March Round-Up: Part Three, VCFA Novel Retreat

This past weekend was wonderfully relaxing. I played catch with my kids, went to see Divergent, enjoyed the spring ritual of going to Fat Boys drive in and binge watched How I Met Your Mother. But March was full of travel for me. Check out the March Round-Ups Part One:The Brunswick Inn and Part Two:Brooklyn & NYC or just read on to hear about Part Three: VCFA Novel Retreat.

This was the second year that I’ve driven up to Montpelier in March to meet with writers, my people, in the safe and supportive writing community that is Vermont College of Fine Arts (FMI: Writing Novels for Young People Retreat-VCFA). Last year I signed up for the critique track which allowed me to get feedback from other authors, and industry professionals about my work in progress. This year, I chose the writing track which gave me time to write and revise.

Vermont Alum at the Novel Writing Retreat

No matter what track one chooses, all participants enjoy lectures from the guests. This year, those guests were author Jennifer Richard Jacobson, author Rachel Wilson, and editor Martha Mahalick from Greenwillow Books. Rachel kicked off the weekend with a wonderful theater-based workshop on allowing yourself to play. I’ve already gotten her permission to borrow some of the great theater games for my “Active Mind, Active Body,” presentation at NESCBWI in May. Jennifer took a wide look at emotion on the page and I ended up with pages of notes. Martha discussed revision, the problems that she sees most often, and ideas about how to fix them. She let us have an inside view to the relationship between an editor and her authors. All the presentations were inspiring!

The change of place, the helpful presentations, the wonderful company all allowed me to write again after an stress-induced hiatus. I completed a the first draft of my WIP, printed it out, and started my read through. The other wonderful thing about the weekend is the public reading. One night, we are all welcomed to take the floor and read 2 pages from our manuscripts. I love reading my work (probably because reading was a part of the VCFA curriculum when I was there). However, I hadn’t read from the work before and found myself nervous and a little breathless. Still, it was well received and it’s always good to take advantage of a chance to read aloud. Especially in such a supportive environment.

This week, my goal is to complete my first read through and to write myself an editorial letter. This is one of my favorite revision techniques. I get to pull back from being an author and just attack the manuscript. Sure, I’m still personally involved, but I try to give the story some tough love. When I read the editorial letter in a week or so, I’ll have the hard job of hating my editor (me) and trying to figure out how to resolve the problems in the manuscript. (A little schizophrenic I know, but it works for me.)

March Round-Up: Part Two, Brooklyn & NYC

If you’ve been reading Creative Chaos for a while, you know that New York City feeds me. Day to day, I live in a very quiet and small town where I love being part of a close community. I enjoy the peace (little to no traffic, crime, noise, etc.) that goes along with it. But sometimes I need the culture, diversity, bustle, and grit of the city.

I was lured to the city this month when my agent sent me an invitation to a PI(e) Day party she was giving. I quickly contacted a few friends to see who might let me surf their couch. I was thrilled that my long-ago friends from Eagle’s Nest summer camp welcomed me into their Brooklyn Heights apartment which was an easy cab ride to The Treats Truck Stop Restaurant where Kim, the owner, made amazing savory and sweet hand pies. The company was just as sweet. Lovely editors, agents, writers, and illustrators ventured out on another cold spring night for the warmth of other industry professionals in the kidlit community. Everyone was welcoming and wonderful.

Kim in front of the shop. Photo courtesy of her website! http://treatstruck.com/our-story/

The next day, Adam and I toured Brooklyn. The promenade gives an amazing view of the city. I took tons of pictures under the Brooklyn Bridge in the Dumbo area, and enjoyed the older architecture. I would totally live in Brooklyn.

In the city, we went to Times Square and Chelsea Market. I loved wandering through the kitchen and restaurant equipment shop, watching the mini donuts brown, and smelling spices at the spice shop.

Next was a walk on the high line to the Theater District. Adam’s work with The Boy’s and Girl’s Club of America allowed us to see a preview performance of A Raisin in the Sun with Denzel Washington. The performance was wonderful. It’s themes of dreams, family, oppression and assimilation make it one of my favorite plays. After the performance, Mr. Washington did a Q & A with the group of young people from the Mount Vernon B&G Club (of which he is an alum). Thus the picture of Denzel, Me, and Adam. It was a blast!

