What's the latest from the balcony, Waldorf?

For all my dear blogging buddies who read my post on the Waldorf school, here's an update. After a lengthy IST (Instructional Support Team) meeting on Wednesday, we left school with assurances that the public school would do their utmost to help our girl succeed in 1st grade next year. Then on Thursday morning, we took our daughter for a visit/assessment at the Waldorf school. She loved it and couldn't wait to go back. Of course, we have been aiming at sending her to the SWS in the fall, but after our conversation with her potential teacher on Thursday night, we threw all caution, deliberation, etc. to the wind. Long story short, we decided that, given the current level of tension our daughter suffers regarding school, why wait? At the suggestion of her Waldorf teacher, and after hair-pulling financial consideration and several previous sleepless nights over the whole issue, we have decided to go ahead and let dear daughter make the move now.

I have just composed a letter to her principal explaining that she will not be returning to the public school and will indeed finish the year elsewhere. There are many good, good people at the public school who have been more than patient with Maisie's outbursts and frustration over the year. But as it stands, the pressures of that little bastard known as NCLB are just too much for the current administration to battle. And until that changes, our dear daughter hasn't a chance.

So, our sweet girl is making the transition to a more holistic approach to learning. It remains to be seen whether she will progress to 1st grade or repeat kindergarten next year, but we know we are doing the right thing for her. Now...if I can just get that job... It's all still up in the air, but there are some promising developments on that front. If it all works out, we'll have two kids in the Waldorf system. Hurray! Stay tuned...

The Essential Truth

Nancy Mercado's session on Revisions at the SCBWI Retreat was excellent. She gave a list of questions to ask yourself as you go through your manuscript. All of them spot-on-point issues. But one that really struck me was the most basic question: What is the essential truth of your story? If you cannot answer that one, your manuscript is in trouble. But it is interesting, especially in the case of plot-driven stories, that we can sometimes forget to ask ourselves that.

I considered my own WIP. It wasn't that there was no essential truth or significant, overriding theme, but I do believe it wasn't coming through enough in the story. Your reader shouldn't have to look that hard for it, but at the same time, it shouldn't be some blaring "moral of the story" hammer to the head either. It should be there in the way your MC looks at his mother, or the way he cuts his steak, or the way he jumps into the conflict and tackles the problem, or in the price that he must pay for success, or in his failure to navigate his own obstacles.

So, I have already been going through my chapters and weaving that thread more clearly into my narrative, giving my story more depth and raising the stakes for my MC.

So what's your essential truth?

The Poconos Retreat

So here I sit in, tucked into my little lodge at the Sterling Inn in the Poconos, surrounded by writers, illustrators, editors, and a host of other creative people. There has been a great sense of camaraderie and collaboration, unlike any I've experienced at past conferences, and it has really been inspiring. Paul Acampora and Nancy Mercado have shown us how nurturing a writer/editor relationship can be. Although it may not be the typical situation, it's nice to see that it is possible. They are both so funny and interesting and have such a strong sense of who they are, which comes across in their books.

Lisa Wheeler and Ponder Goembel showed us how an illustrator might imagine a story differently in her head than the writer did, but together they create magic. What has been nice about this year's retreat is the sense of inspiration and affirmation that good communication and continued growth are really the hallmark of a good relationship, no matter what you are doing. And many of us have met as strangers, but embraced each other's work and shared a little bit of ourselves with people who understand how creative minds work.

Nothing clever or inspiring from me, today. Just reflecting on a nice weekend surrounded by clever, artistic people who love to tell stories.

Persistence

Some writer friends recently blogged about the importance of persistence in a writer's life, and I felt the need to reflect a bit further. Persistence comes to us, or teases us, from more than one corner.

First...in our writing. Many friends have discovered spring fever lately and are having a hard time focusing on their writing. I have many things intruding upon my concentration these days, one of which was the subject of my last entry. As new life blooms outside, daily life inside begins to buzz at a fever pitch as well. Sports practices intensify, chores need more urgent attention, children need more urgent attention,... all very reasonable and tempting distractions from our writing. But if you're lucky, that story is still calling to you, twisting your stomach in knots of guilt everytime you pick up the dust rag instead of the keyboard. For some, the sight of their manuscript brings waves of dread and confusion. "I just don't know where to go next. I hate my MS!" But persistence gnaws at your conscience and drags your fingers into action once again, no matter how hard you try to leave it behind.

