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  • 2011
    • March
      • Website and Blog Update
        03/03/11

        A quick note to let all know that this blog has not suddenly ended; it has just moved. To find it, just go to my updated website at www.realwriting.us. You'll find the new blog there. Progress marches on!

  • 2010
    • November
      • !
        11/30/10

        Press check on Monday. There's no turning back now!
        A.C., here you come!!

      • On the Edge
        11/22/10

        New proofs delivered yesterday. This it...the last chance to change something. I look over my list of previous changes to see if they all have been made, and...oops, one of them hasn't. Good thing I looked, although the change is so slight most people wouldn't notice. But I would.

      • More Details
        11/02/10

        It's proofing time. I had thought I had found every single ding and dong of the A.C. book. And then, I go the proof sheets from the printer, which shows exactly what the book will look like when printed. Surprisingly, I (along with Mom and Ava) found several more things that need to be

    • October
      • Moffitt Rocks!
        10/20/10
        What a great treat to visit Moffitt School in Springfield today. Moffitt is a "No Excuses" school, a refreshing tagline in our world of excuses. It was fun meeting with Mr. Walker's class and sharing my work around Abigail Scott Duniway, the lightning rod for women's suffrage i

      • Details, Details!
        10/16/10
        Okay, it's down to the tiniest of details on the A.C. Gilbert book. I know now of the copyeditor's plight, and I am in awe. I have pored over every page, every paragraph, every sentence, word, letter, and punctuation mark. Several times. More times than I'd like to admit. There c

      • Travels
        10/13/10

        My travels to South America were fantastic! I spent a week and a half in Buenos Aires, Argentina working at the Lincoln International School. This was my third time there, and it was great to work with the staff once again. Everyone is hardworking and very interested in doing their best for

    • September
      • Off!
        09/10/10
        The tide is rising. Have been working hard to get ready for a journey to Argentina, to work with my friends at Lincoln School in Buenos Aires. It will be a grand time, with lots of collegiality. These trips are truly worth the preparation efforts. I always come back knowing something I didn'

    • August
      • Victory!
        08/14/10

        Okay, that worked. Now I can get down to the latest. It's been a busy summer, working with the artist on the AC Gilbert book, polishing the gum book so I can get it to several agents who showed interest, trying to fend off other book ideas that would take my attention off of the work th

      • Test
        08/14/10

        Have been having some issues about getting things posted here. My last four or five went...elsewhere. So, I'm doing this test to see if maybe I'm closing out too soon.

        We'll see...

    • July
      • It Ain't Over Til It's Over
        07/09/10

        Just when I got the gum book to where I want it, I have another thought - a different format and layout. So, guess what I'm doing now? That's right, redoing it. Again...
        Maybe it will work better, maybe not. We won't know til we see it.

        I need a rest from a

      • Format
        07/02/10

        Still working on the gum book. An interested publisher requested I do it as a picture book, so that's what I've been doing. As usual, I check out other books to see how other authors have formatted. There certainly is no ONE WAY. Which is good; otherwise all Realia (nonfiction) w

    • June
      • Oops...
        06/20/10
        I think I’m in trouble. Big trouble. A writer’s lifeline is the U.S. Postal Service. That’s how we send our queries and, if we’re good and if we’re lucky, our completed manuscripts to an editor who has shown interest. If we’re really good and if we’re super lucky and our manuscripts get accepted

      • June 9, 1951
        06/09/10

        On this day at 5 p.m., 59 years ago, I entered the world in a Millville, New Jersey hospital. I am reminded of the thoughts I had when I was in my twenties that I could "never imagine myself being 30 years old." I still can't!

        I'll spend this day doing my favor

      • Picture book?
        06/07/10

        Another publisher contacted me and would like to look at this book in picture book format. Would I be interested in submitting such?

        YES! This book would is perfect picture book material.

        Get to work, Robert!

