Gone Flying, Must Bring Books

As I pack my family for another trip across the country, I can't help but think of the road trips I took each summer growing up. We'd head either out West to see our extended family or up the East Coast on camping adventures. And along the way Mom or one of my older siblings would read to us. Lots of Roald Dahl (isn't he wonderful?). I distinctly remember my mom reading Danny the Champion of the World and being so engrossed in the story that the car trip flew by as I was busy poaching pheasants and out smarting the town's nasty rich guy, what was his name? What a dream to live in a caravan with a father whose eyes smiled.


Tomorrow we'll be traveling by plane, 3 of them, in fact, and although I'm making sure we have enough underwear and matching shoes, I'm also packing my suitcase full of books (in addition to my Kindle). Big Nate and Pendragon for my 8-year-old, Fancy Nancy and Little Bear for my 6-year-old, the Berenstain Bears and Dora for my 4-year-old, and the Mercy Thompson Series for myself.  (Yes, I'm a little concerned about how the in-laws are going to feel about those darn covers.)

In some ways I wish my children could have the experience I did travelling together in a full-size van, laying across the seats or hanging out in a nest of pillows created on the bed in the back listening as I read like my older sister did, with accents and saying "chap--i-ter." . . .

But then I'd have to spend 6 days confined in a minivan. (Yikes!)

If you look up tomorrow and see a plane flying east, give it a wave. It might be me.

 I'll be loading up my Kindle for the trip home and I could always use a recommendation. What books do you take when you travel?

A to Z Blogfest

While I wasn't brave enough to commit to posting 26 times in the month of April, I've been having a great to virtually meeting some new to me bloggers. I've done my share of bloghopping, but these three I check daily-

Cassie Mae-A to Z on her fears. Oh my awesomeness. Don't try to eat or drink while reading these posts. My favorites, My Mouth Needs a Filter, Jell-O (because I too worried about those kids in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs), Getting Shot in a Public Restroom.

Kate Scott  -I gobble books whole and am always looking for recommendations. She's doing her top 5 favorite books in a particular catagory. I've been adding to my TBR list and got 3 of her boy recommendations yesterday. For me it's fun just to see what category she can come up with--and to know she has to do it 26 x 5 times. That's a whopping 130 books! (she just might be able to keep me busy through the month of May)

Ilima-Okay, she's not new to me, we're CP's, but I devour her posts like I do Kate's book recommendations. Friday she did Loglines, so wrote 2 of my own. They're awful, but now at least I have one (well 2, but you know what I mean).

In all their first draft stench:

My WIP: When eleven-year-old Ruby realizes her parents have been lying to her all her life she becomes convinced she's adopted and begins a search for her biological parents.

Lovesense: When Rae, who reads love in photos as a side business at school, finds a picture of her soulmate, she has to find him, navigate high school, and stay under the principal's radar; all before her arch enemy can out her.

What A to Z blogs have you been following? Favorites? Advise for my loglines?

Getting My Book Taken Away

I was a really good student in 5th grade-smart, but also into sports. I sat in Mr. Perguson's second row. He was the overweight teacher that turned away from the class and sneezed towards the chalkboard to cover up his flatulance.  I never got in trouble until one day during silent reading.  This is the book I was reading:

See them walking on the beach in nightgowns? Does this look risque to you? It sure did to Mr Perguson.  He took my book away and asked me where I have gotten it.

"My mother," I replied.

He harrumphed and told me he'd be keeping it for a while and that he would be calling my mother after school.

As the daughter of a daughter of a high school principle I knew that if I got in trouble at school, I would be in trouble at home. My parents supported our teachers as much as they could. So I sweated it a little, but mainly hoped that my mom would just think it was funny. After all, this was Katherine Paterson, the author of Bridge of Terabithia and The Trumpeter of Krakow. And this one was the Newberry Medal winner in 1981. 

I went home and told me mom what had happened. Better she heard it from me first, right? She did laugh, just like I was hoping. Later that evening she talked to Mr. Perguson on the phone, but she did not share the conversation with me.

The next morning before class started he came to my desk and returned my book saying he had read it the previous night and it was okay for me to read.

No kidding, I thought, my mom is the one who gave it to me.

He didn't question my reading for the rest of the year. The flatulence I'm afraid though, didn't go away. If only I'd been a few rows further back . . .

Have you ever had a book taken away? What book and why?

False Starts

I ran cross-country in high school. At the Wendy's Regional senior year the girls 5K began with 3 painful false starts. The first because of a fall in the first 20 feet, and then 2 more for someone anticipating the starter's pistol. Lining up that fourth time, I was frustrated and winded from sprinting out fast so as to not get stuck behind the back. Tensions were high-this course was known for the fastest times-and I wasn't the only one hoping for a PR. I jostled for position among the hundreds of girls stretching across the wide (recently mowed) field, doubled checked my shoe laces, and waited again for the starter's pistol.

On you mark,
Get set!
Bang!

I took off, but not as fast as the times before, and this time the pistol didn't sound again. This time it was for real. I pushed through the thick crowds, finding my pace, glad that this start was the right one.

