The website Savvima is giving away a copy of the new Artscroll book, Let's Go to the Sun and the Moon. To enter, you need to visit this link and put in a topic you'd like to see a Jewish book address before July 4th, 2011. One entry will be selected to receive the book.
6/27/11
Jewish Book Carnival coming in July
Ann Koffsky, author and illustrator, will be hosting AJL's Jewish Book Carnival on her website. Check in to the site after July 15th for links to blogs and websites with Jewish book themes. There's also a Goodreads group with discussions, etc. See here for more details. http://www.jewishlibraries.org/main/Resources/Blog/JewishBookCarnivalHQ.aspx
6/25/11
Have you always wanted to write a novel?
So you want to write a novel, but never have motivated yourself to crank it out? Here comes the "Write Your Own Megillah" contest from The Whole Megillah blog to get you moving.
Goal: write a middle-grade Jewish-themed novel of 18,000 words or a YA Jewish-themed novel of 36,000 words in one month this fall (Nov. 21-Dec. 21). There are prizes and all sorts of guidance offered. For more details, check this link: http://thewholemegillah.wordpress.com/2011/06/22/write-your-own-megillah-a-new-whole-megillah-event/ .
Hatzlacha raba!
6/24/11
Self-doubt, or the Intimidating Activity Called "Writing a Novel"
I'm both distractedly excited and painfully terrified. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I'm trying to change a short story I have written previously into a novel in response to the advice of friends and colleagues. I'm completely overwhelmed by the task at hand, but I want to try to get a rough draft written in the next couple months just so I can get these characters' voices out of my head, at the very least.
If you don't want to write a novella--you're committed to a novel--you have to crank out AT LEAST 30,000 words for middle-grade or YA readers, 50,000 for adults.
At the same time, you don't want to be "bore-geous," what Ayelet Waldeman calls writing that is long, lush and vivid but does nothing to further the story line. Neither do you want to add subplot upon subplot upon unnecessary scene upon unnecessary character just to make deadlines, fill up a word count, pad the pocketbook, or all of the above. (The latter often happens with books that start as serials, like those of Charles Dickens, to point out an example that will hurt no one's feelings and probably not constitute lashon hara.)
The problem is that I HAVE A LIFE, and not a very convenient one at the moment. I have more immediately remunerative work to complete, a husband and children to feed (bli ayin hara!). Tushies to wipe! Candyland to play! I am haunted by the desire to fill in the story of these characters, but have been cruelly separated from my PC.
Even when I resort to writing in a notebook while supervising my children's play, self-doubt leaves me thinking, "Can I think of enough details and plot twists to fill a novel? And what if I'm just plumping this goose up so it's ready for the rejection-letter-shaped ax!"
Sometimes, I finally sit down at that PC and can't even figure out where to start. To prompt me a bit, I'm now improvising a bit on the Snowflake Method, invented by Randy Ingermanson. I'm going over every hinted-at back story, every interesting character, every "off-page" alluded-to event that appears in the initial short story and trying to extend, extend, extend. I am now at just under 7,000 words...and I can't imagine how this baby is ever going to get done!
I know I'm not alone on this. A quick Google search about novel-writing included an article subtitled "The quiet h*** of 10 years of novel writing," by Susanna Daniel, and a blog entitled "The Long Path to a Novel" by Rachel Connor.
Check back with me in two months to see if I'm any closer to the "Great American Jewish Sci-Fi Novel's" completion.
6/20/11
Books about friendship
In one of those bizarre synchronicity moments you sometimes have at the library, my family borrowed a slew of books all about friendship at our visit yesterday (the first three are by Mo Willems, who is wonderfully engaging). I'll briefly review each and add several other suggestions on the topic at the end.
My Friend is Sad
A wonderful book for new readers to read on their own about how to comfort a friend feeling down.
City Dog, Country Frog
Teaches how to build a friendship and how to cope with loss of a friend. A charming, even moving read and a stylistic departure for the author Mo Willems.
Leonardo the Terrible Monster
Friendship turns out to be the great purpose in life for Leonardo, a monster unable to scare anyone.
Cowboy Ned & Andy, by David Ezra Stein
Andy the horse loves his owner, Ned, so much that he wants to give him a birthday cake in honor of Ned's big day. But what does Ned really need?
OTHER GREAT "FRIENDSHIP" SELECTIONS:
the Mimmy and Simmy books by Yaffa Ganz,
the Toon Book Stinky,
the classic series commencing with Frog and Toad are Friends,
That's What a Friend Is by P.K. Hallinan,
Little Bear's Friend by Else Holmelund Minarik,
A Friend for King Amadou by Robert McKissack,
Dog Blue by Polly Dunbar,
Winnie the Pooh books,
Sheila Rae, the Brave and almost any book by Kevin Henkes,
the magical Charlotte's Web,
anything about Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan,
As Good As Anybody by Richard Michelson
...and for older readers Louis Sachar's amazing The Boy in the Girls' Bathroom,
Beth Firestone's Candles in My Window,
The Sea of Trolls trilogy,
Sorcery and Cecelia,
The Chosen,
and Patricia Wrede's Dealing with Dragons.