March Round-Up: Part One, The Brunswick Inn

This is my first in a month of Saturday’s that I’ve woken up in my own bed with nothing on the calendar. I’m SO grateful. As wonderful as travel and visiting can be, it is exhausting. It has also meant very little time for blogging so I’m going to update you on some of my March. This might have to be in parts because there is so much!

The month started with a lovely stay at The Brunswick Inn with my wonderful Book Club friends.

Our book club has been meeting for almost 20 years. We’ve seen each other through babies, degrees, and jobs. We meet once a month on a Sunday morning. We eat, and talk, and even discuss books. I’d say I read 70% of the time. When I don’t read it’s because I’m plowing through three other middle grade or young adult books. Still, it’s a great way to promise myself at least one grown up book a month, intellectual conversation, and the support and love of female friends.

The Inn faces our town’s wonderful green space called the mall. There is a gazebo and during the summer months an amazing farmer’s market. In addition to the big house, it turns out that the property is very deep and includes a Carriage House and a cottage.

All the rooms are beautiful. Here’s where we stayed.

It included another twin and two more twins in an adjoining room. There was also a conference area available to us. If I was planning a summer writing retreat, I’d definitely use The Brunswick Inn.

Tomorrow, Part Two: Brooklyn and NYC!

Get Excited for March Madness Children’s Poetry Competition #MMPoetry

Yes, folks. While some of you were on the couch watching the Oscars (and others were just asleep and drooling on your remote control) Ed DeCaria over at Think Kid Think posted the Sunday Selection video (below) for the 2014 MARCH MADNESS POETRY competition (#MMPoetry).

Did you watch?

Did you see who my competition is?

The Queen of Kidlit, Jane Yolen.

I’m going to need your support.

I mean it.

If you subscribe to this blog, or follow me on twitter, or if you are my friend in real life or only on Facebook, or if you went to VCFA, or University of Rochester, or Woodrow Willson Senior High School in Washington, DC, or Eagle’s Nest Camp in North Carolina, or even if you hate me that’s okay because I all I need you to do is get excited about children’s poetry and vote for the poem you love (Anna’s). Read with an open heart and mind and choose the poem that resonates with you (Anna’s). Use all your academic training and writing experience to pick the well-written example (Anna’s)… and then send chocolate!

A huge thank you to Ed DeCaria for the time and energy he gives to children’s poetry and to 64 authletes who bug him about the competition at this time of year. If you’ve never followed the March Madness Poetry Competition before, take a look at Madness! Writing 126 New Children’s Poems in 21 Days. If you are a teacher and you want your kids to join the other 1000 students who will be official poetry judges check out Win 50 Kids’ Poetry Books In 50 Milliseconds! It’s Madness! and register in the next two weeks before the competition begins.

Get your poetry groove on because starting March 17th, things heat up. The week begins with the unveiling of the first words (both to spectators and authletes) and later that week, the first poems will be published.

I’ll see you there! (Vote for Anna)

MWPA Workshop A Success!

Since my last post there have been a lot of changes in my personal life. Changes that I’m not going to go into here. Suffice it to say they have taken up a lot of my brain and heart space and so blogging has been low on the priority list.

What came in high on the priority list this week was my workshop preparation for the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance. That presentation, “Desire in the Middle Grade and Young Adult Novel,” went very well (if I do say so myself). I was honored to spend the day with seven aspiring writers who braved five hours with me at the Patten Free Library in Bath, ME. Together we explored model texts including Julie Berry’s; All The Truth That’s In Me, Linda Urban’s, A Crooked Kind of Perfect; Ingrid Law’s, Savvy; and Alan Cumyn’s, Tilt.

We asked questions, challenged ideas, reviewed manuscripts, wrote, revised, and even meditated. The day was a success!

Now I’m looking forward to my next presentation. May 2nd, I’ll be at the NESCBWI Annual Spring Conference presenting a workshop called, “Active Mind, Active Body.” We’ll be exploring the connection between physical activity and creativity, developing physical and creative goals, and crafting plans to achieve our goals. Finally, we’ll be doing some gentle physical activity (stretching, dance, yoga) to jump start fun writing activities. Register today!