P.J. Hoover's Blog, page 89
August 9, 2009
A Whole Lot of AAWWesome!
This year I helped organize and plan the Awesome Austin Writing Workshop (AAWW) along with Debbie Gonzales and Meredith Davis. Though pared down to one day from last year's three, it was made of total awesome.
Awesome included:
The following wonderful authors in attendance:
Brian Anderson
Varsha Bajaj
Chris Barton
Donna Bratton
Gene Brenek
Shana Burg
Meredith Davis
Alison Dellenbaugh
Debbie Gonzales
Helen Hemphill
PJ Hoover (me)
Julie Lake
Greg Leitich Smith
Carmen Oliver
Lyn Seippel
Andy Sherrod
Don Tate
Brian Yan
Awesome included:
The following wonderful authors in attendance:
Brian Anderson
Varsha Bajaj
Chris Barton
Donna Bratton
Gene Brenek
Shana Burg
Meredith Davis
Alison Dellenbaugh
Debbie Gonzales
Helen Hemphill
PJ Hoover (me)
Julie Lake
Greg Leitich Smith
Carmen Oliver
Lyn Seippel
Andy Sherrod
Don Tate
Brian Yan
August 7, 2009
Five on a Friday
Hope everyone's had a great week!
1) First off, huge congratulations to Varian Johnson and Jennifer Taylor for graduating from the Vermont MFA program! I went to an awesome happy hour last night to celebrate and didn't manage to take a single picture. But trust me when I say it was a blast!
2) I've determined the perfect recipe for writing is heading to the library to write while your house and deck are being power-washed and painted. Avoid the noise. Be doubly productive.
*Note - this would not be
1) First off, huge congratulations to Varian Johnson and Jennifer Taylor for graduating from the Vermont MFA program! I went to an awesome happy hour last night to celebrate and didn't manage to take a single picture. But trust me when I say it was a blast!
2) I've determined the perfect recipe for writing is heading to the library to write while your house and deck are being power-washed and painted. Avoid the noise. Be doubly productive.
*Note - this would not be
August 4, 2009
How do your critiques vary?
It seems an ongoing theme of my summer is critiques. I'm giving them, getting them, thinking more and more about them, trying to improve at them. Each situation needs to be weighed and critiqued based on what the author is looking for and what is given.
For example, the first ten pages critique.
Wow. This is one of the funnest ones for me. It's the first ten pages of the novel for Pete's sake. I want to be hooked. I want it to just grab me. I want to be able to see some action, some character deve
For example, the first ten pages critique.
Wow. This is one of the funnest ones for me. It's the first ten pages of the novel for Pete's sake. I want to be hooked. I want it to just grab me. I want to be able to see some action, some character deve
July 31, 2009
Five on a Friday
Hey Everyone!
The weeks of summer are flying by. I've seemed to fall into a twice a week blogging pattern for summer. Works for me. Once school starts, I'll get back to my three times a week.
Here are my five for the week:
1) Dental surgery is not all bad. Everything has a silver lining, right? I'm trying to summarize the good things about having dental surgery (which I was fortunate enough to have yesterday).
When I got home, I slept from 12:30 pm - 6:30 pm and then still went to bed at 10:30 pm.I
The weeks of summer are flying by. I've seemed to fall into a twice a week blogging pattern for summer. Works for me. Once school starts, I'll get back to my three times a week.
Here are my five for the week:
1) Dental surgery is not all bad. Everything has a silver lining, right? I'm trying to summarize the good things about having dental surgery (which I was fortunate enough to have yesterday).
When I got home, I slept from 12:30 pm - 6:30 pm and then still went to bed at 10:30 pm.I
July 26, 2009
Five on a Monday
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
1) Mine started off with this fabulous review for THE EMERALD TABLET from Becky's Book Reviews. My favorite line from the review happens to be the first line:
"I loved this one."
This right here puts a big, huge smile on my face!
2) Love this photo of the peacock outside the Laguna Gloria Art Museum here in Austin where I've been writing the last few weeks. Sadly, art camp is over, so until the school year starts, there will be no more Laguna Gloria for me. But for
1) Mine started off with this fabulous review for THE EMERALD TABLET from Becky's Book Reviews. My favorite line from the review happens to be the first line:
"I loved this one."
This right here puts a big, huge smile on my face!
