tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81135969801899609482024-02-20T06:19:11.446-05:00M.P. BarkerM.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-43328151322028472742013-12-08T10:06:00.000-05:002013-12-08T10:06:00.471-05:00My blog has moved!M.P. Barker's blog has moved to <a href="http://www.mpbarker.net/">my website.</a> You can find it under <a href="http://mpbarker.net/wicked-cool-history-stuff/">Wicked Cool History Stuff. </a>M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-19628503115400164222009-04-26T16:45:00.016-04:002009-04-26T19:49:08.436-04:00As the Writers Juggle...Episode #9 - Karen Rider<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.abacabdesigns.com/images/kmrlogo_3d.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 168px;" src="http://www.abacabdesigns.com/images/kmrlogo_3d.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SfTw3pcSFjI/AAAAAAAAAFg/t1wWVQO6oLc/s1600-h/Karen+Rider+headshot_2007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 167px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SfTw3pcSFjI/AAAAAAAAAFg/t1wWVQO6oLc/s320/Karen+Rider+headshot_2007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329149097894090290" border="0" /></a><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:red; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Hi, welcome to another episode of "As the Writers Juggle," in which we ask writers to share their tips on keeping balance in their writing lives. Our guest today is Karen M. Rider, a freelance writer of both nonfiction and fiction. In addition to contract and promotional writing, she's a columnist for <b>I</b><a href="http://www.innertapestry.org/columns/healing-southern.html"><b>nner Tapestry Holistic Journal</b></a><b>, </b><a href="http://naturalnutmeg.com/index.html"><b>Natural Nutmeg</b></a>, and <a href="http://www.anopendoor.com/TDO/index.html"><b>The Door Opener</b></a>. She tells us, "... my dream is still in the launch phase—off the ground with all engines working at maximum thrust…. What I am experiencing might be inspiration for others who are uncertain how to begin living their writing dream."<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Q: </b>Welcome, Karen! Tell us about the other responsibilities that you juggle along with your writing.<o:p></o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Karen:</i></b><i> I have two daughters; the eldest is almost three, and the youngest is six months.<b> </b>My children are the reason I<b> </b>write. Writing was a dream trapped by fears for a long time. When I became a mother, I realized the only way I could truly encourage my daughter to follow HER dreams was if I let her see how I was living my dream. So, in the Fall of 2006 I began to do just that. However, my husband and I felt it best to have a stay-at-home parent, so family life is my full-time work. Since I don’t have family that lives in-state, I don’t have the benefit of easy access to a babysitting grandparent—my girls go with me just about everywhere, weather permitting. </i><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>My schedule shifts as their activities and developmental needs shift. I also write in balance with what they need from the family, but I try to structure blocks of time based on freelance assignments and fiction writing goals that I have for myself. I am a contract writer for an educational association and a write promotional copy for an event management company<b> </b>and small businesses. I also write a column six times a year for a regional holistic health magazine (that does not pay, but great experience) and I landed a four-issue column with a wellness magazine that currently publishes in three states. This, I hope will grow into something more. I’ve written profiles, features, essays, and interviews and promotional copy of all kinds.<b> </b>Income is not always consistent; over time it adds to the piggy bank<b> </b>and keeps my clips file fresh. <o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>As far as fiction writing- I also write short stories and have a novel under construction. Last summer, I launched and facilitate a writing group that</i><i> has spawned a spin-off group a few towns over. THE WRITER’S CIRCLE is innovative in its group structure, intention and offerings. Non-dues paying membership is capped at 12, groups decide to cater to men or women or both sexes. Each monthly meeting focuses on an activity: writing practice, guest writer/speaker leading a mini-workshop, </i><i>Critique JAM Sessions, Writer’s Grand Rounds, resource sharing, a holiday gathering and a mid-year retreat in July. I will be marketing the Circle format so that others in need of a true writing group don’t have to reinvent the wheel. I’m active in the<b> </b>CT Authors and Publishers Association, too.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>Did I mention, I have husband, too. And, a big Siberian Husky. <o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>If I had to calculate time – then <b>there is not enough time in the day</b> for all that I hope to do with my writing, my family, and my recreational time. <o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>My husband’s support of my writing has waxed and waned, especially in the beginning. As he witnessed my commitment to my passion, he realized this was something to be taken seriously. He also likes the months when extra money comes in!<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Q: </b>That's great that you're providing support to other writers. It's so important to have colleagues to share your journey with. <o:p></o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal">When you're done chasing down the kids, about how many hours a day does that leave you for writing?<br /><br /><b><i>Karen: </i></b><i>I almost always get two hours a day, four days a week—that’s nap time for the kiddies. Two days a week, my older child goes to a preschool program, so I can usually get four hours on those days. The more energy I have, the more I am actually sitting down to write. Don’t misunderstand… my mind is always working on something. As I drift off to sleep I am asking questions about my fiction project and usually waking up with notes to make. <b><br /></b></i></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><br /><i>And when a child is ill or not cooperating on my terms, I have to reschedule my time. That might entail a 4 a.m. wake-up call. Depends on how much energy I need for the day that looms ahead.</i><br /><br /><b>Q: </b>Yeah, keeping up with two little kids can take a ton of energy. If only they'd give us some of theirs! How do you organize it all? <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i>Karen: </i></b><i>I try to plan a day or two out—beyond that, with kids, is a waste of energy. <o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>I’m trying to get up earlier, but I hate winter and that makes it tough for me. Not<b> </b>to mention “earlier” in this household means 3:30 or 4:30 a.m., as my daughters are up and ready to take on the world by 6:00. If something is really driving me, then I do get up extra early, for one hour and go back to sleep so I’m not totally shot for a day with toddlers and crawlers.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>So, I structure my morning based on my kids' activities, the weather, household chores (which I will slack on until I can’t take the sight of things!), and if I want to exercise that day (usually a requirement for sustaining my sanity).</i></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><b>Q:</b> You might be pleased to know that most of our previous interviewees highly recommend slacking off when it comes to housekeeping. So you're in good company!<i><br /></i><br />You mentioned that when the toddlers and crawlers rest, that's when you get busy.<br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><i><br /><b>Karen: </b></i><i>Nap time comes and I am working on something. If naptime doesn’t come when I expect it (or at all) then I have a mandatory quiet play time in which I take care of the most important work item, then return to caring for my kids. Now, I know I have to write that night, no matter what.</i> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>Every day is different—if I had to get up with one of the girls overnight, and I’m mentally or physically tired—I’ve learned to let go and take the path of least resistance that day. (as long as a client isn’t waiting on me, which is rare, because I excel at planning for deadlines)<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>When all else fails—and there is extra m</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>oney--I call a babysitter.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Q:</b> Do you have a favorite writing place?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i>Karen: </i></b><i>My sunroom.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SfTxC1Mfi-I/AAAAAAAAAFo/aTGiM-0ZCIQ/s1600-h/riderwriting+space1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SfTxC1Mfi-I/AAAAAAAAAFo/aTGiM-0ZCIQ/s320/riderwriting+space1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329149290027650018" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SfTxZgKdJyI/AAAAAAAAAFw/ta8H1yA4k2E/s1600-h/riderwriting+space2-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SfTxZgKdJyI/AAAAAAAAAFw/ta8H1yA4k2E/s320/riderwriting+space2-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329149679518951202" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Q: </b>Oh, gee, I'd lo-o-o-ve a sunroom!!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">How do you keep from losing your momentum?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i>Karen: </i></b><i>I never lose sight of WHY I’m doing this: to inspire my daughters to live true to their passion and </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>follow their dreams.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Q: </b>What a lovely source of inspiration!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">What do you do when you get blocked?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i>Karen: </i></b><i>Play with my kids; do yoga; go for a walk; window shop; read; email mentor; email members of The Writer’s Circle; cry J</i><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Q: </b>Oh, yeah, I can definitely relate to the crying part.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Do you find it difficult to make the transition between your family responsibilities and writing? How do you handle it?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i>Karen: </i></b><i>My family and writing responsibilities are seamless….but when I sit to write, especially fiction, I am in the zone, as they say.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Q: </b>What helps motivate you and keep you on track? Are you self-motivated or do you need outside naggers to help?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i>Karen: </i></b><i>Combination. My children, my writing group, my inner drive.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Q:</b> How do you deal with distractions—either outside or inner procrastinatorial/avoidance issues?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i>Karen: </i></b><i>Usually, if a distraction is in the form of my three-year-old saying “you did enough working today, mommy.” Or her behavior is getting out of hand, then I know it is time for ME to stop what I’m doing and focus on her. I ignore the phone and sometimes forget that I put clothes in the washer….. I give my inner critic space to vent and counter everything it has to say to keep it from stopping me from writing (took me a year to master that!)<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Q: </b>Do you feel you have enough time for fun/relaxation/non-writing hobbies or activities you’d like to pursue?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i>Karen </i></b><i>I used to do two-a-day workouts—one with the dog, and one at the fitness center. Bad weather, nap schedules, sick kids (or parent), kids classes… all this has to be balanced. I do less volunteer work unless it involves giving back through writing, like with The Writer’s Circle, or the Mom’s Network.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Q:</b> What advice would you give to others struggling with writing/job/time management issues?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i>Karen:</i></b><i> <b>MY 4-Ps</b>: Know your Priorities and Focal Areas. Keep an honest Perspective. Develop a Process that works for you. Stay grounded in the Present-moment. And always, allow your Passion to be your guide.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>Get a personal coach if you’re really struggling. By the way… an article on this very topic will be published in the next few months.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><b>Q: </b>Are there any other issues/ideas you’d like to mention? <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><i>Karen: </i></b><i>Get your spouse on board.. it may not happen overnight, but that support is critical. Well, for me it is. It tickles my writer’s funny bone when my spouse is as interested in my professional pursuits as I am in his. A simple "how’s the novel going?” or “Do you need some time this afternoon for that project you mentioned?”--that’s all it takes.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>I’m starting to realize that there are more ideas in my head than the time in the day to flesh everything out on paper. Until my kids are school-age, I have to choose more carefully what kinds of paid work I look for and accept—especially if I want to get my novel out from under construction and standing in its own binding in a Barnes & Noble!<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>OH… create a professional image. Before I started querying local and national magazines, I designed a logo… came up with a tag line that reflects my core values… which are also symbolized in the logo along with my “writer’s mission”…<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Karen's nifty logo is at the top of the page. For the story behind the logo, go to: <i><a href="http://www.abacabdesigns.com/karenmrider.html">http://www.abacabdesigns.com/karenmrider.html</a></i><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Thanks, Karen! Hope to see you in Barnes & Noble soon!</p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /><span style="color:black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:12;"> </span></span>M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-77263471573136458782009-04-14T10:43:00.013-04:002009-04-14T11:27:12.525-04:00As the Writers Juggle...Episode #8 - Anne Broyles<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SeSlj48dFmI/AAAAAAAAAFY/pr7koYmYf64/s1600-h/broylescover2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 164px; height: 216px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SeSlj48dFmI/AAAAAAAAAFY/pr7koYmYf64/s400/broylescover2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324562695458723426" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SeSle6X076I/AAAAAAAAAFQ/WwmmF0TtIEA/s1600-h/broylescover1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 206px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SeSle6X076I/AAAAAAAAAFQ/WwmmF0TtIEA/s400/broylescover1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324562609942622114" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Hi, welcome to another episode of "As the Writers Juggle," in which we ask writers to share their tips on the writing life. Today's guest is Anne Broyles, the author of <b>PRISCILLA AND THE HOLLYHOCKS</b> (Charlesbridge, 2008) and <b>SHY MAMA’S HALLOWEEN</b> (Tilbury House, 2000) and author, co-author or contributor of twenty books for youth and adults in the religious field. Anne also writes high school curriculum for youth groups and Sunday schools and is a regular contributor to <b>MERRIMACK VALLEY MAGAZINE. </b>Two traumatic incidents in Anne's life inspired her to make a leap of faith into a career as a full-time writer, combining fiction and non-fiction writing to feed both body and soul. </p><p class="MsoNormal">You can find out more about Anne at her website: <a href="http://www.annebroyles.com/">www.annebroyles.com.</a> Or read her blog on Live Journal: <a href="http://annebroyles.livejournal.com/">http://annebroyles.livejournal.com/</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Q: </b>Anne, you came to writing full-time after a career in the ministry. Can you tell us a little about that transition? </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>Anne: </b>After college, I attended seminary with a desire to write books and produce films for my denomination, but that wasn’t a viable career option. So I threw myself into local church ministry and loved it. From the first year of my professional life as a United Methodist minister, I wrote magazine articles and high school curricula in addition to my 60-hour a week ministry. I couldn’t NOT write.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>In 1996, as I madly typed away on an impending deadline assignment, I received a call that a beautiful 21 year-old woman from our church had accidentally overdosed on alcohol and heroin. I left my computer, drove to the hospital, and spent the next twelve days going back and forth to Bridgette’s hospital bed until we decided to take her off<span> </span>of life support. Those were stressful days as I tried to do my other church work, interact with my family and complete the writing assignment. I felt an anguished push and pull between responsibilities, and didn’t get much sleep. </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>In 1997, an emergency surgery saved my life and kept me in the hospital for eight days. Having almost died brought clarity. I realized that while someone else could do my job as a church pastor, no one else could write the stories in my head. Five months later I took early retirement from ministry and began to write full-time. I’ve never regretted the decision.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Q:</b> So this was definitely both a spiritual and professional journey for you. How did your family react to your decision? </p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>Anne: </b>My husband and kids have always been supportive. (They know how grumpy I get if I don’t get to write regularly!) That first year I made myself available to every editor I knew, and earned almost as much money as I had in ministry. But I wasn’t writing what I wanted to write (fiction); I was writing to pay bills. At the end of that year I chose to use part of an inheritance to “pay myself to write” for one year. My mother always encouraged my writing and I figured she would’ve wanted to be my patron.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>When my children were young, I sometimes went away on writing retreat for a few days or a week to immerse myself in a longer book project so that I could come home and better use the bits and pieces of time I found.<span> </span>It was easier to leave for a while than to get on track with little uninterrupted time (my husband is a wonderful father, obviously). Each family or situation is different, so writers can make adjustments according to what works for them.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Now, my kids are independent young adults, so it’s just my husband and pets at home. I am also a Big Sister to a thirteen-year-old girl. I still count on the support and encouragement of all my family members, especially for those moments I am discouraged and I think I should give up this writing career and “get a real (better paying) job.” </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Q:</b> What sacrifices did you have to make to take the plunge?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>Anne: </b>I often had and still have to choose writing nonfiction over fiction because that’s what pays the bills, but those assignments give me the luxury of working from home, being my own boss, scheduling my time, and squeezing in children’s fiction writing and visits.<span> </span>I work fifteen hours a week at Habitat for Humanity. The rest of my jobs are writing-related.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Q: </b>About how many hours a day/week can you spend writing? </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>Anne: </b>I work on writing 4- 10 hours a day, six days a week but that includes research, business, correspondence, preparing for school visits and other presentations, traveling to give presentations, promotion (see below) and encouraging other writers. Because of my magazine and curriculum assignments there are days I don’t get to write or revise fiction at all. I try to focus on and clear all of the other tasks off my “to do list” so I can take several days in a row to do nothing but work on a novel or picture book, but it’s hard to balance everything. I don’t work for a page count per day, but tend to write fast when I am focused.</i></p><p><b>Q: </b>About much of that time is spent on book promotion? </p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>Anne:</b> I spend an average of at least an hour each day preparing promotional materials, networking, contacting schools and enrichment councils, updating my blog and GoodReads. In the months before and after a book comes out, I sometimes feel swamped by the marketing demands. For instance, with <b>PRISCILLA AND THE HOLLYHOCKS</b>, I sent emails and postcards about the book to everyone I knew around the United States and traveled to several states to publicize the book.<span> </span>Each time I do a bookstore event, I send info to the pertinent geographic database. I try to supplement the efforts of the publisher’s PR department. For instance, when I discovered the New York Botanical Gardens carried <b>PRISCILLA</b>, I did research and sent cards to all the botanical gardens in the U.S. to encourage them to carry the book in their garden shop.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Q: </b>You're writing and marketing dozens of books plus nonfiction articles. How do you organize it all? </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>Anne: </b>On my office closet door I have index cards with the names of my 30 children’s books that are either 1) out to editors, 2) my current focus, or 3) need more revision and work.<span> </span>I don’t expect to get all those books completed and sold before I die, but I will keep trying! </i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Q: </b>So what does a Day in the Life of Anne Broyles look like? </p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>Anne: </b>A typical day starts with an hour of Pilates, yoga, or cardio at 8 a.m. Then breakfast, after which I check email and respond to ‘writing business.”