And So Another Chapter Ends...

Wow, it's hard to believe that it's been a month since I graduated from Vermont College of Fine Arts MWCYA program (that's Masters in Writing for Children and Young Adults), but every time I check the calendar it's confirmed. One month, all right. Here I am with my fellow graduates (L.E.C.S.) just last month at the beginning of the summer residency.

What an experience it was--too incredible to even begin to put into a blog post--and it's incredibly bittersweet that it's over. I'm happy to get my life back, but will sorely miss the learning experience and camaraderie of the VCFA community (yes, I can still stay in touch but it's not the same when life doesn't revolve around packet deadlines).

Maybe I can give more attention to my blog now--oh wait, revisions await, near-finished projects loom, there's that issue of finding an agent. And a job... Hmm... Never mind.

The "Everything Under the Moon" Group

This is the "Everything Under the Moon, Writing with Fingers on Fire" VCFA fall 2009 picture book semester group; and some of my most favorite writer friends on the planet.

Left to right, front row: me, Mary Cronin, and Kathi Appelt (advisor extraordinaire). Left to right, back row: Barabara Bishop (graduating on Tuesday--yea, Barbara!), Abby Aguirre and Meredith Davis.

Having lunch with these lovely ladies has been one of my personal highlights of the residency thus far because really--isn't there nothing like getting together with "old" friends?

My New Advisor!!!

Yes, it's been forever since I've posted as I've allowed my wrist and thumb to heal, but I just found out who my next advisor will be for my 3rd semester at Vermont College. Drum roll, please........ Julie Larios! Okay, I'll admit it, when I saw my name in her group I let out a whoop. Julie is a fabulous poet, brilliant and just plain delightful. I AM THRILLED!

A Lecture Everyone Should Hear or Read

As you know, I had the priviledge of having Kathi Appelt as my advisor last semester at Vermont College. Last year, at the summer residency, Kathi gave a fabulous lecture that left me saying, "Everyone should hear that lecture. Every single person in the world. Especially if they're a writer and/or educator."

Well folks, I've got great news. Kathi's lecture, Blurring the Lines, is available online on the Hunger Mountain website. Please-please-please click here to read it (it's long, but worth every second of your time). Hunger Mountain is the journal of the Vermont College Fine Arts program. I was so happy to see Kathi's lecture in print, as I could savor it slowly (yes, like fine wine or Belgian chocolate).

In Kathi's poignant writing style, she gives us so many things to consider--as writers, parents, teachers, humans. With compassion and the knowledge of the scholar she is, she discusses the reactions to her award-winning novel The Underneath, the importance of reading, embracing your past, the overuse of standardized tests in today's schools, becoming more humanitarian, censorship, Ferdinand the Bull and the importance of blurring the lines that we often put up to distinguish "us" from "them." I laughed, cheered, and even gasped at times. You will be enlightened, comforted, and want to become a "book whisperer."

Here is one of my favorite quotes:

I’m worried that our children, expert test takers by the time they reach fifteen where every answer is true or false, will not have Ferdinand or the little old woman eating mush or beautiful Ginger [Black Beauty] because tests have taken over and the language of their childhood will always be age appropriate and standardized. It will be too conscious and not conscious enough. And someone whom we could drink a beer with will stand in front of the world and say, “bring it on,” without the ability to imagine the ramifications or the feelings of others, someone who forgot Ferdinand.

This is a beautifully written lecture/essay. Pour yourself a glass of wine, sit back and enjoy...

Good Golly, Where Is the Time Going?

My goodness, I looked up at the calendar (which was still on February so I flipped it) and saw that we're halfway through March already. Ack!!!

WHERE is the time going?

Oh wait...I turned in my second packet today. Surely THAT'S where the time went. Into my packet preparation.

But I now have two more essays done, six chapters of my novel turned in and a bibliography (check-check-check!). Oh, and this time around I included a structural summary of my novel-in-progress. I think structure is *finally* starting to sink in with me. Finally!