      • Wuz Up?
        06/04/10

        So, I'm working on the revised edition of my gum book (The Chewing Gum Book) done in 1989. The book is going to be shorter, clippier (try to find that in your dictionary!), and be more varied in its visual aspect (FWI - I was very disappointed in the number and quality of the illustratio

    • May
      • History Series
        05/30/10

        Recently learned about a series of books for kids in grades 3-7. Interest level runs that span; reading level is grades 3-4. The series is called You Choose (Capstone) and is composed of titles with history topics, such as The Alamo and The Boston Massacre. My understanding is that readers

      • Huh?
        05/23/10
        A day in the life. Ava and I went to Cottage Grove this aft to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the museum a few of our history grant people have spruced up. It was a fun, small-town event, complete with “pulled” pork and local characters.

        As we viewed the main museum, a man was

      • In the Books
        05/18/10

        Another online class in now in the books. It was a grand, eclectic group studying six traits and the work they did was quite good. I am still getting used to the online experience, but I'm liking it more and more. Although assignments are due weekly, it seems to provide folks with some

      • Time?
        05/05/10

        I worked extra days so I am taking a week off from work. Perfect timing, for sure, since I have much to do. Work on the A.C. Gilbert book is progressing. Illustrations are being created as I write and it should be ready to go to press sometime this summer. Seems to far away to be excited,

      • Winnah!
        05/01/10

        We have a winnah amongst us! I will be sending a signed copy of one of my books to the fine person who e-mailed in as the 10,000th visitor. Congratulations!

    • April
      • 10,000!
        04/26/10
        Okay folks, we're nearing 10,000 views on this blog. The questions is, who's going to be the magic one - the big 10,000th viewer. Check the number when you log on. If you're it, send an e-mail posthaste to me at realwriting@comcast.net. There will be a prize.
        Yaaah!

      • In The Trenches
        04/23/10

        Okay, it's been in the trenches for me lately: visiting classrooms and working with writers and thinkers. I've presented a Dr. Mudd PowerPoint I developed that encourages kids to THINK and act like historians in deciding the good doctor's innocent or guilt, done a chewing gum i

      • T...t...t...traits!
        04/12/10

        Another online traits class has begun and we have an interesting cast of characters. It's great to see the diversity of online students, and to hear their backgrounds as well as the aspirations they have for their students. I am slowly warming to the online experience - not sold, just w

      • A.C. #1
        04/08/10
        Yahoo! The first illustration is done for the A.C. Gilbert book, and does it look cool! It shows A.C. as a young kid standing on the roof ready to test out a homemade parachute. He inches closer and closer to the edge. Will he jump? Will the chute open? How hard is the ground below?
        Gosh,

      • Sunny San Diego
        04/05/10
        What a great break from Oregon's darkness to fly south and attend a history conference in sunny San Diego. The conference was great and the weather was greater: mid to high 70s each day. I got to swim outside several times as well as take a replica 1850s schooner out onto the ocean. No, I did

    • March
      • So...
        03/10/10

        So, the results of overdoing, overtrying, overwhelming yourself can sometimes be sickness. It was for me this time: a goodolfashion cold, complete with no energy, stuffy head, and a waterfalls for a nose. It grabbed me, set me down, and made me rest after a brief but unsuccessful battle of w

    • February
      • Whoa!
        02/24/10

        Finished work with the great educators of Lebanon, presented at the IRA Regional Conference in Portland, winding down my first online teaching experience, writing a proposal for a UO summer class, applying for two history institutes to research Lincoln's kids, hosting our Teaching America

    • January
      • SOON?
        01/27/10

        Just found out that "soon" will not be until September. "Patience is waiting for something important you want, no matter how long it takes."
        Indeed...

      • Update
        01/24/10
        Lots going on here:

        My 6 Traits online course is up and going. We’re nearing the end of the first week. It’s weird teaching a class and not being in the presence of the students. The jury is still out as to whether I like this, and if I’ll want to do it again.

        I’m still wait

      • Progress
        01/08/10

        A cautious hurrah! The most difficult part of writing a book about chewing gum is getting accurate information about the manufacturing process. Photographs that illustrate the process are even harder nuts to cracki. It is considered "proprietary" by the gum companies.

