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I think YA is well represented in the blogosphere. Lots of YA authors blog, and YA releases generally get a lot of online buzz . Picture books and middle-grade don’t seem to have as strong of an online presence (in my opinion, anyway). Why is that?Do you agree?
I like to post about general kid lit stuff and random things that interest me, but I’m going to try and have more of a focus on middle-grade fiction as well.
How, you ask?
Weekly author interviews and giveaways, I say!
I’ve asked a few of my favorite middle-grade authors with recent or upcoming releases to consent to be interviewed- and they’ve obliged! So, stay tuned for the first installment next week.
Meanwhile…
CuppaJolie has a contest for bravery on her blog.
Are you in Seattle? Consider a preview screening of Where the Wild Things Are with a Q&A with Dave Eggers to benefit 826 Seattle.
Mitali Perkins wrote an insightful note to young immigrants here.
Darcy Pattison has declared Random Acts of Publicity week starting on September 7. Promote some books!
Intriguing illustrator alert! Marie Desbons has illustrated French picture books, but we need some of that loveliness over here, no? Thanks to Decor8 for the link.
Have a great holiday weekend!
Book Nut presents a solid list of picks for the top 100 middle-grade books of all time. I don’t agree with all of them, but it’s a nice mix of new and old.
MotherReader explains why the upcoming KidLitosphere Conference is way cooler than BlogHer09.
Interviews-
Kirby Larson interviewed Karen Cushman.
Adam Rex and Mac Barnett collaborate well (as seen here on 7-imp), and I think The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity is an awesome title.
Lee Wind interviews Ellen Hopkins.
At least three of those people will be at the SCBWI Summer Conference next month.
I LOVE my critique group (Unless they voted to kick me out at the last meeting, which I had to miss. In that case, they’re a bunch of rotten chum buckets.). I’ve had other groups in the past, but I think my current group’s dynamic works really well. We have a mix of illustrators and writers in different genres. Their feedback is fabulous, and I can’t imagine trying to write and revise without the benefit of a group. I’m dense. I need help.
I was at a lovely party a couple of nights ago chatting with a circle of successful authors, and critique groups came up. A couple of the authors mentioned that they don’t have a critique group, nor have they ever had a critique group. They are each published and well-regarded, so that’s what works for them. I find myself constantly curious about the writing process of others, and the various methods people use to reach publication.
What works for you? Do you think critique groups are important? What’s yours like? If you don’t have one, do you do anything else for feedback? Dish!
So, I’m going to have a marathon writing session this weekend. Saturday and Sunday I’m holing up to pound out a draft. Away from the distractions and interruptions of home! My sweet husband volunteered to care for the kids and pets, so it will just be me and my new computer in a hotel room. I’ve never done this before. I’m giddy!
Revision might be too weak of a word. It’s somewhere between a revision and starting from scratch. Same characters, big changes in the story. Let’s just call it a rewrite. Anyway, since I’ve never done this before, I have no idea what to expect. How many words can I possibly pump out over two days, if I’m only stopping to eat (or take a quick brain-refreshing swim)? I don’t know, but I can’t wait to find out!
I’m not even going to watch the new Harry Potter movie, which I’ve been really geeked out about, until I’m done and heading back home on Sunday. I mean business, people! No more distractions.
Alright, maybe a few for you.
Watch the awesome video Betsy Bird made.
Can you spot the Pacific Northwest authors and illustrators making cameos? Name one in the comments, and I’ll pick someone on Wednesday to win a prize made by yet another talented local author & illustrator! I’ll send one lucky commenter a set of recipe cards from Jaime Temairik’s new Kitchenette line on Etsy.
Aren’t they snazzy? I ordered a set for myself, too. Now I can transfer the recipes I’ve jotted down on the back of old envelopes to lovely little cards. If you don’t cook, you can give the cards to the loved one who cooks for you. They deserve a gift, preparing all your meals like that. Or pass ‘em out to friends and relatives to give you instructions for their tastiest dishes!
I thought I knew my way around the kitchen, but it turns out I didn’t even know the easiest way to peel a banana (via SwissMiss).
Here’s a question-
So, Writer X is tooling along revising the manuscript she’s been working on for a year.
She hopes to begin submitting this summer.
She daydreams about how rocking it will be to work with a great editor, and see her book on the shelves in a couple of years.
She’s had good feedback, and she thinks this manuscript probably has potential.
Writer X takes a break from writing on Saturday to peruse a few publisher’s fall lists, when an upcoming autumn release catches her eye. There is a very similar protagonist, subplot, and secondary character to her own work in progress. It appears to be probably too similar. Not in any kind of plagiarism way, just in a crappy luck kind of way. If the book is a success, Writer X’s manuscript will be seen as a cheap imitation. If the book is a flop, Writer X’s manuscript will be seen as even more of an unmarketable cheap imitation.
Does Writer X-
A) Roast marshmallows over the glowing embers of a wasted year?
B) Submit her manuscript anyway and make a reputation for herself as an unoriginal hack?
C) Revise to the point of starting from scratch, replacing the characters, changing the plot, and ignoring the vision for the piece?
D) Or start fresh with one of those new ideas always swimming around. What’s another year or two? Draft or ten?
Please advise, dear reader, so that I may guide Writer X out from the pile of wet tissues, empty wine bottles, and despair.
Are there any rules about blogging in a thunderstorm? I kind of like it.
Holy noodles, that conference wore me out. I haven’t blogged for two weeks because I was wading through conference prep. I’ve barely written a thing. It’s taken two days to get my brain back. My feet are still sore, but I’m kind of excited about all the newfound free time.

