2008 Blog Entries
12/23/08 -- The weather continues to throw curve balls here in Oregon. Portland has been hit by what's being called a One Hundred Year Storm. Amy, my youngest daughter, is safely home from college. Kelsey, and her boyfriend, Tyler, are bumping along in tire chains on I-5, headed our way. For any of you who are traveling this holiday season, I wish for you safe passage and a joyous time wherever you are bound.
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12/20/08 -- More snow in the Willamette Valley. I find it hard to stay on task with a view like this outside my office window.
Rain is in the forecast for later in the day, though, so I'd better take a break and get out there and enjoy it while it lasts. Snow as metaphor for life -- fleeting, yet full of beauty and a quieting grace. Think I'll put on my running shoes and go for a slow jog . . .
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12/16/08 -- Short entry today, as it's late and I've worked long and hard on ATTACK: TAKE TWO. In a few minutes I'm headed out with some friends to go to the indoor rock climbing gym at Oregon State University to get some exercise. True, an indoor climbing gym is not as good as the real thing, the famous Oregon crag Smith Rock for example, but in December with snow on the ground and the temperature hovering at about 20, I'll take it. Besides, it's a blast and a great way to work on technique, and spend time with my climbing buddies.
Also, rock climbing is figuring heavily into the new novel, so really this is another way of doing research.
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12/12/08 -- Knowing me to be an avid rock climber, my oldest daughter, Kelsey, sent me the following:
The bridge shown below is on the Old Donner Pass Highway. It has some spectacular views of the Sierras and Donner Lake. A bear was walking across the bridge when two cars also crossing it scared the bear into jumping over the edge. Somehow the bear caught the ledge and was able to pull itself to safety.
Authorities decided that nothing could be done to help that night so they returned the next morning to find the bear sound asleep on the ledge.
After securing a net under the bridge, the bear was tranquilized, fell into the net, was lowered, then woke up and walked out of the net.
The moral of the story is that when confronted with a bad situation sometimes the best solution is to just sleep on it.
It can work for writing conundrums, too.
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12/09/08 -- A short day of writing today, but productive nonetheless -- almost done with the first draft of the first four scenes of ATTACK OF THE MUTANT UNDERWEAR: TAKE TWO.
Tomorrow I make the drive north on I-5 to Portland for an appointment at the Apple Store. They offer a program called One-to-One. Through it I get individual help from a pro with the new software called Keynote that I'll be using in my school presentations. For those of you familiar with Powerpoint, it's similar but oriented for Mac users like me. It's got great potential, and I'm excited to learn more.
Still, I'll get up early and see if I can get a rough draft of scene 5 done before I take off. Gotta keep the story ball rolling!
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12/04/08 -- I get to meet many wonderful librarians in my travels to speak in schools, and am impressed over and over again with their commitment to kids and to getting books in kids' hands. A good example is Alecia Marcum of Natcher Elementary in Bowling Green, KY. Read about her inspiring ways by clicking here.
And next time you wander into a library, any library, be sure to thank the people who keep the place going. Their hard work often goes under appreciated.
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12/1/08 -- Hard to believe it's December already. Nice to be home, though, with plenty of time to work on the ATTACK OF THE MUTANT UNDERWEAR: TAKE TWO. Today I got a rough draft of the first scene done, and a good start on the second. No attempt is being made to write well, just get something down that can be polished later. That's my style. It's all about rewriting.
On a totally unrelated, but very interesting note, a friend suggested I check out the story of the amazing talking -- and reasoning! -- parrot, Alex. (Click link to see You Tube of Alex at work.)
With all of the great animal characters in children's literature, I expect to see Alex join them on the pages of some new novel soon. Anyone out there working on it now?
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11/26/08 -- Quitting work early today. My daughters, Kelsey and Amy, will be arriving for Thanksgiving and there's much to do to get ready. Fun!
Given that the day after Thanksgiving is generally considered to be the biggest shopping day of the year in the USA, I can't help but throw a pitch out for a certain type of gift with a paraphrase from author Christopher Morley:
"When you give someone a book, you don't give just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue - you give them a whole new life. Love and friendship and humor and ships at sea by night - there's all heaven and earth in a book, a real book."
