Silvia Acevedo's Blog, page 8

I talked about speedskating today on The Morning Blend ta...

I talked about speedskating today on The Morning Blend talk show on WTMJ-TV. Milwaukee played a big role to the skaters on their way to the 2018 Olympic because this is where the US Speedskating Olympic Trials were held. I was one of three announcers calling the play-by-play.

Here’s a link to the segment, which is a preview ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics:

https://youtu.be/xsowQkczybk

I’m wishing my speedskating friends fast ice and great results. Who are you following in the Olympics this year? What’s your favorite sport?

The Privilege of Announcing the Nation’s Best Athletes

Announcing Time Trials

In just a few exciting days, I, along with two others, will have the privilege of play-by-by announcing for the US Speed Skating Olympic Trials. We’ll have the honor of kicking off the event, introducing skaters, calling each race, and sharing details of the sport, its challenges, and its national representatives on their way to the world stage, the Olympics 2018.

I’ve announced at Milwaukee’s Pettit National Ice Center off and on for years, even as I compete in the very same sport. I’ve watched the athletes who’ll skate the trials grow up, I’m friends with most of them, and I wish them the very best.

Come the opening day of Trials, January 2nd, I’ll get the great privilege of watching these athletes’ hard work pay off. Achieving a place at the trials is a great accomplishment. Earning a spot on the Olympic Team is the pinnacle, of course, reserved for those at the very top of the field on that day. It’s a snapshot in time. All the skaters out there are our nation’s best, as are those who came within fractions of a second of the qualifying times or are battling injury or fatigue that prevents their attendance at these Trials. There’s always another run in four more years.

US Speedskating Announcers Silvia Acevedo and Jeff Brand

I’ll be announcing alongside my own speedskating coach and Pettit Head Announcer Jeff Brand, seen here, and Gordon Cepuran, who’s also running the music. The Trials will be live broadcasted on NBC Sports Network. We’re looking forward to being a part of it all.

The Pettit National Ice Center ahead of the US Speedskating Olympic Trials 2018

The Pettit has brought down the hockey nets, readied the bleachers, and transformed the facility, which happens to be celebrating its 25th anniversary. The venue is ready for the occasion. We hope you’ll come down and watch as the skaters compete and US Speedskating names its Olympic team. January 2 – 7, 2018. Some days are already sold out, so buy your tickets now! Details can be found here: http://thepettit.com/trials/

Go, Team USA!

Deadline Looming for 2018 SCBWI-WI Mentorship

Hurry, aspiring writers and illustrators! You have just 18 days to apply to SCBWI-Wisconsin’s 2018 mentorships.  The deadline is November 30, 2017, and this is an opportunity not to be missed. I am deeply honored to be among the six authors/illustrators who’ll be mentoring up-and-coming creators in 2018, along with Jamie Swenson, Jane Kelly, Pat Schmatz, Deb Gross, and Jeanne Styczinski. I’ll work with an author of middle grade or young adult work who’s interested in self-publishing.

First, here are the mentorship basics:

The 2018 SCBWI-Wisconsin Mentorship runs approximately six months, January to June. The amount of interaction between mentor and mentee will be decided between the pair.

Next, the rules:

You must be a current member of SCBWI and have attended at least one member event in the past year, unless applying for the Diversity Mentorship with Pat Schmatz.

You can only apply for one category of mentorship unless you qualify for the Diversity Mentorship, in which case you could apply to more but only win one.

You must yet to be traditionally published in your category.

Finally, the application details:

Follow the guidelines on this online application form and email the requested documents to wisconsin-ra@scbwi.org by November 30th.

 

I’m really looking forward to this adventure. Please apply if you’re interested and spread the word to the creative people in your life who you feel might benefit. Thanks!

Playing at the SCBWI-WI Fall Retreat

How often, do you suppose, have you fallen into a rut? Even when trying to be creative, do you find yourself slipping into familiar routines and say, meh, the writing or artwork is good enough?

Whoa boy, let me tell you. If you were feeling that way before the SCBWI-WI Fall Retreat, you left feeling like a new person. Superhero-ish even. There’s no way any uninspired, humdrum, or worse, corrosive thoughts could creep into your creative sphere that weekend. And if you haven’t yet made it a part of your creative journey to connect with others at a conference, I’d highly suggest you do.

Wisconsin’s Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Fall Retreat was meant to be an antidote to stifling routine. I was incredibly honored to give three presentations: how to be a liar (or maybe only tell part of the truth) through an unreliable narrator; how to bring back the thrill of creating (in case the joy’s become a grind); and using art as inspiration.

Anyone who knows my writing knows that I love a good unreliable narrator. I could talk about that all day. I didn’t, though, to allow attendees time to work on their writing prompts. See? Proof.

Writing…writing…writing…

And the group had an open, dynamic talk on how to banish the blahs. Author Melissa Gorzelanczek not only inspired everyone during her talks, but she came up with the idea of Journey Stones weeks ahead of our workshop. I designed a hundred.

