I spent much of today finalizing my presentation for tomorrow's Career Day at the girls' school, collecting props for said presentation, and making lists of what I'll need for my SCBWI Illinois writer's retreat over the weekend.
Tomorrow, after chatting with the students about my writer's life, I've allowed time for a writing exercise. With the help of my fifth grader S, I've drafted the beginning of a quirky little story about a fifth grader and her not so ordinary dog, Princess. My plan is to start the groups off with our beginning, then prompt them to help me finish the story. At the end, we'll reread what we've written together. My fingers are crossed that my audience is willing to play, and that we have a good time doing it.
After my stint at Career Day, I plan to head back home, pay bills (never a fun activity, which is why I always put it off till the last minute), finish packing, load the car and head out.
Looking forward to a weekend's worth of uninterrupted time with KM. My butt in chair time this week had been lighter than usual, and my characters are crabby because of it.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Writerly To-Dos
1. Finalize presentation for Career Day at school Friday. Tools of the trade I plan to bring along: my trusty notebook, my lucky purple pen, notecards, computer, a stack of books featuring some of my favorites for fifth graders, excerpts from my current work-in-progress, poems by Jack Prelutsky, and a short writing exercise (yet to be determined.)
2. Prep for Saturday's Easter Seals Telethon interview in which Elena and Jewel will be interviewed, and I'll have a chance to talk up "Special Gifts: Women Writers on the Happiness, the Heartache and the Hope of Raising a Special Needs Child" (Wyatt-Mackenzie, June 2007).
3. Packing for the SCBWI Illinois Writer's Retreat to be held at the Cenacle Retreat Center near Lincoln Park in Chicago. Writers in residence will feature Sharon Darrow and Carmela Martino.
The focus of the weekend: character, relaxation, networking, and writing.
Our reading homework: The Higher Power of Lucky.
My packing list so far in no particular order:
*computer
*notecards
*basket of KM revisions, notes, notebooks
*yoga dvd
*craft book--either The Writing Life by Anne Dillard or Writing Past Dark: Envy, *Fear, Distraction, and Other Dilemmas in the Writer's Life by Bonnie Friedman.
*children's books for the book swap
*picture books featuring characters I love
Current read: The New Kid on the Block, poems by Jack Prelutsky (snagged for 25 cents at a church rummage sale last week.)
2. Prep for Saturday's Easter Seals Telethon interview in which Elena and Jewel will be interviewed, and I'll have a chance to talk up "Special Gifts: Women Writers on the Happiness, the Heartache and the Hope of Raising a Special Needs Child" (Wyatt-Mackenzie, June 2007).
3. Packing for the SCBWI Illinois Writer's Retreat to be held at the Cenacle Retreat Center near Lincoln Park in Chicago. Writers in residence will feature Sharon Darrow and Carmela Martino.
The focus of the weekend: character, relaxation, networking, and writing.
Our reading homework: The Higher Power of Lucky.
My packing list so far in no particular order:
*computer
*notecards
*basket of KM revisions, notes, notebooks
*yoga dvd
*craft book--either The Writing Life by Anne Dillard or Writing Past Dark: Envy, *Fear, Distraction, and Other Dilemmas in the Writer's Life by Bonnie Friedman.
*children's books for the book swap
*picture books featuring characters I love
Current read: The New Kid on the Block, poems by Jack Prelutsky (snagged for 25 cents at a church rummage sale last week.)
Monday, April 23, 2007
Attention Children's Book Writers: Free Promo Opportunity
Gaaked off a children's writer list:
Hey, writers,
If you have a new children's book coming out, visit the National Writing for Children Center to find out how you can be a guest on our weekly podcast,
Book Bites for Kids. We're now scheduling authors for June podcasts.
Thanks.
Suzanne Lieurance
Founder, Director, and Coaching Coordinator
The National Writing for Children Center
P.O. Box 8422
Kansas City, Missouri 64114
http://www.writingforchildrencenter.com
Hey, writers,
If you have a new children's book coming out, visit the National Writing for Children Center to find out how you can be a guest on our weekly podcast,
Book Bites for Kids. We're now scheduling authors for June podcasts.
