Work-In-Progress Wednesday

Thought I'd catch the tail end of W-I-P Wednesday with this short passage from my work-in-progress, TRAIN WATCH:

Scene Setup: Grandpa Lum has just brought Cleo (the 11-year-old main character) and Otis' mother, Sarah, home from the train station. Cleo learns her mother and grandfather were fussing during the whole ride back.

Okay, *taking a deep breath*, here it is:


"Cleo, baby," Mama cried, as they hugged.

"Mmm." Cleo sighed, inhaling the floral scent of her mama’s perfume, her arms wrapped tightly around her mama’s waist. "Mama, you smell so good."

"Thanks, honey." She shrugged off her fur-collared coat, then set her shiny black handbag down on one end of the sofa. "The lady who lives next door to me is a representative for this beauty company called Avon. She showed me a little booklet filled with all kinds of perfumes, powders, and lipsticks, then let me try a sample of this fragrance. Isn’t it heavenly?"

"It sure is, Mama. What did Grandpa say?"

"Oh, what didn’t he say? First, he said I smelled like I’d taken a bath in a pot of simmerin’ flowers. Then I said, ‘Well, Daddy, I got a gentleman friend who likes it very much.’ Then he said, ‘if you spendin’ your time with a fella, I ’spect you won’t have much time for your children. So’s they might as well stay with me and your ma.’"

"Oh, Mama, no."

"Oh, yes, he did. So I lit into him like a match to wood."

Taking one look at her mama’s face, Cleo knew she and Grandpa Lum must have been arguing something terrible during the ride back from Winston-Salem. Her mama was piping-hot mad but, boy oh boy, did she look dignified! She wore a silk-like emerald green suit that enhanced her caramel complexion to a T, topped off with a matching hat tilted to the side, Greta Garbo style. And with those satiny-smooth white gloves, black high-heeled patent-leather pumps, and newly-pressed pageboy bob hair-do, she looked like she was going to a church revival! Cleo beamed, proud that her mama was doing good in New York, despite what Grandpa Lum said about her leaving the South.

Sunday Specials

Hi Everyone!
I know, I know, where have I been? Well, I was going to post a few days ago, then my oldest daughter came down with a bad head cold, and then yesterday (probably because they share a room) my youngest daughter came down with a cold an a fever. So, since about Thursday on, I’ve been doing the Dr. Mom thing.

Although I have been roaming the blogosphere (it’s so addictive!), I have really missed the act of blogging itself. Oh, and also, for the past couple of weeks, I’ve been on a special project at work that really demands mucho concentration, and when I get home I think about blogging, but my hands just don’t reach the keyboard (I’m on a computer at work all day, everyday, btw). This is why I guess I unconsciously saved blogging till the weekend.

So without further ado, here are some things I found that might interest you:

1) Aspiring author Casey L. McCormick shines the spotlight on Agent Jennifer Rofe of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Also, check out her current line-up of agents for the next few weeks. Thanks, Casey, for all your research! I know doing all this research must take an enormous amount of time from your writing. Just wanted to let you know it’s greatly appreciated!

2) Literary agent Rachelle Gardner wants to know if you have any advice for literary agents. If you do, she says feel free to leave your questions/comments for literary agents in her comment section. So far she’s got over 60 very interesting comments!

3) Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic senior editor Cheryl Klein offers her definition/theory of YA literature. Check it out here! I check Cheryl’s blog periodically because she provides awesome in-depth analyses of topics such as voice and plot, as well as thought-provoking discussions of the various titles she’s recently edited.

4) If you’re interested in historical fiction, Melinda Meister at The Paper Wait chats about the challenge of getting readers to identify with the problems of characters at that specific time in history. As we can see, setting matters very, very much in historical fiction. Personally, I think I struggle more with this than anything in writing historical fiction, i.e. recreating the world as it was "back then" and enveloping the reader in such authenticity that he/she will be able to envision his/her self in the story.

5) Over at Cynsations, Cynthia Leitich Smith posted this fantastic interview with literary agent assistant Tracy Marchini of the esteemed Curtis Brown Ltd. Thanks Cynthia (and Tracy)!

6) ICL (Institute of Children’s Literature) instructor Kristi Holl of the Writers First Aid blog has this timely (well, at least for me!) post on the five stages of procrastination. I confess I’m guilty of number 5. Okay, maybe a few more, but I’m not telling. I’ll just say I’m workin’ on ’em. Seriously, I am! J And I’m getting that book she recommends, too!

7) Lastly, but not least, Pen To Page blogger Tee Brown shares this wonderfully inspiring quote from an excerpt from A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson. Thanks, Tee, I’m keeping this nearby as I revise my work-in-progress! Also, CONGRATS AGAIN on your feature in AuthorsNow!

