Now when I pull out my laptop at noon I can jump right into writing. It's as though I've hot wired my brain to be creative in the middle of the day. It might be difficult to carve out a specific time, but there are a great deal of advantages to it.
Don't Allow any Distractions. Even if it's brief, this is your time to write. If you're writing at home, make sure that everyone knows not to interrupt you. Since we live in the real world, that's usually not enough. Put on earphones, lock yourself away in another room, or find some other way to ensure that you won't be bothered. If the Internet tempts you, then turn off your wireless connectivity. Close your email so you don't get any signs of new messages, and turn off the ringer on your phone. If home is too distracting try writing in your local library or coffee house. Personally, I love writing in diners.
Write Every Day. We've all experienced situations where we've taken a few days or more from our manuscript and then sat down to start on it again and felt a bit lost. It takes the first five minutes to figure out where we left off, and what needs to come next. If you have an hour or less a day to write then that five or ten minutes is a real waste. By writing every day, the manuscript remains fresh in your mind. When you open up your file or notebook you recall exactly where you left off and can begin writing immediately.
Stop Writing before You're Done. This is a trick I learned from a talk given by author Alexandria LaFaye. If you stop before the end of a scene, then you can easily jump into writing again on your next session. If you only have fifteen minutes to write, then this is an excellent way of making those minutes count.
Day Dream before Your Next Writing Session. When you're in your car or in your shower, think about the last scene you wrote and expand on it. Think about what they might do next. Quite a few times I'll find myself writing a scene in my head and wishing for a piece of paper. It's best, though, to stick to the day dream and allow your mind the freedom to explore different possibilities. Then when you sit down to write you'll feel ready to go with new ideas for the next scene.

In the end, you have to figure out what works for you. We all are busy, but if writing is truly important to us then we find a way to fit in. Regardless of how few the minutes are that you can give to your manuscript, if you keep at it, eventually you'll finish it.

The Writers' Well: A Weekly Recap of the Best Kidslit Blog Posts

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Sat, 22 May 2010 04:07:00 +0000

I swear I did remember today was Friday. It's just that instead of thinking Writers' Well, I was thinking today's the day I need to submit my first twenty pages for the VCFA workshop. I spent the last week rewriting the pages after getting critiques back from my writing partners. This evening after sending off my workshop sub, I was relaxing with my husband thinking how glad I was it was Friday when it hit me. I didn't post the Writers' Well. A lot of times I preschedule it so that it automatically posts at midnight. Not this week though! Ah, well. You'll forgive me this once, right?

There's plenty of great stuff this week, so let's plunge into the well.

Blog Roundups
WriterJenn mentions several great blogs on a post today.

Market My Words has links to articles on How to Pitch as well as a list of her fave market blogs this week.

Check out Chasing Ray's schedule for Summer Blog Blast Tour 2010.

Writing Craft
Nancy Sanders has a series of posts on Critique Groups (Network, Encourage, Teach, Challenge Us). Also, Jordan McCullom has two posts on Critiquing (How to Take Critiques, When to Take Critiques).

How do you know when you've written an awesome book? GottaBook discussed this very thing on his blog this week.

If you write picture books, you'll want to read the recap of the Twitter #pblitchat group over on Tara Lazar's blog.

Writing Business
Anna Staniszewski discussed what makes a book event successful.

For Fun
Kiersten White wrote a series of posts this week on Romance in Young Adult Fiction.

The Teaching Authors discuss end-of-the-year (or beginning of summer) exercises for teachers and writers.

Claudia Harrington always has witty and motivational quotes from big time names in the writing biz. I found this one by Michael Bourret excellent, though I think I'd find it easier if I were actually published (you'll understand what I mean after you read the quote).

Paranormal Point of View has some great advice for How to Breakup with a Vampire. ;)

Interviews
Kirby Larson interviewed Jennifer Holm (author of Turtle in Paradise). Also, as part of SBBT, HipWriterMama interviewed Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm (Brother/Sister Team).

Holly Cupala interviewed Cynthia Leitich Smith (author of Eternal and also a professor at VCFA).

Day by Day Writer had an interview with Valerie Hobbs.

Melissa Walker asks Lauren Baratz-Logsted to discuss her book covers.

Finding Wonderland interviewed The Hazardous Players, Tom Siddell, and Nancy Bo Flood (this was part of the SBBT series).