Happy Thanksgiving, and happy reading!
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11/24/08 -- Today I'm working on a detailed synopsis (known in the screenwritingworld as a treatment) of ATTACK OF THE MUTANT UNDERWEAR: TAKE TWO. Essentially, I'm walking my way through the story, scene by scene, figuring out which way it might go. I say "might go" because I've learned from experience that no matter how much prewriting I do, the story will evolve and change as I work on it.
Which is good. Creative impulses and leaps of imagination often provide the best material, and are ignored at the story's peril. So I plan, but with an open mind, ready to embrace surprises as they come along, whenever they come along.
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11/21/08 -- My calendar for author visits for the 2008-2009 school year is getting very full. So far I've spoken in mostly Oregon schools, but will soon be trekking to California, Washington, Texas, Iowa, Georgia, Brazil (yes, the one in South America), Iowa (again), Indiana, Idaho, and Washington (again). Plus, in July I'll be teaching my second stint at the Oregon Coast Children's Book Writers Workshop, a great event in beautiful Oceanside. The 2009-2010 school year includes trips to Missouri and Nebraska so far. If you are interested in having me speak at your school or library or conference, get in touch at tom@tombirdseye.com
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11/20/08 -- I have now finished doing most of the initial brainstorming for ATTACK OF THE MUTANT UNDERWEAR: TAKE TWO. Instead of trying to dream up everything that is going to happen, I rely on the hundreds of notes I've jotted down over the years and tossed into my desk drawer. That's it below, sitting on the dining room table, filled to the brim with possibilities.
I go through the drawer one note at a time, asking myself if this or that idea might fit into the new book somehow, and begin to do a rough sort into piles -- central plot, subplots, character development, etc.
After the initial sorting is done, I move the piles upstairs to my office and spread them out on my desk.
Then comes the most fun part of prewriting -- putting the possibilities together. I start big, with major turning points, the beginning, even the ending, playing with ideas, letting my imagination run. It's all done with the knowledge that my first impulses are often not the best. I throw out lots, then see what I can come up with that's better. Two steps forward, one step back -- that's the feel of it. But soon scenes start to emerge, and I jot them down on 3x5 cards to create a step outline. Only time, and much ruminating, will tell if I'm on the right track.
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11/19/08 -- FINALLY, all software issues resolved -- knock on wood -- and I'm back to journaling again! Much to report on that has happened in the interim, but most importantly: my editor has read STORM MOUNTAIN and likes it.
Whew! I admit to nervousness about how a story will be received. After so long of being buried in the writing it can be hard to tell if plot and characters are really working -- one of those can't-see-the-forest-for-the-trees situations. History tells me not to worry, I've done it before, I can do it again. But even after 18 successful stories, the insecurity still lingers.
Until I hear back with definite word. STORM MOUNTAIN will indeed go forward. True, there is more work to do based on editorial feedback, but I can rest assured that the story will eventually see the light of a published day.
Woo-hoo!
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11/7/08 -- Friday, and a good day of writing. Spent most of my time working on subplot possibilites for ATTACK OF THE MUTANT UNDERWEAR: TAKE TWO. Fitting them and the central plot together is always a puzzle, but not one to be solved, instead it's one to be built. I love the process, except when I wake up at 3:00 AM thinking about those complexities and can't get back to sleep (night before last was a good example). Oh well, I guess that's just part of what comes with the writing territory.
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11/4/08 -- Recently I've had more issues with the internet plaguing me: web site hosting, software, and email. Don't you just love technology? Actually, I do enjoy the pleasures of working on a computer, and doing research on the Web, and being able to communicate so easily with readers and educators from all over the world. If you are having trouble getting in touch with me (ie I'm not responding to an email), try again, or give be a call at 541-602-5755.
In other news, I'm progressing with the initial prewriting process for the sequel to ATTACK OF THE MUTANT UNDERWEAR. Lots of thinking to do regarding plot and character.
