tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17325407032379021112024-03-13T22:17:14.454-07:00Reading, Writing, and ChocolateThe online journal of author Stacy DeKeyser❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-61943271306010463492018-04-24T05:18:00.004-07:002018-04-24T05:18:55.566-07:00My blog has movedAs of April 24, 2018, my blog has moved here:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.stacydekeyser.com/blog">Stacy DeKeyser's blog</a><br />
<br />
Thanks! Hope to see you there.<br />
<br />
--Stacy❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-6999843192700477042018-04-07T03:14:00.003-07:002018-04-24T05:04:09.031-07:00Bibliography for THE RHINO IN RIGHT FIELD<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's a list of the major source materials I used while researching and writing <i>The Rhino in Right Field</i>:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Printed material:<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Veeck, Bill, and Ed Linn. <i>Veeck—As in Wreck</i>. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2001.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Buege, Bob. <i>Borchert Field: Stories from Milwaukee’s Legendary Ballpark</i>. Madison, WI: The Wisconsin Historical Society, 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Winter, Darlene, Elizabeth Frank, and Mary Kazmierczak. <i>Images of America: Milwaukee County Zoo.</i>Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2014.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dickson, Paul. <i>Bill Veeck: Baseball’s Greatest Maverick</i>. New York: Bloomsbury, 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Gurda, John. <i>New World Odyssey: Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church and Frank Lloyd Wright.</i>Milwaukee: The Milwaukee Hellenic Community, 1986.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Gurda, John. <i>The Making of Milwaukee</i>. Milwaukee: The Milwaukee County Historical Society, 1999.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Saloutos, Theodore. “The Greeks of Milwaukee.” <i>Wisconsin Magazine of History</i>, Spring 1970.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Wesley, Charles I. “Story of Milwaukee’s Zoo and its Sponsor, the Washington Park Zoological Society,” The Washington Park Zoological Society, 1947.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Online:<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Michaels, Chance. <i><a href="http://www.borchertfield.com/" target="_blank">Borchert Field</a> </i>(blog). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="https://milwaukeehistory.net/" target="_blank">Milwaukee County Historical Society</a> </b>website.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Milwaukee Journal </i><a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=jvrRlaHg2sAC&hl=en/" target="_blank"><b>historical archives</b></a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Milwaukee Sentinel </i><a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=wZJMF1LD7PcC&hl=en/" target="_blank"><b>historical archives</b></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>In person:<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Milwaukee County Zoo Library and Archive</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.milwaukeezoo.org/" target="_blank"><b>Milwaukee County Zoo</b></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">10001 W. Bluemound Rd.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Milwaukee, WI 53226<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://county.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/cntyParks/maps/Washington1.pdf" target="_blank"><b>Washington Park</b></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1859 N. 40<sup>th </sup>Street</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Milwaukee, WI 53208<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-18348742867626671502017-02-08T11:13:00.001-08:002017-02-08T11:13:28.596-08:00 Summer 2018<br /><br />My next novel has a tentative publication date!<br /><br /><br /> It's a middle-grade novel about a kid (who very closely resembles my dad) growing up in a city that very closely resembles Milwaukee in the late 1940s. <br /><br /><br /> As part of my research, I've been collecting images over at <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/stacydekeyser/new-novel-research/">Pinterest</a>, if you want to take a look.<br /><br /><br /> And I'll be posting details of the publication schedule over on my <a href="http://stacydekeyserauthorcalendar.blogspot.com/">calendar page</a>.<br /><br /><br /> Check back occasionally to see what's new.❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-3751065263903380502016-10-21T08:23:00.000-07:002016-10-21T08:23:58.078-07:00Handout from Wisconsin SCBWI Conference, October 2016<br />
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If you attended my conference workshop, "The Connect-the-Dots Novel Outline" (or even if you didn't), here is the link to the PowerPoint presentation and handout.<br />
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<br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-X9Yy4yxnpXdDRieG5QRnUxcXM/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Connect-the-Dots handout</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Feel free to copy it for your personal use.<br />
<br />
Happy writing!❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-18544649331329448252016-05-20T15:13:00.004-07:002016-05-20T15:13:49.993-07:00Turning Points<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SV7yG5_ItB4/Vz-LJolz0ZI/AAAAAAAABAI/lUJeeJojvLEIcfQlayqaCd_FplcCSu2PwCLcB/s1600/IMG_4404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SV7yG5_ItB4/Vz-LJolz0ZI/AAAAAAAABAI/lUJeeJojvLEIcfQlayqaCd_FplcCSu2PwCLcB/s320/IMG_4404.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A few weeks ago, I talked about turning points at the <a href="http://nescbwi.org/" target="_blank">New England SCBWI</a> spring conference.<br />
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The main point was this: As you write (especially a first draft), you may not know everything about how your story will unfold, but you DO know some things.<br />
<br />
For example, you may know:<br />
<br />
Who your protagonist is<br />
<br />
What he/she wants<br />
<br />
Who the main antagonist is<br />
<br />
What obstacles will get thrown in the way...<br />
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Maybe you know the initial premise, and how your story will end. (When I started my first draft of <i><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780738712741" target="_blank">Jump the Cracks</a></i>, that's all I knew.)<br />
<br />
But the thing is, you don't have to know your whole story to start writing. You only have to know ONE thing about your story, and you can write your way to that point. Or write THAT scene: the one you KNOW will have to happen at some point in your story.<br />
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Then, fill in the blanks as you go. Because once you write SOMETHING, other things will become apparent to you, and then you can write THOSE things.<br />
<br />
It's a lot like walking through the woods. There may be several possible paths, but once you decide you are hiking the blue trail and not the orange trail, that's a start. You walk along, watching for the next blue blaze. And when you get there, you know you have to look for the NEXT blue blaze.<br />
<br />
Writing is so similar. Write a scene--ANY scene--that you KNOW has to happen in your book. Then think about another thing that will HAVE to happen as a result...and write that. Repeat.<br />
<br />
Look for the blazes. You can write a whole book that way, or at least a good underlying structure.<br />
<br />