Second...in our submissions. Everyone has heard, "I have enough rejection letters to wallpaper my house three times over!" We laugh and take heart for half a second and then send out two more queries, fully expecting two more rejection in return, but daring to let that flicker of hope keep burning. Some of us give up. My first article accepted for publication grew from a 4-year process...thankfully! I revised that story so many times, each time responding to criticism that accompanied yet another rejection. But it was constructive criticism and I constructed! I couldn't let it drop. I simply wasn't done yet. I knew there was a good story in there somewhere, and several editors were drawing clues all over my treasure map. Then I struck gold. Persistence!

And it continues. If I had given up 4 years ago, I wouldn't have 2 novels completed and in revision, one with a request from an editor. I wouldn't have earned 2 scholarships to wonderful workshops that changed my life. I wouldn't have an article accepted by a major children's magazine. And most important, I wouldn't be the writer I am now--exponentially better than the one I was 4 years ago.

Persistence is more than a path to publication. It's a journey to brilliance. To discovery. To satisfaction. To wisdom.

The next time you hear a presenter at a SCBWI conference tell you it's all about persistence, you can roll your eyes and heave a sigh...but don't forget to believe it, too.

Make Mine a Waldorf...(hold the Stadler)

Okay, for any of you Muppet Show fans, you'll get that joke. But the request is a serious one. I have been woefully absent from my writing of late because I have been researching the best educational route for my youngest child. She is a scathingly bright little girl with an imagination the size of the cosmos...which doesn't cut it in the traditional public school setting. She is only in kindergarten, but it is painfully clear that if we leave the nurturing of her tender mind to the current administration, she will die--well, at least her spirit and love of learning will.

Since when was kindergarten all about academics?! They are 5 and 6 years old! It's about self-discovery, learning how to learn, learning how to play, learning how to eat paste. All I hear is, "She refused to take her test today. They have another one tomorrow. No, they did not get recess today because they didn't finish their worksheets." What has happened?! Okay, I won't even get started on NCLB, and I swear I haven't given up on public education--yet. We have some truly gifted teachers out there, and my son has been lucky enough to have 2 in his 4-year career. But we have become so bent on fitting all our pegs into that flippin' round hole that we have lost sight of the wonder of those little square pegs and triangular pegs and oval pegs and hexagonal pegs and...

My daughter is a peg of a whole new shape, but they are hammering out all they beautiful corners and curves to cram her into their hole so they can claim success and get their accredidation and federal funding. My son will do well no matter where he is, but my daughter needs more.

So...in our investigations, we discovered the Waldorf school only 20 minutes from our house. If you are not familiar with the approach, check out these sites: The Susquehanna Waldorf School
and The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America


It's magnificent and exactly what our girl needs. Artistic and holistic and nurturing. But it is also a lovely fit for our son. The tuition, however, is not such a lovely fit for our budget. So, I have decided to go back to teaching full time, if they will have me, and I have applied at the school where my children would attend. It's very daunting and not a job for slackers or the faint of heart. Teaching is always hard work, but this will be a whole new world for me. But it means a whole new, and better, world for my kids, too. I'm both excited and terrified to do this, terrified that I won't be good enough. I've seen the kids at this school, and they are truly thriving. Strong, articulate, interesting, self-possessed young people.

So, for the last few weeks, I have been updating my resume, writing a biography of myself (blak!), tracking down references, and reading anything I can find on Steiner's philosophy and the structure of the Waldorf program. No writing, very little reading, struggling to keep up with the class I am teaching, not to mention a maddening lack of sleep, but hoping to lay a lifechanging path for my kids.

My writing may have to take a back-back seat again, but it will find its way to the surface eventually. Wish me luck!

Now...Stadler, tell us a good joke!