And title. Initially, I was thinking RETURN OF THE MUTANT UNDERWEAR, but now am considering ATTACK OF THE MUTANT UNDERWEAR: TAKE TWO. Which relates to the plotline. (Can't tell you how, though, as it would ruin the ending.) And anyway, the title issue will remain open until the book is done. I keep a piece of paper on my desk and add title ideas as they occur to me. Mostly, they come from the text itself, but you never know. Time will tell . . .
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10/30/08 -- In the past three weeks I've had the opportunity to meet three of my old students from 30 years ago when I taught at Oceanlake Elementary School in Lincoln City, Oregon. What a delight! Even though two of the three sometimes gave me a hard time in class (well, okay, one of them drove me nearly crazy), they have all turned out to be fantastic adults who are contributing to society in important ways.
Educators take note: Keep your head up. Even the most difficult students often turn out fine.
Kids, you take note, too: No matter how hard school is for you, and how many troubles your life seems to be piling on, an education is your ticket to success and personal fulfillment.
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10/21/08 -- I'm back from a visit a classroom full of 3rd graders at Jefferson Elementary School here in my hometown of Corvallis, OR. They had just finished a read-aloud of ATTACK OF THE MUTANT UNDERWEAR. When I asked what they'd like to see in a sequel, hands shot up. I came away with LOTS of great ideas. Added to the piles of notes I already have, and I think I've got more than enough material for RETURN OF THE MUTANT UNDERWEAR.
Now for the fun process of putting it all together!
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10/16/08 -- Rewarded myself for finishing STORM MOUNTAIN with a trip to the Cascades for a bit of rock climbing, a ten-pitch (10 rope length) route called The Peregrine Traverse (see photo below of me leading pitch 4).
Weather was great, so no "Storm Mountain" experience. I had a challenging-but-wonderful day on rock with solid partners (a must). No problems until back at camp, when a buddy accidentally spilled boiling water on my ankle. It blistered within seconds, and ached for much longer. Life. You never know when it's going to sneak up on you and let you have it.
Still, and we got in a 19-mile mountain bike ride the following day. I came home tired, but ready to start my next book, a sequel to ATTACK OF THE MUTANT UNDERWEAR, tentatively titled RETURN OF THE MUTANT UNDERWEAR. Talk about a change of subject matter from STORM MOUNTAIN!
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10/13/08 -- DONE! Finally. After 32 rewrites and over two years, STORM MOUNTAIN is now on its way to New York City and my agent, and ultimately onto my editor's desk.
Actually, "DONE!" is not right. DONE FOR NOW! is more like it. The manuscript will come back with suggestions, which I am really looking forward to. My experience is that my stories always improve with editorial help.
In the meantime, I'm going to reward myself with a few days off to go rock climbing and mountain biking in the Cascades. Thankfully the weather forecast is good, so no storm mountain for me.
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10/7/08 -- I ran into children's author Kirby Larson at the Kidlitosphere Conference in Portland. She recommended a book on rewriting called NOVEL METAMORPHOSIS: UNCOMMON WAYS TO REVISE by Darcy Pattison. Kirby said she took a weekend workshop with the author and it changed her life. By that she meant she revised her historical novel, HATTIE BIG SKY, and it won a Newberry Honor medal. Not bad!
I ordered the book and it came yesterday. I've only had a chance to browse through it, but it looks great.
Now back to rewriting I go . . .
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9/29/08 -- I'm just back from a writers retreat on the California coast. Lots of good work time, plus great company. I'm closing on the final rewrite of STORM MOUNTAIN. It won't make the mail today as I was hoping, but very soon!
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9/18/08 -- Working, working, working -- now ratcheted up to ten hours a day. Sometimes I don't know if I've got what it takes to keep pushing this hard.
Then I remember last weekend and a rare day off to compete in the Timberline Half Marathon near Mt Hood, Oregon. My daughter, Kelsey (far right in photo below), developed a blister at mile 3. It popped minutes later, and started to bleed. And that was just the beginning. Soon she had four!
But did that stop her? No way. She's tough, and had the endurance to keep pushing until she crossed the finish line. I'll do the same . . .
