Grace Lin's Blog, page 16
October 19, 2015
on my desk monday
I'm sketching the cover for
When the Sea Turned to Silver
:
I've started doing my sketches in pieces, all on tracing paper so I can move things around. I guess it would be faster if I could draw on the computer...but I am too old-fashioned!
I've started doing my sketches in pieces, all on tracing paper so I can move things around. I guess it would be faster if I could draw on the computer...but I am too old-fashioned!
October 13, 2015
Join me for a Live Video Chat!
The Girls Leadership organization chose Year of the Dog for their October Parent-Daughter Book Club selection and to cap it off, we're having a live video chat! You are welcome to join! Send your questions and find out more HERE!
October 12, 2015
on my desk monday
I've been trying to return to rituals in my work. Since I've had Rain Dragon, I've let a lot of things become rather slap-dash which is okay in some things (I've accepted it when it comes to, say, the state of the living room floor) but I think, for me, the act of writing and illustrating needs ritual--if only to cement in my mind that this is something of importance, that I must be considerate of.
One of the rituals I want to do with my writing, which I began with Starry River of the Sky is to print out the version-of-last-approval (basically the absolutely last time I can make changes), take a morning and read the entire thing out loud. Anyplace that I stumble or feels awkward, I mark and reconsider and, usually, change.
And it's almost time for me to do this for When the Sea Turned to Silver. To prepare, I decided to adapt my illustration tradition of making paper folders to this. I decided to make a custom decorate three-ring binder to hold my manuscript:
the decorative paper, the glue and a cardboard 3-ring binder (bought pre-made)
I'm kind of envisioning the colors of the cover of the book to be like the paper I chose for the binder:
beautiful japanese paper with a wave motif! All glued and clipped together to dry smoothly!
Now it's all ready to go:
I hope some of the beauty of the paper infuses into my writing! Wish me luck!!!
One of the rituals I want to do with my writing, which I began with Starry River of the Sky is to print out the version-of-last-approval (basically the absolutely last time I can make changes), take a morning and read the entire thing out loud. Anyplace that I stumble or feels awkward, I mark and reconsider and, usually, change.
And it's almost time for me to do this for When the Sea Turned to Silver. To prepare, I decided to adapt my illustration tradition of making paper folders to this. I decided to make a custom decorate three-ring binder to hold my manuscript:
the decorative paper, the glue and a cardboard 3-ring binder (bought pre-made)I'm kind of envisioning the colors of the cover of the book to be like the paper I chose for the binder:
beautiful japanese paper with a wave motif! All glued and clipped together to dry smoothly! Now it's all ready to go:
I hope some of the beauty of the paper infuses into my writing! Wish me luck!!!
October 7, 2015
on my way to the grocery store
Moving to the country has it's perks! Only here could you have an honor-system farm stand:
with the most amazing farm-fresh eggs:
I bought 2 dozen and will be coming back for more!
with the most amazing farm-fresh eggs:
I bought 2 dozen and will be coming back for more!
October 6, 2015
memory pearl
This one was confirmed. It is a beaver dam.
October 2, 2015
memory pearl
We don't know what this is, but she spent all morning making it:
I think it might be a beaver dam
I think it might be a beaver dam
September 28, 2015
on my desk monday
On my floor are the revisions to my novel:
I actually have many more than this, these are just the major revisions, the ones I felt I needed to I print-- More more minor or earlier versions (about 20+) I didn't bother to print out
I learned the hard way that I do the best revising when I read from real paper. When I revise only on the computer I miss a lot! Somehow, reading on paper with pencil in hand is much more effective. So when I asked my good friend Libby to be my beta reader for my novel, I completely understood when she asked if I would send it to printed out, on paper.
However, my novel is close to three hundred pages and my three hole punch could only punch ten pages at a time. So trying to put it together neatly and securely was a challenge which I pretty much failed:
When I lamented my lack of craft to Libby, she commiserated--saying she had the same problem as well! Some of our other author friends put together and bound their drafts so beautifully? How did they do it? They must just have more patience.