I'd like to say I've earned a couple of days off to relax, catch up, and flip the rest of the calendars in the house, but with spring break next week (which translates to husband and kids being home), there's no time to rest. Gotta get as much done as I can this week. But maybe I can solicite some help in flipping the calendars next week. Of course by then we'll practically be in April. Maybe we should just skip March...

MINI-VIEW: KATHI APPELT

MINI-VIEWS:
Pint-sized interviews that leave you smiling.

KATHI APPELT is the author of over thirty books for children and young adults. Her book, MY FATHER’S SUMMERS (Henry Holt, 2004) won the Paterson Poetry Prize for Young Adult Literature and was selected as “Book for the Teen Age,” by the New York Public Library, as well as a “Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers.” Her picture book, BUBBA AND BEAU, BEST FRIENDS was given the Irma and Simon Black Award for excellence in children’s literature.

Her first novel, THE UNDERNEATH, was a finalist for The National Book Award, a Newbery Honor book, and the winner of the PEN USA Award for Children’s Literature.

Ms. Appelt is on the faculty in the Masters of Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. She and her husband Ken live in College Station, TX. For more information, check her website: http://www.kathiappelt.com/.

You're a master of picture book writing, whether it be non-fiction (MISS LADY BIRD’S WILDFLOWERS, ELEPHANTS ALOFT) or fiction (BATS ON PARADE, or your newest title, BRAND NEW BABY BLUES), to prose (the BUBBA AND BEAU series) to rhyme (ALLEYCAT’S MEOW, OH MY BABY LITTLE ONE). Can you tell us about your process? Are there some things that you consistently do with every story or is each one a new journey its own right?

What a good question! And oh, if only I had an answer. To be honest,

I used to pay a lot more attention to process than I do now. I hope that this lack of attention-paying is because I've just gotten more used to writing rather than a laziness on my part, but I'm not so sure about that. Certainly, each book has its own path. Some come a lot faster to me. Some, not so much. Most of my stories require multiple drafts, and we're talking multiple, like fifteen, twenty, more. I think I rewrote Miss Lady Bird's Wildflowers about fifty times.

If there is, in fact, a common process element, it's that I always begin with something from my own experience and life, even it means bats or cats or hound dogs. I'm also really kind to myself when it comes to early drafting. I try not to be too judgmental about what shows up on the page, at least not until I've gotten a couple of drafts down.

I also never talk about a book in progress. It's a superstition of mine. I learned this when I was a graduate student--that if I talked about a project before I had words on the page, then I found that I couldn't write it. My brain was already convinced that the project had been completed. And it's funny because when people start to tell me, "I have an idea for a book," I'm quick to say, "No, don't tell me. Write it. Then we can talk."

You're also an accomplished writer for older readers with many books for teens on writing, poetry and novels, including THE UNDERNEATH, which won a 2009 ALA Newbery Honor. Could you briefly share with us how winning a Newbery Honor affected your life? Can you tell us a little about your next novel?

In a million ways, writing The Underneath changed my life. Just the writing itself was where the change occurred. It's hard to explain, but I felt as though I had to simultaneously step out of my own skin in order to get the story down, but at the same time I had to dive as deeply as I could into the darkest realms of my own life in order to find the true story. Winning the Newbery Honor was amazing. Truly. It was a gift. I'm still amazed by it.

Next novel: Keeper. It's due out in mid-May and is about ten-year-old Keeper who lives with her foster mother, Signe, along the Texas coast. Keeper believes that her real mother, Meggie Marie, is a mermaid because the last time she saw her, Meggie Marie swam away. So, the book is Keeper's quest for her mermaid mother, who may or may not be a real mermaid. There's a companion dog and an errant seagull who go along for the ride. August Hall has created some beautiful art for the interior and his jacket is drop-dead gorgeous. I told my editor that I want to blow it up and paper my bedroom wall with it.

What's your favorite children's joke?

Hah!
Q: What do you have when you have snakes on the windshield?
A: Windshield vipers!