Happy trails!❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-67480363831753627082015-06-03T03:40:00.003-07:002015-06-03T03:40:44.461-07:00Mapping a Reader's LifeHere's a link to my post at the <a href="https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2015/06/02/mapping-a-readers-life-by-stacy-dekeyser/#comment-48330" target="_blank">Nerdy Book Club</a> on how I became a reader (and why I became a writer).<br />
xo❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-25363590834218006532015-04-20T07:33:00.002-07:002015-04-20T07:33:18.127-07:00Workshop Outline: "Demystifying the Editorial Process" at the Mark Twain House, April 18, 2015Here's the whole thing, if you didn't get a handout.<br />
<br />
It's a Google doc. If you can't open it, email me or leave a comment, and I'll send you the Word document directly.<br />
<br />
Thanks for attending!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/107pEPt-nQ1Y64qFnuJi9_ROEfV2y2uT0Q_ZLQmHDh1w/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Workshop Outline: Demystifying the Editing Process</a><br />
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<br />❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-20526112649123515862015-02-14T04:00:00.000-08:002015-02-14T05:58:02.475-08:00 We love teachers! 16 Free Books for Valentine's Day!Are you a teacher, librarian, or reading specialist? Do you want 16 <b>signed</b> midgrade books for your school or classroom?<br />
<br />
Most of them are brand new or soon-to-be-published. A few are familiar favorites. (There's even a big award-winner hiding in the mix!)<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #463931; font-family: HelveticaNeue;">For your chance to win signed copies of ALL these books, just do one of two things:</span><br />
<span style="color: #463931; font-family: HelveticaNeue;"><br />1. Leave a comment below</span><br />
<span style="color: #463931; font-family: HelveticaNeue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #463931; font-family: HelveticaNeue;">OR</span><br />
<span style="color: #463931; font-family: HelveticaNeue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #463931; font-family: HelveticaNeue;">3. Tweet about the giveaway using the hashtag </span><b style="color: #463931; font-family: HelveticaNeue;">#MGAuthorsLoveTeachers</b><br />
<b style="color: #463931; font-family: HelveticaNeue;"><br /></b>
<span style="color: #463931; font-family: HelveticaNeue;">Your name will be entered into the virtual hat, and we’ll draw the winner at</span><span style="color: #463931; font-family: HelveticaNeue;"> </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1877765339" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #463931; font-family: HelveticaNeue; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;"><b>11:59 PM on Wednesday, February 18th</b></span></span><span style="color: #463931; font-family: HelveticaNeue;"><b>.</b> If you win, you’ll receive signed copies of ALL these books–not all at once, because some of them don’t publish until March or April, but won’t it be fun to get multiple packages in your mailbox?</span><br />
<span style="color: #463931; font-family: HelveticaNeue;">Good luck!</span><br />
<span style="color: #463931; font-family: HelveticaNeue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #463931; font-family: HelveticaNeue;">(And if you want a similar boatload of YA books, hop on over to <a href="http://sarahdlittman.blogspot.com/2015/02/ya-and-middle-grade-authors-love.html" target="_blank">Sarah Darer Littman's blog</a> for another chance to win!)</span><br />
<span style="color: #463931; font-family: HelveticaNeue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #463931; font-family: HelveticaNeue;">Here are the titles in the giveaway:</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3rtshR68yB4/VNDUDh-X_TI/AAAAAAAAAv4/x2KZ6M38AtY/s1600/sarah%2Balbee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3rtshR68yB4/VNDUDh-X_TI/AAAAAAAAAv4/x2KZ6M38AtY/s1600/sarah%2Balbee.jpg" height="200" title="Why'd They Wear That? by Sarah Albee" width="173" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22294605-why-d-they-wear-that?from_search=true" target="_blank">Why'd They Wear That?</a><br />
by<br />
<a href="http://www.sarahalbeebooks.com/" target="_blank">Sarah Albee</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sz4i6Vo6Ddc/VNDUCz_YUZI/AAAAAAAAAvw/sCjkTC3YRZE/s1600/leslie%2Bbulion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sz4i6Vo6Ddc/VNDUCz_YUZI/AAAAAAAAAvw/sCjkTC3YRZE/s1600/leslie%2Bbulion.jpg" height="200" title="Random body Parts by Leslie Bulion" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23116069-random-body-parts?from_search=true" target="_blank">Random Body Parts</a><br />
by<br />
<a href="http://www.lesliebulion.com/" target="_blank">Leslie Bulion</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t-BGfKLh5Ec/VNDUCzXntUI/AAAAAAAAAvs/y-M1QqTH884/s1600/loree%2Bgriffin%2Bburns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t-BGfKLh5Ec/VNDUCzXntUI/AAAAAAAAAvs/y-M1QqTH884/s1600/loree%2Bgriffin%2Bburns.jpg" height="163" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20256559-beetle-busters?from_search=true" target="_blank">Beetle Busters</a><br />
by<br />
<a href="http://loreeburns.com/" target="_blank">Loree Griffin Burns</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MbkTDjr-cs4/VNzsLluXhQI/AAAAAAAAAxI/JtOOjcan3ts/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MbkTDjr-cs4/VNzsLluXhQI/AAAAAAAAAxI/JtOOjcan3ts/s1600/unnamed.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53496.Walk_Two_Moons?from_search=true" target="_blank">Walk Two Moons</a><br />
by<br />
<a href="http://www.sharoncreech.com/" target="_blank">Sharon Creech</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r7m9mWwie6I/VNDUCC2PDMI/AAAAAAAAAvg/F0vJ_IVjPoQ/s1600/Stacy%2BDeKeyser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r7m9mWwie6I/VNDUCC2PDMI/AAAAAAAAAvg/F0vJ_IVjPoQ/s1600/Stacy%2BDeKeyser.jpg" height="200" width="138" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sharoncreech.com/" target="_blank">One Witch at a Time</a><br />
by<br />
<a href="http://stacydekeyser.com/" target="_blank">Stacy DeKeyser</a><br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5hiVr4JfttE/VNDUBgMq1GI/AAAAAAAAAvc/65vaBNfTrXw/s1600/Lynda%2BMullaly%2BHunt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5hiVr4JfttE/VNDUBgMq1GI/AAAAAAAAAvc/65vaBNfTrXw/s1600/Lynda%2BMullaly%2BHunt.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22402972-fish-in-a-tree?from_search=true" target="_blank">Fish in a Tree</a><br />
by<br />
<a href="https://lyndamullalyhunt.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Lynda Mullaly Hunt</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kW2b86P9cxE/VNDT_vhzz6I/AAAAAAAAAu8/rBNHqCkQJFg/s1600/Jennifer%2BRichard%2BJacobson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kW2b86P9cxE/VNDT_vhzz6I/AAAAAAAAAu8/rBNHqCkQJFg/s1600/Jennifer%2BRichard%2BJacobson.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22747802-paper-things?from_search=true" target="_blank">Paper Things</a><br />
by<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22747802-paper-things?from_search=true" target="_blank">Jennifer Richard Jacobson</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lOA3vjaOgm0/VNDUAOtHBCI/AAAAAAAAAvA/ndkxoqwWs-8/s1600/Jess%2BKeating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lOA3vjaOgm0/VNDUAOtHBCI/AAAAAAAAAvA/ndkxoqwWs-8/s1600/Jess%2BKeating.jpg" height="200" width="128" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21991214-how-to-outswim-a-shark-without-a-snorkel?from_search=true" target="_blank">How to Outswim a Shark Without a Snorkel</a><br />
by<br />
<a href="http://jesskeating.com/" target="_blank">Jess Keating</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1SS6lXHMoVc/VNzsLN1VvCI/AAAAAAAAAxE/sr3HlAqiShM/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1SS6lXHMoVc/VNzsLN1VvCI/AAAAAAAAAxE/sr3HlAqiShM/s1600/unnamed.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13513350-on-the-road-to-mr-mineo-s?from_search=true" target="_blank">On the Road to Mr. Mineo's</a><br />
