the secret

I'm glad you liked my list on Tuesday. Several people commented on the graphic nature of it. I love to make things look cool. This is true in my notebooks too. I'm always looking for the opportunity to make things look more appealing. It's a big part of my creative process in many aspects of my life (presenting, blogging, cooking, scrapbooking, writing).

Many of you wondered how I did it. Thank you for the compliment and for asking.

Usually I use Photoshop Elements 9.0. I've been using PSE for, oh...I don't know, maybe five years and am on my third version. I'm the lucky girl whose parents buy it for her birthday. In order to learn to use the program I took an online course with Jessica Sprague. I would highly recommend taking a course if you are new to PSE and want to learn how it to use it.

For the list last Tuesday I used PSE, however, I could have also used MS Word to create the list. It would have been simple to create, but there would have been a few more steps in getting it to an image file to post to my blog. By using text boxes and a variety of fonts, though, I could have easily created the list.

Like many scrapbookers, I have lots of supplies. Since I am both a traditional paper scrapper and a digital scrapper, I have many digi supplies. So when I make a quick list or image for the blog, I tap into my "stash." These can be found for free (if you have the time to dig around the internet) or purchased in digi stores. Jessica Sprague has a store, as does Designer Digitals. The label and stitching were purchased at Designer Digitals. I could have also added them into a document on Word. (Or into PowerPoint presentations, which I often do to add a more graphic feel to them.)

Finally I love fonts. I'm particular about the fonts I chose to download, but I have hundreds that I've added to my computers. I keep to the free fonts and typically download from Dafont.com. (If you're unsure how to install a font, just do a quick Google search and you'll find easy to follow directions.)

So there are some of my secrets behind the list. If you have more questions, let me know. I'll try to answer them or send you a link of someone who already has shared the answer.

hot rod grandma

I was on my way to a meeting this morning when I pulled up to a stoplight behind a shiny black corvette. Around the license plate was a sign declaring:

Mamaw's Hot Rod

I was dying to get a glimpse of the driver, but the windows were tinted and the car was fast. Still, it made me think of writing and character development. I wondered about the character that is beginning to take root in my notebook (and maybe in my heart too). Would her grandma drive a hot rod?

{Discover. Play. Build.} Challenge
These kinds of unexpected traits are what make people fun. It's true in real life and it's true in fiction. This week's challenge is to create an OUTRAGEOUS list in your notebook, imagining odd and eccentric traits for a character. I can't wait to see what emerges in my notebook, as well as to hear how it goes for you.

a little list (soLs)

I saw a lot of lists around the slice community today. Since it feels like a listy-kind-of-Tuesday, here's mine.

Join us at Two Writing Teachers to
read other slices. Just click the image.

procrastination

Already today I've:

• Washed, folded, and put away two loads of laundry.
• Ran.
• Showered.
• Cooked breakfast.
• Cleaned the kitchen.
• Blogged.
• Vacuumed.
• Dusted.
• Cleaned out the car.
• Put away coolers from the race yesterday.

I got up early to write. Even though I try convince myself that this blog post and that blog post count as writing, I know they don't really. There are projects that need completed. Specifically, there is a keynote that must be completed. The only way it will get done is if I buckle down and write.

I'm not sure why I'm such a procrastinator. Do you think it's simply part of my unique writing process? The bottom line is I'm at the point where there's no longer a choice. It's time to go offline and focus my energy. I will write. I will write. I will write. (The thing I'm supposed to get done.)

{discover. play. build.} discovering your process

Recently I read:

It's not the kind of book that I usually read. I think this may have been why I was most surprised to be swept away by the story. It's a middle grade book and one that makes me want to return to the classroom simply so I could add multiple copies of it to my classroom library and talk it up as much as possible.


Reading a great book is like getting a gift, so I feel like I've been completely spoiled because I also had the chance to ask John a few questions. His answers inspire today's {Discover. Play. Build.} Challenge.


RUTH: Do you keep a notebook to help sort out your ideas? If so, will you share a little about your notebook and how it helps you as a writer? 

JOHN: You’ve been spying on me!  Yes, I go everywhere with a little pocket-sized notebook.  Leaving the house without it is worst than forgetting my cell phone or keys!