Hee-hee! Thanks so much, Kathi!

Semester Two: Packet One. Done!

I turned in my first packet for this semester over the weekend. This semester my advisor is the fabulous Laura Kvasnosky. Whenever I turn in a packet I never quite feel like I'm done until I receive the feedback from my advisor. So, I sit on pins and needles, eagerly anticipating...

...until, TA-DA! My amazing advisor (at a lightspeed pace) sends back a complete and thorough set of comments about my entire packet of work. I love this aspect of the semester because I find out specifically what is working with my writing, and more importantly, what I need to learn more about--craft issues, suggested readings, revision tips, etc. It's like going to the candy store for writing-improvement.

This morning I fist-pumped and yelled, "YES!" when I read Laura's comment that I'd successfully used "objective correlative." (chuckle if you will, but this was new to me). I loved seeing her revision suggestions for my picture books--seeing how I can sculpt my stories into better pieces of art. I wrote an essay comparing dialogue in beginning readers and picture books; I knew, with her being an expert at this, that she'd have a lot to say on this subject. I definitely have a lot to think about on that topic and am looking forward to having a discussion with her about it.


Yes, packets are a stressful and joyful part of the Vermont College experience. To me, they're like a compass. They give direction and the hope that I'm heading the correct way.

Now, onto re-reading Laura's comments so they can sink in even more...

Back from Vermont

As the old joke goes, I just flew back from Vermont and boy are my arms tired ;-). Getting home was an exhausting affair, but I’ll spare you the details.

However, I do want to share something. I realized that in all my ramblings (okay, freaking out) about my participation in the picture book panel presentation, I never really explained what it was all about and how it worked (at least that's what some of you have told me). So, here goes:

The Picture Book Semester is an intensive study of picture books offered as part of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA WCYA program. It can also be taken as a single semester class for those not interested in doing the entire MFA program. Each semester a different advisor teaches the class, usually with five students. One of the requirements of the class is participation in a panel presentation during the residency that follows the semester.

During the semester, students are required to do critical work in the form of essays. One of these essays must be a minimum of ten pages long. This essay is what forms the basis for your topic in the panel presentation. For example, my long essay was on anthropomorphism with a focus on cats, so that became the subject of my talk, "Cats in Picture Books: Taking a "Paws" to Look at Anthropomorphism." We each had 12-15 minutes to speak. Around mid-semester, we decided that each of us would create a PowerPoint presentation (after all, picture books are a visual art).

We each spoke on different topics but coordinated our efforts to have some unifying themes throughout. With the suggestion of our advisor, Kathi Appelt, we titled our presentation, Everything Under the Moon: Shedding Light on Picture Books. We spoke about the moon, cats/anthropomorphism, pretend play, turning points and digging holes (leaving space). Afterwards, Kathi read a writing sample from each of us and presented us with our official certificates. Photos and wild applause followed ;-)

It was definitely a group effort, as we coordinated on many aspects of our talk, from establishing goals, determining our topics, working through the PowerPoints and finally, at the residency, working out all the technical glitches (which would have been IMPOSSIBLE if not for the fabulous efforts from grad assistant Debbie Gonzales).

It was a lot of work but so much fun, and extremely satisfying when it was over, not only because IT WAS OVER ;-) but because many people from the audience commented that they learned something. Which was our primary goal. We consciously set out to give our audience something that they could take away and apply to their own writing. Yep, reaching a goal is a great feeling!

The panel presentation also served as one other thing: the end to a fabulous experience (the “bitter” part of bittersweet). But as one chapter ends, another begins. Here is a photo of myself with Kathi, and my new advisor for spring 2010, Laura Kvasnosky (of Zelda & Ivy fame). I’m so excited to begin my work with Laura!

VCFA Winter Residency '10

Okay, so I'm not being quite as prompt about posting on my blog during the rez, but you should see the schedule they created. These people never sleep. Sometimes I don't think they even take time to breathe!

