NaNoWriMo

Na No what? When you mention NaNoWriMo, you get one of two reactions. People know exactly what you are talking about or they have no clue. NaNo is National Novel Writing Month. Participants challenge themselves to write 50,000 (or more) words in one month, the month of November.
For more information, go to http://www.nanowrimo.org/

I have been a NaNoer several years in the past but have never completed the 50,000 words. This year, I am hoping to push through at least that many. I am putting a widget her on my blog so everyone can see how many words I am writing each day. Hopefully, I will be embarrassed enough to actually finish this year :)


(It should show up on November 1.)

As a writer, this is a great opportunity to find other writers and encouragement.

Is anyone else going to participate in NaNoWriMo this year? If so, leave a comment about what you plan to write. If not, leave a comment and explain why not :)

Good Luck!

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Writers like Laurie Halse Anderson take on issues most of us are scared to. We need more people like her.

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Anderson likes to tackle the tough topics and Twisted is no different. The main character in this story, a male, high school senior, is trying to cope with life in high school and life at home. It hasn't been easy for him for years, but after being accused of a crime he didn't commit, everything is suddenly awful. He even contemplates suicide rather graphically.

I like this book. Anderson took very heavy issues and presented them in a fun way with lots of comic relief. Teens need to know they are not alone. However, she used some very graphic scenes related to suicide that might not be good for someone who is already on the fence. I also like the male POV, but it is obvious the book was written by a female when she begins to have him talk about girls.

This would be a good story to read with your teen. Thank goodness for writers like Anderson who are not afraid to tackle the tough issues.

View all my reviews >>

Wringer by Jerry Spinelli

Jerry Spinelli is a wonderful writer. I love most of his books. This wasn't my favorite, but it is still an excellent story with awards.


Wringer by Jerry Spinelli


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Spinelli is always wonderful with creating preteen boy characters. Palmer is no different. Spinelli catches the reader from the first page and pulls him/her into Palmer's life.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. The second half was not as fulfilling, and I didn't like the ending very much. I suppose you can't always have a true happy ending, but I couldn't understand why Palmer had to give up all of his friends. The very ending was too coincidental. I just couldn't quite believe it.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to 8-12 year old boys.

View all my reviews >>

Pants on Fire by Meg Cabot

Pants on Fire by Meg Cabot


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Meg Cabot has done it again. Katie Ellison and her cast or friends and boyfriends are real, not just characters on a page. From the first page, the reader falls for Katie watching her wait tables at the Gull n’ Gulp. She is a very likable character, as are her host of boyfriends, friends, and family. This story is full of characters, but easy for the reader to follow. Everything about Katie from her fear of germs and love of photography, to her inability to find a balance with the guys in her life endear her to the reader and remind us of what high school was like. I absolutely loved this story. It is amazing how some books can help us understand life better. This is one of those books.

View all my reviews >>

Buried in Beads

It is one o'clock in the morning and what am I doing? I am sitting here trying to put a website up and make it so people will actually be able to find it. As a matter of fact, that is all I have been doing for days and days and days and days. The kids are sleeping and the house is actually quiet for once. I should be in bed, but no. Here I sit covered in beads. I have gemstone jewelry coming out of my ears. I shake my head and amethyst falls on the floor. There are beads in the drawers and on the floor and on my desk. Possibly the most amusing part of this whole endeavor has been writing the page descriptions. In order to get the search engines to actually find your site, you have to use the words over and over and over. Then when someone searches the word, they will find you. But the repetition does make for amusing text. I hope to be writing something other than jewelry descriptions by the end of the week. But, if you have time, go check out my newest wild scheme: www.jewelryjungle.com.

Book Adventure

For parents who home school or just parents who want to encourage their children to read more, we are using the most amazing site and you should check it out. www.bookadventure.org is incredible. Many classrooms use the accelerated reader program where students can read books, take a quiz on them, and collect points to win prizes. I love this program and it seems to work wonders in the schools, but most individuals can’t afford the test for their home use. Book Adventure is very similar to the accelerated reader program, but it is online and free. You can search the “book finder” for books to read (there are thousands) by title, author, subject, or even reading level. Then, you can take a quiz on the book to see if you remember what happened. I love using this as a test for reading comprehension. If the child gets all of the questions right, they get points for the book. The site also has a “prize-o-matic” where companies have donated prizes for the kids or parents can list prizes just for their child. When the student has accumulated enough points for a prize, they can request the prize, but the parent has complete control and has to approve the prize for the child to receive it. There are even parent controls on what reading level your child can quiz on. This is a truly wonderful site. Best of all, it is FREE. You will not need a credit card or a social security number to sign up. All they require is an email address to set up your account. This is a site all parents should take advantage of.

