Skype Me Up, Scotty

Who doesn't love a good Skype visit?

I had the pleasure of visiting with a middle school book club in New York without setting foot on an airplane.  I didn't have to take my shoes off and walk through airport security.  Heck, I didn't even wear shoes! 

The wonderful students asked me great questions about how I came up with my ideas, how they could become writers and why I decided to become a writer.  (Because I get to do fun things, like have Skype visits with amazing kids.)

Here's Zoe, who has a pink stripe in her hair . . .

The students were so sweet . . .

A big THANK YOU to Ms. Foran for arranging the visit and for allowing me to spend time with her book club members! 

What a delightful diversion during the day.  And to think, I visited a site 1,200 miles away and didn't even get jet lag.

Meet Olivia Green Beans . . .

It's not every day I get a can of green beans wearing a paper crown to celebrate my book's release. 

Some days, I get creamed corn wearing a tutu or petite peas sporting a sombrero. 

Weird friends are the best!

SHE'S HERE . . .

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY, OLIVIA BEAN, TRIVIA QUEEN!

Crystal, rockin' a pair of red sunglasses.

To read Ken Jennings' (Jeopardy! champ) quote about Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen or to get a FREE reader's guide or to challenge yourself with some fun trivia, click HERE, then hit the Olivia Bean tab.

Two years ago, when How to Survive Middle School came out, I was up to my eyeballs in work and dressed like a homeless person when two friends arrived with amazing surprises.  Read about it here.  

This year, I worked like crazy the weeks leading up to today, so I could enjoy the day.  It's not every day your book lands on bookstore shelves across the country!

My talented author friend Maria Padian reminded me yesterday of the brilliant chapter in Anne Lamott's book Bird by Bird, where she talks about publication.  I re-read it last night.  (By the way, Maria's gripping, glorious book JERSEY TOMATOES ARE THE BEST is also celebrating a book birthday today -- the paperback release.  If you haven't read it yet, treat yourself!)

So, what happens when a book is released?

Nothing.

That's right.  Absolutely nothing.  There are no parades, fireworks or marching bands to mark the day.  

Unless . . .

You have the most wonderful friends and family!

Two years ago, this is how I celebrated my book's release.

Today, my dear friend, Sandra, stopped by to deliver these . . .

Sandra owns a local music school, Jupiter Academy of Music.  She's forever doing wonderful things for the community, including creating the Grace Notes Foundation, to provide music education for children who can't afford it.  Love that lady!

Sandra Baran

Later, my friend Holly and I are having a quiet lunch to celebrate my book's birthday and her actual birthday.  Then hubby is taking me and the boys out for a fun dinner.  Can't wait! 

So, I'm going to enjoy my book's birthday for the same reason I enjoy every day -- my wonderful friends and family.  

Thank you!

With love,

Donna (and Olivia)

Update:

And from my wonderful friend, Holly:  Lunch out and these carrot cupcakes with citrus cream cheese frosting and a specially designed Olivia Bean card . . .

When I came home, I found these waiting for me . . .

Thank you, uber-amazing agent, Tina Wexler!  Olivia LOVES her birthday balloons!

I'm having more fun today celebrating Olivia's book birthday than I have celebrating my own birthdays!  Thanks so much for all the cards, gifts, kind words, hugs, emails, etc.  You sure know how to make a girl feel special!

Hubby and sons just took me out to Howley's -- a fun diner in West Palm Beach.

And gave me this Jeopardy! card . . .

What is "Woohoo?"

So, what's the plan for tomorrow? 

Writing.

And our son's winter sports banquet.  Woohoo!

WORLD READ ALOUD DAY 2012

8 Classrooms.

6  States.

1 AMAZING SHARED EXPERIENCE ON WORLD READ ALOUD DAY! 

Today, I had the great fun of Skyping with wonderful students, sharing my love for reading and an excerpt from my new book, Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen.  

Thanks to Kate Messner for connecting authors with classrooms as part of this special day!

And thanks to the wonderful educators and librarians for connecting me with your students.

These kids live where I used to live in Bensalem, PA.  We had a great time talking about the one thing I miss almost as much as my family -- PHILLY SOFT PRETZELS!

I managed to keep these awesome North Carolina kids in the dark.

This Western Pennsylvania book club shared their favorite books.  I have a lot of reading to do to keep up with them!

Loved the kids from this New York middle school. 

While it looks like I was speaking to only a few, this was a great group from New Hampshire.  They were part of a book club that regularly Skypes with authors.