        W

  • 2009
    • December
      • Sticky Stuff
        12/29/09
        I've been spending the morning ruminating over the difference between latex, resin, and sap (NOT as in, "He's such a sap!). No these things are, or were, the substances from which gum was made. Each term has different shade of meaning (e.g. latex is a milking white substance, sap is

      • Tech Update
        12/23/09
        I’m flying along here, back to my writing – now a new and improved version of The Chewing Gum Book I did in 1989 – when I get this technology urge. I do my work on a laptop, and it’s kind of old (a “dinosaur” I’m told), so I start researching something new, which of course takes time away from THE

    • November
      • And...
        11/28/09

        I'm still writing. "Me" writing. It's helping.

      • Life
        11/08/09
        Do the sresses, strains, and challenges of being alive get in way of writing? Not necessarily.

        A week ago my dog passed away. Sombra, my 15-year-old border collie mix, was a loyal friend and constant companion. She died at home, surrounded by love.

        The experience of her pass

    • October
      • P.S.
        10/17/09
        And don't think think for a moment that writing matters have taken a backseat to teaching matters. They haven't. I have been working hard to find a home for a picture book bio I wrote about A.C. Gilbert, an amazing and inspiring man. Well, I think that is coming to fruition through a de

      • Please Remove Hats!
        10/17/09
        Hats off to the hardworking teachers who extend their long days of teaching kids to take classes and attend workshops! I am having the pleasure of working with teachers in the Springfield (OR) district, focusing on tools for writing success and on nonfiction writing.

        I am amazed and hu

      • Marching On
        10/01/09
        Progress has been made. Hurrah! I was able to get in the groove with the online class, break big tasks into smaller parts, and get things moving forward.

        An important tenet of writing is to break it down into smaller bits, whether they be chapters, pages, paragraphs, or sentences. Th

    • September
      • And on and on and on...
        09/13/09

        Yes, the online course creation continues, and I often feel like I am drowning in details of an organizational nature. My nose is to the grindstone, and it's bleeding.

        What's important to remember (and I may be just saying this for myself to hear) is to focus on the proc

    • August
      • Sidetracked
        08/13/09
        Okay, so things don't always go as planned. I am still working on developing screenwriting skills, and I continue to market some of my finished materials. But, most of my time these days is being spent on creating an online course for the University of Oregon. This will be a six-week course

    • July
      • More Class
        07/18/09
        Teaching the classes is just one step of the process. There's also the follow-up, which in this case, involves reading the work done by the participants taking the class for credit.

        It's enjoyable reading the plans people make to enhance the use of nonfiction in their classro

      • Writing For Real Class
        07/01/09
        Spent the last week or so working with some very fine teachers from around Oregon. During the two classes - one in Eugene, one in West Linn - we explored the world of nonfiction. Despite the time it takes (away from writing!) to prepare for these classes, I really enjoy sharing with other educator

    • May
      • Update
        05/30/09
        It's been awhile since I've added here, so please accept my apologies. There's been so much going on, writing and otherwise. I'm in the process of having a house designed, and that's gobbling a lot of my time. Also, I nominated a family to have an Extreme Makeover. It�

    • April
      • Nonfiction Is Alive!
        04/25/09

        Nonfiction is alive at Willagillespie Elementary in Eugene. It was a great time meeting with the kids there yesterday and talking with them about real writing. I shared my interests and curiosities, and I learned about theirs. Kids of all ages have wonder about the world around us; nonficti

      • Still nonfictioning
        04/09/09
        Work marches on for the nonfiction book. We are fine-tuning the tools (since the book is called The Readers'/Writers' Toolbox, activities are referred to as tools) and creating templates and gathering samples to include. There will be three sections of the book, focusing on three grade l

    • March
      • Sunny (?) San Diego
        03/26/09
        Before heading south I had a chance to work with some fifth graders at Creslane Elementary School in Creswell. Mrs. Robertson's class has been reading biographies and then will write their own versions for younger readers. They wanted me to share my experiences writing the Abigail Scott Duniw

      • Cold Day in March
        03/08/09
        Daylight Savings today, and it should be a preview of spring, right? Wrong! Today's the temperature hovered in the 30s and it even snowed a few times. Fortunately, I had already returned home from my bike ride when the white stuff fell. Let me add: COLD bike ride.