Do you know any great sites everyone should visit?

"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow, nothing but wow. This story takes place in a dark future where the United States no longer exist. Many people are starving, and each year the "districts" must send two "tributes" (one girl and one boy, between the age of 12 and 18) to the capital to fight to the death. 24 children enter the arena, only one can come out.


I tend to shy away from the killing everyone, violent, depressing stories. However, this book spent a lot of time on the best seller list and, as a writer, I felt the need to see what the fuss was all about. It didn't take but a few pages to find out. Collins creates a main character the reader can't help liking and pulling for surrounded by other characters that feel real.


From the prospective of a writer, the story is amazing. Collins chose first person, present tense for this story. It is very difficult for me to write anything in present tense, but the story grabs you from the very beginning. After you love Katniss, the author throws her in to fight for her life.


I loved watching the love story develop and wonder where it will go in book two. The fighting wasn't my favorite, but the children truly have no choice other than to die. The reader feels the wrongness in the way the districts are treated by the capital and hopes Katniss can somehow right the wrong. Yet, we have to realize not all wrongs can be righted by one person. Due to the strict government, in this story there doesn't appear to be much hope of the district ever gaining freedom. But there are two more books.


Another aspect of writing Collins demonstrates beautifully is not giving the reader too much information. Although the story takes place in a fictional setting, the reader gains information through what is happening instead of having a block of information dumped.


This book was wonderful. While I am not ready for my son to read it yet, I would recommend it to older children and adults. But give yourself some time, it is nearly impossible to put down.


View all my reviews.

Catching Up

I have gotten behind and not been able to catch for weeks. I can finally see the light and the storm clouds. The house is about clean, I've read all of the books by my bed, my son is busy with his school work, and I am trying to start a new writing project.

For any parents interested, I found the coolest website last week. Sea World has teachers guides online. There are some awesome lessons. http://www.seaworld.org/just-for-teachers/guides/index.htm

These are the books I read last week:

The Wish by Gail Carson Levine

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Levine always adds a little magic to her books and that is part of what makes them fun. I liked this book. The characters were real and likeable. The hardest part of middle school is fitting in. The only issue I had with the story is the ending not being very satisfying. I felt as thought the main character didn't really learn much from her experience. She still wanted to use magic to change her life instead of dealing with her problems herself. Of course, she is young. This is a book I would recommend to a friend, but probably not read over and over.


View all my reviews.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
I liked "The Graveyard Book" better than this one. However, that is just my opinion. The book is well written with great characters and an interesting plot. It was too scary for me. I love the idea of a little girl wanting an adventure. Kids get bored. But that other mother made me uncomfortable. The button eyes and whatnot were a little too much for me. I wouldn't want my child to read this yet.


View all my reviews.

Jinx by Meg Cabot

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I loved this book. The main character is lovable and in a mess. She takes responsibility for her actions and learns from her mistakes. I would enjoy a sequel. The minor characters are interesting too. I liked the treatment of magic and the rivalry between the cousins. As always, I am a sucker for a love story. I'd read this book again and recommend it to my friends.


View all my reviews.

What have you been reading? Any great websites or articles?

The Price of Love is Grief

Those aren't my words. I'm copying something one of my family members quoted. Just as you are trying to settle into your rut, some earthquake comes along and cuts a whole new path. I only thought life was returning to normal.

I try to keep my blog upbeat, but this has been a really tough couple of weeks. On Saturday, my Grandaddy went to be with God and my father (his only son). It is so hard to lose someone you care about. He was a wonderful man. We visited with him three or four times a week. The boys are heartbroken. Now, we have to find a new "normal."

