tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045108038449541062024-03-12T21:27:40.008-04:00PLB OnlineOn Writing, On Life, ... and On the Writing LifePatti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-13659378358413794572015-07-06T23:47:00.000-04:002015-07-06T23:47:51.502-04:00Living without IFsI'm not the only one who does this, I'm sure. But recently, I realized that I have been living "if"<br />
...too much "if."<br />
<br />
You know what I mean... The conditional life. <i>If </i>I only had more ____, <i>then </i>I would _____.<br />
<br />
The condition for me is usually Time or Money. (Though sometimes Energy or Sleep get inserted into that clause.)<br />
<i>If</i> I only had more time, then I would write more.<br />
<i>If</i> I only had more money, then I could hire someone to put my house in order.<br />
<i>If</i> I only had more time, then I'd exercise more and get in shape.<br />
<br />
Well, my current job has afforded me at least more time (but certainly less money). So one would think I would be able to accomplish at least some of those conditions, right? Not necessarily. I have more time but less energy and less income so more stress. There's always something, right?<br />
<br />
<i>If/thens</i> are tricky little buggers. Those conditions we set up for ourselves are usually glorified excuses. The IFs are our 'outs'--our reasons that we're not living up to our potentials, becoming our best, living the fullest life we can live. The THENS are our dreams, our hopes, our desires. When we pair them with an IF, we're already telling ourselves that those dreams are only going to happen IF something else happens first.<br />
<br />
I want to be better at so many things! I want to be a better writer, a
better wife, a better mom, a better nurse. <br />
<br />
I want my dreams to come true.<br />
<br />
What's stopping me? Me. And only me.<br />
<br />
So, I'm taking the conditions off of those dreams.<br />
I'm going to write more,<br />
I'm going to put my house in order,<br />
I'm going to get in shape.<br />
<br />
<br />
There's nothing standing in my way.<br />
<br />
Here's the bottom line, folks:<br />
If you want to be better, BE BETTER. <br />
There's a sunrise every morning--a chance to begin again every single day. A chance to be better. Nothing stopping you. So, do it. <br />
That's it.<br />
<br />
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-PLB <br />
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<br />Patti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-81493906845312671522015-04-12T00:21:00.001-04:002015-04-12T00:21:24.264-04:00My Days Are NumberedLet me apologize up front: I am truly sorry if I missed your birthday or anniversary, if I didn't congratulate you on the new job, or if I failed to 'like' your child's latest accomplishment. It's not that I don't love my friends and family any more. Au contraire! I love you all more than ever. I have many wonderful people in my life--I love you, I love to see your kids, I love to read your news and interests. <br />
<br />
<br />But my recent birthday made me oh-so-aware of fleeting time: my days are numbered. Granted, that might be a very large number, but it could also be very small. One never knows. My baby's upcoming birthday drives home the fact that life passes by like a river: on the surface, it looks still and slow. Underneath, the current is swift and steady, ever moving forward. It seems like only months ago that she was an infant in my arms, and now she's taller than me. I can recall so clearly each of my kids as a newborn, but less distinctly their life as a nine-year-old. Time has accelerated somewhere along the way, and I am all too aware that it is fleeting.<br />
<br />
If you know the Browns, you know we've had a hard year. As
a result, I've reflected on my life, my values and my goals, and most
importantly, how I spend my time. I'm trying to capture those usually-wasted ten and fifteen minute snippets and use them better to write, create, clean, improve. <br />
<br />
I want to follow your news, send you good wishes, and keep track of your lives, but I find that when I'm doing that, I'm losing track of my own life and my own goals. I'm giving up scrolling down news feeds and timelines, reading articles and looking for recipes so that I can read more, write more, create more. I recently bought a sewing pattern and cut out material for a dress. Wow, I haven't sewn in years! I've outlined a new story, brainstormed a half-dozen others, and worked on a presentation to give in the next month or two... all in snippets. <br />
<br />
I apologize again if I've missed something important in your life... but by not being online so much, I'm not missing something important in my own. I hope you will understand, and seize every opportunity to embrace life to its fullest. After all, your days are numbered, too. <br />
<br />
L'Chaim!<br />
-PLB<br />
<br />Patti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-43742562927246804162015-02-08T19:57:00.001-05:002015-02-08T19:57:49.465-05:00Clicking "Send"Dear Readers,<br />
<br />
I did it. I clicked the "send" button. My baby, crammed into a one paragraph nutshell, was packed into a query letter and is now on its way to a few select agents, because I clicked SEND.<br />
<br />
I have a billion things to do right now... I have two writing partners to get back to with feedback on their work. I have a presentation to 'tweak' with some final touches. I have taxes to do, I have my website to revise, I have a blanket to finish crocheting, and I have a million house projects to work on. But I couldn't do anything before I clicked SEND. It was #1 on my priority list for a long time... in fact, this story has been on my priority list for a long time.<br />
<br />
But it's not easy (the story writing, not the SEND button clicking). Perfecting a story is a little nerve-wracking, because there's always the question of... <i>will they like it</i>? Its little friend <i>Is it good enough</i>? tags along closely behind. As a writer, I work and rework and tweak and retweak and revise and revise some more. I can wonder and worry and fret, but at some point, I ultimately have to click that SEND button or all of my work is really only done for me.<br />
<br />
It's kind of like getting married. You can make as many preparations as you want, but unless you walk down that aisle and say "I do," all of that work is pointless. <br />
<br />
So my work is now out in the world. I am glad. I am going to move on to other projects, and in the midst of all of my projects, I'm going to take time to write something new! Or work on something old. Either way, I'm going to keep writing... so I can keep on clicking SEND.<br />
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-PLBPatti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-77965213215110833132015-01-20T08:41:00.003-05:002015-01-20T08:41:45.645-05:00Two Thousand What?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIehoVe6_K9S-Ck0IrYSMgWPWU0SdAs7hpCv6hyi5sKb7_4N48AiErnUiZpgMgGl4_hPeQ5Qd7UnhXER-vGdH7gZ0Vgx2He7EAHpjhwJjMAjQ2CrZk08fDxRITtDzpfCT-C1vVJOzhdR4/s1600/books3b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIehoVe6_K9S-Ck0IrYSMgWPWU0SdAs7hpCv6hyi5sKb7_4N48AiErnUiZpgMgGl4_hPeQ5Qd7UnhXER-vGdH7gZ0Vgx2He7EAHpjhwJjMAjQ2CrZk08fDxRITtDzpfCT-C1vVJOzhdR4/s1600/books3b.jpg" height="200" width="199" /></a></div>
Not too many months ago, I posted that I had left my job to become a full-time writer. I did that for a little while, and I enjoyed the writing time. I am happy to report that in the time I was able to stay home and write, I finished a story I had been working on for a decade. It was a story that has been on and off my virtual shelf... one I could never quite get right. It wouldn't come together for me. It finally gelled into a workable story, and I have been working on it diligently ever since. I have progressed to writing a synopsis and queries for it--almost as hard as writing the story itself, but it's an exciting stage to be in. I can't wait to share this one with the world! <br />
<br />
I haven't been able to stay home and write full-time like I wanted to, but I was lucky enough to land a job that enabled me to sneak writing time in during work hours. I take care of babies, and I loooooveee nap time!<br />
<br />
Now, as I turn the page of the calendar, I can't believe it's 2015! Time is flying. I was shocked to see I haven't blogged in months on account of this working-writing-working-writing lifestyle I've had. Oh yeah, throw in teaching, too. I'm putting together and giving workshops on child health topics, and I've been training to be a tutor, too. I got my first student this week!<br />
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And, as always, I'm reading. I got nine books for Christmas and I'm making my way through them, slowly but surely. I'll be posting more about them here as I read on. What's on your reading list this year?<br />
<br />
Happy 2015!<br />
-PLB Patti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-76994682417458487342014-10-07T15:37:00.002-04:002014-10-07T15:37:31.166-04:00Savoring the SunHow long ago did I say I had some exciting news to post? <br />
Hint: it wasn't yesterday.<br />
<br />
I feel like I've been watching this exciting news for ages... saying to myself every day, "I'm going to blog about this! I HAVE to blog about this! This is so thrilling! Just as soon as I finish..."<br />
<br />
See, my friend and classmate, awesome author <a href="http://jandynelson.com/" target="_blank">Jandy Nelson</a>, has a new book out: <br />
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<br />
While that is exciting in itself, here's what is even MORE thrilling:<br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2014-10-05/young-adult/list.html" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2014-10-05/young-adult/list.html</a><br />
I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN debuted at #8 on the NYTimes Bestseller List! Congratulations, Jandy!<br />
<br />
I picked this up last week and started reading. Normally, I plow through books. I am a plot reader: I can't wait to see what happens next. I will go back to a story and read it again if the plot whisked me through. <br />
<br />
But this book is different. No plowing. I am walking through each page... strolling, even. The words are so beautiful. I find myself lost in the language, soaking it in like ultraviolet rays of sunlight. It warms me to my core.<br />
<br />
I went to school with Jandy and I knew as soon as I met her that this lovely girl has talent. I was lucky to hear her readings throughout our time at the <a href="http://vcfa.edu/wcya" target="_blank">Vermont College of Fine Arts</a>, and I am lucky to count her among my friends. <br />
<br />
But I rave today not because she is my friend. This book is stellar! If you read her first novel THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE, you know the beauty of her writing. Her latest novel reaches even deeper than her first. Here's just a little taste:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>We walk and walk through the gray ashy dusk and the forest starts to fall asleep</i>: <i>The trees lie down side by side by side, the creek halts, the plants sink back into the earth, the animals switch places with their shadows, and then, so do we. </i></div>
<br /> Ahhh, Jandy...<br />
<br />
Pardon me. I'm still back in the forest, sinking into the earth with the plants.<br />
<br />
Savor-worthy. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Those are for you, my dear J!)<br />
<br />
If you read only one book this year, you. MUST. READ. THIS ONE.<br />
<br />
-PLB <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZmMYKZCz9EJbUA9AWy6h2qyEyXifxMIkyyKv2HrGMtZmeaAyICpm2Z3pIr9SItimHDObeOnvwko54MsU_I1tZ2JEaWFAc-XMhGhKIw9RNFrlQV27UyN4QiTrsm8STtIQ-GjTHjNX7QI/s1600/jandy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZmMYKZCz9EJbUA9AWy6h2qyEyXifxMIkyyKv2HrGMtZmeaAyICpm2Z3pIr9SItimHDObeOnvwko54MsU_I1tZ2JEaWFAc-XMhGhKIw9RNFrlQV27UyN4QiTrsm8STtIQ-GjTHjNX7QI/s1600/jandy.jpg" height="320" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jandy Nelson </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Patti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-35946738064732937102014-09-25T22:21:00.000-04:002014-09-25T22:31:19.727-04:00Flying High, Flying By!Where did September go? Seriously! Where? <br />
<br />
September sure was busy, in my world as well as in the kids book world! Get ready for a long post... there is so much to write about this month.<br />
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Check out these just-out, ready-to-be-read books:<br />
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Kelly Bingham's <i>Circle, Square, Moose </i>is out!</div>
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The second in the <i>Moose</i> book series, <i>Circle Square, Moose </i>is getting starred reviews from <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kelly-bingham/circle-square-moose/" target="_blank">Kirkus Reviews</a>, Publisher's Weekly, and more. </div>
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Check it out:</div>
