Back in the Saddle Again (Aerosmith)

This is the first morning that I’ve been able to sit and write, so this will be short. (The deadline clock is ticking and making my stomach jump.)

I am officially Moved North. There were several amusing adventures along the way I’ll tell you about in the next week or so. Some not so amusing, too, but we survived, and that’s the best you can hope for when you’re moving. My office is almost finished…. totally stoked about that. I’ll have pictures soon. I’m looking for an old door (barn or house) to make a desk out of. If you live in Central or Northern New York and you have one to sell, write to me at comments @writerlady.com.

What else? I have to get some updates for the website to Theo in time for the SPEAK movie showing on September 5th. SPEAK jumped back on the NY Times bestseller list again last week… probably because parents are forcing their kids to do their summer reading. I feel very guilty about this. Somehow the concept of forced reading doesn’t seem like a practical way to encourage kids to love books. It smacks of forcing children to eat overboiled turnips because it’s good for them. I hope SPEAK (and any other of my books which have strayed onto the lists) go down better than overboiled turnips.

We’re also busy making plans to bring my parents North. That might be a novel all on its own.

But I can’t tell you about that now. I have to write.

(Remind me to tell you about the adventure with the bat. The bat with wings.)

60 Replies to “Back in the Saddle Again (Aerosmith)”

  1. hi

    hey! i couldn’t wait to read your latest LJ entry. i’m glad you had a safe trip up north and can’t wait to hear your stories:-). i hope finishing your story goes well. i can’t wait for speak. BTW: on that note about summer reading, although i am a person that loves books and reading and everything, sometimes i don’t like having to be forced to read certain books. i liked the books i had to read this year, but there are some books i really just don’t care for. ok. well i’ve written way too much. good luck with writing:-)! well i’d better get back upstairs so i can work on my novels too. -ashley 🙂

  2. hi

    hey! i couldn’t wait to read your latest LJ entry. i’m glad you had a safe trip up north and can’t wait to hear your stories:-). i hope finishing your story goes well. i can’t wait for speak. BTW: on that note about summer reading, although i am a person that loves books and reading and everything, sometimes i don’t like having to be forced to read certain books. i liked the books i had to read this year, but there are some books i really just don’t care for. ok. well i’ve written way too much. good luck with writing:-)! well i’d better get back upstairs so i can work on my novels too. -ashley 🙂

  3. hi

    hey! i couldn’t wait to read your latest LJ entry. i’m glad you had a safe trip up north and can’t wait to hear your stories:-). i hope finishing your story goes well. i can’t wait for speak. BTW: on that note about summer reading, although i am a person that loves books and reading and everything, sometimes i don’t like having to be forced to read certain books. i liked the books i had to read this year, but there are some books i really just don’t care for. ok. well i’ve written way too much. good luck with writing:-)! well i’d better get back upstairs so i can work on my novels too. -ashley 🙂

  4. Hey! *wave* I’ve missed you! Congrats on your move! YAY!

    I’m going to be in China for my house hunting trip when SPEAK runs, so I’m going to set my VCR! 🙂

    Looking forward to hearing about your bat!

  5. Hey! *wave* I’ve missed you! Congrats on your move! YAY!

    I’m going to be in China for my house hunting trip when SPEAK runs, so I’m going to set my VCR! 🙂

    Looking forward to hearing about your bat!

  6. Hey! *wave* I’ve missed you! Congrats on your move! YAY!

    I’m going to be in China for my house hunting trip when SPEAK runs, so I’m going to set my VCR! 🙂

    Looking forward to hearing about your bat!

  7. Welcome Back!

    Great to see that you made it, bats and all.

    Don’t get me started on forced reading. I do believe, however, that if anyone happens upon a bookstore or a library, there’s no turning back.

    At the LA SCBWI conference the mantra was “boy books” and the dire need to have books with strong male voice. Sounds like your WIP will fit into that category, although I cringe at category. Your books seem to cross lines (and, by the way, are much more palatable than over boiled and under boiled turnips). And, on a panel of women writers for YA lit, Speak was considered one of the top two books for teens.

    Have you read Looking for Alaska by John Green?

    Best to you in your new home. May the barn door find you.

  8. Welcome Back!

    Great to see that you made it, bats and all.

    Don’t get me started on forced reading. I do believe, however, that if anyone happens upon a bookstore or a library, there’s no turning back.

    At the LA SCBWI conference the mantra was “boy books” and the dire need to have books with strong male voice. Sounds like your WIP will fit into that category, although I cringe at category. Your books seem to cross lines (and, by the way, are much more palatable than over boiled and under boiled turnips). And, on a panel of women writers for YA lit, Speak was considered one of the top two books for teens.

    Have you read Looking for Alaska by John Green?

    Best to you in your new home. May the barn door find you.

