CELEBRATE HARD WORK!

I'm all about celebrating these days. More on that soon! Meanwhile, join me in congratulating the following authors whose debut novels were released last week:

Alexandra Diaz



Bree Despain



Jaclyn Dolamore



Lindsay Eland



If YOU have hard work to celebrate, I'd love to hear about it!

MERRY AND BRIGHT!

The kids have christened it "the best Christmas ever."

Who am I to argue??

Now off to eat more barely-done sugar cookies with pretty red sprinkles...

LOVE'S AUSTERE AND LONELY OFFICES

I've just discovered poetry on youtube. Who knew?

For Poetry Friday, I give you one of my faves: "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden. Find more great poetry today at Susan Writes.

AND THE TENNER ARCS KEEP COMING

This week is was my good fortune to read three awesome books coming soon to booksellers and librarians near you.

First up, TORTILLA SUN by Jennifer Cervantes:

I love this book. It is pure tesoro, which, for the non-Spanish speaking means "treasure." I only know the word because it appears in this magical book, along with a bunch of other beautiful Spanish words. And there's a glossary at the end. AND a recipe for Nana's famous tortillas. Did I mention I love this book? Magic. Love. Enchantment. DON'T MISS.

And speaking of magic, here's MAGIC UNDER GLASS by Jaclyn Dolamore.

It's a love story! And a fantasy! And I was absolutely transported into the world of Nim and Erris. Really lovely. Check it out. NEXT WEEK!!! Release date is Dec. 22.

Finally, for something superfun THE RISE OF RENEGADE X by Chelsea Campbell.

Oh, my, you are going to love Damien Locke! As if the cover wasn't enough of a sell, he's smart and witty and vulnerable. And needs a good girl to see him through all the madness that little X brings him. Really great dialogue and just a fun premise. Even for the non-comic-book junkies (like me).

What ARC will find its way to my mailbox next?? I'll let you know.

LAST CALL: CLASS OF 2K10 BOOK GIVEAWAY

Okay, this is it folks... the last giveaway of the year! Go to Class of 2k10 blog to win the following Class of 2k9 books:

WATERSMEET by Ellen Jensen Abbott
SHRINKING VIOLET by Danielle Joseph
CRASH INTO ME by Albert Borris
INITIATION by Susan Fine
GIVE UP THE GHOST by Megan Crewe
MY INVENTED LIFE by Lauren Bjorkman
NOTHING LIKE YOU by Lauren Strasnick
DREAMING ANASTASIA by Joy Preble

Good luck!!!

MAGIC HOUSE

You know those people they feature on tv every year -- the ones who suck up all the neighborhood electricity with all those twinkling Christmas lights, and we're all like, who has the time and energy to even turn all those lights on, much less set them up?

Well. Pat Weaver's house is like that on the INSIDE. And it's complete magic.

Seriously, you have never seen so many Santas or nativity sets from all corners of the globe. Pat's husband Ronnie said it's like moving twice a year, there's so many boxes to unpack and repack... and yes, Eric pretty much wanted to move in right then and there. The place radiates LOVE, and I was so happy to experience it.

There were also horses and kids and dogs and gifts and dirty Santa and countertops spilling homemade chocolate pie and coconut cake and chicken salad and those little party weenies. I always feel so at-home when I am at Pat's -- even though watching her boundless energy totally wears me out! And it got me thinking: THIS is what Christmas is about.

Hope all of you are feeling the love too!

UNOFFICIAL OFFICIAL AGENT DAY

Fellow Tenner Kody Keplinger, who is all of 18 and just AMAZING, had the great idea to share the agent love today. And Lisa and Laura graciously volunteered to round up the posts.

I should confess right up front that in the beginning, I didn't really want an agent. I am a do-it-yourself kind of gal, and I sort of had this dream of getting discovered off the slush pile. So, for the longest, I subbed to editors and didn't give agents another thought.

But then I got impatient. And the stars lined up and I got Rosemary Stimola of Stimola Literary Studio.

There are lots of awesome things about Ro, and I've even blogged about a few of them here. But today I love her because she gives the most awesome greeting cards:



Cute puppies, huh? Thanks, Ro!