Juvenescence has a fun series on High School Flashbacks--YA authors discussing their pasts (Jen Nadol, Kay Cassidy, Kimberly Derting, and Christy Diaz Gonzales).

The Literary Asylum interviewed D. M. Anderson (author of The Killer Cows).

Please feel free to add other links in the comments area. Have a wonderful weekend!

Monday Madness at Paranormal Point of View

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:42:00 +0000

Over at Paranormal Point of View today, Lisa Gail Green has Monday Madness where she talks about . . . me. It was really strange reading it, kind of like when you talk about yourself in third person. But very cool! She has a theory as to what type of paranormal creature I might be.

Thanks, Lisa!

The Writers' Well: A Weekly Recap of the Best Kidslit Blog Posts

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Fri, 14 May 2010 07:01:00 +0000

I can hardly believe that it's Friday. Between preparing for a trade show at work, being sick and having to go to the doctor, and working on my novel, it's a wonder that I'm still sane. We've all made it, though! Now, we can get to our weekend and relax while reading some awesome writer posts. Let's plunge right into the well.

Interviews
The First Novels Club shared some notes from Arthur Levine's talk at Arcadia University (Part 2 here).

Janet Fox interviewed Kristin McBride, author of The Tension of Opposites.

Suzanne Young has an interview and book trailer for Jeri Smith-Ready, author of Shade. Carrie Jones interviewed Smith-Ready, too.

Christina Diaz Gonzales (author of The Red Umbrella) is interviewed by Denise Jaden.

Cynthia Leitich Smith interviewed Holly Schindler, author of A Blue so Dark.

Holly Cupala interviewed Janet Fox (author of Faithful).

D. M. Cunningham interviewed literary agent Bree Ogden over at his blog Literary Asylum. Cunningham compares Ogden to Yoda and Dumbledore. That's some pretty strong praise!

Writing Advice
When writing is tough, Charmaine Clancy gives some pointers on how to stay on track.

On the DeeScribeWriting blog, she discusses How to Write the Killer Synopsis. You also don't want to miss this post by Lia Keyes, since she gives detailed information on how to write a Selling Synopsis.

Danyelle Leafty discusses how empowerment.

Writing Craft
Kate Forsyth guest blogs at DeeScribeWriting and discusses how she plots out her novels.

Jordan McCollum continues her series on Backstory with a post on using setting and props to convey backstory.

Cynthia Jaynes Omololu discusses revising in her post No Sacred Cows.

Children's Book Week
Samantha Clarke celebrated Children's Book Week over at her blog Day by Day Writer.

The Teaching Author's celebrate it also with posts Still Celebrating and Celebrate It's Children's Book Week.

News
Sarah Dessen has sold a new novel to Viking Children's Books, and it's to be called Cut and Run.

Travels
Uma Krishnaswami discusses her recent trip to Signapore (including school visits). Part 1, Part 2, & Part 3.

For Fun
Emily over at The YA 5 blog has a wonderful post on revealing the journals you kept when you were a teen.

I really enjoyed Barbara O'Connor's post on Omens and Nudges. She talks about how a couple of strange events helps motivate her to get started on a new project.

This post really made me chuckle. Donna Ballman has a guest post on Angela Cerrito's blog about potential murder victims in a mystery novel.

If you've found an interesting kidslit post that isn't listed here, please feel free to add it in the comments. Have a wonderful weekend!

The Writers' Well: A Weekly Recap of the Best Kidslit Blog Posts

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Fri, 07 May 2010 07:01:00 +0000

This week has been busy and eventful in the best possible way. My husband turned in his graduate thesis on Tuesday, and he's officially completed his Master's in Communication Management from the University of Southern California! I'm very proud of him. It's interesting that just as he's completed his work, I will be beginning mine. I start the VCFA MFA program this July! It's hard to believe how quickly the time has passed.

There are a lot of great posts to cover, so let's plunge right into the well.

Auctions!
Day by Day Writer noted that there are two auctions going on that writers may like to participate in. There is this one benefiting diabetes research, and another one that benefits flood relief in Nashville. Speaking of difficult issues, Sarah Wilson Etienne has a good post on how when we face difficult situations it's best to put it into our work.

For Fun
I loved WriterJenn's post on how The Muse dropped in for a visit. Funny how the muse always seems to come when you're hard at work on something else.

Ever wonder what a Writer's Customer Service hotline would be like? Check out Pen and Ink's version here.