Thanks.
Suzanne Lieurance
Founder, Director, and Coaching Coordinator
The National Writing for Children Center
P.O. Box 8422
Kansas City, Missouri 64114
http://www.writingforchildrencenter.com
Dodging the Big One (and Doing the Happy Dance With My Muse)
The topic to follow is hardly writerly, and yet, on second thought, maybe it is given how heavily it weighed on my muse until it was resolved.
A little over 14 months ago, our middle daughter E underwent surgery to correct a brain aneurysm. This surgery came on the heels of a lengthy recovery from an actual rupture in July 2001 that required months in the hospital, and years of rehab to relearn how to be herself again.
Fast forward to 2007. E's doing fantastic, having a fab time in 8th grade, planning what to wear for her graduation dance, and embracing life.
With the most recent surgery over a 15 months ago, you'd think all bills for said event would be paid up by now. Think again.
For months now we've been living under a perpetual rain cloud of sorts, wrestling with medical providers and insurance to get certain bills paid. Navigating the insurance system, especially the medical billing part of it, is a bit like navigating an elaborate maze, one I firmly believe changes monthly, if not weekly.
The option of paying off a small balance because it's easier to do so rather than argue about it with the Powers that Be isn't an option. First of all, there's the principle of it. Secondly, both surgeries left us with more than a half million dollars worth of medical bills from the dozens of medical providers who made up our teams. So paying off each $10 argument rather than following-up with it until they get it right is problematic and too expensive.
Our most recent battle with Mr. Insurance Man was over a bill from the latest surgery, one that required timely attention because of the lateness of the date, and the number of zeros associated with it:
1. For reasons we have yet to grok, one-half of E's surgical team neglected to bill insurance for his part in the February 2006 surgery until 14 months later. 14 months. We weren't talking chump change here. The bill neared $20,000.
2. Finally, after much hounding on our parts (because there's no way we could afford to pay the amount due on our own, because we worried that the insurance company would have every right to refuse to pay based on the fact that the bill came in so late, and because we're the responsible party in the end), the surgeon's office managed to bill us.
3. You'd think this would be the end of it.
4. Think again.
5. Shortly after the paperwork in #2 went through, the insurance company informed us that the surgeon was out of network, and thus we were responsible for the entire amount, minus the appropriate deductibles.
6. After we punched the wall a few times, we called Mr. Insurance Company, and said in a good way:
"Excuse me? Way back before the surgery, we arranged for this surgeon to be included at the in-network rate. In fact YOU called us to say everything was good."
7. Unfortunately, turnover is rampant in the medical insurance world, and the person you talk to today will likely not be the person you talk with next week. And because we've been burned one time too many by reps who neglected to log dates and details of our conversations and agreements, we've learned to take detailed notes about every phone call, including names, dates, decisions, etc. to use when disputes occur.
8. Late last week, after weeks of phone calls and emails (because we have nothing better to do than spend our lives waiting on hold listening to the Stones on Musak, and because we refuse to roll over and let Mr. I-man get away with the shell game), we learned the bill will be paid in full.
Doing the Happy Dance, and intending to channel the relief my muse is feeling into continuing revisions to KM.
edited 4:40 p.m.
A little over 14 months ago, our middle daughter E underwent surgery to correct a brain aneurysm. This surgery came on the heels of a lengthy recovery from an actual rupture in July 2001 that required months in the hospital, and years of rehab to relearn how to be herself again.
Fast forward to 2007. E's doing fantastic, having a fab time in 8th grade, planning what to wear for her graduation dance, and embracing life.
With the most recent surgery over a 15 months ago, you'd think all bills for said event would be paid up by now. Think again.
For months now we've been living under a perpetual rain cloud of sorts, wrestling with medical providers and insurance to get certain bills paid. Navigating the insurance system, especially the medical billing part of it, is a bit like navigating an elaborate maze, one I firmly believe changes monthly, if not weekly.
The option of paying off a small balance because it's easier to do so rather than argue about it with the Powers that Be isn't an option. First of all, there's the principle of it. Secondly, both surgeries left us with more than a half million dollars worth of medical bills from the dozens of medical providers who made up our teams. So paying off each $10 argument rather than following-up with it until they get it right is problematic and too expensive.