Since I have finally moved (although the old house isn't sold and the boxes aren't unpacked) and I have this funeral behind me, I no longer have any excuses for not blogging, reading, and writing. I am trying to ease back into everything. The funeral was yesterday and I spent today reclaiming my house. If you turn you head for just a second, chaos will take right over.

My oldest son is at camp this week from 9:00 to 4:00(except for yesterday), so I don't have to worry about home schooling him right now. I have to check, but I think he has camp next week too. He is having a great time learning about the solar system, but he can't tell me what yet. I have to wait for the play on Friday. I am looking forward to it. We have swim team and martial arts in the evenings, so he keeps us busy. The younger one is only two. We haven't put him in stuff yet.

I am looking toward a productive full week (I hope). I have three books on my bed stand, a new classroom to organize, a pile of laundry that grows each time I look at it, and a story with a first line sitting on my computer. In a few days I will let you know how all of it goes.

Thanks for reading. Leave a comment and let me know what books you are reading, what you are writing, what fun summer activities you have planned, and what has turned your plans on their head.

Returning to Life as Normal

We have moved. The old house still isn't on the market and the new house is still boxed up, but we are moved. So life is beginning to return to normal, at least as normal as things ever are around here.

I have been able to start reading again. I LOVED Being Nikki by Meg Cabot. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson was good, but heavy. Then, I read The Noah Confessions by Barbra Hall. I haven't decided how I feel about it yet. Maybe I didn't get it or maybe the main character's attitude toward the south elicited an unconscious negative response. Now, I have moved to Coraline by Neil Gaiman.

As far as homeschooling goes, my son is on a field trip with a home school group and my mother in NY, NY. He is getting to see sites I only dream of. One day I'd like to take the whole family and visit Broadway, The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Grand Central Station, The Natural History Museum and some of the other places he is now.

I have several ideas for my writing, but nothing is hopping onto the paper yet. I want to write a sequel to my chapter book, but hate to start when the first one hasn't been accepted yet. I need to get something done soon. My critique group meets Tuesday.

The rest of my day is full of laundry, dishes, meals, and unpacking. Now who packed these boxes? I grab one full of books and put them on the shelf. There is a box of sweaters and one of dishes. Then, I find a box with two dirty shirts, a couple of magazines, the missing telephone, a shoe (note, one not two), and bag of skittles. I can only guess what happened there.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday weekend. What books have you found recently? Are you writing? If you home school, what are your summer plans?

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson isn't a "fun" read, but it is a well written book examining a hard issue. Anderson is known for her talent tackling the tough issues.


Lia captures the reader's heart from the first chapter. Anderson also starts her story with a bang. Lia's best friend is dead and Lia thinks it is her fault. We struggle through Lia's pain right there with her. Each chapter brings us farther into her mind and exposes a little more of the complexity of her life.


Teenagers are faced with societal norms they have no way of living up to. Those standards paired with the normal changes that go on in a teen's/preteen's body cause confusion and often self-doubt. Many girls turn to eating disorders as a way to stay in control of their lives and feel better about themselves. Anderson tries to follow Lia through this pain and help other girls see that there is a way out.


I enjoyed this book. It was a little difficult to stay with the present tense, but the first person was perfect. Anderson researched eating disorders, and it is obvious in the story. This is a good book for people in search of hope, but as with Speak, it is anything but a light read.


View all my reviews.

The Move is Over

Hooray! We have just completed, more or less, the longest across town move in history. Perhaps I should call The Guinness Book of World Records and see if we can get in. Our furniture and "stuff" is now in our new house, somewhere. I suppose after another week or so it won't take an hour to find my clothes, and I hope the book my son is supposed to be reading for school turns up soon. I wonder if it was misplaced intentionally.

But, more importantly, it is time to return to life. Back to reading, writing, submitting, home schooling, blogging, and maybe even sleeping if I am lucky.

The only book I took the time to read during our move was Meg Cabot's Being Nikki. It was incredible. I highly recommend anyone who hasn't read it yet running out to the store and getting Airhead and Being Nikki. In Airhead, Em's(normal, smart high school student) brain is transplanted into Nikki's(supermodel, high school dropout) body, and Em is forced to live Nikki's life. As more and more complications arise from work to school to boys, this novel deepens and takes on issues beyond the imagination. Cabot explores the evils of huge corporations while capturing readers hearts through Em. Teenagers (and sometimes adults) dream of living some else's life. We never realize the issues other people face. The only complaint I have about this book is the next one won't be out for a whole year!