Quite a few bloggers have been doing the A-Z posts. I wondered what writers would choose for the tricky X, Y, and Z posts. I thought Bish Denham's post Z is for Zedonk was inspired. Don't know what a Zedonk is? Neither did I!

Doctor Who fans will love Lori Ann Grover's post on her favorite doctor. My fave is David Tennant. I was so sad to see him go!

Writing Techniques
Elaine Marie Alphin has an interesting post on Sleep Writing.

Also, Jordan McCollum continues her series on Backstory.

Interviews
Over at Cynsations, there's an interview of Author-Editor Shana Corey (Random House).

Kay Cassidy, author of The Cinderella Society, is interviewed over at Market My Words.

Lori Calabrese interviews The Turning author, Helen Ellis.

Rhonda Hayter, author of The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams, is interviewed over at Literary Asylum.

Suzanne Young has an interview, book trailer, and reviews of Jessica Brody, author of The Karma Club. Carrie Jones interviewed her, too (here).

Janet Fox interviews author Jennifer Cervantes (Tortilla Sun).

Writing Motivation
This week was NaPiBoWriWee (National Picture Book Writing Week) hosted at Paula Yoo's blog.

Claudia Harrington has motivational quotes from Lisa Yee and Rosemary Brosnan.

Book Releases
Holly Black's White Cat came out on Tuesday, May 4th! I've been looking forward to reading it.

Please feel free to share other posts that you've enjoyed this week. Have a wonderful weekend!

When Have You Made It?

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Tue, 04 May 2010 14:36:00 +0000

Not that long ago, there was a series of posts on various blogs about writers who have made it. The criterion was you needed either an agent or a book contract. I will admit that my first reaction to this was, "I made it? Really? How did I miss that?" I do have an agent, but no book contract (yet). I feel like I'm in a pretty good spot, but I still wouldn't say that I've made it. Whatever it is.

That got me thinking. What is making it?

I used to think that as soon as I got a book contract life would be perfect. I would continue to spin out novels, work with the same editor at the same house, and walk into a bookstore and see every one of those novels sitting on a shelf under the letter B. After joining the SCBWI, going to multiple conferences, and befriending published authors, I learned that the publishing business isn't quite so simple as what I imagined it to be.

Editors, like any working person in today's corporate world, will often change houses to gain promotions (or sadly, be laid off when the economy takes a downturn). Even if you are lucky enough to work with the same editor for multiple books that isn't a guarantee that the editor will buy every one of your books. Also, even if you have ten novels published, it's possible some of them will go out of print.

I'm not trying to deter anyone from pursuing publishing. Nor, am I saying that the blogs that interviewed people who have gotten that first big break were wrong. Writing paths are usually a long one, and we need to celebrate every milestone, every bright moment along the way. Whether it's finishing the first draft of a novel, having an agent request a Full, or opening a box full of ARCs of a novel we spent years on, it all should be celebrated.

But I'm calling for an end to the term You've Made It.

All this does is give a false hope that there's this perfect situation waiting for us--if only we were them. If only this one thing happened. If only we were lucky enough.

Even if the extraordinary happens and you're living the dream with fans and a house that love your work, even if all of the normal problems are avoided, what then? Is it a time when you can just sit back, put your hands behind your head, and be content? I would argue that after a few months of bliss, this lucky writer would then start to think about what's next. Pursuing something new is inevitably risky.

It doesn't matter what stage we are in. There's always going to be problems. I think having goals is necessary. Dreaming is essential. And there's no better way to stay sane than to spend time with other writers and toast each other's successes. We need to feel great about where we are at the moment in our writing journey.

I have a lot of dreams. I still want to have a long working-relationship with an editor I respect. I still want to walk into a bookstore and see my novels under the letter B. When that dream is fulfilled, I imagine a new dream will take it's place. I'm not sure what that will be. Perhaps it will be an ambitious project that is outside of my usual genre. I don't know. I only know that there will always be something I want that's just out of reach, and I'll have to keep stretching if I want to get it.

The Writers' Well: A Weekly Recap of the Best Kidslit Blog Posts

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 07:01:00 +0000

This has been an interesting week. I took a vacation day on Tuesday, and joined a few of my friends at the taping of Dancing with the Stars. We had lunch before hand at Whispers, and since we're all writers it was great to just chat about our WIPs and what's happening in the industry. One of my friends has some exciting news on the book front happening, so it was wonderful to toast her success.

Now let's plunge into the Writers' Well!

