I can't help but be a little proud of being a Canuck this week. While other countries were sending the royal British baby boy gifts like baby suits, shawls, condoms? (the Finns), and crocodiles (those darn Aussies), Canada decided to give the gift of knowledge!
Eleven books (all recipients of the Governor-General's prize for children's literature) were presented to the tiny tot.
These included:
Alphabeasts, by Wallace Edwards
Amos's Sweater, by Janet Lunn and Kim LaFave
Cat's Night Out, by Jon Klassan and Caroline Stutson
Le grow monstre qui aimait trop lire, by Lili Chartrand and Roger Girard
Imagine a Day, by Sarah L. Thomson and Rob Gonsalves
Lili et les poilus, by Caroline Merola
Love You Forever, by Robert Munsch
The Hockey Sweater, by Roch Carrier
The Party, by Barbara Reid
Virginia Wolf, by Kyo Maclear and Isabelle Arsenault
Great gifts not just for George but for any newborn closer to home.
In other news, this marks the final day of Camp Nanowrimo.
My stats: 13,000 words (or 36 printed pages).
Not great, but I'm happy I got something accomplished this month! Plus, with the help of some talented campers I managed to wring out a logline. Let me know what you think:
Elizabeth Dodge (22), a rising star DEA agent on a personal
mission to take down the Mexican drug cartel responsible for abducting her and
murdering her best friend five years ago, becomes conflicted when she discovers
that the man she's hunting may not be the villain she thought he was.
Congratulations to all my campmates who made it through the month and did something awesome!
Special thanks to Lorin Oberweger who provided inspiration, a supportive Nanowrimo facebook page and a weekly chatroom through Free Expressions that was worth its weight in gold.
Now onto the next deadline! I've still got a lot of work to do before September's Writing the Breakout Novel workshop with Donald Maass. *gulp!*
One Time At Band Camp....
I've always wanted to go to camp and it looks like I'll finally get the chance! While I won't be building teepees or fighting off mosquitos, I will be joining a multitude of other writers who are taking part in Camp Nanowrimo. Thirty one glorious days of writing in the month of July.
Okay, so there's actually no physical camp but there is an awesome online community. Check it out and set your goal of finishing a first draft of your novel by the end of the month.
*beat* Yep, I know what you're thinking. Really, Jenn? You? I admit, that might be a bit of a stretch...so maybe at least a solid quarter draft right?...in time to submit my required homework for Writing The Breakout Novel.
Sometimes instead of a Camp Councillor, you need a Drill Sergeant...
Which is what I know Donald Maass's weeklong intensive Writing The Breakout Novel will be. Organized by Free Expressions, BONI (as it's also known as) is a no holds bar workshop where Maass tells you as it is. While not specific to YA and Children's writers, it provides participants the opportunity to delve deep into their writing and search for the answers to those really hard questions in our stories that we all tend to dance around.
Speaking of Free Expressions...
I can say from experience that Free Expression's Your Best Book for Writers of Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction is one of the best workshops for published and yet to be published writers. Program director Lorin Oberwger is one of the most thoughtful and impressive independent editors out there and she creates a program that is insightful and entertaining.
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| Go Martina! |
Screw it! I want some warm and fuzzy....
Congratulations to my fellow Your Best Book alumni Martina Boone who's Southern Gothic Trilogy was just picked up by Annette Pollert at Simon Pulse! YBB 2012 is on fire!
