March 2008 – Tanita S. Davis

Link Sprinkling

March 29, 2008

2:02 pm

On Writing, Random Notes and Errata, Web Wanderings

Via the Guardian blog, comes news of news that Random House has jumped onto the YouWriteOn.com bandwagon, and will “read and consider highly rated Top Ten Chart stories on YouWriteOn from April to September in 2008.” The site began in 2006 with the idea of helping new writers develop their talents; the site’s affiliated literary agents include Curtis Brown and The Christopher Little Literary Agency agent of J.K Rowling, of course.

While this development is met with quite a lot of writerly hysteria from some quarters, the more cynical among us wonder if this is just for show. We’ve read just this week at Galleycat about real writers being rejected by fake editors. It’s hard to suddenly believe in a kinder, gentler publishing world… but maybe…

This weeks SF Chronicle has some great YA kid reviews, including two books I’m dying to read: How I Saved My Father’s Life (And Ruined Everything Else) and Lesley M. M. Blume’s Tennyson, as well as a slew of nonfiction, which is good to see. (There really seems to be more nonfiction …visible this year already. Hurray for that!) My favorite things are the book blurbs, though. Yay for kids responding to literature!

“We didn’t buy any Anne dolls or cookbooks, nor did we visit the “Green Gables” facsimile farmhouse, which – judging from online accounts of it – is as complete as Sherlock Holmes’s digs on Baker Street, containing everything from the slate Anne broke over Gilbert Blythe’s head to her wardrobe of puffed-sleeve dresses to the brooch she was accused, wrongly, of losing. There’s even a pretend Matthew who gives you drives around the property, though he’s not described as running to hide out in the barn at the approach of lady visitors, as the real Matthew would have done.”

Another awesome Canadian author, Margaret Atwood gives Anne-with-an-e a send up in the Guardian. The ‘Annery’ as she calls the hoopla for the 100th year anniversary, is indeed well in hand. I’ve lost my ancient copy of my Anne somewhere (my copy was from the 50’s and is probably in my parent’s house, camouflaged among all the others from that era) but I’m quite tempted to see if I can’t find another thrift story copy somewhere and reread it. (Hmm. Another Big Read idea. Sorry, Leila. Maybe I could join you on one you’re DOING instead of continually suggesting them? I’m getting there!)

Don’t miss our buddy Cynthia’s awesome link round-up and giveaways, including talk about two sequels I’ve been looking forward to — the second Hallowmere novel and the newest Melissa Marr, Ink Exchange. And YIKES, there’s a third Hallowmere coming. I’m already falling behind!!!!

And finally, in the CUTE OVERLOAD category from Mangesh at mental_bloss, an article about an elephant who… went to film school. BBC1 will be broadcasting the amazing, stupendous and awesome footage pretty soon. (I love mental_floss’s blog, can you tell? Where else do you find out that it was Grace Slick singing to you all those times on Sesame Street!?)

Poetry Friday: The History Between Us

by Tanita S. Davis

March 28, 2008

11:37 am

15 Comments on Poetry Friday: The History Between Us

On Writing, Poetry Friday

I first read this poem at Thanksgiving, the title blurring with traditional Thanksgiving themes about blessing the ‘ties that bind.’ Those binding ties have sometimes served to bind in ways not so sanguine, and I though the poem tied in nicely with some thoughts I’d had about leaving home and familiarity. Later, I reread the poem just after a rather disastrous meal with a couple who turned on each other after dinner, a squabble that turned to bickering and bitter recriminations. There are, I reflected, things that bind us; certain things that are knotted between us and cause us to stumble as surely as a coil of rope on the floor, encountered in murky darkness.

I read this poem a third time this morning, and decided that it was high time you read it, too.

For What Binds Us

There are names for what binds us:
strong forces, weak forces.
Look around, you can see them:
the skin that forms in a half-empty cup,
nails rusting into the places they join,
joints dovetailed on their own weight.
The way things stay so solidly
wherever they’ve been set down-
and gravity, scientists say, is weak.

And see how the flesh grows back
across a wound, with a great vehemence,
more strong
than the simple, untested surface before.
There’s a name for it on horses,
when it comes back darker and raised: proud flesh,

as all flesh
is proud of its wounds, wears them
as honors given out after battle,
small triumphs pinned to the chest-

And when two people have loved each other
see how it is like a
scar between their bodies,
stronger, darker, and proud;
how the black cord makes of them a single fabric
that nothing can tear or mend.