I have also picked back up with my submissions. Right now, I have several chapter books out and I am starting on a YA. I haven't heard yet, but I will let you know when I do.

As far home schooling, my son is almost finished for the year. I picked up a copy of the Summer Bridge workbook so he won't slip back while we take a break. As soon as I find the missing history book, we are going to finish up this year. It is time to turn in the end-of-year paper work and get ready for next year.

I have made a few necklaces amidst the wreckage of our move. I used them for mother's day gifts. I have learned so much since I started. Just this week I learned about wire protectors and crimp covers.

So, has anyone else had a productive week? What are you reading? What have you been writing? Let me know.

Moving is Bad for Your Nails

And you legs, feet, arms, back, and sanity. It even causes writer's block especially when you can't find a pen. We are in the new house now, and I have my Internet back, but the old house is still not empty. This weekend, we are taking a break. The kids are about to kill me.

I hope everyone is healthy and well. The swine flu outbreak is causing much concern. If you want the facts from the CDC, check them out here:




On a happier note, the second book in Meg Cabot's Airhead series is coming out very soon. I'll be heading to the book store in a few days :)

Preparing to Move

My weekend was a bit more eventful than I prefer. I would have posted on it sooner, but the beginning of the week was also too eventful.

Saturday was wonderful. The weather couldn't have been nicer. The kids played in the yard at our new house while I worked in the front flower bed (or lack thereof) and my hubby worked on the play set in the back. I spread 16 bags of mulch. I think I am half done. I saw more rolly-polys than I have since I was twelve and bigger worms than I have seen in my entire life. I also found some things stuffed into the bushes that seemed a little odd. I expected the three years of leaves, but the Tupperware, socks, and ice cream wrappers were surprising. Still, I enjoyed making the yard look nicer and accomplishing something. The contractor STILL hasn't finished the carpet, so we still can't clean the inside of the house.

However, late Saturday life took a turn for the worse and spiraled down from there. First, my husband got sawdust in his eye. I guess it was a little like having a splinter in your eye. Sunday morning instead of going to church, we went to the ER to get him fixed up. Sunday afternoon, I was informed I couldn't put plants out yet, so I just continued to work on weeding and spreading mulch. Out of nowhere, my oldest son (first grade) wanted to know the TRUTH about the Easter Bunny, which resulted in an afternoon of tears.

Monday, I had the worst headache I have ever had in my entire life. I worked in the dark until I couldn't stand and then my sweet, wonderful hubby took care of me while I vomited and writhed in pain all night long. Tuesday he took my to a chiropractor who said my neck was all out of whack and fixed my head.

We are finally back on track. The weather looks nice for most of the week. My husband thinks the play set will be finished today. (If you are wondering why this play set is taking so long, it came in four 200-300 hundred pound boxes. None of the pieces were preattached. The directions have 106 steps, some of which are wrong. About five boards were missing, and we have had more rain this month than in the past seven years.) With any luck, we'll move next week.

I hope everyone is doing well. What spring projects do have? How are they coming?

What a Week

I prefer to be positive in my blog. Really, I prefer to be positive in life. But this week has made it difficult to be positive.

We all went to the doctor and got drugs to make us better. We still aren't well. My youngest is coughing and my sinuses aren't clear. At least, we are better than last week. I really hope spring knocks this illness out.

We are trying to put up a play setat our new house. But it keeps raining. Of course, we do need the rain. I hope this means our drought is almost over.

I want to bead and my oldest son needs to finish this school year, but too much of our stuff is packed. I guess it isn't that huge a deal. He is way ahead and we started back in June, but I would like to get back to some routine.

I came downstairs and found our cat playing with a snake yesterday. At least it wasn't dangerous. Still, I'd like it to stay outside.

I am getting entirely too many rejection letters. At least I am submitting.

Finally, we have been waiting four weeks for this silly contractor to install our carpet so we can move. He is finally working on it. I am ready to move. NOW!

I suppose life isn't really too bad, but it has been an annoying week. How is everyone else doing? I hope your week is going well.