by<br />
<a href="http://www.barbaraoconnor.com/" target="_blank">Barbara O'Connor</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GSjjxNBvDkk/VNDUCqaPztI/AAAAAAAAAwA/5caHf4iiQXw/s1600/Nikki%2BLoftinL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GSjjxNBvDkk/VNDUCqaPztI/AAAAAAAAAwA/5caHf4iiQXw/s1600/Nikki%2BLoftinL.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22403130-wish-girl?from_search=true" target="_blank">Wish Girl</a><br />
by<br />
<a href="http://nikkiloftin.com/" target="_blank">Nikki Lofton</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ipnTAucSmFc/VNk7A3_D_9I/AAAAAAAAAwo/-Uqa5iLqFBw/s1600/markofthethief.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ipnTAucSmFc/VNk7A3_D_9I/AAAAAAAAAwo/-Uqa5iLqFBw/s1600/markofthethief.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17453187-mark-of-the-thief?from_search=true" target="_blank">Mark of the Thief</a><br />
by<br />
<a href="http://www.jennielsen.com/" target="_blank">Jennifer A. Nielsen</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-poPRB9V1XKk/VNDT-Z5cZUI/AAAAAAAAAus/n7f7b8-O7tg/s1600/Augusta%2Bscattergood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-poPRB9V1XKk/VNDT-Z5cZUI/AAAAAAAAAus/n7f7b8-O7tg/s1600/Augusta%2Bscattergood.jpg" height="200" width="136" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22323663-the-way-to-stay-in-destiny?from_search=true" target="_blank">The Way to Stay in Destiny</a><br />
by<br />
<a href="http://www.ascattergood.com/" target="_blank">Augusta Scattergood</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Exf90nLaRVc/VNDT-eofePI/AAAAAAAAAuw/Ik1jUSlsp14/s1600/Anna%2BStaniszewski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Exf90nLaRVc/VNDT-eofePI/AAAAAAAAAuw/Ik1jUSlsp14/s1600/Anna%2BStaniszewski.jpg" height="200" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21996388-the-gossip-file?from_search=true" target="_blank">The Gossip File</a><br />
by<br />
<a href="http://www.annastan.com/" target="_blank">Anna Staniszewski</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rBXnDQKCGd4/VNDUAVk-apI/AAAAAAAAAvI/5-oBcvSQuMQ/s1600/Laurie%2BAnn%2BThompson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rBXnDQKCGd4/VNDUAVk-apI/AAAAAAAAAvI/5-oBcvSQuMQ/s1600/Laurie%2BAnn%2BThompson.jpg" height="200" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21965198-emmanuel-s-dream?from_search=true" target="_blank">Emmanuel's Dream</a><br />
by<br />
<a href="http://lauriethompson.com/" target="_blank">Laurie Ann Thompson</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pbj3lmsjAck/VNDT_87A_nI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/gpTFVmNPG1M/s1600/Caroline%2BRose%2BStarr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pbj3lmsjAck/VNDT_87A_nI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/gpTFVmNPG1M/s1600/Caroline%2BRose%2BStarr.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22105178-blue-birds?from_search=true" target="_blank">Blue Birds</a><br />
by<br />
<a href="http://carolinestarrrose.com/" target="_blank">Caroline Starr Rose</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VSMv2O-j2CI/VNk60QpAvwI/AAAAAAAAAwg/cY5dVdREBaM/s1600/browngirldreaming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VSMv2O-j2CI/VNk60QpAvwI/AAAAAAAAAwg/cY5dVdREBaM/s1600/browngirldreaming.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20821284-brown-girl-dreaming?from_search=true" target="_blank">Brown Girl Dreaming</a><br />
by<br />
<a href="http://www.jacquelinewoodson.com/" target="_blank">Jacqueline Woodson</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Whew!<br />
Good luck!<br />
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<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
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❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-47225930560030703902015-01-25T07:36:00.000-08:002015-01-25T07:36:16.264-08:00Blog Tour!Announcing the official schedule of the <i>One Witch at a Time </i>blog tour! Check out a few (or all) of these fabulous blogs for author interviews, guest posts, reviews, and giveaways!<br />
<br />
February 9<br />
<a href="http://www.crackingthecover.com/" target="_blank">Cracking the Cover</a><br />
<br />
<br />
February 10<br />
<a href="http://hauntedorchid.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Haunting of Orchid Forsythia</a><br />
<br />
<br />
February 11<br />
<a href="http://motherdaughterbookclub.com/" target="_blank">Mother-Daughter Book Club</a><br />
<br />
<br />
February 12<br />
<a href="http://www.greenbeanteenqueen.com/" target="_blank">GreenBeanTeenQueen</a><br />
<br />
<br />
February 13<br />
<a href="http://thebookmonsters.com/" target="_blank">The Book Monsters</a><br />
<br />
<br />
February 16<br />
<a href="http://wordspelunking.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Word Spelunking</a><br />
<br />
<br />
February 17<br />
<a href="http://www.readnowsleeplater.org/" target="_blank">Read Now, Sleep Later</a><br />
<br />
<br />
February 18<br />
<a href="http://smallreview.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Small Review</a><br />
<br />
<br />
February 19<br />
<a href="http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/" target="_blank">KidLit Frenzy</a><br />
<br />
<br />
February 20<br />
<a href="http://www.theflashlightreader.com/" target="_blank">The Flashlight Reader</a><br />
<br />
<br />❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-45660129594192888312014-11-04T13:09:00.003-08:002014-11-04T13:09:28.765-08:00I'm starting a newsletter"Oh, joy!" I can hear you saying. "Finally, we can get news from Stacy without doing anything!"<br />
<br />
Well, you need to do ONE thing.<br />
<br />
You need to sign up <a href="http://eepurl.com/7rKZ1" target="_blank">here</a>, if you want occasional news and interesting info sent to your inbox.<br />
<br />
I promise to make it pertinent, and I also promise not to share your info with anyone else.❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-47588733148329929172014-10-22T15:20:00.001-07:002014-10-22T16:00:44.671-07:00Thanks, CRA attendees!<br />
If you attended my workshop at the Connecticut Reading Association conference on October 23, here is the PowerPoint presentation that accompanied the workshop:<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ORfTWKYxNymWxyjc-9bzmVyScZY4GchHV59RfV5Yesk/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Revision Tricks Any Kid Can Do</a><br />
<br />
And here is a <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/15_YIL-jfGasU-KWz6PWjGKcS_YOHdyAqOCM5Uj0SdxY/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Revision Tricks Guide</a> (based on the presentation) that your students can use as they revise their own work.<br />
<br />
Feel free to download and use them with your students.<br />
<br />
Have fun, and thanks!<br />
<br />
Stacy❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-1332755371499239132014-10-02T07:33:00.001-07:002014-10-02T07:33:13.405-07:00Amazon vs. The World: Why Amazon is WinningAmazon.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Love 'em? Hate 'em? A little bit of both?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There is so much to hate about Amazon's bullying tactics, their dodging of sales tax, and their treatment of warehouse employees. (Do a search on any of those terms, and you'll get more background than you'll ever want.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