Iowa is in the house!  Thanks Ms. McClintock Miller for connecting during your very busy day.  This is our second year working together during World Read Aloud Day.

Bad lighting.  GREAT kids from NY!

Ms. Tyo, we meet again.  These Ohio students are great readers and totally rocked World Read Aloud Day!

Being a Golden Kite Award Judge

The e-mail asking me to be a Golden Kite Award judge included this sentence:  "This year we expect approximately 200- 300 books in the Fiction category."

I felt honored to be asked.

Then I thought:  200-300 books!!!

Who could I talk to who has read lots of books?  Hmm.  Author and book reviewer Sue Corbett.  Sue generously suggested how I might organize so many books.  Then she said these seven words:  "For what it's worth, I'd say yes!"

I said YES!

Then I spent the early part of the summer giving away my own books.  I emptied a floor to ceiling bookcase to hold the expected Golden Kite books.

Then I waited for the avalanche of books to arrive.

And waited.

About a dozen books came in.  I read them.  Then a dozen more.   I read them, too.

The deadline to receive books was in December, so by early November I was sure there would be fewer than 200 books to go through.  I can definitely do this, I thought.

Then the books came.

And came . . .

I realized I had to stop reading any other books.  In fact, the people who work at our local public library asked my husband, "I haven't seen Donna in here.  Is she okay?"


I was okay.  Just a little booked up . . .

Buddha sits atop the pile of books to be read.

It became clear I not only needed to stop reading other books, I needed to stop writing them.  That was hard.  No writing.  Just reading.

And reading . . . 

Be careful what you wish for . . .

This process gave me an appreciation for what editors and agents do all day, every day.  My only requirement when I opened a book was that it demanded that I keep reading.  If it did, I kept reading.  If not, well . . .

It helped to know I wasn't alone in this Herculean task.

One of the greatest parts of this experience was working with the other judges in the fiction category -- Julia Durango and Steve Watkins, each of whom have won the Golden Kite Fiction Award for their books.  

I can't say enough good things about these talented, thoughtful, hard-working, fun people.  We'd send e-mails to encourage each other through the process.   And sometimes, I'd get an e-mail like this: "Did you get the Random House books?  Mine arrived today!!!"

Living in South Florida, I always got the books a day later than the other judges, so I appreciated the heads up about what would land on my doorstep.  We judges had thought we were nearly done reading when the 70 plus Random House books arrived . . .

Here's our oldest son schlepping in the boxes before his shift at Best Buy.

That floor to ceiling bookshelf quickly filled, and books began piling up everywhere.  Our kids would show their friends when they came over.  I would show my friends.  It was fun to watch their eyes bulge as they looked at the sheer volume of books.

I kept reading.

Eventually, the pile of completed books far outnumbered the to-be-read pile.

 
Julia, Steve and I worked hard to select the winners -- sharing our top three books with each other and working from there.  We've each been on the receiving end of that wonderful phone call -- them for winning the Golden Kite Fiction Awards, me for winning the Sid Fleischman Humor Award -- and we were so excited for the winning and honor book recipients to receive those magical phone calls. 

We wished we could give out several awards.  But we had to make hard choices.  Ultimately, we were proud to send in our selections.

Congratulations to the Golden Kite Fiction Award winner -- Ruta Sepetys for her gripping novel, Between Shades of Gray.  And congratulations to Trent Reedy for winning the Golden Kite Fiction Honor Award for sensitively portraying a young girl in war-torn Afghanistan in his deeply touching novel, Words in the Dust.  We are thrilled for all Golden Kite and Sid Fleischman Award winners!

So, it's over.  Except for the books.  About  450 in all.  

I kept some for my home library . . .

I gave several to delighted young friends.

And I was able to donate about 400 brand new books to the Palm Beach County School system.  That felt good -- not just being able to see our floor again, but knowing good books will get into the hands of kids who need them.  Thanks, Janeen Pelser, for picking them up!

Thanks Sue Corbett for encouraging me to say, "Yes!"  Thanks Julia Durango and Steve Watkins for sharing this amazing experience with me.  Couldn't have asked for two better cohorts.  Thanks to my family for putting up with all the books and all the reading.  And thanks SCBWI for honoring me with this request and for the wonderful, wonderful work you do!

Three Books for Kids That Are Great Fun for Writers . . .

I found these three books thoroughly enjoyable:

Henrietta doesn't let rejection slips and a terrible review from the "Corn Book" dampen her EGGcitement for getting her book into the hands of enthusiastic young readers.

This PUNtastic book teaches the right way to write writing.

