Friday Round Up: New Year's Style

Ah, has everyone made their writer resolutions? Mine is to find balance in 2011. To balance the creative work, the biz side, and to even--dare I say it--make more time for things outside of work. I miss going for walks with friends, strolling the city streets (now I can stroll the hike and bike trail or the Greenbelt) and occasionally reading a book outside my field of interest. There are lots of little spear shoots to help me find balance: a new relationship, a deeper spiritual practice, going (mostly) vegetarian but it is internal balance I seek. That means letting go of some of my squirrel-y--more-more-more thoughts and never feeling like any accomplishment is enough. Sure, there is always more work to be done. Which is a good thing. I love the work. The painful parts, the brave parts, the joyous parts of writing, revising, and seeing a novel or picture book go from idea to actual book--and a book that makes its way into the world. What I don't love is all my fear and anxiety around how the book will sell (and I do want it to sell) and what will happen next. Which brings me back to balance...maybe by December 2011 I will be like a flamingo standing on foot balancing away. Actually, that's a nice image for me to keep in mind.

Balance. Balance. Balance.


More About Truth with a Capital T

If you missed it, head on over to Through the Wardrobe, Janet Fox's blog to read my thoughts on ensemble character development.

And 2011, got kicked off to a Cynsational year--find out Truth with a Capital T was chosen as one of her Cynsational Books of 2010.

Upcoming I will be speaking at two UT extension classes on writing Truth with a Capital T, Grandfather Gandhi, and the state of the picture book market. Look for more thoughts as the classes approach. (Jan. 18 and Feb 23rd.)

Awesome Austin Goings On

About to get my musical theatre fix at the Zach Scott, as April Lurie's outstanding novel,Brothers, Boyfriends, and Other Criminal Minds is going to be performed live, on-stage on ZACH’s Kleberg Stage.

February 5-20, 2011
On ZACH’s Intimate Kleberg Stage
Saturdays at 1:00p.m. & 4:00p.m. | Sundays at 6:30p.m.
$13 Youth | $15 Adult | Great discounts for 20+
Tickets:  512-476-0541  512-476-0541 x1
More information: www.zachtheatre.org







The first Austin SCBWI meeting of 2011 kicks off with a sweetheart of a speaker, author Jessica Lee Anderson on Sat, Jan 15, 2011, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

BookPeople, 603 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78703

January 20th, I will be moderating the WLT Third Thursday panel where the 2010 WLT Book Awards will be announced. Join us on the 3rd floor of BookPeople at 7pm.



And January 29th is another big book bash Austinites (and out of towners) won't want to miss with Cynthia Leitich Smith celebrating the release of Blessed and Mari Mancusi with her latest, Night School.

From the BookPeople website: It’ll be an interview style event, so make sure to bring lots of questions! There will also be a book raffle and a vampire bar – so come and get your books signed as well as a fairy/vampire cocktail! Event starts at 2:00PM.


And if you are a North-Easterner--get ready for the Blessed book tour. Cynthia may be coming to a store near you in February as she and Blessed hit the road for NYC, NJ, and some other states of my old stomping grounds. Check here and at Cynthia's site for more details as the tour draws closer. 


And, I do declare, the conferences are coming. The conferences are coming. If you haven't already registered for the Austin SCBWI Conference in Feb what are you waiting for? There is a stellar line-up, including my Random House/Delacorte editor, Michelle Poploff) and a ton of other talented book folks coming to town.

And, for the first ever YA only conference, The Writers' League of Texas is debuting the YA-AZ Conference in April. Registration is open now and some of the attending conference faculty has been announced.

These agents and authors are confirmed for the YA A to Z Conference:

• Agent/author John Cusick of Scott Treimel NY
   
• Agent Laurie McLean of Larsen Pomada Literary Agents
   
• Agent Elena Mechlin of Pippin Properties
• Editor Evelyn Fazio of WestSide Books
   
• Author Tim Wynne-Jones
   
• Author April Lurie
• Author Mari Mancusi
• Author Brian Yansky

More authors, agents, and editors will be announced in January.