More than any of the above, I worry about any one entity controlling the distribution of books, because Books = Ideas. And limiting access to Ideas is a Bad Idea.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But two things happened recently that make it pretty obvious why Amazon dominates, and why they will continue to dominate if their competitors don't get up to speed.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Thing #1:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I have a <a href="http://books.simonandschuster.com/One-Witch-at-a-Time/Stacy-DeKeyser/9781481413510" target="_blank">new book</a> coming out in a few months. Very exciting, right? The minute I had a jacket image and ISBN number, I was ready to tell the world. Look how pretty! You can preorder! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But the book's information was available in only one place. Can you guess where?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And it was <b>all</b> there: Cover image. ISBN number. Publication date. Preorder button.<b>*</b> Plot summary. Links to all my other books.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It took about 3 weeks for the same information to show up at BN.com or any other online bookseller.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, being an author who sympathizes with Hachette authors (there but for the grace of Amazon etc.), and is opposed to Amazon ruling the world, I had two choices: share my good news, via Amazon, or bite my tongue until the news was available more widely. I bit my tongue. (Which probably makes no difference for an author of my (un)fame, but it proves I'm a good sport.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Thing #2:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This morning a message popped into my inbox, directly from Hachette, advertising a specific new book title. I suppose I'm on their mailing list, and it WAS a book that interested me, and that I hadn't known about before. I followed the links to buy it at <a href="http://bn.com/">bn.com</a>, where it was discounted, AND with free shipping.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Ha!" I said to myself, "Good move, B&N! Way to capitalize on Amazon's feud with Hachette, swoop in and steal sales from your biggest competitor!"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I set about placing my order. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Half an hour later, after many clicks, blank screens, kick-outs, and general frustration, I still hadn't bought the book.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I gave up. I will try from another retailer, but I won't get a discount, and it's a $35 book, so a discount would have been nice.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If I had shopped at Amazon (except of course the book was "backordered" for 3 weeks and not discounted either<b>**)</b>, I would have been able to part with my money in under two minutes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So here is the conclusion: Love Amazon or hate Amazon, or somewhere in between, Amazon has its sh$t together. They know what they're doing, and they do it very, very well.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Until other booksellers--online and real-world--get up to speed, Amazon will continue to rule the world.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>*</b> because not a Hachette book</div>
<div>
** because Hachette book</div>
❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-79239915688379416172014-09-06T11:14:00.002-07:002014-09-06T11:14:18.372-07:00A peek into the process: ARCs and uncorrected proofsI'm always fascinated to learn about what goes on behind the scenes when a book is published. Here's how it's working for <i>One Witch at a Time</i>:<br />
<br />
<br />
Within a few days of each other, I got these in the mail:<br />
<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sHN6PZOZJxw/VAtL1ef1yfI/AAAAAAAAAnA/bu8xyiUhJtI/s1600/IMG_2133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sHN6PZOZJxw/VAtL1ef1yfI/AAAAAAAAAnA/bu8xyiUhJtI/s1600/IMG_2133.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Advance Reader Copies (ARCs)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And these:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-krbZ8SusTYU/VAtM1LMSlPI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/eWFS-gTqTYI/s1600/IMG_2134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-krbZ8SusTYU/VAtM1LMSlPI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/eWFS-gTqTYI/s1600/IMG_2134.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Uncorrected page proofs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Outwardly, they look very different, but inside, they are exactly the same. Most importantly: They both have errors. (Which is why ARCs tend to have a big UNCORRECTED disclaimer somewhere on them.) This is where editing and production and promotion all overlap. Because while I'm reading the page proofs, and marking corrections and small changes (I'm STILL deleting extraneous, cringe-inducing words like <i>just</i>!), the bound version is going out to reviewers and booksellers.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And that's very exciting!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I just hope they don't just see the extraneous <i>justs. </i>I'd be just horrified!</div>
❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-79062271942625550322014-06-10T11:37:00.002-07:002014-06-10T11:37:22.078-07:00Book trailer!<iframe id="vp1rPEjO" title="Video Player" width="432" height="243" frameborder="0" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/embed.animoto.com/play.html?w=swf/production/vp1&e=1402425371&f=rPEjO8XoO1mECz7eRQnyOA&d=0&m=a&r=360p+720p&volume=100&start_res=360p&i=m&asset_domain=s3-p.animoto.com&animoto_domain=animoto.com&options=" allowfullscreen></iframe>❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-8038370731226510412014-06-09T08:04:00.002-07:002014-06-09T08:04:57.914-07:00Cover reveal!The cover of <i>One Witch at a Time</i> is out, and I love it so much!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i7uERf2kGZo/U5XKebBvanI/AAAAAAAAAi8/hx0nAPefQRE/s1600/1_OneWitchAtATime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i7uERf2kGZo/U5XKebBvanI/AAAAAAAAAi8/hx0nAPefQRE/s1600/1_OneWitchAtATime.jpg" height="320" width="222" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It was designed by a brilliant person at Simon & Schuster named Sonia Chaghatzbanian. I love her too, and I haven't even met her.<br />
<br />
<i>One Witch at a Time</i> takes readers back to Brixen, where trouble is brewing once more. Can our hero Rudi undo the disaster caused when an unsuspecting
stranger brings a foreign witch’s magic to Brixen?<br />
<br />
Oma is back, and so is Susanna Louisa, and (of course) the Brixen Witch. And there are some new characters too, including a mysterious girl who Rudi can't seem to resist...<br />
<br />
There are cats, too. And chickens. I hope that makes up for the conspicuous absence of rats this time around. ;)<br />
<br />
The book is coming in February, so stay tuned for more news! There is a trailer in the works...<br />
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<!--EndFragment-->❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-44657757166528624782014-04-14T05:13:00.002-07:002014-04-14T05:13:26.501-07:00Who doesn't love a free book?In honor of National Library Week and School Library Month, I'm giving away free signed copies of <i>The Brixen Witch</i> in paperback.<br />
<br />
Hop on over to <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/89031-the-brixen-witch" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> to enter. Good luck!!<br />
<br />
<br />❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-52875936554463714632014-04-07T07:56:00.002-07:002022-05-20T05:23:36.068-07:00Adventures in CopyeditingLast week I got the copyedited manuscript for <i>One Witch at a Time</i>, which will be published in February 2015. (Ten months and counting!)<br />
<br />
My editor still works on paper, which is very comforting if you don't take all the little stickies and margin-notes too personally. Here is what it looked like:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tH9H2qn_3pE/U0K0lSpT6zI/AAAAAAAAAfk/86wojf4zczE/s1600/photo-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tH9H2qn_3pE/U0K0lSpT6zI/AAAAAAAAAfk/86wojf4zczE/s1600/photo-14.jpg" height="268" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
