Kate DiCamillo's Blog, page 17
February 6, 2014
I was talking to a fifth grade girl yesterday and she asked me if I had ever bee...
I was talking to a fifth grade girl yesterday and she asked me if I had ever been picked on for my dream.
I said, “Do you mean did people make fun of me for wanting to a writer?”
And she said, “Yes.”
I said, “Well, there were some people who mocked me pretty relentlessly.”
And she said, “Did that bother you?”
I said, “It did make me pretty mad sometimes.”
And she said, “But what did you do about it?”
I said, “I kept writing.”
And then I said, “Do you have something that you really want to do...
I said, “Do you mean did people make fun of me for wanting to a writer?”
And she said, “Yes.”
I said, “Well, there were some people who mocked me pretty relentlessly.”
And she said, “Did that bother you?”
I said, “It did make me pretty mad sometimes.”
And she said, “But what did you do about it?”
I said, “I kept writing.”
And then I said, “Do you have something that you really want to do...
February 4, 2014
It is true that I was “reduced to a joyous puddle of weeping” (Candlewick’s very...
It is true that I was “reduced to a joyous puddle of weeping” (Candlewick’s very accurate verbiage) last Monday morning. And it is true that I cried--on and off—as the week progressed.
I cried because I was happy and I cried because I was wonderstruck.
Mostly, I cried because I was grateful.
I have started working on the Newbery speech.
I am trying to get all that happiness and wonder and gratitude down on the page.
But for now, I want to put these words here.
I want to say: I am crying bec...
I cried because I was happy and I cried because I was wonderstruck.
Mostly, I cried because I was grateful.
I have started working on the Newbery speech.
I am trying to get all that happiness and wonder and gratitude down on the page.
But for now, I want to put these words here.
I want to say: I am crying bec...
January 31, 2014
From the Candlewick team: A fabulous interview of Kate by Daniel Handler (Lemony...
From the Candlewick team: A fabulous interview of Kate by Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket)!
Kate DiCamillo: "It's Easier To Do The Work Than It Is Not To Do The Work"
www.buzzfeed.com
Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket, talks with The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and recent John Newbery Medal winner Kate DiCamillo about children's literature, profo...
Kate DiCamillo: "It's Easier To Do The Work Than It Is Not To Do The Work"
www.buzzfeed.com
Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket, talks with The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and recent John Newbery Medal winner Kate DiCamillo about children's literature, profo...
January 30, 2014
One of my favorite bits from the book Art and Fear (by David Bayles and Ted Orla...
One of my favorite bits from the book Art and Fear (by David Bayles and Ted Orland) is about a class of pottery students. Half the class is told that they are going to be graded on the quantity of their work (that is, the more pots they make, the better their grade), and half the class is told that they will be judged on the quality of their work.
Quality vs. quantity.
Simple, right?
And it is simple, because it turns out that the students who ended up making the best pieces were also the o...
Quality vs. quantity.
Simple, right?
And it is simple, because it turns out that the students who ended up making the best pieces were also the o...
January 28, 2014
Where do stories come from?
A friend dropped her garage door opener under one o...
Where do stories come from?
A friend dropped her garage door opener under one of the basement steps and spent some time digging (fearfully) around, in that small, dusty, spidery space and came up, in the end, not with her the garage door opener, but with the long-lost keys of a long-gone someone.
Here they are.
As you can see, one key is a skeleton key. And the other is a freezer key with lines of text imprinted on it about the dangers of unwatched children and unlocked freezer doors
Who d...
A friend dropped her garage door opener under one of the basement steps and spent some time digging (fearfully) around, in that small, dusty, spidery space and came up, in the end, not with her the garage door opener, but with the long-lost keys of a long-gone someone.
Here they are.
As you can see, one key is a skeleton key. And the other is a freezer key with lines of text imprinted on it about the dangers of unwatched children and unlocked freezer doors
Who d...
January 27, 2014
From the Candlewick team: Kate is currently reduced to a puddle of joyous weepin...
From the Candlewick team: Kate is currently reduced to a puddle of joyous weeping. In her stead, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the Newbery Medal Committee for awarding Kate her second Newbery Medal for Flora and Ulysses! Congratulations Kate!
January 23, 2014
Answers to your questions (part 2)! My daughter Leah (7)...
Answers to your questions (part 2)!
My daughter Leah (7) wants to know how you think of ideas for your books so quickly? Oh, my goodness. I don’t think that I move quickly at all. But ideas do pop into my head a lot. I write the
January 21, 2014
Candlewick Press bundles up my mail and sends it to me once a week and I never k...
Candlewick Press bundles up my mail and sends it to me once a week and I never know what I am going to find in that package, but invariably, I am moved, humbled.
This week, I received a batch of letters from 4th grade students in St. Cloud, Minnesota. They wrote to me about the themes they discovered in Edward Tulane.
Here is what they said:
If you are lost you can always be found.
Always have hope in your heart.
If you have love, don’t push it away.
Show your love to who you love.
These le...
This week, I received a batch of letters from 4th grade students in St. Cloud, Minnesota. They wrote to me about the themes they discovered in Edward Tulane.
Here is what they said:
If you are lost you can always be found.
Always have hope in your heart.
If you have love, don’t push it away.
Show your love to who you love.
These le...
January 16, 2014
Answers to your questions, part one (more to come next Th...
Answers to your questions, part one (more to come next Thursday):
Mu-Yin Molly Chen Dear Kate, does writing always come easily to you, or have you ever experienced "writer's block"? If so, how do you defeat it? Nothing about writing comes easily to me. Sigh. But t
January 15, 2014
From the Candlewick Press team: Welcome to Kate DiCamillo’s Facebook page! Read...
From the Candlewick Press team: Welcome to Kate DiCamillo’s Facebook page! Read this post for info on requesting visits from Kate, sending fan mail, and finding resources to use with Kate's books!
Kate posts personally twice per week; be sure to “Like” this page to get her beautiful updates. Due to her writing and touring schedule, she is not able to respond individually to the many comments on her posts. But she does enjoy hearing from you! Periodically we put out an invitation to ask ques...
Kate posts personally twice per week; be sure to “Like” this page to get her beautiful updates. Due to her writing and touring schedule, she is not able to respond individually to the many comments on her posts. But she does enjoy hearing from you! Periodically we put out an invitation to ask ques...
