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 waiting on permission for photos of the gum manufacturing process. I’ve contacted to biggies, and I’m hoping one of them will grant me the right to use images. If not, we can always use drawings, but I think photos would be better. In the meantime, I can continue with the writing.
The A.C. Gilbert bio project is still alive as well. Recently, I got much needed support from the Gilbert Museum so I’m more comfortable moving the project forward. All I need now is a few more hours in the day to work on it.
This week I’ll be working with the teachers of the Lebanon School District here is Oregon. It’s a bit like returning home for me, since there was a small town named Lebanon near my hometown in rural New Jersey, where I grew up. We’ll be exploring the world of nonfiction, as I’ll be doing with attendees of the Western Regional ORA Conference in a few weeks In Portland.
I know, I know, where’s the book? The Nonfiction Toolbox book that has been promised for x number of years. Well, I’m told that it will emerge from the melting Vermont snow this spring. Keep an eye on Barry Lane’s website (www.discoverwriting.com). That’s where it will be announced. Hopefully, SOON!
On the homefront, we continue the design of our house, on which we will begin construction in April. The plethora of details is challenging, bordering on overwhelming, but we’re proceeding. On a sad note, we have another sick dog here. Ava’s dog, Heidi, has bladder cancer and is declining weekly. We are working hard to make her last days filled with love and comfort.
Give your dog (pet, partner, friend, self) an extra pat, walk, or treat today, and be grateful for its (his, her, your) health.
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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.
When I wrote The Chewing Gum Book in 1989, I was able to obtain some general information as well as some outdated, black-and-white photos. This time around, I'm going to do better.
While many gum companies are still reluctant to share, I am finding a few who are not. This could mean more detailed info about how gum is made and, more importantly, good quality pictures that will pique kids' interest.
I am hopeful...
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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 a fluid part of a plant, latex is a solid or semi-solid amorphous natural organic...). Okay, heard enough. I understand, completely! Anyway, as I write my revised chewing gum book I have been coming across these terms. So, the mastic chewed by the ancient Greeks was referred to as "resin." The fluid from the sapodilla tree that the Mayans chewed (now called chicle) is "latex." And, the spruce gum chewed by Native Americans, or course, is "sap."
My objective is to keep this book straightforward and simple and, thereby, readable for kids. So, I don't really want to get into the scientific details nor the subtleties of the terms. After much thought (too much, most likely), I think I'll use "sap" since it seems broader and includes the other terms.
Whew! Anybody for moving on?
p.s. What you've witnessed here is one of the many dilemmas faced by nonfiction authors around the planet on a daily basis. How much to include is a constant question, espcially when writing for kids. I always try to slip into my 10-year-old self (not much of a stretch most days) and consider what I would like to face on a page.
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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 IMPORTANT THING. Well, I find what I’m after: a desktop system so I have more finger room on the keyboard and a screen I don’t have to scrunch to view, and I order. A week or so later the boxes arrive and I have a dilemma: take more time away from THE IMPORTANT THING to set it up or wait until I have time?
So, I wait and in the meantime, my cell phone (my only phone) starts to fade, and it’s old (another “dinosaur” I’m told) and so I stop by a kiosk at the mall and the next thing I know is I’ve got this phone called Droid and it’s got every thing I need except a bed-maker and car wash. I take the phone home and start to explore it. That’s when I realize that in my flying zeal I have flown too close to the sun, and now my waxed winds are melting and I’m losing altitude. Fast.
What the hell am I doing with this phone?! I don’t need to text. I hate texting! My fingers are too big to fit the keypad so I have to type everything three times to get it right! And the internet? I already have access to it. Do I want to carry that access around with me 24/7? Not a chance! But what about finding my way, getting to stores and restaurants and the like? Uhhh…have you ever heard of asking someone? You know, a real person…human contact and all?
So, obviously I took the phone back and got a more modest one, which I may even be able to use if I open the box and read the directions. And, I’ll do that in time, after THE IMPORTANT THING is done.
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I'm still writing. "Me" writing. It's helping.
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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 passing did not diminish my writing efforts. It diverted them. Instead of working on the varied projects in which I am involved, I wrote for myself. The audience was me; the purpose: understanding. By writing my observations, thoughts, and feelings I have been better able to make sense of this loss. I have been able to put into words the gifts I received from this special creature. As I work further, I hope to focus on the lessons I've learned and, better yet, put them into practice as I continue my journey on this planet.
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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 deal with Discover Writing Press.
While this press produces mainly books for teachers, they do have some children's books as well. I will be honored to have mine join the list. But, of course, there's lots of work to do to. I'll be involved at all levels, which has its advantages and disadvantages. Don't worry, you'll hear about them all. In the meantime, Google A.C. Gilbert and you'll see why kids should know about this eclectic and innovative man.
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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 humbled by the teachers with whom I have been working. They are interested, engaged, and collaborative. Best of all, they are motivated to help their students become better writers.
There is no limit to what these folks can come up with. I have already seen the evidence of them taking a germ of an idea and developing it into an actual lesson that will work with their kids. Many more results will be shared when the group meets again. Can't wait!
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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. That, along with having an overall plan, can be very helpful in completing projects.
This is not to say that the online class is finished. It has to be reviewed by the University of Oregon, and I'm fairly certain changes will need to be made. But, the major work has been done.
Same with the Nonfiction Toolbox book. We are now working on the cover art, trying to decide what the "look" will be. Eight different possibilities so far, but we're getting closer. Everything else is moving along well.
In case you're wondering, I have not forgotten about the screenplay I started exploring. I still think about it, and that's part of the writing process. Its time will come.
Off to work!
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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 process, not the product. Also, and maybe more importantly, when it seems overwhelming, lower your standards and move on.
Kurt Vonnegut, a favorite author of mine, once said: "If you can do a half-assed job of anything, you're a one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind."
Hi ho.
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