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9/10/08 -- As I related below in my 9/3 entry, the main character of STORM MOUNTAIN has shifted. Instead of Benjamin, it's now Cat. And it's working! Every single one of the nagging uncertainties I had about character development have vanished. Woo-hoo!
Now I'm barreling down on the last chapter of this rewrite. One more go through to smooth things out and plug in recently researched details, followed by a read-aloud to check for fluency, and I'm done! Target date for mailing the manuscript to New York -- September 29!
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9/3/08 -- Late this morning I realized that I needed a break from writing and went for a mountain bike ride. Huffing and puffing my way up the steep switchbacks on Bald Hill, a question occurred to me: Could some of the trouble I've been having with the main character in STORM MOUNTAIN be related to gender? In other words, what if my main character was a girl instead of a boy?
At the thought of such a change I braked so hard I almost fell off the trail into a patch of poison oak. Not because the thought was absurd, but because, deep down in my gut, I was so excited by the possibility. A quick turn around and fast dash home put me back in front of my Mac. Now, hours later, after reading the entire book and switching pronouns in my mind, I find that I may, in fact, be onto something. Time alone will tell . . .
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8/25/08 -- LOTS of inquiries coming in for author visits. My 2008-2009 school year calendar is filling up fast. Get in touch asap if you're interested!
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8/8/08 -- I'm currently working seven days a week on finishing STORM MOUNTAIN. My limit per day seems to be about 7 hours. Although my spirit is willing to keep pushing for 8 or more, my brain is not. Any writing after that is proving to be worthless.
Still, I can go over previous work, and make a few notes. Then there comes the point where I simply have to get outdoors and MOVE! Trail running, mountain biking, and rock climbing are my three favorite ways to commune with the natural world. I come back rejuvenated and ready to go the next day.
Me perched on the rim of Crater Lake, Oregon, communing.
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7/21/08 -- This past week, July 12-18, I had the good fortune to be on the teaching staff at the Oregon Coast Children's Book Writer's Workshop. As if the beautiful setting weren't enough (see pic below, taken from the classroom window, no kidding), I got to rub elbows with writer-conference director-gourmet cook David Greenberg, writers Mel Boring, Esther Hersherhorn, and David Gifaldi, as well as editors Harold Underdown and Stacy O'connell, agent Susan Cohen, and our ever-handy assistants, Susan Andrew and Teresa Lane. Great people, each and every one.
Add to that 50 eager students, and the workshop was bound to be a success. Info packed presentations (such as Harold's shown below) were spaced with first page critiques and one-on-one manuscript consults. I learned much, and from the evaluations the attendees filled out at the end of the week it was clear they did, too.
All of which reminded me once again how important it is to get together as writers and grow.
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7/8/08 -- Whew! After several days of trying to figure out why I couldn't log onto my web site, I've finally figured it out. So now I can finally update this here blog.
I'm back from the KY and SC trip. The family reunions were fun, as was the weather. Hot? Yes. But not in the usual like-a-suana way. Humidity was fairly low. Yahoo!
I generally did my writing in the afternoon, though. Got lots done.
But also took time for walks on the beach. We hitched a boat ride to a wilderness island and visited Boneyard Beach, where storms have washed away the land away and drowned the trees in the surf.
Made a new friend, too, although I thought he had a bit of a crabby disposition.
On the way back to KY to catch our flight to Oregon, we stopped in the mountains of North Carolina to visited the home of Carl Sandburg. Talk about a great place to write! Given the itinerate writing life I'd been living for over two weeks, the following lines of one of Sandburg's poems especially spoke to me. I'm not particularly good at memorizing, but I think it goes something like this:
The eternal hobo ask for a quiet room,
And a little paper he can dirty
With birds who will sit where he tells 'em.
My writing digs sure don't compare with Carl's (that's his house above), but I'm glad to be home and working on STORM MOUNTAIN in my familiar quiet room.
Now if I can just get those birds to sit where I tell 'em . . .
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6/14/08 -- I've just finished packing for our annual trip to Kentucky and South Carolina for family reunions. We won't have our girls with us this year -- both tied up with work and school -- but we'll adjust and have a good time with the rest of the clan at Barren River Reservoir (KY) and Folly Beach (SC).