Whenever I have a moment in my day—whether I’m in line at the grocery store, walking to the post office, or washing dishes—I let my mind slip into my story.  I jot ideas down in the notebook, not because I’m worried I’ll forget them, but because there’s something about translating thoughts into writing that helps me deepen and develop my ideas.  Sometimes, I’ll just write lists of interesting words (what I’ve dubbed magnetic nouns, because they’re things that particularly fascinate me) or potential book/chapter titles.  I keep track of interesting names I hear, as well as notes on revisions I want to make to earlier chapters of my current work-in-progress. The pocket notebook is an essential part of my creative process as a writer.

RUTH: I'm intrigued by your opening chapter. The scents are powerful and the writing is strong. I'm wondering how this particular beginning came to be. Will you talk a little bit about the craft and the revisions involved in writing the lead to The Prince Who Fell from the Sky?

JOHN: Thank you, Ruth!  I wrote several versions of the first chapter before ultimately deciding on this scene to introduce readers to my central character, the bear Casseomae.  I wanted readers to be thrown head-first into the distinctly non-human perspective of the animals who inhabit this overgrown post-apocalyptic world. 

My number one goal with any opening scene is to give readers a reason to care about my main character.  Even the most action-packed opening can lose readers if they aren’t emotionally invested in the character.  Before I got too deep into writing The Prince Who Fell from the Sky, I spent a lot of time bringing Casseomae to life in my imagination.  I grew to love this compassionate, powerful bear.  Her situation—she longs to be a mother but all her cubs have been stillborn—endeared her to me.  I worked hard to create a scene that could demonstrate her predicament, her longing, and her sadness.  After I had it, I was motivated to create a story that would bring something good to this bear.

RUTH: You've published several other books. What was different about writing THE PRINCE WHO FELL FROM THE SKY? How do you balance planning ahead and allowing the story to unfold as you write?

JOHN: By nature, I’m a planner.  I like to have a rough outline of the story before I write.  I consider that outline my first draft.  Creating the outline is mostly a way of getting my head deeply into the world of my book and imagining the characters and their lives.  Most of the initial work writing a story is simply daydreaming.  The outline is a way of organizing my thoughts.  It’s important for me to bring my characters to life in my imagination before they’re turned into words on a page. 

My trilogy The Clockwork Dark is an epic fantasy adventure with lots of characters, story twists and turns, and subplots.  I needed intricate outlining to keep track of everything.  With The Prince Who Fell from the Sky, the focus was much more on a simple narrative arc with a strong emotional underpinning.  I wrote much less from an outline.  I knew my beginning.  I had possibilities for the end.  I had a lot of scenes somewhere in the middle that fascinated me—vultures who predicted the future using the entrails of carrion, a city ruled by escaped zoo animals, the boy getting into various bits of trouble.  I wrote the book allowing new ideas to reveal themselves to me as I went.  Once I finished that draft, I spent a lot of time reorganizing the scenes to create the right arc for my characters.  It was quite a different process writing the Clockwork Dark books and writing The Prince Who Fell from the Sky.

 

I’ve started a new book, and I’m discovering a completely different way of doing things this time around.  It’s like with each project, I’m asking myself:  How do I write a book?  It seems like that should be frustrating, but I find diving into unknown territory to be exhilarating for my creative process.

These words from John are a gift, aren't they? His story is too. He inspires me to dig into my notebook. Won't you join me?

{Discover. Play. Build.} Challenge

This week, snag some inspiration from John Claude Bemis. Read his interview and crack open your notebook Here are some ways you might want to play.

1. Commit to carrying your notebook everywhere for an entire day. See how often you can jot in it.
2. Make your number one goal to figure out why others should care about your character. If you're not writing fiction, twist this a little and figure out why people should care about the story or poem or article you are writing.
3. Approach your plot a little differently than you usually do. If you normally jot an outline, jump into the story and write a scene in your notebook. If you normally collect scenes, take some time to put a couple ideas down in an outline.

As always, I'd love to hear how these things are influencing you as a writer (or a teacher).

healing (soLs)

In January I wrote a letter to 2012. It (and the response from others) has stuck with me during these first five months of the year. I'm learning a lot about healing.