It's definitely cold here, I think our lowest temps were -3 one night, but the rooms are well-heated and the walks to class are short (sometimes shorter--depending on how cold it is!). As you can see, the campus is quite lovely covered in snow, and I delight at the beauty just outside my window every morning; quaint New England houses across the street, layered in snow with white puffs rising from their chimneys.

The academic experience has been fabulous thus far; amazing and insightful lectures from the faculty and graduating students, critiquing of manuscripts that cause you to have so many lightbulb moments that your head looks like a fourth of July nightsky. Yesterday the picture book semester group had the treat of having Lynne Rae Perkins speak to us. Lynne Rae shared her process (writing and illustrating) and let us pick her brain for about two hours.

This morning we'll hear Lynne Rae speak to the entire student body, and this afternoon Kimberly Willis Holt well speak to us. Tomorrow we get her all to ourselves for our PB workshop group. I can't wait to hear her talk about Waiting for Gregory. If you haven't seen this book, get your hands on a copy. The art is amazing and transformed the sweet text to a whole new level.

Today our faculty preference forms are due--this is the list we give of the advisors that we'd like to work with next semester. Honestly, the staff is so fabulous that I couldn't narrow it down to just five, so I listed six. We had a chance to "speed date" them on Tuesday, where we ask them questions and get to know how they work. It was enjoyable to sit a bit with the advisors and chat about our upcoming projects. It doesn't really matter which advisor I'll get because I know they'll all be good, plus I trust the VCFA system to match me with the best advisor. I'll find out who my new advisor is on Friday morning (technically at midnight, but I'm not so sure I'll be up at that hour).

Speaking of advisors, I know I'll miss working with Kathi Appelt terribly (horribly, no goodly, very badly) but that's just the way it is. I'm sure with each advisor I'll grow in a different way--at least my writing will!

Okay, must get ready for the next lecture...

Holy Cow, Another Residency!

I really did have the best of intentions--I was going to get back to posting regular entries on my blog, set up some more Mini-Views and do some more book reviews.

I wish I could blame my lack of attention to the holidays, but considering that I didn't put up a single decoration and am still hunting for gifts, I can't blame them. I haven't even made any New Year's resolutions, other than to just do what Vermont College tells me to do. To the best of my ability. Period.

The fact is, when you enroll in the Vermont College MFA program, the universe applies a vortex that sucks time out of your life. Seriously. You get up each morning, with the intention of running this errand, posting a blog entry, calling that old friend, baking cookies for your kids, but no. Evening rolls around and as you drop into bed, you realize that once again, you've left all those things uncrossed on your "to do" list. Now don't get me wrong--the great sucking vortex does leave you room for reading, writing, listening to lectures on CDs and researching-- but time for anything else? Nuh-uh. Nada. Zippo.

And now I'm staring at the winter residency that begins on Sunday. I have two days to pack all my "stuff" (AKA, school materials and anything that will help prevent me from freezing to death) then hit the Saturday 5:00 AM flight (yes, you read that right, A.M.) from the high desert down to LA. Oy.

I will try to post from Vermont when I can. No promises, but I'll try!

Still Alive...but barely

Wow--I've really been absent from blogging these past few weeks. The VCFA semester came to a screaming end, sort of. The first week of Dec. required my last packet to be submitted. It was bittersweet. Really. I was relieved that I had accomplished the last packet and felt good about the work I'd submitted, but then again, it was the last packet. My last one! I've grown to enjoy receiving feedback from my advisor and seeing how I can improve my writing. And I've loved immersing myself in the picture book genre this semester. I know I'll never have another experience like this for the rest of my life. That's the "bitter" part.

The second week required me to submit to the admin office the "secret sixth packet" which consists of evaluations, summaries and writing samples from the semester. Not hard work to compile, but it did take time and took some thought with my responses.

And all the while, I'm still working the bugs out of my PowerPoint presentation for my panel presentation for the winter rez. The four other PB Semester students and I each have 15 minutes to give a talk, then our advisor gets a few minutes at the end. I have my talk finished, but I keep having glitches in the actual slide show. Sigh...technology and I DO NOT get along sometimes. It really is a love-hate relationship. But I'm doing everything I can to assure that it'll be running smoothly by the time I get to the residency. Fingers crossed. Toes too.