A nice part of being a freelance writer is the job's portability. I'm taking my laptop, external hard drive to back up my work, and a large three-ring binder with notes for STORM MOUNTAIN. It'll be a bit out of context working on a story that takes place high on a Cascade peak in a snow storm while in the South and all of its accompanying heat and humidity. But, hey, if I can't make the imaginative leap I might as well hang up my writer's hat.
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6/11/08 -- Another school year has ended, and I've spoken to my last group of kids about the writing process. Signed lots of books, too. Great fun, all of it.
Now I'm focused solely on finishing STORM MOUNTAIN. Granted, it's taken much longer than I predicted, but such is the writing life.
A typical day for me starts with a bit of writing before breakfast, then full-on until about 11:00, when I break for either a mountain bike ride or a run. After lunch I do the world a favor and take a shower, then hit the keyboard again. Often afternoon turns into my most productive time. By 5:00 my brain is toast, and I call it quits for the day. Not a bad life. Not bad at all.
A friend recently passed on a wonderful quote that is not about writing, but could be:
"The charm of fishing (read: writing) is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope.” - John Buchan
Keep angling for that story!
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5/19/08 -- The weather, a very important factor in STORM MOUNTAIN, has been playing with us here in Oregon as of late. Two weekends ago we got snowed on during our annual trip on the north side of Mount Hood. This past weekend the temperature raged near 100 in Corvallis.
I don't mind, though. It's just what is, and there is nothing I can do about it anyway.
At least in real life. In a story, however, I can make the weather be whatever I want it to be.
Or the results of the weather. Consider the two photos below. Same location, same month, different year.
May, 2007
May, 2008
Yes, that's the cabin under all of that snow. The black hole at the bottom of the photo is the front door!
Think such a deep snowpack could have an impact on a story? Yep, me too. Imagine the possibilities . . .
So don't forget to factor in that other "character" -- weather -- when writing!
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5/13/08 -- After two weeks in my new writing location upstairs, the jury is in: Fantastic! Friends donatied the old countertop from a kitchen remodel and I set it on top of some cabinets some other friends gave me from their kitchen remodel (lots of kitchen remodeling going on these days) and -- tah-dah! -- I've got a great work space.
I write standing up, which sounds weird to lots of people, but I like it and -- ironically -- it causes me less fatigue than writing sitting down. Go figure . . .
Here is the view out of my office window. Can't spend too much time gazing at the cherry tree blooms, though. Got to keep my mind focused on STORM MOUNTAIN!
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4/30/08 -- At this point in rewriting STORM MOUNTAIN, I'm going over it very carefully, fine tuning each and every sentence.
I'm also reading it aloud. Why? I find that adding an oral component to the process helps me discover word repetitions and other little weaknesses that I haven't noticed otherwise. Look at the page and everything seems fine. Read that same page aloud, and the problems leap out at me.
Give it a try. May work for you, too.
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4/25/08 -- I'm back at an airport, this time in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Just finished a week in schools in Mechanicsburg and Blain. Once again I was treated to a great bunch of kids and educators.
Also, my gracious host Ila Verdirame and her husband Matt took me on a tour of Gettysburg, the famous Civil War battleground that ultimately was the turning point in the North-South conflict. I visited with my family when I was a fourth grader, so it had been a long time (46 years!). Still, certain places brought back lots of memories, especially the infamous Devil's Den and Little Round Top (pictured below), where the fighting was particularly intense. The area is very beautiful -- redbud and dogwood trees in bloom -- but it also struck me as somber. In three days of fighting -- July 1-3, 1863 -- over 51,000 died.
And yet I remain hopeful that some day humanity can figure out a way to live together in peace.
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4/20/08 -- As I write this I'm sitting at Gate E2 in the Portland, Oregon airport waiting for my flight to Pennsylvania. I'll be spending a week there in schools, speaking to kids about the writing process. Really looking forward to the experience!