Listen to a bonus poem by Jane Hirschfield, and find the rest of the Poetry People at Gina’s today. Visit Cuentesitos, little stories, and leave a link to your own. If you’ve got the leisure to read a few more stories today, don’t miss the shyly grinning Markus Zusak, being interviewed at The Guardian on “Why I Write”, and more news about Spielberg’s Tintin. I should definitely, um, read the books or at least look at the cartoons before the movie comes out…

It's Complicated… And Stuff.

by Tanita S. Davis

March 27, 2008

11:22 am

Leave a comment on It's Complicated… And Stuff.

On Writing, Random Notes and Errata

If you heard about photojournalist Robin Bowman’s new photography book, It’s Complicated: The American Teenager on All Things Considered, then you’ll really enjoy the photo gallery from the book from NPR online.

I have to admit that as a writer I love looking at photographs of people. There are so many stories behind the eyes that stare out at you challengingly or with visible happiness or melancholy. It was a treat to hear last summer that Tamora Pierce uses acres of National Geographics and fashion magazines for the same purpose — just the pictures of the people. The human face can be fascinating, and can provide a needed bump to the imagination when a writer gets stuck.

Recently, The Library of Congress set up a Flickr site for their old photos, and they provide a fascinating glimpse of the past. This photo of a glam 40’s chick, putting rivets on a bomber makes me smile. Her lipstick matches her nail polish, her eyebrows are plucked to within an inch of their lives, and she’s wearing a huge ring, but that doesn’t mean our girl isn’t working.

See? You could write a fifty word flash fiction piece about her right now.

Randomly: Wow! MIT has free online college courses!? Who knew? (Well, apparently mental_floss, and a hat tip to them for the great link.)

It’s Complicated… And Stuff.

by Tanita S. Davis

March 27, 2008

11:22 am

3 Comments on It’s Complicated… And Stuff.

On Writing, Random Notes and Errata

See? You could write a fifty word flash fiction piece about her right now.

Randomly: Wow! MIT has free online college courses!? Who knew? (Well, apparently mental_floss, and a hat tip to them for the great link.)

A One Shot World Tour: "O, CANADA!"

by Tanita S. Davis

March 26, 2008

2:34 pm

4 Comments on A One Shot World Tour: "O, CANADA!"

On Writing, One Shot World Tour

I absolutely adore Canada.
My favorite college professor — who introduced me to the works of my favorite Canadian adult author, Margaret Atwood — is Canadian. My first time sitting in a neck-deep spa-tub was in Canada (and trust me — that was enough to gain the country my undying love). And my very first piece of fanfiction at age 9 was set on the magical grounds of Prince Edward Island. Despite the whole Red Green thing (!), Canada gets some serious love from me.

Like many books published outside of the U.S., books published by Canadian authors aren’t always readily available in American bookstores, which is a serious shame. This is why, until this last Cybils Season, I’d never even heard of Canadian author K.V. Johansen whose novel, Nightwalker, is not, in fact, her debut work. No, it’s one of nine novels she’s written!

NINE novels!? Where have I been?!

K.V. Johansen holds a Master’s Degrees in Medieval Studies and in English, which gives her work great details and historical depth. Her nonfiction book on children’s fantasy literature, Quests and Kingdoms: A Grown-up’s Guide to Children’s Fantasy Literature, is one that I would dearly like to own. It is a chronological overview of fantasy which received rave reviews from diverse audiences, including history teachers, the Mythopoeic Society, and librarians. It’s a great teaching tool or reference, and the style makes it appropriate for young adults, too.

K.V. Johansen’s Nightwalker was added to VOYA’s Year’s Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror list for 2007, and you can find out more about her writing in these interview clips and on her very informative website. The videos of her reading portions of her work only whets your appetite to read more!!! Some great stuff here!