        And the book?

      • Carrying On
        03/01/09
        The work continues on the nonfiction book. I am currently focused on writing activities and strategies - we call them tools - for teaching nonfiction to kids in the early grades (K-2). This is a challenge for me because it's been a while since I've taught at that level. Fortunately, I h

    • February
      • Another Tack
        02/02/09

        I was headed off, downwind, testing the sails on the screenwriting direction. Then I get an e-mail from a friend with whom I have been writing a book about teaching nonfiction reading and writing. The work has been going on a few years now, and the project has been put on hold various times

    • January
      • Oh! Happy Day!
        01/20/09
        Couldn't resist a comment on this day. It is an historic day, not only because we have inaugurated our first president of color but because of the hope he represents in the face of all our nation's crises. Obama's election buoyed my faith in fellow citizens who have looked beyond th

      • Back East
        01/14/09
        Just returned from a memorable journey to the east coast. It was a work-related conference that drew me, but there was more. Much more. The conference was in New York City, which is a place unto itself. There's nothing like it: its sights, sounds, smells, people. "Skyscraper National

  • 2008
    • December
      • Happy New Year!
        12/31/08
        Another year is almost in the bag, and it's time to look ahead. It's also time to take a stretch.

        My stretch during this holiday break is to work on a screenplay. Yep, you heard right. A story for the screen. What's this, you may ask, have to do with real things, nonfic

      • Class Visit
        12/15/08
        Had a great visit with a local class of seventh graders recently: Mrs. Smith's class at Prairie Mountain School in Eugene. They were reading my Personal Tour of Monticello book. I talked with them about writing in general, and why people write ("Because we all have something to SAY!"

    • November
      • First Hurdle
        11/16/08
        Huzzah! The first draft of Short Cut! is complete!! And, I emphasize the word draft. There is much to do, like removing a lot of unnecessary words, adding more details, and working on the rhythm so it sounds good to hear. Let me know by e-mail (realwriting@comcast.net) if you'd like to see

      • Happy Halloween?
        11/05/08
        So, I'm dressed in the old geezer outfit: a clear, crinkly mask that makes me look like a dried prune, a ratty bathrobe, white socks pulled up high, and white sneakers. My geezer lady, complete with walker and catheter bag (half-filled) and I are attending a bunco party with about 100 other co

    • October
      • Happy Halloween!
        10/31/08
        The final day of October, a cool and rainy day here in Eugene, a day to become someone (or something) else. I shall be an old geezer, not a huge transformation at this point, but one that will provide me an opportunity to explore what is to come. Maybe I'll add a picture if I figure out how t

      • Ahh, Teachers!
        10/16/08
        Next week I will have the great and distinct pleasure of working with teachers from the Bethel School District here in Eugene. The focus will be on non-fiction writing. Although I despise the name "non-fiction" I love the genre, and prefer to call it Realia, since it's writing about

      • Bad News / Good News
        10/15/08
        Sorry to say I didn't make it to the mountains to walk the trail of the Lost Wagon Train over the weekend. Winter has come early to the Cascade Mountains and, with it, the snow. There may still be a chance to get up there this fall, but it's doubtful. I'll probably have to wait unt

      • Settled!
        10/09/08
        Start. Stop. Start. Stop. That's the way things have been going, mainly because I haven't selected a point-of-view and voice for the Lost Wagon Train story. But now I have! After trying several different ways, I'm going ahead with the 11-year-old boy point of view. While it li

    • September
      • Where Has Summer Gone?
        09/09/08
        What started out as a simple revision process for the A.C. Gilbert book turned into much more. It seems like when I got into it, I had to go over every sentence. That's right, "had to." At least that's how it felt. Going back and making changes to a manuscript "completed&q