But then in the middle of night, Libby sent me an e-mail:
I felt really dumb that I hadn't thought of this!
Pre-punched, 3 holed paper!!!
Which changed my life.
Now, I could do the rest of my revisions this way:
behold the power of the 3-ring binder and pre-punched paper!
I think it's made a difference! Of course I am biased, but I really like this new novel!
I actually have many more than this, these are just the major revisions, the ones I felt I needed to I print-- More more minor or earlier versions (about 20+) I didn't bother to print outI learned the hard way that I do the best revising when I read from real paper. When I revise only on the computer I miss a lot! Somehow, reading on paper with pencil in hand is much more effective. So when I asked my good friend Libby to be my beta reader for my novel, I completely understood when she asked if I would send it to printed out, on paper.
However, my novel is close to three hundred pages and my three hole punch could only punch ten pages at a time. So trying to put it together neatly and securely was a challenge which I pretty much failed:
When I lamented my lack of craft to Libby, she commiserated--saying she had the same problem as well! Some of our other author friends put together and bound their drafts so beautifully? How did they do it? They must just have more patience.
But then in the middle of night, Libby sent me an e-mail:
I felt really dumb that I hadn't thought of this!Pre-punched, 3 holed paper!!!
Which changed my life.
Now, I could do the rest of my revisions this way:
behold the power of the 3-ring binder and pre-punched paper!I think it's made a difference! Of course I am biased, but I really like this new novel!
September 27, 2015
Happy Autumn Moon!
Today is the Moon Festival! Take a moment tonight to gaze at the moon, be thankful for your blessings and send the Moon Lady your secret wish. She might grant it!
Wishing you a happy Autumn Moon!
September 24, 2015
Don't forget to celebrate the Autumn-Moon Festival!
The Moon Festival is on Sunday! Need some help celebrating? I have a pinterest board with celebration suggestions as well as one with books you can share!
You can even share this poem I just wrote in honor of the day:
Phases of the Moon
by Grace Lin
First
it is a sideways smile
then a tilted silver rainbow
it becomes a white banana
and then a half-cookie
that is swallowed
in a bulging belly
until it is full
That is when I like the moon best
floating and round
a balloon in the sky
just for me
Happy Autumn-Moon!
September 23, 2015
summing up summer in our garden
It's the Autumn Equinox today which means the summer is over!
Like this blog, due to the focus on the new novel (When the Sea Turned to Silver, the title has changed so many times I have to repeat it so that it sticks in my head), everything in the yard became a bit neglected. But even overgrown, the garden still had its charm.
our overgrown yard is still kind of pretty, I tell people we were going for that "natural look."
Maybe because Rain Dragon didn't notice the weeds. She waited eagerly everyday for something to ripen so that she could pick.
Sometimes she didn't even wait for things to ripen:
"but the dragon likes green tomatoes!"But finally, there peas and beans to pick:
The beans were appreciated:
But the peas much more so, feasted upon:
as well as played with:
"I'm having a pea party!"And then our overgrown jungle of plants had new treasures to find:
tomatoes:
and one tall sunflower, to match our windspinner:
A nice little harvest:
and a lovely summer:
Goodbye, Summer!
Like this blog, due to the focus on the new novel (When the Sea Turned to Silver, the title has changed so many times I have to repeat it so that it sticks in my head), everything in the yard became a bit neglected. But even overgrown, the garden still had its charm.
our overgrown yard is still kind of pretty, I tell people we were going for that "natural look."Maybe because Rain Dragon didn't notice the weeds. She waited eagerly everyday for something to ripen so that she could pick.
Sometimes she didn't even wait for things to ripen:
"but the dragon likes green tomatoes!"But finally, there peas and beans to pick:
The beans were appreciated:
But the peas much more so, feasted upon:
as well as played with:
"I'm having a pea party!"And then our overgrown jungle of plants had new treasures to find:
tomatoes:
and one tall sunflower, to match our windspinner:
A nice little harvest:
and a lovely summer:
Goodbye, Summer!