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<a href="http://www.kellybinghambooks.com/#!moose/c1tvq" target="_blank">www.kellybinghambooks.com/moose</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.michelleknudsen.com/" target="_blank">Michelle Knudsen</a>'s <i>Evil Librarian</i> hit the shelves this month too--her debut YA novel. This <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/michelle-knudsen/evil-librarian/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a> put it best: "Forget paranormal romance; this horror-humor-romance pastiche is where
those in search of hot nonhumans should set their sights." Congrats, Mikki! <br />
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<a href="http://lindseylane.net/" target="_blank">Lindsey Lane</a>'s debut, <i>Evidence of Things Not Seen, </i>is a new release this week. It looks great!<br />
Check out the trailer <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T2Th5AIZuI" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
What others are saying: <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="quote">"...As original as it is compelling, <i>Evidence of Things Not Seen</i>
captures the wild pulse of a town dealing with loss and moving on in
the backwards-forwards leaning way of life. A gem of a first novel."</span><span id="quote"> </span> <span id="quoteauthor"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">-Alan Cumyn, author of <i>TILT</i><br />and the <i>OWEN SKYE</i> series</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="quoteauthor"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNBJ8Cwv9R1UP9Ez2iNfgK6Wyj1S6ePFR_DBdoCJlwHDBZiV_8L24jl0Lzo-Q2xxyQDQaE2JyG8hJBzMNIfmGthI3-UlkJlglmsa-vl9Vb6B4DhUsYx7bVmIrUasjOGetB5u-n_uhbyo/s1600/pcrumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNBJ8Cwv9R1UP9Ez2iNfgK6Wyj1S6ePFR_DBdoCJlwHDBZiV_8L24jl0Lzo-Q2xxyQDQaE2JyG8hJBzMNIfmGthI3-UlkJlglmsa-vl9Vb6B4DhUsYx7bVmIrUasjOGetB5u-n_uhbyo/s1600/pcrumb.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://shawnkstout.com/" target="_blank"> Shawn Stout</a>'s newest PENELOPE CRUMB book hit the shelves this month, too! Who can resist our sweet little Penelope Crumb, as she tries to enlist the moon's help in solving her problems? Congratulations, Shawn! Check out all the PENELOPE CRUMB books <a href="http://www.penguin.com/book/penelope-crumb-by-shawn-stout/9780142424780" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="quoteauthor"></span></span><br />
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Did you see the trailer in my last blog for Julie Berry's <i>The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place</i>? It's now available in print. Mystery, mayhem and adventure, all found here! Happy book birthday, <a href="http://www.julieberrybooks.com/" target="_blank">Julie Berry</a>! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47kLnK-4MfrCvmx9ulM7zKq9xZyoGv5DyJDwAJ9vbpk4Sn7By1LygPYWL9QawJ5dhH6BtFVk0ZW7fCof9mUQ1OJhT1vtPN5bvdC2nmWWtmO9-mRTswYytZVC3qRr5Ftmt6m1wq5QBR_w/s1600/TerroroftheSouthlands_hires.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47kLnK-4MfrCvmx9ulM7zKq9xZyoGv5DyJDwAJ9vbpk4Sn7By1LygPYWL9QawJ5dhH6BtFVk0ZW7fCof9mUQ1OJhT1vtPN5bvdC2nmWWtmO9-mRTswYytZVC3qRr5Ftmt6m1wq5QBR_w/s1600/TerroroftheSouthlands_hires.JPG" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.carolinecarlsonbooks.com/" target="_blank">Caroline Carlson</a>'s second book in <i>The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates</i> series,<i> The Terror of the Southlands </i>is also newly published this month. (Didn't I say it was an exciting month?) For all your little pirate fanatics - find more adventures<a href="http://greenhouseliterary.com/index.php/books/series/the_very_nearly_honorable_league_of_pirates/" target="_blank"> here</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzy8yvRYq2v3x60c27DWuCdh7hQhNsgSz5CDh6QJWikXckREdl4A5YcYLCMKYy3bJh8CV8jwMc8opGof1_uveA7IoQT34oR9ADZuGOxBhrCzfE-4yLFRvWX6EAxbiN2hH1UFjnafPozg/s1600/colors+wind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzy8yvRYq2v3x60c27DWuCdh7hQhNsgSz5CDh6QJWikXckREdl4A5YcYLCMKYy3bJh8CV8jwMc8opGof1_uveA7IoQT34oR9ADZuGOxBhrCzfE-4yLFRvWX6EAxbiN2hH1UFjnafPozg/s1600/colors+wind.jpg" height="320" width="260" /></a><br />
And<i></i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> last but not least, <a href="http://jlpowers.net/" target="_blank">Jessica Powers</a> has a non-fiction picture book out, </span></span><i><i><span style="font-size: 1em;">Colors of the Wind: The Story of Blind Artist and Champion Runner George Mendoza. </span></i></i><br />
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Isn't that cover gorgeous?<br />
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What others are saying: <i><br /></i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">"<i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Colors of the Wind is a wonderful book stocked full of beautiful
paintings and information about George Mendoza's life as a blind artist
and athlete. </span></span></i><i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">When
I think of diversity in literature, a book like Colors of the Wind
seems to provide a great example for children. It illustrates the
things that one person can accomplish."</span></span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> </span></span></i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">- <a href="http://logcabinlibrary.blogspot.com/2014/09/picture-book-review-colors-of-wind.html" target="_blank">Brenda, Log Cabin Library</a></span></span><i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></i></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just a sample of good books now available... next up, some GREAT news from one of my classmates! But that deserves a new blog post--stay tuned! </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">In my world:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Hot and heavy into revisions! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Reading - lots of good stuff this week.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">-Happy that Big Bang Theory is back.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">-"Family Weekend" at my daughter's college... fun!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Have a great weekend! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">-PLB</span></span></div>
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Patti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-13579060995558950512014-09-04T20:10:00.000-04:002014-09-04T20:10:14.748-04:00New and Newsy<div style="text-align: left;">
This week in kids books...so many wonderful new ones coming our way. </div>
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<i><b>DON'T TOUCH</b></i> </div>
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by Rachel Wilson</div>
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<a href="https://d1ldy8a769gy68.cloudfront.net/180/978/006/222/093/6/9780062220936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d1ldy8a769gy68.cloudfront.net/180/978/006/222/093/6/9780062220936.jpg" width="129" /></a><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span id="freeText7153767671556085825"><b>A powerful story of a girl who is afraid to touch another person’s skin, until the boy auditioning for Hamlet opposite her Ophelia gives her a reason to overcome her fears.</b><br />
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<i>Step on a crack, break your mother’s back. Touch another person’s skin, and Dad’s gone for good. ...</i><br />
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Perfect for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson, this debut novel from Rachel M. Wilson is a moving story of a talented girl who's fighting an increasingly severe anxiety disorder, and the friends and family who stand by her.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span id="freeText7153767671556085825">Check out the very nice <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/rachel-m-wilson/dont-touch/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a>! </span> </span><br />
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<b><i><span itemprop="name">JACK AND THE WILD LIFE</span></i></b></div>
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<span itemprop="name">by Lisa Doan</span></div>
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<span itemprop="name"> </span><a href="https://d1ldy8a769gy68.cloudfront.net/180/978/146/771/077/0/9781467710770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://d1ldy8a769gy68.cloudfront.net/180/978/146/771/077/0/9781467710770.jpg" /></a><span itemprop="name"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="freeText7085131352193572415">After a wild plan by his parents left Jack stranded in the Caribbean, the Berenson family decided to lay out some rules. Jack's mom and dad agreed they wouldn't take so many risks. Jack agreed he'd try to live life without worrying quite so much. Then Jack's parents thought up another get-rich-quick scheme. Now the family's driving around Kenya. An animal attack is about to send Jack up a tree alone, with limited supplies. As Jack attempts to outsmart a ferocious honey badger and keep away from an angry elephant, he'll have plenty of time to wonder if the Berenson Family Decision-Making Rules did enough to keep him out of trouble.</span></span> </span></div>
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<br />
<span itemprop="name">And another very nice <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/lisa-doan/jack-and-the-wild-life/" target="_blank">Kirkus review</a>! </span><b><i><span itemprop="name"> </span></i></b></div>
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<span itemprop="name">An awesome promo video! This is great: </span></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/w9NJHszL3hA" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<i><b>The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place</b> </i>by Julie Berry - out soon!<br />
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And last but not least, <b><i>Girl on a Wire...</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51P4SHEUfdL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51P4SHEUfdL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a></div>
A thriller by Gwenda Bond (due out in print in October) is an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H9JRUWG/ref=tag_bro_botm_edpp_cover3?ie=UTF8&force-full-site=1" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle First Pick</a> this month!<br />
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Grab it early - I did, and it's worth it. I gasped and cried and held my breath with Julieta's amazing feats as she pirouetted and danced across the high wire in this captivating mystery. I loved the historical elements of the story as well as the technical aspects of high-wire walking. I couldn't put it down!<br />
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Happy reading!<br />
-PLB</div>
Patti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-23432268319949829542014-08-27T22:30:00.002-04:002014-08-27T22:30:41.419-04:00Because My "I Can't Wait To Read This!" List Isn't Long Enough... Some exciting new books out this week: <br />
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Check out Trent Reedy's newest release, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20578942-if-you-re-reading-this" target="_blank">IF YOU'RE READING THIS...</a><br />
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<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391615263l/20578942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391615263l/20578942.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<span id="freeText1123534080431226229">From the author of WORDS
IN THE DUST and DIVIDED WE FALL: A heartwarming book about a son
reconnecting with the father he lost in Afghanistan.<br /><br />Mike was
seven when his father was killed in mysterious circumstances in
Afghanistan. Eight years later, the family still hasn't recovered:
Mike's mom is overworked and overprotective; his younger sister Mary
feels no connection to the father she barely remembers; and in his quest
to be "the man of the family," Mike knows he's missing out on everyday
high school life.<br /><br />Then, out of the blue, Mike receives a letter
from his father -- the first of a series Dad wrote in Afghanistan, just
in case he didn't come home, meant to share some wisdom with his son on
the eve of Mike's 16th birthday. (Check out <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20578942-if-you-re-reading-this" target="_blank">GoodReads</a> for more...) </span><br />
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<span id="freeText1123534080431226229">And another VCFA grad's newest: </span><br />
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<span id="freeText1123534080431226229">Micol Ostow's AMITY:</span><br />
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<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389797132l/19141361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389797132l/19141361.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span id="freeText1123534080431226229"><span id="freeText7635901144496054875">Connor's family moves to
Amity to escape shady business deals. Ten years later, Gwen's family
moves to Amity for a fresh start after she's recovered from a psychotic
break.<br /><br />But something is not right about this secluded house.