Last Friday, Kirby Larson has a wonderful Quote of the Day that I think most children's writers will enjoy. I'll give you a hint: it's from Madeleine L'Engle. Speaking of Madeleine L'Engle, her novel And Both Were Young is being reprinted with a forward by her granddaughter and YA author, Léna Roy.

Guest Blogger Phoebe Kitanidis Debunks Writer Myths over at WriterJenn.

Beth Kephart has a lovely review of Rebecca Stead's novel When You Reach Me. Finding Wonderland review's Stead's novel as well as Somebody by Nancy Springer. Georgia McBride reviews Andy Brigg's novels Hero.com: Rise of the Heros and Villain.net: Council of Evil over at the YA 5 blog.

There's an interview with Lee Nichols (author of Deception) over at The First Novels Club blog. Uma Krishnaswami interviews Plot Consultant Martha Alderson on her blog Writing with a Broken Tusk. There's an interview with Kathy Erskine (author of Mockingbird) by Amy Brecount White. Michele Markel interviews author of A Very Improbable Story: A Math Adventure, Edward Einhorn, over at her blog The Cat and the Fiddle.

Jordan McCollum some interesting posts on Backstory and Technique.

Since we're in the last week of Poetry Month, you don't want to miss these posts: On Beyond Words & Pictures, Lorie Ann Grover, GottaBook, Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup, and Susan Taylor Brown.

There's a cover story and a book trailer about The Karma Club by Jessica Brody over at Melissa Walker's blog.

In response to listening to Meg Cabot at the LA Festival of Books, Suzanne Casamento poses a thought-provoking question on her blog about whether you read to escape or for some other reason. Interestingly, Sara Wilson Etienne has a post comparing Meg Cabot's reasons for writing happy books with Kate DiCamillo's reasons for writing sad books (both authors spoke at the LA Festival of Books).

I've long believed that Kiersten White leads a far more entertaining life than me, and this was confirmed when I read her amusing post "In Which I'm Rescued by a Librarian, Meet Some Literary Idols, and Discover a Previously Untapped Propensity for Blushing." Though I will admit to sharing two thirds of that experience: meeting a literary hero and being utterly incapable of speaking an intelligent word (see "A Potentially Humiliating Encounter").

Charmaine Clancy has a fun post on Writing Wrongs over at her blog Wagging Tales.

Lisa Green has an amusing review of Libba Bray's Going Bovine by guest blogger Dave--I mean Dr. Paradox--on her blog Paranormal Point of View.

On Samantha Clarke's blog, Day by Day Writer, there's a post on Dealing with Rejection (within it, she has links to Cec Murphy's series on Rejection).

If you're interested in what Shannon Hale has been working on, then check out this post on her blog Squeetus. You can also find out what Barry Lyga's been up to on his blog.

Does every book need a Happy Ending? Bryan Bliss has a post on that subject. Elaine Marie Alphin tackles the question of whether a plot built upon a coincidence falls apart.

Writers are always being asked about where they get their inspiration. Karen Hooper has a post about her favorite independent bookstore, and a muse, Haslam's.

Suzanne Young gives a brief synopsis of her novel So Many Boys that's going to be released in 40 days (she has a handy counter).

As usual, there were a ton of great posts. Be sure to share any others you've found in the comments. Have a wonderful weekend!

One State Passes Legislation to Stop Bullying in Schools

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 02:21:00 +0000

Massachusetts lawmakers have passed an anti-bullying bill. It still needs to be sent to the governor for signing, but it seems that soon it will be reality. I was alerted to this by the Young Adult Authors Against Bullying group on Facebook, and the article that gives all of the details is here.

The article described what the anti-bullying bill addressed:

The 12-page bill prohibits bullying on school grounds, school buses, at school-sponsored activities, and through the use of electronic communications.

The bill also bans retaliation against someone who reports bullying.

Under the bill, teachers and other school employees must report any bullying incidents to the principal. The principal must investigate those reports, take disciplinary action, notify parents of the victim and aggressor and alert police if necessary.

Each school district, charter school or private school must provide instruction on bullying prevention in each grade, according to the bill.

While I'm usually wary of giving teachers more work to do, I believe that this is important enough to warrant the extra time and training. Bullying is something that far too many people feel is a normal part of school, and so the situations do not get addressed most of the time.