Oh, and there's this little thing called Christmas looming...

I'm Back But Not Really...

No, I haven't completely abandoned my blog... I took a few days off to visit my family in New England, came home to a two-day migraine (travel does that to me), and have been playing "catch-up" ever since.

Last week was the last round of manuscript critiques between my fellow PB semester students (Mary, Meredith, Barbara and Abby--you all totally rock!). It was actually a bit sad, having that last round of stories to share. These writers are highly creative, solid in their skills, and give amazing feedback--I'm going to miss them so much! (not to mention Kathi, our fearless leader).

Today I sent Kathi my final packet, complete with one new story plus three revised pieces. Honestly, if she'd have taken five mss, I'd have sent her five. Or six. Or seven. It was tough to decide which ones to put under her skilled eye and mind for the last time. I'll also miss working under her guidance and direction, and can't imagine what next semester will be like without my little "PB family." But as it is with every little bird, they must be pushed from the nest and learn to fly on their own. But Kathi might have to shove me really hard ;-).

Now I'll have to focus on the panel presentation our group will give at the winter rez. Each of us gets to give a 12-15 min. talk that highlights our long essay from this semester. I'm talking about anthropomorphism with a focus on cats. Of course, once I started reading my essay out loud, I realized that I could not have chosen a more difficult word to say out loud repeatedly! Oy...anthropomorphism. What was I thinking?

And next week I have one last "sixth" packet to turn into the college admin; a sort of summary of this semster's work. And then I'll have to start preparing for the winter rez in January (Down coat? Check. Wool cap? Check. Winter boots? Check. Electric blanket? Check. Etc....).

So, my blogging will be limited in the near future. Hopefully though, I'll have some new Mini-Views coming up in the next few months, along with some other interesting points of interest.

Packet #4: Done. One more to go...

I've turned in and already received the feedback on my fourth packet. Phew!!! Another great experience.

Have I told you how much I admire and adore my advisor Kathi Appelt? Not only is she a fabulous, Newbery Honor-winning author, but she's a cat-lovin' Texas gal with a passion for picture books. Now, Kathi has an extraordinary way with words when it comes to the pen, but she's also the most astute critiquer I've ever worked with. Her ability to find what needs work in my writing is so spot-on that I totally trust her opinion and am willing to try anything she suggests (seriously, she could tell me to run out in the street and swing a dead chicken over my head five times to stimulate my creativity and I'd do it!).

Back to the packet; a couple more mss near finished. A brand new one that's a good start but definitely needs some work (which is expected). Best of all, I'm pushing myself creatively and finding that it's not so scary after all. And I've now got the okay on my long essay and can begin focusing on my presentation for the winter residency. My topic is anthropomorphism with a focus on cats. Yes, CATS. Surprise, surprise. It should be a howling good time. >^..^<

10 Ways to Tell If You're a Vermont College Student...

Only a meager three months into the Vermont College MFA Writing Program and I've already discovered there are signs that indicate such enrollment. I'm up to ten so far, and I'd love to hear any others from my fellow classmates. So, here are the signs that let you know you're really doing the VC MFA program:

1. You know your public library card number by heart.
2. Your public librarians all know you on a first name basis.
3. Dust bunnies have overtaken your house. And you're okay with it.
4. Your living spaces are consumed with piles of books, notepads, writing implements and computers.
5. You develop a taste for convenience foods.
6. You need new glasses. But won't take the time to see your eye doctor.
7. You have to ice down your writing hand nightly.
8. Your friends stop calling.
9. Your spouse actually knows what a "packet" is.
10. So does your cat.

(but you're still smiling!)

Okay, any of your Vermont College students out there, let me hear what your signs are!

Rather than have you read through the comments, here are two more from fellow VCFA-ers:

1. The employees at your local post office know you by name, and already have your return postage stamps ready when you walk through the door (TP: Bet I can guess who your advisor is! ;-).