Latest Updates

Well, it has been a few days. We (my sons and I) are feeling a little better. I finally broke down and went to the doctor. I'll be picking up four prescriptions this afternoon. I hope one of them will knock this cold out. I also took the dog (the fat one, not the little red one) to the dentist. She had jaw surgery yesterday. We are trying to assemble a play set for the kids. It has about 14,000 pieces, so it is taking awhile.

I just finished reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. It is a cute story. Somehow, it made me think of The Velveteen Rabbit.

Writing and homeschooling have been difficult recently. I keep realizing something I need for every project I want to do is packed. Hopefully after our move, I'll have a little more to tell you about.

A New Week With New Possibilities

Today is Sunday, the beginning of a new week. I love new beginnings. New years, new months, new weeks, new days. We are still sick which is keeping me from the computer more than trying to get moved.

I have been reading a good bit. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman won the Newbery Medal, so I figured I needed to read it. It was a good book, but a little haunting. Perhaps because I am a mother, I put the book down feeling sad in place of hopeful for the characters. Gaiman has an original plot (very hard to find) and great characters. This book is well written and a more than a little strange. I look forward to reading more of his stories.

I also have been reading chapter books and Sarah Dessen's Lock and Key. Dessen is remarkable as usual.

I have not accomplished as much in my life as a writer as I would like to lately, but this is a new week and perhaps I will get more writing done as well.


As for life in general, we had an interesting occurrence this week. I glanced in the back yard to find it littered with white patches. Being about 65 degrees, snow seemed unlikely. Upon closer inspection, we realized the dog had carried a pile of socks outside and scattered them around the backyard. Fortunately, it was only socks.

Hopefully this week will bring a move, some more great books, successful writing, pleasant homeschooling, and even beading if I'm lucky.

What have you been reading? Was it any good?

Checking In

I haven't been able to post for the past few days because my sons and I have had the nasty cold that's going around. We aren't well yet, but we are on the way. I can't wait for spring.

We are still having moving issues. The carpet STILL isn't in. The cat in the attic crawl space turned out to be a squriell. I set a humane trap and, I'm hoping I can remove him.

We haven't had school for a few days because we have been sick. We'll have to make them up later, but we started in June so it shouldn't be too hard.

I haven't been able to touch my beads either. They are packed. I can't work with them until after we move, which will be after the carpet comes in :(

I have been doing some writing on a new project, but I don't have a clue where it is going yet. I have also been develping characters. Where so you find your characters? I like to start with a name or a picture and then look for the details. Sometimes I use a form with lots of questions. Other times, I base them on people I'm close to. My oldest son is a great help when I create younger characters. He knows what is really important to kids, like gummy worms.

When you make characters, where do you start? How do you make them real? Do you ever use real people for the models?

A Day in the Life…

This morning, the alarm went off a little too early. I wanted to role over and go back to sleep. Of course, my alarm is across the room from the bed to make it more difficult. So I cut off the alarm and went to wake my oldest son. I reminded him I would need his help this morning because I had somewhere I needed to be. Of course, instead of getting dressed, he sat around complaining he was cold. Meanwhile, my youngest screamed to the top of his lungs, “I don’t need to go to school today.” I was getting him ready for the parents’ morning out program at the church. He kicked and screamed while I put his clothes on. Then, I went to check on the other child. My oldest couldn’t find matching sock. Matching socks are a perpetual problem in our house. My have a real, live sock-monster. She is a lovely red dachshund and she likes to steal socks and eat them. While I was tending the elder, the younger undressed. From there, the whole day erupted into one big comedy of errors. Eldest son dropped the juice on the kitchen floor, not a cup of juice, but the whole two liter jug, soaking his socks. We needed to make a sandwich for the lunch box, but the cat climbed on the counter last night and ripped open the new loaf of bread and nibbled across the top. (Really I do feed my pets.) Somehow, we made it out door. And that was my morning (up to 8:45am that is).

So this post won’t run ten pages and get really boring, I am just going to give the highlights of the rest of the day. I went to the new house (I’ve mentioned we’re moving.) to clean up the yard. It contained ten big trash bags full of trash and three years worth of leaves. My hands hurt from raking. There appears to be a cat in the crawl space for the attic. I’d love to know how it got there. We are having a fence put in and there is a pine tree at about a forty-five degree angle right over where the fence needs to be.