When we adopted our daughters, I knew we were embarking on a road of restoration. They were fragile, yet resilient little souls. I held them and prayed and molded myself to their needs. It was hard.

Very hard.

We don't often talk about this part of life. The hard times. The times when you feel like you aren't enough. The times when you're sure you're failing and things are never-not-ever going to be right again. The times when you're drained. The times when it is too much of an effort to even smear lotion on your legs, let alone put on make up and cute shoes. The times when pieces of your whole self disappear and you are left with a shell of the woman you once were.

The past four years have brought restoration to my daughters. They are amazing, self-confident, and wholly-loved little girls. Me, on the other hand, well, I'm not sure I fared quite as well. I was weary, at best. Frazzled. Exhausted.

This is why my letter to 2012 brought me hope. 2012 hasn't disappointed. The past five months have brought restoration to my own soul. I have energy for little things (like lotion) and big things (like overnight trips). I realize our adoption journey wasn't just about restoration for two fragile, yet resilient little souls. It was for me too. It was learning to grow and change and bloom into a stronger version of myself.

I think sometimes we are so busy surviving or helping others to survive that we forget to take care of ourselves. If this is where you find yourself right now, I want you to know it's okay. Start small. Smear some lotion on your legs or go for a short walk. Keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Life is a process. Sometimes we hold on and simply step through the mess. Other times we get to catch a glimpse of the way the mess transforms us into something we never imagined possible.

Check out other Slice of Life stories
by clicking on the image.

unexpected inspiration

I have some new characters tumbling around in my mind. (This may be the last thing I need right now with the end of the school year, trying to finish Celebrating Writers (Christi had her baby!), and finalizing my keynote.) Still, I have some characters tumbling around and I should be thankful. One of the characters is a teenage girl. She loves to read, and her favorite book is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. (This might be ironic for those who know me and my feelings regarding the "cannon" in high school English.)

Naturally I cracked open the book to reread it. (Well, technically I clicked it open on my Kindle app.) I've found myself highlighting passages (like this one) about Mr. Darcy that are revealing insights into the second character tumbling in my mind -- a guy who has moved in with the girl character's family to complete his senior year.

I've always been intrigued by books that follow another story from classic literature or mythology. I'm a little bit giddy to see the very organic nature of the story development. It's not forced or fake. I'm simply following the character. I even ordered a copy of the book in order to read it outside this summer. The character who is pushing on the edges of my mind loves reading outside around the farm. I want to read Pride and Prejudice outside on a quilt under a tree on a breezy summer day. The Kindle version just isn't going to do the trick for this kind of "research."

For now, I'm going to leave this character and her book right here. I need to focus my attention on professional writing --- the book and keynote and articles. When I make progress on one of those projects, I'll be rewarded with time to spend with my nose in a book or scribbling in my writer's notebook.

{discover.play.build.} COLORS

I love colors. As I've been pushing myself to consider setting from many different angles, I decided to focus on the main colors of a place. I love this page in my notebook. Even more, though, I love how it pushed me to consider the place from a new set of lenses. This is always a very good thing.

Here's my notebook page:

{Discover.Play.Build.} Challenge}

Will you make a page in your notebook noting the most abundant colors in a particular setting? It can be splotches of colors like mine, or it can be a list of colors. Just take a few minutes to think of your setting in a different way, then jot down a few notes. I'd love to see what you come up with...please share in the comments.

a pause for happiness (soLs)

I was reading Ocean in a Saucer by Laura Resau and found the inspiration for today's slice.

From Laura Resau at Ocean in a Saucer. Click on the image to
go to Laura's post.

I hunkered down last weekend. We escaped to visit Andy's mom, and I didn't blog or email or scrapbook or draft or work on my keynote or even open my computer. Usually when I avoid the computer it is because I'm feeling overwhelmed and stressed. I've been wondering what I'm stressed about, and then I came across Laura's post. I realized maybe I'm not avoiding work, maybe I'm simply pausing and being happy.