But of course you DO take it personally. In fact it feels like a small stab with a <a href="http://t.co/QsKyaSDGNh" target="_blank">heart-fork</a>* because I've revised and revised and revised already, and my editor said she was happy with my revisions. So why is my ms. marked up AGAIN?<br />
<br />
Here is where I explain what copyediting is:<br />
<br />
Actually, it's a few things:<br />
<br />
1. It's marking up the ms. for the typesetter and designer. Stuff like where to include chapter openers, nonbreaking spaces, dashes, ellipses, etc. Probably half of the red marks on the pages are stuff the author can ignore.<br />
<br />
2. Nuts and bolts I might have missed: a repeated word, misspellings, incorrect use of commas or semicolons, etc.<br />
<br />
I try to clean this up as much as possible before I turn in my ms, but I do miss a few things. Mostly this step consists of writing a line of dots under the deleted commas marked by the copyeditor. (A line of dots means to "stet" or "let stand" the original text, and ignore the copyeditor's mark.) I do a LOT of stetting of commas. I like my commas where they are, and I like an occasional run-on sentence, even if it breaks the rules of commas. But I suppose the copyeditor can't assume that, so she points out the rules and leaves it up to me to decide I actually DO want to break the rules sometimes. Easy enough, dot dot dot.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x8U7H3k-TtY/U0K6Jg9Vb_I/AAAAAAAAAf0/68B-g1zHnbg/s1600/IMG_1746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x8U7H3k-TtY/U0K6Jg9Vb_I/AAAAAAAAAf0/68B-g1zHnbg/s1600/IMG_1746.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
3. Consistency and logic. This is where a good copyeditor saves an author's bacon. She notices that you wrote "the dairy has only three cows" on page 14 but "the dairy's last two cows" on page 58. She will also tell you where she had trouble picturing what you described, and do you want to reword some passages? Sometimes she might even draw a picture:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s-2wuFO-5N4/U0K6vY8cqlI/AAAAAAAAAf8/G39hk1vqUrU/s1600/IMG_1750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s-2wuFO-5N4/U0K6vY8cqlI/AAAAAAAAAf8/G39hk1vqUrU/s1600/IMG_1750.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
This is where the heart-fork twists a bit, because the description seems clear enough to YOU (because you're the one who wrote it!), and rewording might cause that riveting scene to suddenly go CLUNK. But sometimes the copyeditor is right, and it needs to be done.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, though, the copyeditor is wrong, and it's important to take a deep breath and remember that. The copyeditor is not marking your ms. to show you all the places where she is right and you are wrong. She is only asking questions, knowing that sometimes the answer to the question will be NOPE, or STET. But if she doesn't ask, how can you be sure of your writing? And how can you catch the two cow/three cow problem? And so she asks, and it's up to you to not take it personally.<br />
<br />
And so I extracted the fork from my heart and forged through the ms-that-was-not-quite-perfect, and sent it back, pretty confident that now it's as perfect as I can make it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
*Heart-fork: Perfect, pithy term stolen from sports columnist <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonWSJ" target="_blank">Jason Gay</a>.❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-19603664640302663292014-03-25T04:36:00.001-07:002014-03-25T04:36:31.901-07:00A good non-writing dayTake a walk!<br />
It's good for you.<br />
Your dog will be grateful.<br />
You might see a bluebird, even though it's really cold.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yTsWUq695Tk/UzFp_c418GI/AAAAAAAAAfE/7EtQMD8Tiy0/s1600/IMG_1731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yTsWUq695Tk/UzFp_c418GI/AAAAAAAAAfE/7EtQMD8Tiy0/s1600/IMG_1731.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What? Can't you tell that's a bluebird?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
On our walk yesterday, I learned these things about my new book:<br />
<br />
- A bit of backstory<br />
- A bit of my protagonist's internal conflict<br />
<br />
and, most importantly:<br />
<br />
- What the story's antagonist wants, and why he wants it.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
This is big, because it will drive so much of the story. I read somewhere once that everyone is the hero of their own story. I think that's especially true of villains in novels.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's also true that when you have epiphanies like this, you should get it all down on paper as soon as you get home, so you don't forget your brilliance.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ya, yesterday was a good non-writing writing day. </div>
❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-47565542720521903582014-01-29T06:50:00.000-08:002014-01-29T06:50:05.076-08:00Novel Writing Made Easy: Your CharactersOK, so I have my <a href="http://stacy-dekeyser.blogspot.com/2014/01/novel-writing-made-easy-step-one-seat.html" target="_blank">SOP outline </a>and a rough idea of what my story is going to be about.<br />
<br />
Before I start writing, I need to know WHO I'm writing about. Because a plot outline is all well and good, and a helpful roadmap, but I want to write a story that is character-driven rather than plot-driven.<br />
<br />
This just means that I want the twists and turns of the plot to grow out of the kind of people my characters are, rather than making my characters do things that fit into my plot. You can probably think of a TV show or movie where you like the characters, and you think you know them, and then they do something that seems really forced, and you say, "Yeah, right," and shake your head and go off to make popcorn.<br />
<br />
For example, everybody watches <i>Downton Abbey</i>, right? The romance between <a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQUhovU23X8vAn8M4SkKJV3QLCGiVTTTf9PSuZH2kQGBI2W4261GQ" target="_blank">Anna and Bates</a> is so sweet! And it's believable, because those characters really do seem compatible. And the things they do (their PLOT) feel natural because those actions fit with their characters: I believed it when Anna traveled to London to visit Bates' first wife, but stopped short of doing anything nefarious. Because Anna cares that much about Bates, but she's also upstanding and honest and kind.<br />
<br />
And then there is Lord Grantham and his romance (such as it was) <a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRHB7r_Riua1bPlF-cPDTcri2YJQJ7o97G9K9JNwJEMvGFk-0qf" target="_blank">with a housemaid</a> a couple of seasons back.<br />
<br />
Popcorn time! That little sub-plot was hard to believe.<br />
<br />
Why? First of all, we hardly knew the maid at all. We really didn't know WHAT her character was, so we couldn't judge her behavior as fitting with her character or not. <br />
<br />
But mostly, it was hard to believe because we'd never seen that kind of behavior in Lord Grantham before. He'd displayed poor judgment from time to time, but mostly in financial matters. He'd always been a devoted and loving husband, though, and so the dalliance felt forced.<br />
<br />
That's the difference between character-driven story and plot-driven story. The first is organic, and believable, and much more satisfying. The second is OK, and can be entertaining, but it feels kinda hollow, and doesn't hold our attention for long. (Notice how that Lord Grantham/housemaid subplot didn't last very long either.)<br />
<br />
Plot-driven novels can be fun. They're the books that make good beach reads or airplane reads. Books you don't mind leaving behind in the hotel room or the seat-back pocket.<br />