The carpet isn’t in the house because the wall isn’t mudded yet. The wall wasn’t mudded because the gas was off so there was no heat. The gas is now on, but the thermostat fell apart. So, we still don’t have carpet and we are supposed to move this weekend.

Other than errands, karate, meals, and writing I have about summed up my day. I hope we can go to bed early tonight.

Monday

Why is Monday always so hard? I am a stay-at-home mom. I home school and write. Yet, Monday is always rough. Many of the writers I know don’t really take the weekends off. I never have.

But anyway, today was definitely a Monday. Not just any Monday either, but the one just after we switched to daylight savings time. I drug myself out of bed this morning and found my toddler had eaten my “homework.” We are having a fence installed. I called around town to get quotes and wrote them all on a scrap of paper. Well, my son thought it looked tasty, so before breakfast he chewed it up. Then, my older son gave me the, “Is it a school day?” routine when I gave him his first assignment. Sometimes I think it would be easier to teach him seven days a week and not have to recondition him EVERY Monday. We also had to run errands, get haircuts, and take advantage of the beautiful weather. Then, I had to squeeze in time after dark for writing and housework. I am sure glad Monday only comes once a week.

Life Changing Books (continued from Saturday)

I have to go back to my blog from Saturday long enough to mention my favorite book on home schooling. The Well Trained Mind by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer is a must read for parents considering home schooling their children. My approach to teaching my son is eclectic and not classical, but this book has so much wonderful information it could help any parent. It describes the way children think and learn at different ages. It suggests various curriculums to use with your child and how to schedule your time. Everything is presented as a series of suggestions, not the way it has to be done. Regardless of the method you choose, this book is filled with great ideas. The final part of the book talks about why to home school, how to handle arguments from loved ones, how to make sure your child is socialized, planning, record keeping, testing, and even how to prepare you child for college and put together an application. The book ends with resources. I have never read this book cover to cover and probably never will, but it lives on my bed stand. I refer to it at least two or three times a month. If you are considering teaching your child at home, you should find a copy of this book and spend some time looking through it.

Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voigt

Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voigt

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book should be required reading for every high school student. Izzy is a normal fifteen year old girl. When a popular senior ask her out, she is thrilled. Who wouldn’t be? Most people want to impress others, whether they admit it or not. Middle school and high school are the hardest times to stand up for yourself. Besides, it couldn’t happen to you, could it? So Izzy goes out on a date with this senior and has an okay time, but he drinks too much. She knows he is drunk and gets in his car anyway. When he slams into a tree, he walks away with a few scratches. Izzy lives through the accident too, but she loses one of her legs.


Voigt is a very talented writer. She creates dynamic characters to fill her stories. You care about them from the minute they are introduced. Everyone is so real. She paints scenes in such a way they unfold as though you are there. However, her most exceptional quality as a writer is her willingness to tackle difficult topics. I read this book in middle school and several times since. It will make you think twice about who you ride with.


As a side note, it is really funny to look at the different covers this novel has gone through. My copy is yellow and Izzy has 80’s hair. This cover is much more contemporary. Some of the ones in between had a totally different look.


View all my reviews.

Life Changing Books (Nonfiction Today)

What books changed you life? Right now, I’m thinking about a practical everyday sense. After reading a good book, you never see the world in quite the same way, but which books (Other than the Bible, Koran, Torah, etc) have changed the way you raise your kids or write or wash your dishes? I have two in mind. One changed my writing forever and the other revolutionized my home schooling methods.

If you write and have never read On Writing by Stephen King, stop reading this and run to the store right now. I have been writing all of my life, but I never tried to write anything for publication until I had my first son. I have to admit, my first attempts were bad. I couldn’t get my ideas to go on the paper the way they were in my head. After some frustration, I took one of my sister’s books off of the shelf. It was On Writing. I didn’t read much Stephen King because I don’t like to be scared. My sister read almost everything he wrote.

The first part of the book is inspirational. It describes Stephen King’s life. He didn’t have all of the advantages you think of when you want to be a writer. (If I could just quit my job and write all day… If I had a nice orderly office… If I had a better computer…) Then, you find out he worked for sixteen years before he had his big break. I didn’t know whether to cheer or cry. It gave me hope since I had been working for over a year but fear as well. I hope it won’t take me sixteen years to get my work out there.