A boy figures out his own problems through sustained correspondence with his favorite author.

What other kids' books would be great fun for writers to read?

Better, Stronger, Faster . . .

When I was a kid, I had a major crush on Lee Majors of The Six Million Dollar Man.  Major crush.  Lee Majors.  Get it?

Anyway, I realized I was not writing nearly as much as I should have been.  Whole days would pass and I'd look back and wonder, Why haven't I written anything?  I mean, the dogs got walked, I exercised, cooked the meals and took care of the promotion side of the business, but WHAT HAD I WRITTEN?

I needed bionic writing powers!  But since that wasn't an option, I had to become a bionic writer on my own.  Sheesh!

How did I create bionic writing powers?  I made one simple change that changed everything.

I put my writing first.  I gave it my best energy.

This is not me.

Every day for two weeks I got to my writing chair within fifteen minutes of waking.  (Including weekends and President's Day.  I might even work on important holidays like Groundhog's Day and Take Your Chihuahua to Work Day.  I'm that jazzed about being a bionic writer.) 

At the end of the two weeks, I discovered something startling.  The dogs still got walked.  The meals still got made.  (Just not always by me.)  And I had made significant progress on more than one book.  Since I showed up at the same place at the same time every day, that fickle Muse knew exactly where to find me.

I'm not alone in this bionic writing thing either.

Gail Shepherd of the awesome blog Paradoxy began rising at 5:30 when she got a full-time job.  She puts in 1-1/2 hours of writing every day before work.

Gary D. Schmidt has SIX children and a full-time job.  He writes two pages a day and continually produces amazing books.  Here he is talking at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.

Louis Sachar writes two pages a day, too.  And last time I checked, he won the Newbery for a little book called Holes. 

Two pages a day?  Oh yeah, I can do that.

Heck, I can write a dozen pages now that I'm all bionic about it.

There's only one thing missing -- that cool music that played in the background when Lee Majors (Steve Austin) was doing all his cool bionic stuff.  Now, if I had that playing in the background, just imagine how much I'd be able to write!

The Truth -- Failure IS an Option

I tend to share writing successes and the shiny parts of my life on this blog -- book sales, publication days and fun family moments. 

The truth is that most of my writing life and personal life is not shiny.  It's dull, mundane and heaped with unsuccessful effort and failed attempts.  

The path to success is messy, filled with failures.

A bit of wisdom by comic Demetri Martin

Sure, there's the occasional good news that I celebrate mightily.  And sometimes there's devastating news, like a family member's suicide last week -- the third to touch our family since the start of the year (the other two were a neighbor and a young man at our son's school).

And then there are the everyday difficulties. 

Every day, we deal with the truth that one of our sons has a serious mental illness.  There were dark, difficult years -- DARK, DIFFICULT YEARS -- until we found a diagnosis, medication and therapy.  In short -- help and HOPE! 

Why am I so publicly open about our son's illness?  Why is our son completely open about his illness? 

Because we understand it's not the illness, but society's shame and stigma that keeps people from seeking help.  We stand behind NAMI's (National Alliance on Mental Illness) mission to eradicate the stigma attached to brain illnesses.  We hope brain illnesses can be looked at like physical illnesses, like diabetes, so people feel free to seek treatment without worrying about being judged or discriminated against.  Would you give insulin to your child if she were diabetic?  Of course!  Brain illnesses, from depression to anxiety to bipolar disorder (which our son has) to schizophrenia, often require medication, too.

As far as my writing life, I'm just now allowing myself to embrace and accept my writing life without hijacking my own efforts -- thinking I need a "real" job, chasing small writing jobs for "quick" money, worrying about the future and a host of what ifs.  I'm just now able to embrace this writing life for its opportunity to connect with creative people, examine the endless complexities of life, people, nature and live a rich, fulfilling life of the mind.

It's been over two years since I finished writing Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen.  Two years of sending my agent a few picture books, novel premises and a completed novel that all weren't publishable.  There have been nine -- NINE -- failed projects since I wrote Olivia.

My agent -- bless her patient soul -- thought I was frustrated with her repeated "No"s.  I wasn't.  I'm not even frustrated with my repeated attempts and failures.  I've finally learned that failure -- repeated failure -- is part of the process.  I wish it wasn't.  I wish this writing life were easier.  But it is exactly what it is supposed to be.   We must try.  We must fail.  And we must try again.

This week I'm starting again.  I've got an idea I'm excited about.  And I hope this time I can push aside the fear of going deep emotionally and create my next publishable novel.

I hope.