<br />
I'm hoping to write a character-driven story, though. And I can't know what kinds of things my characters will do, or how they'll react to things that happen, if I don't know WHO they are.<br />
<br />
And so, my characters. Most importantly, my protagonist, or main character.<br />
<br />
(I'm going to cheat here a little and use <i><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781442433298" target="_blank">The Brixen Witch</a></i> in my examples. That way, I won't be sharing spoilers for a new book.)<br />
<br />
Rudi is a 12-year-old dairyman's son living in an Alpine mountain village a long time ago. He's an only child. He's smart, but quiet and contemplative. He's good with a slingshot. He could find his way around the slopes of the local mountain with his eyes closed. He's loyal. He's brave. He has a strong sense of responsibility. He's generous.<br />
<br />
I have an image in my head of what he looks like, but his physical appearance doesn't matter to me too much, because it's not how he looks, but what he DOES and what he THINKS that will be important. It will drive his actions, and his decisions, and those things will drive the plot.<br />
<br />
Next: Point of view and voice. Stay tuned!<br />
<br />❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-79574021670130814812014-01-16T13:29:00.003-08:002014-01-16T13:29:44.413-08:00Novel Writing Made Easy, Step One: Seat-of-the-Pants OutlineOK, here we go!<br />
<br />
As I said in the last post, I'm not a huge planner, but I DO plan a bit at the beginning of novel-writing, for a few reasons:<br />
<br />
1. It helps keep me focused once I do start writing. If I feel writer's block coming on, I can take a look at my S.O.P. outline and remind myself where I should be going next.<br />
<br />
2. It breaks down the HUGE project of writing a novel into bite-sized (less intimidating) pieces.<br />
<br />
3. I can feel accomplished when I fill in a few blanks on my outline.<br />
<br />
I speak from experience: I wrote my first novel, <i>Jump the Cracks,</i> almost completely by the seat of my pants. If I'd had to write an outline, it would have looked like this:<br />
<br />
Beginning:<br />
Girl impulsively runs away with little boy she fears is abused.<br />
End:<br />
Girl brings little boy home again.<br />
<br />
That's it.<br />
<br />
It was a painful experience. That novel took a REALLY long time to write, with lots and lots of rewriting and dead ends, and staring out the window wondering what comes next.<br />
<br />
It all turned out OK. I learned a lot about writing from writing that book. Mostly, I learned that I never want to write a novel that way again.<br />
<br />
Thus I give you the Seat of the Pants Outline.<br />
<br />
I call it that because it's really very basic. Here's what it looks like, before I've started any actual writing:<br />
<br />
<br />
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This is an Excel spreadsheet. I could hand-write it, but
Excel makes it easy to add new columns and rows as I go along. You
could probably build a table in Word that does the same thing. But Excel will add up the word count column for you, which is nice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I've made a few assumptions, namely:</div>
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A finished length of about 40,000 words, broken into approximately 27 chapters of approximately 1500 words each.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I know from having written my other novels that this is a comfortable length and format for me. And I really can't fully outline without knowing this number, or at least taking an educated stab, because I wouldn't know where the percentages would fall. If you've never written a novel before, it can be hard to predict how long your book will be. You might try choosing an average length, based on the age level and genre you want to write for. Nothing is etched in stone; you can expand or contract as you go along. But I think it helps to have <b>someplace</b> to start; to have some sort of roadmap, even if you end up taking detours.</div>
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A few words about the columns:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Chapter numbers<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Pretty obvious, but you have to start somewhere. I feel so
accomplished because ta-DA! I have officially started my book! As I start writing, it will
show me at a glance how I’m progressing toward the story markers in the "Turning Points" column. (More on that below.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<b>Running Word Count<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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I keep track of the word count chapter by chapter, because:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
a. I want to be somewhat consistent. I think consistent
chapter lengths help the story’s rhythm.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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b. It keeps me honest. My goal is an average of 1500 words
per chapter, with a min/max of around 1000/2000 words. If a chapter is skewing short, I know I need to beef it up, or blend it into the next or
previous chapter. If it’s skewing too long, I need to cut some fat, or break it
into two chapters.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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c. Another chance to feel accomplished, as the running total
grows!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Chapter summaries</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Here is where I’ll jot down the most
crucial plot points of each chapter. Once they’re all filled in, it will be a
sort of synopsis of the whole book. Right now, I don’t even know what to enter
for Chapter 1. I have to actually, you know, start writing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Turning Points/Story Markers<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE OUTLINE.</div>
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I use the percentages as pretty strict story markers: 1-15% means that the inciting incident (or story problem) had better be introduced quickly; somewhere in the first 6,000 words, or first 4 chapters. (15% of 40,000 = 6,000 and 6,000/1,500 = 4 chapters) Ideally, it will happen in the first or second chapter. If it hasn't happened by chapter 4, I'll know I'm taking too long to set things up, OR my book might need to be longer after all. (Chances are it'll be the first thing, though.)</div>
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In the same way, the first turning point, where we move from Act 1 to Act 2, as the protagonist chooses to commit to a task or journey, needs to happen about 25-30% into the novel. (All these numbers can slide around a little, but ONLY a little.) That means I'd better have my protagonist launched on her adventure by around 12,000 words, or by chapter 8 or so.</div>
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(And when you think about it, 8 chapters is plenty of time to launch my protagonist on her adventure.)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By the way, these percentages are taken directly from <i><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781935247012" target="_blank">Making a Good Script Great</a></i>. I'm writing a novel and not a screenplay, but they are both vehicles for telling
stories, and good story structure is good story structure. It works for me.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Notes<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anything else I want to remember that doesn’t fit in the
other columns. For now, I’ve listed other terms for the turning points. They