(Psst! Treason in Eswy, the second book in the Warlocks of Talverdin series, hit Canadian bookshelves March 1st. Has anyone else read it yet?? I’m looking for it in the UK — no such luck yet…)

And now, a BONUS Canadian for Writers:

However thin the stream of books flowing between writers and readers in our two countries, there has been one steady stream of writing wisdom coming from Canada in the form of Debbie Ridpath Ohi. Debbie kept me company those years after college when I was pretty sure I had a Great Novel Within Me, but kept getting in the way of my own prose. Inkspot was an amazing discovery, a writing resource that made sense. I avidly read the marketplace pieces, which kept me going between my Writer’s Market subscriptions. It was deeply ironic that my first major sale coincided with Xlibris buying out Inkspot — running Debbie into the ground, and then closing the site down. I must admit that I shed a few tears of rage, as this was a bummer of major proportions. There were other writing sites, pulled together by great people, but it just wasn’t the same.

Of course, it isn’t like Debbie herself vanished or anything. This multi-talented Canadian was interviewed last year at Women on Writing. You can also find her blogging and drawing her quirky, amusing work at Inkygirl: Daily Diversions for Writers, which is where I also go to find Will Write for Chocolate. A favorite spot also is Debbie’s list of writers who were rejected repeatedly before they hit the big time. Read it, peeps. It’ll give you courage.

The One Shot World Tour concept rose fully formed from the fertile mind of our organizer, Colleen. The O, Canada! round-up at Chasing Ray includes the really adorable Daisy Dawson the CUTE ALERT monsters drawn by illustrator Kean Soo, and more. There’s still plenty of Canadians where these came from! (Um… Canada?) Enjoy the literary goodness from Our Neighbors to the North all day today!

(Props to Little Willow for the flag logo!)

The Literature of Longing

by Tanita S. Davis

March 25, 2008

10:39 am

1 Comment on The Literature of Longing

Happenings, On Writing, Random Notes and Errata, Writing Daze

This morning I was reminded of how our best writing takes place from a sense of longing. The Writer’s Almanac today made note of the fact that it’s Kate DiCamillo’s birthday. “She spent most of her childhood in Florida, but after college she moved to Minnesota to work for a book wholesaler… That first winter in Minnesota was one of the coldest on record, and DiCamillo missed her hometown in Florida horribly. She also desperately wanted a dog, but couldn’t have one because her apartment building didn’t allow dogs. So she began writing a story about a stray dog that helps a 10-year-old girl adjust to life in a new town…” and we know the rest of the story from there.

On the tail end of this very cold, wet, miserable winter, I can only imagine the author’s horror. Snow is pretty — when you don’t ever have to go outside, or are only visiting it temporarily. I imagine that after growing up in Florida, it must have seemed impossible, yet Kate DiCamillo found room in her mind to create a place where she wanted to be, and people she wanted to be with. And she found herself a dog.

Is your writing real?
Is it so heartfelt that it’s part of your inner world translated to paper? It seems that stories like these are the best things to read, and the most worthwhile to write.

A story I wrote features an older character who changed and grew with the novel until she was a major player along with the teens in the story. I really enjoyed rounding out the character and including her, because I enjoyed rewriting, in a small way, my actual history. I created a relationship like the one I very much wished for with my own grandmother, and that character has attracted favorable comment from many people.

It may seem a little… weird and needy to rewrite the world to your specifications, making yourself the heroine of all encounters. More importantly, it can be completely boring — keeping in mind the writer’s adage that Just Because It Happened To You Doesn’t Make It Interesting. There’s a difference between writing out your own personal history and personalizing a story by writing a real emotion. It’s a worthwhile bit of digging, to find something real.

Shrinking Violets has a few things to say on introverts vs. extroverts from the book The Introvert Advantage. Most notable to me is the assertion that extroverts “adapt more quickly to time-zone changes than introverts.” Also, extravert’s test performances were improved by receiving praise. This is some really fascinating stuff — I imagine it’s very valuable for parents, too, not to mention writers who have to figure out how to manage the public side of the field. Thanks, Violets!

NPR’s Morning Edition discovers comic books. Comic book audiences are …different, Joss Whedon discovers. “You can evoke ire that you’ve never dreamed of in TV.” Yeah… Ire. Controversy. Whatever you want to call it…

WRITING CONTEST ALERT

Aerin @ In Search of Giants is hosting an April Fool’s Writing Contest! It’s easy — because all you have to do is finish a story. Do you love yourself some Mad Libs? Or those ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ books? Go to the site, read the story starter which has been presented by Writer At Work, and — finish it.