I didn't realize just how tumultuous a topic Bullying was until I inadvertently started a discussion in a Community Psychology class I took about ten years ago. We were studying how Community Psychologists deal with violence in schools. As our professor talked about stabbings and shootings, it dawned on me that this was antithetical to what Community Psychology was supposed to be about. Community Psychologists focus on prevention first, then give attention to secondary issues (the problem is just beginning), and the least to tertiary issues (when the problem has been going on for years). I raised my hand and innocently asked what was being done to prevent the violence, such as addressing bullying. My professor said, sadly, very little is being done about bullying. Despite his words, my question started a heated discussion. It was like I dropped a lit match onto a gasoline soaked floor.

Half the room passionately felt that Bullying was a serious problem and should be addressed by schools and psychiatrists. The other half of the room argued that Bullying was normal, and did not cause any lasting damage; Bullying is simply part of growing up. Mind you, I was taking the course to satisfy a general education requirement, however, most of my classmates were Psychology majors. I was disturbed, profoundly, by how so many budding psychologists were so unsympathetic to bully victims.

I decided to use Bullying in Schools as my research topic. What I found was even more disturbing. Very few psychologists in America (at that time, at least, which was about ten years ago) studied Bullying. Out of necessity, I had to supplement my research with some studies from Europe and Australia. One of the common findings was how bully victims continued to suffer even into adulthood.

I'm thrilled that lawmakers in Massachusetts have put anti-bullying policies into law. Whether Bullying is normal or not, is material. Children shouldn't be scared to go to school. They shouldn't be victimized by their classmates while adults look on and do nothing. Perhaps many of you will feel that the legislature has overstepped their bounds; that schools should have more control over how to handle Bullying; that there's no way to ever make our schools one hundred percent safe.

I might agree if I felt that schools adequately addressed Bullying on their own. Since they haven't, I hope California follows with their own twelve page bill.

LA Times Book Prizes Announced

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:29:00 +0000

On Friday, the Los Angeles Times announced the 2009 winners of the paper's Book Prizes. The prize in Young Adult Literature was awarded to . . .

Elizabeth Partridge, Marching for Freedom: Walk Together Children and Don’t You Grow Weary (Viking Children’s Books/Penguin Group)

In a tightly focused narrative, Elizabeth Partridge chronicles the events of Martin Luther King’s historic march from Selma to Montgomery, shining a bright spotlight on some of its most important participants: children and teenagers. Their vivid and dramatic accounts are complemented by breathtaking photographs that, when woven into Partridge’s history, provide a sense of immediacy and provoke a sense of moral outrage.

The finalists for the 2009 LA Times Book Prize in YA Literature were . . .

James Cross Giblin, The Rise and Fall of Senator Joe McCarthy (Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Frances Hardinge, The Lost Conspiracy (HarperCollins)
Deborah Heiligman, Charles and Emma: The Darwin’s Leap of Faith (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers)
Elizabeth Partridge, Marching for Freedom: Walk Together Children and Don’t You Grow Weary
Shaun Tan, Tales from Outer Suburbia (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic)

Here is a complete list of the winners.

Writers' Well: This Week's Not to be Missed Writer Posts

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 07:01:00 +0000

This was a fabulous week for writer blogs, so get ready to plunge into the well!

If I could only mention one post this week, it would be this one by Kathleen Duey: The Book I Write, The Book You Read...and The Real Wars. If you've ever wondered if books can change lives, read her post.

There's an excellent post on Breaking the Rules on WriterJenn (Jennifer R. Hubbard's blog). Beth Kephart's post on Moving Past No is in the same spirit.

Kephart has several posts on her recent talks at the Fox Cities Book Festival. While you're at her blog, check out the exquisite cake from her party celebrating the release of The Heart is Not a Size.

Lori Calabrese (author of The Bug that Plagued the Entire Third Grade) was interviewed by the Hartford Writing Examiner, Michael Aloisi. You can read about it on her blog, or go directly to Part 1 and Part 2. Calabrese interviewed Danika Dinsmore about her soon-to-be-released Brigitta of the White Forest. Kirby Larson interviewed Karen Cushman (author of Alchemy and Meggy Swann). Larson interviewed Kathryn Galbraith (author of Arbor Day). There's an interview with agent Jennifer Laughran of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency over at Market My Words. Holly Cupala interviews Deb Caletti, author of The Secret Life of Prince Charming. Holly Schindler interviews Teen Writer and Intern Weronika Janczuk.

If you've ever considered writing a novel in verse, you should read this post over at Denise Jaden's blog. She interviews Lisa Schroeder, author of I Heart You, You Haunt Me.