<span> </span>I usually have a to-do list for the day. Next, I spend several hours of focused time on that day’s project, which depends on whether I must work to an editor’s deadline or can choose my fiction project. With 20 minutes off for lunch and a 30-minute exercise break somewhere in the afternoon, I work until dinner, after which I often work some more. I go to bed around 11 p.m.This describes a day without social and family commitments.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Q: </b>Very busy! But I notice you take time out too keep in shape--a must when you sit at a desk most of the day! What are your best places and times for writing?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>Anne: </b>I spend most of my writing time in my office with a view of woods and fields and occasional wild creatures.<br /></i></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SeShkYax9KI/AAAAAAAAAEw/aEci2go2HPs/s1600-h/broylespic1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 374px; height: 279px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SeShkYax9KI/AAAAAAAAAEw/aEci2go2HPs/s400/broylespic1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324558305860908194" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Q: </span>What a great view! And her office is pretty nifty, too!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SeSjp0PLd8I/AAAAAAAAAFA/uGDe3FP9CUs/s1600-h/broylespic2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 306px; height: 229px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SeSjp0PLd8I/AAAAAAAAAFA/uGDe3FP9CUs/s400/broylespic2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324560598251042754" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SeSj0QCuJhI/AAAAAAAAAFI/KrsgOFD5VZI/s1600-h/broylespic3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 210px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SeSj0QCuJhI/AAAAAAAAAFI/KrsgOFD5VZI/s400/broylespic3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324560777513674258" border="0" /></a><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-weight: bold;">Anne: </span>For longer, complicated projects, I like to sit on my bed with papers scattered around me: a queen-sized work space. And comfy! Because I travel a lot, I write in airports and on planes, but that’s not nearly as comfortable.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Q: </b>How do you keep from losing your momentum?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>Anne: </b>I remind myself that no one else can tell the stories in my head.</i></p><span> <b>Q: </b></span>What do you do when you get blocked? (Or do you get blocked?) <p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>Anne:</b> I don’t think of it as getting blocked as much as needing a change. I’m always working on multiple projects (magazine articles, curricula, a couple of picture books, a YA novel), so when I feel fatigued with a project or no sparks are flying, I switch and work on something else.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Q: </b>Do you find it difficult to make the transition between your non-writing responsibilities and writing? How do you handle it?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>Anne: </b>I actually like working at home because when I need a mental break, I walk the dogs or put a load of laundry in or kayak when it’s warm. Short breaks (usually 15-30 minutes) refresh my head and I feel ready to work again. I try not to do housework or yard work or family business in my designated writing time. I do get frustrated when my not-writing-fiction jobs intrude on my “real writing” (as they often do). I sometimes wish for a patron to fund me to write fiction full-time. Or an office assistant to take care of all the writing business would be wonderful, but that’s probably never going to happen. I’ve learned to live knowing I may never feel like I have everything done in my writing career or around the house.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Q: </b>I think you've covered most writers' first three wishes: 1) a sugar-daddy (or mommy); 2) a personal assistant; 3) a house elf. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">What helps motivate you and keep you on track? Are you self-motivated or do you need outside naggers to help?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>Anne: </b>I am totally self-motivated by the desire to write and get more work published. I set my own deadlines even if no editor is waiting for my work. My agent has a monthly “reading week,” so I often try to have something new to her so I test out my ideas before I am too immersed in a project. </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Q: </b>How do you deal with distractions—either outside or inner procrastinatorial/avoidance issues?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>Anne: </b>I’m resolved this year to more clearly separate out “writing” from “writing business/tasks,” and to designate certain times for Internet use. Otherwise, Facebook and email could eat up an hour or two. I just read Cory Doctorow’s blog on this topic (<a href="http://www.locusmag.com/Features/2009/01/cory-doctorow-writing-in-age-of.html">http://www.locusmag.com/Features/2009/01/cory-doctorow-writing-in-age-of.html</a>) and it inspired me to make necessary changes. </i></p><p><b>Q:</b> Yes, Facebook and all that other social networking stuff can be a HUGE time sink! </p><p>Do you feel you have enough time for non-writing hobbies or activities you’d like to pursue? </p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>Anne: </b>Yes, I spend long hours writing, but that is balanced out with lots of physical exercise (yoga, Pilates, cardio, hiking, kayaking or snowshoeing, depending on the season), reading (numerous books a week, since I am a fast reader), going to movies and plays with my husband, mentoring my Little Sister, getting together with friends, studying Spanish, travel. I need to balance my mental and physical and emotional energies. I also am a high-energy person with no young children who need me at this stage in my life.</i></p><b>Q: </b>What advice would you give to others struggling with writing and time management issues? <p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>Anne: </b>Don’t squander your gifts. You’ve got this one life, however long, so choose how you want to live it within the confines of your reality. That said, be gentle with yourself. It may be that other things are more important at this stage than your writing, and that’s okay, too. </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Q: </b>Well-said, indeed! Are there any other issues or ideas you’d like to mention?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>Anne: </b>I think it’s crucial to participate in a critique group. I count on my two groups for challenge, support and resource-sharing. Writing doesn’t have to be a lonely profession; there’s a great writing community in children’s lit and SCBWI.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal">Thanks, Anne! Your story is an inspiration in so many ways. </p>M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-32764193983431932332009-04-08T14:34:00.007-04:002009-04-08T15:27:13.291-04:00As the Writers Juggle...Episode #7 - Jessica Burkhart<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/Sdz26FV0myI/AAAAAAAAAEo/VKUnN09z0a4/s1600-h/tnCB.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 262px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/Sdz26FV0myI/AAAAAAAAAEo/VKUnN09z0a4/s400/tnCB.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322400337371634466" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/Sdz2yw1bPFI/AAAAAAAAAEg/vWppEp-q31M/s1600-h/tnTakeTheReins.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 262px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/Sdz2yw1bPFI/AAAAAAAAAEg/vWppEp-q31M/s400/tnTakeTheReins.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322400211607960658" border="0" /></a><br />Hi, welcome to another episode of "As the Writers Juggle," in which we ask writers to share their tips on the writing life. While many of our previous guests have written about juggling full- or part-time jobs with their writing careers, this week's guest, <a href="http://www.jessicaburkhart.com/">Jessica Burkhart</a>, jumped into her full-time writing career right out of college--a brave move indeed! Now 22, she says she started freelancing at 14 to feed her lip gloss addiction. (And if you know how well fiction-writing pays, you'll know that earning enough to buy lip gloss is pretty impressive!) Her first two middle grade novels, <span style="font-weight: bold;">TAKE THE REINS</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">CHASING BLUE (CANTERWOOD CREST)</span>, are available now and are the first installments in a series of eight. Visit Jess online at her <a href="http://www.jessicaburkhart.com/">Website</a> or the <a href="http://www.canterwoodcrest.com/index.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Canterwood Crest</span> series Website</a> .<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Q:</span> When did you decide to take the plunge? Was there a deciding moment that convinced you it was time to strike out as a full-time writer?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jessica:</span> I went right from college to writing full-time. I'd wavered between being a full-time writer and going to grad school, but ultimately decided to take the big step and be a full-time writer. The intense pub schedule that I'm on with books coming out bi-monthly would have made it a little difficult to juggle both. :) </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Q:</span> A book every two months--now that's impressive, especially to someone like me who writes excrutiatingly slowly. What hurdles have you had to overcome?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Jessica</span><span style="font-style: italic;">: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Since I got the book deal, I've had to deal with a few negative comments about my age. I've had a couple of people say that I haven't worked hard enough or long enough to "earn" a book deal. They have the misconception that I sat down, wrote a book and got an agent in a week. Um, no! I freelanced for five years before I wrote <span style="font-weight: bold;">Take the Reins</span>. My rejection pile is ENORMOUS and that doesn't even count the e-mailed rejections or editors who never responded. It didn't happen overnight. Trust me.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Q:</span> (Looking at own rejection pile...) Oh, I trust you on that--been there, done that (though at a much, much older and more decrepit point in my life...)!<br /><br />Tell us a little about your writing routine. You must be pretty disciplined to work under such tight deadlines.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Jessica:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> When I'm working on a draft, I try to hit at least 2000 words a day. When that's done, I can move onto something else, but I must hit that goal. So, if I want to play around on the Internet and work, it'll take me that much longer to meet my word count. The mind games of, "Oooh! When I reach my word count, I'm technically done for the day" works well for me and it keeps me from procrastinating too much. On my best days, I can average 3500-4000 words a day. I usually write seven to eight hours a day when I'm in crazy-draft mode to meet my deadline.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Q:</span> That's something like 15 pages a day. I'm impressed! And then you have to go out and sell those books, too. About how many hours a week do you spend on book promotion?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Jessica:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Wow. I honestly don't even know. If I had to ballpark it, maybe 12-16 hours a week. I count blogging, vlogging, doing interviews, visiting local stores, responding to e-mail, seeking horse blogs, etc. I try to keep up a steady stream of promotion and not do everything in a week and then disappear.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Q:</span> Okay, so what's the secret to staying so organized? Can you describe an average day for us?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Jessica:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Okay!<br /><br />Average day:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">6:30-7am-Up and I stumble to my laptop and turn it on.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">I check Facebook, read e-mails and browse LiveJournal. I start typing by eight and work until <span style="font-weight: bold;">The View</span> comes on. That's my cue to get away from the desk, move around and have that second cup of coffee and/or soda depending on the day.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />I take a break for lunch and catch up on blogs.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">After lunch, it's back to writing, editing, checking copyedits or doing promo.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />I take my next break around 3pm and shut down my now overheated laptop. I usually watch <span style="font-weight: bold;">General Hospital</span> (hello, it's awesome!), look at my calendar, make a list of things to do and work on editing any printed drafts that I have.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />I'm back on my computer at four (with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Oprah</span> on in the background) and work 'til dinner. I'll take a couple of hours to chill and read or go outside.<br /><br />After that, I keep going until ten or eleven depending on where I am with my deadline. If I'm being super-obsessed with work, I'll take printed pages to bed and work on them 'til midnight.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">If I'm feeling good about my pace, I'll read until eleven-thirty or so and then pass out.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Q:</span> Yeah, I'd pass out, too--that's a pretty full day! But it's good to see that you schedule regular breaks. Do you have a favorite time or place for writing?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Jessica: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">I do my best writing in early afternoon. I'm too fuzzy in the morning, so I really get going around 10am. I love writing in my room, but I get sleepy on my bed. So, I'm usually in the living room--either on the floor or on the couch.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Q:</span> How do you keep from losing your momentum?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Jessica: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">It's just in me not to stop. I want to be a writer for the rest of my life and I'm only just getting started. I use the goals and dreams I have for myself to propel my writing. It motivates me to sit at my desk for hours.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Q:</span> Do you ever get blocked? What do you do to get unstuck?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Jessica:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> I've never had writer's block (thankfully!), but I have had times when I've been too excited or distracted with something going on in my life that I just can't write. So, I don't try to force it. I take a day off to address whatever is going on with me and then I'm back at it. I don't want to waste all day sitting at my laptop if I just can't work.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Q: </span>Is there anything that comes between you and your writing?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Jessica: </span><span style="font-style: italic;"> I don't have kids or another job, so I write full-time. Perhaps the biggest hang up is dealing with family drama and I'm slowly learning how to pull back from that.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Q: </span> Ah, family drama! I don't think any of us can escape that.<br /><br />What helps motivate you and keep you on track? Are you self-motivated or do you need outside naggers to help?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Jessica:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> No naggers necessary! *grin* I've always been pretty good with motivating myself. I love being my own boss and I don't need someone telling me to write.. </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">And I've said before that a couple of people from NYC would show up at my doorstep and threaten to take away my favorite thing-my lip gloss collection--if I didn't meet my deadline. So that keeps me typing away! ;)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Q: </span>(Filing note to self on Jessica's lip-gloss addiction for possible blackmail use at a later date...)<br /><br />How do you deal with distractions?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Jessica:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> E-mail is definitely my biggest distraction. Instead of refreshing my inbox every five minutes, I log into MSN and read the new message alerts as they come in. When I do that, I can either choose to go read the new email or ignore it and check later. That seems to work for me.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Q: </span>You sound pretty driven. Do you feel you have enough time for non-writing hobbies or activities?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Jessica:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> I do have enough time, but I'm being a neurotic workaholic writer and I'm not giving myself much time for outside hobbies. I will soon, but right now I'm trying to focus fully on my career. I'm just getting started and I want to do the best job I can.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Q: </span>What advice would you give to others struggling with writing and time management issues?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Jessica:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Treat your writing as a job and not a hobby. Make it that important and encourage your family/friends to realize how serious you are about writing. Whatever it takes to make time to write, do it.<br /></span><br />Hmmmm....that might be a tough one for me, since I have a hard time treating my JOB like a JOB, never mind my writing ;) (Only kidding, boss, agent & publisher!!)<br /><br />Thanks so much Jessica. Oh, and about that lip gloss addiction? Check out <a href="http://www.kevdo.com/lipbalm/">Lip Balm Anonymous. </a>They even have a 12-step program. And I don't think they're joking...<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-85185327681332106712009-03-28T09:18:00.002-04:002009-03-28T09:29:13.961-04:00Interview on Concord NH Arts Telefest tomorrowJudith Jaeger, author of The Secret Thief, and I recently taped interviews for Concord NH Community TV's Arts Telefest, a celebration of area artists and arts organizations. The Telefest is an all-day event tomorrow, March 29, from 9 am to 9 pm, and will be broadcast on Concord NH channels 6 and 22, and streamed online at <a href="http://www.yourconcordtv.org">www.yourconcordtv.org</a>. The program features live performances, interviews, and more. If you're in the Concord area, head on down to Concord High School to check out the fun. If you're not in the area, go to the website and check out the online stream. I'll be on deck at 6:52 p.m. <br /><br />And remember that Community TV stations like Concord Community TV, public television, and public radio all depend on your support to survive. So if you have a favorite NPR or PBS or Local Access TV station in your area, don't forget to give them a little loving whenever you can!M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-115009043347706822009-03-08T17:28:00.005-04:002009-03-08T17:36:50.082-04:00As the Writers Juggle...Episode #6 - Ellen Jensen Abbott<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SbQ5QC8RWzI/AAAAAAAAAEY/ja3j23ACxPk/s1600-h/watersmeetcover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SbQ5QC8RWzI/AAAAAAAAAEY/ja3j23ACxPk/s400/watersmeetcover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310932808407014194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/MICHEL%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" />Hi, welcome to another episode of "As the Writers Juggle," in which we ask writers to share their tips on balancing work, family, and the writing life. This week's guest is <a href="http://ellenjensenabbott.wordpress.com/">Ellen Jensen Abbott</a>, author of the soon-to-be-released fantasy novel <b><a type="amzn" asin="0761455361">Watersmeet</a></b> and member of the <a href="http://classof2k9.com/">Class of 2k9</a>.<br /><br />Here's what Ellen has to say about how she juggles her roles as high-school teacher, mom, and writer:<br /><br /><i><b>Ellen</b>: I feel like I have at least three full-time jobs. For pay, I teach high school English at a boarding school. I have a full-time teaching load (four sections of English, two preparations), but I do not do dorm-duty, coaching or weekend duty—required of full-time faculty—which means that I am technically 80% employed. Anyone who grades English essays knows that there is rarely such thing as "part time."<br /><br />Then I am the mother of two children, 9 and 12. My husband works full-time, so since I am "part-time" and have a slightly more flexible schedule, doctors' appointments, hair cuts, snow-days or sick days with the kids all fall to me. Then there's car pool, sports, piano lessons, church choir, etc. It may not sound like it, but our children are actually LESS scheduled than many of today's children. We also have a family dinner every night and try to do real hands-on parenting. Full-time job #2.<br /><br />Full-time job #3: book promotion/writing. (Wait—I think that's two jobs!) My debut YA fantasy novel, Watersmeet, comes out in April 2009 (Marshall Cavendish). Of course, this is a dream come true. I started writing YA fantasy about ten years ago, submitted one MS and received a positive rejection (a term only writers seem to get!) and then wrote this one. I knew that writers were largely responsible for their own publicity, but I didn't know that in any real way. Major learning curve. I can finagle my way around the web but I really didn’t know much about blogs, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc—which is of course where so much book promotion now occurs. And being new to book promotion in general, I don't know which of ninety-seven directions to put my energy in.<br /><br />And then there's writing. That's why I got into this, right? Because I love writing? It is a true struggle to find the time for this. The promotion stuff seems so immediately necessary. Grading papers, prepping my classes for tomorrow—also necessary. Feeding, bathing the children—pretty damn necessary. That leaves writing where? (Let's not even get into couple time! Thank goodness I'm married to a saint!)