Happy Reading . . . and Writing!
Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY . . . TO ME!

Yes, folks, today is my birthday. Another year older, wiser, smarter (I hope). At this time last year, I had no idea about how to create a blog. I knew I wanted one, but I hadn't yet figured out just what I wanted on it. Now my new goal is to have an agent by this time next year. I know it may take longer, but I'm going to at least start sending queries. Yes, this birthday is really sort of a wake-up call because I see that time stops for no one. When I was in my 20s, I knew that one day I wanted to write & publish a book. I thought, well, I'll have it done by age 30 or by 40, for sure. Well, life got in the way (got married, had 2 kids, work full-time). And 40 has come and gone. And so . . . I'm 41 today (still can't believe it 'cause I remember 21 like it was yesterday!). And the years seem like they're speeding up . . . although I hope (pray) that I have many more years to come (longevity seems to run in my family--my grandma is 92 & her mother passed away three years ago at 106). But given my propensity to procrastination (is that a tongue-twister or what!) I just feel like I better get MOVIN' if I want to realize my publication goals. Anyone else feel like that? Like time is flying by on your journey to publication? You don't have to say your age, of course. :)

Friday Links

Hi folks,

I'm not calling today "Fabulous Friday" because of my previous post. I know you'll understand. But today is (or was) STILL a good day because, well, it's the start of the Memorial Day weekend. And the sun did shine beautifully today. Well, at least here in the NYC/NJ area it did.
So without further ado, here's my news for today:

1) First, I want to offer my CONGRATULATIONS again to one of my newest writer friends, Tess Hilmo, on getting . . . AN AGENT!! WHOO HOO!!! See this post to see how she surprised her readers with the news. Also, if you have time, check out her book trailer. It's wonderfully captivating. I just know this book will be snapped up by an editor/publisher soon!

2) Attention all children's writers:
Registration for the 2009 Rutgers One-on-One Plus Conference is now OPEN.
Having attended the conference last year, I can honestly say that my work-in-progress has really improved. And I have to give credit to the editorial assistant I was assigned to for that improvement. The suggestions/ideas she offered were dead-on, and really made me think more about where I wanted to go with my storyline. I was so excited I started writing out scenes right after my one-on-one session! My mentor was Shauna Fay, an editorial assistant (she may be an asst. editor now) from G.P. Putnam's Books for Young Readers. Folks, she is sharp! And, she's very much interested in historical fiction. Yay!

For official details, go here. The deadline for applications is JULY 8th! Good Luck!

3) Aspiring author Casey McCormick of Literary Rambles shines the Agent Spotlight this week on Alyssa Eisner Henkin of Trident Media Group, LLC. Very informative! Thanks, Casey! You've got me looking forward to this every week now.

4) Aspiring author Beth Revis over at writing it out interviews Cindy Pon, debut author of the much-heralded historical fantasy novel, Silver Phoenix. I don't usually read fantasy but I'd LOVE to read this! It sounds like an awesome story! And the cover is gorgeous, too.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend, everyone!
:)

Depressing news

Hi all,

I haven't really posted this week because my mind has been on the things going on at my company. I work for a reference publisher in New York and the layoff bug has seemingly gotten around to us now. One person from my department has been laid off so far. That leaves eight of us. And I don't think it's finished. Please, everyone, pray that no one else in my dept. is affected. We're really stretched to the limit as it is. And more people have been let go throughout the rest of the company. *Sigh* It's really depressing.

Fabulous Friday!

Greetings everyone!
Hope all was well with you this fine and fabulous Friday!

*Big sigh* Seems like I can only get around to posting on Tuesdays & Fridays. I really would like to post more, but my organizational skills for blogging are severely lacking, I think. Hmmm. Maybe I should write my posts out in advance? I'm really curious to know how everyone organizes their blogging time versus their writingtime/home life.

As usual, what I'm going to list here you may already know about. So without further ado, here are some things going on around the blogosphere:


1) 78th Annual Writer's Digest Contest deadline is today, BUT there is a LATE ENTRY deadline for all you procrastinators (like me). That deadline is JUNE 1st (must be postmarked by this date). Click here for more info.

FUN FACT: Did you know that Ruth Spiro's picture book, Lester Fizz: Bubble-Gum Artist (Dutton, 2008) was a winner in the 72nd Annual Writer's Digest Contest? Inspiring, isn't it?


2) Just found out over at Kimberly Willis Holt's blog, A Pen and a Nest that Ella Enchanted author Gail Carson Levine now has a blog. And she's welcoming visitors!