Connor's nights are plagued with gore-filled dreams of demons and
destruction. Dreams he kind of likes. Gwen has lurid visions of corpses
that aren't there and bleeding blisters that disappear in the blink of
an eye. She knows Amity is evil and she must get her family out, but who
would ever believe her? (More on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19141361-amity?from_search=true" target="_blank">GoodReads</a>!)</span> </span><br />
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<span id="freeText1123534080431226229">In my world:</span><br />
<span id="freeText1123534080431226229">- I am working on revisions for my WIP... slowly but surely...</span><span id="freeText1123534080431226229"> </span><br />
<span id="freeText1123534080431226229">- I won a five book set (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22889148-believing-magic?from_search=true" target="_blank">Believing Magic</a>) in a book give-away on GoodReads! Thanks to <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8431823.Shane_Shelton" target="_blank">Shane Shelton</a> - I can't wait to read them! </span><br />
<span id="freeText1123534080431226229">- I had a perfect beach day Tuesday. Ahhh.... </span><br />
<span id="freeText1123534080431226229"><br /></span>
<span id="freeText1123534080431226229">See you soon! </span><br />
<span id="freeText1123534080431226229">-PLB</span><br />
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Patti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-85755434784494272562014-08-21T11:49:00.001-04:002014-08-21T11:49:09.007-04:00#PitchWars and Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey, thanks for stopping by my blog and checking out my<br />
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#PITCHWARS Mentee Bio!</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0EztVJBiaNb1xo-vy4qHrNDdi-1HjOJ7Z4CDrgvotCiOimnjX-6XOhPyRHtO_HKCuLloDVEumBTnuyW43_1d-kY0CdzEBD_nwgQRe6fovwBPHGek20RoQnVIjDYrOXWPTgaVZwoY7k18/s1600/pitch-wars-2014-logo.jpg" height="215" width="400" /></div>
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For those of you who aren't familiar with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PitchWars?src=hash" target="_blank">#PitchWars</a>, here's some information in a nutshell:<br />
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Each year, the wonderful <span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr"><span class="at"><a class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthorLink u-linkComplex js-nav js-user-profile-link" data-user-id="129821690" href="https://twitter.com/brendadrake"><span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name">B<span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">renda Drake</span></span></a><span class="u-floatLeft"> </span></span>
puts together a contest (</span></span><span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr"> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PitchWars?src=hash" target="_blank">#PitchWars</a>) which matches writers with mentors. Mentors review submissions and choose a person to work with for a few months on a completed MS. Following that, the mentees take their spit-polished, shiny works and pitch to a bunch of agents. And hopefully, some of those agents will love what they read. (Get more contest information at<a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/pitch-wars/" target="_blank"> www.brenda-drake.com/pitch-wars</a>.) </span></span><br />
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr"><br /></span></span>
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">This year, I jumped in with my newly finished MG story, <i>The Witch's Daughter.</i> I know this ms will need a new title, but I've been using <i>WD</i> as title for about a decade... I recently read the adult novel of the same title (loved it!) and I haven't had time to think of a new title for my work yet. </span></span><br />
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr"><br /></span></span>
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">Wow, I've been working on the same story for ten years? Ouch. </span></span><br />
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<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">Well, yes and no. I wrote this story ages ago, when I first started writing for kids. I wrote an adult romance as, ahem, a <i>practice</i> novel... to prove I could write a novel. After sharing it with friends and family who assured me I was the next Danielle Steele-in-the-works, I wanted to work on something different. So I wrote this story, heavily influenced by one of my favorite childhood books: <i>Little Witch</i> by Anna Elizabeth Bennett. I wrote it, rewrote it, and wrote some more. Sequels! Adventures for my m.c.! More! I was ready to quit my day job.</span></span><br />
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr"><br /></span></span>
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">No, I really <i>was</i> ready to quit my day job. I am a pediatric nurse, and I was working with children in foster care. I loved them (still do!) but it was hard, frustrating work dealing with the system. But, instead of quitting, I enrolled in the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program, in writing for children and young adults (<a href="http://www.vcfa.edu/wcya">http://www.vcfa.edu/wcya</a>). Man, I love that place. It changed my life. I met great people and fell in love with every aspect of writing. </span></span><br />
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr"><br /></span></span>
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">And... I didn't quit my day job. </span></span><br />
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr"><br /></span></span>
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">I wrote, and worked, and wrote, and worked... and worked, and worked, and worked. It's hard to do both. </span></span><br />
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr"><br /></span></span>
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">While I was at school, I worked on my<i> WD</i> story with all of my advisors. But, we agreed, the plot wasn't quite right. It wasn't coming together. I was proud to win the VCFA <i>Marion Dane Bauer</i> Scholarship with this story--Marion was one of my first workshop advisors and gave me great insight on it. It was one of a handful of fantasy stories chosen for critique by visiting author Jane Yolen the next year, and she gave me a glowing review. But still... the plot didn't shape up. Grrrrr.... stupid plot. </span></span><br />
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr"><br /></span></span>
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">I went on to write other things: <i>Angel, Baby</i> is a MG/Tween story about a girl who has cancer and goes into foster care. <i>Five Times Around</i> is a MG ghost story that takes place on an island in the Chesapeake Bay. I have about 100 other stories started, but more than anything, I wanted to finish my <i>WD </i>story. </span></span><br />
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr"><br /></span></span>
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">This year, I got a new job. I became a Pediatric Educator for a great program that teaches people about the importance of growth in children. I traveled extensively throughout my state... but, I traveled too much. I drove over a hundred and fifty miles every day (oooof). My family suffered, my house suffered, my pets suffered</span></span><span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr"><span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">, and I suffered</span></span>. But in those many hours of driving, my imagination soared. Finally, yes, finally, after a decade or more, I ironed out those plot wrinkles in my mind. </span></span><br />
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr"><br /></span></span>
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">So I quit my day job. I wrote my book. In a week. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">And then I was done.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">Wait, what? I was supposed to take some time, write my book, and <i>then</i> look for a job. And I'm done writing that story? Already? How can that be? (Because I love to write and can do it for hours and hours if I have the time? No way! Really? I'm shocked... probably because I've never had this kind of time to write before.) </span></span><br />
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr"><br /></span></span>
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">I've gone back to other stories that I started, and I'm working on something else, but my mind keeps wandering back to my <i>WD</i> story. I'm excited about it. I love the new changes. I want to share it with the world! But... not yet. </span></span><br />
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr"><br /></span></span>
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">I need some fresh eyes on it. I need to share it with someone who hasn't seen in in 100 different forms (like my wonderful writing partners have). I want someone to pour over and nit pick it. So I joined #PitchWars! What better place to find that someone? </span></span><br />
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<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">If I don't get chosen, then hopefully I'll find a critique partner. I'm enjoying all of my new Twitter friends, new opportunities (like <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WriteonCon?src=hash" target="_blank">#WriteOnCon</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BakersDozen2014?src=hash" target="_blank">#BakersDozen2014 </a>) and just being a writer. And, to be honest, stress-free days and time with my kids. I'm reading, exercising, cleaning, baking... and all of the things I didn't get to do when I was on the road. </span></span><br />
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<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">Here's me (in the flowered dress) with my famblers: </span></span><br />
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<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">My husband and kiddos are great. When I told them I was resigning from my job, my kids gave me a standing ovation. It means the world to me that I have their support. </span></span><br />
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<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">I know this bliss can't last forever, but I'm enjoying it now. I've learned a lot... I won't ever again commit myself to a job that takes me so far from home, or sucks up all of my time and freedom. I love this too much to give it up. </span></span><br />
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr"><br /></span></span>
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">But today, I am free. Free to write, create, and enjoy. </span></span><br />
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<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">Carpe diem! Today is my day!</span></span><br />
