Camp Birch Knoll Book Tour Photo Essay

This week I had the unbelievable opportunity to go back to camp. My novel, Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire, was inspired by my six summers at the best place on earth: Camp Birch Knoll in Phelps, Wisconsin. Gary Baier, the director of the camp, invited me to come up to camp for a Fireside program to talk to the girls about my experience as a camper and to tell them about the book. I was pumped!

I took my puppy, Ozzy, with me. He was not too excited about the prospect of a seven-hour car ride.

But he soon got the hang of it.

And before too long, we were driving through the entrance to camp! I couldn't help but break out in the Camp Birch Knoll song.

Just like Jemma, I was dazzled by this view of the lake.


I showed up right in the middle of their Sunday afternoon program: CBK's Got Talent. My daughter, Faith, was very happy to see me.


I stayed in the Upper Lodge, which is off-limits for campers. Faith was dying to go up there, but of course I didn't let her. Suffice it to say the Baiers are very hospitable hosts!

The girls put on their finest for the Fireside program. Here's Faith and some of her cabin-mates.
They took this opportunity to show me all their songs and dances they'd made up so far this summer.
Dinner was famous "Ed's Chicken," as featured in my book and in my memory. Yum!

After dinner, Ozzy enjoyed belly rubs from all the campers.

And hugs from Faith.

Finally it was time for the friendship chain leading to the Fireside service. "Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold..."

At Fireside, campers and counselors shared songs, poems, and beautiful thoughts. I spoke about my terrible start to camp my first summer there (fought with cabin mates, ran away, was considered the "Big Mouth of Cabin Six") and how I came back and made the most of every summer afterwards and how I took the values I learned at CBK into the rest of my life. I read an excerpt from Jemma Hartman, and the girls loved it. Then awards were given, and finally, the new Firelighter (camp role model) was announced, and her cabin clobbered her with hugs.

Here she is, another camper extraordinaire!

Afterwards, Gary surprised everyone when he told them he bought copies of my book for every camper and counselor. Cheers all around!

Cabin groups came into the Lodge one at a time to eat fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, ask me questions, and get their books personalized.

The funniest question of the night was, "I want to have a book written by me, but I don't want to write one. How do I do that?" My answer was to become a celebrity.

The girls enjoyed looking at my old yearbooks, laughing at the fashions from the late 70s and early 80s.

And they loved the tattoos I gave them.

The next day I had to say goodbye to the magic of Camp Birch Knoll.

And head back in the car with Ozzy.

When I was sixteen years old, during my last summer of camp, Gary gave me a quote by Walt Disney that has guided my life ever since. I give it to you now with the hope that you will all follow your dreams and have the good fortune to see them come true...

"Think about the person you'd like to become.

Believe in yourself, based on the thinking you've done.

Dream big dreams, based on your belief in yourself.

Dare to make your dreams come true.

Think. Believe. Dream. Dare.

Become the person you know you can be."

Thanks, Gary, for everything!

Jemma Hartman Lookalikes!

I was planning to write a great blog entry about my absolutely-amazing-highlight-of-my-writing-career visit to Camp Birch Knoll this weekend, but that post will have to come another day because this is just too funny...

When I first got a look at my beautiful book jacket, created by Greg Swearingen, I fell in love. It was perfect.



Then some people who knew me as a kid thought Jemma looked a lot like me, and I had to prove to them that I was not nearly as cute.

That's me in 1978, my first summer of camp.

Then my daughter told me there was a girl at Camp Birch Knoll who looked exactly like Jemma. Lo and behold, I saw quite a resemblance.


But then I got an e-mail from the proud Nana of Clara Rosemary D. Clara is a dead-ringer for Jemma!

Amazing!

Do you know someone who looks like Jemma? If so, send me a photo, and I'll post it here. Girls who look the most like Jemma will win a free autographed book from me!

Eagle River Fun

I had a blast this weekend in Eagle River, Wisconsin. It was Visitor's Weekend for most of the summer camps up there, so the town was packed with tourists. Perfect for a book signing!

Here's the indy book store that hosted me.

And here I am with my daughter, Faith.

What a fun book signing. My target audience kept walking through the door. A highlight for me was watching a girl's eyes open wide when she realized I was the author of Julia's Kitchen. She was from Kansas, where JK was on the William Allen White Children's Book Award List last year, so she was very excited to meet me.

We ate lunch at Soda Pops, where you're supposed to order unusual bottles of pop, but where I ordered a plain old Diet Coke from the fountain.

And we got the world's best fudge at Tremblay's. As I'm writing this, I'm realizing I left the fudge in the hotel fridge. Oh no!

Good thing I'm going back to Eagle River next weekend to make a special appearance at Camp Birch Knoll. Another stop at Tremblay's is in order.

ALA wrap up

As promised, here are a few pictures from my fun day at ALA.

Four authors all represented by different agents at the Andrea Brown Agency. That's Cynthea Liu, Jenny Meyerhoff, me, and Tammy Sauer.

The creators of Baby Mouse: Jennifer and Matt Holm

An arc of Catching Fire, the follow-up to Hunger Games. Notice the tape? You couldn't steal that thing (or even peek inside) if you tried!

Cool man of the hour (year?), Neil Gaiman, Newbery Award winner for The Graveyard Book. You should have seen the line to meet him!

Things I didn't take pictures of but wish I had?

1. My writing "sister" Jenny Meyerhoff meeting M.T. Anderson
2. Signing copies of Jemma Hartman in the FSG booth
3. All the terrific FSG people
4. Meeting Kathy Dawson, editor extraordinaire of my forthcoming picture book at Dial.

Future Fan Mail

Yesterday at the ALA convention, I was lucky enough to hear Laura Ruby give the author's perspective on writing about sexuality for teens.



I love hearing authors present. I can learn so much from them. Laura's speech was funny, poignant, and meaningful, highlighting the point that authors write to reflect kids' lives and struggles, not to create them. Laura read a letter from a fan who had experienced something similar to Audrey, the main character in Laura's fabulous book, GOOD GIRLS.