<br /><br />I was hopelessly floundering in the "finding time to write" department, and even though it was killing my soul, I couldn't seem to snap out of it. Then I got a deadline. Deadlines are magic. My editor strongly suggested I get the first three chapters of my option book to her by June 1—and suddenly, I am finding more time. And—oh, God—I love it! I don't need much time. When my kids were little, I trained myself to grab what time I could. The fact is, I will never have a span of several hours on a daily basis to write—or at least not in the foreseeable future. I knew that unless I learned to write in 45-minute chunks, I would be scuttling my dreams before they got going. Don't get me wrong—I love those long chunks! But I can survive on an hour a day—or even every other day. Giving myself that bite-sized time-span is key. It doesn't work for me to say I need to write one page or 1000 words. I prefer time parameters. So when I see some time coming and feel all the different projects vying for that time, I say, "Ellen, you are just going to write for an hour. You can afford an hour." And often I do have to stop after an hour, but at least I put it in.<br /><br />I know it's a cliché, but for me, writing is a lot like exercise—hard to get going and so fabulous once you get started. After a few days of writing regularly, I sit down at my computer and feel a grin spreading across my face. When my hour is up, I leave myself a note in the text to remind me where I was headed so I can jump right back in. With only an hour, I don't have time to gaze into space and try to recapture my train of thought, or reread. In fact, that's why regular writing is so important for me. It takes too much time to go back and remember who had just said what to whom. It's critical to be able to get swept into the stream of the narrative again. To go back to the exercise analogy, leaving myself those notes is like beginning a run at the top of a hill. It gives me an easy start so I'm warmed up when I start in on new ideas. I also resist revision of what I just wrote. I love revising—it's the inventing that's work—so given the choice, I'll revise—and my hour will be gone and I won't have moved forward. In first drafts, I can circle back to the first chapters twenty to thirty times trying to get them just right when what I really need to do is find out what happens to my characters later, who they become, what their challenges will be.<br /><br />Finding a place to write is another problem. While my family understands that one of my jobs is writing, it is very confusing for them to see me at home. If I'm there, why can't I help with math homework? Oooh and aaah over a new drawing? Throw in that load of laundry or empty the dishwasher? I used to write on the dining room table, thinking that it would help to be in the midst of things. I'm not sure why I thought that was a good idea—it was just frustrating for all of us. It helps somewhat when I go behind a closed door, but really its better when I leave the house. I love Panera: good food, good background music, free Wifi, English breakfast tea, fireplace—so I usually head there. I also live across the street from a university library which works for me, too, but tea is critical and the librarians frown at that!<br /><br />In terms of housework, my family has a cleaning session every weekend. My husband and I both like things relatively neat and clean so unfortunately "letting the housework go" does not really work for us. (I once heard Donna Jo Napoli say the following: "You can eat off my kitchen floor…(pause, pause)…for weeks and weeks without going hungry!" I aspire to this but it seems a constitutional impossibility.) We had to let our housekeeper go to save money so we instituted the family cleaning. One week, we do the upstairs, next week the downstairs. We each pick a room to do and go to it. If someone finishes their room first, they go help someone else. We can stop after two hours, even if we're not done, but we usually finish all we set out to do in an hour and a half. The kids grumble far less than you might think. They feel good about pitching in for the family well-being, and they have learned how to clean. We do need to rotate rooms so that the nine-year old doesn't do the same room week after week (!), but my twelve-year-old out-cleans me most of the time. And my husband should open a service.<br /><br />In exchange for keeping up with the cleaning, I've given up exercise. I love exercise—as you can tell from above, I was an avid runner—but as so many authors on your site have said, something has to give! A hip injury took me out of running and I never found another sport that I feel the same way about. Still, I know how important exercise is. I have not given it up forever. I just realized that beating myself up daily for not exercising was not good either. So, for now, I don't exercise. And I'm okay with that.<br /><br />I have two hobbies: I knit and I ski. I knit during faculty meeting or on car rides (to skiing!) so I don't knit much, but I love working with yarn. I seem to knit baby gifts almost exclusively these days. (I'm 43! When will my friends stop having babies?) Skiing is something we do as a family—every weekend that we can. (And as we live in PA, this is no mean feat!) The skiing is a struggle; almost every Friday night I decide there is no way I can do it. Too much work! But we've made this commitment and it is so good for the family, that I grit my teeth and go—and love it. I'm away from my computer, my desk, my ungraded papers. I'm in the fresh air with my kids and in a beautiful setting. I come back refreshed and ready to face the next week. And the ski season only lasts for thee and a half months, so it works.<br /><br />So that's how I am currently making it work—only it doesn't work that well. My epiphany about this came one weekend when my daughter and I were walking out of square dance at her school. I had been loathe to go—I could have been writing!—but she was so excited about it, I agreed. And it was really fun. I'm a pretty extroverted person so I can throw myself into those kinds of things. As we were walking out, she said, "Mommy, you're so much fun when you're not working—but you have to work all the time!" Knife in the belly. The next morning, my husband stormed out of the house to pick up our son at some event. As he left, I asked him what was wrong and he said, "I hate our schedule!" As I stood in the shower—where I get all my best epiphanies—I thought over my options. It had always seemed so muddy before, but suddenly, with perfect clarity I said: "I have to quit my job." In the end, we decided it was best to cut my teaching responsibilities in half—but this will still require some significant lifestyle changes, the most significant being that my children will have to change schools. The switch will be challenging for them, but it's clear to me that we will all gain by having me available for the family in a real way. (I'm not going back to cleaning the house by myself, though!) Thankfully, no one ever suggested that I should give up my writing.<br /><br />Now the challenge is to get to June—when I can cut back—and then to September when the kids face the reality of a new school. They'll be some bumps, but I continue to feel that this is the right thing to do—for my family, for my marriage and for my books.</i><br /><br />Thanks, Ellen! Readers, be sure to check out Ellen's blog, especially <a href="http://ellenjensenabbott.wordpress.com/2009/02/14/but-is-it-real-and-does-that-matter/">this great post</a> about the power of living in the story world of our favorite books.M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-78283808017774358872009-02-22T15:41:00.008-05:002009-02-25T14:36:38.533-05:00Hearts all around!Hearts all around to author <a href="http://www.mitaliperkins.com/">Mitali Perkins</a> and <a href="http://www.deborahsloanandcompany.com/test/index.html">publicist Deborah Sloan and Company</a> for setting up last Saturday's <a href="http://www.kidsheartauthors.com/">Kids Heart Authors Day</a>. I had a great time at <a href="http://www.chapterspittsfield.com/">Chapters Bookstore</a> in Pittsfield, with <a href="http://stacydekeyser.com/">Stacy DeKeyser,</a> author of <b>Jump the Cracks</b>. Store manager Aimee MacLear was a perfect host, keeping us well supplied with cookies, coffee, and conversation. Thanks, Aimee and Kelly for your hospitality! Thanks, Mitali and Deborah for all the work you did to boost independent bookstores and authors!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SaG7H95eJrI/AAAAAAAAAD4/mL7acSc7u8U/s1600-h/pittsfieldchapters1small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 218px; height: 167px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SaG7H95eJrI/AAAAAAAAAD4/mL7acSc7u8U/s400/pittsfieldchapters1small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305727581568247474" border="0" /></a><br />I picked up a copy of Stacy's book, a story about a teenage girl who's accused of kidnapping when she takes charge of an abandoned toddler while on a train trip to New York. It's a book I just couldn't put down--and when I was done, all I could say was, "WOW!" The suspense is great, and the bond that quickly forms between Victoria, the heroine, and the little boy she rescues is beautifully told. Without giving too much away, I'll just say there are no easy answers for either character, but I found the ending satisfying nonetheless. So if you're looking for a great new book to read, ask your bookstore or library to order it up for you!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SaG8_yDdjGI/AAAAAAAAAEA/d9jMT6PCzCE/s1600-h/pittsfieldchapters2+small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 212px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SaG8_yDdjGI/AAAAAAAAAEA/d9jMT6PCzCE/s400/pittsfieldchapters2+small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305729639973227618" border="0" /></a><br />Later this week, I'll be hearting <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.hitchcockacademy.org/">Hitchcock Academy Community Center</a> in Brimfield, MA with 20 other authors for their <span style="font-weight: bold;">Local Authors Night fundraiser</span>. 10% of book sales will go to benefit the community center, and there's a silent auction that includes artwork, books, and more! <a href="http://www.classof2k8.com/">Class of 2k8</a>fans can bid on a basket of a dozen books by Class of 2k8 authors donated by yours truly. The lucky bidder also gets a complimentary "Meet the Author" event with me for the organization of your choice. Call the Hitchcock Academy at <span style="font-weight: bold;">(413) 245-9977</span> for more information about auction items, bidding procedures, and the evening's event. The event runs from <span style="font-weight: bold;">7 to 8:30</span> p.m. on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday, February 24</span> at the Hitchcock Academy, <span style="font-weight: bold;">2 Brookfield Road (Route 20), Brimfield, MA</span><br /><br />I have a couple events coming up in March as well--if you're in central or western Massachusetts, stop by and say hi!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>Wednesday, 4 March 2009, 6:30 p.m.</b><br />"Fireside Authors" discussion series<br />Fobes Memorial Library<br />4 Maple Street<br />Oakham, MA 01068<br />508-882-3372<br /><br /><b>Tuesday, 10 March 2009, 7:00 p.m.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></b>Book discussion<b><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></b> <a href="http://www.wilbrahamlibrary.org/" target="_blank">Wilbraham Public Library</a><br />25 Crane Park Drive<br />Wilbraham, MA 01095<br />413-596-6141</span><span style="font-size:100%;"></span>M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-49533716642365440582009-02-22T05:50:00.004-05:002009-02-22T06:10:44.951-05:00As the Writers Juggle...Episode #5 - Laine Cunningham<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SaEvzegUrzI/AAAAAAAAADw/oc2pVw001QI/s1600-h/message+stickFrontCover-Final-Thumbnail%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SaEvzegUrzI/AAAAAAAAADw/oc2pVw001QI/s200/message+stickFrontCover-Final-Thumbnail%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305574397427625778" /></a><br /><br /><br />Hi, welcome to another episode of "As the Writers Juggle," in which we ask writers to share their tips on balancing work, family, and the writing life. This week's guest is <a href="http://www.LaineCunningham.com">Laine Cunningham</a>. Laine is a novelist whose works cross boundaries of race, culture and religion. Her first novel, <a type="amzn" asin="1933016280">Message Stick</a>, is a brutal suspense thriller set in Australia's outback. The book won two national awards and was supported by fellowships and arts residency programs. To support her writing habit, Laine has owned and operated her own publishing industry consulting business, <a href="http://www.WritersResource.us">Writer's Resource</a>, for fifteen years. She has been interviewed by CNN, MSNBC, and a host of other media outlets as both a writer and a consultant.<br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Okay, Laine, 'fess up. How do you support your writing habit?<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> My dirty little writing habit is supported entirely by my business, Writer's Resource. Since my office is home-based, I have about a ten-second commute from the breakfast table to the office. There are times I need to travel for research, to meet with clients or to conduct seminars which averages out to a few hours every week. Despite all the moaning and groaning about the bad economy, 2008 was a banner year for my company. I've averaged about 50-60 hours per week for the business. </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> So your "day-job" is still writing-related. What other time-consuming responsibilities are you involved in?<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> As few as possible! I do volunteer for my local homeowners association but really that's an every-other-month thing. I am a member of two writer's groups and help individuals with their projects (both during the creation process and during marketing). I also meet every month with a small coallition of fellow authors for marketing sessions. We brainstorm new ideas and share information, what works, what doesn't. </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> You went from the corporate world to running your own business to support your writing. When did you decide to take the plunge?<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> I was working for a corporation in a very cushy job as a technical and production editor. The politics and the fact that I didn't have time to write was killing me. I walked out one day, cashed in my 401K, and wrote full-time for the next year. The memoir I wrote won an award the following year. Then I needed to figure out how to finance this new lifestyle, and started up Writer's Resource. So although I haven't achieved "full-time writerdom" for my own works, I do write all day for my clients. I find that it helps me learn, grown and, of course, network! Perfect solution, if you ask me. </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> So you write to support your writing. Were there any personal or family issues you had to worry about when you made that big leap to strike out on your own?<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> Nothing like that here. My only companion is my dog. He's very supportive! Every time I come home with groceries, he tells me what a great hunter I am! My friends are very supportive of me. They understand why I travel so much (in support of the writing process) and we see each other whenever we can...no pressure or hurt feelings if I can't see them terribly often. It's really amazing how people who don't live the writing life can still be very supportive and understanding. </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> I hear you about the dog--the only love money can buy! What sacrifices did you have to make to take the plunge?<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> See 401K comment above! Also lost my health care benefits after COBRA ran out. I've rectified the insurance situation and am working toward starting a retirement fund this year.<br />I've also moved a great deal. While writing my first novel, which took four years, I moved...let's see...five times. From California to Minnesota to Virginia to North Carolina (with a few local moves in between). That makes for a lot of long-distance friendships and the need to spend years building new local friendships.<br /><br />I don't "go out" much in the way most people think of going out. But I do spend a lot of time on the powwow trail dancing at Native American gatherings. That connects me to part an important part of my heritage and I do get to socialize with all the great folks who come together to dance. And that's a three-season activity, nearly every weekend at the height of it. </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Powwows--that sounds really exciting! What a great way to connect with your Native American heritage.<br /><br />What conflicts or hurdles have you had to overcome?<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> The working-in-a-vacuum mode. It doesn't impact the work; in fact, it helps me focus on getting the big-concept ideas down on paper, especially when you're talking about novels. But it does lend itself to self-doubt. Is this good enough? Will it sell? Am I good enough? Yadda-yadda. Every writer has to learn how to turn off that switch! </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Yeah, that working-in-a-vacuum really sucks, doesn't it? (Sorry, couldn't resist!)<br /><br />About how many hours a day can you spend writing?<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> When the consulting workload is managable, I average two hours a day first thing in the morning on my own novels. Production is usually about five pages. I handwrite all first drafts, enter it on the computer, then edit by hand on the hard copy. About once a year I take off for thirty days to do nothing but write. Those days I can do up to twenty pages during creation work, or about six to eight hours of editorial work. In one hour of editing, I might do as little as a page or two per hour on the initial draft. In the last stages, I can do as much as ten pages per hour. </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> I like that idea of taking a month off for just the writing--especially when you're in the editing stage.<br /><br />What about promotion? About how much time do you spend on that?<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> Two hours per day average. In less than three months of pre-publication marketing, I've netted a mention on MSNBC and quotes in multiple large-circulation regional newspapers, and hundreds of blogs and book review sites. The campaign is working into the second phase, post-publication marketing (the launch date was Jan 20, 2009) so things are looking great! </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> That's great! Sounds like you're a promotional dynamo! How do you organize it all? Can you describe an average day-in-the-life-of-Laine?<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> First two to four hours of the morning are always writing time. Whether that's for myself or a client depends on my workload. Consume one pot of coffee during this time.</i><br /><br /><b>Q</b>: Note to self...caffeinate before writing...<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> Then I spend a half hour to two hours answering email and checking internet analytics, doing quickie research on potential new marketing ideas, blogs, reviews, etc.<br />Lunchtime! 1/2 hour<br />Wrap up any small details - 1/2 to one hour.<br />Post office run/groceries/whatever - 1/2 to one hour<br />Make a cup of tea (or two) and work on client research, editorial projects, and similar tasks - two to three hours, sometimes four<br />Exercise: walk or hike with dog - one hour<br />Check email, begin novel marketing - one to two hours.<br />Final email, any administrative duties (invoicing, filing, shredding) - one or more hours<br />Yes, by now it is about 8 p.m. or so. Shut down office and do household chores - one hour<br />Cook dinner, watch news, do some yoga, read newspapers/magazines - one hour<br />Bed by 11 p.m. or 11:15. Up at 7 (OK, alarm goes off at 7. Sometimes I hit the snooze button more than once. Usually up by 7:30 a.m.).<br />For the past year, this schedule has been seven days a week to keep up with client projects and still be sane enough to write fiction. Often the schedule on the weekend is less client work and waaaaaaay more novel writing, plus sleeping late on Saturday morning to catch up from the week's efforts. When I'm not at a powwow, of course! </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> That's definitely a full day. What are your best places and times for writing?<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> First thing in the morning. Access the subconscious better than later, after I've dealt with a million details and my conscious brain is in full control. </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> How do you keep from losing your momentum?<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> I keep my eye on the prize...that big book deal that will allow me to stop consulting and free up more time to travel, research, write, write write!<br />Plus, I've lived the other side of the American dream. It just about killed me. There is nothing else I can do in this world and live well, healthy and happy. </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> What do you do when you get blocked? (Or do you get blocked?)<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> I don't get blocked, not really. I go for long walks whenever I'm trying to figure things out. Move the body, I always say, and you move the mind. </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Do you find it difficult to make the transition between your consulting work and your own writing? How do you handle it?<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> Always put the most important things first. The little things always get done whenever. Writers must understand that they need both sides of their brains...at different times...to write well. The intuitive side is all about the first draft, accessing the flow. The judge must be silent at that time! Then you have to switch gears for editing, to bring the judge in to work through problems. To solve the problems the intuitive side must come back with the flow for revisions.