Our most recent battle with Mr. Insurance Man was over a bill from the latest surgery, one that required timely attention because of the lateness of the date, and the number of zeros associated with it:
1. For reasons we have yet to grok, one-half of E's surgical team neglected to bill insurance for his part in the February 2006 surgery until 14 months later. 14 months. We weren't talking chump change here. The bill neared $20,000.
2. Finally, after much hounding on our parts (because there's no way we could afford to pay the amount due on our own, because we worried that the insurance company would have every right to refuse to pay based on the fact that the bill came in so late, and because we're the responsible party in the end), the surgeon's office managed to bill us.
3. You'd think this would be the end of it.
4. Think again.
5. Shortly after the paperwork in #2 went through, the insurance company informed us that the surgeon was out of network, and thus we were responsible for the entire amount, minus the appropriate deductibles.
6. After we punched the wall a few times, we called Mr. Insurance Company, and said in a good way:
"Excuse me? Way back before the surgery, we arranged for this surgeon to be included at the in-network rate. In fact YOU called us to say everything was good."
7. Unfortunately, turnover is rampant in the medical insurance world, and the person you talk to today will likely not be the person you talk with next week. And because we've been burned one time too many by reps who neglected to log dates and details of our conversations and agreements, we've learned to take detailed notes about every phone call, including names, dates, decisions, etc. to use when disputes occur.
8. Late last week, after weeks of phone calls and emails (because we have nothing better to do than spend our lives waiting on hold listening to the Stones on Musak, and because we refuse to roll over and let Mr. I-man get away with the shell game), we learned the bill will be paid in full.
Doing the Happy Dance, and intending to channel the relief my muse is feeling into continuing revisions to KM.
edited 4:40 p.m.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Spring Cleaning and Writerly To-Dos
1. Critique Group today. Looking forward to it, especially the adult conversation, which I've been lacking lately with P out of town.
2. KM cut and paste. I've written so many versions of KM thanks to VC, thanks to my advisors, thanks to my crit group, thanks to the characters who entered the stage of the story with bit parts, but demanded more of the spotlight, that I swear I've written at least a half dozen books. (More if you count the reams of false starts stored on my hard drive. Version a. Version b. Version a1, b1, all the way to Z and back again.)
Anyway, in recent weeks my writing's undergone a shift. I'm now on a treasure hunt of sorts (and a long-overdue spring cleaning), sifting through the drafts on my hard drive (a daunting number), and cutting and pasting key scenes into a centralized folder for a final draft. *claps hands and giggles* Being at this point (instead of just talking about it) means I'm finally closing in on my goal of presenting critique group a bound copy of my book for review prior to submitting it.
3. Speaking of bound copies, crit group member J was the first of us to do this. Two weeks ago she presented us with her freshly printed, neatly assembled YA fantasy to read/review before she shops it around. I so want to do the same thing that I'm convinced J's persistance is urging me on. Which is another reason I love my crit group.
4. Prep for Writer's Retreat. The SCBWI Illinois chapter is hosting a Writer's Retreat the weekend of the 28th. I participated in the last retreat, and came away feeling energized. That's why the moment it came up for registration I jumped at the opportunity to go. Imagine two full days all to yourself. No phones. No car-pooling. No errands. No need to plan meals, cook, or clean up after yourself. Just two glorious, uninterrupted days to write, network with like-minded writers, read, whatever.
Current read: Prom Nights From Hell: Paranormal prom stories by Meg Cabot, Kim Harrison, Michele Jaffe, Stephenie Meyer and Lauren Myracle. If the first page from the first story is any indication, I'm in for a thrill ride. (After all, who can resist a prom princess packing an Excaliber Vixen crossbow 285 FPS on the dance floor?)
2. KM cut and paste. I've written so many versions of KM thanks to VC, thanks to my advisors, thanks to my crit group, thanks to the characters who entered the stage of the story with bit parts, but demanded more of the spotlight, that I swear I've written at least a half dozen books. (More if you count the reams of false starts stored on my hard drive. Version a. Version b. Version a1, b1, all the way to Z and back again.)