<span class="ProfileTweet-originalAuthor u-floatLeft u-textTruncate js-action-profile-name"><span class="ProfileTweet-screenname u-inlineBlock u-dir" dir="ltr">-PLB</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and My Baby</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span class="u-floatLeft"></span>Patti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-77386607564221665352014-08-18T23:51:00.000-04:002014-08-18T23:51:37.395-04:00A Newsworthy NoteI have some news.<br />
<br />
It might not seem like a big deal to others but to me, this is news.<br />
<br />
I'm writing. That's not really the news, because I've been writing, on and off, forever. But the news is...<br />
<br />
I'm writing. Full time.<br />
This is my job. This is what I am doing.<br />
<br />
I left my seemingly 'forever' job working with kids in foster care for an opportunity to expand my horizons, get out of an office, and teach. I met some wonderful people, I learned a lot about some really critical issues in children's health, I taught others, and I drove around the state of New Jersey. A <i>lot.</i><br />
<br />
Ever heard of the term 'Jersey Driver?' I got to know it well... too well, in fact. The travel was rough. So, two weeks ago, with my husband's blessing, I left that job and started working for me.<br />
<br />
In the last two weeks...<br />
My stress levels plummeted.<br />
My energy level increased.<br />
My house got cleaner.<br />
My skin became slightly less pale. <br />
My <i>Unfinished Projects</i> list got shorter. <br />
My creativity levels soared.<br />
And...my work-in-progress got finished!<br />
<br />
The story that I have been struggling with for years finally came together.Oh happy day! I actually finished this book--the book that I plot-wrestled and <br />
<br />
I am excited! I am free. I am energized. I can't wait to finish more projects, and to come back to this one and revise it. I am happy--and incredibly thankful!--to have this opportunity.<br />
<br />
I finally have some time to do fun things... #PitchWars, updating my blog and website, and reading, reading, reading. Books, blogs, the newspaper. <br />
<br />
Soon, kids will be back in school. Another month's bills will come in, and I'll have to find some work to pay said bills.<br />
<br />
But for now, I am working for me.<br />
And loving it!<br />
<br />
-PLB Patti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-50473012032421022732013-12-02T23:56:00.000-05:002013-12-02T23:56:28.111-05:00I've been writing, revising, submitting, rinsing and repeating. Reading some great books, too! Too busy reading and writing to write about reading and writing. (Readers and writers will understand.)<br />
<br />
Right now, I'm taking a break from blogging until I have something newsy and noteworthy to post.<br />
<br />
I hope that is soon :)<br />
<br />
I do post occasionally at Tumblr, and I occasionally tweet on Twitter as well -- feel free to find me at either of those places.<br />
<br />
And when there's something to report...<br />
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... I'll post it here! </div>
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:) </div>
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-PLB</div>
Patti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-39792513604393284542013-01-01T16:15:00.000-05:002013-01-01T16:24:33.498-05:00A New Challenge for the New Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"I love you, Mommy!"<br />
<br />
Oh, such a sweet distraction. Usually I welcome those words from Sus into my days, no matter what I'm doing. At this moment, I'm trying to break a year-long habit of dawdling, procrastinating, and allowing distractions to encroach on my writing time. I want peace and quiet, darn it! I want to settle in and bang out a best seller in 2013. I want to write again. Save the mommy-love for an hour, just an hour, please, Kiddo? <br />
<br />
Andy starts up the treadmill four feet away from my desk. It sounds like a jet airliner. I crank my iPod up so my quiet nature sounds override his noisy footfalls. It doesn't work. I now have a hurricane happening in my ears. Ugh. <br />
<br />
Last month, my good friend <a href="http://katiaraina.wordpress.com/2012/12/03/dreaming-up-a-new-challenge/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Katia Raina issued a challenge to writers</a>: 31 minutes, 31 days. Establish new habits. Make writing a daily habit. Live the dream. She had a great 2012: she sold a book, she wrote another, and she was accepted into my alma mater, Vermont College of Fine Arts. How I love that place! I am so thrilled for Katia--she will do well there. She belongs there. I have been telling her so for many years. She worked hard and made her dreams come true.<br />
<br />
Today is New Years Day. I woke with one mission in mind. One resolution. One goal. To heck with the house-cleaning, weight loss, exercise, and even the bathroom renovations that still aren't completed! I am going to WRITE. Now. Today. Every day. For thirty-one days. For the rest of the year! And hopefully, for the rest of my life. I'm starting today. Here. Now. I'm going to write. <br />
<br />
I have established a collection of writing 'needs' and habits over the years. My muse likes a quiet room, a pot of tea, and inspirations from writing greats--friends, mentors, and classic artists--posted around my desk. I used to wait until the kids went to bed, put on soft music, sip some warm fruity herbal beverage, and compose beautiful prose. Then I would be inspired to string together paragraphs haunting and delightful, constructing stories in the toasty warmth of my cozy office. (My 'dream' office was always clean, too, but thankfully, my muse never required a clean desk in reality.)<br />
<br />
New Years Day is ticking away, with distractions and <i>The Honeymooners </i>on TV and kids playing, exercising, chattering, and more. Life is happening around me. How will I ever get anything done? It's a new year. Time for a new outlook. <br />
<br />
SO! My 2013 motto: forget the damned habits. Screw the muse and her lofty demands. Bring on the treadmill! Leave the TV on--I don't care. Talk to me, interrupt me, bother me...it doesn't matter. I'll work through it. I will snatch a writing minute where I can. Thirty-one of them, every day. <br />
<br />
I hope your 2013 brings you whatever you are hoping for the most. I am hoping that my 2013 brings me good things, too. I almost said that I hope it brings me writing minutes... but, nope! That's up to me.<br />
<br />
Writing time, brought to me by<i> me</i>.<br />
<br />
And whatever you are hoping for most? Don't wait for it to come to you. Go get it. Make it happen. Your dreams, brought to you by <i>you</i>! <br />
<br />
-PLB<br />
<br />
PS Katia: this blog post does not count toward my 31 minutes. It's a warm-up exercise. 31 minutes of novel writing happens today, too. I promise! (That promise is to me, not you. :) )<br />
<br />
Photo credit: Will Hillenbrand, <a href="http://www.willhillenbrand.com/">http://www.willhillenbrand.com</a>/ Patti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-74155759439178217462012-11-11T23:34:00.001-05:002012-11-11T23:34:15.750-05:00What I Lost in Sandy... And What I GainedI went looking for some cream in my refrigerator the other day and then remembered: oh yeah, I threw it out. <i>Hurricane Sandy</i>. We threw away just about everything from our fridge and freezer after the storm when we lost power for four days.<br />
<br />
Hurricane Sandy hit almost two weeks ago. We were lucky. Our power went off on Monday at 2:30 PM, and came back on Friday at 2:30 PM. We had some tree branches down, and a little damage to some window trim, but that was it.We did not suffer the horrific losses that many around us did.<br />
<br />
The devastation is everywhere. So many people are talking about and suffering through loss. It was the question to ask for days--even weeks, now--when speaking with people after the storm. "Did you lose anything because of the hurricane?" I am always very thankful to answer no, but very sad to hear of the losses so many people had to endure.<br />
<br />
I am incredibly thankful that I have no real loss to report. Instead, I'm going to report what I <u>gained</u> from Hurricane Sandy:<br />
<br />
-I gained the cleanest refrigerator that I've had since it was new, about 8 years ago. I dumped a ton of food and scrubbed the appliance from top to bottom. I had the time and a reason to clean it, and I'm glad I did. <br />
<br />
-I gained some<b> beautiful memories</b>... <i>Uno</i>, spoons, cooking at the fireplace, and cuddling up with the kids during the chilly days without heat or media distractions. Snuggling with my husband, talking about all the 'what ifs', worrying together and leaning on each other for strength. Family bonding time was a blessing that Sandy blew our way. It was wonderful, even though it was a difficult time. (We did miss our Andy Brown but we're glad he was safe at college.)<br />
<br />
-I gained a <b>reverence</b> for Mother Nature. Whether her name is Sandy, or Athena, or a simple stiff breeze, she packs a punch that can kill. I watched as trees bowed to her winds and succumbed to those rains. I felt this same awe this past summer as we watched millions of gallons of water cascade down over the Niagara Falls, but it's much more formidable when that same force is surging through your backyard. I will never, ever take a hurricane warning lightly again.<br />
<br />
-I gained <b>humility</b>. I could not do enough to help other people--literally. I certainly helped. We shoveled the beach into the Pine Beach, and we helped to sort and disperse donations with the soccer club.We delivered gas to friends who needed it. I lent my shoulder to strangers who needed a place to cry, people who were still in shock from losing everything. I donated food and clothes and plastic tubs. I made tons of phone calls at work to follow-up on families in need. But it was not enough. It was one drop in the huge bucket of need. If there were a hundred people doing what I did, it would not be enough.<br />
<br />
-I gained <b>immense respect</b> for so many people around me. Thankfully, there are <i>thousands</i> of people doing what I did, and much, much more. Organizers are organizing. Leaders are leading. And people are coming together all around to support, to help, to bring back the Jersey Shore that Sandy washed away. <a href="http://jerseyshorewill.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JerseyShoreWill</a> and Operation Jersey Strong are just two of the groups that have popped up in support of our fallen community. Governor Christie and President Obama came together to aid the people of this state. I am moved and impressed with the good citizenship that I've seen all around. <br />
<br />
-I gained <b>hope</b> and <b>faith</b>. I believe in my community, in those around me, in the grace of God. I believe that things at the shore will get better. I don't know if it will happen in time for my husband and kids to go
back to work on the boardwalk next summer, but I believe that the Jersey
Shore will be back again soon. People are bound and determined to make it happen. It <u>will</u> happen! The Jersey Shore will come back, better and stronger than ever.<br />
<br />
-I gained<b> mortality</b>. Not that I was ever immortal... but Hurricane Sandy was a strong reminder of how precious life really is - every minute of every day. I was reminded that I should spend my life living, and not just waiting for some future, "better" time. There is no better time than now to live.<br />
<br />
