I've been trying to remember all of the books that I read in 2008, but I've drawn a complete blank. This is of course what happens when you stop keeping track, like I did last spring. I guess I will try to add to the list as I remember, but I know there are more than I listed here!
I have such Mom brain!
And now on to 2009 books...
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
To Blog or to Write
Haven't blogged for months and months. Now that it's the new year, I guess I might as well try again. The big question for me is, do I write in my blog when I have a spare moment, read, research, or work on one of my novels? Not to mention do laundry, clean the kitchen, clean the house, make dinner, etc? Like right now Little Scribe is laying in his bed, not sleeping, just "resting" for a little bit (probably won't nap since napping is going bye bye and will lay there for about a half an hour) and Baby Scribe won't nap right now since he is off schedule from all of us going to the library story time and the grocery store, so he is crawling around the family room floor playing (Now he is trying to grab my laptop. I figured this isn't a time to work on the novel, but I could blog. So here we are. Whether I ever will again this year I have no idea.
Maybe other Writer Mamas out there that I know should blog on this, too. I know of a new Writer Mama who just had her first baby last week, and I am interested to see how her writing life changes. And I know two other Writer Mamas who are having their second child this year, hence their writing lives will be changing once again! (And just when you thought you finally had a little piece of writing time all carved out for yourself with one child. Ha!)
Baby Scribe is in my arms now screaming. Blog time is over.
Maybe other Writer Mamas out there that I know should blog on this, too. I know of a new Writer Mama who just had her first baby last week, and I am interested to see how her writing life changes. And I know two other Writer Mamas who are having their second child this year, hence their writing lives will be changing once again! (And just when you thought you finally had a little piece of writing time all carved out for yourself with one child. Ha!)
Baby Scribe is in my arms now screaming. Blog time is over.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
A Dry Well
Daddy Scribe is out of town again, so I am once more exhausted beyond capacity to think while trying to take care of Little Scribe and Baby Scribe by myself. Will writing/ working on my novel(s) ever be in my future again?
Early this morning, after Little Scribe crawled into bed with me at five o'clock in the morning, he had a nightmare and screamed out loud, "I want Dad!" while crying at the same time. Then he fell back into a deep sleep. Poor sweetie.
I wish I could be inspired by my children to write, but to be honest, they just don't do it for me. They are my world, and I love them more than anything, but they drain my artist's well, not fill it. Maybe I am going about this the wrong way. I found an alphabet board book yesterday in the greatest shop, Presents of Mind, while wandering the Hawthorne district in Portland, whose author was directly inspired by her newborn son to write it. The book is called AWAKE TO NAP by Nikki McClure, and it has gorgeous black paper cut-outs highlighted with a single color (some orange, some blue, some red, etc) for its illustrations. The funny thing about this board book is that it ends at the letter N. The author only worked while her newborn son took a nap, and once the naps became too short and life too "thrilling," she couldn't finish past the letter N. But the book is just beautiful, and it is amazing to me that she got that much work done at all!
How can I emulate that?
Early this morning, after Little Scribe crawled into bed with me at five o'clock in the morning, he had a nightmare and screamed out loud, "I want Dad!" while crying at the same time. Then he fell back into a deep sleep. Poor sweetie.
I wish I could be inspired by my children to write, but to be honest, they just don't do it for me. They are my world, and I love them more than anything, but they drain my artist's well, not fill it. Maybe I am going about this the wrong way. I found an alphabet board book yesterday in the greatest shop, Presents of Mind, while wandering the Hawthorne district in Portland, whose author was directly inspired by her newborn son to write it. The book is called AWAKE TO NAP by Nikki McClure, and it has gorgeous black paper cut-outs highlighted with a single color (some orange, some blue, some red, etc) for its illustrations. The funny thing about this board book is that it ends at the letter N. The author only worked while her newborn son took a nap, and once the naps became too short and life too "thrilling," she couldn't finish past the letter N. But the book is just beautiful, and it is amazing to me that she got that much work done at all!
How can I emulate that?
Monday, April 14, 2008
Introducing Jessica Day George
Our next children's writer/mama interview is with Jessica Day George, mother of a young son, who has her first two published young adult novels out right now, DRAGON SLIPPERS and SUN AND MOON, ICE AND SNOW. Both novels I thoroughly enjoyed, and even cried at the end of SUN. Being that I also write middle grade and young adult fantasy and historical fiction, I had to find out what her writing secrets were.
HOW DO YOU JUGGLE WRITING AND RAISING A FAMILY? DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT? OR DOES ONE ROLE INSPIRE THE OTHER?