<br /><br />Switching can be done by changing locations. For example, I have two dedicated spaces in my house. One room is the office; the other is for writing only. The spaces are decorated differently, each has its own supplies so I don't have to walk back into the other space for paper or pens, and each has different lighting. Everything about the spaces triggers my mind to do one thing or the other. </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> I like that idea.<br /><br />What helps motivate you and keep you on track? Are you self-motivated or do you need outside naggers to help?<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> Self-motivated, obviously. I'm motivated, again, because I've had the corporate success and found it to be deadening. This is what I must do; no choice. </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> How do you deal with distractions-either outside or inner procrastinatorial/avoidance issues?<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> Turn off the phone! Only check email at certain times of day! Can't stress those enough. </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Yeah, email is a real time sink! Do you feel you have enough time for non-writing hobbies or activities you'd like to pursue?<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> Clearly, the answer is no. However, I'm willing to make the short-term sacrifice for the benefit of the rest of my life. </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> What advice would you give to others struggling with writing/job/time management issues?<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> You'll never "find" time to write; you must make it.Thirty minutes a day is enough. Really! The more you write, the more brain cells become involved in the writing process. It's like any other skill...playing piano, working the stock market, whatever. The more consistant you are about your practice, the easier it becomes. </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Any other issues or ideas you'd like to mention?<br /><br /><i><b>Laine:</b> You know, I walked out of that corporate job because I was working about sixty-five hours a week. My schedule now is the same but it's different. Yes, I get tired. But I couldn't be happier or healthier. I'm doing what I want to do...helping others and helping myself in a very, very tough industry.<br /><br />One of my goals when I reach "full-time writerdom" through my novels is to set up some sort of program where authors can come together and help each other. It's so tough doing this on your own...and even if you're married and have a house full of kids and extended family, if they aren't artists or writers themselves, you're still very alone.<br /><br />I have been able to take a first step with this. I'm sponsoring a novel award through a regional literary magazine. We haven't worked out the details yet but writers can go to <a href="http://www.blotterrag.com/">The Blotter Literary Magazine's website</a> to check for dates. I think we'll be offering the first award at the end of this year, perhaps as early as the fall. I don't have the infrastructure to do it myself yet but the magazine's going to handle all the details...I'm just putting up the cash! </i><br /><br />That's great that you're able to give something back to help your fellow writers. Thanks for the inspiration, Laine!M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-30005086687163448502009-02-15T13:01:00.002-05:002009-02-15T13:03:35.506-05:00As the Writers Juggle...Episode #4 - Howard W. Penrose<div class="content"> <p>Hi, welcome to another episode of "As the Writers Juggle," in which we ask writers to share their tips on balancing work, family, and the writing life. Our last three writers all came from the world of children's literature. This week, we'll switch genres and gears to get some time-management tips from high-tech writer, editor, and webmaster Howard W. Penrose. An expert in electric motor systems and in the Reliability, Maintenance, Energy, and Environmental industry, Howard is the owner of SUCCESS by DESIGN Publishing, Executive Director of the Institute of Electrical Motor Diagnostics, Inc., and editor and webmaster for several technical Websites (and that's only a few of the hats he wears!). Those of you interested in green transportation might want to check out <a class="ext" href="http://www.allamericanhybrid.com/" target="_blank">AllAmericanHybrid.com</a> and see what he's been doing in the field of hybrid cars. Anybody this busy had better be organized, right? Right! Let's see how he does it all. </p> <p> <strong>Q</strong>: Welcome, Howard. Tell us a little bit about your writing background and how that fits in with all the other things you do.</p> <p> <strong>Howard</strong><em>: I am an independent consultant and publisher. I work with companies such as General Motors on the design of hybrid and electric vehicles, as well as projects related to maintaining GM manufacturing and facilities equipment and energy conservation programs, companies such as US Steel for facility condition-based maintenance and motor management programs, and a number of other similar projects for companies ranging from utilities to military and food processing to mining. I do some work overseas for nuclear power companies and factories in China, South Korea, Malaysia and Australia. I fired my last boss in 2004 and went into business for myself. However, SUCCESS by DESIGN Publishing was established in 2001; I expanded it to include Reliability, Maintenance, Energy & Environment consulting in 2004. </em></p> <p><em>I am the publisher for several eZines, including the AllAmericanHybrid.com eMagazine and the Reliability, Maintenance, <a class="ext" href="http://www.motordoc.com/news.htm" target="_blank">Energy & Environment eMagazine</a> . We are expanding both from the newsletters they were through December last year to full eMagazines. The blogs include the <a class="ext" href="http://www.allamericanhybrid.com/blog/hybridblog.htm" target="_blank">AllAmericanHybrid.com blog</a> , the <a class="ext" href="http://www.motordoc.com/tahoe.htm" target="_blank">Hybrid Tahoe blog</a> , and the <a class="ext" href="http://www.motordoc.com/mdmhblog/index.htm" target="_blank">RME&E blog</a> . The primary purpose is to provide an avenue for response to the different eMagazines. I evenly spend my time between writing, publishing and editing, my hobbies, and my consulting work, also a hobby. Writing provides about 15% of my income. </em></p> <p><strong>Q</strong>: I understand you've dabbled a bit in science fiction... </p> <p><em><strong>Howard</strong><em>: I do write across multiple genres as well as publish. From 2001 to 2003 I had an online Science Fiction and Fantasy magazine which was more of a hobby as more money went out than came in. However, I did publish several ebooks with some of my own work and an anthology (<a class="ext" href="http://ebooks.ebookmall.com/ebook/65757-ebook.htm" target="_blank"><strong>Stories of Myth, Legend and Future</strong>: SBD SF&F 2002 Anthology</a>) as well as <a class="ext" href="http://ebooks.ebookmall.com/title/how-to-become-your-own-publisher-penrose-ebooks.htm" target="_blank"><strong>How to Become Your Own Publisher</strong></a> and a couple of technical books. In all I write and publish through magazines and conferences over twenty-six professional papers per year and at least one book per year. In 2008, fourteen magazine articles, eight conference papers, fifty-two editorials and eMagazines, operate/own four Websites, Web Editor-in-Chief of a major professional Website (330,000 members), self-published two books, wrote a number of reports and studies, and quite a few blog posts.</em> </em></p> <p> <strong>Q</strong>: Wow! That must keep you hopping. Tell us a little bit about the Websites you manage--it sounds like you're dealing with some really cutting-edge technological stuff. </p> <p><em><strong>Howard</strong><em>: The websites I would like to mention are: <a class="ext" href="http://www.allamericanhybrid.com/" target="_blank">AllAmericanHybrid.com</a> and an associated eMag (first one out on the first Tuesday in February). I am the owner and webmaster. I have an Editor-in-Chief who now selects the content. We launched the site on January 5, 2009, and we are still adding quite a bit of content. I am getting encouragement from GM, Meyers Motors, and Tesla motors on this site – it is self-funded right now, but I am expecting it to be profitable by summer. We are also fully sponsoring a high school electric race car, which is pretty fun!</em></em></p> <p><em><em> <a class="ext" href="http://www.motordoc.com/" target="_blank">http://www.motordoc.com</a> is my professional website and associated with my Reliability, Maintenance, Energy and Environment eMag which has been in circulation with a variety of formats to 7,000 subscribers since 1997. We are working on expanding it and the number of subscribers in 2009.</em></em></p> <p><em><em> <a class="ext" href="http://www.motordiagnostics.com/" target="_blank">http://www.motordiagnostics.com</a> is my archive site for a number of white papers that cover technical topics and the Motor Diagnostics and Motor Health research study. There is information on my work related to Skilled workforce. </em></em></p> <p><em><em><a class="ext" href="http://ewh.ieee.org/soc/deis" target="_blank">http://ewh.ieee.org/soc/deis</a> is the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Society (IEEE-DEIS) Website. I am the Web Editor-in-Chief. The Website is a large project that has been in progress since August, 2008, with the developers in the Netherlands and the editorial staff in Europe, Australia, Canada, USA, and Asia. The site is officially released to the public on February 6, 2009, at 6pm EST. For the first three sites, I am Webmaster as well.</em> </em></p> <p><strong>Q</strong>: You must be pretty organized to keep all those responsibilities straight Could you give us an idea of how you manage your time? </p> <p><em> <strong>Howard</strong><em>: I spend an average of two hours per day writing, or more. As I travel a fair amount, I get written drafts of work and ideas flowing on airplanes, airports, or think through an article on long drives (average four+ hours). I spend approximately ten hours per week on book promotion – sometimes more. </em></em></p> <p><em><em>I am normally up around 6 a.m. and in bed by about midnight. While I do not always work from waking to sleeping, I do spend a significant amount of my time "working." </em></em></p> <p><em><em>It is hard to describe how I manage my day. First, I have been actively writing since I was nine, wanted to be a writer since I was thirteen, headed a different path when I discovered how well it paid, but kept my passion to the present. By developing drafts in my head and short sketches on paper, through years of practice, my first draft is often my only draft with only a little editing. In the 1990s, I would average an article or news item once per week and eventually got to the point where I can put out a few thousand words a day on subjects I have an interest in. However, if I have a particularly challenging project I may put writing to the side for a few days or a week or two. </em></em></p> <p><em><em>A typical day includes setting up breakfast and coffee with a notebook nearby. I will sort through my day and create a to-do list noting anything that is time-dependent, such as a speaking engagement, consulting work, teleconference, etc. It is important to begin to figure out a balance of time such that you do not assign too much or too little work for the time you have allotted. </em> </em></p> <p><strong>Q</strong>: Yes, underestimating how long things takes is definitely a big pitfall for me. Tell us a little more about what a typical day looks like for you. </p> <p><em><strong>Howard</strong>: On a day like today, my schedule looked something like this: </em></p> <p><em>6:30 a.m.: organize my day; </em></p> <p><em>7-8 a.m.: respond to emails; </em></p> <p><em>8-10 a.m.: teleconference with client to discuss research and report results; </em></p> <p><em>10 a.m-noon: work on report for GM facilities related to maintenance; </em></p> <p><em>30-minute lunch – no work; </em></p> <p><em>12:30 – 1 p.m.: answer emails; </em></p> <p><em>1 – 3 p.m.: complete GM facilities report; </em></p> <p><em>3-3:30 p.m.: answer emails; </em></p> <p><em>3:30 – 5 p.m.: work on IEEE website; 45-minute dinner; </em></p> <p><em>5:45 – 7:30 p.m.: Organize information for Detroit Auto Show article – images, press releases and notes, sketch out order of article; </em></p> <p><em>7:30 – 9 p.m.: answer this email; </em></p> <p><em>9 p.m.: review day and organize for tomorrow, answer remaining emails, relax.</em> </p> <p><strong>Q</strong>: That's a pretty full day--and now I feel guilty for taking so much of your time! You're not tied to the computer all day, though, are you? </p> <p><em><strong>Howard</strong>: I will usually work in ten-minute sessions on my exercise bike during the winter – randomly to get things moving, or hour walks when the weather is above freezing. </em></p> <p> <strong>Q</strong>: When and where do you prefer to write? </p> <p><em><strong>Howard</strong>: My best places and times for writing tend to be early in the day and at a desk with a little background music. The genres range based on my mood (anything but country or hip hop/rap). I try to match the music to my mood and the type of writing I am doing. If I am writing a "debate" piece, or controversial, it will be something like electronica or metal/hard rock. If it is a research piece, it will often be meditation music or "seasons." </em></p> <p><strong>Q</strong>: It sounds like music really helps you keep your momentum. Do you have any other techniques for keeping the flow going? </p> <p><em><strong>Howard</strong>: Practiced meditation, turning off TV, turning off phone or email, turning off IM. If I have to concentrate on a specific subject I will get out white boards and put my notes together across the room. I have also set up my desk to look over a pond and fountain, which is soothing and not distracting. If I am writing on an airplane, I will use an iPod and music to block out everything else. If I am trying to think, I use pen and paper--for some reason that generates thought versus typing. </em></p> <p><strong>Q</strong>: Charting out your notes is a really good idea--it helps you see the big picture. It sounds like writing longhand helps when you get stuck, is that right? </p> <p><em><strong>Howard</strong><em>: When have a bout of writer’s block, I will sit with a notebook and pen and write by hand. Literally anything, could be a to-do list, grocery list, and then I start writing down exactly what pops into my head. After a while things begin to make sense. Whatever I do, I just think about whatever the topic is and I do not force anything.</em> </em></p> <p><strong>Q</strong>: So free-writing is a big help for getting the flow going again. Do you have any trouble with transitions between your writing and all your other work? </p> <p><em><strong>Howard</strong><em>: I have had no trouble with the transition. I have been going back and forth for over twenty years.</em> </em></p> <p><strong>Q</strong>: What helps motivate you and keep you on track? Are you self-motivated or do you need outside naggers to help? </p> <p><em><strong>Howard</strong><em>: Self motivated: meaning that I am disciplined enough to drive myself. If I feel I am slipping, I fall back to to-do lists. I will set goals and pursue them. I used to have to write them down at least once per day until they were ingrained. Now I just focus on the goals I have set and keep myself going in that direction. In fact, when viewing my writing, all of my work at any given time will relate to what I am doing and the topics will directly relate to each other. When I start something, I need to finish it.</em> </em></p> <p><strong>Q</strong>: I admire your drive. I'm very good at writing to-do lists...it's the doing that I have to kick my butt about! How do you deal with distractions—either outside or inner procrastinatorial/avoidance issues? </p> <p><em><strong>Howard</strong><em>: I just get things done or get rid of distractions. I set a location and turn everything off with the exception of music. However, there are days when I even feel that is an issue and I need to work in silence. I also trained myself to ignore a ringing phone. Drives people nuts if I am talking on stage and I am the one who forgot to turn my cell phone off, I will usually let it ring with only a few exceptions. Once I looked at who it was, answered the phone on stage, and told the person I was speaking then asked the audience to say ‘hi.’ It was great!</em> </em></p> <p><strong>Q</strong>: I love it! Gotta love that caller ID, too. It definitely makes it easier to ignore the phone. What advice would you give to others struggling with writing and time management issues? </p> <p><em><strong>Howard</strong><em>: Organized steps, to-do lists, organization, time limits. I will usually keep an eye on the clock or may even use the calendar in Outlook to organize my day. The pop-ups are a great reminder if you are typing. I never use a timer, for some reason they distract me. I need to keep looking to see how much time is left and it can disrupt my train of thought.</em> </em></p> <p><strong>Q</strong>: You're so right. Lists and time limits and breaking things down into smaller steps help me, too--when I make myself stick to them! Any other issues or ideas you'd like to mention? </p> <p><em><strong>Howard</strong><em>: Multi-tasking and dealing with everything at once. What to do when everything happens at once or when it all goes wrong. Are these easy or difficult? I thrive on stress. Once in a while when things happen all at once it is a break from routine and rapidly solving issues can be exhilarating. The biggest thing is learning how to prioritize on the fly and when to just let some things go. </em></em></p> <p><strong>Q</strong>: Hmmm...and from what our previous guests have said, one of the things we should let go is housework ;)....Speaking of prioritizing on the fly...One of your books is called <strong>Physical Asset Management for the Executive (Caution: Do Not Read This On An Airplane</strong>). So of course I just have to ask--why shouldn't we read this book on an airplane? </p> <p><em><em><strong>Howard</strong><em>: The statement about not reading the book on an airplane actually has to do with Chapter 4.7. Chapter 4 discusses instances when reliability and maintenance of assets goes wrong and the results. Section 4.7 relates to personal airline travel experiences related to R&M (Reliability & Maintenance). In my weekly newsletters when I was traveling forty-three weeks per year, at least one leg of a flight would have some type of major problem that delayed or cancelled the flight. I would write about each instance in my weekly newsletter and actually gained a reputation such that when people recognized me they would ask if they should change the flight. These days whenever some R&M issue happens wherever I am, it is usually attributed to my being there! The problem relating to airlines actually has to do with the qualifications of the people doing the work, in particular when airline maintenance is outsourced. Right now all 747 maintenance is performed in China and most wide-body planes are maintained in Venezuela. In each case, the technicians are usually not FAA certified nor do they report maintenance issues.</em> </em></em></p> <p><strong>Q</strong>: Now I get it. You definitely don't want to know all the things that can go wrong when you're 20,000 feet in the air! Or you at least want to be sure you have <a class="ext" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/17/nyregion/17pilot.html?_r=1" target="_blank">Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger</a> for your pilot. Thanks so much, Howard. You've definitely inspired me to get better organized.</p> </div>M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-36655562289067780332009-02-02T19:35:00.001-05:002009-02-02T19:35:27.542-05:00Have a Heart<div style="float:left; margin:0 15px 15px 0px;"><a href="http://www.redroom.com/image/kidsheartauthorlogojpg"><img src="http://www.redroom.com/files/images/kidsheartauthorlogo.thumbnail.jpg" title="kidsheartauthorlogo.jpg" alt="kidsheartauthorlogo.jpg" /></a><div style="clear:both;margin-top:5px"><p><em>kidsheartauthorlogo.jpg</em></p></div></div><p>Authors Mitali Perkins and Deborah Sloan have come up with a brilliant way to share the love on Valentine's Day for readers, writers, and independent bookstores across New England. They've organized more than 40 independent bookstores and 160 authors and illustrators to participate in <span style="font-weight: bold; color: #cc0000">Kids </span>♥<span style="font-weight: bold; color: #cc0000"> Authors Day. </span> From 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, February 14th, children's authors and illustrators across New England will be gathering at independent bookstores to sign their books for kids and teens and talk about writing and drawing.</p><p><span style="font-size: small">I'll be celebrating at <a href="http://www.chapterspittsfield.com/" target="_blank">Chapters Books</a> with author <a href="http://stacydekeyser.com/" target="_blank">Stacy Dekeyser</a><br /> 78 North Street<br /> Pittsfield, MA 01201<br /> 413-443-BOOK (443-2665)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: small">So h</span><span style="font-size: small">eart that special kid in your life with a book on Valentine's Day--and heart local authors and bookstores at the same time! It's a win-win-win situation! </span></p><p>For more details, go to the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: #cc0000">Kids </span>♥<span style="font-weight: bold; color: #cc0000"> Authors Day</span> Website at: http://www.kidsheartauthors.com/ </p><p>Press and media contacts interested in <span style="font-weight: bold; color: #cc0000">Kids </span>♥<span style="font-weight: bold; color: #cc0000"> Authors Day</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: #cc0000"> </span>should contact <a href="mailto:sloan@deborahsloanandcompany.com"><span style="font-weight: bold" class="Apple-style-span">Deborah Sloan and Company</span></a>, and any site inquiries go to <a href="mailto:info@mitaliperkins.com"><span style="font-weight: bold">Mitali Perkins</span></a>. And, last but not least, here's why <a href="http://www.kidsheartauthors.com/2008/12/why-authors-love-indies.html"><span style="font-weight: bold">Authors </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: #cc0000"> </span>♥<span style="font-weight: bold"> Indies</span></a>.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 85%"><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.redroom.com/node/104237">Continue the discussion on redroom.com</a></p>M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-67620522653047992762009-01-19T13:42:00.024-05:002009-01-19T14:24:17.714-05:00As the Writers Juggle...Episode #3 - Rosanne Parry<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SXTMYKB4JcI/AAAAAAAAADQ/8zDd20Jz7MY/s1600-h/daddyshome.