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Hero worship & WFMAD 28

Toni Morrison is one of my heroes for many reasons; she’s a gifted, brilliant, powerful author, she lived in Syracuse NY for a while, and now, she’s helping our country remember. (Here’s a non-NY Times link for those of you who aren’t registered with them.)

That bench is now on my Must-Visit list.

I am deep, deep in my research, trying to figure out how to wind the strands of my character’s story around historical events. I’m swimming in a sea of correspondence with historians and preparing to meet a couple of them.

One of the more interesting aspects of writing historical fiction is meeting those historians who have made one tiny facet of your story their entire life’s work. It’s sort of like challenging Kobe Bryant to a game of one-on-one, knowing that he’s not going to cut you any slack, but feeling like you’ve got your game on and you have a chance.

I spent a good hunk of yesterday marshaling my arguments for a historian who doesn’t believe that oxen were used to pull the artillery wagons towards a fort under siege. I’m pretty sure I’m right; he’s wavering, but he doesn’t seem to have any evidence to back up his concerns. If any of you, by chance, have anything to contribute to this conversation, please get in touch with me.

In honor of today’s WFMAD session, I present to you…..

… my desk.

WFMAD 28

Today’s goal: Write 15 minutes and maybe a little more, because it’s Monday.

Today’s mindset: organized

Today’s prompt: Today is all about the space in which you write. I have written in many, many places (my former writing spaces are an essay waiting to be written) and now I have my own slice of heaven. I work on the third floor of our house, in a loft space tucked under the eaves. I have a giant teacher’s desk from the 1920s that I trash-picked from my parents’ trailer park. I do not have enough bookshelves, but BH is going to change that when I go away on book tour. This is my creative kingdom.

If you are taking your writing seriously enough to try and do it every day, then it’s time to examine your writing space. What else besides writing happens there? Does it say “Dedicated Writer at Work” or “Sure, Go Ahead, Interrupt Me, I Don’t Really Want to Finish This Novel”?

The Guardian has a regular feature on writers’ rooms. I hope they do more.

If you can’t think of anything else to write about, today I’d like you to sketch out or write about the positive, affirming changes you are going to make to your writing space. Do you need to tidy it up? Get rid of visual clutter? Pay the stack of bills? Add flowers or a candle? Is there music in your space?

Extra-super bonus points will be awarded to those folks who actually act on their palns for their writing nook.

Scribblescribble….

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37ish Things About Me & WFMAD 27

Yesterday I harvested a bunch of basil and made fresh pesto. Twelve hours later, I still reek of garlic. In fact, I’m pretty sure I could be charged with a misdemeanor for disturbing the peace if I showed up in a public place smelling like this.

But, damn, it tasted good!

Here are some more odd things about me, yanked from a meme making the rounds.

1. Do you like blue cheese? Oh, yeah. I wonder if I could put it pesto?

2. Have you ever smoked? Yep, stupidhead that I was. I smoked the first three years of college. (Thank God I could hardly afford cigarettes – the habit was rarely more than a pack a week. I apologize to my lungs, mea maxima culpa.) I quit when my fiance and I made a pact: I would quit smoking if he promised to wear his seatbelt, always and forever. It has extended both of our lives.

3. Do you own a gun? Yes. Looking forward to hunting next year.

4. What flavor Kool Aid was your favorite? The most toxic one.

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Only if I think they’re going to tell me I’m about to die.

6. What do you think of hot dogs? Hoffman’s hot dogs are sinful and great. I try to not eat them, but I am weak.

7. Favorite Christmas movie? It’s a Wonderful Life. And Elf, if Meredith is here to watch it with me.

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? One mug tea, with two mugs of coffee as a chaser.

9. Can you do push ups? Yes!

10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? Wedding ring.

11. Favorite hobby? Running.

12. Do you have A.D.D.? Did you see that butterfly?

13. Do you wear glasses/contacts? I can barely see the butterfly without my specs.

14. Middle name? HALSE RHYMES WITH WALTZ!

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? Need more coffee, what to do about chapter 11, will the historian in Albany ever get back to me?

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Tea, coffee, water

17. Current worry? Not enough time before deadline.

18. Current hate right now? No hate – lots of anger, aimed mostly at the Bush administration and the media that is not reporting about the lives of working people in America.

19. Favorite place to be? With my family.

20. How did you bring in the new year? Singing so loudly the ice on the lake shatters.

21. Where would you like to go? Iceland, Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand.

22. Name three people who will complete this? I have not yet mastered the ability to see into the future.

23. Do you own slippers? Do you know where I live? I have slippers the size of down sleeping bags.

24. What shirt are you wearing? Long-sleeved running shirt bought in the early 90s.

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Ack.