Anyway, in recent weeks my writing's undergone a shift. I'm now on a treasure hunt of sorts (and a long-overdue spring cleaning), sifting through the drafts on my hard drive (a daunting number), and cutting and pasting key scenes into a centralized folder for a final draft. *claps hands and giggles* Being at this point (instead of just talking about it) means I'm finally closing in on my goal of presenting critique group a bound copy of my book for review prior to submitting it.
3. Speaking of bound copies, crit group member J was the first of us to do this. Two weeks ago she presented us with her freshly printed, neatly assembled YA fantasy to read/review before she shops it around. I so want to do the same thing that I'm convinced J's persistance is urging me on. Which is another reason I love my crit group.
4. Prep for Writer's Retreat. The SCBWI Illinois chapter is hosting a Writer's Retreat the weekend of the 28th. I participated in the last retreat, and came away feeling energized. That's why the moment it came up for registration I jumped at the opportunity to go. Imagine two full days all to yourself. No phones. No car-pooling. No errands. No need to plan meals, cook, or clean up after yourself. Just two glorious, uninterrupted days to write, network with like-minded writers, read, whatever.
Current read: Prom Nights From Hell: Paranormal prom stories by Meg Cabot, Kim Harrison, Michele Jaffe, Stephenie Meyer and Lauren Myracle. If the first page from the first story is any indication, I'm in for a thrill ride. (After all, who can resist a prom princess packing an Excaliber Vixen crossbow 285 FPS on the dance floor?)
Thursday, April 12, 2007
I'm in Heaven--Or Hell--Depending on How You Read It
Three books arrived for me recently.
Two yesterday:
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause.
Prom Nights From Hell featuring short stories by Meg Cabot, Kim Harrison, Michele Jaffe, Stephenie Meyer and Lauren Myracle.
And one today:
Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith (a book I'm looking forward to sampling again).
What P said yesterday upon noticing the first two titles stacked on my desk:
"You read some really weird stuff."
This from a man who eagerly took a road trip to Columbus, Ohio, with his oldest daughter some years back in order to attend a special theater showing of all three Lord of the Rings movies that guaranteed attendees the privilege of seeing Return of the King one hour before its general release to the public.
Yep. Uh-huh. I rest my case. (But I do have to admit, for someone unaware of my-erm-tastes, my selection does tend toward the macabre, doesn't it?)
Two yesterday:
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause.
Prom Nights From Hell featuring short stories by Meg Cabot, Kim Harrison, Michele Jaffe, Stephenie Meyer and Lauren Myracle.
And one today:
Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith (a book I'm looking forward to sampling again).
What P said yesterday upon noticing the first two titles stacked on my desk:
"You read some really weird stuff."
This from a man who eagerly took a road trip to Columbus, Ohio, with his oldest daughter some years back in order to attend a special theater showing of all three Lord of the Rings movies that guaranteed attendees the privilege of seeing Return of the King one hour before its general release to the public.
Yep. Uh-huh. I rest my case. (But I do have to admit, for someone unaware of my-erm-tastes, my selection does tend toward the macabre, doesn't it?)
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Vampires for My Birthday...What More Can a Writer Ask for?
Normally, I need a lot of prodding from P to produce a birthday wish list so he can guide the girls in the right direction when he takes them shopping. This year I knew exactly what I wanted, thanks to this post on Spookcyn from Cynthia Leitich Smith.
Turns out my family took me seriously. This weekend, not only did I receive Issues 1 and 2 of the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight Comic Book Series (which is written by the very talented Joss Whedon and continues where the TV show left off), I'm the proud owner of The Watcher's Guide, Volume I.
Yes, I admit it. I am a Buffy geek, but in all seriousness, I've a more professional interest in the show/story/series, one that transcends my lifelong fascination with the supernatural.
Joss Whedon can write. For anyone serious about the craft, I highly recommend studying his technique. For smart, snappy dialogue, timing, pacing, character development, tension, world building, you name it, he's the go-to guy.
edited 9:48 a.m.
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