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SXTMYKB4JcI/AAAAAAAAADQ/8zDd20Jz7MY/s200/daddyshome.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293080177448330690" border="0" /></a>Hi, welcome to another episode of "As the<br />Writers Juggle," in which we ask writers to <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SXTQNQHaGPI/AAAAAAAAADo/o8zgAUltSLg/s1600-h/HeartofaShepherdCvr.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SXTQNQHaGPI/AAAAAAAAADo/o8zgAUltSLg/s200/HeartofaShepherdCvr.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293084388150089970" border="0" /></a><br />share their tips on balancing work, family, and the writing life. This week's featured writer is <a href="http://www.rosanneparry.com/">Rosanne Parry</a>. Rosanne is a member of the <a href="http://classof2k9.com/?q=node/22">Class of 2k9</a> and author of the middle-grade novel <b><a type="amzn" asin="0375848029">Heart of a Shepherd</a></b> (Random House, Jan 2009) and the picture book <b><a type="amzn" asin="0824918231">Daddy's Home!</a></b> (Candy Cane Press, Mar 2009).<br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Hi Rosanne! Thanks for joining us and congratulations on your upcoming releases! Tell us a bit about all of your responsibilities and how you keep them straight.<br /><br /><b>Rosanne: </b><i>I’m going to telescope these questions into one answer. My principal and favorite occupation is raising my four school aged kids. I have aging parents near by. Sometimes they help me. Sometimes I help them. It’s a pretty even give-and-take at the moment, but that balance will shift my way eventually. I have a part-time teaching job that is flexible. If I want more hours, I contract to teach more classes. If I need more time to write and less money, I can scale back. In addition to the novels and picture books, I sometimes write curriculum and do parenting articles for magazines. I do volunteer work every week in a variety of places. I need exercise every day or I get little el</i><i>se accomplished</i><i>, and my husband and I have a long-standing habit of a date every Friday night.<br /><br />I wake up at 6:30 and go to sleep well past midnight most nights, so I’m working at one of the above mentioned jobs 18 hours a day. I don’t have a regular writing schedule. I might work 12-15 hours a day for a few weeks when I’m revising, or six hours a day when I’m plodding along with a first draft, but when I’m in between projects I may only write short practice pieces and work on promotion. I seldom write less than three hours in a day.</i><br /><br /><b>Q: </b> I'm impressed that you still have time to write in between everything else. Sounds like LATE to bed and EARLY to rise is part of the secret. I like the idea of a date night to keep your relationship fresh. It's easy to neglect spouses when you're so busy (just ask mine!).<br /><br />What are your best times and places for writing?<br /><br /><b>Rosanne:</b><i>I love to work outside, especially in my tree house, but I’ve learned to write anywhere and any time I have available.</i><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SXTMmIf05jI/AAAAAAAAADY/d-ooVfqb1F4/s1600-h/rosannetreehouse1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SXTMmIf05jI/AAAAAAAAADY/d-ooVfqb1F4/s320/rosannetreehouse1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293080417555244594" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SXTM5eht1TI/AAAAAAAAADg/a8cqYnuHsf4/s1600-h/rosannetreehouse2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SXTM5eht1TI/AAAAAAAAADg/a8cqYnuHsf4/s400/rosannetreehouse2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293080749886264626" border="0" /></a><br /><b>Q: </b>What a gorgeous spot! No wonder you're inspired. I think I have tree house envy.<br /><br />How do you keep from losing your momentum?<br /><br /><b>Rosanne: </b><i>I try to set an attainable goal for the project at hand. For example, I just finished a first draft of a new novel. I did about a chapter a week or 700-1000 words a day for five months. I also try to do things that keep the character in mind even when I’m not writing. I’m working on a character that plays the violin, so I practice mine every day, just to keep my head in that character.</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Wait a minute! You play the violin, too? That's amazing!<br /><br />What do you do when you get blocked? (Or do you get blocked?)<br /><br /><b>Rosanne: </b><i> I don’t think of it as being blocked. If I don’t know what to write next I put a note in the text—“more about what she is thinking here,” or “characters run from the Sorbonne to the Montmartre train station, describe scenery here.” That way I can do the research or reflection later and stick it in.</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> That's a good trick. I'll have to remember it when I get stuck.<br /><br />Do you find it difficult to make the transition between your non-writing responsibilities and writing? How do you handle it?<br /><br /><b>Rosanne: </b><i> Transitions are pretty easy for me. I tend not to think of inspiration or mood as having anything to do with the actual nitty-gritty of writing, so I don’t have to psyche myself up in order to write. </i><br /><br /><b>Q: </b>What helps motivate you and keep you on track?<br /><br /><b>Rosanne: </b><i>Need of money is motivation aplenty, and I really like to write so it’s not hard to make time for that. Housecleaning is a whole other story.</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Ah-ha! More ammo for the "Successful writers don't do housework" thesis!<br /><br />How do you deal with distractions—either outside or inner procrastinatorial/avoidance issues?<br /><br /><b>Rosanne: </b><i>I’ve learned to trust my memory. If a scene is strong enough I’ll remember where I was going with it if I get called away in the middle. If I can’t pick up the thread of a scene after I’ve been called away, my reader won’t be able to either, so I might as well let it go and start over with a stronger scene. </i><br /><br /><b>Q: </b>Do you feel you have enough time for non-writing hobbies or activities you’d like to pursue?<br /><br /><b>Rosanne: </b><i>Nope, I don’t have any hobbies. I genuinely enjoy the things I do for exercise and I love to write, so I don’t feel a pressing need for other hobbies</i><br /><br /><b>Q: </b>Outside of playing the violin, that is... ;)<br /><br />What advice would you give to others struggling with writing/job/time management issues?<br /><br /><b>Rosanne:</b><i>I’m not sure I have any sage advice here. Writing is hard. If I didn’t love it I would have given up ages ago. </i><br /><br />I think you're speaking for all of us writers there! It's definitely a labor of love.<br /><br />Thanks so much, Rosanne. You need to have a balanced life when you're writing in a tree house!M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-15654352079297027452009-01-12T09:13:00.010-05:002009-01-12T09:36:22.824-05:00As the Writers Juggle....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SWtVVkTpFWI/AAAAAAAAADA/tLBwLecZIQw/s1600-h/When+the+Whistle+Blows.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 64px; height: 100px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SWtVVkTpFWI/AAAAAAAAADA/tLBwLecZIQw/s200/When+the+Whistle+Blows.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290416016288453986" border="0" /></a><br />Welcome back to another episode in the lives of the Amazing Juggling Writers. This week, debut novelist <a href="http://www.francannonslayton.com/">Fran Cannon Slayton</a>, author of When the Whistle Blows (Philomel Books, release date: June 2009) and member of the <a href="http://classof2k9.com/?q_node/16">Class of 2k9</a>, weighs in on how she manages the balancing act of full-time momdom and authordom.<br /><br />[And remember, if you're interested in sharing your own story about how you juggle writing and other work responsibilities, or would like to discuss how you broke free to write full-time, please contact me at: mpbarker[at]mpbarker.net!]<br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Hi, Fran! Thanks for joining us, and congratulations on your upcoming novel release. You must be excited!<br /><br />But for now, down to business: Tell us how you manage to squeeze your writing time in between your mom-duties.<br /><br /><b>Fran:</b> <i>For the p</i><i>ast five years I've been a </i><i>stay at home mom. For the first three years it was a 24/7 kind of job. I wrote during naptime and after b</i><i>edtime (my daughter's, not mine!). When pre-school kicked in, I had three or four mornings a week where I had three hours to write, which seemed like a luxury. Now that she goes to school full time, I have practically an entire day to work on writing-related things. Frankly, I seemed to get more done when I had less time, but that is probably because I was only writing then. Now that I have more time, my day–at least right now–is primarily consumed with marketing my book. And marketing can suck up every second if you let it!</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Oh, yeah, that marketing can be a real time sink! But you have a lot of other activities on your plate, too, besides writing, marketing, and child-care. Can you tell us a little bit about those?<br /><br /><b>Fran:</b> <i>I volunteer at my daughter's school–reading to her class, helping with computer lab, etc.–an hour or two a week. My husband and I are also the directors of Cursillo in our area, which is a movement in the Catholic church that sponsors retreats and other events to support people in living out their faith in the actions of their everyday lives. The time commitment varies, but I'd say it takes between 2–15 hours per week, depending on the season.</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> So you're definitely a busy bunny! How much time does all that leave you for writing?<br /><br /><b>Fran:</b> <i> I CAN spend about five hours a day writing. Maybe seven if I work at night. But I don't. I am learning to find balance right now between writing and marketing, exercising, reading, and spending time with my family. It's not always easy.</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> No, that balancing thing is always a challenge. About how much time do you spend on book promotion?<br /><br /><b>Fran:</b> <i>Right now I'd say I spend about five to nine hours per day on book promotion. A good chunk of this includes answering emails so not all of it is super focused, but it has to be done.</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> How do you organize it all? Can you describe an average day or week? (And don't forget to mention how many hours of sleep you're functioning on!)<br /><br /><b>Fran:</b> <i> Okay, you're digging into my New Year's Resolution with this question! Right now I don't organize it much all–I just do it. I spend WAY too much time with email, and that has to change.</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Oh, yeah, that email is like quicksand!<br /><br /><b>Fran:</b> <i> Basically, my day has been get up tired at 6:00 or 6:30, get my daughter to school, exercise, take care of emails (including Class of 2k9 things that need to be done), contact various people about book marketing, mail out ARCs, eat, do household errands, return more emails, blog or read kidlit blogs, think about my next novel and modify my outline if it's a good day, return more emails, pick up my daughter from school, read to her and play, fix dinner, have family time, put my daughter to bed, and do more emails until I go to bed, where I read a chapter or two in someone else's novel until around midnight. Or one.<br /><br />But this is going to change in 2009. My plan is to get up and not be tired! Then exercise. Then I will write for two hours. Then eat. Then answer emails and do book promotion. And only spend limited time on the computer with emails in the evening<br /><br />I'll let you know how it goes!</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Okay--especially if you can figure out that getting up without being tired part!<br /><br />What are your best places and times for writing?<br /><br /><b>Fran:</b> <i> I love writing at home in front of the fireplace. Or in my office. Or Starbucks. Or Paneras. Or long car rides (when I'm not driving!)</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> I get it! Have pen, will travel! Sounds like you probably don't have much trouble with losing your momentum. Or do you?<br /><br /><b>Fran:</b> <i>When I am really engaged in writing I am so excited about it that I don't want to stop. I think about it all the time. It's hard to go to sleep or think about anything else. But there have been times when I've gotten stuck and then I tend to take a walk. There are times I need to stop the actual writing and just think about things, and walking seems to get the brain juice flowing for me. I'll also talk plot points over with my husband, who is really great to bounce ideas around with. </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> What do you do when you get blocked? (Or do you get blocked?)<br /><br /><b>Fran:</b> <i> I can't really say I've gotten blocked yet. I've been scared to start. I've been a victim of inertia, but not of being blocked.</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Do you find it difficult to make the transition between your non-writing responsibilities and writing? How do you handle it?<br /><br /><b>Fran:</b> <i>I ignore my chores! Okay, not completely, but some. My husband and I have split up the chores in a way that allows me not to have to think about the dirty laundry or dishes (both his usual chores). I think this is EXTREMELY helpful and I would find it hard to balance anything without my husband's help. I do the grocery shopping and a lot of the cooking and daily childcare. And we have a housekeeper who comes in a couple of times a month, who makes our world immeasurably easier. (I am a horrible housekeeper, I hate to admit. Actually, it may be that I am not horrible at it, but just that I don't have enough time to do it all and if it's a choice between cleaning up and working or spending time with my family, the cleaning up is always the thing that gets short shrift.)<br /><br />I do have to be careful about transitioning from my work (especially email) and time with my daughter. I try to just turn off the computer completely after I pick her up from school so there is no chance of being distracted.</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Hmmmm...Last week <a href="http://lisaschroederbooks.com/">Lisa Schroeder</a> said something similar about ignoring the chores. I'm beginning to see a pattern here...writers, put down those dust rags and laundry baskets!<br /><br />What helps motivate you and keep you on track? Are you self-motivated or do you need outside naggers to help?<br /><br /><b>Fran:</b> <i>When I met my editor and she became interested in the manuscript for WHEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS, I was only half way finished with the novel. Let me tell you, having an editor's attention was a HUGE motivator! But generally, I am not someone who needs nagging; I am very self-directed and motivated and I love writing, so most of the time it is easy for me to stay on track.</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> How do you deal with distractions—either outside or inner procrastinatorial/avoidance issues?<br /><br /><b>Fran:</b> <i> Frankly, I let myself be distracted when I think it's good for me. For example, right now I'm letting myself be distracted from my writing by marketing and book promotion. But that's okay because I've been a little scared about writing my second book. So instead of forcing things I've been letting myself just think about my next book for a good half a year, deciding which direction to take, ironing out the story in my head, outlining it, and finally sharing it with my agent and editor. Sure, I would like to have written it already, but I also realize that I've been learning a great deal about writing during the editing process for my first book.<br /><br />Generally I'm a believer that everything will come in good time. That you can have it all, but you can't have it all at once. There are seasons to life, and there are seasons to writing and to being an author. Right now, I'm developing my roots, soaking it all in.</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> That sounds very philosophical. Do you feel you have enough time for non-writing hobbies or activities you'd like to pursue?<br /><br /><b>Fran:</b> <i> Generally, I do. I love writing, so it's what I want to be doing most of the time. And I love spending time with my family, which is what I tend to do when I'm not writing. And I try to make time for exercising every week, and to see friends on a regular basis. Plus, the writing (or at least marketing) dovetails pretty nicely with traveling, which I also enjoy.<br /><br />I'd like for email not to interfere with family time so much in the evening, which it sometimes does. But email is a lifeline in some ways for a writer–it is how we connect to other writers across the country, and it's the primary way I market my book as well. I imagine after the book promotion is done (um, does that ever happen?) and I am on a writing cycle again, the emails will slow down a bit. I hope.</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Um, Fran, hate to tell you, but rumor has it the book promotion is NEVER done! Sounds like you have a good handle on it, though.<br /><br />What advice would you give to others struggling with writing/time management issues?<br /><br /><b>Fran:</b> <i> Wow, that is a toughie, because everyone and every situation is really very different. Maybe my best advice would be to write down the five things that are most important to you, and the five activities that actually take up most of your time during the day, and see where they do and do not overlap. Figure out where you ARE spending your time, and figure out where you would LIKE to spend your time. And then work on finding ways of shifting the balance from what you actually do to what you'd really like to be doing. Most people can find things they are spending their time on that they really don't have to do--they just do them out of habit.<br /><br />One tip for this–TV is a complete time suck. I know if I watched TV much I wouldn't be able to find the time to write.<br /><br />Another thing (and this is advice I'm giving to myself)–email and blogging can be a total time sucks too. Figure out a way to curb it or your writing time will suffer. (And if you figure out a way to do this, please email me at my website and let me know!)<br /><br />Finally–I consider myself a "scavenger writer"–I write whenever I can find a spare moment. I wrote most of my first book while my daughter was napping. Take whatever you can get; make your writing fit into your day (or night) however you can. You don't have to do it like other people do it–do it the way it works for you and your schedule. And if you're commuting or driving and can't actually write, then just think about what you're currently writing. A lot of writing can get done in one's head as well as on paper or on the computer.</i><br /><br />Thanks, Fran! I like your "rule of 5"--I'm going to have to try it--although I'm a little scared about what I'll find out. Good luck with your debut. I'm looking forward to seeing you on the shelves!M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-12602079587974054152009-01-04T20:48:00.009-05:002009-02-02T19:02:31.012-05:00Trying to start the New Year out right!!As a brandie-new published author, I've been struggling with two things this past year--<br /><br />Thing #1 - Knowing that having a blog is a very important part of authorly networking, but not having a clue about what exactly to put on it<br /><br />Thing #2 - Trying to figure out how to balance working my day job, promoting the old book, and writing the new one<br /><br />...well, there is a Thing #3, which is not being successful at either Thing #1 or Thing #2.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SWFsjCmfcDI/AAAAAAAAABw/t5wxk6w2Xh0/s1600-h/newyearparty.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SWFsjCmfcDI/AAAAAAAAABw/t5wxk6w2Xh0/s200/newyearparty.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287626786759209010" border="0" /></a><br />This being a New Year and time for turning over new leaves and starting fresh and all, I thought it I'd start the New Year off by trying to address Things #1 and #2. And what better way to do that than by killing two birds with one stone and blogging about how other writers deal with juggling their day jobs and authorly lives. That way I get my blogging done while picking up some tips to help me with my own juggling problems. So I'm inviting fellow writers to guest-blog about how they deal with the juggling act (or don't deal, if you're like me).<br /><br />So if you're a writer who's interested in sharing your tips for how you juggle jobs, family, and writing, feel free to contact me and I'll send you a short questionnaire. If you don't have a day job, but have other nearly full-time commitments (kids, elderly parents, volunteer work, school, etc.), you're welcome to play, too!<br /><br />For those of you who have kicked the day job to the curb and are able to write full-time, I welcome you to comment about how you took the plunge and what allowed you to do it: a really, really nice advance, an inheritance, living on Ramen noodles and mac'n'cheese, selling the house and moving into a cardboard box under a bridge, hiring out the kids as indentured servants, etc., etc...? What was the turning point and how is it working out?<br /><br />----------------------------<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SWFtHfdbt5I/AAAAAAAAAB4/zsiAblvtlF4/s1600-h/I_Heart_You.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 140px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SWFtHfdbt5I/AAAAAAAAAB4/zsiAblvtlF4/s200/I_Heart_You.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287627412981135250" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SWFtc5j5NdI/AAAAAAAAACA/f99bWIID6hQ/s1600-h/farfromyou.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SWFtc5j5NdI/AAAAAAAAACA/f99bWIID6hQ/s200/farfromyou.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287627780764808658" border="0" /></a><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SWFt0BgZcNI/AAAAAAAAACI/vJ2TTvWU7ck/s1600-h/baby2.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 128px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6EHa1BHEts8/SWFt0BgZcNI/AAAAAAAAACI/vJ2TTvWU7ck/s200/baby2.