Irene Latham's Blog, page 189

U IS FOR US

Continuing with the Author ABCs...

As much as we writers spend time alone at a keyboard (or notebook or whatever), being an author is really about collaboration -- about taking the "me" and turning it into an "us."

This is not always easy, because let's face it, we writers generally like solitary. But when you get lucky and there's an agent whispering in your ear, or God bless you, and Excellent Editor, oh my, that is when the magic happens.

I really had no idea how much trust is involved in th...

MEET THE CHARACTERS

Well, we have a winner of the GO YOUR OWN WAY HALL OF FAME CONTEST. But before we get to that, I want to share some pictures with you.

First, here's the whole class dressed up like characters from LEAVING GEE'S BEND. Don't they look wonderful?!

Here are some who chose to dress like Mama or Daddy or Baby Rose:

Next up, we have Ludelphia Bennett, the hero of our story:

Then Ludelphia's brother, Ruben, who has a secret:

Watch out for Mrs. Cobb and that shotgun!

Now meet Etta Mae, aka "the girl in th...

LAST CALL: GO YOUR OWN WAY HALL OF FAME

Mary Lee Bendolph, Bars and Blocks, 2003

Quick update, as call to nominate a character in a book or real life who goes his/her own way and possibly win an ARC of LEAVING GEE'S BEND ends November 1!

Newest additions:

BOOKS

Anne Shirley (ANNE OF GREEN GABLES by L.M. Montgomery)
Christy Huddleston (CHRISTY by Catherine Marshall)


REAL LIFE

Father James Edwin Coyle

Complete list (so far) here. Thanks, everyone, for your participation! And don't forget: for every entry I am donating $1.00 to the Gee's B...

LETTERS FROM MY FIRST READERS!

Mrs. Young at Inverness Elementary School has been a dear friend and champion of my writing for a long time, so it just seems right that she should be the one to introduce the world to Ludelphia and LEAVING GEE'S BEND.

Here's some examples of what they sent me:

A drawing of "The Witches of Gee's Bend"


A drawing of "The Red Cross"


And here are some quotes:

My favorite part was "When Ludelphia was in Mrs. Cobb's barn."

Something new I learned was "never ever run away from home. Gee's Bend is a rea...

T IS FOR TELL

Continuing with the Author ABCs...

We writers get all sorts of advice, and some of is even good. But it can also us astray.

For instance, the whole bit about action, how we've got to get in there and hook our reader, and keep things happening so they'll keep turning the pages.

Well, one of the biggest things I had to work on in revisions of LEAVING GEE'S BEND was too much action, not enough breathing space. Which is where the "tell" part of writing comes in. So my readers wouldn't be overwhel...

MENAGE A MONDAY

Today I'm trying to take down some of the paper-piles on my dining room table.

But I keep thinking about the crazy socks my youngest son wore to school today, for "Sock it to Drugs" Day. He's the first of my kids to actually participate in such an activity. Yeah, he's cool that way.

As for me, I think I'll go put on those toe socks my sweet sister gave me a few years back. That will give the girls at Girls, Inc. something to giggle about when I go talk with them later about LEAVING GEE'S BEN...

READING FRIDAY

So I am writing this post ahead of time, because Friday I have reserved for reading.

See, I'm taking this Newbery class through ALSC, in which we are asked to read a Newbery title from each decade. This week we are on 60s, 70s, 80s. Trouble is, I am still behind one title from last week (30s, 40s, 50s) -- THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND, which I remembered loving, but didn't remember why.

Well, for those of you who also need a refresher, it's historic, about learning to live in a new world, and...

S IS FOR SHOW ME

Continuing with the Author ABCs... whew, getting there!

So, S. We've all heard the golden rule of writing: Show, don't tell. But what does it really mean?

Well, I heard editor Cheryl Klein at MidSouth conference last month describe it this way: when you you show what's happening, or rather dramatize... you are allowing the reader to REACT to the scene rather than just taking the author's word for it.

Her explanation couldn't have come at a better time for me. Because in my revisions of ESCAP...

"GO YOUR OWN WAY" HALL OF FAME UPDATE

Wanted to share some of the latest nominations to the "Go Your Own Way" Hall of Fame. Contest runs through November 1st, so send me your entries (email, blog comments, FB comments or tweet them @Irene_Latham)!

I'm looking for characters in books and real life who go their own way. Nominees will find a permanent home on a page of my website (currently here, but list is growing so fast, I will soon launch a very special Hall of Fame page!) Then I'll put all the names in a hat (or bowl or pumk...

R IS FOR RAW

Today I will continue with the series of Author ABCs ...

I sat on a panel of writers at a conference recently, and I was really bothered by the information being dished out. Basically there was this idea being tossed about as fact that to get published, manuscripts had to be PERFECT. More specifically, the comments made indicated that agents/editors will read to the first typo, then they'll toss the manuscript.

Okay, first of all, there is a time for perfection, and it sure isn't at the point ...