RANDOM BITS OF MADNESS

I'm not talking about those curly ribbons that won't curl or that cake I baked yesterday that didn't rise or even the traffic snarl I found myself caught in yesterday FOR THREE HOURS.

No, I'm talking about happy random and good madness.

Like the baby tea I am going to today with Rachel Hawkins (of the very cool covers) for about-to-bust Lindsey Leavitt, who is so cool and suave and amazing, she decided to have a baby for Christmas. And the meeting I have this morning at my son's new school. Also the run I am making to Wal-mart and the ARC I am excited to crack open -- THE RISE OF RENEGADE X by Chelsea Campbell, who, speaking of cool, not only signed the ARC but imprinted it with a cool "X." Creative, creative writers. Love them.

Oh and Lauren's big Year's Worth of Books Giveaway contest is up, and yes, LEAVING GEE'S BEND joins lots of other great debut books in celebration. And I am dashing to Florence this weekend for a quilt show and barn party and Pat Weaver's chicken fingers and a SCBWI Schmooze where I will talk about writing what you don't know.

Also, Eric's elves is back. And those guys are so mischeivous -- yesterday morning candy was strewn all over the kitchen, and thanks to the rain, the ants had invaded for a late Thanksgiving feast. But still good! Because Eric believes in magic. And I do too.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

WIN MORE BOOKS AT CLASS OF 2K10 GIVEAWAY!

Okay, book lovers... here's what available at the Class of 2k10 blog THIS week:

Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman
My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters by Sydney Salter
Freaked by J.T. Dutton
Haven by Beverly Patt
Road to Tater Hill by Edith M. Hemingway
When the Whistle Blows by Fran Cannon Slayton
Operation Redwood by S. Terrell French

I'd like any of these in my stocking. Santa, are you listening??

Meanwhile, I am reading A SEASON OF GIFTS by Richard Peck. Oh, that Grandma Dowdel. Love her!! And I'm not even CLOSE to writing. Oh, the holidays, how I love thee...

LEAVING GEE'S BEND BOOK TRAILER

So I was lunching with Lindsey Leavitt one day, and we were talking about book trailers, about what works, what doesn't, and how to get one made for not too much money. And I had a brilliant idea to use a theme in the book -- "Mama always said..." and record kids giving their answers.

So I did that. For over one hundred kids. And it was so much fun to hear their answers!

Then I had to find someone willing to take on my project, as I don't know anything about making book trailers. (And no time to learn!) Enter Corey, who added his own artistic flair. I think it represents the book beautifully... hope you enjoy!!

SKATER POEM

For Poetry Friday, allow me to share with you a poem that has been with me all week. Have you ever had a moment like the one in the poem?

For other great poetry, roundup is at Wild Rose Reader.

Skater

She was all in black but for a yellow pony tail
that trailed from her cap, and bright blue gloves
that she held out wide, the feathery fingers spread,
as surely she stepped, click-clack, onto the frozen
top of the world. And there, with a clatter of blades,
she began to braid a loose path that broadened
into a meadow of curls. Across the ice she swooped
and then turned back and, halfway, bent her legs
and leapt into the air the way a crane leaps, blue gloves
lifting her lightly, and turned a snappy half-turn
there in the wind before coming down, arms wide,
skating backward right out of that moment, smiling back
at the woman she'd been just an instant before.


- Ted Kooser
from Delights & Shadows, Copper Canyon Press, Port Townsend, WA 2004

Z IS FOR ZZZZZZ

COMPLETING the Author ABCs...

Get some sleep. That's all I'm saying. Your subconscious writing brain requires it. And your physical self requires it too. So don't get so caught up in your writing and related activities that you neglect your most basic needs.

Eat. Exercise. Play. Dream. Love. SLEEP.

CLASS OF 2K10 BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Meet the Class of 2k10!!

We're a group of fabulous debut authors who have banned together to help celebrate and market our books! (Not to be confused with the Tenners, another fabulous group I am also a member of, but which is a support group for debut authors, not a marketing cooperative.)

And since 2010 is mere days away now, we are making our entry with a Grad Party and Book Giveaway for our predecessors, the Class of 2k9.