It was such a perfect reminder that we write to reach readers, not to win awards or get fabulous reviews or hit the best seller lists (though I wouldn't mind any of those things).

So this morning, I did something a little nutty. I wrote a fake fan letter from a future reader of my current work in progress. It was a really heartfelt letter, and I'd be thrilled to get one just like it someday. I have it right next to my computer, and it's helping to keep me focused on why I'm writing this particular story.

ALA was fantastic for lots more reasons. I'll write more and post some pix soon!

Come Say Hello!

If you're going to be at ALA, please stop by and say hi to me. I will be there on Monday, July 13th at FSG's booth #1811 from 1-2 pm and at SCBWI-IL's booth #1626 from 3-5 pm.

I'll be signing copies of JEMMA HARTMAN and giving away all sorts of goodies.

Hope to see you there!

Summer Lovin

Havin' a blast!

For anyone who is curious... this is what life is like for this particular mom of three teenagers when those three wonderful teens are away for the summer at overnight camp:

The other day, our weekly cleaning lady cleaned out the crumbs from the silverware drawer. Then she organized our paper-goods cabinet. Seriously. There's not much to clean when the kids are gone.

Instead of going to the grocery store and coming home with ten full bags of groceries only to hear complaints three days later that there's nothing to eat, I'm picking up just enough for dinner for two, plus maybe a carton of milk or orange juice.

Time spent parenting per day: approximately one hour (includes reading letters from daughter, wondering why sons don't write, writing long letters to daughter and short letters to sons, and checking the online pictures posted by camps).

With my parental duties temporarily on hold, I have dived headfirst into my next book! I'm a writer again, and it feels beyond fantastic. I'm using Victoria Schmidt's workbook, BOOK IN A MONTH. Loving it. It gives you little assignments every day, and if I write 5 pages a day (which I've been doing!), I'll have a first draft before the kids come home.

Other things I'm doing:

Trying to train passive aggressive puppy in obedience class (he rolls over onto his back for a belly rub whenever I attempt any kind of training exercise with him... cute but frustrating!).

Going to conferences. AJL and ALA are both in Chicago this summer, so I'm speaking on panels and signing books and meeting terrific librarians and authors.

Training in karate with some serious black belts. My regular training partner is in Italy, so I've temporarily moved up with these unbelievable experts. I am both intimidated and inspired.

Feeling like a newlywed with my husband even though we are coming up on our 19th wedding anniversary.

It's good. All good!

Online Reviews of Jemma

Check out these terrific reviews for Jemma Hartman...
This is from one of my favorite authors, Esme Codell.
And this one is from Jen Robinson, blogger and book reviewer extraordinaire.
Thanks for the buzz, ladies!

Two Published Authors for the Price of One!

I'm not very comfortable with envy.

I don't envy other people because I really like being me. And I absolutely hate being the object of envy. So what am I to do when I hear envious whispers about my critique group? Our group of four authors is pretty darn fantastic, and I feel lucky and blessed to be part of this group. But we are closed to new members, which means a lot of terrific authors are outside looking in. Truth is, I wish everyone could find a critique group like ours... and now they can!

The lovely and talented Jenny Meyerhoff and I have joined forces to offer a six-week children's book writing workshop through the North Shore Writers Studio. This workshop will be run just the way we run our critique group. Writers will get the same constructive criticism and support we give each other. I believe a critique group format with input from established authors is the best way to improve your manuscript and learn about the craft of writing. Plus it's a perfect opportunity to meet future critique partners. So forget about envy, and join us this summer!

Here are the specifics:
Date: Tuesdays, June 30-August 4
Time: 6:30-9:30 pm
Place: 1778 Second St., Suite 202, Highland Park, IL (right above Corner Bakery)
Tuition: $240

For more information or to register, visit www.northshorewriters.com. Or e-mail northshorewriters@gmail.com

Setting the Record Straight: Where Truth and Fiction Collide

It's no secret that my new book is based on an actual camp, the camp I went to as a child and the one my daughter attends now: Camp Birch Knoll in Phelps, Wisconsin. And it's also true that the story was inspired by some real life events. But the story is fiction. And the characters are fiction. Really and truly!

Which is why it surprises me when I hear that people are trying to figure out who they are in the book. I've heard from campers and staff, friends of mine and friends of my daughter. Everyone has a theory as to who's who in the book.

It's kind of funny. I guess if someone wants to see themselves in my book, there's nothing wrong with that. But I figure I should set the record straight. So here I go...

1. The friendship triangle of Jemma, Tammy, and Brooke was inspired by a friendship triangle my daughter was in her first summer at camp, but it was also inspired by several different friendship and love triangles I experienced in my own life. The actual characters of Jemma, Tammy, and Brooke sprung from my own imagination.

2. The Darby-Todd relationship wasn't based on anyone at all. But Darby looks a little like one of my counselors at camp, Julie Goldsmith. And Todd, the hunky ski-boat driver, is a combination of all the cute ski-boat drivers I've ever had crushes on.

3. Just like Jemma, I once got to ride in the boat with the cute ski-boat driver, and I was totally embarrassed due to a booger hanging out of my nose.

4. Also, like Jemma, I had to learn the difference between "winning" and "earning" the Firelighter award. (I was Firelighter my third summer of camp.)

5. Eddie, the camp director, is a little bit like Gary, the current Birch Knoll director, and a little bit like Ed, Gary's dad, who directed camp when I went there. But Eddie is really just Eddie. And Maureen is Maureen. I make stuff up. That's why I'm a fiction writer.

6. Delaney isn't based on anyone in particular. But I really like her.

7. Kat and Annie look a lot like my best camp friend, Debby Lebold.

8. There is no such thing as the Star Lake Cup. I made that up. But I did compete in a sailing race on a blustery day, and Debby and I did capsize and almost sink our boat. Her sister, Jenny, came to our rescue.