She says, ". . . I intend to post once a week, and I will probably blog mostly about writing, but I don't know that for sure. I'll see how it shapes up. If you are reading this, I would welcome a post to tell me what you're interested in reading from me."

Hmmm. What would all of us aspiring authors be interested in reading from a Newbery Honor award-winner? I say ANYTHING & EVERYTHING! Seriously, though, with all her success, I'll read whatever she chooses to write about. But since she asked, I'd specifically love to hear more about her writing process as well as her thoughts on voice, setting, plot, conflict, etc.

In her first post, she talks about how she creates descriptions for her characters. Simply amazing!

Go visit her folks! Oh yes, and if you blog, please spread the word!



3) Cynthia Leitich Smith over at Cynsations is holding a BOOK GIVEAWAY. Enter to win one of 20 copies of THE CHOSEN ONE by Carol Lynch Williams. See her blog for details. Cynthia posted this interview with Carol Lynch Williams a few days ago. I must say she's written a very interesting story!


4) For all those who just started blogging (like me!), Kathy Temean, Regional Advisor of NJSCBWI, offers these 10 tips for getting more people to comment on your blog posts. Think I'm gonna commit these to memory!
And speaking of blogging, I found this 2007 article from WOW! Women On Writing about optimizing your blog/website. I think much of it still holds true for today. I found it very informative. Hope you will too.


5) In regard to WOW! Women On Writing, here's another writing contest with a looming deadline of May 31st. I know it's close buthere you only have to write a max of 750 words. What kind of contest is it?
It's the Spring 2009 Flash Fiction Contest being given by WOW! Women On Writing. I may try it. They say they're open to all styles of writing, although the guest judge is Literary Agent Wendy Sherman who reps adult fiction and non-fiction. I still think it's worth a shot, though, because, well, you never know. The entry fee is $10 (not bad at all!) and there are 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place monetary prizes as well as goodie bags for 7 Runners Up, and 15 Honorable Mentions. Now how do the kids today say it? SWEET!

FUN FACT: Danette Haworth, a fellow blueboarder & author of Violet Raines Almost Got Struck By Lightning (Walker, 2008), received an Honorable Mention in the Spring 2007 Contest.

6) Lastly, aspiring author Casey McCormick over at Literary Rambles put the spotlight on Jill Grinberg of the Jill Grinberg Literary Management, LLC. I really love these agent profiles. Thanks, Casey!

Well, that's it, so far. Have a great weekend everyone!

Teaser Tuesday

Today I'm posting my entry from a recent "Drop the Needle" exercise given by Miss Snark's First Victim. The point of this exercise was to show an instance of over-the-top emotion. I chose this passage from my current work-in-progress, TRAIN WATCH:

A very brief blurb to set up the scene: The primary character is Grandma Jenny who is in the midst of whipping Cleo, her granddaughter, with a switch for being insolent. Cleo, in an attempt to distract Grandma Jenny from whipping Hattie (who is Jenny's 12-year-old daughter as well as Cleo's aunt), had sucked her teeth at Grandma Jenny (a no-no in the 1940s). What brought all this on was when Hattie, in a fit of anger, struck Cleo's brother in the head with a rolling pin.

Okay, here it is:



Grandpa Lum grabbed Grandma Jenny as she started to swing out again at Cleo.

“Lum, let go now!” she ordered. “Get away from me!”

“Jenny, Cleo ain’t done nothin’ wrong here, ” he said, loosening his grip on her arm.

“Nothin’ wrong my foot!” Grandma Jenny snorted. “No child gonna suck their teeth at me.” She nodded toward Cleo. “And get away with it.”

“Now Jenny I heard Cleo trying to apologize. Why don’t you leave her be?”

“And why don’t you go on in the house, Lum?” Grandma Jenny said, her nostrils flaring.

He started to say something back but, catching Grandma Jenny’s piercing gaze, ambled on toward the house, mumbling about how it was useless to argue when she was in such a state.

“Cleo, I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you goin’ to hear this, too.” Grandma Jenny turned to face Hattie.

“Girl, you can’t be haulin’ off and hittin’ people just because they say somethin’ about you. Shoot. They talked about my savior, Jesus. And guess who came out on top anyway? She closed her eyes and shook her head as if trying to erase a bad memory. “Before I know it, you’ll be done hit some white person upside their head. And then whatcha gonna do? Huh? Them white folks don’t play around, Hattie. They’ll just as soon lynch a colored woman as well as they would a man.” She wiped her forehead. “I better not catch you raisin’ your hand to your nephew again.” Her eyes narrowed. “You hear?”



So, any thoughts/suggestions/criticisms? You can click on my entry (see above) to see what others had to say.

Anyone else doing Teaser Tuesday? Let me know and I'll drop on by. Thanks!