A Room of One's Own

Many of my dear blogging writer buddies have offered a peek at their literary digs, so I'm sharing my own humble hovel. I often fantasize about that space by a real window, with just enough wall space for my inspirational paraphernalia, flanked by a wall of well-stocked bookshelves. Maybe after a few best-sellers!

In the meantime...I'll entertain the muse in my little corner of the basement. Speaking of corners...as you go around the corner, you'll find the rest of my hovel, the space where I tend to stash most of my beloved creative mess.

Believe it or not, my little sweeties respect my space. They don't mess with Mama's desk or her work table. I had to laugh when I overheard my 6-year-old reading the riot act to a playmate who had started fiddling with the little things on my desk. "OFF LIMITS...OFF LIMITS...THAT'S MAMA'S!"

Of course, what lay behind me in my little slice of literary heaven?

The guinea pig, the toy box, the air hockey table, the pile of plastic doodads that no kid can life without,...and usually a kid, sitting right in the middle of it all. For some reason, my daughter's favorite place to play is 6 inches behind my chair. She hums, sings, or recites whatever little drama she's inventing with her chunky Little People or her My Little Ponies.

So, though I love my dear little corner at the foot of the stairs, I still dream about that wonderful desk in front of a broad, windex-clean window, lovely bookshelf stuffed with every tome I could ever want or need beside me, bluetooth printer tucked away in an easy-to-reach spot, and a DOOR. A door that actually closes. A door that shuts me in with my fickle muse, where I am free to roll around on the floor or rant or curse or slap the crap out of some villain (all in the name of writing, of course). Ahhhh...yes, Virginia...there is such a place.

The Latest Craziness on Scrotums and the Periodic Table!

Well, it just keeps coming...But thank Petunia that Susan Patron has an impeccable sense of reason and a clear voice as well as a marvelously creative talent with pen and paper. She has responded to the ridiculous attacks concerning the infamous "scrotum." Read it here

All I can say is I'm glad we have librarians like her keeping the doors of our freedom and the minds of our children open. How uptight and Victorian can people be in the 21st century?

On the lighter side...A wonderfully inventive nonfiction book has been launched. Check it out

I haven't seen the hard copy, yet, but my students are working on nonfiction for children right now, and this looks like a fabulous example of innovation and kid appeal.

So many people assume that nonfiction is the "non-creative" form of children's lit. I've taken a stab at it, myself, and believe me, good nonfiction draws most on a writer's creativity. Find an angle; give the subject life; define a character in terms of his actions and statements rather than just list his credits. Not all nonfiction can get wacky, nor should it, but those little nuggets of nuttiness can show a kid that real life is fun, too!

THE FAMILY CUDDLE

Today, a hint of summer peeked under my bedsheets when my 6-year-old daughter padded into our room and whispered, "Mama, can we have a family cuddle?" Who could say no to that, even if it was barely 7:00am on the one day I can sleep in. Daddy whispered, "Go get your brother..." And within a few quiet moments, the bed was filled with the Scott clan, all snuggled in, under the blankets. This is the one ritual we have in the summer that I adore, and I wish we could manage it all year long. Since no one has to be up early in the summer months, we take that time when the sun finally makes it impossible to sleep, and we get in a solid snuggle before we start our day. During the school year, even Saturdays are often a bit too scattered to enjoy the family cuddle, so it's a real treat when we can squeeze one in.

This beautiful tradition was started by my then 5-year-old last summer. What a beautiful way to start the day. I swear, I don't think I've ever had a bad day on those mornings when we started with the family cuddle. I hope I can capture that magic in a book someday, but for now, I'll savor every drop of it in my blessed real life.

How do you find the other end?

Whew! The climax is complete. But now what? I love what has happened to my characters, but where do they go from here? Have any of you writers out there struggled to write the denouement? I sort of feel the way I felt after watching the end of SCHINDLER'S LIST in the theatre...staring at the screen, numb and bewildered, not wanting to leave, face wet with emotion. So I sat staring at the last page of the last chapter I finished for several hours yesterday, trying to figure out where to go next. Only a few pages left and I'm frozen!