Revising my NaNo feels so much like this experience. Timing is everything in a race. A novel is no different. Pacing, and especially beginning at the "Right" beginning, is hard. No matter how good the middle may be, or how powerful the ending is, if I can't start at the right place and hook my readers from page one, they're never going to get to page 2, much less 178.

At WIFYR last year Louise Plummer's assingment to the majority of the students was to rerwite the first pages.  We typically fell into 2 catagories
1-Almost always too slow, with info dumps *but we're world building, they need to know this*
2-With so little information that the readers were lost *but the mystery is what's exciting*

I've started my NaNo both ways. Now I'm on my nineth start. I'm trying to listen to the race starter, to feel the moment when the sound of the shot fills my ears, and write that.

Helpful posts on starts. I know there's a million out there, but I learned a lot from PK Hzero and Janette really made me laugh. Enjoy!
PK Hzero
An Author Incognito-Janette Rallison

How do you find the right start?

Lucky 7

Tag.I'm usually good at tag.
I have strong legs and a good explosive kick.
But. . .this time I didn't see it coming.
Ilima reached through the blogsphere and grabbed me by my MS.
(You should check her out this week-she's having her first blog giveaway-$25 on Amazon)

What I have to do:

1. Go to page 77 of your current MS
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next 7 lines and post them as they're written. No cheating.
4. Tag 7 authors.
5 Let them know.

Okay, since my WIP is only 22 pages long, this is from Lovesense.

"They picket Disney movies too though."

"They might picket us." Mom says.

"And Jerry's Taco Stand," Marissa pipes in.

"Not helping," I mouth back to her and she sticks out her tongue.

Mom's still talking. "So I want you on best behavior this week. Try not to act any different or let this affect your grades. Or City-County."

"Easy for you to say. I can't plead the fifth with the entire high school."

I'm tagging
Kathryn
Emily
Taryn
Liesl
Jenilyn
Kate
Trudy

Did you see it coming?

CP Retreat

Eating at the Winery. If you look closely you can see our desserts

Picture rolling hills of green, vinyards and small farms in all directions. Speed humps on the road,wind and rain in the background, and 5 women in the same room not talking, but intent on their MS's. Some of us were busy revising-Emily a new 1st chapter, and Katie, cutting down. Taryn did  a number of impressive things all at the same time-Teen Eyes, revisions for Vickie Motter, a paper for school, and a number of fun activities with a BOY. When JT would let me I wrote the start to my new MG, worked on my query for my NaNo, and found it a title. NaNo is now LOVESENSE (thank you Emily for letting him be your kitchen helper and Ilima for holding him so I could get my eyebrows done).


JT in his St. Patrick's Day glory

It wasn't all business, but I was impressed how much time we were able to devote to writing as a group. Yummy food, beautiful walks, and eating at a Winery where Emily's MAKING STARS takes place were highlights. It was so beautiful, I had trouble remembering I was still in California. Napa Valley is so different from Twentynine Palms.

I didn't learn how to make this star, but Emily's daughter let me take one. This one reminds me of the sun and is what most impressed my family when I came home.

My super cute room

The First Five Pages

After reading Sol Stein's How to Grow a Novel & Stein on Writing, I convinced myself I was  terrible, horrible, no good, very bad writer because I'm not a plotter. I tried to change my ways, but it wasn't me. The writer in me lost confidence, so it was with hesitation that I determined to "sharpen the saw" and read 10 craft books.

The lovely Kathryn Purdie recommended The First Five Pages: AWriter's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman. 2 words that sold me-short and enjoyable. A non-fiction book that was enjoyable? I had to see for myself. I checked it out from the library and then had to buy my own copy.

Amazon Book Description:

IF YOU'RE TIRED OF REJECTION, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU. Whether you are a novice writer or a veteran who has already had your work published, rejection is often a frustrating reality. Literary agents and editors receive and reject hundreds of manuscripts each month. While it's the job of these publishing professionals to be discriminating, it's the job of the writer to produce a manuscript that immediately stands out among the vast competition. And those outstanding qualities, says New York literary agent Noah Lukeman, have to be apparent from the first five pages.
The First Five Pages reveals the necessary elements of good writing, whether it be fiction, nonfiction, journalism, or poetry, and points out errors to be avoided, such as
* A weak opening hook
* Overuse of adjectives and adverbs
* Flat or forced metaphors or similes
* Melodramatic, commonplace or confusing dialogue
* Undeveloped characterizations and lifeless settings
* Uneven pacing and lack of progression
With exercises at the end of each chapter, this invaluable reference will allow novelists, journalists, poets and screenwriters alike to improve their technique as they learn to eliminate even the most subtle mistakes that are cause for rejection. The First Five Pages will help writers at every stage take their art to a higher -- and more successful -- level.

Lukeman's intentionally bad examples had me laughing so hard I cried.

One quick example-"The squad car went fast down the bumpy, rocky road, quickly swerving to avoid the large, fat bugs smashing squarely against the slimy windshield. The hot, humid, stifling day poured in in waves making the men wipe their sweaty, clammy brows with their diry,greasy rags . . ."

If you want to laugh and learn, this is a great book to do it with. At only 197 pages it's a quick read as well. As per my 2012 goals I've now read 1 craft book. 9 more to go. What books have helped you grow the most as a writer?