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287628178034618578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Our first guest blogger is <a href="http://lisaschroederbooks.com/index.html">Lisa Schroeder</a>, fellow <a href="http://classof2k8.com/">Class of 2k8</a> member and author of the novels-in-verse <a type="amzn" asin="1416955208">I Heart You, You Haunt Me</a> and <a type="amzn" asin="1416975063">Far From You</a> (both from Simon Pulse, 2008) and the picture book <a type="amzn" asin="1402721714">Baby Can't Sleep</a> (Sterling, 2005). Lisa has just sold her fourth book, a middle-grade novel called <b>It's Raining Cupcakes. </b><br /><br />Besides being a writer and a mom, Lisa works 32 hours a week in the Human Resources department at a major hospital/university.<br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Lisa, you're amazingly productive--and busy! Tell us some more about your daily work schedule.<br /><br /><b>LISA: </b><i>I'm lucky in that it's very much a job I can leave behind at the end of the day. When I took the job, it was 40 hours, and after 18 months, I felt like I could do the job at 4 days a week, and since I had sold my first novel, I really wanted that extra day to work on writing-related tasks. So, I proposed going to 32 hours by suggesting we try it for 3 months and see how it went. Fortunately, they said yes, and it's been over a year that I've been on that schedule. Tues-Fri, I get my kids off to school and leave for work at 8:30. I get there at 9:00, work until 5:30, and get home between 6:00 and 6:15.</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Wow! Sounds like a busy week! Besides the kids, are you responsible for taking care of anyone else? Volunteer work? Clubs, committees, organizations? Care of elderly/ill relatives? Etc.?<br /><br /><b>LISA:</b><i> My parents are fairly young and doing well, thank goodness. As far as volunteer work or clubs and that sort of thing, I'm not involved in anything. At this point in my life, it works better for me to give financially, and so that's how I choose to help others.</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> About how many hours a day/week can you spend writing? Any sense about what your average output is (pages/words a day)?<br /><br /><b>LISA:</b><i> I don't write every day, and I don't get hung up on feeling like I should write every day. I may have a month where I tell myself I must open the document and write at least 100 words every day, to push myself along, but that maybe happens once or twice a year. And the great thing about doing that is I usually write more than 100 words, because 100 words is not a lot, right, and then I feel really successful because I did above and beyond what I needed to do! </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> 100 words--that doesn't sound so scary! Setting an easy-to-reach goal sounds like a good way to overcome procrastination.<br /><br />Book promotion is a bugaboo for all of us. About how many hours a day/week do you spend on it?<br /><br /><b>LISA:</b><i> Before, during and immediately after a book's release, I'll spend a good 8-10 hours a week, doing on-line interviews, doing postcard mailings, that kind of thing. If there's a conference or some other teaching opportunity, I'll spend time putting the presentation together, and that's of course more time consuming. Because I work and have a family, most of my promotion is on-line. I do one or two book signings with each release, and that's all. I just don't have time to do more than that, and so I don't let myself feel bad about that. </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> How do you organize it all? Can you describe an average week? (And don't forget to mention how many hours of sleep you're functioning on!)<br /><br /><b>LISA:</b><i> I need 7-8 hours of sleep a night, and I get it pretty much every night. I spend time on the computer in the early morning hours 7 days a week. I get up at 6 am and either do promotional stuff or write, depending on what's going on. On the weekends, I'll write until 10 am or so, when it's time to get ready to go grocery shopping/run errands or go to church. We try to do one fun family thing each weekend, so one of the afternoons is for that, but the other afternoon, the kids often have a friend come to play, and while they play, I write. During the week, I'll use my breaks and lunch time to respond to e-mails, stay connected to people on blogs, etc. I also keep note cards handy at work, and when thoughts or ideas come to me on the WIP or maybe a new project, I jot them down that way.<br /><br />During the week in the evenings, that's family time when I'm having dinner, helping with homework, taking the dog for her nightly 30 minute walk so she and I get our exercise, that kind of thing. The kids go to bed at 9:00 and my husband and I are right behind them.<br /><br />I know other authors who put their kids to bed and they stay up and write, because that's their best time. I'm such a morning person, that would never work for me. I think the key is to figure out what DOES work for you and then be consistent about it. </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Consistency--that's definitely something I need to work on! What are your best places and times for writing?<br /><br /><b>LISA:</b><i> At home, in my office, in the early morning hours and on the weekends as time allows. </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> How do you keep from losing your momentum?<br /><br /><b>LISA:</b><i> Most of the time, this isn't a problem for me. When I start a book, I want to finish that book. Of course the middle can be a tough place sometimes and I may find myself procrastinating a lot, but again, I'll usually tell myself, open the document and write 100 words. Half the battle is opening the document and just getting started. I find once I get started, I'm off and running.</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> I know what you mean about that getting-started hurdle. I'm going to try that 100-word goal! Do you ever get blocked? How do you handle it?<br /><br /><b>LISA:</b><i> For me, a block usually happens when I don't know what should happen next in the story. So it's a matter of stepping away, writing down thoughts and ideas, in whatever form feels right at the time. It may be outlining, it may be free writing in paragraphs just to get my juices flowing, whatever.<br /><br />And if I'm having trouble doing THAT then I usually need to step away for awhile and let my subconscious work on it for awhile. So I'll go for a jog, do chores around the house, head to the library for some quiet time perusing the shelves, etc.</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Do you find it difficult to make the transition between your day job/chores/non-writing responsibilities and writing? How do you handle it?<br /><br /><b>LISA:</b><i> Some days I do struggle with thinking about writing-related stuff at work a lot, and that can be hard. What helps me, again, is to keep notecards nearby and jot stuff down, and to use my breaks as a time when I can check e-mails, maybe respond to interview questions, make lists of the promotional things I want to accomplish in the next couple of weeks, etc. I think if we feel like we HAVE to turn our writerly brain off when we go to work, we will be frustrated because we can't! So, figure out how you can combine the two in a way that will work for you and is fair to your employer.<br /><br />As far as chores, let me say this. It is essential for authors who also have a day job to not worry about the house-cleaning. If that means hiring a housekeeper to come twice a month, do it! I don't do that, because I am lucky in that I have a husband who does a lot of it. He works 6 am to 3 pm so he is home with the boys after school, and they'll do laundry, clean out the dishwasher, get dinner ready during those hours before I come home. We are a team - it's not just MY house, it's OUR house.<br /><br />I'll spend an hour here or there cleaning bathrooms or decluttering, usually on the weekends. But I'm not one of those who is spending all day Saturday every week cleaning! And if any writers are reading this who do that, stop that right now. :)</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Okay, no more Saturday cleaning from now on! My husband cooks and cleans, too, so I can second you on how helpful that is!<br /><br />What helps motivate you and keep you on track? Are you self-motivated or do you need outside naggers to help?<br /><br /><b>LISA:</b><i> I'm pretty self-motivated. I like seeing the word count grow. And a lot of times, I am really excited about a project and can't wait to see how it turns out. I wrote a mid-grade novel last spring and I could hardly tear myself away I was so excited. I wrote a first draft in like 6 weeks or something. That book, IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES, has since sold and will be coming out spring 2010. My editorial letter should be arriving any day, as a matter of fact. Eek!<br /><br />For me, the best thing I can do is to get in the zone and then stay there. I write fast and furious when I'm in the zone. If I have a whole Sunday afternoon to write, and I'm there, I can get a LOT done.<br /><br />The other thing I've learned to do - before I leave the document for the day, I write myself notes about where I'm heading, what I'm thinking should happen next, that kind of thing, right there in the manuscript. It makes reentering the story SO much easier.</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> A book in 6 weeks! That's impressive! Six YEARS is more my speed! How do you deal with distractions—either outside or inner procrastinatorial/avoidance issues?<br /><br /><b>LISA:</b><i> I like reading blogs, I admit it. But I feel like if I'm commenting and connecting with people, that's a form of promotion in a way. I mean, that isn't why I DO it, because that would be squicky, but by thinking of it that way, it makes me not feel guilty about doing it.<br /><br />If I'm having a particularly hard time opening the document and I really NEED to, I'll e-mail a writer friend for a little kick. The other day I did that, as a matter of fact. We were having a snow day and I knew I should be writing because I could, but the kids were home, I was worried about getting to work the following day, and I was just having trouble focusing. My friend gave me a little pep talk and then said, want to do it together? Let's do 500 words. Go. And you know what? I opened the thing, got started, and wrote over 1,000 words! </i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> Squirky--that's a great word! I'm going to have to remember to use that one! Do you feel you have enough time for fun/relaxation/non-writing hobbies or activities you'd like to pursue?<br /><br /><b>LISA:</b><i> No, I don't. Writers who work a day job basically have two jobs, so something has to give. And for me, this is the area that gives. But right now, my priority is earning money and saving money for the future, so the kids can go to college. The peace of mind that comes along with the day job is worth a lot to me at this point in my life. And I'm lucky in that I work with some great people, people who make me laugh every day, who I like spending time with. We go out to lunch one or twice a week, and that is all FUN to me. I don't think I could do both jobs if I hated one of them and had no time for fun on top of that!</i><br /><br /><b>Q:</b> So it helps if the day job is something you like--I'll second that. But I have to admit it makes the conflict between the two a bit tough at times!<br /><br />What advice would you give to others struggling with writing/job/time management issues?<br /><br /><b>LISA:</b><br /><i>1. Enlist the help of others. If your spouse/kids won't help, I believe you absolutely have to find someone else to help, whether it's a teen helper you pay to watch the kids, a housecleaner, etc.<br /><br />2. Figure out if you are a morning or night person and then be consistent about how you spend those prime non-job hours.<br /><br />3. Grocery shop once a week and plan the meals out for the entire week. Allow one night a week for pizza or sub sandwiches.<br /><br />4. Plan a writing weekend once or twice a year by yourself or with friends and go away to write, with no internet connection. I'm going on one next weekend, as a matter of fact.<br /><br />5. Deal with things as they come up. When I get a request for an on-line interview, I do it within 24 hours. I want it done so I can move on to the next thing, or be free of things hanging over my head so I can write without worrying about it.<br /><br />6. Use breaks and lunch times at work to do writerly things if you can.<br /><br />7. Don't feel guilty about what you can't do! Do what you can do, and let it be enough. In the end, I've learned that the best thing you can do for your writing career is to write the next book, and the next one after that. So if you're struggling with how to manage the promo stuff with the writing stuff, put the promo stuff aside and just WRITE. There will always be something we could be doing in the way of promotion. We hear about things others are doing and we feel like failures. We're not failures! We have two jobs, and there is only so much time in the day. So in my mind, promotion should be pretty far down on the to-do list. If you get to it, great, but if not, it's OKAY!!! </i><br /><br />Q: For me, I think the not-feeling-guilty part is hardest of all! But thanks for giving me permission not to stress myself out so much over the promotional stuff. I think that I've been a total paranoid about not doing enough, and that's taken away from my writing over the past year.<br /><br />Thanks so much for lots of good advice, Lisa! You're amazingly organized! And one more thing...don't get any frosting in your hair when it rains cupcakes!M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-55471561412400884982008-11-27T21:21:00.004-05:002008-11-27T21:36:35.027-05:00Ideas for your holiday shopping pleasureFeeling the pinch this holiday season? That economic crunch making your wallet a bit thin? Save some money by celebrating a true old-fashioned New England country Christmas.<br /><br />Don't waste your money on presents, and leave all those evergreens outdoors where they belong. On December 25, go to work or school as usual. Oh, and if you're an employer and your staff takes the day off? Fire their little heathen butts!<br /><br />Wait, wait, you say--that's not old-time New England; that's Ebenezer Scrooge before the three ghostly visitations. Well, old Mr. Scrooge would have fit right in with pre-Civil War rural New Englanders. Forget all those Currier & Ives visions of rosy-cheeked children hanging their stockings by the chimney with care and Clement Moore's "Visit from Saint Nicholas." Moore was a New Yorker and--gasp!--an Episcopalian--not quite as horrifically heathenish as a Catholic to those staunch Puritanically-descended New Englanders of the early 1800s, but pretty darned close.<br /><br />While Christmas was being celebrated in the South and in some of the big northern cities like New York and Boston (which had growing populations of Catholics, Episcopalians, and non-Anglo immigrants), out in the New England countryside, Congregationalists and Baptists ruled the religious roosts. Like their Puritan ancestors, they wanted to distance themselves from anything that smacked of Catholic ritual--especially holidays that they considered to be ancient pagan celebrations thinly veiled in Christianity. In the 1830s and 1840s, rural New Englanders viewed Christmas celebrations with curiosity, mistrust, and sometimes open hostility. Businessmen were annoyed and frustrated when they went into cities like Boston and New York and found some of the stores and offices closed for Christmas. Some ministers even preached anti-Christmas sermons, arguing that Christmas celebrations (especially those involving large quantities of alcohol) did not honor Christ's birth, but were profane mockeries of true Christianity. But eventually Christmas infiltrated the countryside, too--hey, who can resist a chance for a day off work, a big pig-out, and presents, too?<br /><br />For more than you'll ever want to know about Christmas in old New England, read these two articles at the Old Sturbridge Village Website:<br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20Interpreting%20and%20Explaining%20Christmas%20Traditions%20by%20Tom%20Kelleher%20"><br /></a><a href="http://www.osv.org/explore_learn/document_viewer.php?DocID=1988"></a><a href="http://www.osv.org/explore_learn/document_viewer.php?DocID=1988">Interpreting Christmas Traditions by Tom Kelleher</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.osv.org/explore_learn/document_viewer.php?DocID=2063">Christmas in New England Before 1860 by Jack Larkin</a><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/Christmas%20in%20New%20England%20Before%201860%20by%20Jack%20Larkin"></a><br />So don't stress over the holidays! Just tell your friends and family that you want to celebrate a traditional Christmas, just like they did back in the good ol' days, when all the men were strong, all the women had no rights whatsoever, and all the children worked 80 hours a week.<br /><br />----------------------<br />On the other hand, if you don't like your Christmas fantasies ruined, you can indulge them by checking out Old Sturbridge Village's Christmas by Candlelight, December 12-14 and 19-21. You can find out more about how Christmas was and wasn't celebrated in American cities and villages, how the celebration made its way from cities to the countryside, and learn the origins of some of our Christmas customs. And, best of all, if you come on December 12, you can come and say "hi" to me when I sign copies of A Difficult Boy at the OSV Bookstore! For information about the program, go to <a href="http://www.osv.org/">www.osv.org</a> and click on the link for "Christmas by Candlelight."<br /><br />(Can't make it to Sturbridge Village? Head over to <a href="http://mpbarker.net/work2.htm">my website</a> , where you can find a list of booksellers carrying autographed copies of <span style="font-weight: bold;">A Difficult Boy</span>. Most of them will ship books to you.)<br /><br />-------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS</span><br /><br />Of course, the perfect Christmas gift is always a book...especially if it's mine! But if you've already bought my book for yourself, your family, and your friends, you might get some gift ideas from this list of some of the books I've enjoyed over the past year or two:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10 GREAT BOOKS FOR ADULT READERS</span> -<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dennis Lehane - The Given Day </span>(William Morrow) - The parallel stories of two men--one white and one black--caught up in the turmoil of post World War I Boston, from the influenza epidemic to red-baiting to the Boston police riot. Amazing historic research, fabulous characters, wonderful story-telling--my favorite book of 2008!!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael C. White - Soul Catcher</span> (William Morrow) - A complex and wonderfully told story of a slave catcher and the runaway who challenges his path in life. My favorite book of 2007!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Judy Jaeger - The Secret Thief</span> (Behler) - While helping her grandmother clear out her house, Connie Gray discovers that her family's history isn't quite as she's been lead to believe. A great read from a terrific new author!!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Khaled Hosseini - A Thousand Splendid Suns</span> - Two Afghani women face unbelievable obstacles in their attempt to survive, first the Soviet invasion, then the tyranny of the Taliban.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina - Mr. & Mrs. Prince</span> (Amistad) A wonderfully detailed biography of Lucy Terry Prince (America's first African-American poet) and her husband Abijah that brings Lucy and Abijah and their world to life. Beautifully told--this book will make readers completely re-think their pre-conceptions about blacks in New England.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Karen Shepard - Don't I Know You?</span> (Harper Perennial) - A young single mother is killed, her body discovered by her 12-year-old son. The story is told from the point of view of three different characters, and each one gives you a different twist on the story and a different possible suspect.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ted Kerasote - Merle's door: lessons from a freethinking dog</span> (Harvest Books) - A man and his dog, with insights into dogness and a twelve-hankie ending.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Suzanne Strempek Shea - Sundays in America</span> (Beacon) - The author spends a year exploring different Christian Sunday celebrations, examining her own views on faith in the process.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Melva Michaelian and Lorene Morin - A Walk on the Wide Side: Pride and Plumpness</span> (XLibris) - A humorous celebration of diva-sized women and a wry commentary on America's obsession with thin-ness.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna C. Bowling - My Outcast Heart</span> - (ebook - Kindle edition from Amazon.com) - Left alone after the sudden death of her grandfather, Tabetha Small finds she must rely on a mysterious stranger if she wants to keep her home.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">17 BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULT READERS</span> - for readers 12 and up ("up" includes adults, remember!!)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jennifer Bradbury—Shift</span> (Simon & Schuster/Atheneum) - Best friends go on a cross-country bike trip, but only one returns.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Teri Brown—Read My Lips</span> (Simon & Schuster/Pulse) - Serena is a a deaf skater chick who uses her amazing lip-reading ability to infiltrate the popular crowd, take down a secret sorority and tame the school rebel.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elizabeth Bunce—A Curse Dark as Gold</span> (Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine) - In this retelling of "Rumpelstiltskin," the miller's daughter of the fairytale comes to life as a young woman determined to save her family and her mill--whatever the cost. (Great for fans of romantic fantasy)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Terri Clark—Sleepless</span> (HarperCollins/HarperTeen) - Teen psychic, Trinity Michaels, is being stalked in her sleep by a killer; if she dies in her dreams she'll die for real. (Great for fans of edgy, horror-tinged mysteries.