9. I tried to name as many characters as I could after my daughter's and my camp friends. I even gave Firelighter to one of my friends who totally deserved it but never got it: Jennie Cohen. That was fun.

10. One thing that Jemma Hartman and I have 100% in common is how much we love camp. Best place on earth.

Happy! Happy! Happy!

1. My son's Bar Mitzvah is this weekend!
2. My daughter is coming home today!
3. I'm drinking a yummy cup of Island Coconut coffee.

Book Launch Parties

So far I've had two terrific book launch parties for JEMMA HARTMAN, CAMPER EXTRAORDINAIRE. I have to tell you the truth... I get terrible jitters before these events. I worry that nobody will show up or if they do show up that I'll have nothing interesting to say. So far neither one of these things have occurred. :-D

It makes me realize, yet again, that I have married the best man on earth. Alan totally knows how to handle all my author insecurities and worries and excitement. He never gets rattled or sucked into my emotions, but he listens to me and assures me in his loving and humorous way. Thanks Bud!

Here are some pix from the first party* at the Barnes & Noble in West Bloomfield, Michigan:

A terrific turnout!

Meeting a reader from Ann Arbor

And here are some from the second party* at The Book Stall in Winnetka, Illinois:

Check out this awesome crowd. I'm showing a picture of the camp that

inspired Camp Star Lake in JEMMA HARTMAN.

Signing books!

Some of the yummy treats I baked for the party.

Big thanks to everyone who came out to these events and asked such good questions and applauded and laughed at all the right times! I still have one more book launch party* coming. It will by May 31 at 2 pm at the Deerfield, Illinois Barnes & Noble. Hope to see you there!

*My sons say these are not parties. They are book signings. But I disagree. We have a crowd of people. And fresh baked cookies. And laughter and love. Sounds like a party to me.

Do You Know Bridget Zinn?

All of my books stem from a question. For JEMMA HARTMAN, the question was, "What happens when you find out BFF doesn't always mean forever?" And although that's a good question, and I should probably be thinking all about JEMMA because it is brand-spanking new, today I'm thinking about the question that sparked JULIA'S KITCHEN. That question was, "Why does God let bad things happen?"

And the reason I'm thinking of that is because I just found out about Bridget Zinn. Have you heard about Bridget?

She is a non-drinking, non-smoking, carcinogen-avoiding, young vegetarian who wears sunscreen every day. In the month of February, three things happened to Bridget:
1. She landed a fantastic agent for her young adult novel.
2. She got married.
3. She found out she had Stage Four colon cancer.

Can you imagine?

In JULIA'S KITCHEN, Cara decides that sometimes bad things just happen, and that God is crying right alongside us. I have no idea if that's what Bridget thinks, but I kind of hope so. I hope she is surrounded by friends and family who are lending their support and humor and love. I hope she finds strength and courage to battle her illness. And I hope she doesn't go broke in the meantime.

Like many Americans, Bridget has insurance, but it doesn't cover everything. So a group of authors who were impressed with Bridget's friendliness and radiant joy (even now) got together and organized an online auction to help Bridget cover some of her out-of-pocket medical costs. Now you can help. You can bid on signed books, manuscript critiques, original artwork, etc. Check out some of the great items. I think you'll be impressed. Please bid if you can. It's a simple way to make a difference in someone's life.

Jemma Hartman is Now Available!

Feeling excited, grateful, overwhelmed, and hopeful!

Having Fun with Book Trailers

Here's another book trailer I made for Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire (edited with the help of my son, Sammy).

(Watch in HQ for best viewing.)

Disclaimer: Jemma is a fictitious character, and Camp Star Lake is a fictitious camp that bears a close resemblance to the very real and very wonderful Camp Birch Knoll. We were all just having fun here!

Sheri J Has Won a Book, and You Can, Too!

Congratulations to Sheri J, who is the next winner in the Countdown to Camp Contest. Sheri wrote about a huge storm at her camp where they lost power for four days and ended up brushing their teeth with bug juice. You gotta love it!

Now that my books and prizes have all arrived, I am starting to send out the prize packages to the winners.

Here's what Sheri and three other winners should be receiving in the mail this week:


Two tattoos, a deck of cards, a bracelet, a pen, a postcard, a piece of stationery, a bookmark, and of course, a book!

Next week I'll be drawing the final winner, so enter now! All you have to do is send me an e-mail or leave a comment on my blog or facebook group with a camp memory.

Here's what the professional reviewers have said about JEMMA so far:

"Any child who has ever lost a friend will relate to Jemma's inner turmoil. Ferber has drawn a realistic main character who experiences pain and discomfort when Tammy continually rejects her. The plot moves along swiftly, and Jemma’s first-person narrative rings true, as do the issues and the camp experience." Publisher's Weekly

"For all the tweens who believe in BFF but find out, to their great disappointment, that it isn’t for everyone, this is the book for them." Kirkus

"The author of Julia’s Kitchen (2006) offers here a lighter story for a slightly younger audience. Ferber has a fine ear for preteen dialogue and concerns, and her descriptions of overnight camp activities (especially sailing and waterskiing) will strike a chord with readers." Booklist

Confession: I am never really sure if what I'm writing is any good at all, so even though I'd like to say I don't care about reviews, the truth is, I do. That's why I'm breathing a huge sigh of relief right now and pinching myself a few times as these lovely reviews roll in. Yay!

CAbiDeb Won a Free Book!

Congratulations to CAbiDeb, the next winner of my Countdown to Camp contest. CAbiDeb wrote about the time she went to a sailing meet at a boys' camp and there was no wind. She said, "We tied our boat to a boys boat, which was a big deal when you went to an all girls camp, and spent the day lazing on the lake and trying to finish the race!" Sounds like fun to me. And since she learned to sail at camp, I think she'll really enjoy reading about Jemma's sailing exploits in JEMMA HARTMAN, CAMPER EXTRAORDINAIRE.
CAbiDeb, please e-mail me at brenda at brendaferber dot com with your snail mail address so I can send you your prize package.