Kay Cassidy talks about the evolution of the book cover for The Cinderella Society over at Melissa Walker's blog. Eileen Boggess discusses how her book cover came about for Mia the Magnificent, also at Melissa Walker's blog.

Claudia Harrington always has inspiring quotes, and this week she had two wonderful writers share some wisdom: Joan Bauer and Lin Oliver.

It's Poetry Potluck month over at Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup blog.

If you're looking for graphic novels for younger readers you'll be interested in Shannon Hale's post on her family's favorites.

Cuppa Jolie has an interesting Writing Prompt (even though, sadly, she thought of it after losing her computer).

Hilde Garcia recommends torturing your main character (not literally torturing, of course) in her post on Pen and Ink. If you have problems with torture, then try Susan Berger's writing exercises on Bad Things Happen to Good People.

I enjoyed the two Miscellany posts on Finding Wonderland this week (Midweek Miscellany, Further Miscellany). There's good bits on the real Volterra, Hope Larson Graphics, Tim Burton, and several others. James Dashner has a post with his own list of miscellany that has information about his tour, Maze Runner in foreign countries, and lots of fun facts.

K. A. Holt talks about her experiences at the Texas Library Association Conference on the YA 5 Blog. Jay Asher was there, too.

There's a discussion of how to use research to inspire ideas over at D. M. Cunningham's blog Literary Asylum. There's also some pictures of Creepy Flowers. Charmaine Clancy also has a post about Research on her blog Wagging Tales.

Sarah Dessen posts The Five every week, and I especially enjoyed this week's. Maybe it was the reference to coffee. I'm an addict.

There are a few posts on Earth Day: Peg Kehret Blog, The Question of the Day, and The Teaching Authors.

Kiersten White sings the praises of Twitter on her blog Kiersten Whites. She gives suggestions on what to do and what not to do, so it's a good post to read if you're just starting out on Twitter.

I enjoyed the cute post on My Big Nose and Other Natural Disaster blog about Why Sydney Salter Writes Middle Grade.

Angela Ackerman was a guest-blogger at Tabitha Olson's blog Writer Musings, and wrote an interesting post on Naked Dialogue.

Laurie Halse Anderson vlogs on Revision (it seems to be geared to a younger audience, but it's still worthwhile to listen to). I like her tip on how when you read over what you've written don't ask yourself if it's okay as it is. Instead, ask yourself how it can be better. It's so simple, yet such an important distinction.

There's a great discussion about Love Triangles (Part 1, Part 2) over at Beth Revis's blog Writing it Out.

Bish Denham has been blogging A-Z. I especially enjoyed her J is for Journey and K is for Kryptonite. She even finds a way to connect Kryptonite with writing. How fun is that?

Speaking of Kryptonite, Jay Asher got to play the superhero by flying to Kansas to speak in place of a writer who cancelled at the last minute. I envy the cool the CD of Harry Potter themed music he got, but hey, as the superhero he clearly deserves it.

I just heard about National Picture Book Writing Week over at Nancy Sander's blog. Paula Yoo's blog has all the info.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and have an opportunity to visit some of these amazing blogs!

Inspiring Lyrics: The Ocean by The Bravery

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:27:00 +0000

Like many writers, I create a playlist for every project I'm working on. The song that's been inspiring me the most lately is "The Ocean" performed by The Bravery (song composed by Sam Endicott). It isn't simply the beautiful waltz, but it's also the haunting lyrics.

"The Ocean"

I climbed up a mountain, and looked off the edge
At all of the lives that I never have led
There's one where I stayed with you across the sea
I wonder do you still think of me
I carry your image always in my head
Folded and yellowed and torn at the edge
And I've looked upon it for so many years
Slowly I am loosing your face

[chorus:]
Oh the ocean rolls us away, away, away
The ocean rolls us away

Six's and seven's we live on jet planes
So many faces I don't know the names
So many friends now and none of them mine
Forgotten as soon as we meet
All of these moments are lost in time
Your caught in my head like a thorn on a vine
To forever torment me and I wonder why
Do I wish I'd never known you at all

[chorus x2]
Oh the ocean rolls us away, away, away
The ocean rolls us away

The sun and the moon
An ocean of air
So many voices
But nothing is there
The ghost of you asking me why
Why did I leave

[chorus]

Oh the ocean rolls us away away away

And I lose your hand through the waves

When Spell Check Fails with Comic Results

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 07:45:00 +0000

I was catching up on Pub Rants blogs when I found this gem. Apparently, there was a typo in a cookbook published by Penguin that was significant enough to cause the poor publisher to have to pulp 7,000 copies. You're going to love this one.