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marissa Doyle—Bewitching Season </span>(Henry Holt) - While making their debuts in 1837 London a pair of twin witches rescue the soon-to-be Queen Victoria from a dastardly plot...when they're not looking for Lord Right. (Great for fantasy and romance lovers)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Debbie Reed Fischer—Braless in Wonderland</span> (Penguin/Dutton) - Allee Rosen falls down the rabbit hole and lands in the fab lane when she gets snapped up by modeling agents and whisked away to glamorous South Beach. Will the model life go to her head? (Great for fans of funny, edgy contemporary fiction)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Donna Freitas—The Possibilities of Sainthood</span> (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) - To Antonia Lucia Labella, saints are like Catholic royalty and she wants her day as princess (and maybe a kiss from that cute boy down the street, too)--if only the Pope would just respond to her letters! (Great for those of you who remember Catholic school!)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Liz Gallagher—The Opposite of Invisible</span> (Random House/Wendy Lamb) - A Seattle teenager wrestles with the difference between a crush and love, and love and best friendship.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Daphne Grab—Alive and Well in Prague, New York </span>(HarperCollins/Laura Geringer) - Manhattanites Matisse Osgood and her artist parents move to upstate New York when her father's Parkinson's disease worsens, and Matisse must face high school in a small, provincial town as she tries to avoid thinking about her father's future.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Schroeder—I Heart You, You Haunt Me</span> (Simon & Schuster/Pulse) - A novel in verse about love and grief in which a fifteen-year-old girl’s boyfriend, who is dead but not gone, is keeping her from moving on. (Great for reluctant readers.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Regina Scott—La Petite Four</span> (Penguin/Razorbill) - Lady Emily Southwell and her three dearest friends plan to take London by storm until they run afoul of a dashing young lord who may have more up his sleeve than a nicely muscled arm. (Great for fans of Regency romance)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Brooke Taylor—Undone</span> (Bloomsbury/Walker) - A troubled teen fulfills the five enigmatic last wishes of her daring best friend only to discover the dark secrets of a shared past that she never knew. (Great for fans of edgy, dark fiction)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Zu Vincent—The Lucky Place</span> (Front Street Press) - When you look at growing up through Cassie’s eyes, you see it differently.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">D. Dina Friedman - Escaping into the Night </span>( Simon & Schuster) - Thirteen-year-old Halina Rudowski narrowly escapes the Polish ghetto and flees to the forest, where she is taken in by an encampment of Jews trying to survive World War II.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Michelle Kwasney - Baby Blue</span> (Holt) - Still grieving and guilt-ridden over her father’s drowning, twelve-year-old Blue is dealt another blow when her older sister, Star, runs away to escape their stepfather’s violence against their mother.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Carrie Jones - Tips on Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend </span>(Flux) - Belle, a high school junior, expects to marry her long-term boyfriend one day until he tells her and their entire small Maine town that he is gay, and both face prejudice and violence even as they enter new relationships and try to remain friends.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sarah Aronson - Headcase</span> (Roaring Brook) - Seventeen-year-old Frank Marder struggles to deal with the aftermath of an accident he had while driving drunk that killed two people, including his girlfriend, and left him paralyzed from the neck down.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">15 BOOKS FOR READERS 9 AND UP</span> (older readers will love these books, too, though!!)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ellen Booraem—The Unnameables </span>(Harcourt Children’s Books) - A boy and a goatman defy the establishment in a fantasy about belonging, the dangers of forgetting history, the usefulness of art, and the importance of wind control. (If you liked Lois Lowry's The Giver, you'll love this one!)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jody Feldman—The Gollywhopper Games </span>(HarperCollins/Greenwillow) - In the beginning there were 25,000 contestants; in the end, just five. Does Gil Goodson have what it takes to win The Gollywhopper Games? (If you liked Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, you'll love this book!)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">PJ Hoover—The Emerald Tablet</span> (Blooming Tree Press) - Benjamin Holt's discovery of a new world explains his extraordinary powers, but also presents him with a challenge which changes his purpose in life forever. (Great for fantasy lovers)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jenny Meyerhoff—Third Grade Baby</span> (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) - Third grader Polly Peterson can't wait to finally lose her first tooth, but then she learns that third graders are too old for the tooth fairy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">N. A. Nelson—Bringing the Boy Home </span>(HarperCollins) - Two young boys...an unforgiving jungle...one shared destiny.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stacy Nyikos—Dragon Wishes</span> (Blooming Tree Press) - Dragon Wishes follows two girls across time on their quests for the greatest gift the last of the world's ancient dragons protects in the ominous Damei Mountains.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sarah Prineas—The Magic Thief</span> (HarperCollins) - A pickpocket and a wizard team up to solve a mystery of disappearing magic. (Great for fantasy lovers.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Courtney Sheinmel—My So-Called Family</span> (Simon & Schuster) - Leah Hoffman-Ross has a secret: she has a donor instead of a father, and now she's going in search of her half-siblings . . . even if she has to hide it from everybody else.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Laurel Snyder—Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains </span>(Random House) - A snarky milkmaid, clumsy prince, sniffly prairie dog, and feisty milkcow venture deep into the Bewilderness, where they learn the value of friendship, honesty, government, and lunch.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Barrie Summy—I So Don’t Do Mysteries </span>(Random House/Delacorte) - Sherry, short for Sherlock, wants more mall time, less homework and a certain boy, but instead gets recruited by her mother's ghost to prevent a rhino heist at San Diego's Wild Animal Park.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kristin Tubb—Autumn Winifred Does Things Different</span> (Random House/Delacorte) - Autumn Winifred Oliver, the feistiest girl in all of Appalachia, struggles against the formation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as it threatens the home that her family has farmed for generations.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nancy Viau—Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head</span> (Abrams/Amulet) - Sam is a ten-year-old, rock-loving scientist who must learn to keep a lid on her explosive temper so she can go on a “dream-come-true” trip to the Grand Canyon.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Annie Wedekind—A Horse of Her Own </span>(Feiwel & Friends) - In one tumultuous and life-changing summer, fourteen-year-old Jane Ryan loses the horse she loves and is asked to help train a damaged, dangerous horse who used to be a champion. (Great for horse-loving girls)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Michelle D. Kwasney - Itch </span>(Holt): After the death of her beloved Gramps, Delores "Itch" Colchester and her grandmother move from Florida to an Ohio trailer park, where she meets new people and, when she learns that a friend is being abused by her mother, tries her best to emulate her plain-spoken grandfather.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">D. Dina Friedman - Playing Dad's Song </span>(Farrar, Straus and Giroux) - While wrestling with memories of his father, who died when the Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001, eleven-year-old Gus, born into a family of musicians, starts taking oboe lessons, begins to compose music, and joins his sister in auditioning for a school musical.<br /><br />(Note: most book descriptions taken from Library of Congress catalog descriptions.)<br />-------------------<br /><br />Whatever holidays you celebrate, I hope they're happy!M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-16359045703050738342008-10-02T10:14:00.002-04:002008-10-02T10:17:59.693-04:00Announcing the Class of 2k8 School Librarian Contest!School librarians are undoubtedly the unsung heroes of the book world, supporting teachers as well as laboring to make their libraries places both for learning and for discovering the magic of reading. This fall, the Class of 2k8 is celebrating school librarians by sponsoring a contest just for them.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">So what is the Class of 2k8?</span><br />We're a group of 27 middle-grade and young adult authors with debut books being published in 2008 by major publishers like HarperCollins, Random House, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and others. To learn more about us and our books, please visit our website at www.classof2k8.com<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />A contest? What are the prizes?</span><br />Books, of course, from the Class of 2k8:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">First Prize: </span>Your choice of a full set of the 27 Class of 2k8 books OR a free author visit from a Class of 2k8 author in your region (if available)!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Two Second Prizes:</span> A $50 gift certificate from Indie Bound (formerly BookSense) plus three books from the Class of 2k8 to add to your school library.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Three Third Prizes:</span> Three books from the Class of 2k8 to add to your school library.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Great! How do I enter?</span><br />Easy! Send us your favorite anecdote about books, reading, or your life as a school librarian (c'mon, we know you must have at least one)! Try to keep it under 200 words, because we'll be posting some of them on our blog (www.classof2k8.blogspot.com) during the month of November. Feeling shy? We'll take a quote about books or writing from your favorite author instead. E-mail us your anecdote or quote at contests (at) classof2k8 (dot) com.<br /><br />Please be sure to include your name and contact information at your school with your entry. Entries will be accepted from October 1-November 10. Winners will be drawn randomly from among all entries and announced on November 24, 2008.<br /><br />In addition, if you pass this on to other school librarians and they mention the referral, you and your school will be entered in the drawing twice--double the chance to win!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Anything else?</span><br />Yes! Please feel free to pass this onto any school librarians you know, and don't forget to visit the Class of 2k8 website and blog. Questions about the contest or about the Class? E-mail us at contests (at) classof2k8 (dot) com and we'll be happy to answer them. Good luck!M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-82063266372005561462008-06-24T13:16:00.002-04:002008-06-24T13:25:35.662-04:00Free Books! Two Ways to Win!Who doesn't love free books, right? Well, this week you have two ways to win a bunch of Class of 2k8 books.<br /><br />Way #1 - The Hard Way (well, only a little...for those of you who like a challenge)<br />Go to the Class of 2k8's <a href="http://classof2k8.com/index.php?id=80">contest page</a> and answer ten questions about characters from this quarter's 2k8 releases. A random drawing will be made from all the correct entries and the winner will receive three of this quarter's books. Deadline is June 30.<br /><br />Way #2 - The So Easy You Can Do It In Your Sleep Way<br />Bop on over to the Class of 2k8 <a href="http://classof2k8.blogspot.com/">blog</a> , where our Blog Moms are interrogating...er, interviewing an assortment of book reviewers. Find out what makes them tick or ticks them off... And enter our drawing by leaving a comment on the blog. Every day we're giving away two 2k8 books. Deadline to comment is June 29.<br /><br />Improve your chances of winning by entering both drawings, because, as the Scarecrow says in The Wizard of Oz..."Some people do go both ways."M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-82366502707661798612008-06-13T10:59:00.000-04:002008-06-13T11:00:36.616-04:00Cross-gender writingI recently received an interesting comment on my <a href="http://www.redroom.com/author/michele-p-barker">Red Room</a> page that I’d like to offer up for discussion:<br /><br /><i>“Do the two boys in your historical novel have real-life counterparts? And if not, why did you choose two young males as lead characters, as opposed to two females or a male and female? At the heart of my question is why you would otherwise select young males to write about in depth. Perhaps you had brothers? Granted, children are perhaps more in their own unique class as callow pre-adults than than they are either male or female to any strict degree, but for a writer to readily fathom the soul of a child, a child of the same sex as the writer should be a much easier task.<br /><br />“Wouldn't you predict difficulties if a woman were to write "Lord of Flies" or a man tackled "Little Women?" <br /><br />“I'm not being critical. My curiosity is in effect betraying my own doubts that I could credibly write a novel about two pre-teen, or teenage girls.”</i><br /><br />It's not as if I'm the first writer in the world to have protagonists who are the opposite gender from their creator, but still, it did make me think. <br /><br />Now, my feeling is that sometimes writers choose their characters; sometimes the characters choose the writer. For me, the latter is usually the case. Sometimes the characters who choose me happen to be male, sometimes female. <br /><br />No, I’ve never been a boy (except perhaps in a previous incarnation, if you believe that kind of thing). I’ve also never been an abused indentured servant living in the 19th century, and I’m no longer a child. Does that mean that I had no right to write about these characters? Should I be restricted to writing only about white American females who grew up in the suburbs of New England in the late 20th century? What’s the point of writing fiction if one’s stories must be confined to one’s own life experience? The fun and challenge of writing for me is to try to “fathom the soul” of someone who isn’t like me and explore how that person’s thoughts and feelings are different from mine. <br /><br />Sure, I did wonder if my male characters would be credible. I tested them out by not using my first name when submitting <i>A Difficult Boy</i> to editors or agents. Some took the safe route and refrained from putting a Mr. or Ms. on their responses (we're not counting the form letters, here, but the ones who really read the story). Several male readers, however, believed the book had been written by a man. So at least some readers felt that I’d gotten the point of view right. I guess you'll have to read the book yourself to decide whether you agree :)<br /><br />I’ve certainly read books by male authors with female protagonists and thought, “A woman would never act like that.” But I’ve also read some that were totally convincing. Take Charles Frazier’s <i>Cold Mountain</i>--I felt that the female characters were spot-on and were actually more interesting than the male characters. And what about <i>Madame Bovary, Anna Karenina, Tess of the d’Urbervilles? </i>Or, on the other hand<i>, </i>what about <i>Ethan Frome, Harry Potter, The Accidental Tourist</i>, Mary Stewart’s Arthurian novels, Dorothy Sayers’s Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries?<br /><br />Readers, can you come up with a list of your favorite books written by authors whose gender or race, ethnicity, background, etc., is different from their protagonists? Writers, how do you feel about creating characters who are very different from your own personal background?M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-69918334680103675702008-06-05T05:15:00.003-04:002008-06-05T05:40:15.848-04:00Upcoming events for JuneOkay, I'm a bad blogger--I should be updating once a week or more, not once a month. But that's because April and May have just been insanely busy months, with readings and book-signings in East Longmeadow, Concord, Worcester, North Easton, Barre, Amherst, Northampton, and Springfield. Add to that a new job as Circuit Rider for Preservation Massachusetts (no, a horse doesn't go with it), and I've barely had time to breathe, let alone blog. A HUGE thank-you to the host libraries, bookstores, and clubs, to friends and family who came out to support me, and to these authors who joined me at several events:<br /><br />Historian Rusty Clark, author of the <b>Stories Carved in Stone</b> book series about gravestone carvers in Massachusetts and Connecticut<br /><br />Teen author Amanda Butcher, author of the fantasy novel <b>Lark and the Magic Pencil</b> (this high-school freshman girl totally blew me away with her poise, self-confidence, and articulate presentation)<br /><br />Fellow Class of 2k8 author Marissa Doyle, whose <b>Bewitching Season</b> combines historical fiction, romance, and magic and is just a total delight<br /><br />Contemporary author Judith Jaeger, whose <b>The Secret Thief</b> was a favorite of my monthly book group<br /><br />YA/middle-grade author Michelle D. Kwasney, whose books <b>Itch</b> and <b>Baby Blue</b> follow two girls through difficult situations<br /><br />YA/middle-grade author D. Dina Friedman, whose book <b>Escaping into the Night</b> explores a facet of World War II history that was previously unknown to me, and whose book <b>Playing Dad's Song</b> shows how a boy copes with his father's death.<br /><br />Great company, indeed! If you haven't read their books, I recommend them!<br /><br /><b>Upcoming Events</b><br />June looks as though it'll be nearly as busy as April and May, with at least one event a week. I hope some of you New England readers can join me! I'm especially looking forward to returning to my old stomping grounds at Old Sturbridge Village on June 28.<br /><br /><b>1 Jun 2008:</b> Online interview<br /><a href="http://www.authorlink.com/articles/item/603" target="_blank">Authorlink.com</a><br /><br /><b>6 Jun 2008, 9:30 a.m.:</b> Presentation for Worcester students (open to general public as well)<br /><a href="http://www.worcpublib.org/" target="_blank">Worcester Public Library</a><br />3 Salem Street<br />Worcester, MA 01608<br />508-799-1655<br /><br /><b>6 Jun 2008, 7:00 p.m.</b>: Book signing<br /><a href="http://storelocator.barnesandnoble.com/storedetail.do;jsessionid=DBAA3B4D38452BE2BC1A3DBE8E9AC6FC.worker2?store=2172" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble Booksellers</a><br />541 D Lincoln Street<br />Worcester, MA 01605<br />tel: (508) 853-2236<br />fax: (508) 853-9527<br />crm2172@bn.com<br /><br /><b>14 Jun 2008, noon-1:30 p.m.</b>: Panel discussion on writing with Class of 2k8 writer <a href="http://www.marissadoyle.com/" target="_blank">Marissa Doyle</a> (author of <a href="http://www.booksense.com/product/info.jsp?affiliateId=mpbarker2&isbn=0805082514" target="_blank"><b>Bewitching Season</b></a><a>), short-story writer and teacher Nancy Gardner, poet </a><a type="amzn" search="Teresa Cader" category="books">Teresa Cader</a>, children's writer <a href="http://www.mitaliperkins.com/" target="_blank">Mitali Perkins</a> (<a href="http://www.booksense.com/product/info.jsp?affiliateId=mpbarker2&isbn=0525479511" target="_blank"><b>First Daughter</b></a><a> and </a><a href="http://www.booksense.com/product/info.jsp?affiliateId=mpbarker2&isbn=1580893082" target="_blank"><b>Rickshaw Girl</b></a><a>), mystery writers </a><a href="http://catherinecairns.com/index.html" target="_blank">Catherine Cairns</a> and <a href="http://www.lesliewheeler.com/" target="_blank">Leslie Wheeler</a> (author of <a href="http://www.booksense.com/product/info.jsp?affiliateId=mpbarker2&isbn=0967819970" target="_blank"><b>Murder at Plimoth Plantation</b></a><a> and </a><a href="http://www.booksense.com/product/info.jsp?affiliateId=mpbarker2&isbn=0971437025" target="_blank"><b>Murder at Gettysburg</b></a><a>), and me<br /></a><a href="http://www.carylibrary.org/index.html" target="_blank">Cary Memorial Library</a><br />1874 Massachusetts Avenue<br />Lexington, MA 02420<br />For more information, contact <a href="mailto:%20girlscouts@catherinesibert.com" target="_blank">Catherine Sibert</a><br />Or call the library at 781-862-6288<br /><br /><b>21 Jun 2008, noon-3 p.m.:</b> Book sales and signing<br />June Strawberry Social<br /><a href="http://www.west-springfield.ma.us/Public_Documents/WestSpringfieldMA_Attractions/tours.htm" target="_blank">Ramapogue Historical Society</a><br />West Springfield, MA<br /><br /><b>28 Jun 2008, 3:00 p.m.:</b> Book signing and discussion<br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.osv.org" target="_blank">Old Sturbridge Village</a><br />Old Sturbridge Village Road (off Route 20)<br />Sturbridge, MA<br /><br />I've also been woefully negligent in congratulating my <a href="http://www.classof2k8.com/">Class of 2k8</a> colleagues whose books have been released in April and May, and whose books are sitting in a stack in my office screaming "Read us! Read us!" Make sure you check out these titles:<br /><br /><b>Shift</b> by <a href="http://www.jennifer-bradbury.com/" target="_blank">Jennifer Bradbury:</a> Best friends go on a cross-country bike trip, but only one returns.<br /><br /><b>Bewitching Season</b> by <a href="http://www.marissadoyle.com/" target="_blank">Marissa Doyle:</a> While making their debuts in 1837 London a pair of twin witches rescue the soon-to-be Queen Victoria from a dastardly plot...when they're not looking for Lord Right.<br /><br /><b>Braless in Wonderland</b> by <a href="http://www.debbiereedfischer.com/" target="_blank">Debbie Reed Fischer:</a> Allee Rosen falls down the rabbit hole and lands in the fab lane when she gets snapped up by modeling agents and whisked away to glamorous South Beach. Will the model life go to her head?<br /><br /><b>The Lucky Place</b> by <a href="http://www.zuvincent.com/" target="_blank">Zu Vincent:</a> When you look at growing up through Cassie’s eyes, you see it differently.<br /><br /><b>The Magic Thief</b> by <a href="http://www.sarah-prineas.com/" target="_blank">Sarah Prineas:</a> Take the magic and run!