Storyteller's Journey

Keeping the Balance - Writing!

This summer has been one of the busiest I've had in many years: trips to our cabin, selling our cabin, a visit from my parents, a brief visit from my brother and his family, and then having our three boys here on and off has filled our time. Then throw in my husband's art festival, my trip to California, and our commitment to hosting two groups in our home monthly, and I barely kept my head above water! However, I bet everyone could share a similar story - summer's just a busy time.

What has kept me balanced through the chaos? Believe it or not, it's been my writing. Like many women, it would be easy for me to get swallowed up by the needs of my family. However, I made a commitment to make writing a priority a few years back, with the expectation to make strides in my skills and my word counts. What I didn't expect was how it would bring balance to my life. Although I'm still a pre-published, pre-represented writer, I take my writing seriously. This has slowly, but surely, caused my family and friends to take my passion seriously too - they know I need my time. I'm hoping that if I keep writing, I might just get a book published someday - but I'm also hoping to keep the balance in my life that I have so unexpectedly found.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Albert Einstein:
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.

Public Domain

Whimsical Word of the Week

Borborygmic -

pertaining to the rumbling of one's stomach or intestines.

Example - as a metaphor: The old mansion was quiet, except for the sounds emanating from the borborygmic furnace in the basement.

Bibliophile's Corner

Alchemy and Meggy Swann
by Karen Cushman

Flap Copy Description:
"Ye Toads and Vipers!"
Thus says Meggy Swann, newly come to London from the country village where she was raised. She's not happy to be there, and why should she be? Her mother was glad to see the back of her. Her father, who sent for her, doesn't want her after all. The city is awash in dirt and muck, teeming with thieves and rogues, and very weary to walk around in - especially for Meggy.
She is the alchemist's daughter, though. Just as her father seeks to transform base metal into gold, Meggy sets out to change her condition for the better. In doing so, she finds herself to be braver and stronger and friendlier than she ever thought possible, and a competent rhymer as well.
Earthy and colorful, everyday life in Elizabethan London has its dark side - but it also has gifts in store for witty, sharp-tongued Meggy Swann.

My Thoughts:
Karen Cushman is a Newbery Medal winner and a master storyteller of historical fiction - Alchemy and Meggy Swann is another glorious example of her talent. Set in Elizabethan England; the sights, sounds, and smells of London remarkably come to life in this beautiful book. The protagonist, Meggy, is beset with severe challenges in her life - both physically and emotionally; this old world tale skillfully reveals to the reader the young girl's surprising and wondrous transformation. Ms. Cushman weaves a story of betrayal, abandonment, greed, and possible murder to which Meggy Swann confronts with strength and spunk. I would highly recommend Alchemy and Meggy Swann to readers from the ages of eight to eighty!

To learn more about the author, Karen Cushman, click here: http://www.karencushmanbooks.com/about/bio.html

Incredible Inspiration

For every beauty there is an eye somewhere to see it.

Ivan Panin
Russian-American;
Lecturer on Russian literature.

Storyteller's Journey

Constellation or Shooting Star?

The memories I have of attending summer camp as a youngster are some of my most cherished treasures. I can recall sitting around the campfire and staring at the stars with my fellow Camp Fire girlfriends. The first time I ever saw a shooting star was at Camp Melacoma - I had been amazed. However, waiting for another flash across the night sky was excruciating. I found myself enjoying the view of the Big Dipper - it was so massive and bright hanging in its reliable location in space.

As a writer it is tempting to write a novel using the best creativity and craft I possibly can, but as quickly as I can. However, if I was lucky enough to have that story published it would probably be like a shooting star - a flash that quickly disappears. How much better it would be to take the time to research, build, and write a novel that has a chance of lighting at least one young person's path - a constellation.

One of the themes that seemed to echo over and over again at the recent SCBWI Summer Conference was the idea of writing something classic - something timeless. That message has inspired me to go back, yet again, to my W.I.P. with a new vision and a new vitality to "connect the dots" of my manuscript in a more complex manner. Rather than just get my story launched into literary cyberspace, I hope to have a chance to send it into orbit. Although I've mentioned Brian Littrell's quote on my blog before, it's just too appropriate not to use again:

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.

Whimsical Word of the Week

Miasma -

a noxious atmosphere or influence; unpleasant or unwholesome air.

Example: There was a moral miasma that was palpable in the prison.

Bibliophile's Corner

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
by Catherynne M. Valente

Flap Copy Description:
September is a girl who longs for adventure. When she is invited to Fairyland by a Green Wind and a Leopard, well, of course she accepts. (Mightn't you?) But Fairyland is in turmoil, and it will take one twelve-year-old girl, a book-loving dragon, and a strange and almost human boy named Saturday to vanquish an evil Marquess and restore order.

My Thoughts:
The unusual title of this upper MG novel is just the beginning of the unique features of Catherynne M. Valente's debut children's book. The award-winning novelist was honored once again when The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making became the first self-published work to win a major literary award by receiving the Andre Norton Award. It went into print in 2011 and went on to become a national bestseller. The whimsical fairy tale is full of wonderful words, complex characters, and a plot that puzzles you at every turn. Neil Gaiman gave this tantalizing tale the following praise: "A glorious balancing act between modernism and the Victorian fairy tale, done with heart and wisdom." The author has written her colorful creation to stand alone, but reveals to the reader in the last chapter there will be a sequel, satisfying her legion of fans. Although I loved this book, I do feel some of the vocabulary might be a bit advanced for the young reader; therefore, I would highly recommend The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making to readers aged ten and up.

To learn more about the author - Catherynne M. Valente -
click here: http://www.catherynnemvalente.com/novels/fairyland/