Cynthia Lord's Blog, page 38

The Winter Ocean

Yesterday, I drove home "the ocean way" after taking Milo to the groomer. It was only about 19 degrees outside, but there's something deep and quietly peaceful about the ocean at this time of year. I feel very lucky that this scene is literally only ten mintues out of my way.











And I can use some "deep and quietly peaceful" right now because my revision is into the chapters where things are hard for my main character. It's simply how novels work: tension increases and things become more complicated and that slope sharpens. But I have to consciously remind myself to let go of that in the rest of my day. Sometimes I'm feeling anxious and then realize it's the book's emotion I'm carrying, not my own.

So I'll probably go "the ocean way" often between now and the end of the month when the book is due back to my editor. 


18 / 24 chapters. 75% done!

Some Duckies I Have. . .

And one I don't have!  http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/gallery/2012/dec/11/giant-rubber-duck-thames-in-pictures

Lights!

I added a little holiday sparkle to my writing shed this morning. It was beautiful to be revising Chapter 15 of my novel and glance up to all this color.



And having such a small shed, the lights have been reflecting in all the windows as I've been working. I love how this makes it look like the lights are floating in the forcythia branches outside.




15 / 24 chapters. 63% done with my revision!

Summer in Winter

Fryeburg, Maine. Photo by my husband, John

A novel takes me over a year, so I'm often writing and revising scenes out of season from the book. In the early hours this morning, I worked on my summertime chapter as freezing rain pelted the window beside me. It's always a bit surreal and dreamlike to have one season on the page and be living in another.

I remember a conversation I had with Tess Gerritsen once at an event at her house where she and I talked about how it's easier to imagine the details of summer in the winter, than the other way around.  I don't know why that is, but it's true for me, too.  Summer is somehow too full to allow me to call up the sparceness of winter.

So this month, I'm holding one world in each hand: the book's world of lemonade and sunlight after supper and the sound of lake waves hissing over the wet sand. And the world around me of frosted windows and Christmas carols and darkness falling at four o'clock. 

But what both seasons have is promise, and that's what stays with me all day long.

Back to Writing

When I tell kids I get up around 4 am to start writing on most days, they look horrified. But it's a beautiful time of day and a beautiful way to start a morning before the sun even comes up.



This window in my writing shed faces east, and I keep things related to Touch Blue here. It's amazing to glance up from my laptop and see the sky changing.

Hamster's Adventures in Virginia

  I had a fabulous trip to Viriginia and a great fall of school visits and events. Now I have three months of writing ahead! 

Hamster had amazing new adventures with the students in Virginia! Here are a few:

  

  

  

  





And Hamster is living the American dream!   From scrounging hot rod parts from the junkyard. . .



to VICE PRESIDENT! 

A Great Time in Virginia

I've had a wonderful trip to Virginia. Last night I was signing a pile of books for today's visit at Franconia Elementary School in Alexandria, and when I opened one of the last books, I found a message to me.

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:-)

Hello from Virginia!

I'm in Virginia this week visiting lots of wonderful kids, but Hamster has gone to. . .



At my school visit today in Fairfax, VA, the librarian held a contest for the kids to have lunch with me. For the younger children, they were asked to create a new adventure for Hamster. This was one the winners!

Hot Rod Hamster in Scotland!

Click here to watch the video:  http://molp45blog12.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/wow-we-dont-believe-it/

It was such a fun and creative activity. I was very impressed with the students and their teacher, and though I always feel a little weird commenting on a stranger's blog, I took a chance, hoping they would find that fun. I commented on their trucks and told them Derek Anderson and I have a new hamster book on the way that has monster trucks in it!

The teacher videotaped the moment where she showed the class who had commented. It touched my heart in a big, big way.

Christmas Lights

My neighbors have been decorating their fences and houses with lights. It's so pretty. So yesterday, Milo and I got into the spirit by putting a string of lights along our porch.