Oh you learn so much in the business. And there is so much I still don’t know.
I still don’t know how they managed to convince Costco to carry my book. No idea. Granted, they don’t have it yet, but maybe in the fall.
I still don’t know why my book has not shown up in Kanata yet. But that’s ok.
What I learned last night, when we got home very very late from celebrating the gaffer’s 6th birthday, was that they write the back ad for the cover waaaay before the book is done.
So last night, I got an email from lovely Kathleen, showing me the back cover ad. It was really really good. And it’s pretty much the story. I want to read it, it’s so good.
I should probably write the book now… 6 weeks and counting…
Reading: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (I inhaled Catching Fire two days ago. She is so good. I wish I had written it)
Watching: Nothing. I’m READING!!
Listening to: my teeth crunch a Lindt milk chocolate. Yum!
Eating: see above. Now for healthy lunch.
Posted on 2 September '10 by Jenn Kelly, under observations. No Comments.
That’s a question unto itself, isn’t it?
I am procrastinating because I need to re-write my book.
Ick. But fun!
Gladly, happily, giddy-ly, I have a new beginning. And I like it a lot. And I think lovely Kathleen likes it too. Not sure yet. Maybe?
One issue I seem to have: I use too many adjectives.
I wonder why? I think, in my own opinion, which may or may not be intelligent, I think that there are not enough adjectives out there. I wish you could say to your computer, “I’m looking for a word that means fantastic/happy/ecstatic/purposeful/glad. ” And then it would spew out the perfect word. Because I could use ecstatic, but it’s too … flaky. I could use glad, but it’s not strong enough. I could use happy, but it’s not right. Fantastic? Meh. Maybe I should just make up my own words. Hm.. I’d use the word: eccelpy. There. Perfect. Look at it in a sentence.
“She was eccelpastic.” See? It works? Says everything in one word. For us wordy folks. A-hem.
Oh wait, must get back to writing….
Reading: Harper’s Bazaar (I know, I’m such a girl sometimes)
Listening to: CBC radio
Eating: chai latte! hello? I’m editing!
Watching: tonight? nothing. am going out to dinner.
Posted on 24 August '10 by Jenn Kelly, under observations. 1 Comment.
Lovely, editor Kathleen sent me the edits last night at 11pm. She is insane to stay up that late to finish. I opened the file this morning.
Oh boy.
With the first book, I only had two pages of edits. And they weren’t even a big deal. I felt very good about myself. Granted, I had a year and a half to play with it while searching for a publisher or agent, but still.
This? 5 pages. And oh boy, not much of it is good.
I need some major overhaul.
I forgot to give Jackson a purpose.
Pretty sad, isn’t it? In the first book, Jackson longs to be a hero. And he gets to be one. This one? He’s doing nothing. Just a lot of meaningless wandering around, learning nothing. Oops.
My lovely editor was tactful kind enough to tell me that it was her job to make it amazing and that it is never easy to write a book, let alone a kids’ book and that everything would be wonderful. I just had to hunker down and drink my chai lattes and get to it.
And I have 7 weeks to do it.
Let the games begin.
Listening to: the boys are listening to farting and burping noises on the computer
Reading: The Hunger Games. Oh you must read it. It’s fantastic.
Eating: peanut butter.
Watching: tonight? My husband. It’s our ten year anniversary!
Posted on 19 August '10 by Jenn Kelly, under observations. No Comments.
So the news is:
the book won’t be in Canada until August 31st. BOOOOO!!!! Not terribly happy about that, but I can’t do anything about it so I’ll just sneak down to the US and gaze at it fondly at the bookshelf at Barnes and Noble.
I ‘think’ I’ve figured out my whole ‘Miss Flaversham’ thing. Which is very cool for me but crazy for you because I can’t tell you any of it. Except that it’ll be good.
My sweet, darling, wonderful husband bought me a prezzie. The new Kindle. Oh I was so excited and not expecting it at all! It took me a little while to figure out how to work it, and to find the free books area, so now I have 10 books downloaded (all free and classics) so now I get to read with it. But at the moment I’m reading Harry Potter in paperback. I love that book. Not just because of the story but because it’s the first book my husband ever bought me. It was on the way to a show I had to do for Almonte Valley Players and we’d always stop in at the Mac’s Milk and get a grape crush so I could burp away my nervousness before starting. (I am amazing on stage, but before I go on? I’m a mess.) And there it was, sitting by the cash. We didn’t have very much money, but he bought it for me. It was 10$. I married well. That man knows my heart, inside and out.
Ok, I have some writing to do. Many chapters to meld but I’m up to 34,000 words! Yay!
Listening to: the clock ticking behind me. It’s making me a little crazy. Need music, I think. CBC radio?
Reading: Harry Potter, first book. And my Kindle!
Watching: tonight? So You Think You Can Dance!
Eating: crackers and brie. And a venti, soy, no water, no foam, tazo chai.
I know last week I was complaining about my writing area undergoing renovations. I had tried other Starbucks areas to get my writing out, but it didn’t work. Last night hubby and I were in the area and I made him go see if it was finished.
It’s done.
All the old tables have been replaced by new ones and instead of long tables, they have high little ones, right at the window, perfect for writing. I almost died I was so happy.
It’s Monday morning, I’ve been here since 8:30, and I think this will work quite nicely for the next book.
And my editor is back from hiding. Good golly have I missed her silly emails… I should probably tell her. But I might sulk a bit first…
Reading: Anne of Avonlea (not as easily read as the first, but lovely)
Watching: hubby was watching Matrix 3 I think. Not paying attention.
Listening: Sleep by Azure Ray (Devil Wears Prada Soundtrack)
Posted on 15 March '10 by Jenn Kelly, under observations. No Comments.