It's quite the circus act! You just have to allow that there will be days when you won't get any writing done, and days when the dishes will not be done and the kids are in their pj's until lunch, so that you can finish a chapter. But then, of course, there are always the golden times when you manage to get everyone dressed and fed, and still hit your writing goals. It makes you feel like a superhero! Dinner is on the table, ta da! And I finished Chapter 7!
DO YOU EVER FEEL FRAZZLED BEYOND BELIEF FROM BEING PULLED IN TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS?
Oh, my yes! I sometimes feel like I've spent the day running back and forth between my toddler and my computer, because I'm so caught up in what I'm writing, but I can't completely neglect my child! And there's the neverending concern that your child will feel like they're being dismissed in favor of Mommy's book, while at the same time you're hoping that what you're writing isn't gibberish because you keep having to leave off mid-sentence to wipe up spills.
WHAT ARE SOME PRACTICAL TIPS THAT YOU CAN SUGGEST TO HELP A WRITER WHO ALSO HAS YOUNG CHILDREN?
Grab whatever quiet time you can, whether it's getting up a little early/staying up a little late to do some writing or letting them watch a movie so that you can sit down and write. (The good people at PIXAR are my best friends right now.) Taking fifteen minutes to read some books or play a game with your child let's them feel important, and then you will often be able to let them play on their own while you take some writing time.
WHAT DOES YOUR WRITING SCHEDULE/WORK DAY LOOK LIKE DURING A TYPICAL DAY OR WEEK?
I generally write in the afternoons, when my son still (Thank heavens!) takes a nap sometimes. If he doesn't nap, then he'll have some quiet time with a movie on the couch, and I grab the laptop and head into the next room to write. If a day is going well, I get in two hours. Also, with my husband's support, I've started taking 3 hours or so on Saturdays, at a library or other quiet place, to write.
HOW DO YOU MENTALLY FOCUS ON YOUR STORIES WHILE TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY? DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO SWITCH YOUR MINDSET FROM YOUR FAMILY'S NEEDS TO YOUR CHARACTERS, SETTING , OR PLOT?
I need full concentration to get going with a writing "session" usually. During naps/movies/or out of the house I plan out in my head what I want to get written that day. But once I get going and know where I'm taking a scene or a chapter, if I'm interrupted I can still keep running back and jotting down a sentence or two, even with a toddler driving a car over my feet. But this is just with first drafts. When I'm editing, I need full concentration, so I just can't do it while making dinner or playing with a child one-handed. That's when I really start staying up after everyone's gone to bed, and ordering pizza for dinner!
THE IDEA FOR DRAGON SLIPPERS CAME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AFTER YOUR SON WAS BORN. DID THE IDEA FOR SUN AND MOON, ICE AND SNOW, COME TO YOU AFTER THAT, OR BEFORE YOUR SON WAS BORN? ARE YOU HAVING ANY LUCK PLACING WRITING THAT YOU DID BEFOREHAND WITH A PUBLISHER? OR HAVE THEY BEEN PLACED INTO A "DRAWER" UNTIL LATER?
SUN AND MOON was something I'd wanted to do since I was a teenager. "East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon" has always been my favorite fairy tale, and I decided in high school that one day, after I studied Scandinavia and got some experience, I was going to novelize it with lots of authentic detail. While I was working on the edits of DRAGON SLIPPERS, I suddenly had some more ideas come to me: like adding the fauns and other mythic creatures, and I thought, "It's time for my version."
My first few manuscripts have definite potential, and right now my agent is looking at one of them. The first novel I ever wrote is waiting for me to write a prequel to it, because it would be much better as book 2, rather than book 1, of a possible trilogy. They're for adults, though, so I want to get myself good and established in YA before I jump the fence.
DO YOU EVER GET INSPIRATION FROM YOUR FAMILY?
Not as such. I'm wary of using things people have said or done, in case they didn't want it spread all over the pages of a book.
BOTH DRAGON SLIPPERS AND SUN AND MOON HAVE QUITE A BIT OF BEAUTIFUL TEXTILE/ CLOTHING DESCRIPTIONS. ON YOUR WEBSITE, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU ARE INTO KNITTING. HOW DO YOU FIND TIME TO DO ANOTHER HOBBY WHILE BEING A WRTER AND A MOTHER AND A WIFE?
I just don't ever sleep.
YOUR NOVELS ARE FILLED WITH WONDERFUL PERIOD DETAILS. HOW DO YOU DELEGATE WRITING TIME VERSUS RESEARCH TIME FOR YOUR NOVELS, WHEN IT IS HARD TO FIND TIME TO WRITE AS IT IS?