2. Your spouse/partner not only knows what packet is, but makes dinner for you the few nights before your packet is due.

Revisions: Climbing to the Top

I am learning so much this semester in the Vermont College writing for children program. I’ve been writing with purpose for about ten years now, so I thought I had a little bit of a handle on picture books, but I’ve realized there is so much to learn. So much more.

One of the things that I’ve found most fascinating is revision. Revisions are a part of writing; we all get that. First drafts are one thing. Revisions are another. This is where an author rolls up her sleeves, puts on her editorial hat and starts analyzing her work. She figures out what needs to be improved, shows her work to other writers for feedback, and takes out the machete to cut words and the polish to make her writing shine. Yeah, I “got” all that.

Then I started the Picture Book Intensive semester. I now see revisions not as a “one-stop” reworking attempt where I try to make my work shine in one fell swoop but instead as working my way up a series of steps. Now, each revision feels much more deliberate because I know that sometimes I have to climb up to the next step, in order for me to gain steady ground so I can climb up to the next level (eventually reaching the top).

For example, one particular piece I started with was over 800 words long. My first revision challenge was to cut it by 80%. I did that, feeling quite proud of myself; but then despite its 200-word length, I still had to cut more to eliminate places where I was doing the illustrator’s job (meaning, describing too much). Okay, that was the next draft. Once I had my story down to 100 words, my next revision challenge was to write it in rhyme. Okay, I did that, and quite happily. I’d thought about writing this piece in rhyme before, but I was so lost in my overly narrative language that I didn’t know where to begin. You see, I had to go through all of the other revisions so I could climb to a place where I could see my work in rhyme. Kind of like climbing a cloud-encased mountain until you can break through and more clearly see the view. After I wrote it in rhyme, my next challenge was to improve the format and structure. Which I’ve done. And working on.

My point is, it’s been eye-opening for me to now see revisions more as climbing to the next level, so I can see my work differently, thus allowing me to again take it to another level. Like mountain climbing.

Now, I must give credit where credit is due. My advisor acts as the rope and pitons that keeps me safely secured to the mountain. She has guided me along and given me many challenges to help me work my way through my stories, much like a climber works his way up the face of a granite dome. And my classmates are like my climbing buddies—belaying me, guiding me, letting me know I’m not alone.

It’s seeing the revisions as a series of levels, which must be reached before proceeding to the next that I find so fascinating. Not one fell-swoop, but necessary steps for the climb.

Vermont College: One more down!

YEAAAA!!!

I turned in my third packet today! I made the halfway mark for this semester.

Now for a snack...

VCFA Workload

This morning a friend called to see how I was doing. "How's the MFA going?" she asked.

I laughed and said, "Well, I'm so punchy from writing and researching that last night it took me three tries to put on my facial lotion--first I picked up the toothpaste, then the sunscreen, and finally on the third try, picked up the jar of nighttime face cream. Then this morning I emptied my cats' water bowl and left it in the drying rack. The cat sitting by the food mat reminded me to refill it, as he was obviously thirsty. Oh, yesterday I was so punchy I walked into a wall. And this morning I realized I ordered the same book twice from Amazon."

"Oh no, are you regretting that you signed up for the program?" my friend asked.

"Heck, no!" I said. "I'm loving every minute of it!"

And that's how it is, really. I don't know if I've ever been this busy in my entire life, or put out so much mental energy. Maybe I did in college, but that was a long time ago, when I had a few thousand or million more brain cells. As soon as one project is done, there's another waiting. It's kind of like the Russian front during WWII. You know how the Russian soldiers just kept going up against the Germans, and if the soldier in front of them dropped, they picked up his weapon and kept moving forward. This has that same never-ending feel to it. But without guns. And nobody fires anything at you. And there's no death or destruction. Maybe that wasn't the best analogy...