The publishing company was forced to pulp and reprint 7000 copies of Pasta Bible last week after a recipe called for "salt and freshly ground black people" – instead of pepper – to be added to the spelt tagliatelle with sardines and prosciutto.

I'd really hate to be that copy editor.

Writing with Passion: Paul Harding's Pulitzer Moment

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 07:03:00 +0000

The journey to publication isn't an easy one, so when I read the article Paul Harding's Pulitzer Moment in the New York Times yesterday I felt like cheering for Harding. Apparently, Harding received a ton of rejections from editors and agents when he submitted his novel Tinkers.

“They would lecture me about the pace of life today,” Mr. Harding said last week over lunch at a diner in this college town, where he is now teaching at the workshop. “It was, ‘Where are the car chases?’ ” he said, recalling the gist of the letters. “ ‘Nobody wants to read a slow, contemplative, meditative, quiet book.’ ”

It was three years before he found a publisher for Tinkers (Bellevue Literary Press). Incredibly, the novel that was so difficult to be published managed to win the Pulitzer Prize last week.

What I found particularly interesting was how the story wouldn't seem to let him go. This affected his writing methods:

After his first son was born and he was teaching expository writing to undergraduates at Harvard and creative writing to night-school students, the novel became an extracurricular project. “It got so it was guerilla writing,” Mr. Harding said. “I could flip open the laptop and start writing anywhere.” He wrote on bookmarks and the backs of receipts, transcribing the scraps into the computer later.

Finally, one Saturday night, he printed out his mishmashed computer file and laid it out on the living-room floor. Nursing a few fingers of whiskey, he cut up the document, stapling and taping sections into the structure that ultimately made it to publication.

I think it's necessary to have passion for the project you could spend years on, and Harding had an abundance of it. He wouldn't allow anything to stop him from working on Tinkers. I can imagine him standing in line at the grocery store and scribbling a sentence onto a back of a receipt because that's all there was available to him. Then collecting all of these bits and pulling it together into a cohesive story. Perhaps his novel wouldn't have mainstream appeal, but it was a story he was compelled to write.

It's wonderful to see such passion and hard work rewarded.

LA Festival of Books

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:24:00 +0000

The LA Festival of Books is a fantastic event if you're in town, and it's just around the corner (April 24th & 25th). You can get information about the festival here. I've copied the panel information that relate to Children's literature below to make it a bit easier. Admission to the panels is free, though there's a processing fee if you get tickets to any of the panels through ticketmaster.

Saturday Panels:
12:30 PM
Young Adult Fiction: ‘Tween the Lines
PANEL CODE: 1102
Moderator: Mr. Neal Shusterman
Mr. Pseudonymous Bosch
Mr. Gordon Korman
Mr. D.J. MacHale

Ackerman Grand Ballroom
10:30 AM
Meg Cabot in Conversation with Cecil Castellucci
PANEL CODE: 1121
Interviewer: Ms. Cecil Castellucci
Ms. Meg Cabot

Korn Convocation Hall
——————
10:30 AM
Children’s Books: Feeding Imaginations
PANEL CODE: 1071
Moderator: Ms. Sonja Bolle
Mr. Kadir Nelson
Ms. Pam Munoz Ryan
Mr. David Shannon

Fowler Museum Lenart Auditorium
——————
10:30 AM
Fact vs. Fiction: Storytelling in Young Adult Nonfiction
PANEL CODE: 1061
Moderator: Mr. Jonathan Hunt
Ms. Deborah Heiligman
Ms. Stephanie Hemphill
Ms. Elizabeth Partridge

12:30 PM
Kate DiCamillo in Conversation with Susan Carpenter
PANEL CODE: 1052
Interviewer: Ms. Susan Carpenter
Ms. Kate DiCamillo

Sunday Panels:
Moore 100
——————
11:00AM
Young Adult: The Kids Are Alright
PANEL CODE: 2101
Moderator: Ms. Amy Goldman Koss
Ms. Robin Benway
Ms. Meg Cabot
Mr. Don Calame
Ms. Rosalind Wiseman