2) Love this photo of the peacock outside the Laguna Gloria Art Museum here in Austin where I've been writing the last few weeks. Sadly, art camp is over, so until the school year starts, there will be no more Laguna Gloria for me. But for
July 19, 2009
My Gift to you for the Week
I hope everyone had a great weekend! We finally managed to see Ice Age 3 (in 3D), during which my 8-year-old howled with laughter. He is the perfect age for this humor level.
At the bookstore this weekend I picked up:
A random Ben 10 book my kids AGREED onDoc Wilde and The Frogs of Doom by Tim Byrd (which I think will be perfect for my son, also)Wake by Lisa McMann (Miriam, I think it was your review along with some comments from Tabitha which finally pushed me over the edge on this one)The Myster
At the bookstore this weekend I picked up:
A random Ben 10 book my kids AGREED onDoc Wilde and The Frogs of Doom by Tim Byrd (which I think will be perfect for my son, also)Wake by Lisa McMann (Miriam, I think it was your review along with some comments from Tabitha which finally pushed me over the edge on this one)The Myster
July 17, 2009
Five on a Friday
Happy weekend, everyone!
1) It's amazing the things you find when you google yourself. I stumbled across this TV interview I did last September.
2) Looking for the perfect simile? Ask an 8-year-old. I made a sandwich for my son's friend, and he said it was so good it was "like a piece of Heaven fallen to Earth."
Sweet! Who knew I was such a great sandwich maker?
3) My restart of my WIP is going great! I've even cheated a tiny bit and used some of my previous version. But I'm good with that. I love m
1) It's amazing the things you find when you google yourself. I stumbled across this TV interview I did last September.
2) Looking for the perfect simile? Ask an 8-year-old. I made a sandwich for my son's friend, and he said it was so good it was "like a piece of Heaven fallen to Earth."
Sweet! Who knew I was such a great sandwich maker?
3) My restart of my WIP is going great! I've even cheated a tiny bit and used some of my previous version. But I'm good with that. I love m
July 14, 2009
In which I inspire the Newest Genius Rage
Yes, we all know Erno Rubik is a genius. And if you've been lucky enough to read THE EMERALD TABLET , you know Erno Rubik is a telegen and that he designed the Kinetic Orb as a Rubik's Cube for smart people.
Now let fiction become reality.
Have you heard about the Rubik's Sphere 360? Here's the link on the latest craze sure to drive all you non-telegens crazy. It sure looks a lot like a Kinetic Orb to me.
Thanks to my dad for letting me know my science fiction dreams are reality. Hey, Dad, does tha
Now let fiction become reality.
Have you heard about the Rubik's Sphere 360? Here's the link on the latest craze sure to drive all you non-telegens crazy. It sure looks a lot like a Kinetic Orb to me.
Thanks to my dad for letting me know my science fiction dreams are reality. Hey, Dad, does tha
July 12, 2009
What Keeps us Authors Going
Fan mail
Plain and simple. There's just nothing like it. Any kid who cares enough to let me know they liked my book holds a special place in my heart. And I have to mention a fan Madeline who's read THE EMERALD TABLET 3 times and drew this amazing, awesome work of art.
Aside from her impeccable taste in reading, this girl has serious talent. Notice her attention to detail. Benjamin Holt pinching himself. Proteus Ajax with his arms crossed. The bookshelf containing a globe, a picture of two people
Plain and simple. There's just nothing like it. Any kid who cares enough to let me know they liked my book holds a special place in my heart. And I have to mention a fan Madeline who's read THE EMERALD TABLET 3 times and drew this amazing, awesome work of art.
Aside from her impeccable taste in reading, this girl has serious talent. Notice her attention to detail. Benjamin Holt pinching himself. Proteus Ajax with his arms crossed. The bookshelf containing a globe, a picture of two people
July 7, 2009
Osceola Mills, Brick Collecting, ATVs and POVs
Before I forget, we're celebrating Moon Day and giving away a copy of The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan over at The Spectacle.
Head over and enter for your chance to win!
***
I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July weekend! I have to say, in my collection of Fourth of Julys, this past one ranks up way near the top in terms of enjoyment. I'll summarize what I managed to do without boring everyone to tears with regalement of my personal vacation. In Osceola Mills, PA, here's what I did:
I h
Head over and enter for your chance to win!
***
I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July weekend! I have to say, in my collection of Fourth of Julys, this past one ranks up way near the top in terms of enjoyment. I'll summarize what I managed to do without boring everyone to tears with regalement of my personal vacation. In Osceola Mills, PA, here's what I did:
I h