There are times when I can't sleep at night because my mind won't shut down. I feel guilty if I take a full day off (oh wait, I haven't done that yet. Never mind). And there is an ever-growing pile of picture books, research materials and three laptops in my living room that seem to have taken up permanent residence.

Yet, I love it. I cannot think of a single thing I'd want to be done differently. I love that my advisor pushes me to try new things and see things in a different light. I love reading and critiquing the work of my four other classmates and receiving their feedback on my own work (they're brilliant) . I love the support the students and faculty give each other. I love the critical aspect of the program (I never dreamed I'd actually enjoy writing critical essays--who knew?). I love trying new forms of writing, like the biography I'm working on right now.

Yes, life is good in the VCFA MFA program.

Even if I do fall asleep on my keyboard sometimes.

Have You Ever Been So Busy That...

You almost left the house without wearing any pants. Yep. Last week was just that crazy-busy for me.

I'd turned in my second packet, received the feedback, and was working hard to get a revision done that was due today (as Kathi Appelt says, I was "writing like my fingers were on fire"). My head was filled with research ideas, dancing animals, an Italian educator, cats and a T-ball game (yes, it was crowded in there).

Amidst all this, I wanted to see my chiropractor. So, when his office called and said they could see me right away, I ran upstairs to change clothes. I got distracted with something while changing (can't recall what it was). Minutes later, I got to the top of the stairs and thought, "What am I forgetting?" I looked down and realized I wasn't wearing any pants. OOPS!!! Yeah. Working on my MFA keeps is keeping me just that busy...

Packet #2: Done!

Wooohooo! I survived turning in my second packet! Yesterday I heard back from my advisor, and as always, received thoughtful, encouraging and challenging advice. I'd love to stop and take a breather, but there's no time for that. Packet #3 is due in less than four weeks, and that one takes the essay up a notch to a longer length. Plus, there are all those revisions...

Just Catching Grasshoppers...

This story really is writing-related. I promise.

Years ago, on my first ever backpacking trip, my husband and I did a summer hike in Kings Canyon National Park, in the Sierras. We were green as the meadows (experience-wise). Not one lick of overnight backpacking experience. But off we went, ready for adventure. Well, our first night out, all of our food was stolen by a very dexterous raccoon (he managed to untie the straps on our backpacks). The real miracle was that a bear didn't get to it first, as we didn't even hang our food (I said we were green) and we were in the heart of black bear country.

So there we were, the big adventurers, with no food. My husband gave out a big sigh and said, "Well, we'll just have to catch some grasshoppers." I was taken back. "I am NOT going to eat grasshoppers!" I declared. I had my limits. After he stopped laughing, he explained that he needed grasshoppers as bait to catch trout. Oh. Heh, heh. Yeah, bait. Good idea. (can you see why I married this man?)

So there we were, in the middle of a meadow, lunging around attempting to catch the feisty little critters. And they're quick! After what seemed like hours (probably more like minutes), we caught plenty enough for my husband to catch a nice dinner's worth of trout. Okay, that was a stretch. I didn't catch any. My husband had all the success. I just wasn't quick enough. But I still got to eat that night (again, see why I married this guy?).

Okay, how does this relate to writing, you might wonder? Well, I've discovered during my brief experience with Vermont College, that researching is a lot like catching grasshoppers. VC has a fabulous library, the Gary Library, which gives students access to multiple research possibilities. But sorting through all that's out there is a lot like catching grasshoppers. At least for me. I find myself spending hours of time and energy sifting through information, getting close, almost there, that grasshopper is j-u-s-t within my r-e-a-c-h, only to let it get away because the data isn't quite what I needed. Sigh...onto the next big juicy victim. At the end of my time, I might only have one, two or even no bits of information to add to my project, but it's what I have to do in order to survive. Kinda like catching grasshoppers that summer afternoon so many years ago.

So, for those who do research with academic papers, articles or non-fiction work (like this picture book project I committed to then realized I probably have six months of research to do before I can even begin to write), happy researching!

And remember, sometimes all it takes is one grasshopper to eat well.