I swiped this picture from Laini's blog.
I have something to show you from the conference, but someone who had to miss it has to see it first- so you have to wait. I’ll post it around the end of the week, after I’ve heard this person has seen it. Is that vague enough?
Let’s see… I think people who saw/met me at the conference who don’t know me might think I’m a little crazy. I was sooo busy, and I didn’t have time to eat much, and I was drinking A LOT of coffee to keep myself going. I might have looked a little wild eyed and been a little wound up. Ok, I know I did. Try me again on a regular day and I promise to be more serene.
It started with the kid lit drink night, which was a blast. So much fun, in fact, that I stayed much later than I should have for a girl that had to wake up at 4 am the next day. Ouch.
I loved meeting so many new people, and seeing friends. I only caught bits and pieces of the breakout sessions, but the ones I saw were all aces. I did see most of the keynotes by Adam Rex, Grace Lin, Ellen Hopkins, and Jon Scieszka, and they were each unique and inspirational.
We raffled off a free registration for next year’s conference (won by Nuria Coe) to benefit Bridget Zinn, who couldn’t make it this year. We kept it kind of secret, because I wasn’t sure how it would go- but our lovely attendees raised $1560! Thank you, lovely attendees! The online auction is growing as well. Jone added my bag a couple of weeks ago. There are tons of other items available to bid on like a basket of middle grade books or a FULL manuscript consultation from the blunt (but still charming) Jody Feldman. Go bid on a fabulous prize, and support a writer to boot.
Ok, I have some revisions to get back to- so this is what you get.
Want to read more about the conference from people who could sit down and take it all in? Try here, here, here, here, here, here, here, or here.
By the way, a great big congratulations to our portfolio show winner, Jennifer Mann! A big shout out to the first and second runners up, too Lisa Mundorff and John Deininger.
See you in a couple of days!
First, meet the chickens. This picture is a couple weeks old, and did you know chickens grow fast? They do. Now, they’re teenage chickens. The feathers are coming in and the down is coming out. They’re all legs, long necks and big feet. They are blase about finding the bottom of their box through the bedding, and now just practice stunts like sitting on top of the feeder.
Meet Margie, Specky, and Liz Lemon.

I took a break from the care and feeding of chickens to make a little something for the auction I mentioned for Bridget Zinn. I found this super easy pattern for a fun bag, and tweaked it a little bit.

