Sarah Aronson's Blog, page 3

From the newsletter: being seen and heard.

“Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It’s about making life more fair for women everywhere. It’s not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. It’s about baking a new pie.”‬
-Gloria Steinem

Dear Writers,

For many of us, it was a very tiring week. For many more of us, a week of rage and fear and disgust.

A week of helplessness.
A week of self-care, especially if we wanted to be even a little bit creative.

It was a week when we needed our friends.

No matter which lens you look through, the testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford was heroic and frightening and triggering. She spoke for many many women who have never been able to speak their truths. She spoke under duress.

I do not know a woman who was left unaffected.

That’s why I paused when on Saturday night, I received message after message to black-out my profile on Sunday. This request was intended to show men that we count. That we should be heard. It was offered as an action of solidarity.

First thought: I understood the imagery. I imagined what it would look like: square after square shrouded in black.

I am all for solidarity of women.

I want to make a difference. I understand the importance of doing things as a group.

But I felt uncomfortable with the idea of erasing my face at a time when speaking out has never been more important–when our voices need to be heard. Especially women’s voices.

So I didn’t do it. I left my profile alone.

And I paid attention to Facebook so I could listen to others.

This is what I discovered:

We are strongest when we feel heard by our community. By other women. By friends. (This was not a surprise.)

As the day progressed, I listened to a lot of conversation. And women’s voices.

I watched many friends discussing the importance of being heard and gaining power. And working together. I listened to frustration that more had not changed since we were girls. I talked to women who wanted to take the rage of the week and turn it into positive action.

In our world of writing, this is an essential conversation. Books are all about giving new voices a platform. For many of us, a single unheard voice is the motivation to write.

This why I read.
It’s why I am learning so much from #ownvoices.

In our stories, we offer readers a chance to see themselves and know others. We invite them to feel what someone else might feel. 

This is the magic that will make the world better and stronger.

We give our readers strength.
We address their fear.
We give them the ability to practice being brave.

Our voices are necessary.
They are vibrant and diverse and important.
Thank you for sharing them.

So this morning, I ask you to think about all the ways you are using your voice.

For each other.
For our readers.
For the future.

I also ask you to get louder. As loud as what feels comfortable. In any way that works for you.

There are a lot of ways.

We can write letters–to our representatives. To our faith leaders. To our community leaders. To each other.

We can band together. In person. And online. On Skype. In the classroom.

We may not all be extroverts, but when it comes to readers, my guess is that we are all ready to act.

Let’s also vow to listen actively to each other–because there are still many women who are not being heard.

Because we don’t always hear women’s voices the same way we hear men.

And that has to change.

If you haven’t yet, read posts by #kidlitwomen. Read books by #kidlitwomen.
Let’s stop inadvertently telling girls that their voices should be softer
sweeter
or more likeable
than the voices of boys. 

Can we model that?
I think we can.

Writers, erased faces were never going to be the answer.

Our collective voices are.
Our collective knowledge is.
Our collective hearts are.

We are strong.
We have something to say.
We can change the world IF WE SAY IT.

Want to help me say it?

Are you ready to stretch? 

What is YOUR TRUTH? For writing? For life? For what you want to offer readers?

Post it on Twitter. Tag me. (@sarah_aronson).

For one random person, I’ll send you a writer’s care package.

Have a great writing week!

sarah

The post From the newsletter: being seen and heard. appeared first on Sarah Aronson, Author.

A thank you note to the books that made me a writer!

Thank you to my first favorite book:

It’s not JUST that it is a perfect book. Ten thousand words whittled down to 101. It is a story of perseverance. Of work. Of determination. It’s the first book I read to myself. I still read it all the time.

From the moment I met Harriet, I loved her. I saw myself in her. I liked that she was a spy. But I also thought she was Jewish–since she wore glasses.

My favorite teacher, Dan Sigley, gave me this book when he could see I was having trouble reading. I agreed to read it because it was SLIM. But it left a mark on me. It was the first book I ever read with a sad, open ending. It felt like REAL LIFE. Ultimately, this would be the first kind of book I would set out to write. It’s the book that made me a reader–that showed me what books could do.

I read these books when I lived in England. I learned about PLACE. And secondary characters that lead to inevitable and surprising endings.

At this point, I thought that theater would be the way I shared story. When that didn’t happen, time passed. I became a Mom. I was dared to write. I found these books. They became my teachers.

        

     

(Do you see why I don’t stick with one genre?? I like everything.)

I loved each of these books.

Each of these books also taught me about story. And character. And place. And yearning. When I think about the books I have written and am writing, I know I couldn’t have done it without these books.