YES to your journey! YES to challenges! YES to bravery! I think the attendees liked them.

Heaps o’ Books for Hurricane Relief

Once in a while you get to experience something really special, and that usually involves helping others. For the third straight year, I’ve taken part in the Novel Cuisine Luncheon put on by Wisconsin Author Liza Weimer and Blogger Extraordinaire Heidi Zweifel. The luncheon brings literary types together to collect and donate books to organizations that need them but don’t have financial means to secure them. We also dine on book-inspired foods. The recipients of donated books typically include classroom libraries and women’s shelters, offering the traumatized children there a desperately needed diversion. This year, books collected also went to areas affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.

The awe-inspiring gathering of community-minded authors, publishing professionals, teachers, librarians, book club organizers, bookstore associates, and bloggers donated and shared hundreds of books. I know our small contribution to this cause will bring someone a moment of relief in truly trying times.

Here are some photos of the 6th annual event. I hope you enjoy them. A special thanks goes to the event organizers and volunteers for taking on such a worthy cause.

Author Gayle Rosengren donates books at the Novel Cuisine Luncheon

A small sampling of the hundreds of books donated at Novel Cuisine Luncheon 2017

So much talent and dedication in this room. Novel Cuisine 2017

Me and Liza Wiemer

Ten Years Blogging

Milestones trigger emotions, and this one is no exception. Today marks ten years blogging. My website and blog is mostly about the creative life (writing, publishing, media in general) and occasionally sports. I’ve experienced growth in all those areas, and I hope something I wrote added to your insight on a subject.

My very first post was about inspiration, specifically about shooing the Muse. You can read it here:  http://www.silviaacevedo.com/a-writer-writes/muse-schmuse/ I feel pretty much the same way today. If I waited until I felt inspired, who knows when I’d ever get around to it? The funny thing is, once I start, it’s the writing itself that inspires me to write more. What inspires you?  And what topics should I hit in the next ten years?

Play Date! at the SCBWI Retreat

My engines are really revving for the SCBWI-WI fall retreat. You should come. Really! You have just three short weeks to sign up, and I’ll tell you why you should (and then how to maybe get in for free!).

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is the premier association for creators of children’s lit (and one of the largest organizations for writers and illustrators in the world). If you want to learn more about writing or illustrating for kidlit, these are your people.

Wisconsin’s fall retreat is three days of amazing networking, creating, and communing. This year’s lineup is impressive as always: the society director, three editors/directors, an art director, an agent, two leading authors/illustrators/creators, along with 11 local presenters, myself included. My involvement isn’t why I write today; I’ve been praising the association for more than ten years. This is the place to go to build your craft.

I am proud, though, of the two presentations I’m doing. Both are collaborative.

Friday’s Intensive with Melissa Gorzelanczyk is four-fold: Honing in on images; Focusing on plot; Unreliable Narrators in your writing and illustrating; and Bringing back the thill. Plus we’ll have a memento for attendees. The picture gives a hint.

Writing Prompt – Dancing

I recently bought a prompt journal (300 Writing Prompts by Piccadilly Inc.) to force really quick writing.  Here’s my latest prompt:

Do you prefer to dance with no one watching, with a group of friends, or with one special partner?

All of the above. I just like to dance. I’m not particularly good or bad at it. I suspect I’m like most people, just shuffling or bouncing along to the beat of the music, but I like the freedom of dancing.

Why do so few people dance in public? Why is it so hard for me to coax (or pull) a friend onto the dance floor at a music festival or county fair? Do people seriously care that others watch? I don’t, but I know I’m in the minority there. :/

Writing Prompt – Admired Personality Trait

Bought myself a journal (300 Writing Prompts by Piccadilly Inc.) to force really quick writing.  Here’s my latest prompt:

What is a personality trait do you admire in other people?

Patience, which often manifests itself in kindness.

Look, the world is a trying place. People and circumstances can frustrate us and lead us away from our daily (or lifelong) goals. It is so, so easy to take out a slew of perceived injustices on others because they’re not as “whatever” as we’d like them to be.

But we’re all unique individuals on highly personal journeys. We’re all of us more than we are at any given moment, and so exhibiting patience often provides the buffer that all sides in a situation need to save themselves from themselves.

I’m still working on this trait and suspect I always will be.

What personality trait do you admire? Tell me in the comments.

Writing Prompt – Bathroom Paraphernalia

I recently decided to start writing in smaller chunks.  I bought this journal: 300 Writing Prompts by Piccadilly Inc. The idea is to give quick answers without editing. Here’s the latest prompt.

Name three things you have in your bathroom right now.

I have a framed Monet print which brings a smile to my face. I’m not a huge Monet fan, but I like this piece. It’s of a woman and child in a field, which brings back memories of playing with the kids when they were little.

I also have a shower curtain which makes me laugh because of one of my kids’ surprised comment that we got a new shower curtain! – as if we needed her approval before purchase.

The last is a note dictating which closet shelf belongs to which kid. Because territoriality. Ha!