In the meantime, it's a day of travel, and a good opportunity to people watch. Sure, I'll read on the plane, and also just let my mind wander. But I've always contended that a big part of writing is being observant, paying attention to the details of life around you. Today is already offering up a rich variety of humanity, snippets of conversation, little mannerisms or clothing details that could be used in a story to help bring it to life. I've got my notebook handy, and my little chopped off pen primed for note taking.
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4/16/08 -- I thought the following email from a third grade teacher worth sharing. Not only is it funny, poking fun at a common stereotype, but also brings up a point worth considering:
"Dear, Tom -- I'm trying to do more writing with my students these days. I know we just need to write, but sometimes it seems so hard to get started, or so much work to edit. I guess work is a part of the territory.
I wore a new shirt to school last week, a mock turtleneck from Eddie Bauer's. It's the first mock turtleneck I've ever worn to work. A fellow teacher commented that I looked like a writer, and that got me thinking. Is that the secret? Is that all there is to being a successful writer? Does the color matter? Does it really have to be white or grayish white. The funny thing was that I started feeling like a writer by the end of the day, and I really hadn't done any more work than usual, except that it took a little more work to get that shirt off from around my head at night. You can see I've been thinking about this a lot lately."
I love the understated voice in this, and the dry wit. Clothes, as this teacher well knows, do not a writer make.
Then again, confidence is a big part of any creative process, and an especially crucial ingredient for kids. If wearing a mock turtleneck makes a person feel more like a writer, then I say pull one on and go for it. Besides, a classroom full of third graders all decked out in mock turtlenecks would look mighty fine, don't you think?
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4/7/08 -- I'm back from the writer's gathering. You know you're with a group of committed wordsmiths when you can have a three hour discussion about the use of flashbacks in a story and everyone thinks it's intensely interesting. Most people would nod off within minutes, but not this group!
All was not business, though. We made time for whale watching. Gray whales are making their annual trek north after spending the winter in Mexico. On this particular day we saw at least six not far off shore. Amazing creatures.
I made good progress on STORM MOUNTAIN, too. Nothing like being surrounded by hardworking pros to get the juices going.
Ultimately, though, I have to sit back down and go it alone. Comes with the territory. I guess that's why knowing that others are out there doing the same thing is so important. Keep in touch!
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3/30/08 -- Packing today to leave for a weeklong children's book writer's gathering in California. This is an annual (or sometimes twice a year) event of close friends, and very productive. Lots of work time, critiquing, and discussion of our profession. Add in the shared meals, walks by the ocean, and lots of laughs and you've got a recipe for tons of fun, too.
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3/18/08 -- Today is Debbie and my Month-a-versary, celebrating 33 years and 10 months of marriage. Boy, did I luck out with her for a partner. She's a keeper!
On the writing front, I'm working on the 18th draft of STORM MOUNTAIN. So far, so good. Hopefully this and one more go-through to tidy things up and it will be ready to ship off to New York.
I'm working at the dining room table, as my new office changeover is not yet complete. Will post pics when I've moved in.
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3/14/08 -- Finished the latest draft of STORM MOUNTAIN yesterday. I'm going to take today off from writing and paint my new office. With both of our girls out on their own now, I'm moving out of the tiny room in the back of our house that I've been using for 15 years and upstairs into a spare bedroom. More space to spread out in. Yahoo!
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3/5/08 -- Feeling much better now. As has often been said: Nothing like getting sick to make you appreciate good health. Ah! I'm brimming with appreciation.
Received a photo from my recent trip to Sinton, Texas. The three students from Smith Junior High are all holding the "iMod" notebooks I wrote about in my 2/25/08 entry. Future writers of America. Great kids. Great school.
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3/1/08 -- Five days of the flu, fever, cough, foggy brain. Yuck! Enough said. Back to bed.
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2/25/08 -- Last week I was in Sinton, Texas (a small town in the southeast part of the state) where one of the librarians, Sally Hart, showed me a version of a writer's notebook she'd come up with. It's like the one I carry around in my pocket, except more creative. She calls it an "iMod" (see pic below), which stand for Idea Moments Observed Daily. She is in the process of making 300 of these to pass out to each and every kid at Smith Junior High so they can jot down story ideas to use in their writing. Very cool. And yet another example of the hardworking, dedicated educators so plentiful in our schools.