In other news, I've been busy busy busy lately with lots of fun stuff, most notably spring break in Florida, some other travel, and preparing for my son, Sammy's, Bar Mitzvah. In the midst of all this, my book will be coming out so soon! I've got half-finished to-do lists all over the house. It would probably be smart to consolidate them all to one list, but that would require cleaning and organizing, something that is definitely not on any of my lists. Oh well. I'm sure everything will get done eventually. At least I hope so!

In the meantime, I wanted to recommend three terrific books that I read over spring break.

3 WILLOWS by Ann Brashares. She's the author of The Traveling Pants books, and this book, about three girls growing up the summer after 8th grade, really touched my heart. Can't wait to read more about Ama, Jo, and Polly. (Plus, willow trees have always been my favorite trees, so I loved all the random facts about them sprinkled through the story.)

LOOSE GIRL by Kerry Cohen. Kerry writes young adult fiction, but this is a memoir about growing up as a promiscuous young woman. I so admire Kerry's courage to write her story. She sheds light on an issue that many women don't know how to discuss. This is a great book for mothers and teenage daughters to share.

PILLARS OF THE EARTH by Ken Follett. This enormous book is one of my dad's favorites, so I decided to take it on when I knew I'd have a lot of time on my hands. I don't read that much fiction for adults, and I certainly don't read that many 973 page books, but I'm so glad I read this one! I love stories that take place in the middle ages. Such an interesting time! Follett created the most evil character I've ever known... William Hamleigh. Ick. Gives me the chills just to type his name. But this book was filled with goodness and love, too. And I really want to go visit European cathedrals now!

And here's a bit of good news... One of my favorite children's lit blogs, Fuse #8 by uber-librarian Betsy Bird, actually mentioned JEMMA HARTMAN today. Check it out!

Congratulations Anna Z!

Anna Z. is the second winner in the Countdown to Camp contest! As soon as she e-mails her snail mail address to brenda at brendaferber.com, she will receive an autographed copy of JEMMA HARTMAN, CAMPER EXTRAORDINAIRE and lots of other fun stuff to bring to camp.

Anna's memory was all about sheet sliding at Camp Birch Knoll. She said, "I was going down with one of my cabin mates and we were going so fast that we both fell of the slide!"

Sheet sliding was one of my favorite memories from camp, too. For those of you who haven't experienced it, imagine a giant slip & slide on a huge hill with dishwashing soap and water. Fun, right? I loved it so much that I included it in my book!

Keep the camp memories coming! (Take a minute to read all the awesome memories already posted.) If public comments aren't your thing, you can always simply e-mail me. I'm picking a winner every week until the book comes out.

First Contest Winner and First Review

Congratulations to Kate, the first winner of the Countdown to Camp Contest! Kate will be receiving an autographed copy of JEMMA HARTMAN, CAMPER EXTRAORDINAIRE as well as lots of other fun stuff to use at camp (like pens, stationery, cards, tattoos, etc.) Kate, I hope you have a daughter or niece who goes to camp! Please e-mail me your snail mail address so I can get your prize to you.

Kate's memory of marching around her cabin shouting "Burn them bras!" reminded me of a fun tradition at my camp (Camp Birch Knoll) that I chose not to include in JEMMA HARTMAN. It's called Bra and Underwear Night. One random night each summer, all the girls run around camp in their (you guessed it) bras and underwear. Such fun! It usually ended up in skinny dipping in the lake or dancing on the hill. I remember buying a bra specifically for that event before I even needed to wear one! Our camp was girls only, but there were some male staff members. I wonder why we never felt self conscious about them seeing us like that. I suppose it was because we felt so free at camp, so completely confident and comfortable. Just another example of the magic that is camp.

In other news... JEMMA HARTMAN has been reviewed by Kirkus! They said, "For all the tweens who believe in BFF but find out, to their great disappointment, that it isn’t for everyone, this is the book for them." And "The emotional turmoil plays out against a lovingly depicted month at summer camp."

This is JEMMA'S first review, and I'm pretty psyched about it because really, is there a tween out there who hasn't been disappointed by a BFF who turns out to not be so F? I think not! Therefore, if you do the math, this book is for EVERYONE! And the whole impetus for writing this book was to lovingly depict summer camp, so I hope this means I succeeded.

It's not too late to enter the Countdown to Camp Contest. I'll be choosing a winner every week until the book comes out. I'd love to get more kids to enter the contest, so please spread the word to young people in your lives. And if you've already entered, there is no need to enter again. Your name might still be drawn.

Countdown to Camp!

Sure, I'm still wearing my winter coat, hat, and gloves, but I've got summer camp on my mind because JEMMA HARTMAN, CAMPER EXTRAORDINAIRE will be out in just 6 weeks!
In order to celebrate, I'm hosting a contest. With prizes! Each week until the book comes out, I'll be giving away an autographed copy of JEMMA HARTMAN as well as some other fun camp items. To enter, all you have to do is tell me your favorite camp memory. Post it here in the comments, or send an e-mail to brenda at brendaferber.com. The memory can be funny, embarrassing, poignant, or ridiculous. It can be about day camp, overnight camp, or any other kind of camp you attended.
I can't wait to hear all your stories! And I hope you'll enjoy reading mine.

Fan Mail Excerpt...

I think this might be my favorite line in any fan letter I've received to date...

I really liked the book JULIA’S KITCHEN, but then I wanted to stop reading the book because Janie and her mom died. I started crying. But I decided to keep on reading because if I didn’t I’d have to watch the Basketball game.

Thank goodness for girls who don't want to watch basketball!

Do You Have a Creative Genius?

One of my writing sisters forwarded this video to me yesterday. It's a speech by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, about a wonderful way to think about the creative process. Very interesting and worthwhile 20 minutes...

A Girl's Gotta Dream...

I admit it... I dream of winning a Newbery! I also dream of having a NYT best seller, winning a National Book Award, having a shelf of books written by me, and being a household name.