Here's the books we'll be giving away this week:

Heart of a Shepherd by Rosanne Parry

The Year the Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice

Bull Rider by Suzanne Morgan Williams

Jane in Bloom by Deborah Lytton

My Life in Pink & Green by Lisa Greenwald

Also Known as Harper by Ann Haywood Leal

Secrets of the Cheese Syndicate by Donna St. Cyr


So-- GO to OUR BLOG! Comment! Win Books! And maybe even knock out some of that Christmas shopping. We'll be celebrating today and the next two Tuesdays (Dec. 8 and Dec. 15), with a different list of books each week.

Good luck!

Y IS FOR YES

Continuing with the Author ABCs...

The most important word an author needs to sling around is YES.

When an agent says she needs a proposal for a sequel: YES

When an editor says she needs the revisions by next Monday, and it's late Friday afternoon, and you were planning to go on an overnight date with your husband: YES

When a library wants to book your program, but doesn't have the funding: YES

When a striving writer asks you to read their first draft, and you don't really have time, but you remember being a striving writer... heck, you still ARE a striving writer: YES

When a brand new book blogger requests an interview: YES

Of course there are times when the answer needs to be "no," but choose wisely, my friends. You will get much farther in this writing business with YES.

X IS FOR X FACTOR

Continuing with the Author ABCs...

Okay, X is a tough letter to deal with. I considered "Xanadu," because it's such a cool word AND the best books invite us into a magical, unique, extra-special world... but then I decided it's not just about the world. It's about the characters within the world.

Which means, ultimately, it's about the magical, unique, extra-special undefineable something that exists within the AUTHOR.

And here's the thing: we've ALL got the X factor. Every single one of us. It just takes a little digging sometimes, a little re-frame, some dust and polish.

For instance, Hester Bass, author of THE SECRET WORLD OF WALTER ANDERSON composes original songs and sings at her school visits. Thomas Lakeman, author THE SHADOWCATCHERS (and others) uses theater techniques and will even dance (badly) to get a point across.

And while I can't do those particular things, that doesn't mean I don't have my own special thing to offer. And you do too.

Today, take some time to think about your own X Factor. Then tell me, because I want hear all about your magical, unique, extra-special undefineable selves. :)

DOUBLE ARC ALERT!

First up: THE MARK by Jen Nadol. I can't say enough about the main character Cass -- I want to know her in real life! This book tackles some heavy philosophical matters with such grace... I was thoroughly entertained and did NOT want this one to end.



Next: A MOST IMPROPER MAGICK by Stephanie Burgis. Stephanie's love of Jane Austen comes through loud and clear in Kat, the adorable, spunky unladylike girl who can't shake that magic mirror, even if she tries. Such a fun read!

BOOK CLUB

GREAT FRIENDS:



CREATIVE FOOD:



UNEXPECTED GIFTS:



It was a wonderful night -- kind of surreal talking about MY book, and holy goodness, was I ever touched and surprised by the sweet-family heirloom-totally appropriate-yellow quilt themed-one of a kind gift! I hung it right beside my desk so I gaze upon it all the time.

And for a girl who sometimes forgets to celebrate her successes, it was really wonderful to have friends make sure I didn't let this accomplishment slip by without sharing the joy!

Phyllis, Lori, Lisa, Randee, Vonda, Carol, Martha, Rhonda and Trina: Thank you thank you thank you!!!

FIVE FOR FRIDAY

1. Book club tonight. And we're talking about MY BOOK!!

2. NEW MOON tomorrow night. With the book club. We just can't get enough of each other. :)

3. Reading THE SMALL ADVENTURES of POPEYE AND ELVIS by Barbara O'Connor to Eric. Reading two Tenner ARCS to myself. And loving!!!

4. Thinking about turkey-n-dressing for Thanksgiving and missing my mother-in-law because she put so much LOVE in it, none of us wanted to leave the table ever.

5. Feeling like "grateful" is too wee a word for all I want to shove into it.

W IS FOR WRITER'S BLOCK

I was at a poetry reading recently during which someone asked the poet, "What's the cure for writer's block?"

And the poet said something along the lines of, I don't know because I don't get it.

We in the audience kind of rolled our eyes, because, yeah, right. And how un-helpful is that? It just seemed a high and mighty response to a really troubling issue for writers.