What are the books that you want to thank?

 

The post A thank you note to the books that made me a writer! appeared first on Sarah Aronson, Author.

Rabbi’s Granddaughter Gets Didactic

This morning, along with my husband and sun, I rode my bike to Chicago’s Navy Pier. This is always a fun, quick ride by Lake Michigan. I love riding my bike in Chicago. I always see all kinds of people walking, riding, holding hands, skateboarding, and most of all, smiling.

It’s a wonderful community to be part of.

Today, it gave me hope.

Like so many of my friends, I have felt discouraged by the politics and discourse of hate and fear.

But as we rode past the houses, this is what we saw:

We saw a lot of flags.

We passed lemonade stands.

We passed all kinds of families getting their things together to spend the day celebrating America.

This is Chicago. It’s also America.

At the beach, it was already getting busy. Families were setting up their picnics. Their chairs. Their foods. To celebrate.

We saw white families. Brown families. Black families. Young people Old people. Hands joined. People helping each other. People enjoying the day with friends.

People wearing red, white, and blue. And a rainbow of other colors, too.

As we kept riding, we smelled foods from all over the country. All over the world.

This is America, too. We smelled barbecue. And hot dogs. And something I couldn’t identify (but it smelled amazing! Also something so spicy my eyes watered!)

We heard music from different cultures and countries of people that came here for freedom.

This is America.

And it is glorious.

Yes, there are people who are afraid. There are people who think they can stop change and hope. There are people who live by hate. There is much work to do. Challenges to be met. Listening and learning to be done.

That feels right.

It’s exciting.

When we got home, we all felt inspired. We talked about what we had felt and what we wanted to do to make this day every day. We love being part of a bigger, diverse community.

We realized that these people that hate–that fear–they can only stop us for so long. The truth is, they’re too late. And they must know it. This IS America. They must know that hope is ultimately going to win.

Happy Fourth.

 

 

The post Rabbi’s Granddaughter Gets Didactic appeared first on Sarah Aronson, Author.

Thank you, nErDCamp Kansas!

Dear Friends: (organizers, teachers, and creators):

What a day!

Thank you so much for including me in this day of learning, networking, inspiration, and FUN.

Thank you for inviting me into a community of like-minded thinkers. Of people who care deeply about literacy, and also kids, the world, the environment, our hearts. Thank you for welcoming me with open arms and big smiles.

Thank you for making space for discussion. For listening. For being able to speak honestly. And hopefully.

Thank you for giving us the chance to share ideas and enthusiasm in this growing discussion and powerful community.

I hope you could feel it.

The gratitude. But more than that–empowerment. And excitement. Inspiration.

This is why I believe so completely in community–and the power that permission offers! In every session I participated in, the answer was always (at least in part) about community.

It came up when talking about funny books–about what humor can offer kids learning to read. Or going through hard times. Or kids who need a break. Or all of us–because smiling and joy and laughter can bring us together for life.

Community came up in the panel about the topic I’ve been talking about since 2014–the POWER OF PLAY.

(I could have talked PLAY all day!)

Play comes from trust. It builds community. It builds voices. Losing EXPECTATIONS is the way to invite creativity into the day! Unstructured time is purposeful. When I am drawing or walking or not doing anything, I am imagining!

Community came up as we talked STORYBOARDING.

And of course, it came up when we discussed FAILURE. I am going to write something longer about this–but for now I want to thank everyone who bravely stepped into that session and talked about failure–about how essential it is. And not just how we can learn from it. But how we can celebrate it. Make friends with it. Stop feeling ashamed of BEING BOLD and TRYING NEW THINGS and TAKING (smart) RISKS.

Kids need our hands when they take these steps. They need to not fear failure. They need to learn not to fear failure.

I was inspired. By the teachers that welcomed us with open arms. By the preparation and details that went into making this day an invitation for all. By the smiles and contributions of all the writers.

Thank you for sharing YOUR sparkle with me.

Today, I write with a FULL HEART. And greater purpose.

Sparkle on!!

xo sarah

The post Thank you, nErDCamp Kansas! appeared first on Sarah Aronson, Author.

More than Halfway to Happily Ever After

Writers,

Here she is. My fairy godmother. From the “Leslie Ann Warren” Cinderella.

Ever since watching Celeste Holm wave her wand, I have always loved fairy godmothers. Because kids ALWAYS ask me WHY she made such a huge impression, I’ve been thinking about it a lot.

Here’s what I’ve come up with:

She had the power to grant wishes.She had beautiful jewels and clothes.She was autonomous.She made the rules.

That last part is funny, because Isabelle (and I) don’t do well with rules.