In the meantime, I'm anxiously awaiting reviews of JEMMA HARTMAN, CAMPER EXTRAORDINAIRE (coming out in about two more months!) and trying my hardest to write my next novel and to make it better than my first two. Because the truth is, awards are out of my control, but improving my craft is something I can do.

Thanks to Lisa Chellman for the news about this video. And a Happy Birthday shout out to my niece Riley and author extraordinaire Judy Blume!

My Attitude Today

It's not about making it through the storm. It's about dancing in the raindrops.

This inspiration is brought to you courtesy of comedian and cancer survivor, Robert Schimmel.

Writing Like a Reader

I'm sure you've heard of reading like a writer... today I'd like to talk about writing like a reader.

Here's how I read:

1. I read novels for kids. Therefore I write novels for kids.

2. If I'm reading a book and not totally in love with it, I'll stop. I definitely don't have to finish something just because I started it. The same goes for my writing. I write about 50 pages of a new novel before I realize I don't want to write it (usually), or I am absolutely compelled to finish it (rarely... exactly twice in my life).

3. If a book is suspenseful, I will stay up way too late to finish it. Or I might blow off everything on my to-do list to read it, with the rationalization that reading is part of my job. Similarly, I've found I need to create suspense when I'm writing. And my recent experiment with being a NYNNie taught me how to do that. I simply didn't allow myself to check e-mail, Facebook, or anything on the Internet until I had finished writing 2000 words each day. The suspense of wondering what e-mails were waiting for me kept me glued to my desk, writing like a fiend. With this strategy, it only took me a week (instead of my usual 3-4 months) to figure out I didn't want to write my new novel.

4. When I'm reading a book, I'm constantly thinking about where the author is going, how he or she is playing with my emotions, what might come next. When I'm writing, I often pretend to be a reader. I literally imagine turning the pages of my book, seeing what would come next if the story were finished.

5. I love books that make me laugh or cry. Books that show regular kids growing up and seeing themselves and the world in a new light. My aim, always, is to write books like that.

Puppy Update

A few people have asked to see updated photos of our mini-whoodle, Ozzy. He's now 4 months old and about 15 pounds. So incredibly sweet and wonderful! Even though he's a huge responsibility, I can't imagine life without him.
I'm just really really really wishing for a fenced backyard!

Playing with a stick in the snow. He LOVES the snow!

Ozzy giving love to Sammy.

Brag Time

Is it okay to brag for a minute about my son Sammy?
I promise, it will just take a minute.
But man, that boy can write!

He just completed a first draft of a 150-page fantasy novel. And he is 12-years-old.
Here's a little excerpt...

------------------
"We have a very interesting assembly planned for you today, kids," began the principal of New Longance Elementary School. "These people volunteered to teach you about the dangers of alcohol and dr--"

He was interrupted by a faint rumbling noise. Thinking it was only thunder, he continued. He had barely finished his sentence when another rumbling noise echoed through the big auditorium, this time louder. Some of his students were starting to notice, looking around to ask their friends if they heard it too.

For a brief moment, the principal thought of the infamous Rock Man. He was more a legend than fact, knowledge of his sightings being spread through rumors on street corners. But one thing was for sure; a lot of people had died in the past couple of weeks in this small town.
------------------

The whole manuscript is filled with humor, tension, action, emotion and a character arc with true depth. I'm sort of flabbergasted. And oh so proud!

Book Look

My latest Book Look column for the Prairie Wind is online. I wrote about The Pout-Pout Fish, by Deborah Diesen, and if you haven't read that book yet, I suggest you head to the bookstore today.

Here's a little preview...
I’m sure you’ve all heard the advice not to write a picture book in verse. Yet you can probably name at least a dozen rhyming picture books that you or your kids or grandkids adore. So what’s the deal? Why do editors tell novice writers to stay away from verse?

The answer is they don’t believe you can do it well. And maybe that’s true. (I’m pretty sure I can’t do it!) But if you have poetry and song and rhythm and rhyme in your soul, and if you understand story structure and the format of a picture book, and if you have an idea that is both fun and meaningful and not at all preachy, there is no reason you can’t master this form. Deborah Diesen did it with her first picture book, The Pout-Pout Fish. And we all can learn something from this well-crafted tale.

In other news...
I've hit my word quota for three days in a row. I'm on a roll!!

Happy New Year!

Tomorrow I start NYNN (New Year, New Novel). I'll be attempting to write 2000 words per day, six days per week, in an effort to complete a first draft of a new novel. I made a rule for myself that I'm not allowed on the internet AT ALL until I've completed my word goal for the day. I'm afraid there will be very few days this month when I'll be checking e-mail, reading blogs, playing on Facebook, or updating this blog. Boo hoo! But won't it be worth it? A first draft in a month? It sounds like heaven.

May 2009 bring us a revived economy, pride in our president and country, good books to read, peace on earth, and joy and laughter with our family and friends.

Winter Break Rhythm

We sleep as late as Ozzy lets us (8:00 today... a record!). Eat a big breakfast and stay in pajamas till around noon. Read, watch movies, bake cookies, play games (like Monopoly, Apples to Apples, Whoonu, and Rock Band), play with Ozzy, go out to dinner, light Hanukkah candles, open presents, watch TV, then head to bed.

It's the perfect amount of laziness.

I love this break from the hectic day-to-day business of our regular lives. It fosters family bonding and allows time for creative and clear thinking. For about a year now, I've known I wanted to do some kind of summer camp book tour to celebrate the release of Jemma Hartman Camper Extraordinaire. But I could never figure out what I would actually do up at the camps. It's not a school visit, that's for sure. It would have to be something fun and meaningful and camp-like. Suddenly, yesterday, the perfect idea came to mind. It was one of those ideas that jumps out at you and makes you want to click your heels and shout "Eureka!"

Drum roll please...