Here's my response: Get away from your desk. Go out into the world and find something interesting. Take a walk. Visit a museum. Fall in love. Spend time with a three-year-old or a ninety-three-year-old. Love the world, and you will be flooded with things to write about.

And while I'm here, I'd like to poke a hole in that whole "write every day" theory. You know those people you see on vacation who video every single moment? They are so busy trying to capture the vacation on film "so they can remember it" that they don't fully immerse themselves in the experience before them.

Well, for me, writing every day is just like that. It is my most fervent belief that the most important writing takes place in between sittings at the computer, in the quiet places, in the stillness. If you write every day, then those thoughts, feelings and ideas don't have time to properly marinate, they don't become a part of you. And let me tell you, they NEED to become a part of you to translate effectively to the page.

So, today, writers, let give ourselves permission to step away from the computer, to go out into the world and soak up some goodness -- to live a life worth writing about.

pic found here

BRAND NEW EMILY AND MORE

1. I just found out Ginger Rue, author of BRAND NEW EMILY is one of the Gingers I went to high school with!!

We were in this sorority-like group together called SAs (Service Association), and and I am just tickled that we are both introverted blondes who graduated class of 1988 Hewitt Trussvile High School and went on to publish our first midgrade novels within 6 months of each other! (She always was a little ahead of me :)

2. Billy Collins is coming to Birmingham! Southern Voices Conference, Feb. 18

3. Thanks to Corey-who-is-also-a-writer at Digital Marketing, my book trailer is almost ready! Now about distribution... goodness, do I have a lot to learn. Meanwhile, meet the Class of 2k10! Book trailer here.

4. I went to a wedding Saturday that was SO beautiful and SO romantic... the bride really did look like a princess. And my niece, who is an actual princess, was there too. Reminded me of my own sweet wedding, oh about 18 years ago.

5. Would the GOOD movies get here already?! Wanted to see COCO BEFORE CHANEL, but it was only showing past my bedtime. I am in need of a beautiful, emotional film....

ON ART AND SELFISHNESS

This week on Friday Night Lights, Matt, who is interning with a cranky artist, asked this question: what is the most important tool an artist needs?

And the answer was SELFISHNESS.

It sounds harsh, but it's also honest. Creating art does require selfishness. Ultimately, that's what art is about: the self. And that's who we should create for: ourselves.

That doesn't give us permission to be jerks, though. There's an art to the selfishness. It means we've got to carve out time to create, we've got to tell our kids, "No, Mom is working." We've got to tell friends we've had for twenty years that yes, we would love to get together, but no, we've got a deadline and just can't.

But then, at some point, we've got to come out of that cave and act like regular people. Which means remembering and expressing appreciation for those essential people in our lives who endure and support our creative efforts.

Otherwise we'll end up like the guy on the show, drunk most of the time, and alone. Or worse. And no art is worth that.

V IS FOR VOICE

Continuing with the Author ABCs...

So, voice. Really, it is my most favorite thing as a reader AND writer. And it's sort of difficult to describe -- it's kind of like the "it" factor Simon Cowell talks about on American Idol. When a book's got it, you know it. But it's sort of hard to say what IT is or how it came to be there in the first place.

All I know is that it's essential. And in my experience, you recognize it instantly. Like with the first draft of LEAVING GEE'S BEND, when I decided to change the main character in my Gee's Bend story to a girl. Then, quickly, decided to change pov from third person to first. All of sudden I had an authentic voice coming not from my head, but from the heart of my character. The difference was so profound and moving I can't adequately describe it here.

Okay, well, I guess it's like falling in love. You don't just fall in love with any old words on the page. It's got to be special. Voice is what makes a book special.

If you're having trouble with voice, keep at it. Yes, there are a lot of frogs out there. But there's also a prince....

IN WHICH I MENTION TWEEZERS

Diane over at The Book Resort is featuring a "Tenners Extravaganza" this month, and today I'm up! If you want to know how tweezers play into it, check it out. And while you're there, check out all the other great Tenner interviews!

Meanwhile, I am pushing my way through the last forty pages of Excellent Editor's edits on ESCAPE FROM FIRE MOUNTAIN. Huge changes going on... I'm at that point where my mind is working way faster than my fingers. This could be because I have been so busy catching up from my lovely long weekend, that I haven't had all that much time to be here, at the computer.

