Writing Events

When I was getting my MFA in Writing for Children from the New School in New York, we had to attend a minimum of eight writing/publishing "events" per year (or was it per semester?). They believed this helped us to embrace the "writer's life," and it was one of my favorite parts of the program.

Now that I'm in DC, I still try to attend as much stuff as I can. Local conferences, book signings, etc. And I'm lucky to have my monthly DC Kidlit Book Club meetings, as well as my DC Children's Book Guild meetings. The Guild had a wonderful midwinter party last weekend where we all got a chance to eat, mingle, and discuss our writing, and today we had a luncheon with editor Namrata Tripathi (of S&S's Atheneum) as the speaker.

I always mention how solitary writing can be, especially when one is home with kids and not able to get out and do as much stuff as one would like. But attending a few events each month, making time for writing dates with friends, and just hanging out at the bookstore every once in a while to browse really keeps the juices flowing.

I'm mid-revision right now, so I need to be gunning it every day, but I'm glad I took some time this week to catch up with my fellow writers and get re-inspired. Tank refilled!

Writing Dates

I'm lucky enough to have friend and fellow teen author Jenny Han in town this week. Right now we're sitting at my dining room table hacking away at our respective manuscripts. We type, we drink tea, we stop and toss an idea or two at each other, and go back to typing.

Sometimes with writing dates progress appears slower than when working alone, but I find that the companionship, the sounding board, and the shared energy of working WITH someone, even if you're not working on the same project, more than makes up for it. One of the few things I miss about having an office job is having colleagues to make the work go a little faster.

So yesterday and today, I have a colleague. And, so far, a bunch of new pages in my manuscript and a clearer idea of what I want the climactic scene to be.

(Also a toddler running around asking for more Elmo's World, but let's ignore that, shall we?)

Something for the Mom-Writers

When I'm having a week where I can't get enough writing done, or I'm completely distracted by toddler antics, toddler illness, pregnancy insomnia, and broken garbage disposals, among other things, I read this quote from Elizabeth Berg's Escaping Into the Open, and I feel better.

When you have young children, and you are the primary caretaker, I think they must come first. If they don't, I think it will hurt both of you. This is not to say that you should put your writing aside when you have children; rather, it is to encourage you to work around their schedule as much as you can...

In order not to cheat yourself, you have to make writing a high priority... But you have to live the rest of your life, too; you have to allow room for all that makes you you, for all that feeds you. In my mind, being more than a writer, means you're more of a writer.

My hats off to other writers who are also full-time moms to young children and manage to get a little work done everyday. I shoot for four days of writing a week, and usually do it. But sometimes life happens and nothing gets done, and then I feel guilty, when really I shouldn't bother feeling that way. Because I will never make the choice of writing over caring for my sniffly daughter, or taking her to get a balloon on a day that she really, realllllly wants one, or lying on the living room floor while she gives me a pedicure with a crayon.

What I'm reading now

I always like to have a good stack of books on my bedside table. Here's what I'm reading now:

Sophie Simon Solves Them All by Lisa Graff - Chapter book about an 8-yr-old genius who solves her classmates' problems.

Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes by Lisa Greenwald - MG novel about three best friends and their mission to spread a little community love on a snowy Valentine's Day in NYC.

Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson - The sequel to Chains, one of my favorite reads last year!

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly - A new contemporary/historical fiction YA about how a teen in today's Brooklyn finds the diary of a girl living in Paris during the French Revolution, and the effect it has on her.

Mother/Daughter Books & Tea

Fellow author Jennifer Allison and I hosted a Mother/Daughter Books & Tea event at Politics & Prose bookstore last Sunday and, happily, it was a huge success! The event was sold out, with both daughters and mothers squeezing into the downstairs "Remainder Room" at my local indie, anxious to discuss their favorite tween books, ask Jen and I questions, and get their books signed.

Several of them were aspiring writers, which always makes for

great questions.

The Chevy Chase Patch covered the event here.

If you are a bookseller, librarian or teacher and would like to host a similar event, please email me!

The Highs of Writing

There's a great interview with Coe over at School Library Journal.

In it Coe states how one of her favorite surreal moments as an author was the day she sat and signed books next to Ann M. Martin. She doesn't even mention winning the LA Times Book Prize, which most people would expect to be the answer. That's because the book lover in her is still more jazzed to meet an author/hero, than to be one.

I think it's neat how the things we expect to be big moments for us as writers are often not the ones that resonate the most. I remember thinking that selling my first book would be huge, but getting an agent was actually more exciting for me, because that was the moment I felt I was On My Way. And seeing my books on the shelves is nice, but not as great as having a kid ask me when I'm going to write a sequel.

One of the happiest moments I've had as a writer was at the ALA conference in 2007, where I was able to sit in on a session with Judy Blume. When she got up to the podium I got teary-eyed, just thinking of the effect her books had on me as a kid, and the many, many times I've read them. I think that in my mind and ego, I will always be a Reader first, and a Writer second.

*caroline hickey

Do Your Research

My new WIP takes place on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where I spent time as a kid. It's a beautiful, rural, somewhat insulated community, and I really want to infuse my book with its atmosphere. I hadn't visited in several years, so last week my husband and I took a two-day trip there and toured a few of the smaller towns.

Just being on location gave me a huge rush of inspiration! I jotted down tons of notes for places my characters should go, little bits of local trivia and details I can add, etc. I want to weave in some of the history of the town without taking the reader out of the story, and since it's told in first person present that will be difficult. But I plan to try it.

I'm still foggy on what the next few major scenes of my book will be, but I feel so in tune with the setting and flavor of the book. I just hope it translates. (And that one day I actually finish this draft!)

*caroline hickey