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Just the beginning
by 
Elly
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Elly
4 Comments ↓
WOOHOO – was the feeling that wrapped my entire body when I heard my agent Trish say the words I’d been waiting so long to hear, “You’ve got a book deal!” Then I screamed and cried and hugged and cried and hugged and that pattern lasted for quite some time. You see, when my dream – the one I’d been working towards for 13 years – actually came true, it was like one big happy dance starting from my feet shooting right up to my head.
Now, as the dream began some thirteen years ago, this journey to YES was not without its challenges, often in the form of big caverns that I fell into and then had to claw my way out. Like the saying says, just when you think everything is finished, that is just the beginning. Because it is in that moment, that you learn how much that dream really means. It is in that moment, that you find your resolve, determination, never-give-up strength to keep going. You realize that you are more than all the no’s you have accumulated. You realize there is a yes waiting for you to find your way to it.
And then you do.
And then you realize, this is truly just the beginning!
What I’m reading: We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart http://www.emilylockhart.com/books/we-were-liars. Great read. Highly recommend picking it up – today! Engaging and so love the way the author slips in the most important details in the most carefree of ways.
Grateful
by Elly
2 Comments ↓
Elly
2 Comments ↓
With Thanksgiving days away, I divide my time between my kitchen and computer. Write. Cook. Write. Cook. Repeat. As I chop, dice, prep // plot, type, delete, I think. A lot. Sometimes my mind trails to finding the right balance between turkey/stuffing/mashed potatoes/pie and sometimes my mind wonders to a place unrelated to Thanksgiving dinner, but very much related to giving thanks.
So, before I dive back into write/cook/repeat, let me take a moment to share how grateful I am. Grateful for my amazing sons and husband. Truly, there is nothing that brings me greater happiness then being with them anywhere doing anything. They are my world! Grateful for my family whose love reaches around the corner and across the states.
Grateful for my friends who are most certainly like family. Grateful for my students whose yeses I know we will soon be celebrating. Grateful for my agent Trish and my EMLA mates, whose support/encouragement/guidance makes this writing journey a wonderful ride indeed.
Much to be grateful for.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Kidlit Summer School
So I’ll be doing this for the next four weeks! Kidlit Summer School. What could be better than diving into a little character development over the summer? Who wants to join me?
RV's, Doctors, Lawyers, Crossword Masters…Oh my!
Me amidst the RV’s.
What does an RV trailer dealer, a crossword puzzle master, a doctor, and a lawyer have in common? (And this is the not the start of a bad joke!) These were all the people I spoke with to research my latest book, Hidden Truth (think middle grade Erin Brokovich). When I first started writing, I had no idea the depth and breath of each project. In my mind, it went something like this: Idea. Check. Outline. Check. Research. Huh? I always thought the next step was write a first draft, followed by revise, revise, revise. I was close, and that was coming, but the research had to happen first. The guilt, I had some experience with, so off I went with a friend (thank you, Laurie) to research RV trailers. When the word got out at the RV park that I needed information on what could/would cause an explosion, the generosity of the salesman dried up. Quickly. But, thankfully, there was a nice maintenance man in the back waiting and willing to chat. Then there was the doctor (thank you, Lance). The story had to be grounded in fact, but I’m not a doctor (actually, totally queasy upon seeing blood). What injury could happen? What was the timing? What made sense? The timeline had to work. I did some on line research, but I needed the doctor to put it all together. Next, the crosswords. I love them. Not great at them, but with the help of my son, Josh, a colleague, Eric, and a crossword puzzle master (thank you, Kristy), I’ve perfected my skills for the story. What I learned – creating a true and authentic crossword with every chapter title being a crossword clue, is not an easy task. And, finally there was the lawyer. Now, I actually am a lawyer and could handle much of that part of the story. But, to make it truly authentic, I brought in the expert, my husband (thanks, James). I needed to know what the CPSC would do, the timing, the investigative report and, of course, to see if my deposition skills remained intact.
Authenticity. That’s what it’s all about. So, the next time you read a story, sit back and ask, who did that author have to meet with to make it all work? And, for all the authors out there, do share. Who did you have to talk with to make your story pulse?
Living outside the comfort zone
by Elly
4 Comments ↓
Elly
4 Comments ↓
Reading my work aloud is like standing in front of a room full of people stark naked. And, at the age of 48, I can assure you that’s not happening. But recently, in Vermont at a retreat with my EMLA agency/ family, I had the opportunity to do just that. Not the naked thing, but the reading. So, in a moment of bravery or weakness or just kick-myself-in the butt, I signed up to read 500 words from my latest story, Hidden Truth. While I waited for my name to be called, I had the privilege of listening to my agency mate’s share their stories. Amazing, colorful, terrifying, funny, lyrical, creative, and unbelievably beautiful, were just a few of the thoughts that swarmed my head as I listened. These writers have and will continue to fill the blank page with their gifts. I felt pure joy listening to each and every one of them share.
Then my name was called, and my joy evaporated into fear and nausea and something else related to the lunch I’d just eaten. I paused (may have been fear locking my knees, not sure), then got up and read my work. Out of my comfort zone was an understatement.
But out of my comfort zone was exactly where I needed to be, then and now. I know, it’s out there that good things happen. Moments I can’t even imagine sitting comfortably at my desk, in my kitchen, my library, my coffee shop. So, my advice, if you have the chance to step outside your box, do it! I’m not going to lie. It’s going to feel like an itchy wool sweater on a 90 degree day in Boston. But once you’re done, it’s going to feel like you just rocked out to Pharrell William’s song “Happy” while eating the best piece of chocolate cake ever.
So who’s with me?
Book I’m reading. Fat Angie by E.E. Charlton-Trujillo, and it’s awesome!
Think Positive
Write. Delete. Revise. Write. Delete. Revise. Repeat. Sound familiar? Whether I write with coffee at 6am, when the house quiets at 10pm, or in car line waiting to pick up one of my boys (did this a lot during their middle school and high school years), the pattern is always the same. Peppered with swells of excitement (I finished a first draft), disgust (this is the worst thing I’ve ever written), hope (actually it’s not so bad), and finally, back to excitement (I love it! My agent loves it!). Then that whole emotional path repeats when I’m out on sub (for another post). Moving from Delete to Write or Disgust to Hope often feels like there are shackles clamped around my ankles. Will I get there? Can I get there? How to get there?
That’s when the power of positivity comes knocking. As I plow ahead down this journey to YES, there is almost nothing more important than surrounding myself with people who inspire, encourage, and support me. Don’t misunderstand, I’m not just talking about my 100 year old Gram who loves me unconditionally, but also the writers and friends and family in my life who tell me when my plot is stagnant or my characters don’t feel whole. Constructive feedback is what makes a good story truly great. Staying positive enables me to revise and still believe in myself and my story. Wine, chocolate, and a great pair of shoes also help!
Stay positive. The YES is coming!