<a type="amzn" asin="1416958681"><br /><br /><b>Read My Lips</b></a> by <a href="http://www.teribrownwrites.com/" target="_blank">Teri Brown:</a> Serena is a a deaf skater chick who uses her amazing lip-reading ability to infiltrate the popular crowd, take down a secret sorority and tame the school rebel.<br /><br /><b>La Petite Four</b> by <a href="http://www.lapetitefour.com/" target="_blank">Regina Scott:</a> Lady Emily Southwell and her three dearest friends plan to take London by storm until they run afoul of a dashing young lord who may have more up his sleeve than a nicely muscled arm.M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-80449020149790116052008-05-05T08:48:00.003-04:002008-05-05T08:57:59.315-04:00Book trailer and stuff for MayCheck out this nifty book trailer for <b>A Difficult Boy</b>. The video was created by Madison Meyer of <a href="http://www.freewebs.com/msquaredproductions/" TARGET="_blank">M<sup>2</sup> Productions</a> and Joseph M. Barker, the love of my life (with a little teeny bit of input from yours truly):<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mkckS73jdGo&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mkckS73jdGo&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />"Inisheer," the absolutely gorgeous background music on this video, is played by multi-talented Irish musician <a href="http://sharonhussey.com/" TARGET="_blank">Sharon Hussey</a>, who graciously gave me permission to use her recording of this lovely Thomas Walsh compostion. See this <a href="http://www.folkworld.de/33/e/inisheer.html" TARGET="_blank">Folk World article</a> for the story behind the tune. <br /><br />The images of the indenture document, Mr. Lyman, the man on the hay cart, and the 19th-century town common are used courtesy of the local history archives of the <a href="http://www.springfieldmuseums.org/museums/history/" TARGET="_blank">Connecticut Valley Historical Museum.</a> All other images are from <a href="http://istockphoto.com/index.php" TARGET="_blank">istockphoto.</a><br /><br />May is going to be a busy month! Not only am I starting a new job as a Circuit Rider for Preservation Massachusetts (sounds like I should have a horse to do this!), I'm going to be doing a whole bunch of book gigs. Here's my schedule:<br /><br /><b>Week of 4 May 2008:</b> Online interview<br /><a href="http://trainspottingreads.blogspot.com/2008/05/10-questions-with-mp-barker.html" TARGET="_blank">Trainspotting Reads Teen Book Reviews</a> <br /><br /><b>5 May 2008, 6:00 pm:</b> Book signing and discussion<br />Hosted by: ICC Seniors Group monthly meeting<br /><a href="http://indian-orchard-immaculate-conception.org/" TARGET="_blank">Immaculate Conception Church of Indian Orchard</a><br />25 Parker Street<br />Indian Orchard, MA<br /><br /><b>6 May 2008, 6:30 pm:</b> I'll be with <a href="http://judithjaeger.com/" TARGET="_blank">Judith Jaeger,</a> author of <a href="http://www.booksense.com/product/info.jsp?affiliateId=mpbarker2&isbn=1933016280" TARGET="_blank"><b>The Secret Thief</b></a> for a book signing and discussion<a href="http://www.wbrookfieldlibrary.org/" TARGET="_blank">Merriam-Gilbert Public Library</a><br />3 West Main Street<br />West Brookfield, MA <br /><br /><b>17 May 2008, 11:00 am:</b> Book signing and discussion<br /><a href="http://www.barrelibrary.org/" TARGET="_blank">Woods Memorial Library</a> <br />19 Pleasant Street<br />Barre, MA<br /><br /><b>20 May 2008, 6:30 p.m.:</b><br />I'll be with <a href="http://judithjaeger.com/" TARGET="_blank">Judith Jaeger,</a> (<a href="http://www.booksense.com/product/info.jsp?affiliateId=mpbarker2&isbn=1933016280" TARGET="_blank"><b>The Secret Thief</b></a>) and <a href="http://www.classof2k8.com" TARGET="_blank">Class of 2k8</a> author <a href="http://www.marissadoyle.com/books.php" TARGET="_blank">Marissa Doyle,</a> (<a href="http://www.booksense.com/product/info.jsp?affiliateId=mpbarker2&isbn=0805082514" TARGET="_blank"><b>Bewitching Season</b></a>) for a book signing and discussion<br /><a href="http://www.amesfreelibrary.org/" TARGET="_blank">Ames Free Library</a> <br />15 Barrows Street<br />North Easton, MA 02356<br />508-238-2000<br /><br /><b>28 May 2008, 7:00 pm:</b> One event - four writers! Join <a href="http://www.ddinafriedman.com/" TARGET="_blank">D. Dina Friedman</a> (author of <a href="http://www.booksense.com/product/info.jsp?affiliateId=mpbarker2&isbn=1416902589" TARGET="_blank"><b>Escaping into the Night</b></a> and <a href="http://www.booksense.com/product/info.jsp?affiliateId=mpbarker2&isbn=0374371733" TARGET="_blank"><b>Playing Dad's Song</b></a>), <a href="http://judithjaeger.com/" TARGET="_blank">Judith Jaeger</a> (author of <a href="http://www.booksense.com/product/info.jsp?affiliateId=mpbarker2&isbn=1933016280" TARGET="_blank"><b>The Secret Thief</b></a>), <a href="http://www.michelledkwasney.com/" TARGET="_blank">Michelle D. Kwasney</a> (author of <a href="http://www.booksense.com/product/info.jsp?affiliateId=mpbarker2&isbn=0805070508" TARGET="_blank"><b>Baby Blue</b></a> and <a href="http://www.booksense.com/product/info.jsp?affiliateId=mpbarker2&isbn=978-0805080834" TARGET="_blank"><b>Itch</b></a>), and me for a book signing and discussion<br /><a href="http://www.eastlongmeadow.org/Library/" TARGET="_blank">East Longmeadow Public Library</a> <br />60 Center Square<br />East Longmeadow, MA<br /><br />Whew! But it'll be fun! I'll be with some really great writers, all with different styles and stories. If you can't come to any of our events, check out the links to my colleagues' web sites and their books for some great reading.M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-2456652063036503122008-04-14T14:05:00.003-04:002008-04-14T14:16:30.920-04:00Virtual book stuff from a not-very-virtuous authorHi, everyone,<br /><br />A Difficult Boy is being officially released this week (even though there have been 4 cartons sitting in my living room since March 26)! To celebrate, the Class of 2k8 is having a virtual launch party on the <a href="http://classof2k8.blogspot.com/">class blog</a> , where I'm the featured blogger all week. Not sure exactly what a virtual launch party is? Drop by and find out. No RSVP required, no driving, no hassles, and you don't even have to change out of your pajamas or do your hair. Unfortunately, though, you'll have to drink a glass of virtuAL champagne, which is altogether too virtuOUS!<br /><br />I’m also going to be doing guest blogging or online interviews on the following dates and sites:<br /><br />Wednesday, April 16 - <a href="http://www.myspace.com/enchantingya">Enchanting YA Reviews</a> <br /><br />April 18 and 22 – <a href="http://nineteenteen.blogspot.com/">Nineteenteen</a><br /><br />April 25 - <a href="http://jessicaburkhart.blogspot.com/">Author Jessica Burkhart’s blog</a><br /><br />Hope to see you there!<br /><br />MPBM.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-65250060330668538072008-04-05T23:58:00.004-04:002008-04-09T14:12:43.619-04:00Is that cool or what?My book is real and in my hands!! Is that cool or what? A little more than a week ago, boxes of books materialized on my front porch--real ones, with my name on the cover! 3 weeks ahead of schedule! And they're in bookstores even as I write this. (Well, I hope they're in bookstores--I still haven't seen any personally. On Friday the only bookstore I found that carried it had sold out--a good sign. So if anyone out there has an actual sighting of <a type="amzn" asin="0823420868"><b>A Difficult Boy</b></a> on an actual bookstore shelf, please let me know!) I've been running around so frantically trying to set up and publicize signings that I haven't even had time to blog about it until now. And next week, I actually get my first radio gig!<br /><br />On Monday, April 7, 1:00 pm (Eastern Standard Time), Dennis Picard, Director of <a href="http://www.thebige.com/village/storrowton_village.html" target="_blank">Storrowton Village,</a> and I will be guests on "Shooting from the Hip," <a href="http://vincentdowling.com/" target="_blank">Vincent Dowling's</a> radio show on <a href="http://www.valleyfreeradio.org/" target="_blank">Valley Free Radio, 103.3 FM, Northampton, Mass.</a> Those of you not in the Northampton area can listen at the station's website, which has a live mp3 stream. (The show will be repeated next Monday at 1 pm, so you even get a second chance.) I haven't met Vincent Dowling yet, but from his c.v. and what Dennis tells me, he's a pretty formidable talent. An actor and director and writer, he is former Artistic Director of The Abbey Theatre, Ireland's National Theatre. If that's not impressive enough to have me quaking in my boots, I don't know what is--especially since one of my main characters is Irish. Will my character be credible to a native Irishman? Will Mr. Dowling say "How dare you have the audacity to write about Irish characters, you...you...you, French-Canadian!!"<br /><br />Actually, Dennis reassures me that Mr. Dowling is quite nice and that this should be a fun time. But I'm very, VERY glad and grateful that Dennis will be there to run interference, should I get a case of the "um-um-um-ummmms." One of my former co-workers from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/osv.org" target="_blank">Old Sturbridge Village</a>, Dennis is a fabulous resource on just about anything historical--he did me the great favor of reading my manuscript when it was still in the 700-page very rough draft stage and catching me if I screwed up my details. (I only hope I didn't add new errors in the final edits.) I swear this man has a photographic memory! He was recently featured on Nova's <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/zero/program.html" target="_blank">"Absolute Zero"</a> episode, which you can see online. Look for "Chapter 3: The Ice Trade" and click on the link to the video (he's near the end of the clip). Dennis is the fellow being interviewed about the 19th-century ice trade. At that time, New England ponds were supplying ice to customers around the world. Imagine--ice from Massachusetts being used in India or China or the Caribbean. Is that cool or what?M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-7586526323480829832008-03-18T10:23:00.005-04:002008-03-18T11:49:41.066-04:00March 2k8 LaunchesWelcome to the book world the Class of 2k8's March launches, <a href="http://classof2k8.com/index.php?id=97" target="_blank">Jody Feldman's <b>The Gollywhopper Games</b></a> and <a href="http://classof2k8.com/index.php?id=96" TARGET="_blank">Elizabeth C. Bunce's <b>A Curse Dark as Gold</b></a>, two very different stories about young people trying to salvage a family legacy. <br /><br />In <a type="amzn" asin="0061214507"><b>The Gollywhopper Games</b></a>, young Gil Goodson hopes to redeem his family's good name after his dad was falsely accused of embezzling from the Golly Toy Company. If Gil wins the Gollywhopper Games, he'll show the world that Goodsons aren't cheaters, and will win enough money to help his family make a new start far away from the cloud of scandal hanging over them. Gil's an engaging young hero with a quick wit, a friendly personality, and a tenacious determination to make good. Readers can solve the Gollywhopper Game puzzles along with Gil--they're challenging enough to be fun, but not so difficult that you feel like putting your eye out with your pencil. Great for puzzle-lovers, punsters, and fans of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory--and for you adult readers, the writing and characterization are MILES ahead of that recent best-selling puzzle book The DaVinci Code! <br /><br /><a type="amzn" asin="0439895766"><b>A Curse Dark as Gold</b></a> is a fascinating re-telling of the Rumplestiltskin fairy tale. Young Charlotte Miller struggles to keep her family's woolen mill running after the death of her father. Charlotte is a practical young woman. She doesn’t believe in curses or magic until a series of weird and inexplicable disasters force her to rely on a mysterious little man who can spin straw into gold. All her instincts tell her to turn him away, but Charlotte feels responsible for the townspeople who depend on the mill for their livelihood. It's not just her own income at stake; Charlotte won't relegate her neighbors and friends to poverty. Meanwhile, she has to contend with an uncle who seems bound and determined to bankrupt her. Everything comes to a head when Charlotte realizes that to save her mill, her friends, her family, and her infant son, she must figure out how to right an ancient wrong. When the story's villain’s secrets are finally revealed, their heartbreaking stories make them as sympathetic as the main characters. A great read, but keep a box of kleenex handy!<br /><br />Find out more at the Class of 2k8 web site, or on our <a href="http://classof2k8.blogspot.com/" TARGET="_blank">Class of 2k8 blog</a>, where Elizabeth will be guest-blogging all week.M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-83436115994737862112008-03-08T11:37:00.004-05:002008-03-08T11:43:23.963-05:00March 1839 - A Good Month or Just OK?(My novel, <span style="font-style: italic;">A Difficult Boy</span>, takes place in 1839, so every now and then I like to take a look at what was happening back then. Thought I might share some of my findings.)<br /><br />Think people in the 1830s didn't LOL or ROTFLOL? Well, okay, they may have <i>done</i> it, but as far as we know, they didn't abbreviate it that way. But netlingo and textspeak are just new twists on an old practice of making shortcuts for popular expressions. In 1839, you might not LOL, but you might call someone TBFTB (Too Big For Their Britches) or SP (Small Potatoes)--or, if you liked them, they'd be <b>OK</b>. Yup, OK. Now there are more theories on where OK came from than there are emoticons ;) {:-O (You can find a list of most of those theories <a href="http://www.miketodd.net/encyc/okay.htm" target="_blank">here.</a>) But the OK expert was Dr. <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article824124.ece" target="_blank">Allen Walker Read</a> of Columbia University. In the 1960s, he was determined to track OK to its POB and DOB (Place of Birth and Date of Birth). According to Read, OK first appeared in print on March 23, 1839, in the <i>Boston Morning Post</i>: "He of the Journal...would have the 'contribution box,' et ceteras, o.k.—all correct—and cause the corks to fly, like sparks, upward." OK was short for "oll korrect"--a deliberately botched spelling of "all correct." Weird? No weirder than "lite" ice cream or Krispy Kreme Donuts. OK got a big boost in 1840 when New York supporters of presidential candidate <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/mb8.html" target="_blank">Martin Van Buren</a> nicknamed him "Old Kinderhook" in honor of his home town and formed an OK Club to back him in the election. Unlike TBFTB, OK survives today.<br /><br />Want to find out more?<br />Listen to this <a href="http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/patc/ok/" target="_blank">NPR story on the origins of OK.</a><br />Or read this <a href="http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/site/comments/ok_okay/" target="_blank">article about OK from wordorigins.org</a>, where you can learn about the origins of other common words and phrases.<br />Wordorigins.org is the Web page of David Wilton, author of <a type="amzn" asin="0195172841"><i>Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends</i></a> (Oxford University Press, 2004)--a book you might want to check out if you're interested in an entertaining look at where common words and phrases come from.<br /><br />TTFN!M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-73622268147789741592008-02-08T10:53:00.000-05:002008-02-08T10:54:55.549-05:00February is Library Lovers Month!<a target="_blank" href="http://www.librarysupport.net/librarylovers/index.html"><img align="right" src="http://www.librarysupport.net/librarylovers/img/lovebutt100.gif" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://blbooks.blogspot.com/2008/02/new-library-meme.html/">Becky's Book Reviews</a> is celebrating Library Lovers Month by issuing a challenge. She says:<br /><br />"February is Library Lovers Month, so to celebrate I thought I'd try to start a new meme going around about the library. I know one went around last year. I answered it. But I'll try to think of new questions. I'd really appreciate it if you'd play along :)"<br /><br />So, here are my answers to Becky's questions:<br /><b><br />How do you plan on celebrating Library Lovers month? </b>Well, I was going to say by returning my books on time for a change, but it's already a week to late for that! Then again, I guess my fines help support the cause, so maybe being overdue isn't such a bad thing after all! Anyway, back to the question--I'll celebrate by a) answering this meme, and b) passing along a link to a list of ways <a target="_blank" href="http://www.librarysupport.net/librarylovers/how.html/">to Love Your Library</a> and c) trying to do a lot more of the things on that list than I already do!<br /><br /><b>How often do you accidentally spell library as 'libary' when you're in a hurry?</b> Probably more than I'd like to admit--but at least I never SAY it 'libary'!<b><br /><br />What is the most amount of books you've ever had checked out at one time?</b> I have no idea, but best guess would be about 20-30<br /><b><br />What is the longest you've ever gone without visiting the library?</b> Maybe a month...but that's because I didn't finish those 20 or 30 books I already had checked out!<br /><b><br />What is</b><b> the biggest fine you've ever had? </b>Probably $15 (remember those 20-30 books--almost all overdue!). Bad me! Then again, as I said earlier, consider it a donation to the cause. Fortunately, I hit the jackpot when I got a job working as an archivist at a library/museums association, which means I have a "Get out of jail free" card when it comes to overdue fines--they really shouldn't enable my bad habits like that...<br /><b><br />When you go to the library, do you plan ahead and make a list? Or do you browse?</b> Yes and yes. Interlibrary loan is my best friend! I almost always shop on the on-line catalog first to pick out what I want or order something from another library. But of course, when I go to get my books, I have to check out the new arrivals, then wander upstairs to look for this and that, then by the time I'm done...you guessed it! 20 or 30 books again (well, more like 8 or 10, since I can't carry 20 or 30 home (my library is a short walk from my house)!<br /><br /><b>Have you ever been shushed or hushed by a librarian?</b> When I was a kid. But librarians don't shush these days--at least not in the libraries I use.<br /><br /><b>What is the worst (against-the-rules) thing you've ever done in the library?</b> You mean besides all those overdue books? When I was in college, I'd eat my lunch in the library--very bad me!<br /><b><br />What's the worst thing you've ever done to a library book?</b> Hmmmm...well, since in my family injuring a library book was something akin to a mortal sin, I grew up regarding them as sacred objects--that's Library Book with capital letters, kind of like the Ark of the Covenant--with pretty much the same penalty for damaging them as when the unholy Nazis opened the Ark in the Indiana Jones movie--damage a Library Book and the flesh would fall off your bones and you would be immediately whisked away to eternal damnation--or the equivalent: banishment from every library in the land for all eternity. Now that really WOULD be hell!<br /><b><br />Have you ever had a "favorite" librarian?</b> When I was a kid, Charlotte (I don't think I ever knew her last name) at our neighborhood library was a real sweetie--always coming up with new books to recommend, and always remembering what we liked. And in junior high, I got to help Mrs. Monchamp in the school library--funny I forgot that until you asked this question. She had a good sense of humor--she had to, to put up with us! My current favorite librarian, though, has to be my boss Maggie, who is the head of the Genealogy Library and Local History Archives at the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum--she's great at dealing with the difficult patrons, is the most supportive and most fun boss I've ever had, AND she brings me chocolate on a regular basis.<br /><b><br />If you could change one thing about your library it would be...</b> Hmmmm...since my town library just got a major facelift, with great new reading spaces and tons more shelf space, I think just about everything I would have changed has been done.M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8113596980189960948.post-7861200756664722032008-01-28T08:29:00.000-05:002008-01-28T08:56:32.721-05:00What's your Mushroom Factor?<p class="MsoNormal">Those of you who’ve ever taken up a home renovation project are probably familiar with the “mushroom factor” – you decide to fix that leaky faucet, then you discover that the leak has been going on so long that the counter has rotted out beneath it and the floor is getting kind of mushy. So you start tearing that out and you see that the genius who put the sink in decided that it was okay to cut a huge hole in a support beam to run the pipe through and now oops—the beam’s starting to crack. So you open up a little more and—oh, my God!—the mice have gotten in and are chewing your electrical wires and your house is a bonfire just waiting to happen….</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Well, I’ve realized that the same thing seems to be happening with my research on the historical novel I’m working on. The last one wasn’t too mushroomy, because it developed around information I’d already gathered during the course of working at <span style=""><a href="http://www.osv.org/" target="_blank"><st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Old</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Sturbridge</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Village</st1:placetype></st1:place></a></span>. But for this one, I had to send my characters on a road trip, so now I’ve got to find out about: transportation, inns and taverns, every person/business they encounter along the way (with, of course, period-appropriate names, occupations, tools, clothes, etc., etc.). Plus I have to pick out a route for them and find out about the towns along the route. Then one of my characters decided to work on the railroad, another stubbornly insists on taking up with a prostitute (I told him this was a YA book, and he said “Well, that would be the ‘adult’ part, wouldn’t it?"), a third is getting embroiled in a child custody dispute, and somehow a circus with a conjuror, jugglers, singers, and six dancing ponies have been thrown into the mix. Whew! I can see myself researching this until doomsday and never getting all the details I’ll need to make it right!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So my question for you writers out there is—does your writing have a “mushroom factor,” too? What is it and how do you handle it?</p>M.P. Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10028743410968969388noreply@blogger.com0