And with that last wake up call, I have been reminded that I have stories still cozy, curled up, and tucked inside my brain. There's no better time than <i>now</i> to let them out, to write them down and give them lives of their own.<br />
<br />
<b>God bless the victims of Hurricane Sandy</b>--may you all find gifts that she left behind.<br />
<br />
-PLB<br />
<br />Patti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-86295387378572542232012-08-06T18:33:00.001-04:002013-04-16T22:57:02.360-04:00Writing for the Writer InsideBack from hiatus, sort of.<br />
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I haven't forgotten that I have a blog. I'm reminded of it daily because I usually get at least one or more spam comments on my posts... even posts that are years old get spammed. Thankfully, I don't have to do anything with these comments because they never get posted.<br />
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I know you, my adoring public, have been wondering what I've been doing on my hiatus. Mostly working on my bathroom (which still isn't finished), putzing around on Facebook, and a little bit of writing. I started a new story which is exciting. I haven't done much with any of my old stories, mostly because I have not been motivated to be a writer. I've been creative in so many other ways during this time off! I've had fun with crafts and projects that I have neglected for years, simply because I haven't had time. I was too busy writing. <br />
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Anyone who is a true writer knows: writers can't stop writing. We can take a break, but eventually, one way or another, we come back to it. An inspiration will hit and <i>Bam</i>! We just have to write again.<br />
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My recent inspiration is my friend Katia Raina. She recently sold a book. How tremendously exciting! Katia is an inspiration in herself. She plugs along, writing faithfully day after day, and she blogs about it too. She doesn't give up and she doesn't stop. She will write and rewrite and rewrite and rewrite again. I've seen the book that she sold in at least 7 different revisions, over the last eight years. I can't wait to read the finished product!<br />
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Katia and her recent book sale have given me hope. Maybe an agent or editor will like something I've written. But, unless I get it out there, nobody will ever like anything I've written (except me--LOL).<br />
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So back to the business of writing I go!<br />
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And maybe I'll start blogging again, at least periodically.<br />
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In the meantime, I'm going to post a few old stories and articles that I've written. Recycling is a good thing. :)<br />
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-PLBPatti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-41708818258523511902012-03-15T00:03:00.002-04:002012-03-15T00:06:11.052-04:00HiatusHI All,<br /><br />If you haven't guessed from the lack of posts here, I'm taking a hiatus from blogging. I have goals to reach with my writing, with my bathroom remodel, and with my life before I can focus on craft related posts like I had been. I'm also planning on overhauling my blog and website--but again, not now.<br /><br />In the meantime, you can find me at Jacket Knack, with Carol and Deirdre every month!<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by!<br />-PLBPatti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-40080985192237743522011-10-11T20:51:00.006-04:002011-10-11T21:37:38.938-04:00The VergeEver get a fortune from a fortune cookie that haunts you? I have.<br />I got a fortune a few weeks ago that pumped me up, shot me down, and then leveled me out.<br /><br />"You are on the verge of something big."<br /><br />Oh. My. God. Really? Wild thoughts flew through my head. One of those editors who has my manuscript may actually be reading it. Maybe I'm going to get an offer, any day now. Maybe the story I'm working on now will be a hit. Maybe I'll find time to write that screenplay novel I've been thinking about and it will be a box-office smash. Wow, this is it! I'm on the VERGE of something BIG. I know it! Woooo!<br /><br />Silly that a little slip of paper could make me dream so much. <br /><br />Weeks went by and nothing 'big' happened. I went back to my story and reality hit me full force. It was just a silly little paper. My current WIP is still unfinished, I've received no calls from editors (or emails or postcards, for that matter), and time to write a screenplay? Pah.<br /><br />I settled back into the hard work of writing my novel. (Did anyone mention that writing is hard work? It is. Be prepared.) Stupid me, getting my hopes up. On the verge of something big... yeah right. Grumble, grumble. Down I went, and my hopes of 'big' tumbled down with me.<br /><br />I had nothing better to do, soI wrote some more. I brainstormed with <a href="http://katiaraina.wordpress.com/">Katia</a> (Thanks, K!) and got excited again. I cleared my head and found a way around a block that I've had. This story is working once more. I'm enjoying the necessary hard work.<br /><br />And then it dawned on me: I am on the verge of something big!<br /><br />Dictionary.com (because I'm too lazy to find my Webster's dictionary) defines the "verge" as "<span id="hotword"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); cursor: default;" id="hotword" name="hotword">the</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); cursor: default;" id="hotword" name="hotword">edge,</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); cursor: default;" id="hotword" name="hotword">rim,</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); cursor: default;" id="hotword" name="hotword">or</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); cursor: default;" id="hotword" name="hotword">margin</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); cursor: default;" id="hotword" name="hotword">of</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); cursor: pointer;" id="hotword" name="hotword">something</span></span>." Also: "<span id="hotword"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); cursor: default;" id="hotword" name="hotword">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">limit</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">point</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">beyond</span> </span>which<span id="hotword"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); cursor: default;" id="hotword" name="hotword">something</span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); cursor: default;" id="hotword" name="hotword">begins</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">occurs;</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); cursor: pointer;" id="hotword" name="hotword">brink</span></span>."<br /><br />And there I am! I'm on the edge... I'm at the brink. Aren't we all?<br /><br />Aren't we all at the point where we could have something <span style="font-style: italic;">bigger</span>, be someone <span style="font-style: italic;">better</span>, do something <span style="font-style: italic;">great</span>? We're ALL on the verge. So what pushes us over the edge, into greatness? What gets us past thr point which something (big) begins or occurs? What's the difference between being on the <span style="font-style: italic;">brink</span> of something great and the actual greatness?<br /><br />Shouldn't be too tough to figure out: <span style="font-weight: bold;">hard work</span>. You know, people, if you haven't learned this already then you haven't watched <span style="font-style: italic;">The Karate Kid </span>enough. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hard work</span>. Practice practice practice and all that jazz. Everyone who is successful will tell you: it's not easy.<br /><br />Back to work I go! I've got to work myself off this darned VERGE. Kind of tired of sitting on the edge. I've got to put in the effort to get to that BIG... and so I shall.<br /><br />My most recent fortune cookie fortune: "A big fortune will descend upon you this year."<br /><br />Now let's define "this year."<br /><br />-PLBPatti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-81365772620151167172011-08-29T19:04:00.004-04:002011-08-29T20:06:22.617-04:00ScrabblingNot scrambling... Scrabbling.
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<br />You can find the game of Scrabble in many forms online. Recently, I came across it as "Words With Friends" on Facebook. I made the mistake of clicking on it to see what this game was all about, since I saw multiple friends playing it. I saw it was Scrabble and quickly clicked off. No thanks, no Scrabble for me.
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<br />But nooooo.... I couldn't get away from it so easily. Several friends sent "invitations" to games. Okay, I have this innate sentimentality about being there for friends. I hate to let friends down, even in something as simple as playing a game. So I would just play these two rounds and be done with it. I was okay with walking away as a two-time WWF winner and never playing again. (I won, but I also didn't really enjoy the victory.)
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<br />Ack! It was not so easy to walk away. I won those two games and got sucked into two more games with some <span style="font-style: italic;">serious </span>WWF addicts. Maybe they're word-aholics. Strategists. On-line game lovers. Zealots. Who knows. All I know is that I am NOT addicted to this game. I am not still enjoying this.
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<br />Why not, you ask? I'm a writer, shouldn't I enjoy a word game? Not really.When I'm writing, I toil enough over words. I try to find the right word with the right meaning for the situation. I try to use kid-friendly words in my writing, and somewhat intelligent-sounding words in my work reports. I consider the tone, meaning, rhythm, and even the sound of the words when I write. If I'm going to struggle to find words, I at least want those words to contribute to a story in some way.
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<br />Scrabble is not really about words. It's about points. It's about placement. It's a strategy to put the right letters in the right place... but not really words. Yes, it helps to know if "hu" is really a word (it isn't), but there are so many programs and websites available to help you verify and spell words that you don't even really <span style="font-style: italic;">need</span> to know the words. You just need to know where to plug your letters in correctly to maximize your points.
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<br />The one benefit of WWF that I've found so far: it does make you <span style="font-style: italic;">think</span> about words. I've looked up plenty of non-words lately (like romula), and learned some new words too (like morula). (Morula is a stage of egg-division in an embryo, and is worth 30+ points if placed correctly.) Did you know that <span style="font-style: italic;">scrabbling</span> is actually a word? To scrabble is to dig frantically, or to struggle for possession of something. Seems appropriate for this game--wouldn't you agree?
