I know I already did a post today, but I wanted to let you all know about a super fun contest Lisa Schroeder is having over on her blogger blog. She'll be chasing her ARC of CHASING BROOKLYN around the USA.
Curious?
Check out the contest here. But you have to hurry or you might miss out!
Write on!
Robin's post of yesterday took me on a walk down memory lane and instead of posting this in reply to her post, I decided to create a post of my own.
Robin mentioned her love of singing in high school and college and some of her crushes. She asked what we experience now that takes us back to our teenage years . . . this post is in answer to her question.
I also sang in the choirs in hs. I never made it into the top show choir because I was too terrified to sing solo (despite encouragement from the director).
The funny thing is, I sing more now than I did in hs. I'm more confident in my voice and even occasionally sing solo (though it still terrifies me). So when I attend choir performances, I'm taken back to my teenage years.
But my most vivid memories and reminiscences come when I watch a play.
My true hs love was the theatre. Our hs did two major plays a year and from freshman to senior year, I was in all but one of them (I didn't get a part in the first play of my freshman year, "Arsenic and Old Lace").
To this day, when I watch a play, I remember my hs days . . . and yearn to perform again. I even assistant directed and starred in a full length play and a one act. I was an active member of the speech and debate team (that's what they used to call it . . . I think the hs here calls it Drama club or something now). The coach often asked me to help others with their competition pieces (from cutting to directing).
We attended competitions at different schools throughout the year, and at the end of my junior year, I placed fourth at the State competition with my Serious Prose entry ("On The Sidewalk Bleeding" by Evan Hunter).
Those competitions prepared me for writing because in order to fit the performance time frame, the selections had to be cut and an introduction had to be written (kind of like a hook). I performed in Duo acting, Dramatic Interpretation, Serious Prose, and occasionally Poetry Interpretation. After graduating, I became a judge of these competitions.
Oh there were many crushes on other actors/singers and one to this day that still tugs at my heart. We've both moved on but have remained friends. I will never forget him since he was my first HUGE crush. I won't even put his initials here in case he comes and reads this (because I'm not sure he realizes how deeply I felt).
I still think about him and wonder what life would have been like had he felt for me what I felt for him. I swear, everyone I dated I compared to him . . . and they never measured up. Yeah, he was the downfall of many relationships. LOL
Anyway, back to the actress in me . . .
I continued performing in college and in the community theatre right up until just before I got married. It's only fitting that the last play I starred in was the community theatre production of "Arsenic and Old Lace." There's nothing like coming full circle.
Today I don't have access to acting avenues except through my writing. Getting into the mind of my main character is relatively easy for me, but actually transferring it to the paper sometimes isn't.
Write on.
Yes, I know wonderings isn't technically a real word, but I wanted to try something new and couldn't think of a better word that began with W.
Anyway, I wonder about things all the time and decided to start using my wonderings (write it in your dictionaries, people) as writing prompts. Most of them will be in question form. In answering the questions, new worlds are invented, characters are built, and general fun is had.
I thought I'd share the fun and post my wonderings (have you written it in your dictionary yet?) in case other people wanted to try their hand (or keyboard) at answering the question in their own way.
So, our first Wednesday Wondering is this:
What would a village look like in a world with no land?
Write on.
Thanks to Robin and Allison (who talked me back from the ledge), I'm feeling much more confident about attending my first conference. Hopefully this confidence will last all the way up to and through the actual event next Saturday.
If anyone else has any advice/suggestions/comments about attending a conference, feel free to share.
In other news . . .
Yeah, I've got nothing. Hope everyone has a great day!
Write on.
Let's discuss . . .
. . . Conferences.
I will be attending the SCBWIAZ Welcome to Our House conference on September 26th (In Scottsdale, Arizona). I realize this isn't a huge conference like the Summer or Winter SCBWI events, but dang it, it's the first conference I've ever been to (because it is the first conference I could afford) and I'm nervous.
Okay, technically I'm terrified!
What's there to be afraid of? Let's see . . .
People will be there
People I don't know
People who might talk to me
People who will expect me to talk back
When I'm nervous I babble
When I'm nervous I babble
When I'm nervous I babble
Seriously, It's like some horrible magic spell comes over me and my mouth won't close and my voice goes on and on and on and I see people looking around to escape and and though in my mind I'm screaming, "Shut up! Just shut up!" . . . I can't stop.
Now, there is a solution to this little problem, and I've employed this defense mechanism often. I don't talk to people and if I'm asked a question, I answer with one word comments. However, this makes people think I'm stuck up . . . which I'm not. I'm just nervous and shy and don't want the magic mouth to get me in trouble. ;-)
When I attended the ANWA retreat back in July, I was pretty quiet for the first little while until I felt comfortable enough with those around me to speak . . . and it helped that I knew one of the people in attendance (she introduced me to people and drew me out of defense mode). Still, the retreat was three days long and I wasn't really comfortable until the final day . . . even then, there were only a couple of people I talked to (and some of them I babbled to who probably thought I was an idiot). *sigh*
That was a retreat with only fellow authors in attendance. This is a conference type setting where agent/editor people will attend and it's only a one day event.