It's a Time Capsule! Every cabin will choose or create an object that represents a story they want to remember forever. Then they'll present their stories to the camp and put the objects in a time capsule to be opened 20 years later at a camp reunion. There will be awards for silliest, most memorable, and most creative stories/objects. I'll talk about some of my camp memories and show how they ended up in my book. Then we'll sing songs, I'll sign books, and everyone will feel a little bit closer and more appreciative of their amazing camp experience.

Now I've just got to get some camps to put me on their schedule.

What Do You Love About Writing?

Lately, I've been fickle, like a woman who falls madly in love with a man only to lose interest a month later. Of course, I'm still happily married to my actual husband. But I keep falling in and out of love with my plots. I start a new manuscript, thinking This is the One, only to soon wonder what I ever was attracted to in the first place.

It's not a very productive way of writing. And it makes me feel yucky.

I talked it out today at critique group. Have I told you how much I love my critique group? As usual, they had great advice for me. Jenny thought I should tell myself my next book would be my file drawer manuscript, the novel I wouldn't publish. She thinks the pressure is getting to me, and she's right about that. But unfortunately, I don't think I can trick myself into thinking I'm writing for nobody. Carol told me I should write about a character with the exact problem I'm having right now... a girl who thinks she has nothing interesting to say. That has its appeal, but it doesn't feel compelling enough for me to dedicate myself to it for a year or more. Plus, I don't like this feeling! Why would I want to immerse myself in it? Ellen asked, "What do you love about writing?"

That was a good question.

I said, "I love trying to answer a question. With Julia's Kitchen, the question was, 'Why does God let bad thing happen, and how do you deal with the worst possible thing?' With Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire, the question was, 'What do you do when a friendship that you thought would last forever starts to fade?' I love living vicariously through these characters as they figure out the answers to these questions."

So then, of course, Jenny, Ellen, and Carol asked me what I wanted to know the answer to now.

Another good question.

I'm thinking about it. And hopefully, when the right question comes to me, I'll fall in love with a character and plot and be able to commit, at least for the next year or two.

What do you love about writing?

Book Trailer Creativity

I'm not sure if book trailers are a fad or something that will take hold. And I'm not sure if they make any difference in terms of buzz or sales. But I do know one thing for sure... they are an area of creativity that is wide open for exploration and development.

And that is fun!

Check out this rap video trailer for Perfect Chemistry, by Simone Elkeles:

Feeling Silly

I am an honorary silly chick, and you can be one, too!

The Three Silly Chicks (a terrific blog by Andrea Beaty, Carolyn Crimi, and Julia Durango about funny picture books) has organized a drive for donations to Heifer International.

For only $20, this charity will give a family somewhere on this globe a flock of chicks. And then Each starter flock has from 10 to 50 chicks. One flock gives a family in a developing country a much needed source of food and income.

Did you know that chickens:

lay up to 200 eggs in a year.

require little space.

thrive on readily available food scraps.

control insects & fertilize gardens.
Can make an enormous difference in a family's life?

And you thought chicks were just cute and silly!


Please join The Silly Chicks in helping families from Cameroon to the Caribbean. Donate now and send a notification card to Three_Silly_Chicks@yahoo.com. Or send a copy of your receipt to Three_Silly_Chicks@yahoo.com as proof and they will name you an Honorary Silly Chick and give you a post on their website! (Note: The receipt does not contain any financial information!)

I'm a NYNNie

Have you heard of national novel writing month, NANOWRIMO? Well, my friend Carmela Martino has now created NYNN, New Year/New Novel. It's just like NANOWRIMO, but it takes place in January, and as absurd as it sounds, I'm going to try to do it. The idea is to write a 50,000-word draft of a manuscript in one month. Participants are called NYNNies (or writing fools). Today I had nothing major to do for myself or my family, so I decided to test out the feeling of writing 2000 words in a day.

I ended up with 619. And now I'm so sleepy I just want to take a nap.

Is it possible to write 2000 words in a day? Is it kind of like lifting weights in the way it gets easier if I do it on a regular basis? Will I be able to care for a family and a puppy and still write that much? Will I have to take a break from karate? Laundry? Grocery shopping? Will my family pick up the slack?

I definitely like the idea of turning off my inner critic and whipping out a first draft like this. I like the intensity of it. I like being called a NYNNie. And January looks pretty open on my calendar.

I think this might be the closest I'll ever come to running a marathon. People train for marathons, right? So I should think of this time as training. 619 isn't so bad. It's like running a mile or two. You gotta start somewhere.

I think I can I think I can I think I can...

Loving Your Characters

When I write, I try to love the characters I create... even the villains. But I especially have to love my main character. I'm asking readers to go along for a ride with her, to root for her, to laugh and cry with her. It wouldn't be fair of me to expect readers to do that for someone I didn't think was totally worthy.

That's why I aim to create wonderfully flawed, vulnerable, spirited, and resilient characters whom readers (and I) can identify with or try to be like or at least want to get to know.

And that's also one of the reasons why I'm having trouble with my main character in my work-in-progress. See, she is popular, and I have a thing about popular girls. I tend not to like them.

I'm not proud of this reverse-snobbery. It started in middle school when I was completely intimidated by a group of popular girls. They were so cool, and I was so not. I stayed away from them, and instead of admitting that they scared me, I found reasons to hate them.

At first glance, it might have looked like jealousy, but I never wanted to be like them or to be included in their group. If anything, I wished they would be more like me. Maybe then I wouldn't be so threatened by their perceived superiority in practically every area of life.

Thankfully, once I grew up, I stopped being intimidated by popular girls, and the reverse-snobbery faded away, but I know it's still there, under the surface. And as I sit here, trying to write about a popular 8th grader, I'm finding it challenging to get past my bias. It's so much easier for me to love the outsider.

But I realized something yesterday. Popular girls don't call themselves popular. That's a term other people use to label them, to exert some power over them. So I'm going to stop calling my character popular. She certainly wouldn't describe herself that way. She would actually be annoyed by the term and all that it implies.