I don't do half as much research as I should. DRAGON SLIPPERS was a made up world, so I could do whatever I wanted with it (within reason). SUN AND MOON was just sort of the accumulation of everything I'd learned about 19th century Norway in college, and reading I'd done myself over the years, finally being used. I've got one of those picky little brains that remembers lots of stupid little details, but once in a while it comes in handy. I did look a few things up, but I mostly stuck to what I think of as common knowlege, since I didn't want it to be too tediously full of minutiae and obscure references anyway.
HOW DO COOKING, CLEANING, OTHER HOUSEHOLD CHORES, OR EVEN EXERCISE EVER GET DONE?
I usually manage to exercise in the mornings, but it means I probably won't be dressed until noon. As for the cooking and cleaning, two words: Hus Band.
HAD YOU PLANNED ON WRITING A SEQUEL TO DRAGON SLIPPERS?
Not even slightly. To me, the story was finished, but my editor kept saying that I shouldn't say 'never.' Then the idea for it came to me as I was complaining to my husband that I had no ideas!
DID YOU TRAVEL TO NORWAY BEFORE YOUR SON WAS BORN, OR DID YOU TAKE HIM ON A TRIP?
I went to Norway a few years ago, and can't wait to go again.
HOW MANY PROJECTS DO YOU WORK ON AT ONE TIME? HOW DO YOU KEEP EVERYTHING ORGANIZED? DO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN OFFICE? WHERE DO YOU FIND PEACE AND QUIET TO WORK?
I usually have a couple of "works in progress", but I can only work on one thing per day, or I get confused and Creel starts talking like the Lass, and vice versa. If I'm in a groove with a story, everything else gets shelved until I'm done. My "office" is also known as the kitchen table, and peace and quiet are no longer in my vocabulary. I've learned to work while Disney movies play in the background.
DO YOU FIND TIME TO MEET WITH A CRITIQUE GROUP? OR DO YOU JUST WORK WITH YOUR EDITOR?
I used to have a critique group, but had to quit just this month. I just haven't had time to critique or be critiqued in ages, so now I'm just working with an editor.
WHEN DO YOU FIND TIME TO READ?
I've spent my entire life with a book in my left hand. My brothers used to joke that one day my hand was going to freeze into this claw shape from holding the books open. I can cook, brush my teeth, blow my hair dry, and millions of other things while reading. My son is so used to me carrying a book from room to room that sometimes he brings it for me.
ANY OTHER ADVICE/TIPS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO LEAVE FELLOW CHILDREN'S WRITERS/ MOTHERS WITH?
Remember that you're doing this (both mothering and writing) because you love it! If you're not loving it anymore, you need a break! Get a babysitter, and get out of the house for an evening or an afternoon. Shelve your writing project and read some favorite books. And I know it's hard when you're already mothering /writing /cooking /cleaning/etc., but reading is a very important part of being a writer, and I think too many busy writers aren't taking the time to read something for themselves. It's so helpful to your writing and your well-being . . . don't neglect the reading! (Knuffle Bunny, much as I love that book, doesn't count.)
HOW DO YOU JUGGLE WRITING AND RAISING A FAMILY? DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT? OR DOES ONE ROLE INSPIRE THE OTHER?
It's quite the circus act! You just have to allow that there will be days when you won't get any writing done, and days when the dishes will not be done and the kids are in their pj's until lunch, so that you can finish a chapter. But then, of course, there are always the golden times when you manage to get everyone dressed and fed, and still hit your writing goals. It makes you feel like a superhero! Dinner is on the table, ta da! And I finished Chapter 7!
DO YOU EVER FEEL FRAZZLED BEYOND BELIEF FROM BEING PULLED IN TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS?
Oh, my yes! I sometimes feel like I've spent the day running back and forth between my toddler and my computer, because I'm so caught up in what I'm writing, but I can't completely neglect my child! And there's the neverending concern that your child will feel like they're being dismissed in favor of Mommy's book, while at the same time you're hoping that what you're writing isn't gibberish because you keep having to leave off mid-sentence to wipe up spills.
WHAT ARE SOME PRACTICAL TIPS THAT YOU CAN SUGGEST TO HELP A WRITER WHO ALSO HAS YOUNG CHILDREN?
Grab whatever quiet time you can, whether it's getting up a little early/staying up a little late to do some writing or letting them watch a movie so that you can sit down and write. (The good people at PIXAR are my best friends right now.) Taking fifteen minutes to read some books or play a game with your child let's them feel important, and then you will often be able to let them play on their own while you take some writing time.