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<br />I'm giving up Words with Friends and going back to my writing. And, I'm decreeing here and now: no more Words with Friends!
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<br />Just as soon as these two games are over.
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<br />-PLB
<br />Patti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-37476509051195414582011-06-24T21:40:00.004-04:002011-06-24T22:56:27.396-04:00Hard Work and InspirationI don't feel like writing.<br /><br />I just don't feel like doing it. It's too hard to get through to the end of a draft. I'm too tired at the end of the day. It's been a busy week and I worked late three days out of the last five. It was a rough week on the job. I've got too many other things to do. Writing will just have to wait.<br /><br />Last week I had an unexpected few days off. Wow, what an opportunity to be productive, I thought. I can get some writing done! Where should I start? I was productive, just not in the way that I had hoped. Nothing got written.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Monday,</span> I wrote to a friend. <span style="font-style: italic;">Monday</span> I'll start, Butt-In-Chair as the old VCFA motto goes. I just have to show up and write. I'll get into a routine. I'll get started. I'll do it.<br /><br />I didn't.<br /><br />Every night this week, I did <span style="font-style: italic;">things</span> here and there that inched me closer to writing. I uploaded to Google documents every WIP that I left unfinished when I was in school. This way, I'd never lose them again. (Earlier this month I thought my system wouldn't recover from a mammoth trojan that invaded my computer, and I thought everything I'd every written was gone. I didn't lose everything... just the last three years of emails.) I read and reread notes that I got from Margaret Bechard about my ghost story, and remembered where I wanted to go with it. I opened that story three nights in a row and revised words here and there. But when I came to that blank page at the end, all I could type was "Chapter Ten."<br /><br />I struggle not so much with the story--I have a complete outline, a map, a timeline, everything in detail about what I need to do with this story--but more with the act of writing. I mentally defeat myself before I even start. I work in a pretty intense field, where I have to deal with some unpleasant subjects on a daily basis. My heart goes out to the children I work with. I want to heal them all and carry them to safety. I can't do that. I can only do my part. So when I compare that work with my writing, the writing seems trivial. I'm not likely to make an impact through my books, I think. So I don't even try.<br /><br />But tonight on Facebook, I was given a gentle, lovely reminder. I <span style="font-style: italic;">can</span> make an impact. Every author can make an impact in the life of a child. Every PERSON can make an impact in the life of a child. One child, or many children, and adults too. Look at this:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpv14yZgpoyY0NsKywfj3JiO1aVx4HvQeAgYQybflHqWoKqY9aWBROiLegE3Q_XPNLDze5M02-85NWAWbmnJeMjO_m2jONuNCfRPI4HjUrHXETFdTCDTXIIEW7nKxqIFHsS0E6Io38xHU/s1600/girl-reading-in-ethiopia.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 224px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpv14yZgpoyY0NsKywfj3JiO1aVx4HvQeAgYQybflHqWoKqY9aWBROiLegE3Q_XPNLDze5M02-85NWAWbmnJeMjO_m2jONuNCfRPI4HjUrHXETFdTCDTXIIEW7nKxqIFHsS0E6Io38xHU/s320/girl-reading-in-ethiopia.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621973590880610402" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This little girl is reading. She lives in Ethiopia.<br /></div><br />One of my VCFA advisors, <a href="http://www.janekurtz.com/">Jane Kurtz</a>, makes a difference with her books, every day. Her books and her efforts have had a positive impact on children around the world, particularly in Ethiopia. She is an active member and board member of <a href="http://www.ethiopiareads.org/">Ethiopia Reads</a>, a program which collects books for libraries in Ethiopia, Africa. Through this organization's efforts, Ethiopian children have the opportunity to learn and read and explore the world through stories.<br /><br />Don't kids get to do that every day? Don't all schools have libraries? According to the <a href="http://www.nea.org/grants/13662.htm">NEA</a>, fifty-six percent of youth say they read more than ten books a year.<br /><br />Not in Ethiopia.<br /><br />In Ethiopia, and other underdeveloped nations, books are rare. Reading for pleasure is not promoted. There are so many other, more basic necessities lacking that books are gifts, treasures, luxuries. The staff at <a href="http://www.ethiopiareads.org/help">Ethiopia Reads</a> "believes that education is the key to improving the lives of the next generation of Ethiopians, a country filled with children, and that books are the key to fostering a genuine love of learning." Through the hard work of Jane Kurtz and many others, a new generation of Ethiopians is being fostered: a generation that loves learning, education, and books.<br /><br />I love books.<br /><br />I can make a difference by writing a book.<br /><br />Just as my work with children in the foster care system is tough, so is writing a book. None of it easy. But the results can be phenomenal, if I work hard enough. I can help to find a child the right family, make sure that she's safe, or give her the adventure of a lifetime, that she'll read over and over again. I just have to work hard enough.<br /><br />I'd better get writing. Chapter ten awaits.<br /><br />-PLBPatti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-15602008922972881882011-05-26T20:00:00.002-04:002011-05-26T20:17:26.677-04:00HappeningsHi All,<br /><br />I'm gearing up to go to another conference, the NJ SCBWI annual conference. I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends, hopefully making some new ones, and hopefully making some connections with editors and agents. Mostly, I'm looking forward to getting pumped up.<br /><br />Conferences always exhilarate me. I'm not only among people who love to write, but I'm among zealots. I'm among people who do this for a living, people who make a living doing the same thing I love to do. It's exciting, refreshing, and fun. I will come back with words coursing through my veins, and fire pouring from my fingertips. I will be ready to write.<br /><br />In the everyday course of life, sometimes it's hard to get pumped up to write. I do a lot of writing for work, and sometimes the last thing I want to do is sit in front of the computer for another hour or two. I'd rather kick back and read, or exercise or watch TV with my kids. And many times, I just don't have the mental energy. I'm like an old lady, falling asleep earlier than I ever did before. (Next I'll be napping at my desk in the afternoons.) So, I could use a little pep to my routine right about now.<br /><br />What else is happening? Check out<a href="http://jacketknack.blogspot.com/2011/05/spring.html"> JACKET KNACK: Spring!</a><br /><br />And my good friend Trent Reedy was featured on Al Roker's Book Club for Kids segment of the today show. Check out his video here: <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/43108547#43108547">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/43108547#43108547</a> If you haven't read his book, WORDS IN THE DUST, you should. It's fabulous... well written and a great story. The story behind WORDS IN THE DUST is heartwarming, too. Check it out here: <a href="http://www.trentreedy.com/">http://www.trentreedy.com/</a><br /><br />Enjoy your spring! Next time, I hope to have lots to share about a new story that I'm working on, more about the conference, and maybe even some good news.<br /><br />In the meantime, keep writing!<br /><br />-PLBPatti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-67285378848981855732011-04-21T00:46:00.001-04:002011-04-21T00:46:43.973-04:00PracticeWhen I graduated from <a href="http://www.vermontcollege.edu/">the Vermont College of Fine Arts</a>, I wanted to write something different. I was inspired by my friends and classmates <a href="http://www.carollynchwilliams.com/">Carol Lynch Williams</a>, <a href="http://www.jandynelson.com/">Jandy Nelson</a>, and <a href="http://www.trentreedy.com/">Trent Reedy</a>, who were all writing very passionate, compelling stories. I wanted to write something passionate and compelling, too. I could do it--I knew I could.<br /><br />The day after I graduated, I started writing. I was still on vacation! No matter--this story wanted to come out. Over the next 2 years, I wrote and revised my current work-in-progress (WIP), <span style="font-style: italic;">Angel, Baby</span>. I've written about this many times, as it's consumed my free time and my thoughts and my blog posts for what feels like eons. I'm proud of it. It's passionate, compelling, and moving. My writer friends tell me so.<br /><br />Now it's in the 'circulating' stage. It's in the hands of some capable people who I hope will love it. I'm not revising it again unless one of those capable persons specifies what needs changing. That leaves me with a blank page in front of me!<br /><br />I have many choices about what I can work on. I left a ghost story unfinished, after working on it for months with two of my four wonderful advisors. I started a new ghost story last fall and never made it through my first draft. I have ideas for new stories, too, that I would love to write. And then there's the old stand-by... the story about the witch's daughter.<br /><br />I've blogged about this story a million times, too. It won an award, received high praise in a manuscript review, and gosh, so many people have loved it over the years. (Especially <a href="http://katiaraina.wordpress.com/">Katia Raina</a>, my writing partner!) But as I opened up my most recent edition of this story, I was so unenthusiastic. What do I have to offer this story? What do I have to make it new and better at this point? Am I just going back to the same old struggles I've had with making this story try to come together and <span style="font-style: italic;">stay</span> together once again? That's been an ongoing problem for me. Something just isn't working, and I just can't figure out what it is.<br /><br />I brain-stormed with Katia last week, and I found a new angle for this story. I read some YA fantasy fiction to put me back in the fantasy mindset. I wrote in my journal to set details and clarify some of the finer points of this story for myself. I put on creepy music and put myself in a fantasy frame of mind. Finally, I tried out my new angle. I wrote a chapter, and I was shocked. Shocked, I tell you!<br /><br />First person, present tense... wait a minute. I wasn't writing the same old witchy story... I was writing <span style="font-style: italic;">Angel, Baby</span>! I was writing passion, emotions... a compelling story! Yes, the subject is fantasy, the story line is one-hundred-eighty degrees different from the story about the girl with cancer. But, but, but! The emotions are there. The angst is there. The drama is there. The <span style="font-style: italic;">feeling</span> is there.