Kirby Larson's Blog, page 58

Something New for the New Year

I'm kind of excited about something new I'll be doing, beginning next month. Laura Backes, of the Children's Book Insider, has invited me to write a monthly piece on writing middle grade fiction. When she asked, I said yes almost right away and not just because she said my title would be Middle Grade Expert (which is pretty close to Queen of the World). I have found that explaining the writing process to someone else always leaves me better educated. And, heaven knows, I could use the help.

Keep a watch here for more information and links. In the meantime, if you have burning questions, shoot them to me and I'll do my best to work them into my "expert" answers!

Food for thought

A year-end tradition for me is to clean my office, which led me to a file of notes I'd taken when Avi came to speak in Seattle eons ago. One thing jumped off the page at me:
"Sometimes you don't need to revise the manuscript, you need to revise your life."
I'm not sure exactly what that means but right now -- as I wrestle with a revision -- I'm taking it to mean that a change in myself might be a necessary first step. A change that requires me to open my heart and mind to other possibilities for my main character. A change that forces me to look at the story as a living thing, that still needs water and sunlight, rather than something done growing, and all I need to do is pick off the dead leaves.
Anyway, these words of Avi's spoke to me today and I thought they might speak to you, too.

Fun Fan Letter Friday

From a kid:
"Have you ever met someone famous (besides yourself)?"

Do you think this writer would be impressed if I told her that when I was 16, riding a tram in D.C., I bumped knees with Hubert Humphrey?

Thursday's Thought for the Day

"Through kindness, you can change your fate." 
― Nguyen T. Nguyen

An early Christmas Present

Look at this beautiful ad from Booklist -- these two books are not together on my shelf so this was the first time I realized how stunningly complementary the two covers are! Thank you to my editor, Michelle Poploff and to Vikki Sheatsley, art director extraordinaire!

Annie Barrows

If you don't know about Author Magazine's interview series, you should! Here's an interview with Annie Barrows, author of the Ivy & Bean books (she also helped her aunt complete one of my favorite books, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society) that will lift your spirits!

Good News for a Good Friend

You'd be hard pressed to meet anyone sweeter than Michelle Houts, author of The Beef Princess of Practical County (how sweet is she, you ask? So sweet she drove a couple of hours out of her way to take me to the airport when I was in Ohio last year). 

So I was thrilled to get some good news from her today. . . go read about it in her funny post here.

Fun Fan Letter Friday

I recently heard from a kid reader who had emailed to suggest I write a book about dancing. In my reply, I explained that I was a terrible dancer but pretty good at writing about history. Here's her response:
"Well I guess if history is your thing, you should stick with it. Dancing is my thing so that is the thing I think of first." 


I think I will stick with history. But maybe I can work a shuffle-off-to-Buffalo into my next book. . .

Thursday's Thought for the Day

"If you would hit the mark, you must aim a little above it." 
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

SpringMingle

Living in the Seattle area as I do, I do not consider February to be spring. But in Georgia, they do and the SCBWI there celebrates the season in style with a conference they call SpringMingle, February 24-26. And, in a severe lapse of judgment, they've invited me not only to give a keynote, but to facilitate an all-day pre-conference intensive! Yikes.
Here's where you can get the scoop. Hope you can join us!