Today. I promise.

THANKFUL THURSDAY

1. My nephew Christopher who fell down a ventilator shaft six weeks ago comes home from the hospital today!

2. My mom is here. Fabric has been bought and as soon as possible the sewing machine will be humming.

3. We leave for Lake Guntersville today, where my amazing sister and sister-in-law will join us for scrapbooking and photography and food and other fun I probably shouldn't mention here.

4. My 2010 calendar is positively bulging! Thank you teachers and media specialists and parents who've invited me for school visits. It's gonna be fun!

5. My mouth is still garlicky from the spanakopita and other Greek wonderfulness I shared with Lindsey Leavitt and Kerry Madden at Do Di Yos. Yum!

U IS FOR US

Continuing with the Author ABCs...

As much as we writers spend time alone at a keyboard (or notebook or whatever), being an author is really about collaboration -- about taking the "me" and turning it into an "us."

This is not always easy, because let's face it, we writers generally like solitary. But when you get lucky and there's an agent whispering in your ear, or God bless you, and Excellent Editor, oh my, that is when the magic happens.

I really had no idea how much trust is involved in the Author/Editor relationship, or how the simple act of someone caring enough about my story to ask questions and make insightful comments would help that story become so much more.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, ignore that fierce desire to hold your story close to you and not change a thing. Allow the US to happen. You will look back on the experience with such joy and gratitude as you watch your story-seeds grow under all that Excellent Editor TLC.

And here's something else: as hard as it is, especially if your are introverted like me, involve others in your process. Tell people what you're doing, even when it's in the early stages. Let them be a part of your adventure. People will care about your project if only you'll invite them in...

picture found here

MEET THE CHARACTERS

Well, we have a winner of the GO YOUR OWN WAY HALL OF FAME CONTEST. But before we get to that, I want to share some pictures with you.

First, here's the whole class dressed up like characters from LEAVING GEE'S BEND. Don't they look wonderful?!

Here are some who chose to dress like Mama or Daddy or Baby Rose:

Next up, we have Ludelphia Bennett, the hero of our story:

Then Ludelphia's brother, Ruben, who has a secret:

Watch out for Mrs. Cobb and that shotgun!

Now meet Etta Mae, aka "the girl in the yellow dress":

And last but not least, Doc Nelson and Mrs. Nelson (Ludelphia meets them in Camden):


I was so touched to see so much creativity and enthusiasm from Mrs. Young and these kids! What a special day. Thank you, Mrs. Young's Yacht Club!!!

And now, drumroll please: the last ARC of LEAVING GEE'S BEND goes to... GLENDA BYARS of Gadsden, Alabama!! And I'll be sending $52 to the Gee's Bend Foundation. Thanks, everyone, for your wonderful suggestions! I will continue to invite nominations to the GO YOUR OWN WAY HALL OF FAME, and you can find the latest list here.

LAST CALL: GO YOUR OWN WAY HALL OF FAME

Mary Lee Bendolph, Bars and Blocks, 2003

Quick update, as call to nominate a character in a book or real life who goes his/her own way and possibly win an ARC of LEAVING GEE'S BEND ends November 1!

Newest additions:

BOOKS

Anne Shirley (ANNE OF GREEN GABLES by L.M. Montgomery)
Christy Huddleston (CHRISTY by Catherine Marshall)


REAL LIFE

Father James Edwin Coyle

Complete list (so far) here. Thanks, everyone, for your participation! And don't forget: for every entry I am donating $1.00 to the Gee's Bend Foundation!

LETTERS FROM MY FIRST READERS!

Mrs. Young at Inverness Elementary School has been a dear friend and champion of my writing for a long time, so it just seems right that she should be the one to introduce the world to Ludelphia and LEAVING GEE'S BEND.

Here's some examples of what they sent me:

A drawing of "The Witches of Gee's Bend"


A drawing of "The Red Cross"


And here are some quotes:

My favorite part was "When Ludelphia was in Mrs. Cobb's barn."

Something new I learned was "never ever run away from home. Gee's Bend is a real place. every Quilt tells a story."

Something I have in common with Ludelphia is "She keeps sekrets like me. I take care of my sister. i help my mom."

