My book birthday last Tuesday was magnificent. Here are some of the highlights:
7:00 am. Woke up to an inbox full of notes from friends, celebrating my book birthday. Shades of Truth and Flickering Hope are OUT! Wondering: are you allowed to eat cupcakes for breakfast on your book birthday?
9:15 am. Ate pumpkin bread- a compromise on the cupcake thing. Starbucks is celebrating Christmas this morning in honor of Flickering Hope!
10:47 am. Just finished working with two amazing young authors who will be published in this year’s Inklings Book. On my way to The Phillips Brooks School for I Love to Write day. A “real” author visit!
3:00 pm. Finished school visit. Told them bear stories and showed them my husband’s amazing photographs of the bears we saw in Minnesota. Visited Linden Tree and am off to Hicklebees to show them the books. Oh, and to find a cupcake!
5:54 pm. Off to UJam to dance! My cupcake is waiting for me in the refrigerator…
10 pm. Had dinner out with Dave, who brought me flowers. And when we got home? Cupcakes. 🙂
Today is my book birthday! Shades of Truth and Flickering Hope have stepped out into the world. My friends tell me I should celebrate, and so I will. I’m going to document my day on Facebook… and celebrate however I can! I’ll post the highlights here tonight.
Right now, I’m wondering… can you eat cupcakes for breakfast on your book birthday?
These past few days have been a whirlwind. I’m busy, busy, busy. But my dog, Turley, has carried out his personal mission to keep me laughing. Every morning, he noses me awake, wags his tail and bounces around until I can’t help but laugh. When I take him for his morning walk, he prances along, showing off his favorite pinecone to every dog, and human, he passes by. For Turley, there’s no to-do list. There’s no appointments to hurry off to, no schedule. Rain or shine, he’s content just to go outside, explore and discover every fascinating smell. I could learn a thing or two.
I drove up to Half Moon Bay on Friday to revise my manuscript one last time before I sent it to my editor. Even though my office is cozy, with my favorite books lining my bookshelves, and my cozy reading chair in the corner, the final edit is tough enough that I wanted a breath of fresh air.
I set my alarm early, hoping to catch the sunrise. The morning was still dark when I stopped at Starbucks for my soy latte. On my way up the freeway, the sun peeked over the mountains behind me, painting the sky red and pink and orange. When I turned off on 92, heading west for the ocean, I passed the reservoir. Steam rose off the still water, breathtaking and eerie against the sunrise. I drove on toward the ocean, past pumpkin patches and farms. Once I found a parking place by the beach, (no small feat) I left my manuscript behind and took my sketchbook and pencils out to the sand. This is what Sadie would do, after all. (If Sadie could drive, that is.)
I listened to the waves and drew the picture that has stayed with me as I’ve written Waves of Light, the picture that appears in Sadie’s head every morning, and doesn’t leave it until she falls asleep at night. She tries to ignore the image, tries to pretend it isn’t there, but by the end of the book, she has to find out what the picture means for her.
Words are my artistic medium, they’ve always been. You could even say words are my friends. Images drawn on the page, on the other hand, are more like intriguing strangers. I want to draw them, I see them in my mind, I have a million words to describe them. And yet, when I start to draw them, I see all the ways the image isn’t exactly what I saw in my mind. In the same way that words need to be written and rewritten, shaped into what they can become, I think images need to grow. Somehow, though, I have no grace for myself when it comes to drawing. I can’t let myself fail first and then fix the problem.
But Friday morning, on the beach, I let all of my self conciousness go, just for a few minutes. I drew what I could, not judging myself or the lines on the page. And I saw that there wasn’t only meaning in the drawing for Sadie, but also whimsy. The image itself is something she’s afraid to see about herself. But she plays her way in, by drawing with vivid colors and adding surprises here and there.
I’ve been meaning to draw more lately, and now I know I’ve got to start. Drawing may not be my medium, but maybe that’s a good thing. Since I can’t take myself too seriously when I draw, I have the chance to really play.
I think artists should try a medium beyond their comfort zone. Be a beginner as often as you can. Remember what it’s like not to know the answer. Because all those tricks and skills and tools you’ve built along your path sometimes get in the way. We get overconfident and we don’t stay open to surprises. We can’t see what’s right in front of our noses. At least, that’s how it is for me. If you do try something new, comment. Let me know how it goes for you. I really want to know.