remind me what I’m aiming for in each section. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<b>Additional columns<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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I might add another column for my timeline, or to list the characters and/or setting for each chapter, or whether each chapter ends on an emotional
high or low note. Whatever helps me visualize what’s going on. Add and subtract
as needed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
OK, enough procrastinating, I guess. Time to start writing.
Wish me luck, and I’ll report back here with my progress, filling in the
chapter chart as I go. In the meantime, let me know if you have any questions or comments.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-43290528707519219762014-01-16T07:24:00.003-08:002014-01-16T07:24:41.183-08:00How To Write a Novel in 10 Easy Steps*<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m starting a new novel, hooray!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I thought it might be fun, and instructive, to document the whole process, from the very beginning, and share it here over the coming months.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It's a process that I've developed over the course of writing 4 novels (3 published), and many many many false starts. It's somewhere between detailed plotting and unfettered "pantsing," and it works well for me.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Of course it’s only one of a zillion ways to write a novel, and it won’t work for everyone. But maybe it will at least help you think through your own process, and find something that works for you. Feel free to use, copy, share, write.</div>
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I’ll be sharing info I've cribbed from lots of
other sources, most of which I don’t even remember anymore, but definitely from
these books:</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781932907360" target="_blank">The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers</a></i> by Christopher Vogler<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781935247012" target="_blank">Making a Good Script Great</a></i> by Linda Seger<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780205750344" target="_blank">Writing Fiction</a></i> by Janet Burroway<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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All 3 of these books deal with story structure. A strong, tight structure is absolutely essential if you want
to write a decent novel. In my opinion.</div>
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<br /></div>
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OK, so here we go!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Oops, not really. Sorry. Because before the <i>writing</i> comes the <i>pre-writing</i>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I'm starting this new book with pre-writing, but nothing crazy. I don't create a 20-page outline, or detailed character sketches, or anything like that. A bit of pre-planning is good, though. It helps me avoid too many dead-ends as I write, plus it makes me feel like I'm getting down to business even before I start the actual writing. (And I get to justify my bouts of daydreaming/staring out the window.)</div>
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For this new book, I already know a few things:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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1. It will be a novel for kids (about age 8 and up).</div>
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2. It will top out at around 40,000 words.**<o:p></o:p></div>
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3. I already have a rough idea for the plot and a couple of characters.</div>
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<br /></div>
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You'll see later why all of these things are important to know, starting with the next post:</div>
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<br /></div>
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Step One: Seat-of-the-Pants Outline<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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*The steps are easy. The writing isn't. Sorry!</div>
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**How do I know this? This will be my 5<sup>th</sup> novel. Novels 1-4 were all about
this length, and so I’m pretty sure this one will be, too. Having a rough idea of the finished length helps me to sketch out my rough outline, before I ever start actually writing. The structure would
be the same for a longer novel, though; just stretched out.<o:p></o:p></div>
❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-54077833253941588152013-10-28T10:53:00.000-07:002013-10-28T10:53:05.432-07:00Come hear The Inside Story! Nov. 3<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center;">
<img height="231" src="http://www.odysseybks.com/files/odyssey/Inside_Story_Logo_0.png" style="border: 0px;" width="500" /></div>
<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">SCBWI’S INTERNATIONAL "INSIDE STORY" EVENT COMES TO THE ODYSSEY BOOKSHOP!</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"></span><br />
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<div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0in 13.2pt 0.0001pt 0in;">
<span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, in conjunction with First Book, is launching its first international "Inside Story" event at select independent bookstores this November. 18 children's book authors and illustrators will be at the Odyssey bookshop on Sunday, November 3rd to share the "Inside Story" about their latest publications. From picture books, middle grade and early readers to young adult this event has something for everyone! Free prizes, a drawing to win a phone call from a famous author and First Book will donate a book to a child in need for every book purchased! Perfect for children, educators and librarians.</span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">18 authors will be present at the <strong><a href="http://www.odysseybks.com/" target="_blank">Odyssey Bookshop’s</a></strong> event on Sunday, November 3<sup>rd</sup>.</span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<strong>Picture Book 1pm</strong></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><em><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Diane deGroat, Corinne Demas, Deborah Freedman, Jannie Ho, Sandra Horning, Jane Kohuth, Jason Lefebvre, Richard Michelson, Hazel Mitchell, J.C. Phillipps</span></strong></em></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<strong>Middle Grade and Young Adult at 3pm</strong></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Stacy DeKeyser, Christine Brodien-Jones, Erin Dionne, Natasha Lowe, Jennifer Ann Mann, Rebecca Rupp, Chris Tebbetts, Kathryn Burak</span></em></strong></span></span></div>
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<div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
Special prizes to help bring in patrons will include a drawing to win a phone call from a famous author and a grand prize drawing across all bookstores to have a character in a new Almost Identical book by Lin Oliver named after them. In addition, First Book will donate a book to a child in need for every book purchased at an SCBWI Inside Story event.</div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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President Stephen Mooser and Executive Director Lin Oliver say, “We are delighted that the SCBWI is partnering with First Book to call attention to the great books our illustrator and author members have created. We hope that by next year independent bookstores around the world will be a part of this very special day.”</div>
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<div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<strong>About First Book</strong></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
