Annie Cardi's Blog, page 77

Links Galore

More links for Monday:

Mapping the magical genetic code.
Why is there so little diversity on NPR’s top 100 teen novels list?
TV shows YA fans should check out–aka, all the shows I love.
Writing is awesome; be proud of your work.

How to Make a Book

There’s a lot that goes into making a book. Fortunately, PublishingTrendsetter.com has created a great series on the life cycle of a book, including this fantastic infographic:

Even for people who kind of know the publishing world, it’s really helpful to see everything mapped out here. For even more info, make sure to check out all the video interviews with people in the business.

(image: PublishingTrendsetter.com)(via Darla Writes)(H/T Kathryn Johnston)

Friday Fifteen

TGIFF–thank goodness it’s the Friday Fifteen! This week’s fifteen-word reviews are inspired by NPR’s recent list of top YA novels (that aren’t all YA but we’ll overlook that for now).

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling

Harry gets his owl. Still waiting for mine, Hogwarts.

2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Didn’t love it like I thought I would. *ducks fans* Should give it another try.

3. Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Almost cried on the middle school bus with this one. Great epistolary novel.

4. A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle

Meditations on life and death, plus dolphins? Sign me up.

5. Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

A princess ditches the castle and hangs out with dragons. And she fights wizards. Love!

Special thanks to WordPress for making the Friday Fifteen a Freshly Pressed pick for July! I’m so honored and hope that you fabulous readers continue to enjoy these mini-reviews.

Also, love the Hub’s take on short form book summaries, including some via haiku.

Links Galore

Links for the end of the week:

Tumblrs + books = procrastination nation.
Jim Shepard talks about why writing short stories is like guerrilla warfare.
Anyone who works in writing/publishing already knows that everything takes longer than you think it should.
All concerts should have book-themed stages.
The film version of To Kill a Mockingbird turns 50 this year; celebrate with these international movie posters.

A Series of Personality Traits

Love this list of what your favorite YA series says about you. So glad to see so many awesome series (not just ultra-famous ones like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games) included. A few of my favorites:

Dangerous Angels: The Weetzie Bat Books, Francesca Lia Block

You were a pretty weird teenager, and you’ve grown up to be a pretty weird adult. But you’re pretty happy with that (as you should be).

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Patricia C. Wrede

You’re a smart aleck and kind of a badass — that is, you know all the places where a young lady is supposed to scream for help, but you generally prefer to rely on your sword hand. Also you make a killer cherries jubilee.

The Time Quintet, Madeleine L’Engle

You are an epic nerd, but that’s how you’re going to save the world.

One I’d add:

The Song of the Lioness, Tamora Pierce

You’re a kicking-ass-and-taking-names kind of person, but that doesn’t mean you can’t also enjoy a good make-out session.

Go find your favorite series!

Writers and Athletes: People Who Need Day Jobs

Sometimes when people find out my novel is being published, they ask “So are you writing full time?” At least for now, my answer is a big ol’ no. And for a lot of writers, especially those who haven’t really established themselves yet, alternate jobs are a necessity.

The same goes for many Olympic athletes. I’d wager that most of the time, the people we see competing aren’t supporting themselves by their sport. At least some employers can be understanding of athlete’s alternate careers, as in triathlete Gwen Jorgensen’s case:

“After the Olympics, Jorgensen, 26, tells the Minneapolis Star Tribune she plans to return to her job as an accountant at Ernst & Young in Milwaukee. Though she worked full-time at the start of her career as a triathlete, E&Y allowed her to scale back her office time as she became more proficient, she says. Her co-workers decorated her desk with Olympic paraphernalia, says the Tribune, when she qualified for the London games.”

First of all, she can do triathlons at this level and understand accounting? That’s like ten times my maximum productivity level. (See also, Stephanie.) Second, it’s wonderful that her office is so supportive of her athletic career. I’m fortunate to have coworkers who know all about the book and ask how the writing is going.

I think most writers and athletes would like to pursue their chosen field full-time, but that’s not always feasible. At the very least, it’s good to know that anyone trying to balance writing with another job is not alone.

Also check out this list of famous writers who never gave up their day jobs.

Claudia Kishi Still Has the Best Style

A Tumblr devoted to recreating Claudia Kishi’s outfits from The Baby-Sitters’ Club?

Best. Idea. Ever.

My favorite so far:

Might have to incorporate this look into my fall/winter look.

(H/T Brookline Booksmith)

Learn All the Things!

John Green talks about why education is awesome:

I’d also add that even though you might not love everything you learn in school, you never know what bit of awesome information will touch you or come into play in other parts of your life. Being a writer means that you need to know everything. Who knows when you character could want to build a catapult, or go to Neptune, or live in feudal Japan, or quote Shakespeare.

Links Galore

Rounding out the afternoon with some linkage:

I’ve always wanted Morwen’s enchanted sleeves, but these fictional artifacts are pretty great, too.
Anna Karenina was my beach read, once. Maybe it was the wrong setting, but I wasn’t in love with it.
Get ready for WriteOnCon 2012! All the goodness of a conference without having to look at bad hotel carpeting.
And in non-book news, tips for viewing the Perseid Meteor Shower this week.

 

Blueberry Fields Forever

Last weekend I packed up my computer, bathing suit, and best blueberry-picking bucket and headed to Maine for the Blueberry Fields Writers Retreat. It was my very first writing retreat and it was a blast. Since time was devoted to actual writing, I ended up getting a lot of work done. Of course, I could take a random Saturday and do the same thing in my apartment, but I think there’s a lot to be said for going somewhere with the specific purpose to write and knowing that this is your only responsibility.

Also, it was a fantastic chance to connect with other New England-based writers. I hadn’t officially met any of them before this retreat, but everyone was so welcoming that I felt comfortable right away. And even though writing is thought of as a very solitary activity, it’s so important to connect with other writers. It’s invigorating, and it’s helpful to hear about the general ups and downs of everyone’s careers.

I posted a preview on Monday, but now here’s a more extended glimpse at life at Blueberry Fields:

Art projects get the creative juices flowing.

I should probably stick to writing.

Sunlight on the blueberry fields early Sunday morning. Check out the bee boxes on the right!

Picking tasty Maine blueberries!

There were SO MANY!

I’m so glad I had this opportunity. It was the best weekend, and reminded me of how awesome YA/children’s writers are. In all honesty, I was a little nervous heading into the weekend; it was my first retreat and I didn’t know anyone else involved all that well. But I am so glad I attended. I left Maine on Sunday feeling so inspired and psyched to get working on my latest project. Another reminder that it pays to get out of your comfort zone and try new things.

Special thanks to Julie Kingsley, Meg Wilson, Cameron Rosenblum, and Susan Casey for making this all come together so beautifully.

More recaps of the retreat:

Sarah Albee
Julie True Kinsley