I finished Waves of Light, the third book in the Sadie series, this past Saturday.
Finish is a relative word when it comes to a book. Once I sort out the tangle of words and plot lines and character on my own, the work has only just begun. Fortunately, I have wonderful writer friends who first jump up and down to celebrate with me after I write “THE END,” and who then gently point out the rough patches that might still require a little work.
I took a risk writing Waves of Light. Instead of creating a rock-solid plot outline to begin, I decided to practice what I preach. I tried letting go a little, playing a little more. I used Scrivener, which allowed me to write scenes before I worried too much about putting them in order. Unplanned scenes popped up and surprised me. And the book is all the better for them.
But while I was writing, I kept thinking of the night I sailed on Lake Michigan in a fog. Every now and again, we’d see lights from another boat, or hear voices drifting toward us over the water, but we couldn’t see past the end of our hull. We sailed slowly, feeling our way through the night, as though we’d slipped into another world. I worried we wouldn’t find our way back, or we’d crash against the rocks, but I also felt oddly calm. I wasn’t in control. All I could do was listen, watch, be present, trust. My book was like this too. I couldn’t see the way forward, more than maybe one or two steps. The fog did finally lift late last week, and I saw the last few scenes. How delightful to be surprised. How amazing to let go enough to travel beyond my own comfortable landscape into new territory.
So, I played today. I rolled up my sleeves and dug through old boxes of notes and letters and pictures. Fascinating how these artifacts bring everything back, the feelings, the thoughts, the events.
I was once 12, the age of my character, Sadie. Actually, in lots of ways, I’m still 12. But now, I’m also 13 and 21 and 33, with all the experiences that have come since.
Why was looking at old letters and cards playing? To me, playing is any time I let go and let myself be surprised. When I do something just for fun, without any real plan. Younger Naomi surprised me. She was silly, passionate, and the kind of girl who lost herself in fits of giggles in Algebra class and had to be sent out into the hall. She fussed over running the mile, and lost the volleyball championship for her team because she was too busy dreaming to pay attention. She created a lip sync in which she dressed up as Lucy Ricardo, and her best friend played Ricky. She baked a huge heart-shaped chocolate chip cookie for her crush for Valentines Day. She had horrible 80’s bangs.
You know what surprised me most? Even though this younger self had dreams––lots of them––and plans like you wouldn’t believe, most of her life was full of joy. Friends and fun. I wouldn’t mind having a little more of that in my life now. Minus the bangs of course. Anyone up for a lip sync??
I feel much like I do on January 1, after I’ve made at least one very important resolution as the Times Square ball drops. I step into the new morning as though I’m wading into a glassy pond, watching the ripples move across the water’s surface. Where will this new resolve take me? How much will really be different? What can I take with me from the past?
A fresh, new blog. Just as the first two books in the From Sadie’s Sketchbook series are about to launch into the world.
What is this new resolution?
Well, I have to admit. My first blog, The Playful Life, was full of good intentions and very few posts. I wanted to write about my journey of learning how to play. It all began when I realized that though I spent the majority of my time jumping around and being silly with young writers, encouraging them to loosen up and take risks… to play with their art… I didn’t play enough myself. So, I decided I should send myself on an Artist’s Hero’s Journey. And, because I never do anything the easy way, I decided to write and produce a play about the process. You can see the highlights of it here:
Now, if I had just been too busy playing to post on my blog, that would be one thing. But, to tell the truth, that hasn’t been the case. This last year has been stuffed full of busyness. I suppose that’s what happens when you set out to write four books in the span of about a year. But, here’s what I’m discovering. No matter how important whatever you need to do is, coming at the task with a sense of fun, exploration, experimentation, and yes, play, is the only way to truly get it done.
So, here’s my resolution. I WILL play, sometimes just for fun, because that’s where the best ideas come. I will also play for “real,” in my writing, in my work with the Inklings, in my life, and maybe even when I do the laundry. And I’ll let you know how it goes. I hope you’ll try it too, and I hope you’ll let me know how it goes. Because I think the more we can all let loose and play a little, the more joy we’ll spread, the more creative ideas we’ll discover, and the more we’ll be able to make the world a better place.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
7:00 am. Woke up to an inbox full of notes from friends, celebrating my book birthday. Shades of Truth and Flickering Hope are OUT! Wondering: are you allowed to eat cupcakes for breakfast on your book birthday?