Here's a little list of "pauses" --

1. Eating Mother's Day lunch outside on the patio with just the kids.
2. Going for an hour-plus walk in the early morning sunshine.
3. Shopping with the girls -- Hannah, Stephanie, Karianne, and Carolyn (Andy's mom) -- and buying summer clothes and prom shoes.
4. Shiny grey toenails. (I'm totally not feeling guilty for getting a pedicure with Karianne.)
5. Filling a new notebook and stretching myself in this work. Focusing on things other than character -- setting and conflict and objects -- and enjoying the the way a story can unfold.

It's good for the soul to pause and be happy. I think I should make sure to do this at least once a day.

Join us at Two Writing Teachers for
Slice of Life Tuesday. Just click on the image.

{discover.play.build.} take a walk.

This week I was out walking and a character popped into my mind. I walk past this farm many times each week. It's been showing up in my notebook a lot lately, and I've been thinking about the kinds of people who could live on a farm like the one I walk past. I've been asking myself What if...What if...What if...

So I began to dream about the kinds of people who may live there. I walked and thought. Walked some more and said What if...some more. When I returned home, I couldn't get to my notebook fast enough. I had to capture some of my thoughts in my notebook.

I'm realizing the thinking that comes during walks (or runs or bike rides) is some of the best for me as a writer. I'm learning to slow down and let the story work itself out. Today I was watching a video of Mo Willems. He talked about how it takes awhile for his characters to develop. He's constantly working on new characters. His next book is the one where the characters are ready.

{Develop. Play. Build.} Challenge
Take some time to walk around outside. Dream a little. Imagine What if... Look around and wonder. Fill your brain with possibilities and then come home and crack open your notebook. Let me know what you discover.

on a field trip (sols)

Lucky-momma -- I'm spending the day at the zoo with kindergarteners. Most importantly I'm spending it with my favorite kindergartener.

He says, "Thanks for coming, Mom. I really enjoy you."

That's enough to make it worth taking a day off in May.

{Posted from my iPhone.}

Edited: Not really, I guess. It didn't post...so here's my slice, written on Tuesday, but posted late.

{discover. play. build.} scents

Earlier this week I was overpowered by the smell of school. This led me to write my slice this week. Writing my slice this week made me think about capturing scents and led me to my notebook for a little play and discovery. One of the things people commented on regarding my slice was the combination of concrete and abstract descriptions of smells. I coupled pencil shavings with possible dreams. I wanted to try a little of this in my notebook. As I was writing, I also noticed my choice of verbs helps carry the smell off the page. Capturing a scent in my notebook is about much more than description or comparison. It is setting and verbs and abstract nouns working together to create a scent for the reader.

{Discover. Play. Build.}
Return to your list of places and chose one to play with in your notebook. Create a page of smells from this place. Try to push yourself to include some abstract nouns in your scent descriptions, as well as develop a list of possible verbs to help waft the smell to your reader.

Click on the image for a bigger view of my page.

school scents (soLs)

Yesterday morning I walked into the school where I began my career. I'm not at this school often -- especially at the beginning of the day. My days usually start in elementary schools.  The smell of school was overpowering. I knew I wanted to write about it for my slice today. But how do you capture a scent?

I was one of the first people in the building, one of the first to open the doors. I walked through the clean hallway and breathed deeply. Then again. And again.

This is what I chose to do with my life. The thought bumps around my brain. I smell school. Shiny floors. Pencil shavings. Possible dreams.

I breathe deeply. Then again. And again. My footsteps echo off the floor, bounce around the walls, and carry me deep into the building.

I would chose it again.  I smell school. Computer labs. Paper stacks. Hope. Knowing that what adults do inside these walls matter.

I breathe deeply. Then again. And again. I know teachers are valuable. Smiling and laughing make a difference. Talking about books and solving complicated problems make a difference. Writing day after day and standing firm on boundaries make a difference. The phone call home and the note to a student make a difference.

In this time where mandates and standardization and evaluation make my gut wrench, I know I would chose this again. After all, nobody said it would be easy to change the world.

Click on the image to go to
Two Writing Teachers and read
more slices.

worst-case scenario {blog tour}

Know a reluctant reader? This
book may be just the remedy.