Korn Convocation Hall
——————
10:30 AM
John Green & David Levithan in Conversation with Denise Hamilton
PANEL CODE: 2071
Interviewer: Ms. Denise Hamilton
Mr. John Green
Mr. David Levithan

Fowler Museum Lenart Auditorium
3:00 PM
Young Adult Fiction: Teens and Turmoil
PANEL CODE: 2064
Moderator: Ms. Sonya Sones
Ms. Gayle Forman
Ms. Cynthia Kadohata
Ms. Jandy Nelson

The Writers' Well: A Weekly Recap of the Best Kidslit Blog Posts

noreply@blogger.com (Beverley BevenFlorez) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 07:10:00 +0000

Happy Friday! Welcome to the Writer's Well where I recap the best of the kidslit blog posts from this week. It's been a pretty busy week in the kidlitosphere, so let's plunge right into the well.

There's an interview of Tenner Leah Cypess (author of Mistwood) at Amy Brecount White's blog. Lori Degman was interviewed by Monsters and Money in the Morning on CBS. You can read about it at Habitual Rhymer (Degman's blog). Debut author Jame Richards was interviewed at Janet Fox's blog Through the Wardrobe.

Beth Kephart usually has beautiful photographs at her blog. I especially enjoyed this one (the caption underneath makes it special). I also liked WriterJenn's post on Writer Friends.

Jordan McCollum continues her Series on Writing the Senses (Dealing with Sensory Overload, Tapping into Your Character's Senses, Selecting Character Senses, Experimenting with Your Character's Senses).

There's a sneak peek of Holly Schindler's A Blue so Dark here. The YA novel received a star review from Booklist!

Bryan Bliss guest blogged on Suzanne Young's site about what it's like as a male reading YA. This is a must-read post. It's so funny and true!

There's some interesting agent and contest information over at Samantha Clark's blog Day by Day Writer.

There are a lot of posts related to National Library Week. [It's also National Library Month, so it's not too late to celebrate libraries.] Market My Words explains why libraries are so important and she has a HUGE list of links to other bloggers who are celebrating libraries, too. On The Teaching Author's blog they have two: Your Local Library (by Jeanne Marie Grunwell Ford) and To All the Libraries I've Loved Before (by Esther Hershenshorn). Edith Cohn has a post Libraries=Love over at her blog Locket. Laurie Halse Anderson most recent blog on why we need to fight for our Libraries is here. Tina Nichols Coury has a Library of the Day interview over at her blog Tales From the Rushmore Kid.

Yesterday, was Operation Book Drop. Check out Holly Cupala's blog as well as Melissa Walker's blog.

Claudia Harrington's words of inspiration on tax day was amusing.

The Books, Boys, Buzz blog has a series of posts on Time Travel to celebrate the release of Heather Davis's YA novel The Clearing.

The Bookshelf Muse has had an ongoing series on Symbolism Thesaurus. I especially enjoyed Angela Ackerman's recent entry on Coming of Age.

Today is National Day of Silence and Lee Wind has a thoughtful post on how to get the most out of the day.

Gregory K. continues his 30 Poets/30 Days series on his blog GottaBook. You may be especially interested in this one by Arthur A. Levine--yep, the editor who brought Harry Potter to America. I've also been admiring Susan Taylor Brown's 30 Poems/30 Days all father-daughter themed.

Fans of The Forest of Hands and Teeth and Dead Tossed Waves will be happy to know that Carrie Ryan announced there will be a third book called The Dark and Hollow Places! Plus, there will be three short stories taking place in the same world. You can read about it on her blog here. Yah, so excited!

P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast are doing a book tour for Burned the next book in their House of Night series. It's announced on PC's blog here. They're going to the Grand Cayman island, but not California. Go figure. Holly Black posts the second half of her tour on her blog.

There's a great post over at Ana Staniszewski's blog on Knowing the Purpose of Every Scene.

The First Novel's Club continues their parody of Vampire Diaries (episode 17).

Cecil Castellucci wrote a Comic Book Opera and if you're in Montreal you can go see it! Check out her blog for more info.

D. M. Cunningham talks about the uses of Text Novel on his blog Literary Asylum.

As usual, there were a ton of brilliant writer posts. I'm sure I missed some so if you think of one that should be here, please add it in the comments area.

Also, if you have a children's or YA writing blog and it isn't in the list of Writer Blogs on the right panel (you'll need to click on Show All), you can email me or add a comment with your blog address and I'll add it to the list.

Have a wonderful weekend!