The Furious Bird of the Calm Storm
March 29, 2013 § 1 Comment
What a beautiful animated interpretation of “The Me Bird” by Pablo Neruda:
I like that it’s a true inspiration piece, not a video with the poem appearing as text or read aloud. A great reminder, just before National Poetry Month, that poems can inspire all sorts of works of art.
(via NPR Fresh Air)
Friday Fifteen
March 1, 2013 § 1 Comment
Welcome to March, everybody! They say March comes in like a lion, so let’s start the month with some lion-related books:
1. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Tell me you didn’t open your closet and hope you’d find Narnia.
2. The Woman Who Rides Like a Man (Song of the Lioness #3) by Tamora Pierce
My least favorite of the series; she’s away from the main cast for so long.
3. The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
Gorgeous take on Aesop’s fable. Try telling me children’s illustrations aren’t fine art.
4. Lionboy by Zizou Corder
Got this for free at the midnight release of Harry Potter #6. Didn’t grab me.
5. The Lion in Winter by James Goldman
Here’s betting your family isn’t as messed up as Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine’s.
The Writing Cave
February 1, 2013 § 2 Comments
New favorite writing space:
Or course, I might be too distracted by the awesomeness of the space to get any work done. (Up the ladder! Down the ladder! More books!)
Click through for even more awesome architectural bookshelves.
(image: Freshome)(via Architizer Blog)
This Is Not My Book Trailer
January 29, 2013 § Leave a Comment
This Is Not My Hat by John Klassen won the 2013 Caldecott medal yesterday–woohoo! In case you haven’t seen the book yet, this trailer gives you the general vibe:
Make sure to check out the rest of Candlewick’s We Believe in Picture Books campaign, too. And congratulations to John Klassen!
Follow Your Characters
January 23, 2013 § Leave a Comment
At writing group last weekend, my critique partners mentioned they liked my latest project but were wondering where it was going, exactly. “Me too!” I said (in more or less words). I know a lot of writers who like to outline everything and map out exactly where their characters are going, but that doesn’t really work for me. I’m more of a “write-by-the-seat-of-my-pants” kind of writer–I have a vague idea of where I’m going, but I don’t have a strict outline and write toward where the characters feel like they should be going. Which sometimes makes it difficult to create a real plot.
So of course I was psyched to see this hilarious comic from Jane Yolen and Mike Cavallaro about creating plot.
Make sure to click through for the rest. I especially like Yolen’s comment at the end: ““There are two kinds of writers—the ones who figure out a plot ahead of time before writing, and the ones who set their characters in motion and then run after them saying, “Hey. . .wait for me.”” The latter is definitely more like me. And it might take a little while to figure out exactly what’s going on and how it should all come together, but there’s something exciting about chasing after your characters and learning about what’s important to them.
Okay, in case you’re a pants-er like me and do want some plot guidance, here are some great suggestions for laying out a basic plot map.
(image: Mike Cavallaro and Jane Yolen, via Figment) (H/T Lauren M Barrett)
http://lizwritesbooks.com/2012/05/the-7-point-plot-system-aka-save-the-cat-for-pantsers/
In the Artist’s Studio
January 17, 2013 § Leave a Comment
As someone who writes YA, I’m fascinated by the picture book process. You’ve got barely a few hundred words to work with, and you need to have art that both connects to your narrative and takes the story to the next level. So I really dug this video by children’s book artist Oliver Jeffers about his process:
Oliver Jeffers Author Film 2013 from Oliver Jeffers on Vimeo.
I need to start hunting for my breakfast, too. Watch out, scones!
(via swissmiss)
Literary Brilliance or Bust
January 17, 2013 § Leave a Comment
Not sure if having this gold bust of William Shakespeare on your desk would be awesome or intimidating–I’m going with awesome:
If Shakespeare’s not your guy, mahzerandvee has other busts that would look pretty awesome on your writing desk.
(image: mahzerandvee)
Live Your Life, Live Your Life, Live Your Life
January 7, 2013 § Leave a Comment
In case you need a good Monday morning cry, artist Christoph Niemann has created a lovely animated video to accompany Maurice Sendak’s moving final interview with Terry Gross.
In case you want to see the full interview (trust me, you do), the transcript is available here.
(via Open Culture)(via The Dish)
Locking Horns
December 21, 2012 § 1 Comment
Digging these deer bookends:
They feel so Christmas-y in an unexpected way. Lots of other cool bookends in the shop too.
(image: Design Atelier Article)
Links Galore
December 10, 2012 § Leave a Comment
A few links for today:
- Young Latino readers are missing out on seeing characters like them in books. Fortunately, some authors strive to reflect a variety of stories and backgrounds.
- I’ve written a few of these overused short story plots.
- While you’re at it, make sure to avoid these YA tropes. Or at least apply a new twist.
- Writers pick their favorite classic book illustrations.
- This list of commonly misused words leaves me bemused.
- A collaborative art instillation encourages you to write in books.