I woke up thinking about the problem, and...I have decided to go ahead and start the revision process. Perhaps by the time I have read through the book, start to finish, and picked my way through my notes and made all the adjustments I can conceive of, I will have a natural sense of what to do. I hope so. I love this manuscript. It is the best thing I've written, and I love my characters. I want to do right by them.

Death and the Novel

Well, the decision has finally been made. I have decided to spare the bad-girl-turned-good but kill her parents. As mentioned in an earlier post, I needed to decide whom to kill and why as I finish the climax of my WIP. Happily, our naughty girl gets her reprieve, but her parents bite it when the specter goes down. They deserve it anyway. It's their fault the girl was going wrong, and no thanks to them, she finally figures out what's important.

So I have this adrenaline rush--wooo! I'm within inches of finishing the climax, but it's like grabbing a hot plate from the oven without mitts. I just need to step away for a minute and run some cold water on my fingers! How many writers get so emotionally revved when they are about to finish the book? I would imagine most. There is so much tangled up in this process. First, it's just so exciting to conceive of the details of the climax...and I think that's a good sign. If I get this excited about writing it, I hope kids will get that excited about reading it. Second, the thought of putting my book to bed is exhilerating and depressing at the same time. Something fabulous is coming to a close (well, almost--can't forget revisions!) It's like watching your child graduate. It will have a new life when it leaves you, which is what you always wanted, but it won't be your baby anymore, and you feel the loss.

So if anyone else out there is nearing the end of their WIP, I'll have a drink in your honor. Cheers!

Cough, cough...ack!

Well, after 3 weeks of bronchitis and pure exhaustion, I am finally back on my feet. I haven't written a lick and am dying to get back to the climax (no pun intended on my last post!) It is always so hard to get back into the zone of a WIP that's been left on its own for too long. So, I've already started re-enacting parts of the story (in my head and in my room!) in preparation for jumping back into writing. I am also listening to my "writing" music, which always pumps me up. There is one song that I always imagine as the voice of my MC. Does anyone else do that?

So here's hoping that all the germs have gone underground for the duration and we'll all stay healthy until next year. I'm also hoping to head up to the Poconos for the SCBWI-EPA retreat in April. But for now, my daughter's 6th birthday is beckoning, so next weekend holds a swimming party (yes...swimming in February!) and some great fun.

Happy Writing, Everyone!

Giving up the Ghost--How do you decide who to kill?

So, I'm at the finale of my YA novel, and someone has to die--besides the bad guy. I have to kill off at least one of my good guys, and it's very tough. I'm not a huge proponent of killing off characters in a YA, but this is one of those cases that really calls for it. So, is it copping out to choose a background character rather than one of the more prominent characters? How do YOU choose? At this point, I think I've decided to take a bad-girl-turned-good to the grave. She will be doing something noble, and a deeper revelation into her character may also be in store. But what is the line between cliche or maudlin and dramatically effective?

Method Writing...

Have you ever spent time acting out your story for the sake of writing it? Well, as I sat at my husband's office, away from the kids and the noise and all the other distractions, writing the closing chapters of my latest wip, I found myself dropping to the floor and role-playing to get a better feel for where the action would go next. So there I am, on my knees, staring up at imaginary ghosts and reaching for imaginary people beside me. Thank goodness the campus is still on break and no one is watching my strange little ritual, or I could find a ride home in a nice padded white truck! I've done this before, and I must admit, I have to be careful where I decide to indulge in this "method" writing exercise. I've allowed myself to enjoy a little play-acting in the presence of my 5-year-old daughter, but within limits. Afterall, ghost can be a little scary especially when they inhabit the body as well as the imagination of your mother! But even when I'm out shopping or doing some other errand, I am often imagining what my mc would feel here or say about that, and hope that I don't actually speak it out loud (but on occasion the curtain slips!).