WHAT DOES YOUR WRITING SCHEDULE/WORK DAY LOOK LIKE DURING A TYPICAL DAY OR WEEK?
I generally write in the afternoons, when my son still (Thank heavens!) takes a nap sometimes. If he doesn't nap, then he'll have some quiet time with a movie on the couch, and I grab the laptop and head into the next room to write. If a day is going well, I get in two hours. Also, with my husband's support, I've started taking 3 hours or so on Saturdays, at a library or other quiet place, to write.
HOW DO YOU MENTALLY FOCUS ON YOUR STORIES WHILE TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY? DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO SWITCH YOUR MINDSET FROM YOUR FAMILY'S NEEDS TO YOUR CHARACTERS, SETTING , OR PLOT?
I need full concentration to get going with a writing "session" usually. During naps/movies/or out of the house I plan out in my head what I want to get written that day. But once I get going and know where I'm taking a scene or a chapter, if I'm interrupted I can still keep running back and jotting down a sentence or two, even with a toddler driving a car over my feet. But this is just with first drafts. When I'm editing, I need full concentration, so I just can't do it while making dinner or playing with a child one-handed. That's when I really start staying up after everyone's gone to bed, and ordering pizza for dinner!
THE IDEA FOR DRAGON SLIPPERS CAME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AFTER YOUR SON WAS BORN. DID THE IDEA FOR SUN AND MOON, ICE AND SNOW, COME TO YOU AFTER THAT, OR BEFORE YOUR SON WAS BORN? ARE YOU HAVING ANY LUCK PLACING WRITING THAT YOU DID BEFOREHAND WITH A PUBLISHER? OR HAVE THEY BEEN PLACED INTO A "DRAWER" UNTIL LATER?
SUN AND MOON was something I'd wanted to do since I was a teenager. "East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon" has always been my favorite fairy tale, and I decided in high school that one day, after I studied Scandinavia and got some experience, I was going to novelize it with lots of authentic detail. While I was working on the edits of DRAGON SLIPPERS, I suddenly had some more ideas come to me: like adding the fauns and other mythic creatures, and I thought, "It's time for my version."
My first few manuscripts have definite potential, and right now my agent is looking at one of them. The first novel I ever wrote is waiting for me to write a prequel to it, because it would be much better as book 2, rather than book 1, of a possible trilogy. They're for adults, though, so I want to get myself good and established in YA before I jump the fence.
DO YOU EVER GET INSPIRATION FROM YOUR FAMILY?
Not as such. I'm wary of using things people have said or done, in case they didn't want it spread all over the pages of a book.
BOTH DRAGON SLIPPERS AND SUN AND MOON HAVE QUITE A BIT OF BEAUTIFUL TEXTILE/ CLOTHING DESCRIPTIONS. ON YOUR WEBSITE, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU ARE INTO KNITTING. HOW DO YOU FIND TIME TO DO ANOTHER HOBBY WHILE BEING A WRTER AND A MOTHER AND A WIFE?
I just don't ever sleep.
YOUR NOVELS ARE FILLED WITH WONDERFUL PERIOD DETAILS. HOW DO YOU DELEGATE WRITING TIME VERSUS RESEARCH TIME FOR YOUR NOVELS, WHEN IT IS HARD TO FIND TIME TO WRITE AS IT IS?
I don't do half as much research as I should. DRAGON SLIPPERS was a made up world, so I could do whatever I wanted with it (within reason). SUN AND MOON was just sort of the accumulation of everything I'd learned about 19th century Norway in college, and reading I'd done myself over the years, finally being used. I've got one of those picky little brains that remembers lots of stupid little details, but once in a while it comes in handy. I did look a few things up, but I mostly stuck to what I think of as common knowlege, since I didn't want it to be too tediously full of minutiae and obscure references anyway.
HOW DO COOKING, CLEANING, OTHER HOUSEHOLD CHORES, OR EVEN EXERCISE EVER GET DONE?
I usually manage to exercise in the mornings, but it means I probably won't be dressed until noon. As for the cooking and cleaning, two words: Hus Band.
HAD YOU PLANNED ON WRITING A SEQUEL TO DRAGON SLIPPERS?
Not even slightly. To me, the story was finished, but my editor kept saying that I shouldn't say 'never.' Then the idea for it came to me as I was complaining to my husband that I had no ideas!