    • August
      • On The Trail
        08/16/08
        Spent a day out on the Free Emigrant Road, and it was awesome! I went with Del Spencer, a man who has been studying this trail for 35 years. He is a library of information and stories, and I'm glad I remembered my tape recorder. We traveled 20 miles east of Oakridge, OR to Rigdon Meadows, th

      • Sitting, NOT!
        08/01/08
        The revised A.C. Gilbert book is finished, so I'm sharing it with a few trusted people to get some constructive feedback before I move forward by sending it out to publishers. I like to let it sit a few weeks before looking at it with "fresh" eyes. The manuscript is sitting, but I&#

    • July
      • Progress
        07/20/08
        Okay, so I spent most of this morning working on three paragraphs. That's the way it goes sometimes. The paragraphs had already been written; I was just trying to improve them. Take out a word here, add a word there. Slow going, but well worth the hours. This is a picture book, so each wor

      • Back In The Saddle
        07/07/08
        Okay, I'm at it, getting to my writing. I'm working on a piece I did a few years back. It's a picture book bio of A.C. Gilbert, a very interesting character who was a magician, Olympic champion, and the most famous toymaker of his time (remember the Erector Set?). Anyway, I have tr

      • Delayed Start
        07/01/08
        Okay, so I'm really going to write on a schedule this summer, but I'm currently teaching a class on...guess what?...yep, nonfiction writing so that's been taking my entire focus. That's what happens with writers: other priorities rise to the surface. The challenge is to keep wr

    • May
      • Memorial Day / Summer Writing Plan
        05/26/08
        It's a cool and cloudy Memorial Day here in Eugene, Oregon. This is the perfect weather to remember the thousands who have had their lives taken while serving our country, and to redouble our resolve to elect a leader who will remove our troops from the senseless war in which we are now involv

    • April
      • A Healthy Pause
        04/13/08
        After a short but needed break, it's time to reflect on Not Fair! The Story of Abigail Scott Duniway, my latest project. My first thought is that I had no idea how much time and effort this project would take. In a few of my earlier books, I was responsible for getting the pictures as well a

      • Done!
        04/03/08
        Okay, the Duniway book is finally done. Hurrah! I stopped by the printer yesterday and watched a very exacting young man load the signatures (two pages, front and back) into a machine that uses suction to pull the sigs up, put them in order, add the cover, staple, fold, then trim the finished book

    • March
      • Press Check, Pt. 2
        03/30/08
        Went to the printers on Friday to do a press check. Basically, what happens is the printer runs a large sheet (which contains 8 pages) through the press and then you look at it to make sure all appears well. They do this to make sure they don't print 2000 copies and then you say, "Gee, I

      • Press Check
        03/27/08
        The Duniway book is ready to go to press. What's been holding it up is getting the illustrations right. First, we had another accuracy issue - oxen were not driven, they were led - then we had some color issues. All of the illustrations had a yellowish tone to them. So, the printer rescanne

    • February
      • What's Edison Have To Do With This?
        02/22/08
        Heard back from one of the publishers that was considering the wolf book. They were interested, but already had their share of animal books. I suggested ways to make this book a part of a series and tie it to what is taught in classrooms, but they were still reluctant. Another publisher is still

    • January
      • Boo Hoo!
        01/08/08
        My, does time fly or what?!? It’s been more than two months since I last added to this blog, and for that I should be duly flogged. It’s not that I haven’t had anything to say, but rather I’ve had too much to do. If that sounds like an excuse it’s because it is, although not a very good one. Reg

  • 2007
    • October
      • Boo!
        10/31/07
        Think I'm dressed up as a wolf for Halloween today? Good idea, but I don't have the costume. I do have a wonderful toucan hat, so I've been wearing that to welcome the ghouls and goblins that have been coming to my door.
        The wait continues for the wolf book, and will for some t