But the bag wasn’t enough. So, I tried to make a bag for a writer. I sewed a few bits of matching fabric to a Moleskine notebook and threw in some pens. Then I made a little tissue holder, because writers are always weeping tears of joy when they finish a draft, or find the perfect phrase, or sell a manuscript. I imagine. That stuff never happens to me, but if it does- I will need tissue. Writers also need silliness and sustenance, so there are some stickers and Fran’s chocolates. A writer’s goody bag! It could work for an illustrator, too. Anybody’s goody bag!

I believe it will be available at the silent auction for Bridget at the Lucky Lab Pub in SE Portland on May 29th. Fear not, if you’re not going to be in Portland there are lots of great items you can bid on right now at the online auction.
What else is happening on the internet? People are feeling inspired by the month of May.
Paula Yoo is declaring a National Picture Book Writing Week (“NaPiBoWriWee”). Can you write a picture book a day for seven days, starting today? Try it!
French Toast Girl would like to try to do something creative every day in May, and you’re welcome to join her. There’s even a Flickr pool.
Laini Taylor has an excellent post about authors who feel they’re slumming if their book is picked up as YA.
Last night we came across a contest for Lego loot, and my kid is first and foremost- a Lego maniac. Per the instructions, I snapped a picture of some family Lego building on my way out to meet my favorite newlywed illustrator. Want to see the poor souls who live with me? Here they are.
Joni Sensel is giving good revision advice as a guest blogger over at Darcy Pattison’s blog.
She’s also launching a book. A great book, as a matter of fact. Yay, Joni!

Do you know how revenue from a book is broken down? Here you go.
Speaking of book buying… do you do it? How often? And what do you buy? One of the agents in that Poets & Writers interview mentioned that a writer who does not buy books is a hypocrite. If you want to be published, and you want people to buy your books, than you should be buying debut novels and new releases.
Do you agree?
I do, but I admit that I don’t buy many debut novels. I buy friends’ books, and books I’ve been excited about, but the majority of my reading material comes from the library. I’m going to make a resolution to buy more new releases.
My mom gave me a mug when I was a kid covered with a tumble of elephant outlines. A friend of hers grabbed it one day and pointed out that the elephants on the mug were engaged in a wild, elephant orgy. They laughed about it, and a few days later I secretly studied the cup.
I forgot all about that little inadvertent sex ed. until Dan Santat posted about his parents, and the souvenir they lovingly brought him.
Mac question:
I have to quit and reload Safari ALL THE TIME because pictures don’t load and website formatting goes all wonky. Does anyone have a solution for this? Safari crashes a lot, too. Anytime I mention it to a Mac-using friend they look at me like I’m some crazy impostor just posing as a Mac user to spread evil lies and tell me they’ve never had that problem. I get it. It’s me. But, how do I fix it? It’s had this problem from the beginning. The geniuses at the Apple bar can never fix it. I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled Leopard. I’ve tolerated it for two years, but it’s gradually getting worse. Any suggestions? Please?




LT: No. I wrote Lips Touch first. I had sent the manuscript of Blackbringer to my editor Timothy Travaglini, and while I was waiting to get my first-ever editorial letter back from him, I began writing short pieces for fun. Three of those pieces were the stories in Lips Touch (I realized I kept writing about kissing, and Jim had the idea that those kissing stories could be a book!). I started writing Silksinger after the major revisions on Blackbringer were done.
spring when she was a keynote speaker at our spring conference. She’s sweet and sharp, and she always finds a way to create books in her own unique way. Her newest book,
WT: What made you want to create
WT: The format is so rich and unique. How was developing this book different from your previous novels?
GL: I hope so. You see it a lot more nowadays, like in Kate Dicamillo’s novels and Sharon Creech’s “Castle Corona.” I think the illustrations add so much to experience of reading. To me, they are perfect—they give a glimpse of visualization into the world you are reading, but not so much that you aren’t left with anything to imagine. Also, they make the experience of owning and holding a book feel that much more special—turning the page and seeing a full color illustration is almost like discovering a jewel and the book itself feels like a little treasure.