DID YOU TRAVEL TO NORWAY BEFORE YOUR SON WAS BORN, OR DID YOU TAKE HIM ON A TRIP?
I went to Norway a few years ago, and can't wait to go again.
HOW MANY PROJECTS DO YOU WORK ON AT ONE TIME? HOW DO YOU KEEP EVERYTHING ORGANIZED? DO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN OFFICE? WHERE DO YOU FIND PEACE AND QUIET TO WORK?
I usually have a couple of "works in progress", but I can only work on one thing per day, or I get confused and Creel starts talking like the Lass, and vice versa. If I'm in a groove with a story, everything else gets shelved until I'm done. My "office" is also known as the kitchen table, and peace and quiet are no longer in my vocabulary. I've learned to work while Disney movies play in the background.
DO YOU FIND TIME TO MEET WITH A CRITIQUE GROUP? OR DO YOU JUST WORK WITH YOUR EDITOR?
I used to have a critique group, but had to quit just this month. I just haven't had time to critique or be critiqued in ages, so now I'm just working with an editor.
WHEN DO YOU FIND TIME TO READ?
I've spent my entire life with a book in my left hand. My brothers used to joke that one day my hand was going to freeze into this claw shape from holding the books open. I can cook, brush my teeth, blow my hair dry, and millions of other things while reading. My son is so used to me carrying a book from room to room that sometimes he brings it for me.
ANY OTHER ADVICE/TIPS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO LEAVE FELLOW CHILDREN'S WRITERS/ MOTHERS WITH?
Remember that you're doing this (both mothering and writing) because you love it! If you're not loving it anymore, you need a break! Get a babysitter, and get out of the house for an evening or an afternoon. Shelve your writing project and read some favorite books. And I know it's hard when you're already mothering /writing /cooking /cleaning/etc., but reading is a very important part of being a writer, and I think too many busy writers aren't taking the time to read something for themselves. It's so helpful to your writing and your well-being . . . don't neglect the reading! (Knuffle Bunny, much as I love that book, doesn't count.)
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Absolutely Barely Surviving...
February 8, 2008, brought Baby Scribe into the world, and the world has not slowed down since! The new wee one is a gem, a glorious, shining, finely cut, perfect for a king's crown kind of gem! I love him to pieces, but now I am learning about how to juggle two little ones, and I have to admit, it's tough. I am absolutely barely surviving having these two boys, ages three and seven weeks, especially when Daddy Scribe goes out of town for a week at a time (as he just recently did). What a nightmare. And I only get to look forward to more of those times. Little Scribe has a bit of sibling rivalry issues going on as well, which doesn't help matters. Everbody says that it all should get better in a few months. I can hardly wait!
Oh, and did I mention that I USED to be a writer?
I need to at least continue my Mama Scribe interviews, if only for my own curiousity and "need for inspiration" motives. But when is the key question. I barely sneak in time to read between falling asleep with the baby nursing on my lap and trying to take care of my three-year-old (who doesn't even leave me alone in the bathroom and is now sleeping in my bed, which is another long story...) So the times I've checked email have been minimal, and I owe at least a dozen calls to people. These are the times that I wished I lived closer to family so that maybe, possibly, I could get some writing done.
After, of course, I catch up on my sleep.
Oh, and did I mention that I USED to be a writer?
I need to at least continue my Mama Scribe interviews, if only for my own curiousity and "need for inspiration" motives. But when is the key question. I barely sneak in time to read between falling asleep with the baby nursing on my lap and trying to take care of my three-year-old (who doesn't even leave me alone in the bathroom and is now sleeping in my bed, which is another long story...) So the times I've checked email have been minimal, and I owe at least a dozen calls to people. These are the times that I wished I lived closer to family so that maybe, possibly, I could get some writing done.
After, of course, I catch up on my sleep.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Welcoming Jane Yolen!
The Quill and Crayon proudly presents Jane Yolen as our first Author Interview on how to balance motherhood, family life, and a writing career. Once a month, I will hopefully be able to post the thoughts and comments on this subject from a published writer/mother of children’s literature, and what a way to start off this series than with “America’s Hans Christian Andersen,” award-winning author and poet Jane Yolen.
Jane has published not only children’s books, but also fantasy and science fiction. She is also a teacher and reviewer of children’s literature. Some of her most famous books include OWL MOON (which my three-year-old son loves), DEVIL’S ARITHMETIC, and HOW DO DINOSAURS SAY GOODNIGHT? (also a favorite in our house). Please check out her website at www.janeyolen.com.
HOW DID YOU JUGGLE WRITING AND RAISING A FAMILY?