Hopefully that will allow me to get a little closer to her heart. And she to mine.

Rationalizing 101

Why I Hate First Drafts:
1. I don't know who my character is. (I mean really and truly who she is.)
2. I don't know what the story is. (I mean the actual truth of the story.)
3. I don't like writing badly. (And I've yet to find the magical pen that writes beautiful first drafts.)

How I'm Trying to Avoid These Problems with My Work-in-Progress:
1. I'm thinking about my character as much as possible, imagining what she would say or do if she were with me all day long. She's practically my invisible friend!
2. I'm outlining and re-outlining and re-re-outlining in an effort to get to the one essential truth of the story.
3. I'm not writing at all.

I realize at some point I'm going to have to actually write something. A chapter. And another chapter. And so on. That's kind of the key to writing a book. (Duh.) But until then, I'm not going to feel bad that I have nothing to show my critique group, my agent, or my editor. (At least not too bad.) I'm not going to focus on the fact that I started developing this idea four months ago. (Yikes!) This isn't procrastination or writer's block or any other negative sounding label. This is just the way I work. (Life is busy with three teens and a puppy, you know.)

Maybe all this thinking and pre-writing will help in the long run. Maybe when I finally write this draft, the story will come out in the beautiful and magical way I'm imagining it.

It doesn't hurt to hope.

Extreme Makeover - Website Edition

Check out my redesigned website! Isn't it pretty?

A round of applause for web-designer extraordinaire, Maddee at xuni.com. She is the best!

In the spirit of creative renewal, I've decided to give this blog a new name... it shall hereby be called Fresh Baked Bits.

Author Visits

Sunday night I spoke about Julia's Kitchen at a mother-daughter book club. I loved meeting these smart, cute sixth graders and their moms. It was such an intimate setting, especially compared to the 450 kids I spoke to in a gymnasium on Friday! To be honest, I enjoyed both speaking engagements. I guess I don't care how many people are in the audience. It is truly such an honor to be able to do these kinds of appearances. I'd love to do more of them, but I wonder what the perfect balance is.

When I talk to my author friends, they all confess that they spend at least a day worrying about the visit beforehand, even if they're doing a presentation they've already done dozens of times before. I confess that's true for me, too. I am always tinkering with my presentations because a) I'm trying to make them better, and b) I don't want to bore myself by saying the same things over and over!

So if you lose a day of writing by preparing, and you lose another day of writing with the actual presentation, how many presentations should you plan to do in a year? Maybe 2-3 per month is just right.

I recently hired a booking agent to try to drum up more school visits for me (Hi Mick!), because I would really lose writing days if I spent them calling schools! It will be interesting to see if she's able to make a difference. Whatever the case, I'm glad to have her try. That frees me up to do the important work of writing my next book.

What do you all think? If you could design your perfect calendar, how many school visits would you do in a year?

Free To Be 35 Years Later

This just in...
According to Publishers Weekly, there is an anniversary edition of Free to Be You and Me coming out. I know just what I'll be getting my cute nieces for Hannukah this year!

And to think... I just posted about Free to Be last week! I must be psychic.

Busy Days Ahead...

Sometimes I go days and days living my regular life... squeezing in writing between the laundry, grocery shopping, karate, carpooling, dog walking, and errand running. But every once in a while, my writing life takes over. 

I actually love when I have a deadline looming... when my husband calls on his way home from work and doesn't ask, "What's for dinner?" but rather, "What should we order for dinner?" When the kids watch too much TV and play too many computer games because I don't tell them to turn it off. When I say no thanks to lunch dates, let my hair go curly, only do the laundry when everyone is totally out of underwear, and basically live inside of my head. 

I feel like a real author then. Like it's my full-time job. Like I'm on my way to writing a bestseller, a Newbery award winner, a break-out novel that will propel our family to a life of luxury and leisure.

Of course, those little spurts of creative mania only last a short time. Then it's back to the balance of my real life. And I'm not complaining. I have a pretty amazing real life. But it's invigorating and validating to focus 100% on being an author.  

These next few days I get to do just that. Even though I won't be writing much, I will be doing authorly things. Tomorrow I'm doing a school visit at Ludwig Elementary School in Lockport, Illinois. Saturday I'm going to Prairie Writer's Day, where I'll get to connect with my fellow SCBWI-Illinois authors and illustrators and learn from industry professionals Cheryl Klein, Harold Underdown, Caroline Meckler, Martha Mihalick, Sharon Darrow, and Jennifer Rofe. Then on Sunday I'm presenting at a mother-daughter book club in Northbrook. 

I'll just leave the take-out menus on the kitchen counter.

When Is a Book Better than Cookies?

Eight years ago, I was living in Austin, Texas, when there was a house fire in my neighborhood. I didn't know the family in the fire, but I heard the story... that a father and son had died, and that the mother had died two years earlier in a car accident. There were two brothers who survived all this tragedy, and they came to live with relatives down the street from me.

Everyday, I drove past the burned out house. I took in the yellow caution tape, the boarded-up windows, the smoke stains along the walls. I couldn't help but cry. I cried for the mother, father, and young boy who died. But mostly, I cried for the two surviving brothers. How would they ever get through this? Who would they go to for comfort and strength? What would their lives be like from here on out? I wondered what these boys thought about God. What kind of God would let this happen, anyway?

I wanted to do something for these boys, but I didn't know what. I didn't even know their names. I baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies and brought it to the home of the relatives. I don't remember what I said when the woman, apparently their aunt, answered the door. But I left feeling like I had done something ridiculously small and inconsequential. Cookies? Their parents and home were gone! What in the world could cookies do for them?

I kept thinking about these boys. I wished for them resiliency. I wished for them faith. And eventually, I wrote JULIA'S KITCHEN, a story about a young girl dealing with grief after her mother and sister die in a fire. My main character finds all the resiliency and faith that I wished for these boys. That was the best I could do.

