Saturday, November 17, 2007

China!


China! What an amazing country. We crossed the International Dateline and arrived in Beijing, the capital of China. We visited Tian'anmen Square, the largest city square in the world, a square where many political and emotional events have happened. From there we walked to the Forbidden City. My favorite part of Beijing was the Great Wall. I was determined to walk to the top. I made it!
From Beijing, we flew to Xi'an, my favorite of the cities we visited. It retains it's old city wall and it's where you find the famous terra cotta Warriors. There are over 8,000 life-size figures of warriors and horses, made to protect what would be the tomb of the Emperor of Qin. They are amazingly beautiful. When I first say them, they took my breath away. Some say the terra cotta warriors are the most exciting archeological find of the 20th century.

Then onto Shanghai, a city with a frenzy to it. We walked the Bund, a waterfront park. Across the famous Shanghai harbor we viewed buildings of all shapes and sizes. The most interesting skyline I've ever seen.
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Monday, September 24, 2007

Maui

Maui! In September I traveled with a friend to Maui. Many people go to Hawaii to relax, but we wanted to challenge ourselves. We trekked eight miles across lava fields with a Sierra Club group. We swam with sea turtles off Lanai. We drove to the top of Haleakala to experience the beautiful sunsets. I even came home with an idea for a story.



Dogs love the beach too!

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Friday, September 14, 2007

***Story Magician Tip ***

Pay attention to the small. The small isn't really small at all.

Many books I see today feel like "sound bites". They skim over the surface, moving quickly, frantically trying to keep the reader's attention. They do not explore the depths. They do not see the beauty of the quiet and the simple.

When I visited Maui in September, I did lots of snorkeling. Believe me. There's a lot beneath the surface. Grace. Wonder. Wisdom. Vision. Surprises.

If you are stuck in the mud in the middle of your story, it's better to take a walk beneath the trees than to read a chapter in another "How to write" book. Stop. Breathe deep. Appreciate. Listen to your surroundings and then the voice inside you. Now go explore the depths of yourself and your story...and write!

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Monday, September 3, 2007

Writing Conferences


I've never been one for attending lots of writing conferences. I always felt my time was better spent staying home and actually writing! But recently friends convinced me there are good reasons to make conferences part of my writing life. One reason is all the new writing friends you make. Another is getting insight into your writing process. You may only come home with one true "gem" per conference, but if that "gem" helps you improve and finish your story, the conference is worth your time and money. If you come home with one true friend, the conference is a gift!

Here are photos taken at the fabulous conferences I attended this summer. Sometimes I'm on the faculty, sometimes I'm a student, but always, I'm learning.


I've been delighted to be on the faculty of David Greenberg's fabulous Oregon Coast Children's Writers Workshop (www.authorsillustrators.com)in 2006 and 2007. I took lots of pictures to share with the faculty in 2006. They bring back wonderful memories, so I'll share them along with 2007's. The 2007 photos are compliments of author Mel Boring, who everyone knows, is definitely NOT boring!

Faculty meeting at Oceanside - 2006


Director David Greenberg
, practicing flying!



Everyone loves writing!




Mel Boring, who's definitely NOT boring and his 2007 photos:


Happy faces of OCCWW


Studying the story: myself, Nancy Coffelt, & Agent Susan Cohen

In August I switched hats from faculty member to student and attended The Pacific Coast Children's Writers Workshop (www.childrenswritersworkshop.com). It's an intimate, insightful workshop of 35 serious and dedicated writers and topnotch faculty. We focused on the craft of writing; this year the focus was subplots and secondary characters.



Agent Andrea Cascardi and Editor Julie Romeis discuss Joni Sensel's wonderful manuscript.

Awesome Author Barbara Shoup guiding us down the writing path.






There's lots of work at PCCWW, but also time for food and fun on the patio.





Andrea Cascardi, Barbara Shoup, moi, Director Nancy Sondel, Julie Romeis







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Sunday, August 12, 2007

You're a Story Magician!

Congratulations Young Writers' of Sonoma County!
I loved being part of the Celebration of the Young Writer at Bernard Eldredge, May 16th, 2007!
You are all amazing Story Magicians!

A big thank you also to Library Magician, Marie Hinton, and all the members of Gateway Reading Council for inviting me to be part of this wonderful celebration. Thanks also for the anthology, filled with the young writers' work. I was awed, astonished, and "blown away".

They say a book should have a beginning, a middle, and an end.
Sometimes, I think the beginning is the scariest part.
I've had this blog since May, but I haven't written a word.
How should I begin? What should I say? And how do I post a picture in my blog? I am so non-techie. :-(
But I promised the fabulous young writers of Sonoma County that the first thing on my blog would be congratulations to them. It's later than promised, but as my bio says, I'm a wanderer. But I'm not lost!
Seems I often begin writing through inspiration or prodding by someone I care about, whether my children, my husband, young writers, or my book characters.

So here's the cheer you helped me shout out last May. You inspired me to write this cheer, to name my blog, and finally, to begin it. Here's to Beginnings. Keep writing those stories. You are each a story magician.

I’M A STORY MAGICIAN
I PLAY WITH THE WORDS
I ARRANGE THEM IN STORIES
SO THEY CAN BE HEARD

I’M A STORY MAGICIAN
I IMAGINE NEW WORLDS
I BRING THEM TO LIFE
LIKE SHIMMERING PEARLS

I’M A STORY MAGICIAN
I’M AWAKE! I’M AWARE!
I SIT WITH MY NOTEBOOK
WRITING STORIES TO SHARE
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