  9. Welcome Back!

    Great to see that you made it, bats and all.

    Don’t get me started on forced reading. I do believe, however, that if anyone happens upon a bookstore or a library, there’s no turning back.

    At the LA SCBWI conference the mantra was “boy books” and the dire need to have books with strong male voice. Sounds like your WIP will fit into that category, although I cringe at category. Your books seem to cross lines (and, by the way, are much more palatable than over boiled and under boiled turnips). And, on a panel of women writers for YA lit, Speak was considered one of the top two books for teens.

    Have you read Looking for Alaska by John Green?

    Best to you in your new home. May the barn door find you.

  10. That was my thought exactly! If I had my druthers, I’d go for the bats with wings because the ones without wings sound a lot like rats.

    Welcome back! Hope the rest of the settling in to the new home happens without too many adventures.

  11. That was my thought exactly! If I had my druthers, I’d go for the bats with wings because the ones without wings sound a lot like rats.

    Welcome back! Hope the rest of the settling in to the new home happens without too many adventures.

  12. That was my thought exactly! If I had my druthers, I’d go for the bats with wings because the ones without wings sound a lot like rats.

    Welcome back! Hope the rest of the settling in to the new home happens without too many adventures.

  13. I didn’t get to read Speak this year in English but the regulars classes did and from the people I talked to they all loved it! Much more than the other books we had to read like All Quiet on the Western front which was ok but not close to exciting as Speak! So maybe its good for kids to read it. I loved it and can’t wait for the movie! Have a great day

  14. I didn’t get to read Speak this year in English but the regulars classes did and from the people I talked to they all loved it! Much more than the other books we had to read like All Quiet on the Western front which was ok but not close to exciting as Speak! So maybe its good for kids to read it. I loved it and can’t wait for the movie! Have a great day

  15. I didn’t get to read Speak this year in English but the regulars classes did and from the people I talked to they all loved it! Much more than the other books we had to read like All Quiet on the Western front which was ok but not close to exciting as Speak! So maybe its good for kids to read it. I loved it and can’t wait for the movie! Have a great day

  16. Lucky are the kids who HAVE to read Speak. It’s required reading for me in my second year of high school, but of course it’s been my favorite book since 8th grade.

  17. Lucky are the kids who HAVE to read Speak. It’s required reading for me in my second year of high school, but of course it’s been my favorite book since 8th grade.

  18. Lucky are the kids who HAVE to read Speak. It’s required reading for me in my second year of high school, but of course it’s been my favorite book since 8th grade.

  19. minggia

    Bats eats insects and don’t have potty mouths, could you imagine raising children who use potty langage?

  20. minggia

    Bats eats insects and don’t have potty mouths, could you imagine raising children who use potty langage?

  21. minggia

    Bats eats insects and don’t have potty mouths, could you imagine raising children who use potty langage?

  22. Re: minggia

    I’m puzzled by this post. How do you know that bats don’t have potty mouths?

    And yes, I love the way they eat insects. We’re going to build bat houses on our property to encourage them. I just don’t like it when they come in MY house.

  23. Re: minggia

    I’m puzzled by this post. How do you know that bats don’t have potty mouths?

    And yes, I love the way they eat insects. We’re going to build bat houses on our property to encourage them. I just don’t like it when they come in MY house.

  24. Re: minggia

    I’m puzzled by this post. How do you know that bats don’t have potty mouths?

    And yes, I love the way they eat insects. We’re going to build bat houses on our property to encourage them. I just don’t like it when they come in MY house.

  25. Forced Reading

    I agree that parents forcing their kids to read is a little bad, but I also think that if they didn’t, then most kids wouldn’t read. I have heard from numerous people that I know saying that they had to read a book for school and that they loved it and that they want to read more books. Sometimes, forcing kids to read helps mold their favorite subject to read on. The only way I found out about Young Adult novels was by reading Speak after my cousin told me it was a good book. I felt forced to be in the same reading area as her, even though she’s two years older than me. After I read Speak I learned that I love reading books with teenagers like me who have real problems. So, I don’t particularly like the thought of having to read something, but without force some of them will never read. It may turn them onto the path of becoming a writer, so I have to say that I don’t object to forced reading.

  26. Forced Reading

    I agree that parents forcing their kids to read is a little bad, but I also think that if they didn’t, then most kids wouldn’t read. I have heard from numerous people that I know saying that they had to read a book for school and that they loved it and that they want to read more books. Sometimes, forcing kids to read helps mold their favorite subject to read on. The only way I found out about Young Adult novels was by reading Speak after my cousin told me it was a good book. I felt forced to be in the same reading area as her, even though she’s two years older than me. After I read Speak I learned that I love reading books with teenagers like me who have real problems. So, I don’t particularly like the thought of having to read something, but without force some of them will never read. It may turn them onto the path of becoming a writer, so I have to say that I don’t object to forced reading.