<br /><br />I sit back and wonder what I just did with the last 2 1/2 years of my writing life. Did I just have an elaborate practice exercise for this story? It's very possible. It's a completely real possibility that everything I just dredged out of the depths of my soul to put into <span style="font-style: italic;">Angel, Baby</span> will be tapped again for the witch story. I think that's okay. No, in fact, I think that's great!<br /><br />I only wrote one chapter so far. I realized that I need to outline a little further before I can go on. But I feel like I'm now chartering familiar territory with this story. I can make it gel--I made the last story come together. I even added kissing in that story. Maybe I'll add some kissing to this story, too. After all, I've been there, done that. And I can do it again!<br /><br />-PLBPatti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-69192499426405526822011-03-04T08:37:00.004-05:002011-03-04T09:12:38.781-05:00Looking at LifeSomeone said to me recently, "You have four kids, a full time job, <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> you write? I don't know how you do it. You make it look so easy!"<br /><br />I was at a family function and I was discussing the masters degree program I was in up in Vermont. We talked about my job being so busy, the kids schedules being busy, and life in general, just being busy. We've recently started taking care of my mother-in-law on a more-than-part-time basis. And soon, soccer season starts. Yes, my husband and I have been busy.<br /><br />I don't know how we do all of these things, either. We just <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span>. It's part of life for us. What some people see as something extraordinary, we see as normal.<br /><br />The conversation made me think about my recent WIP, the story about the girl with cancer. I've gotten comments about how detailed it is, how the medical aspects ring so true. Those comments were from my non-medical friends who read it. A few of my nursing friends read it and didn't mention those parts. Why? They're pretty ordinary details for nurses--things we see every day.<br /><br />Our job as writers is to take those ordinary details, the things we see and deal with all the time, and make them see unusual. We zoom in on them and make them extraordinary. How do we do that? We pay attention to those details.<br /><br />I watched <span style="font-style: italic;">Lord of The Rings: Return of the King</span> the other night. There was a scene in which Arwen was speaking with her father in the garden at Rivendell. She was sitting on a stone bench, holding a book. Her long, pale fingers caressed the pages until the book slipped slowly from her grasp. It tumbled downward, pages shuttering in the breeze as it brushed the folds of Arwen's flowing, pale blue gown. It hit the hard ground with a deep, resonating boom. In essence, the book fell.<br /><br />Peter Jackson (the director) could have shown just that: a book falling to the ground. It would have taken two seconds of film time. But he chose to draw it out and make a moment from it, just as I did in the above paragraph. I don't know that Tolkien did that in the book (I can't find my copy! I think Andy stole it.), but in the movie, it was a dramatic pause in the story. Nothing unusual, nothing huge, just a normal little event which was turned into something big.<br /><br />You can do this with your writing. You can look at your character's life, filled to the brim with activity and busy-ness and make it seem ordinary. Or, you can take minute details, meaningless events and make them HUGE. It's all in how you look at the situation.<br /><br />Take a moment to think about what details warrant exploring in your story. What details have an impact in your character's life? Does the fact that your character has long, flowing auburn hair really make any difference in the story? Maybe not, unless she's earned the nickname "Rusty" as a result. What does your character do that seems perfectly normal to them that might seem unusual to the rest of us? Maybe he paints hermit crab shells. Maybe he lives at the edge of a landfill. Explore these details.<br /><br />And have fun exploring!<br /><br />-PLBPatti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-60565500237600374712011-02-15T19:52:00.012-05:002011-02-15T21:01:43.820-05:00Where I Am, Where I've BeenYes, it's been a long time since I've posted here. Not because I forgot about my blog, not because I didn't want to or feel like posting, and not because I didn't have anything to say. In fact, I had too much to say.<br /><br />My posts tend to be long. Long = time consuming, energy consuming, and thought consuming. Too much of a production. I spent some time in these last few months considering what I wanted to do with this blog before I posted again. I decided that this year, I'm trying a new format for my blog: short and sweet, sister!<br /><br />So here's where I've been in the past few months:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJuP5zxZYG7Bux9jt60XtFJnoCFFL1WlqW-TxXNUMRVeAL5C9emqzuH6hlu15m52DkV3HWxFMgup9YJuLJzz2u9s21rVFIQsQ1vmTBPPxsJSNclcy6yVstRO5rRz_K45MT3yR_HHW8JE/s1600/AudioStrider-990-Elliptical-Nordictrack.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 173px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJuP5zxZYG7Bux9jt60XtFJnoCFFL1WlqW-TxXNUMRVeAL5C9emqzuH6hlu15m52DkV3HWxFMgup9YJuLJzz2u9s21rVFIQsQ1vmTBPPxsJSNclcy6yVstRO5rRz_K45MT3yR_HHW8JE/s320/AudioStrider-990-Elliptical-Nordictrack.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574086105933414242" border="0" /></a>On my elliptical.<br />I injured my back, went to physical therapy, and got an elliptical machine. I hate it. I use it, but I am not fond of this contraption. It forces me to ... ugh, it pains me to even say the word... EXERCISE. But, I have to do it. My trainer says so. Or my back will hurt forever.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I've also been HERE:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimiK-Z4BjYhjMSBx9ZNhpCSOhML_PEIWi8BVWjRLK_27hgLyFISu6BQll62GyWW66FBdC3VTVfq66R1c-wjSpWD982DZGZ3WRZlN_FtovX3eJkb0mjFJrlSHphv-qHzyBlURFmZrR3WXk/s1600/p%2526K.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimiK-Z4BjYhjMSBx9ZNhpCSOhML_PEIWi8BVWjRLK_27hgLyFISu6BQll62GyWW66FBdC3VTVfq66R1c-wjSpWD982DZGZ3WRZlN_FtovX3eJkb0mjFJrlSHphv-qHzyBlURFmZrR3WXk/s320/p%2526K.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574087087618122002" border="0" /></a>Getting together with my writing buddies! This is me and Katia one Sunday morning, marveling over books that our friends have published and brainstorming our own books. It's fun and it's motivating. All writers should have writing buddies or a writing group. I'm pretty lucky - I have buddies, a partner, AND a group!<br />Check out Katia's blog at <a href="http://katiaraina.wordpress.com/">http://katiaraina.wordpress.com/</a><br />She's much better than I am about keeping her blog updated. :)</div><br />I've been HERE, too:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFTvqgplMtkLUSpIlS6j7i6s7Vwqzc-sSHkEu3wYERatuUNn81Ws3G4GuYoeyXoFxjppGRQ7dMaSiJzivnmiY12CAXvubO0pIjslMNq8aFEFCk8Ko5lu61Q9yj0tBkJRA5taO3-Y00Ww/s1600/girl-reading1.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 168px; height: 132px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFTvqgplMtkLUSpIlS6j7i6s7Vwqzc-sSHkEu3wYERatuUNn81Ws3G4GuYoeyXoFxjppGRQ7dMaSiJzivnmiY12CAXvubO0pIjslMNq8aFEFCk8Ko5lu61Q9yj0tBkJRA5taO3-Y00Ww/s320/girl-reading1.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574089644936157250" border="0" /></a> READING! READING READING READING!<br />Lots and lots of books! My friend, Trent Reedy's book WORDS IN THE DUST came out. (Check it out! <a href="http://www.trentreedy.com/">www.trentreedy.com</a> .) Someone at a book reading I attended recently asked about writing across cultural lines. Think it can't be done? Think again. Trent is a young white man from Iowa who wrote from the viewpoint of a teenaged girl from Afghanistan. It is marvelous.<br /><br />I've been reading Dickens' BLEAK HOUSE, MATCHED by Ally Condee, MOCKINGBIRD by Katherine Erskine, ONE CRAZY SUMMER by Rita Williams Garcia, WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON and PAPER TOWNS by John Green, and more. I retreat into a good book every chance I get. On Sunday, I couldn't pull myself away from BLESSED, by Cynthia Leitich Smith--which reminds me, I was HERE:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJ8Dx2j3Vlnj4KLxv-CPQgk_k9X40i9wDRiejbaeFSm4MXLwaWiyH84lCu06cYznoZ2gmeFSGiAnPbFD5UDvSF71365WtSTqLAxd-UtwINGEqWeI8kg2a7thKn6RGFW7jKDGPsTXNorI/s1600/Cyn%2526P2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 193px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJ8Dx2j3Vlnj4KLxv-CPQgk_k9X40i9wDRiejbaeFSm4MXLwaWiyH84lCu06cYznoZ2gmeFSGiAnPbFD5UDvSF71365WtSTqLAxd-UtwINGEqWeI8kg2a7thKn6RGFW7jKDGPsTXNorI/s320/Cyn%2526P2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574096609018538242" border="0" /></a>Cynthia toured New York and New Jersey, and I was able to meet up with her in Cherry Hill for her reading, a hug, and some Texas-style cheer. Cyn is such a lovely person to begin with, but add to that: phenomenal writer, children's book expert, and teacher extraordinaire. Her energy and enthusiasm are contagious. I came home from our visit ready to jump back into my fantasy writing. It was wonderful!<br /><br />Last but not least, I am HERE:<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQ1LuAdEToBBdhlomNixs92hAa4mAzh2OmAE7SpHHkL35vdvUl2FkVrKcjD0vB1RDtPLmiMrKUUk2zFOArSckJhlwhKdvRohqADSqV9jEKqhuH10Z5LhI92xB2bxnws9wg-TrHlQRd64/s1600/girl+at+computer+21.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQ1LuAdEToBBdhlomNixs92hAa4mAzh2OmAE7SpHHkL35vdvUl2FkVrKcjD0vB1RDtPLmiMrKUUk2zFOArSckJhlwhKdvRohqADSqV9jEKqhuH10Z5LhI92xB2bxnws9wg-TrHlQRd64/s320/girl+at+computer+21.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574099024626242034" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Writing, again, as always.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">-PLB<br /><br />PS So much for short and sweet.<br /></div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Patti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-58539510953232413662010-10-25T21:16:00.002-04:002010-10-25T21:55:35.281-04:00Go for it!Whoa, golly. It's almost November.<br /><br />I've been meaning to post this blog entry for awhile, but I've been busy. I have been revising, editing, combing through, grooming, foof-ing, polishing, primping and preening my current WORK IN PROGRESS (otherwise known as WIP). And as a result, I am happy to say it is no longer a WIP. It is now a "submission." Yes, I happily sent the darned thing off for some professional review. I offered it up to an editor and some agents in hopes that one of them will love it so much they will want to take it home with them, in a manner of speaking. Once a manuscript is submitted, it's best left in a drawer until agents and editors have responded to queries. They may have feedback for the writer, and they usually aren't happy if changes have been made before their feedback is received. So, my WIP is now resting peacefully, waiting for feedback.