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2/12/08 -- Wow! From the emails I've been receiving it's clear there is a lot of strong feeling out there about standardized testing and its impact on kids and teachers. Next to none of it is positive. Many teachers feel put-upon and pressured. Kids feel like writing is all about the test, not creativity. No wonder I'm seeing so much stress when I visit schools.
Speaking of visiting schools, I'm starting to get booked for the 2008-2009 school year. If you'd like me to come talk to your kids about the writing process, or do workshops, a teacher in-service, or family literacy night, get in touch asap. For more info about my presentations click the "Author Visits" link above.
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2/6/08 -- I'm back from a fun week of speaking in schools. Got to meet hundreds of great kids, and staff after staff filled with dedicated and hardworking educators.
I couldn't help but notice, however, the high stress levels among kids and teachers as they prepared for upcoming writing assessments. The pressure from higher-ups to meet standards is very intense. Many kids I talked to were feeling negative about writing.
Who could blame them? In this particular state (which will remain unnamed) the kids are handed a prompt -- for either an expository essay or a narrative; they don't know which until the assessment begins -- and then given 45 minutes to plan, compose, and rewrite, with the expectation that they will produce a finished piece.
45 minutes! That's it! What real writer does the same in such a short amount of time? Maybe a journalist on deadline, but that's the only person I can think of offhand. Thank goodness I'm not assessed in the same way. I'd flunk flat, and never want to write again.
And yet here I am a professional writer . . .
I tried to help as much as I could, offering strategies on how to approach the assessment. I encouraged the kids to do their very best, give it 100%. But I also encouraged them to keep things in perspective. If they don't do as well as they'd like, well, don't let a poor performance ruin their concept of themselves as writers.
Because that's what I fear that unrealistic test is going to do for lots of them.
This is not the first time this issue has presented itself to me. I've been in hundreds of schools all over the country. It's a nationwide issue. One that I am increasingly coming to believe does little to foster learning, but instead threatens it.
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1/23/08 -- Got another dose of real-life research for STORM MOUNTAIN on Saturday. Granular snow was blowing so hard in the high country it stung like needles. Had to really batten down the parka hatches to keep my face from going numb. Nature in all her power, and beautiful glory.
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1/16/08 -- I'm now done with the crevasse scenes of STORM MOUNTAIN. Wrapping that part of the book up this afternoon, I realized that I've vicariously spent a lot of time inside the glacier with my characters, and have actually grown very fond of the frightening blue-ice beauty. I'll miss going down there tomorrow morning.
I'll be back soon enough, though, when I start another rewrite.
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1/9/08 -- Here in Oregon the snow is piling high in the Cascades, and the powder skiing is fantastic. But I'm resisting temptation (in the form of numerous invites) to play hooky. Gotta keep my nose to the writing grindstone.
It's paying off. Good progress on STORM MOUNTAIN. Finally. I should be done with this draft by the end of January. A couple more rewrites after that to smooth out the rough spots.
Then I can reward myself with LOTS of skiing.
Sometimes that's what it takes -- dangle the carrot (or ski day) in front of yourself until the job is done. Literary vision and poetic gifts will only get you so far. In the end, I believe, it really comes down to hard work and discipline.
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1/3/08 -- Lots of people roll their eyes at New Year's resolutions, but I'm not one of them. I find the process of reviewing last year and making commitments to the coming year very helpful.
For me it's not just a matter of giving up some bad habit -- mochas? -- or vowing to start a good one -- floss every day without fail. Instead, I try to look at it in terms of the roles I play in life. I am more than a writer and a speaker. I am also a husband, a father, a son, a brother, and a friend, a runner, a rock climber, a mountaineer, a skier, a mountain biker, a bass player. I think of myself as a learner, too, and a person obligated to contribute to the world in some way. All of these roles deserve reflection, and specific resolutions.
Which is exactly what I'm going to go do right now. Well, after I fix myself a mocha . . .