The second part of the books is a little more practical. Stephen King reveals the “secrets” of how to write. Many other books teach these as well, but King has a way of explaining things that makes sense. I will never think of adverbs in the same way again. He also talks about how to write a book. Instead of saying you have to write a certain way, King gives many different examples and allows writers the freedom of doing it their own way. So much of his book helped me and changed the way I feel every time I sit at the keyboard.

I’ll save my home schooling book for another day. My oldest son just fell off the kitchen table and is begging for a Band-Aid. What book(s) have changed your life?

A Friend For Dragon by Dav Pilkey

A Friend For Dragon by Dav Pilkey

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Writing books for children who can't read is hard. I've tried. When my son was learning to read, these books (I think there are four.) were life changing. He hated to read the plot-free stories at school. He hated reading. It was boring. Honestly, when I looked at what he was having to read, I had to agree. The beginner books were boring. We went on search for interesting books with very low reading levels. He was never going to make it to the higher levels until he read some on the lower ones. Unfortunately, there were very few easy books for boys. The Dragon books by Pilkey are fun, colorful, and exciting. They are easy to read and funny. My book-hating son started sneaking off to read. Almost overnight his confidence improved, and he grew to love books. This is one amazing book.


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Where and What Do You Write?

I write wherever there is a clean spot to sit my laptop. Since we are in the process of moving, my computer has migrated from the desk to the kitchen table to the coffee table. We seem to have an allergy to open horizontal space around here, even on the floor. If I manage to clean off a spot on the desk, bed, floor, or most anywhere, something explodes right in that spot. This morning, I took a break from cleaning the bathroom. While I ran down to grab a drink (just tea, nothing exciting), my trashcan jumped into the floor and spit all of its contents across the room. The toddler and cat had NOTHING to do with it. When we get moved, I will have an office and I plan to lock the kids and pets out (probably the husband too). Then, perhaps my writing will be a little less disjointed.

What I write is a little more simple. I started with picture books thinking it had to be pretty easy. I was wrong. I am not good at picture books, not at all. So I moved to mid-grade. I found my voice in chapter books, mid-grade, and young adult. At this point, my best work is my chapter books. Soon, I hope to have a finished mid-grade people would actually enjoy reading.

Okay, I have been turned into a jungle gym. That must be my cue to do something else. So, where and what do YOU write?

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I checked this book out from the library and went back to purchase it. It is a really cute chapter book about a girl who is trying to do the right thing, but it doesn't always work out. I loved this book for the "realness." Clementine doesn't live in a mansion with servants and two doting parents. She lives in the real world with real problems, but she works hard and is rewarded for her efforts. I also like the fact I don't mind my child reading this book. Many books have subject matter I am not comfortable with my seven-year-old exploring. Clementine is just a sweet story. Her behavior while not perfect is what you might expect from a child. Pennypacker has a real gift with words. I can't wait to get my hands on more of her work.


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Airhead by Meg Cabot

Airhead by Meg Cabot

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Who but Meg Cabot could take a premise as lame as pretty girls being brain-dead and turn it into a book you can't put down? I picked this book up one night as light reading before bed. It looked like some silly high school story about pretty girls being stupid. It turned out to be an out-of-body experience so to speak. It was incredible the way Meg Cabot took a normal girl, put her into a super model body and just let the character react. The main character is so strong, and the plot is fun too. This was a fantastic book. I can't wait for the sequel.


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Changes

I have put off starting a website and a blog for too long, so here I sit with my living room piled in boxes leaning like the the Tower of Pisa (not because I stacked them that way, but I have a toddler who loves to climb) starting a blog. I must be crazy, but anyone who knows me would tell you I should have figured that out a long time ago.
You know, I have a manuscript out called Changes. It is a chapter book about a boy who is going to have a little sister. He is less than thrilled about the whole idea, but he has a lot of growing up to do himself.
Well, I hate to cut this short, but my toddler is trying to escape out of the window. I'll be back soon to share the chaos and joys of life, motherhood, writing, and home-school. I can't wait to hear from you too.