Since I was already a published writer when I became a mom, the kids assumed all moms were writers. And I had a terrifically supportive husband with a flex time job. (He was a professor at the University of Mass.) Besides, I was a stay-at-home mom, and I worked at naptimes, and at least with the first, had her in a playpen right by my writing desk. She literally would fall asleep to the sound of the typewriter keys. But I was always right there for her. What DIDN'T get done was housework!
DID YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT?
Nope--it seemed natural.
OR DID ONE ROLE INSPIRE THE OTHER?
Sometimes inspired, sometimes hindered. It would have depended on which day you asked.
DID YOU EVER FEEL FRAZZLED BEYOND BELIEF FROM BEING PULLED IN TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS?
Not until I had two in diapers and my husband came home with a new puppy! He found me that dinnertime sitting on the floor, weeping, and saying to him, "If one more thing s---s in this house, I'm gone!" (Of course, there were no blank spaces in the word at the time!) He immediately made training the dog his problem, and I was fine.
Next time I was that frazzled was when we had three teenagers. And my husband and I occasionally clung to one another like sailors going down with the ship.
WHAT ARE SOME PRACTICAL TIPS THAT YOU CAN SUGGEST TO HELP A WRITER WHO HAS YOUNG CHILDREN?
Make sure you have a place and space that is yours and that kids and partner cannot come in without permission. NOT the kitchen table, because your work has to be tidied away one to three times a day. Even if it's just a closet, you MUST have a place for your own writing.
WHAT DID YOUR WRITING SCHEDULE/ WORK DAY LOOK LIKE DURING A TYPICAL DAY OR WEEK WHEN YOUR CHILDREN WERE YOUNG?
Up before they did--and getting in an hour or two of work. Then feed and change them, get them dressed. (Husband usually helped.) Played with them, worked around the house with them trailing behind. Naptimes--with oldest that was a four hour period, next a two hour period. The third never napped at all.) I loved it when they went off to school. But my husband often came home at noon, bundled the kids into the car, and took them for an adventure. Or when they were older, would take them off all day Saturday.
HOW DID YOU MENTALLY FOCUS ON YOUR STORIES WHILE TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY? DID YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO SWITCH YOUR MINDSET FROM YOUR FAMILY'S NEEDS TO YOUR CHARACTERS, SETTING, OR PLOT?
Nope--I would read my story or book aloud, and was right back into it.
ANY OTHER ADVICE/ TIPS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO LEAVE FELLOW CHILDREN'S WRITERS/MOTHERS WITH?
It's harder sometimes to train your family than to do the actual writing. But make sure they understand that writing is important to you. It is your "work." That you are a better mom when you have time to do your own thing. Share your writing with them. Listen to their stories, too. Put the children in your books.
Jane has published not only children’s books, but also fantasy and science fiction. She is also a teacher and reviewer of children’s literature. Some of her most famous books include OWL MOON (which my three-year-old son loves), DEVIL’S ARITHMETIC, and HOW DO DINOSAURS SAY GOODNIGHT? (also a favorite in our house). Please check out her website at www.janeyolen.com.
HOW DID YOU JUGGLE WRITING AND RAISING A FAMILY?
Since I was already a published writer when I became a mom, the kids assumed all moms were writers. And I had a terrifically supportive husband with a flex time job. (He was a professor at the University of Mass.) Besides, I was a stay-at-home mom, and I worked at naptimes, and at least with the first, had her in a playpen right by my writing desk. She literally would fall asleep to the sound of the typewriter keys. But I was always right there for her. What DIDN'T get done was housework!
DID YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT?
Nope--it seemed natural.
OR DID ONE ROLE INSPIRE THE OTHER?
Sometimes inspired, sometimes hindered. It would have depended on which day you asked.
DID YOU EVER FEEL FRAZZLED BEYOND BELIEF FROM BEING PULLED IN TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS?
Not until I had two in diapers and my husband came home with a new puppy! He found me that dinnertime sitting on the floor, weeping, and saying to him, "If one more thing s---s in this house, I'm gone!" (Of course, there were no blank spaces in the word at the time!) He immediately made training the dog his problem, and I was fine.
Next time I was that frazzled was when we had three teenagers. And my husband and I occasionally clung to one another like sailors going down with the ship.
WHAT ARE SOME PRACTICAL TIPS THAT YOU CAN SUGGEST TO HELP A WRITER WHO HAS YOUNG CHILDREN?
Make sure you have a place and space that is yours and that kids and partner cannot come in without permission. NOT the kitchen table, because your work has to be tidied away one to three times a day. Even if it's just a closet, you MUST have a place for your own writing.