If I could tell my story in a quilt, I would use this kind of cloth: "1. Velvet 2. soft 3. cotten"

Sweetness, I tell you! And tomorrow the whole class is dressing up like characters from LEAVING GEE'S BEND for "Dress Like a Book Character" Day for the Anti-Drug Campaign! Will share pictures.

THANK YOU, JAN!!!!

T IS FOR TELL

Continuing with the Author ABCs...

We writers get all sorts of advice, and some of is even good. But it can also us astray.

For instance, the whole bit about action, how we've got to get in there and hook our reader, and keep things happening so they'll keep turning the pages.

Well, one of the biggest things I had to work on in revisions of LEAVING GEE'S BEND was too much action, not enough breathing space. Which is where the "tell" part of writing comes in. So my readers wouldn't be overwhelmed by all that action, so they would be able to process it and not feel like they were on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. I mean a wild ride is great and all, but you've got to take time afterward to recover. Use this space to tell the reader how your character is feeling, what they're thinking, what they see, hear, touch, taste. This is every bit as important as showing.

And it brings to mind something else on my Bucket List: take a class on storytelling. The verbal art of engaging people in a story. I want to be able to do that. Meanwhile, I'll keeping listening to Kathryn Tucker Windham. Her CD "God was Just Practicing When He Made Men" is one of my all-time favorites.

MENAGE A MONDAY

Today I'm trying to take down some of the paper-piles on my dining room table.

But I keep thinking about the crazy socks my youngest son wore to school today, for "Sock it to Drugs" Day. He's the first of my kids to actually participate in such an activity. Yeah, he's cool that way.

As for me, I think I'll go put on those toe socks my sweet sister gave me a few years back. That will give the girls at Girls, Inc. something to giggle about when I go talk with them later about LEAVING GEE'S BEND. It even sorta fits the theme, as one of the things the Red Cross sent Gee's Bend the winter of 1933 was socks. Hmmm... now the wheels are turning...

I'm super-excited about the return of Friday Night Lights to cable. This is the ONLY show I really watch. Wednesday night. Riggins. Be there.

AND I just bought this for my grandmother who is turning 92. I just wish I could be there to watch her open the box and ooh and aah over it like it's the Best Thing Ever. What a sweet girl she is!

Wishing all of you a happy Monday.

READING FRIDAY

So I am writing this post ahead of time, because Friday I have reserved for reading.

See, I'm taking this Newbery class through ALSC, in which we are asked to read a Newbery title from each decade. This week we are on 60s, 70s, 80s. Trouble is, I am still behind one title from last week (30s, 40s, 50s) -- THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND, which I remembered loving, but didn't remember why.

Well, for those of you who also need a refresher, it's historic, about learning to live in a new world, and there's a slow romance brewing. Good stuff...

Also this week I have read (listened to) Beverly Cleary's DEAR MR. HENSHAW. All wannabe writers should read it, as it's about a wannabe writer. Lots of gems in there.

So two and a half Newberys to go before next week gets here. And oh, the stack is so tall on my nightstand! Hoping to whittle that sucker down a little.

Anybody else reading today?

S IS FOR SHOW ME

Continuing with the Author ABCs... whew, getting there!

So, S. We've all heard the golden rule of writing: Show, don't tell. But what does it really mean?

Well, I heard editor Cheryl Klein at MidSouth conference last month describe it this way: when you you show what's happening, or rather dramatize... you are allowing the reader to REACT to the scene rather than just taking the author's word for it.

Her explanation couldn't have come at a better time for me. Because in my revisions of ESCAPE FROM FIRE MOUNTAIN, according to Excellent Editor's notes, I was asking the reader to take my word for how they should feel instead of working to CREATE the feeling. (As my editor writes, "doesn't feel earned.")

Which means I can't tell the reader Cass and Havi are inexplicably drawn to each other. I have to show that happening, I have to create scenes in which that attraction is evident, I have to give the reader concrete evidence in dialogue or action that proves they are drawn to each other, making it not inexplicable at all, but there in black and white for the reader to see.