Yeah . . . I'm on the verge of a panic attack and the conference is over a week away . . . not a good sign.
I feel like I'm going to a brand new school in a new town. What if people don't like me? What if I wear the wrong thing? What if . . .?
I'm sure you're wondering what you can do to help . . . and if you're not, what kind of friend are you anyway? Can't you see I'm distressed here? ;-)
One thing has helped me in the past. The more I know, the more prepared I am, the calmer I am. When I'm calm, I'm better I am able to control my magic mouth.
Soooooo . . . I want you to tell me about your first conference experiences. Were you terrified? Nervous? What was your conference experience like?
What should I expect? Do people take laptops or paper and pencil/pen for note taking? What advice or items did you find helpful?
Write on.
It's Friday and that means it's time to give you a taste of my work. Last week's came from DESTROYER'S HOPE so it's only fair I give you a bit from WOLFSBANE AT MIDNIGHT this time.
A bit of clarification before you dive in. Wicche is what they call those with magical powers (it's pronounced WIK-chee so bewicched below would be be-WIK-cheed). Also, this is their first meeting, but Oren has just kissed Scarlet.
It still needs work, but here it is:
Oren stumbled back. "I think you've bewicched me, Scarlet Dimity." His eyes flashed as he glared at her.
"I can't, I don't have any powers." Scarlet's blood pounded through her veins. She wanted nothing but to feel his arms and taste his lips again. Her body trembled with longing. She turned from the anger in his eyes and bent to fumble with the spilled contents of her basket. "I don't understand what just happened. I've never . . . I mean, I'm sorry if you . . ."
"You didn't cast some sort of spell on me?"
"What? No, of course I didn't. You're the one who's been buying potions from my grandmother." Scarlet's hand flew over her mouth and she shot to her feet.
"She told you about my potions?" Oren reached her before she even saw him move. He gripped her arm so tightly her fingers went numb. His eyes bore into hers, daring her to lie.
"No," Scarlet said quickly. "No, she wouldn't do that."
"Then how do you know I've been buying potions?"
"I only know what I saw through the curtain," Scarlet blurted. She burned with embarrassment.
"You spied on me?"
"Not you in particular. I spy on other people too." Scarlet clamped her mouth shut. Why hadn't she been born mute? Life would be so much simpler.
Silence hung in the air between them.
Scarlet tore her arm from his grasp, snatched up her herb basket, and hurried away toward the garden. She was seriously considering eating some belladonna berries to end her misery.
I hope you enjoyed today's fraction.
Write on.
Yeah, I'm way behind on my reviews so I'm interrupting the regularly scheduled blog post to do this first.
It's that time again. Here's a quick reminder of my rating system
A+--I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this book. In most cases, I passed it on to my child/teen.
A--I enjoyed this book and I might pass it on to my child/teen.
B--I liked this book, but probably won't pass it on to my child/teen.
C--I thought it was okay, but I won't pass it on to my child/teen.
D--I didn't like this book, and won't allow my child/teen to read it.
F--I hope I never have to go here. =D
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. If you find your book here, don't panic if I rate it below an A. These are my personal preferences and I'm only one small person in a large market.
Okay, here we go.
Paris Pan Takes The Dare by Cynthea Liu
Rating: A+++ (and a few more too) Yeah, I really enjoyed it. Not only did I pass it on to my teen, but I passed it on to my younger daughter, my mother, my sister, my nieces, and my cousin!
Age Recommendation: 9+
Twelve-year-old Paris Pan has just moved to a new town. With a crazy home life, friends who make better enemies, and the boy Paris has a crush on being considered a dork, this move isn't going well.
When, Paris learns a girl mysteriously died near her new house while taking the Dare (a seventh grade rite of passage), she's completely freaked out. And now strange noises are coming from the shed. Could the missing girl be trying to make contact?
Paris and her friends dig into the past in search of answers. The answers lead them down a path they may not want to go, and Paris becomes a reluctant participant in the Dare. This is the night that will forever change her life, uncover the truth of the missing girl, and reveal who her true friends are.
PARIS PAN TAKES THE DARE draws you in and won't let you go until the end. I couldn't get enough of this story! Liu does such a great job of creating believable characters and realistic scenes that I had no trouble completely immersing myself in Paris's world. I have to admit, some of it even freaked me out a little bit.
Don't let this one pass you by. I DARE you to read it.
Write on!
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