WHAT DID YOUR WRITING SCHEDULE/ WORK DAY LOOK LIKE DURING A TYPICAL DAY OR WEEK WHEN YOUR CHILDREN WERE YOUNG?
Up before they did--and getting in an hour or two of work. Then feed and change them, get them dressed. (Husband usually helped.) Played with them, worked around the house with them trailing behind. Naptimes--with oldest that was a four hour period, next a two hour period. The third never napped at all.) I loved it when they went off to school. But my husband often came home at noon, bundled the kids into the car, and took them for an adventure. Or when they were older, would take them off all day Saturday.
HOW DID YOU MENTALLY FOCUS ON YOUR STORIES WHILE TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY? DID YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO SWITCH YOUR MINDSET FROM YOUR FAMILY'S NEEDS TO YOUR CHARACTERS, SETTING, OR PLOT?
Nope--I would read my story or book aloud, and was right back into it.
ANY OTHER ADVICE/ TIPS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO LEAVE FELLOW CHILDREN'S WRITERS/MOTHERS WITH?
It's harder sometimes to train your family than to do the actual writing. But make sure they understand that writing is important to you. It is your "work." That you are a better mom when you have time to do your own thing. Share your writing with them. Listen to their stories, too. Put the children in your books.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The Countdown Begins...
The end of this pregnancy is in sight! My doctor scheduled a c-section for February 8th, in case Baby Scribe doesn’t come before then. I am really beginning to think now that I am going to make it to that date, too. Baby Scribe seems just oh-so-snuggly and cozy inside me and doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to come out. What a difference from Little Scribe arriving seven weeks early! I am now 36 1/2 weeks and ready more than anything to have the baby. It’s going to be so nice to have a baby and hopefully be able to hold him and keep him with me instead of having him whisked away to the NICU, the way the miller’s daughter’s child was stolen from her by Rumplestiltskin
I haven’t been working on my novel, lately. It’s been a few weeks. I think I am officially in baby mode now, so I'm finding it extremely hard to concentrate on anything else that doesn't have to do with "nesting." Instead, I’ve been diving into books to help me not focus so much on baby baby baby and still do something that helps my writing. Recently, I loved the Y.A. novel, TWILIGHT, by Stephenie Meyer. I had heard so many good things about it and have been wanting to read it for a long time, so finally I bought the paperback, read it in a couple of days, and went out and bought the sequel, NEW MOON, the day I finished the first book. It was that good!
At first, I hesitated on reading it because I had heard it was a “vampire story” which really isn’t my genre, but it’s so much more a gothic romance with the main love interest being very much like Heathcliff in WUTHERING HEIGHTS in the first book. (The sequel even mentions WUTHERING HEIGHTS, which I found interesting, since I had thought of Heathcliff while reading the first book.) The author is very clever with how she creates a world where there are a group of “good vampires” who do not feast on humans, but instead on wild animals, in order to remain civilized, begin a family, and become members of normal, human society. I had never seen a vampire tale come from that angle before. The stories also have a TUCK EVERLASTING quality to them, as the vampires never age, so there is a plot thread in the book about how Bella, the main character, and Edward, her love (who is a “good vampire”) could possibly stay together if Bella continues to age as a human, while Edward does not. She decides that the only way it could work is for her to eventually become a vampire, too, before she gets too old. (Edward is stuck at seventeen and has been for eighty-plus years) but Edward is insistent that she stay a human and live a real life.
The only thing I don’t like so far in the two books, most especially the sequel, is how Bella has completely given up her own self for Edward. She has no other passions, ambitions, or goals, and just lives for Edward and his family. It’s very odd. I’m hoping that it is deliberate by the author, and that Bella will eventually change in the third book, ECLIPSE, and become her own woman somehow. It’s depressing the way the girl has no other passions in life. I am starting to not like her character, and that really bothers me. But, I guess a teenage girl would probably be that way with her first love, but hopefully would change later when she realizes her own self-worth is important, too. Or, is this just the feminist in me talking?