Prizes are subjective, of course, but there will be a $20 SuperCertificate to the author of Writer At Work‘s favorite ending, one Readers’ Choice $20 SuperCertificate and one $10 random lottery prize SuperCertificate by random lottery.

Reprise…

by Tanita S. Davis

March 24, 2008

6:00 pm

7 Comments on Reprise…

Happenings, On Writing

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Now that I’ve got the date right, just wanted to wish you merry — again!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AQUAFORTIS!
May you eat CAKE!

Whizzing By…

by Tanita S. Davis

March 22, 2008

4:49 pm

3 Comments on Whizzing By…

On Writing, Web Wanderings

I don’t usually do weekend posts, but Cynsations had such a great series of links I had to point them out.

First, Cynthia introduces us to David Gill’s Thunder Chikin, and a revision story. Since that’s where the Wonderland duo is right now — smack ‘dab in the midst of revisions — this was Must Read Bloggage. Writer Gill is amusing — mentioning at one point that he thought the line-edits from his editors were light because there wasn’t much work to do. And then he finds out he’s …wrong. The less said sometimes, the more work. D’oh! But he keeps at it, and FIFTEEN PASSES LATER, ladies and gents, he’s done. FIFTEEN. (Keep that number in mind, you nameless media twerps who think writing children’s lit is easy.) The last line of his revision post is the best —

“… the writer starts the neglected laundry, speaks to the attention-starved children, cleans the grungy bathroom, and goes in search of a bowl of praline pecan ice cream and a really big spoon.”

That was a great chuckle for today, and you can’t help but love the title of his work in progress: Soul Enchilada. Definitely one to watch!

And whoa, am I late to discovering the group of Vermont MFA authors writing at Through the Tollbooth or what? Cynthia links to a really great discussion on sexuality in YA lit (including an interview with Tanya Lee Stone and a link to her 2006 VOYA article, The Power of Sex in YA Literature). Tollbooth has recently concluded a discussion on YA violence as well. I’m glad that it wasn’t just sex that was explored, since with young adults the complaint is usually that authors are rewriting Sex in the City with adolescents. I’ve had conversations with a number of my fellow blogger/writers on those topics, and my favorite response has been from the stalwart few who prefer to not have an opinion, but to allow the actions of the characters to serve the plot. Admittedly, I find it difficult to be that courageous. What, I find myself worrying, would my mother think? A rule of thumb for me is to write something I would have been allowed to read when I was a kid — and I know that varies for everyone!

Anyway, some great, intelligent conversations have gone on in the blogosphere, so if you’re a little sick from eating the heads off of numerous chocolate bunnies, these great thoughts will provide a needed antidote.

Cheers!

Poetry Friday: Dubious Spring

by Tanita S. Davis

March 21, 2008

1:44 pm

8 Comments on Poetry Friday: Dubious Spring

On Writing, Random Notes and Errata

Christina Rossetti began writing poetry at the age of seven, and though most of her well-known poetry is complex and strange (for instance her best known Goblin Market), or of a deeply sentimental 19th century religious bent, there are the rare simple poems, and these speak to me most.

This selection was chosen specially in honor of the fact that we have, indeed, had word that the Spring of the year is …springing. Despite the snow and rain and wild weather forecast for the Eastern part of the U.S. and the UK; despite the snowstorm that closed freeways in Arizona, despite the weather chaos that continues to rampage, it’s Spring.

Close your eyes and believe…

The First Spring Day

I wonder if the sap is stirring yet,
If wintry birds are dreaming of a mate,
If frozen snowdrops feel as yet the sun
And crocus fires are kindling one by one:
Sing, robin, sing;
I still am sore in doubt concerning Spring.

I wonder if the springtide of this year
Will bring another Spring both lost and dear;
If heart and spirit will find out their Spring,
Or if the world alone will bud and sing:
Sing, hope, to me;
Sweet notes, my hope, soft notes for memory.

The sap will surely quicken soon or late,
The tardiest bird will twitter to a mate;
So Spring must dawn again with warmth and bloom,
Or in this world, or in the world to come:
Sing, voice of Spring,
Till I too blossom and rejoice and sing.

I’m all for blossoming and rejoicing! If you celebrate, Happy Purim and Happy Easter – hope you have a wonderfully renewing weekend. Wild Rose Reader is hosting today’s Poetry Friday.

Poetry Friday: Stone

by Tanita S. Davis

March 21, 2008

10:18 am