Don't miss Darby Christopher's interview with bestselling author Diana Gabaldon tomorrow.
I'll definitely be dropping by Darby's blog. Diana Gabaldon writes the Outlander series, featuring Jamie and Claire Fraser. She's a preeminent storyteller, a wizard of words and one really smart (and funny) woman.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
The Very Hungry Caterpillar's Birthday
Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar has turned a big, fat 40. Catch a video of Carle speaking about his classic picture here.
TV Interview Tips for Writers
Writers take note: Amy Baskin has an excellent post up on the PWAC blog about doing TV interviews .
Amy Baskin is the co-author of More Than a Mom—Living a Full and Balanced Life When Your Child Has Special Needs.
Amy Baskin is the co-author of More Than a Mom—Living a Full and Balanced Life When Your Child Has Special Needs.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Happy St. Pat's!
Top o' the morning to ye!
The sun is shining, the mercury's rising and the likelihood of my butt staying in the chair today is dropping. Fast.
In the spirit of going green, here's what I do to write green:
The sun is shining, the mercury's rising and the likelihood of my butt staying in the chair today is dropping. Fast.
In the spirit of going green, here's what I do to write green:
- Get my ink cartridges refilled, instead of replacing them.
- Do the majority of my editing on-screen.
- Meet with clients via phone or email, rather than face-to-face. (Though sometimes face-to-face is necessary.)
- When I do print, single space on recycled paper.
- Use online resources whenever possible.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Deborah Kerbel on Blog Tour
Head on over to The Story Siren. Deborah Kerbel riffs on the best things about being a YA author. There's a contest, too. Be sure to check out the guest post before Thursday, March 19. You could win a signed copy of Kerbel's novel, Mackenzie Lost and Found.
Well, if I don't win.
Well, if I don't win.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Getting Started
The blank page.
Those have to be the most beautiful -- and scariest -- three words in the writer's lexicon. Depending upon my mood, the blank page can be anything from a delectable expanse ready for creation to a very smooth, slippery wall of hard plastic that will not take ink no matter how hard I try.
Luckily, there are ways around the latter. Here are a few of my favourites (in random order, because I'm a random kind of gal):
a. Pick a colour. Write from the colour.
b. Snatch up a book like Room to Write: Daily Invitations to a Writer's Life by Bonni Goldberg. Find it here. It's stuffed from cover to cover with writing starters. Another of my faves is Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg. Find it here. (Why are they both Goldbergs? Is there a genetic predisposition to inspiring writers?)
c. Take the words out of someone else's mouth. Open a book you haven't read to a random page. Write down the first line. Then continue. You can start with this one: "It was even more money than he had delivered the time before." (Daughter of War, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, p. 56. Get it here.)
d. Take the words out of someone else's mouth, part two. Sit down in a coffee shop and write down the first sentence you hear. (Be sly about this one.)
Now, go fill a page!
Those have to be the most beautiful -- and scariest -- three words in the writer's lexicon. Depending upon my mood, the blank page can be anything from a delectable expanse ready for creation to a very smooth, slippery wall of hard plastic that will not take ink no matter how hard I try.
Luckily, there are ways around the latter. Here are a few of my favourites (in random order, because I'm a random kind of gal):
a. Pick a colour. Write from the colour.
b. Snatch up a book like Room to Write: Daily Invitations to a Writer's Life by Bonni Goldberg. Find it here. It's stuffed from cover to cover with writing starters. Another of my faves is Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg. Find it here. (Why are they both Goldbergs? Is there a genetic predisposition to inspiring writers?)
c. Take the words out of someone else's mouth. Open a book you haven't read to a random page. Write down the first line. Then continue. You can start with this one: "It was even more money than he had delivered the time before." (Daughter of War, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, p. 56. Get it here.)
d. Take the words out of someone else's mouth, part two. Sit down in a coffee shop and write down the first sentence you hear. (Be sly about this one.)
Now, go fill a page!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Character Enters Blogosphere
kc dyer has a brand-new book out: A WALK THROUGH A WINDOW. She's started up a nifty-cool blog "written" by the main character, Darby Christopher. Check it out. (kc dyer blogs as herself here.)
I think this is just about the neatest way I've seen the blogosphere used by an author. kc has just set her character loose from the book's bindings.
In order to allow a character to have her own blog, I think she must have enough life that she can leap off the page. Now, is that literally, or virtually?
I think this is just about the neatest way I've seen the blogosphere used by an author. kc has just set her character loose from the book's bindings.
In order to allow a character to have her own blog, I think she must have enough life that she can leap off the page. Now, is that literally, or virtually?
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