Another middle grade book that has been keeping my mind occupied when my fingers don’t feel like typing my own stories is DRAGON SLIPPERS, by Jessica Day George. I haven’t finished it, yet, but I am thoroughly enjoying this fresh take on the damsel-in-distress fantasy genre. Creel is a main character that has been given to a dragon by her aunt in order to have a wealthy prince come and rescue her and marry her. But Creel makes a pact with the dragon that she will keep the prince away from him if she is released and allowed to take a bit of his golden hoard. Low and behold, he has no gold at all, but shoes, and lots of them! He’s worse then some women I know! Creel takes a pair of blue slippers that hold some mysterious power to them and ventures forth to the King’s Seat to make her own way in the world. She talks the prince out of attacking the dragon while on her way, and later is captured by another dragon again (this one collects stained glass windows. Ha!) That is where I am at right now. The novel is a lot of fun so far. What’s also interesting is that both Stephenie Meyer who wrote TWILIGHT and Jessica Day George went to Brigham Young University, live in Utah, and have young boys (Jessica Day George has one, Stephenie Meyer has three.) I’d really like to know their writing secrets! Grandparent help? Nanny? Daycare? Old enough to be in school everyday during the day?
I wish I could write to them and ask them. Maybe I could. Afterwards, I should turn what I find out into blog entries about how published writers with young kids actually get their writing done. It would be inspiring for me, that’s for sure. Something else to think about while I wait for Baby Scribe!
I haven’t been working on my novel, lately. It’s been a few weeks. I think I am officially in baby mode now, so I'm finding it extremely hard to concentrate on anything else that doesn't have to do with "nesting." Instead, I’ve been diving into books to help me not focus so much on baby baby baby and still do something that helps my writing. Recently, I loved the Y.A. novel, TWILIGHT, by Stephenie Meyer. I had heard so many good things about it and have been wanting to read it for a long time, so finally I bought the paperback, read it in a couple of days, and went out and bought the sequel, NEW MOON, the day I finished the first book. It was that good!
At first, I hesitated on reading it because I had heard it was a “vampire story” which really isn’t my genre, but it’s so much more a gothic romance with the main love interest being very much like Heathcliff in WUTHERING HEIGHTS in the first book. (The sequel even mentions WUTHERING HEIGHTS, which I found interesting, since I had thought of Heathcliff while reading the first book.) The author is very clever with how she creates a world where there are a group of “good vampires” who do not feast on humans, but instead on wild animals, in order to remain civilized, begin a family, and become members of normal, human society. I had never seen a vampire tale come from that angle before. The stories also have a TUCK EVERLASTING quality to them, as the vampires never age, so there is a plot thread in the book about how Bella, the main character, and Edward, her love (who is a “good vampire”) could possibly stay together if Bella continues to age as a human, while Edward does not. She decides that the only way it could work is for her to eventually become a vampire, too, before she gets too old. (Edward is stuck at seventeen and has been for eighty-plus years) but Edward is insistent that she stay a human and live a real life.
The only thing I don’t like so far in the two books, most especially the sequel, is how Bella has completely given up her own self for Edward. She has no other passions, ambitions, or goals, and just lives for Edward and his family. It’s very odd. I’m hoping that it is deliberate by the author, and that Bella will eventually change in the third book, ECLIPSE, and become her own woman somehow. It’s depressing the way the girl has no other passions in life. I am starting to not like her character, and that really bothers me. But, I guess a teenage girl would probably be that way with her first love, but hopefully would change later when she realizes her own self-worth is important, too. Or, is this just the feminist in me talking?
Another middle grade book that has been keeping my mind occupied when my fingers don’t feel like typing my own stories is DRAGON SLIPPERS, by Jessica Day George. I haven’t finished it, yet, but I am thoroughly enjoying this fresh take on the damsel-in-distress fantasy genre. Creel is a main character that has been given to a dragon by her aunt in order to have a wealthy prince come and rescue her and marry her. But Creel makes a pact with the dragon that she will keep the prince away from him if she is released and allowed to take a bit of his golden hoard. Low and behold, he has no gold at all, but shoes, and lots of them! He’s worse then some women I know! Creel takes a pair of blue slippers that hold some mysterious power to them and ventures forth to the King’s Seat to make her own way in the world. She talks the prince out of attacking the dragon while on her way, and later is captured by another dragon again (this one collects stained glass windows. Ha!) That is where I am at right now. The novel is a lot of fun so far. What’s also interesting is that both Stephenie Meyer who wrote TWILIGHT and Jessica Day George went to Brigham Young University, live in Utah, and have young boys (Jessica Day George has one, Stephenie Meyer has three.) I’d really like to know their writing secrets! Grandparent help? Nanny? Daycare? Old enough to be in school everyday during the day?
I wish I could write to them and ask them. Maybe I could. Afterwards, I should turn what I find out into blog entries about how published writers with young kids actually get their writing done. It would be inspiring for me, that’s for sure. Something else to think about while I wait for Baby Scribe!
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