As a kid, I had a hard time in school. I never read the directions. I had a hard time studying. Did I want instant gratification? Maybe. But mostly, I didn’t get it. I didn’t get how school worked. It seemed perfectly fine for some. But for me, it was hard.

In the first two WISH LIST books, it was easy to see how the rules of the fairy godmother world were holding back Isabelle.

But in Book Three, Halfway Ever After, I wanted to say something more.

I also wanted to shake things up a bit.

If I could map out my series, it would look like a Partridge Family song.

VerseVerseBridgeVerse

I love the Bridge! I bet everyone (my age) can sing the bridge of I THINK I LOVE YOU:

I don’t know what I’m up against
I don’t know what it’s all about
I got so much to think about…..HEY……..

RIGHT?

So, with that in mind, I thought not just about how Isabelle was changing, but also how communities evolve. And how rules get changed. I remembered protests I marched in. I remember my daughter forming a group of protesters when her teacher stopped challenging her.

And then I went to the Women’s March. And saw this:

Here is something I know about the writing process.

When your ideas are swirling, more ideas show up. It’s like a magnetic force. If you pay attention, they are there. They are waiting for us. If we open our eyes and ears and not worry about knowing everything all at once,

they are there. All along.

When I saw that sign, I could see the story. My bridge was going to begin with some fairy godmother style civil disobedience. With women who love happily ever after, feeling not so happy. And coming together. To speak out against the system. With disruption. With debate.

I hope my readers like it. I also hope they will begin to think about protest and how oppressed and overlooked people find power in community. In bringing voices and bodies and messages together.

I think this is important today.

I think it will always be important. And now–easy peasy lemon squeezy! It’s also sparkly!

Also: here’s a sneak peek of the cover of the final Wish List book: Survival of the Sparkliest!

The post More than Halfway to Happily Ever After appeared first on Sarah Aronson, Author.

Random thoughts on the struggle…and how to embrace it.

In Beyond Lucky, my main character, Ari Fish, believes something that I believe, too:

Life is a sine wave.

There are good days.

There are bad days.

You get good news.

You get bad news.

Basically, you have to learn to roll with it. To not count on luck. To believe in yourself. And keep working.

Stop comparing yourself to others.

In other words: embrace the struggle.

That’s what I’ve been thinking about a lot–and for good reasons. I just met an AMAZING group of writers at my workshop at the Highlights Foundation, Get To Know Your Novel. Their bravery and tenacity just blew me away!

Also: I dove into my revision of The Wish List Four: Survival of the Sparkliest!

This is something I never thought I could do: A SERIES. Yesterday, I came up with some new ideas for my next novel. And then I got a nice invitation.

I was on a roll!

But then I got a rejection. And a no thank you note.

In the past, this rejection might have wrecked my day–made me question myself. But yesterday, I did something else. I unplugged. I drew. I took a walk. I finished the chapter I was working on.

Do you see where I’m going?

 

Failure is only bad if it stops you from writing.

Failure is only bad if it chips at your purpose.

This morning as my son got ready for school, we talked about struggle and how it can make us doubt ourselves. It can dismantle our confidence.

But it doesn’t have to. Struggle and failure are good things, too. They make sure our egos stay checked. They make sure we take NO STEP for granted. Struggle means we have more to attain. More to strive for.

These days, I see failure as a set up for new goals. When I’m struggling to get what I want–that’s a good thing. (And we might as well admit: it doesn’t go away.) For me, the struggle to do better, to write more, to create, to improve my school visits is part of the push and pull that makes me a better writer. It’s also FUN. And not EASY.

And that’s good.

When I feel doubt taking over my day, I check myself and go back to PLAY. I remind myself that struggle is a sign that I am reaching for something BIG. And important. And when that feels hard, I now see that as an invitation to play–to try something new–to try some new way in.

That new way is waiting.

Back to work.

 

 

 

The post Random thoughts on the struggle…and how to embrace it. appeared first on Sarah Aronson, Author.

From my newsletter: Writing Novels For Young People Retreat 2018

If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.
-Milton Berle

Dear Writers,

This weekend was the Writing Novels for Young People Retreat at VCFA. Cindy Faughnan and I have been planning and running this event for many years. This is the place and event where I practiced. I learned. I made friends. I became a teacher. I learned about leadership and planning.  

This weekend, our guest faculty talked about so many things that are important to me: From advocacy (as in: Why me? And Why Not Me?) to  structure and story–from both the editor’s eye and the writer’s. And they talked about the possibilities of quirky characters, play and discovery–and how we woo story. In workshops, we took that magic and applied it with empathy and courage. We talked about the glimmers in our work–and the possibilities. And like every retreat, we offered each other support and most important, friendship. We challenged each other. We worked like detectives (or journalists), asking: who, what, when, where, and why? We thought about who we were in these stories and what drove us to keep at them–especially in this angry world.