First Book provides access to new books for children in need. To date, First Book has distributed more than 100 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the UnitedStates and Canada. First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education by making new, high-quality books available on an ongoing basis. Learn more at <a href="http://www.firstbook.org/" style="color: #046b70; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.firstbook.org</a>.</div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<strong>About SCBWI</strong></div>
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Founded in 1971, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is one of the largest existing writers’ and illustrators’ organizations, with over 22,000 members worldwide. It is the only organization specifically for those working in the fields of children’s literature, magazines, film, television, and multimedia. The organization was founded by Stephen Mooser (President) and Lin Oliver (Executive Director), both of whom are well-published children’s book authors and leaders in the world of children’s literature. Learn more at <a href="http://www.scbwi.org/" style="color: #046b70; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.scbwi.org</a>.</div>
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❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-4835024421850315752013-10-08T12:48:00.000-07:002013-11-13T14:36:03.425-08:00AASL 2013 Schedule<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Looking forward to the <a href="http://national.aasl.org/" target="_blank">AASL annual conference</a> in November!<br />
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My schedule is shaping up as follows. Please come and say hi. I'll have bookmarks!<br />
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<b>Thursday, November 14</b><br />
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5:30 - 6:30pm<br />
Book signing<br />
Exhibit Hall<br />
Llewellyn/Flux booth #815<br />
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<b>Saturday, November 16</b><br />
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10:15-11:30<br />
Panel presentation: <br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground: The Role of Fantasy in the Real World</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Eight authors will discuss how fantasy sets out to enchant, but also helps young readers rise to real-life challenges, discover passions for other disciplines, broaden their cultural horizons, and inform their own writing.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">11:30 -12:15</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Book signing</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Author Alley</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4:30-5:15</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://national.aasl.org/author-events" target="_blank">Author Meet & Greet</a></span><br />
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See you in November!❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-2321519368421958212013-07-01T07:22:00.003-07:002013-07-01T07:22:38.754-07:00Every author event should have a momI drove up to New Hampshire this weekend for an author fair at the wonderful <a href="http://www.bayswaterbooks.com/" target="_blank">Bayswater Book Company</a> in Center Harbor, on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee.<br />
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Here I am with author <a href="http://marciastrykowski.com/" target="_blank">Marcia Strykowski</a> at our table:<br />
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My sister's mother-in-law spends her summers at the lake, and so "Auntie Lucy" invited me to stay with her.<br />
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Here is the view from Auntie Lucy's front porch:<br />
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I offered to pick up a pizza, but she said no. Instead, she made me her world-famous chicken cutlets:<br />
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And before I left for the author fair on Saturday morning, she packed me a lunch, complete with homemade biscotti:</div>
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Thanks, Auntie Lucy!<br />
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<br />❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1732540703237902111.post-38985966433617823682013-06-27T09:01:00.002-07:002013-06-27T09:01:35.173-07:00Hey, Barnes and Noble: I have the solution to all your problems!So Barnes & Noble is in trouble, which is no secret. You can catch up a bit <a href="http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2013/dont-count-out-barnes-noble/?et_mid=625652&rid=2643552" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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As an author, I'm a bit nervous about the prospect of B&N going under. Which isn't imminent, or even sure. But still, when I see them standing on shaky ground, my own knees get a little jelly in them.<br />
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B&N has traditionally been so important in the book industry that they have the power to send publishers back to the drawing board (literally) to redo book jackets. Or so goes the scuttlebutt among authors. It's also understood by authors that if B&N chooses to stock your book, you can breathe a little easier, because chances are you'll at least sell your first printing. And if you're blessed with front-of-store or special table placement, you are gold. (And your publisher likes you, too, because they paid good money to put your book there.)<br />
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I don't know how true all of that really is, but it's an example of the power B&N has, and the respect it gets (however grudgingly) from the authors I know.<br />
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So to think B&N might some day no longer be around is a big deal. Especially when I consider that I miss Borders lots more than I thought I would.<br />
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But! Fear not, Barnes & Noble! Because I have the solution to all your problems, and it's so simple you'll smack yourself on the forehead.<br />
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Ready? Here it is:<br />
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Books.<br />
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Stock more. Lots more. Please, please, please get rid of all those toys and games and Legos, and while you're at it, forget the CDs and DVDs too. And put <i>books</i> there instead. Lots and lots of books of all kinds. Best-sellers are OK. But also, obscure titles from small publishers. Backlist titles and old favorites. Maybe (gasp!) even a few self-pubbed gems. Fill your cavernous stores with a jillion different titles, and tempt me. Make me swoon!<br />
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A bookstore should be a place of delicious discovery, where you can go and browse, and sit in a comfy chair (remember when B&N had those??), and find new books by authors you hadn't heard of before, and take them home and dive in.<br />
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B&N used to be like that. And it can be again. But now the books they sell are the usual, skim-the-surface offerings: best-sellers; familiar names. Boring, boring, boring. There are more than a few dozen authors in the world, B&N, and trust me: more <i>really good</i> books than can ever fit on a dozen bestseller lists. Why not, like, actually stock some of those?<br />
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Go ahead, B&N. Find your roots. Do what you're best at. Give us BOOKS.❀ Stacy DeKeyserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09237523489521009008noreply@blogger.com0