Sometimes I stop writing so I can experiment with the more physical aspect of story-telling: reaching a certain way or staring at my face in the mirror while I approximate the emotional response I'm trying to describe. Or even laying out a room with newspapers as furniture or other obstacles so I can describe movement more precisely or approximate measurements. I definitely need a keener body awareness both from without and within. By that I mean a better sense of how things feel from my perspective, and how I look from someone else's. Writing can be a three dimensional art as much as acting or sculpting, and I think allowing ourselves to be multi-dimensional in our process can certainly help our characters and our stories be multi-dimensional on the page.

So, now I plunge back into the climax of my story... See you on the shelf!

What's a "Real" Writer?

So, the question came up on the blue boards about what is a "real" writer. I have often stumbled over the words when someone asks me what I do now. "Well, I used to teach high school and some college courses. Now I am raising two kids. Oh, yeah, and I write a little on the side." But how do I say, "Well,...I'm a children's writer." You all know that look, the scoff at a would-be novelist who has too much time on his hands, right? I found I didn't feel legitimate, at least not in the company of non-writers, unless I had a published credit to my name. Well, I am on the verge of such a credit with my recent acceptance to Cricket, but does that make me any more a writer than I was before? Was I really any less of a writer then? Someone made an excellent comparison: If an athlete hasn't won any medals, does that make him not an athlete? Of course not!

So, I am in the midst of building a syllabus for a college course I will be teaching next semester: "Writing Children's Literature". When I was offered the job, I jumped at it, but that little bug in the back of my brain whispered, "psst! but you haven't even published anything yet. How much can you know?" I finally answered myself, "PLENTY!" I have a nice pile of rejection letters, some encouraging notes with them; a stack of manuscripts; a ton of reading experience; and a good bit of teaching experience as well. And writing experience? Only 25 or more years worth! Not all of that goes towards writing for kids, but I AM A WRITER. Would I die if I couldn't do it? No. But I'd be a lot less cheerful, probably more neurotic than I already am, and a lot less interesting.

So...what do you all think? What is a "real" writer?

Cricket and things are hoppin'!

So, my latest news is that Cricket Magazine just accepted my story "Abe and the Magic Lantern". I received the fabulous letter on Friday, a day after stuffing myself full of turkey and oyster dressing and thanking God for the many blessings I already have. Now I have another! The editor at Cricket was wonderful, and I emailed him this morning and within minutes received a reply. What a wonderful way to finish off one holiday and start the preparations for another.

Speaking of Christmas...is everyone ready? My hubby and I have already started shopping and actually had a celebration/date night last night thanks to my brother-in-law and his wife. I can't wait to put up the Christmas tree and deck the shrubs and trees outside with lights--finally. I've always wanted to do a little outside, but it's always been so low on the priority list that it never got done. But this year...

Oh! And I did accept the teaching position, so I'll be a busy chick next semester. Now I must get my novel finished before Christmas...I must...I must...I must finish the battle for man's survival and leave my MC standing tall...

What's your mantra?

Introductions

Ok. So here I am in what I've been told is a flattering photo--I'm not sure there is such a thing when it comes to me, but you get the idea. I'm new to the whole blog thing, so forgive my novice appearance. Just what we all need...another distraction to keep us from publishing that blockbuster we know resides deep within our child-like subconscious. At least I hope I can find it there. Please feel free to leave your thoughts or wisdom, however they may coincide.

Just a little bit about me. I'm the mother of 2 fabulously creative and brilliant kids--a 9-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl. I used to teach English to high school students, many of them gifted, all of them fascinating. After putting my husband through graduate school (yikes!), I am now staying home to pursue my dream of writing books for children and young adults while he lives his as an English professor at a small liberal arts college. We are a disgustingly literary family with far too little book shelf space--hoping the big sale will remedy that...as well as buy back my second passion--horses. (Had to sell mine, what with the whole graduate school budget and all).

What do I write? Mostly ghost stories. I love them. I grew up in a house that was haunted by the ghost of a young Miami indian. Yes, we saw things move unbidden and heard strange noises. When the toilet ended up in the middle of the bedroom one night, we figured he had a real sense of humor! I am currently working on a historical novel set in 1850 Rochester, NY. I am very nearly done and look forward to sharing more, but for now, that will have to be all.

Thanks for taking a peek.

Mary Ann...the Ghost Girl