I am so grateful to this year’s faculty (in alphabetical order): Will Alexander, Rebecca Aronson, Karen Boss, Donna Gephart, Jo Knowles, Maggie Lehrman, Amanda Maciel and Chris Tebbetts. Today, I also want to say thank you to every writer who came to this retreat–from the very first one in 2005. I am grateful for your stories. I am grateful for your trust. You helped us create this wonderful community.

If you know me in real life, you know that I write in lots of genres. That I love change. And play. And new challenges.

So as my title suggests, I think this story always had an ending. And I think that end has come–for me.

Once upon a time, this opportunity was my first chance–to be a teacher. To see what I could make. Every year, we raised the stakes. We acted and reacted. We pushed ourselves to improve. 

But now I see new opportunities. Just like writing a story–I need to raise the stakes. Change the momentum. Surprise my readers.

Writers, change is always scary.
But we all have to. 

So today, I am using this space to let everyone know that I am saying goodbye to my baby–my first venture–and exploring new opportunities for retreats.

I am really excited about what is out there.

I take with me memories and experience that have made me a better teacher and writer. But it’s time to do something new. 

During the weekend, Donna Gephart asked us to write an obituary for a character. To discover a legacy. Here is what I hope people will say about the retreat:

The community that began as the Writing Novels for Young People Retreat was a great stepping stone for many writers, books, and friends. The foundation was story and craft and learning. But the magic that happened there every year came from trust. And courage. And empathy. This retreat made writers joyful. Over the years, writers thought about every topic possible, from characters to plot, to setting, to secondary characters, to surprises, to storyboarding and play.  It was the place where life long friendships were formed. It was the place where stories came to life.

Are you ready to stretch?

I loved this exercise and I invite you to try it. Write an obituary for one of your characters. In her or his own voice. Make it funny. Or sad. It’s up to you. Look at your character’s WHOLE LIFE, their accomplishments, their yearning, the things they are proud of and the quirks that should never be forgotten.

When the chefs could not make breakfast Sunday morning, retreaters did not get mad. Instead, they ran down the hill to buy bagels and get more coffee for the whole group. It was a funny moment. (And surprise–the bagels were GREAT. In Vermont!) We had already faced a lot of problems (just like the best protagonists), but now we knew each other. We were feeling joyous. We had momentum! As we ate, we all realized that great ideas and events and stories happen when we act spontaneously–when we respond to the world around us–when we roll up our sleeves and get to work–when we think about others and forget the ego. 

Today, Writers, I am filled with gratitude. I thank every single writer and editor who attended this event. You have made me a better writer. You gave me so much to think about.

Have a great writing week!

sarah

The post From my newsletter: Writing Novels For Young People Retreat 2018 appeared first on Sarah Aronson, Author.

Writing FAST

This month, I am writing fast! I have to write fast! Because I am on a deadline!

I have never written fast before, so I made up some rules:

1. NO INTERNET until after 4 pages written.

1a: But first, I made a PLAN. I wrote an outline and a couple of storyboards. So I know where I am going.

2. Write first thing in the morning. First, some free writing. Then pages.

3. Walk every day. With a notebook. So I can write down what I’m thinking. When I’m stuck, I’m going to switch locations. LISTENING is a big part of my process, whether I’m writing fast or slow. My brain needs SPACE. I need to play–otherwise I get nothing done!

4. As always: READ when I can. Reading inspires me. It gives me ideas!!!

Wish me luck!

How do YOU write fast?

Final Presidential Quote on Election Day

WHO SAID THIS?????

People can judge me for what I’ve done. And I think when somebody’s out in the public eye, that’s what they do. So I’m fully comfortable with who I am, what I stand for, and what I’ve always stood for.

And this?

You don’t walk away if you love someone. You help the person.

And this?

Let’s continue to stand up for those who are vulnerable to being left out or marginalized.

The next PRESIDENT????

I HOPE SO.

#tearsofjoy

Presidential Quote #25: Barack Obama

Until Election Day, let’s honor our President, Barack Obama. (The truth is: I could quote him all day.) Here’s a really good one:

Now, as a nation, we don’t promise equal outcomes, but we were founded on the idea everybody should have an equal opportunity to succeed. No matter who you are, what you look like, where you come from, you can make it. That’s an essential promise of America. Where you start should not determine where you end up. 

#PresidentswithoutPolitics #VOTEVOTEVOTEVOTE