26. Can you whistle? I can call my dog and children from a mile away with my whistle.

27. Favorite color? Green.

28. Would you be a pirate? How do you know that I am not a pirate already, cleverly concealed as an author?

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? Anything by the Eagles or Dave Matthews.

30. Favorite Girl’s Name? Meredith, Stephanie, Jessica. (our daughters)

31. Favorite boy’s name? Christian. (our son)

32. What’s in your pocket right now? Sweatpants don’t have pockets.

33. Last thing that made you laugh? Watching the dog jump on the bubble wrap.

34. What vehicle do you drive? Red Honda Fit and a bicycle.

35. Worst injury you’ve ever had? ::knocks self on head for continued luck:: broken fingers and toes, that’s it.

36. Do you love where you live? I adore it. I live on ten acres of serenity, planted with maple trees, sunflowers, and peas.

37. How many TVs do you have in your house? Two. They can’t wait for football season to start.

I tag you with the meme.

I can’t believe this month is almost over. This is the last Sunday edition of WFMAD. Here goes…

WFMAD 27

Today’s goal: Write 15 minutes.

Today’s mindset: pesto-scented

Today’s prompt: Think about the most irritating thing that has happened to you in the past month and describe it in three or four sentences. Skip a line and write “And then it got worse…”. Create fictional details about the incident, exaggerating and blowing it wildly out of proportion. After each new detail, skip another line and write “And then it got worse…”. See how far you can take your tall tale before you have to end it.

Scribblescribble….

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WFMAD 26

Little blog time today. Much family time.

WFMAD 26

Today’s goal: Write 15 minutes. Your month is almost over!

Today’s mindset: organized

Today’s prompt: Write down the scariest dream you ever had. If you don’t remember the details, make them up. Now figure out the metaphors/image systems and write another scene using those tools, i.e., the trees in SPEAK

Scribblescribble….

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Booktour news and WFMAD 25

No, the firewood isn’t here yet. Yes, it’s going up to 80+ degrees so we are unlikely to need it tonight. But OfficeMouse and her Faithful Companion are leaving soon which means it will be BH and me on stacking duty. Maybe I should invite everyone in Blogland to come help. I could feed you all snap peas and jam.

Happy Birthday today to my friends Ashley Kauffmann, Tanya Lee Stone, and Ed Spicer!! Ed does terrific work with teen readers out in Michigan.

My good friend Elizabeth Partridge suggested that I alert all of you to Lois Lowery’s blog. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Elizabeth has a blog, too.

I am starting to get early information about the CHAINS booktour this fall. I will be in these regions. (Most places I am slated to be around for two days somewhere from late October to late November. All details as soon as I get them, I promise!)

Minneapolis, MN
Denver, CO
Chicago, IL
Omaha, NE
Milwaukee, WI
Dover, DE (Delaware Book Festival)
McLean, VA
Ridgewood, NJ
Millbrook, NY (near Poughkeepsie)
Boston, MA
Rochester, NY
Atlanta, GA
Miami FL (Miami Book Festival)
New Orleans, LA
Oxford, MS
Jackson, MS
Bethlehem, PA (right, Stef?)
Oswego, NY

In addition, I’ll be speaking at the New England Independent Bookseller’s Association (Boston, MA), and the Great Lakes Booksellers Association (Dearborn, MI) tradeshows before the tour starts, and I’ll be in San Antonio, TX for the NCTE/ALAN conference.

After the last event, I will go home, burn my suitcase, and turn off the telephone for a few weeks. But, really, I am extremely excited about this tour.

Booktours don’t happen without writing, so let’s focus on that!

WFMAD 25

Today’s goal: Write 15 minutes. Be shocked at how fast the time flies.

Today’s mindset: melancholy

Today’s prompt: It’s Friday so it’s time to bathe in poetry. Do the exercises in poet Kate Clanchy’s workshop today. Feel free to share your poem in the Comments section!

Scribblescribble….

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WFMAD 24

The minor family emergency didn’t escalate, thank heavens. My mother fell Tuesday night and we spent yesterday doing the rounds with doctors and the hospital and x-rays. She’s home now, though I won’t say she’s exactly comfortable. She broke three ribs.

She’s going to be fine; the fractures are uncomplicated and there were no other injuries. In a week, she’ll feel much better. Normally I might ask for funny stories I can tell her, but laughing hurts too much right now, so if you have a kind thought or a prayer for comfort, those sure are appreciated.

J.L. Bell has another cool post about how an alleged John Adam’s quote turned into historical “fact.” This is a must-read for anyone thinking of writing historical fiction or non-fiction.

Today’s goal: Write 15 minutes.

Today’s mindset: sowing conflict.

Today’s prompt: Take your favorite picture book or fairy tale and write what happens next, after the last page of the story. Add on a new challenge for the character; a new story arc of complications and solutions, and character growth. Hint, you’ll probably need to introduce a bold conflict right away.

Scribblescribble….