  27. Forced Reading

    I agree that parents forcing their kids to read is a little bad, but I also think that if they didn’t, then most kids wouldn’t read. I have heard from numerous people that I know saying that they had to read a book for school and that they loved it and that they want to read more books. Sometimes, forcing kids to read helps mold their favorite subject to read on. The only way I found out about Young Adult novels was by reading Speak after my cousin told me it was a good book. I felt forced to be in the same reading area as her, even though she’s two years older than me. After I read Speak I learned that I love reading books with teenagers like me who have real problems. So, I don’t particularly like the thought of having to read something, but without force some of them will never read. It may turn them onto the path of becoming a writer, so I have to say that I don’t object to forced reading.

  28. Re: minggia

    here is why I want to give the bats their own houses:

    1. They eat bugs.
    2. They eat bugs at night, when I am sleeping.
    3. After a happy night eating bugs, they retire to their own house, not ours.
    4. They eat bugs.
    5. They sleep in the day, when I am awake. (You, too.)
    6. They eat bugs. Did I mention that?
    7. They don’t charge for their services.

  29. Re: minggia

    here is why I want to give the bats their own houses:

    1. They eat bugs.
    2. They eat bugs at night, when I am sleeping.
    3. After a happy night eating bugs, they retire to their own house, not ours.
    4. They eat bugs.
    5. They sleep in the day, when I am awake. (You, too.)
    6. They eat bugs. Did I mention that?
    7. They don’t charge for their services.

  30. Re: minggia

    here is why I want to give the bats their own houses:

    1. They eat bugs.
    2. They eat bugs at night, when I am sleeping.
    3. After a happy night eating bugs, they retire to their own house, not ours.
    4. They eat bugs.
    5. They sleep in the day, when I am awake. (You, too.)
    6. They eat bugs. Did I mention that?
    7. They don’t charge for their services.

  31. Good to know you’re back.
    If I may, I shall gripe about the trailer.
    It makes it too happy and carefree at points. I like it when it gets to you, but not so much the case this time. Then again, I really loved the book, so I’m a bit biased. 🙂

  32. Good to know you’re back.
    If I may, I shall gripe about the trailer.
    It makes it too happy and carefree at points. I like it when it gets to you, but not so much the case this time. Then again, I really loved the book, so I’m a bit biased. 🙂

  33. Good to know you’re back.
    If I may, I shall gripe about the trailer.
    It makes it too happy and carefree at points. I like it when it gets to you, but not so much the case this time. Then again, I really loved the book, so I’m a bit biased. 🙂

  34. Cancerous Vampire.OMG!!!1111!!! SOC save our Caitlyn!!111!!

    >=P I am a vampire I stay up all night too not only bats.

    Ok well not really the whole bloodsucking things but nevermind.I am confused.Have fun wrighting.I can’t wait I need to read.I’ve been bored and now have some kind of cancer.You know nowdays they have a cancer for everything.

  35. Cancerous Vampire.OMG!!!1111!!! SOC save our Caitlyn!!111!!

    >=P I am a vampire I stay up all night too not only bats.

    Ok well not really the whole bloodsucking things but nevermind.I am confused.Have fun wrighting.I can’t wait I need to read.I’ve been bored and now have some kind of cancer.You know nowdays they have a cancer for everything.

  36. Cancerous Vampire.OMG!!!1111!!! SOC save our Caitlyn!!111!!

    >=P I am a vampire I stay up all night too not only bats.

    Ok well not really the whole bloodsucking things but nevermind.I am confused.Have fun wrighting.I can’t wait I need to read.I’ve been bored and now have some kind of cancer.You know nowdays they have a cancer for everything.

  37. =]

    hi! my friend gave me your LJ link cause I was saying how I had to read your book “Speak” for summer reading! I think it’s really good so far and even my mom liked it. I’m going into 10th grade this year so it’s on my list… but we had a choice of books and I chose this book cause it looked really interesting. I’m definitly going to see the movie when it comes out. Good luck with all that you do!

  38. =]

    hi! my friend gave me your LJ link cause I was saying how I had to read your book “Speak” for summer reading! I think it’s really good so far and even my mom liked it. I’m going into 10th grade this year so it’s on my list… but we had a choice of books and I chose this book cause it looked really interesting. I’m definitly going to see the movie when it comes out. Good luck with all that you do!

  39. =]

    hi! my friend gave me your LJ link cause I was saying how I had to read your book “Speak” for summer reading! I think it’s really good so far and even my mom liked it. I’m going into 10th grade this year so it’s on my list… but we had a choice of books and I chose this book cause it looked really interesting. I’m definitly going to see the movie when it comes out. Good luck with all that you do!

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