Welcome to the first stop of Chronicle Books Worst-Case Scenario Ultimate Adventure Novels blog tour. I'm glad you're here. The challenge was to give the Worst-Case Scenario: Amazon by Hena Khan and David Borgenicht to a reluctant reader. When I read the challenge, I knew the perfect reader: Wesley, a third grader.

Wesley loves to read...when he can find a book that interests him. A few weeks ago he stopped to chat with me. "What are you reading?" I asked.

Wesley wrinkled his nose and said, "Nothing really. I can't find anything good in this place." He swept his arm around the library.

"What about in your classroom?"

Another nose-wrinkle. "Nah, I've already read everything good. There's really not much left. I think I'm out of books."

Long after he returned to his classroom, the conversation lingered with me. I began to wonder if I was talking to  a soon-to-be-reluctant reader.

When I gave him Worst-Case Scenario: Amazon, his eyes lit up and a smile grew on his face. As I explained the concept -- he chooses as he reads how the story will unfold -- he began thumbing through the book. "Look at this," Wesley said reading the back cover, "Twenty-two was to fail and only one way to survive. Awesome."

"Do you think you'll have time to read it? I have to blog about it in a week."

Wesley nodded, "Oh yeah, for this, I have time."

Later, when I talked to Wesley again, he had a list of friends he couldn't wait to share the book with. "The guys are going to love this!"

Wesley's mom reported that he kept reading the book long after "the end." If he came to an ending, he back tracked and tried another path. The reading keeps going long after the story "ends."

Books like this are saviors for readers like Wesley. It's a book that he can read and read again. So the next time he's "out of books," he can return to the Worst-Case Scenario books until he finds his next read. Wesley has me thinking about more books for kids like him. Kids who love to read, but feel like they are "out of books."

Here's to books like the Worst-Case Scenario that keep kids reading, even after the story ends.

Want a sneak peek into what Wesley is reading? Here is an excerpt from Worst-Case Scenario Amazon.

Chronicle Books is also sending Wesley the other books in the series. Check out Worst-Case Scenario Everest and Worst-Case Scenario Mars. Finally, this book trailer gets to the heart of the book...the video even ends with a life-threatening choice!

For the next stop on the tour, check out Where the Best Books Are tomorrow.

{discover.play.build.} research a place

My friend Tam is writing a story about a rodent who wants to visit Paris. I've been enamored by Tam's work on this project. (And I've even found myself liking the rodent, Neville, who is quite charming and likable, once one gets over the fact that he is, in fact, a rodent.) Recently what has me most intrigued by Tam's story is she has never been to Paris. Yet this is the setting of her story, and it's working out quite well for her.

What place have you've never visited, but
find intriguing?

I think maybe I've taken the advice, write what you know, too literally when it comes to setting. There are many things we can write that we don't know, but can imagine. As I was flipping through POP UP LONDON by Jennie Maizels and paper engineering by Richard Ferguson (Candlewick Press, 2012), I found myself imagining story possibilities. What if...How about...I wonder...tumbled around my mind. It was then I realized I can write a story set in a place I've never been. (Click here to see more of my thoughts about this book.)

If you've never been to Cyn's
website or followed her on Twitter
You are missing out BIG TIME!
Click the links and be ready to be
engulfed in her online spaces.

The collecting and research process will be much different to develop a setting for a story if I've never actually visited the place. But it's not impossible. Writers do it all the time. (I quickly thought of Cynthia Leitich Smith (make sure to click the link to go to her website and follow her on Twitter) and her book DIABOLICAL. She wrote scenes taking place in hell and I'm sure she's never visited there. In the notes on the back of the book she notes her research into literature to gain an understanding of the setting. To read more about this check out my post about DIABOLICAL on Two Writing Teachers.)

So all of this is inspiring today's {Discover. Play. Build.} Challenge. I can't wait to hear what you discover and document.

{Discover.Play.Build.}

Consider a place you've never visited, but find intriguing. You may want to use the list you created last week. The place can been real or fictitious (or maybe you'll want to do this twice, one for each). Spend some time learning some things about this place. Record the things you find most interesting.

Here is a page from my notebook about food in London.

This is the photo I'm printing and taping into my notebook.

How about you? What are you discovering through your play?