      • Manuscript sent!
        10/11/07
        Okay, all is done and I just sent off the manuscript to a publisher. Like most projects, it's a long shot, but every moment I worked on this book has been worth it, whether it is published or not.
        Let's all think good thoughts. While I wait for an answer, I will research more publis

    • September
      • Time to refine
        09/22/07
        Okay, so I sent the wolf text to the Howling Acres folks. Then I traveled down there to talk with them and get their feedback. They really liked the text, but had some suggestions, too. Thank goodness...I want the text better so I really want suggestions. One of the suggestions I got was to add

    • August
      • Working draft
        08/24/07
        A good day today. I finished the draft for the wolf book. It's about 20 pages long, including the resource section. Does this mean I'm done? Hahahahahaha. No way! It's just a step beyond start. Basically, it's the information I want to share in an organized format. I'

      • Writin' On
        08/16/07

        I am working hard on the draft for the wolf book. Each day, before I write anything new, I reread what I've written already and make changes. Then I proceed with new parts. This works pretty well for me. I polish the old and add the new. Came across another great source, a book by Da

      • Answers
        08/01/07
        Thanks for the questions! Here are some answers:

        Each of the wolves at Howling Acres gets five pounds of meat a day. This comes in the form of raw hamburger, steaks, or other cuts of beef. All the meat is donated. Each of the wolf compounds has a 50 gallon feeder that is filled with d

    • July
      • Beasely
        07/23/07
        Here's a bit more about Beasely: at sixteen, he was one of the oldest wolves in captivity. He was taken to the sanctuary in 1999 by the California/Oregon Border Patrol after they had confiscated him from his owner, who had no license or permit for the wolf. Beasely was blind; both eyes had be

      • A Pause
        07/21/07
        Sad news from Howling Acres: two of their wolves recently died. Shy, a seven-year-old Arctic Timber wolf was found one morning dead in her pen. Her mate, Beasely, lay next to her, his head resting on her body. The next day, he passed too. The vet said that Shy's death was caused by a bleeding

    • June
      • Wolf Fever!
        06/25/07
        The wolf book idea has been swirling around me, despite all the other things I've been doing: working, sailing, sleeping. I think it's a good basic topic that could be developed into something really good. So, I've been reading about wolves and thinking of questions that I want answ

      • Onward!
        06/17/07
        Okay, so now I have about a month off from my job as a language arts specialist. I'm going to use this time to work on my writing projects. And, to sail! Summer in the northwest is spectacular, and the winds are ripe. As far as the writing goes, I will be working on the White House book as

    • May
      • Answers to Questions
        05/29/07
        Earlier this year I had the good fortune of working with Mrs. Trujillo's class at Dorena, a unique rural school south of Cottage Grove, Oregon. We talked about writing, and how to help each other make our writing better. I left a copy of my Mesa Verde book, and Mrs. Trujillo read it to the cl

      • Ideas, ideas, ideas!
        05/20/07
        The trouble with traveling is that you get new ideas for projects. Recently, I had the pleasure of traveling to southern Oregon and visiting a wolf sanctuary called Howling Acres. It's a place where they care for abused and misplaced wolves. Every wolf there has a story, and they are fascina

    • April
      • Talkin' Writin'
        04/26/07
        The next best thing to writing is talking about writing. I got a chance to do so recently in Tangent, Oregon. It was the spring meeting of the Mid-Valley Reading Council, during which they honor student writing. How refreshing to see words celebrated in a public forum! How surprising to see that

      • Immersed in the White House
        04/15/07
        Lately I've been immersing myself in books about The White House. The reason: I'm in the planning stage of creating a book about this, the most famous home in America. Yes, there has been much written on the topic, but I'm going to take a different approach. I already have a format

      • Welcome!
        04/06/07
        A shiny, sunny spring morning in Eugene, Oregon, perfect for the launch of my Real Writing Blog. While reluctant to do this (it seems a bit self-indulgent), I think it could be helpful to those who want a glimpse at the inner world of a writer. My plan is to make weekly entries about current proje