<br /><br />What should I do now? I have nothing on my writing agenda, but a million things to work on.<br /><br />One of the many glorious perks of the MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts is that I was always encouraged to try something new, to branch out and dabble in different genres. I left the program with <span style="font-style: italic;">many</span> WIPs--picture books, middle grade ghost stories, YA drama, middle grade fantasy... each one has special memories of friends who critiqued it in workshops or faculty members who coached me through revisions. I couldn't decide which to work on first, so I decided to start something new.<br /><br />Ever heard of NaNoWriMo? It's the National Novel Writing Month. It happens every November. Check it out: <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org">http://www.nanowrimo.org</a>. You sign up, and then, basically, you write 50,000 in a month. And at the end of the month, if you've reached that 50,000 word mark, you win! No prizes or anything, but you have the bones of a new novel. (No guarantees you'll be done your story by that point, but you will have achieved a solid start as well as the daily habit of sitting down ("butt in chair!") and writing. Without showing up every day to work on your story, it's hard to get through. NaNoWriMo is designed to help you start the writing habit. I'm looking forward to getting back into the groove and writing a novel.<br /><br />What do you really need if you want to be a writer? You need to write. That's it. You need to sit down and put words onto paper (or into your word processor, if you're being technical about it).<br /><br />There's even a NaNoWriMo for kids--the Young Writers Program. (<a href="http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/">http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/</a>) It's fantastic. There's a dare machine that dares writers to do different things with their stories (such as adding a three-headed puppy and a phony watch salesman). There are "pep talkers," challenges, and even competitions between friends. Most of all, there's loads of help for kids who really want to be writers.<br /><br />What are you waiting for? NaNoWriMo is almost here. Get onboard. It's time to write your novel!<br /><br />-PLBPatti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-6338404826259399872010-09-11T09:24:00.001-04:002010-09-12T00:40:11.384-04:00The Power of PeopleIt's September 11th, and I'm watching the 9-11 Memorial on TV. I am amazed but not surprised at the number of people there, at the "Ground Zero" site, to support and remember those lost in the World Trade Center attacks. All of the people lost that day have someone remembering them, someone they were connected to, someone who loved them. God bless the victims of 9-11 and all of the people they have left behind.<br /><br />We all have people we connect with, people we're attached to and people who are attached to us. What is amazing is how those other people in our life can motivate us to do things, how they can cause us to have extreme emotions, and what they can teach us--through their words and their deeds. As writers, it's great to have people around us who know what we're going through and who know how to help us. I have a few of those people around me and I have to sing their praises because they help me more than they will ever know.<br /><br />My friend and classmate, Trent Reedy, has a book coming out in January, 2011: WORDS IN THE DUST. Trent has a phenomenal story to tell and more stories in the works. (Visit him at <a href="http://www.trentreedy.com/">www.TrentReedy.com</a>) He's my collaborator, one of my biggest cheerleaders, and a slave driver. <span style="font-style: italic;">Write write write, Patti Brown, </span>he says to me. <span style="font-style: italic;">Pages?</span> he says, and <span style="font-style: italic;">This is terrific! You HAVE to finish this!</span> He makes me want to write my story. He makes me want to keep on going when it's easier to give up. Trent is a first-rate writing partner and friend.<br /><br />My local writing partner, Katia Raina, is also a first-rate writing partner and friend. She and I meet periodically (though not often enough, in my opinion) and brainstorm--whether it's her story or mine. I leave my coffee-dates with Katia feeling uplifted and inspired to go and write, write, write. (And no, it's not because of too much coffee!) Katia has some really interesting projects in the works, too, and a great blog at: <a href="http://katiaraina.wordpress.com/">http://katiaraina.wordpress.com/</a> I can't wait to see some of her stories published!<br /><br />And my other writing partner, Carol Brendler, is my idea-person. She is a great resource to me whenever I need help with some area or another. She is in charge of JACKET KNACK and she's always finding great resources online. She helps me out with reading pages when I need, and I do the same for her when she needs. Carol is the reason I didn't scrap my current work-in-progress to begin with--she believed in it and loved it from the start. Without her support, I would have surely abandoned it long agin. Check out <a href="http://www.carolbrendler.com/">http://www.carolbrendler.com/ </a>to learn more about Carol and her book, WINNIE FINN, WORM FARMER.<br /><br />These are my writing people. These are the people who have invested in my writing, who push me and prod me and coddle me as needed. These are the people who I am invested in, whose work I admire and enjoy, and who I want to see succeed as much as I want to succeed. I meet with them whenever I get the chance, I collaborate with them, and I adore them.<br /><br />If you are a writer, then take this message to heart: get yourself some people. Find people! They can live nearby, or they can be far away. (Trent lives across the country from me, Carol lived in another country for a little while, and Katia lives 20 minutes away. It doesn't matter--they are all important to me.) They don't have to write what you write (though it helps if they at least like to <span style="font-style: italic;">read</span> what you write), but they should at least understand what you, as a writer, have to go through to get one chapter down on paper. They should be people that you don't mind learning from, and who don't mind learning from you. (Carol Brendler is a classmate of mine, but she's also one of the best teachers I've ever had.)<br /><br />Writing is a very solitary business. It's not social. It takes thought, concentration, and sometimes isolation to produce good work. But that doesn't mean every step of it needs to be done alone. Writers need to commune, talk about their work, and share their feelings about writing. Have you ever been to an SCBWI conference? (That's the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.) If you want to write children's books, you need to find a local SCBWI conference or chapter. If you attend a conference, chances are, you'll leave feeling like you have the next NBA book in your head, and you want to do nothing other than write, write, write that book. Plus, you will meet many other writers who may be suffering the same writer's block, frustrations or loneliness as you. I met some fabulous friends at SCBWI conferences (shout out to Gayle, Sandy and Karen!) and I look forward to meeting more.<br /><br />On this day of sadness and remembering, I mourn the loss of so many American lives lost. And I am remembering the people who are in my life now--I don't want to lose any of you. I am thankful for all of my friends and family, and right now, I'm thankful for my writing people. Without you guys, I would not still be a writer.<br /><br />-PLBPatti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2804510803844954106.post-53489311295590999392010-08-18T22:09:00.004-04:002010-08-18T22:39:27.100-04:00RevisionsI've spent my summer revising my current work-in-progress. Whew! It's a lot of work and it's still not done. But it's coming along--almost done, I think. I'm adding layers, filling out areas that seemed a little sparse in the first 147 drafts, and just generally making it a better story.<br /><br />That's one of the things I have learned through the revision process. You can't get everything you need to make a story perfect into the story in the first draft. The first time you write a story, you're focused on getting to the end and making sure your plot makes sense. When you read through the finished draft a few times, you realize you might have skimmed over certain parts. For instance, your main character might walk outside and then proceed to get run over by a car. When you read through, the plot might work, but you might realize that it doesn't make sense that your character just walked outside, for no reason. So you need to add some motivation and answer the question of what she was doing out there to begin with. Was she getting the mail, in hopes of finding her Reader's Digest Sweepstakes entry form? Did she hear a noise and take her binoculars out to see if it was the elusive ruby-throated hummingbird that she's been hoping to see? These are the kinds of details that you add when you revise. And this time around, I'm adding lots of details. Lots!<br /><br />So, I have been busy. I haven't blogged in quite a while because I didn't have much to say about writing. I was fixated on my story and not so much on the writing process. Truthfully, I stopped to briefly wonder why I blog at all, especially after reading Kidlit.com's post, <a href="http://kidlit.com/2010/07/21/should-unpublished-writers-blog/">"Should Unpublished Writers Have to Blog?"</a> I don't have any books published yet, so, other than people that I ask to read my works-in-progress, I don't have readers following me. But I do have an MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults, so I do know a lot about writing. And someday in the hopefully not-too-distant future, I'll have readers or even <gulp!> fans who may be interested in reading my blog.<br /><br />In the meantime, I know I have friends who come by. (Anyone owe me an email? Time to pay up. Okey-dokey?) I've met some great agents and editors who may pop in too. (Shout out to my editor friends in Brooklyn! Thanks for the Cheerios!) And of course, I need to keep the spammers busy. What would life be if they didn't have a place to repeatedly post links for all their male enhancement products? (Thank heavens for comment moderation.) But otherwise, I'm happy just to have a little web presence here. I have a web page, too, if you haven't visited there yet (see the link at the top of the blog). It was fun to put together, and is due for some updating.<br /><br />But I need to get my revisions done first. I'm almost done this round.<br /><br />Almost.<br /><br />-PLB<br /><br />PS Visit us over at <a href="http://jacketknack.blogspot.com/">JacketKnack</a>! I post there every month.Patti L Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14217959103308811038noreply@blogger.com0