When the book got published, I tried to find the names of the boys, but I had no luck. I no longer lived in Texas, and I was probably not the best researcher. It was a lost cause. Or so I thought.

Turns out, when you publish a book, magical things can happen.

Imagine a young girl in Austin, reading JULIA'S KITCHEN for school. She tells her mom about the book, and her mom looks it up online. Now her mom comes across an interview Cynthia Leitich Smith conducted with me. About halfway down, the mom reads about my inspiration for the book, and the story of the fire is very familiar to her. In fact, she's almost certain I'm talking about her friend's nephew. She sends her friend the link to the interview, and the friend sends it to her nephew.

And her nephew contacts me.

This young man in now a freshman at Boston University. He wants to someday be a writer or perhaps a psychologist. He is charming and sweet and clearly a man who possesses the resiliency I wrote about in JULIA'S KITCHEN.

He's looking forward to reading the book that he unknowingly inspired. And I'm looking forward to getting to know him.

Free to Be...

For me, the true joy and all the tears came when I saw the Biden and Obama families standing together on that stage in Grant Park. As much as I hoped this would happen, I was scared that, like before, I had the minority opinion, and that The White House would represent a voice that had nothing to do with me.

But seeing their two families together... I was just blown away. This never would have been possible even a few short years ago. I was raised on Free to Be You and Me. I always believed skin color and gender didn't matter. I believed I could grow up to be anything I wanted as long as I worked hard enough. That belief gave me the courage to go after my dreams. But many people, especially many minorities, didn't have reason to believe that. Now they do. What a wonderful time to be alive. To be an American.

I am so hopeful and optimistic. We have a lot of work to do in this country and in this world. I have faith that all the people who have been so inspired by Obama are ready to help make it happen. I know I am.

Election Day is Here!

I can't believe it's actually here. I mean, we've been talking about this election for forever! And now it's here. And maybe, just maybe, we will know who our new president will be by the end of the night. And maybe it will even be Obama.

(Please, please, please, let it be Obama!!!)

Please vote! If you need a reason (other than the fate of our country and perhaps the world), Starbucks is giving away FREE COFFEE to anyone who votes.

You're Invited! (Or... what to do after the election)

Do you live near Vernon Hills, Illinois?

Are you free Thursday evening?

If so, please join me at the Hawthorn Mall Barnes & Noble. I'll be presenting "Top Tips and Secrets to Getting Published," signing copies of JULIA'S KITCHEN, and giving away some of my famous chocolate chip cookies.

Thursday, November 6th, 5:30 p.m.

Hope to see you there!

The Great and Powerful Ozzy

Ozzy has arrived!

So we didn't name him after the Wizard of Oz (even though we love children's lit).



And we didn't name him after Ozzie Guillen (even though we love the White Sox).



We named him after a reality TV star.



Seriously. Maybe I should be embarrassed about that, but I'm not. Our family loves Survivor, and we watch it together every Thursday night. And anyone who is a fan of Survivor is a fan of Ozzy!

You may remember when I first started thinking about getting a dog. It was after my cat died, my house (and all my diaries) were robbed, my editor was let go, and worst of all, my grandmother passed away. There was a lot of yuckiness, and it seemed we needed a dog.

Now we have one. :-)

It feels like getting married, or having babies, in the way I know my life will forever be divided between Before Ozzy and After Ozzy. I don't really have this puppy thing down pat. I haven't figured out how to balance the rest of my life with taking care of him. I don't know how I'm going to give him a bath or train him. And I don't know when I'll have time to write. But I do know that Ozzy was meant to be a part of our family.

Faith and her new BFF

Five Days and Counting

In five days, I will be bringing home one of these puppies.


I remember when I was pregnant with twins, and I wished I could store up sleep to cash in once the babies were born. (In case you're wondering, that doesn't work.) When the babies were about a month old, I was so exhausted that I actually fell asleep at the dinner table.

I feel sort of the same way now. I wish I could store up this calm, quiet feeling in our home, this freedom to be gone all day, to not worry about a puppy chewing or peeing or pooping on something important.

But on the other hand, I'm getting a dog!!! Yippee!

If we choose the male, the black one, we're naming him Ozzy (after Ozzy from Survivor, one of our family's favorite shows). But if we choose the female, the brown one, we don't know what we will call her! Any suggestions?

Three Things on a Thursday (and a contest)

1. Jacob and Faith, my 8th graders, have been studying literary devices. They had to search in books to find examples of everything from "allusion" to "understatement" (and everything in between). I had fun helping them with this assignment, but I became aware of something... I don't use many literary devices in my writing. I just sort of tell the story. Hmmm...

2. There are 19 days until the election! I'm so nervous. The more Obama pulls ahead in the polls, the more I worry that people will think he's got it in the bag so they don't need to vote. Please... all you Obama supporters out there... don't forget to vote! 

As for you McCain supporters, if it's too cold on November 4th, you might want to stay inside. I mean, you don't want to get sick, right? Or what if it's raining? You for sure better stay home in that case. I mean, your hair will get all frizzy, and who wants that?  

3. Writing news (in three parts): 

a. After Michelle Andelman left Andrea Brown Literary Agency, I was reassigned to Caryn Wiseman. She is wonderful, and I am now quite certain ABLA only employs amazing agents. 

b. I'm writing a very detailed outline for my next novel. It almost feels like writing a first draft, but without the torture. 

c. I finally received my revision notes for THE YUCKIEST DROOLIEST STINKIEST BEST VALENTINE'S DAY EVER. Not too much left to change in this manuscript. Yay! It's all about the refrain. I go to sleep at night thinking about cynical wisecracking rhymes about love, and I wake up in the morning with a few more possibilities for the refrain. Don't you love being able to work in your sleep?

**CONTEST**

The first person to find three literary devices in this post will receive a FREE copy of JULIA'S KITCHEN!

I Dare You Not to Laugh

A little sunshine for your weekend...

My sweet niece, Billie:

Don't you wish you knew what she was laughing at? Talk about an "inside" joke!