And it's hard. Showing is hard. Sometimes simply because it's hard to find innovative ways to express certain emotions, like a character's fear or nervousness. (Found in the margin of Excellent Editor's latest mark-ups: "stomach is doing lots of things." Which means I've got to break out the sweaty palms or somesuch. :)

But when showing works... oh man. Now THERE'S a good feeling. And yes, those are the books I am most attached to as a reader. So this week, I challenge you to show me. Not the money -- the story.

And stay tuned for next week's T post... all about why we must also TELL (drawn from my own hard-learned lesson in writing LEAVING GEE'S BEND).

"GO YOUR OWN WAY" HALL OF FAME UPDATE

Wanted to share some of the latest nominations to the "Go Your Own Way" Hall of Fame. Contest runs through November 1st, so send me your entries (email, blog comments, FB comments or tweet them @Irene_Latham)!

I'm looking for characters in books and real life who go their own way. Nominees will find a permanent home on a page of my website (currently here, but list is growing so fast, I will soon launch a very special Hall of Fame page!) Then I'll put all the names in a hat (or bowl or pumkin or dog dish), and the winner will receive an ARC (Advance Review Copy) of LEAVING GEE'S BEND!

This contest was launched through my very first Irene's Adventures in Writing newsletter, which will be an occasional (quarterly at best) publication full of contests and suggested adventures and poetry and news and great quotes and basically stuff you don't want to miss... sign up here.

Oh yeah. For every entry, I am donating $1.00 to the Gee's Bend Foundation. Total is at $24 so far. Keep those nominations coming!

Drum roll please....

BOOKS:

Amelia Bedelia (AMELIA BEDELIA by Peggy Parish)
Huck Fin (THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN BY MARK TWAIN)
Stephen Dedalus (A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST)
Frodo (LORD OF THE RINGS BY J.R.R. TOLKIEN)
Sam (LORD OF THE RINGS BY J.R.R. TOLKIEN)
Trosclair (TROSCLAIR AND THE ALLIGATOR by Peter Huggins)
Aaron Cash (IN THE COMPANY OF OWLS by Peter Huggins)
Charley (TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY by John Steinbeck)
Luther T. Farrell (BUCKING THE SARGE by Christopher Paul Curtis)


REAL LIFE:

Mary E. Walker (fought for women's rights during the Civil War)
James Dean (actor)
Randy Pausch (author)
Jeanne Goforth (CEO of Scrollworks)
Lily Rodman (nominated by her mother, Mary Ann Rodman)
Leah Marks (nominated by her father, Barry Marks)
John Steinbeck (author)

R IS FOR RAW

Today I will continue with the series of Author ABCs...

I sat on a panel of writers at a conference recently, and I was really bothered by the information being dished out. Basically there was this idea being tossed about as fact that to get published, manuscripts had to be PERFECT. More specifically, the comments made indicated that agents/editors will read to the first typo, then they'll toss the manuscript.

Okay, first of all, there is a time for perfection, and it sure isn't at the point of submission to an editor or agent. I would be willing to bet that the typo in the scenario was in a manuscript already unloved, and merely ONE reason to toss it. If that manuscript had been raw, but with goodness and potential, I suspect the editor/agent would have overlooked the typo.

As poetry editor at Birmingham Arts Journal, that's what I do. I am way more interested in content, particularly raw emotional content, than I am in spit and polish. I mean, an author can polish the life right out of a piece. I'd much rather read something raw and work with an author to improve it.

Also, in my own experience of pretty much learning on the job with this whole writing business,I can tell you with certainty that the manuscript that sold for LEAVING GEE'S BEND was a mess. A raw mess full of heart. I'm just glad my agent and editor were able to see it shining forth from a million mistakes that were often more than just typos.

Wishing all of you the same good fortune!

TUESDAY A.M. PROJECT

So I joined Birmingham Quilters Guild last month, and one of the first projects for new members is to create a quilted nametag.

You should see some of the amazing nametags these quilters wear... yes, it's a wee bit intimidating. But I'm not afraid to make mistakes, and I really like getting things done, so.... I attended part of a workshop (led by the gracious and delightful Elsie) in which I proceeded to make MANY mistakes and yes, did get my own quilted nametag almost done.

Then my mom came into town. And we looked over my project and discussed all the ways I could make it better. (Have I mentioned my mom is an AMAZING seamstress?) And I decided to start over.

Here's how it went the second time around:





Thanks, Mom!