Please Share more "Friendship" books for children--fictional or not--below!
6/14/11
Have something you want to blog about?
The website Savvima is looking for bloggers right now. The have specific subjects they want to cover, and the target audiences is...well, savvy imas. Here's the link for more info:
6/13/11
Jewish Women's Writing Conference in Jerusalem
There is a wonderful Orthodox women's writing conference in Jerusalem, which I fantasize about attending yearly. Many fabulous writers and editors appear, and I wish I could hear them speak about
This year was particularly appealing to me, as there was a workshop about making writing a (somewhat) profitable career. B"H someone recorded the presentations and Naomi Elbinger posted them on her blog.
Here's the link:
Withdrawl from deadlines!
Beth Firestone and I just wrapped up our serial, "To the Edge of the Galaxy" in Aim! Magazine. It was a great experience...I learned a lot about writing by working with Beth, as she is a novelist (previously, I'd only published standalone pieces of 1400 words or less) and has spent much more time formally studying writing. She filled me in about creating a story arc, building character development and generally kept my writing coherent and funny. It was also great helping kick off a new magazine and developing a readership with them. We got fan mail! It was amazing knowing that kids out there were reading our work and LIKED it.
What is also great about writing a serial is that you have deadlines. If you don't meet them, there are real life consequences: angry editors, paychecks that don't come, readers who no longer trust you. I busily wrote several nights a week for about 6 months to keep "To the Edge of the Galaxy" on schedule with the printer. Now I have no one breathing down my neck about writing...and I'm not getting much done.
I have no shortage of ideas and writing projects to work on. In fact I have today's ideas and also the ideas I put off writing for the last 6 months because I was occupied with the serial. I think there are a few reasons for my lack of productivity:
1) No deadlines;
2) There are SO MANY ideas, and no editor telling me which one which one is a priority;
and
3) The lure of blogging.
Yes, blogging is taking over my writing life! I write this blog as well as another semi-private one, and I find that it is addictive. I've had to cut down to two nights a week (mostly). I LOVE checking the "Stats" and finding people are actually reading what I write! I love that I can't get a rejection letter. I can write what I want the way I want to without being judged by a senior editor or the marketing department!
But until you get THOUSANDS of page views weekly, blogging isn't a remunerative profession. And in the end, there's still no story (with illustrations!) in a glossy (inter)nationally-circulated magazine or an actual book on an actual shelf in an actual bookstore that people can actually buy (which is actually a delightful experience).
I think I'll be shutting down Google Chrome now and switching to Microsoft Word...
6/6/11
Jewish Picture Book Contest
Just heard about a new contest for writers of Jewish picture books. Follow this link to find the details:
6/2/11
Nifty bit in this week's HaModia
There's an article this week about Rabbi Alexander Seinfeld in HaModia, and it mentions almost as an aside that he and his 12 year old daughter have started a website with books for Jewish kids.
I visited the site, and the coolest thing is that it is SEARCHABLE! You can look up selections by subject and by age of reader, as well as title and author. However, it does not contain all the books out there. I'm assuming it is a work in progress and I'm very impressed with what they've done so far. It would be a great resource, for example, for those looking to buy a gift for a particular child or looking to stock up for a school or classroom library.
The link is in the list to the right of this blog, as well, and will remain there indefinitely.
In other "HaModia" news...my all-time favorite serial (aside from the one co-written by yours truly...) wrapped up in that magazine last week. Hopefully, This is America! will soon appear in novel format in Jewish bookstores. I really hope so, as it will deservingly find more readers this way.
6/1/11
More groovy graphic books for new readers
I'm still on my graphic literature kick. Here are several more graphic books for young readers that will get them really reading...all are appropriate for the "kosher" audience:
The wonderful "Elephant and Piggie" series by Mo Willems.
Today I Will Fly is the first book my almost 6 year old read entirely on his own. Elephant and Piggie books are accessible even to many 5 and 6 year olds and are a fabulous way to ingrain the pleasure of independent reading. The stories are so silly, with easy vocabulary and spare but charming illustrations. The kids have so much fun, they forget they are reading.
Luke on the Loose
For readers at 2nd grade level and up, the oblivious misadventures of a boy lost in the big city as he chases pigeons in the park. For fun, comic fans can spot Tintin, Captain Haddock, Olive Oyl, and the Incredible Hulk in the book.
Binky the Space Cat
The wacky adventures of a very indoor cat who thinks Outer Space starts in his front yard. For ages 7 and up. Adults will especially enjoy this one, particularly if they are cat lovers.
Rick and Rack books from Balloon Toons
The timeless encounter between unlikely friends: the optimist and the pessimist. Lots of wackiness and a character lesson about the merits of optimism to boot.
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