I'm hopping again - I've been tagged by my fellow Story Pie Press author, Jodi Moore (GOOD NEWS NELSON and WHEN A DRAGON MOVES IN). My assignment - answer a few questions about myself and my writing, then tag another author (or a few) "IT" to keep the hop moving!
So here goes:
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
I'm juggling 4 projects at the moment - not including kids' homework! I have 3 nonfiction books in various stages - one I'm working through revision notes from my editor, another I am drafting, and a third I just researched and turned in an outline. I'm also still working on my mystery MG (from the summer of fiction!) I've started drafting, but need to get in a better routine to make sure that I'm making consistent progress on this one.
WHICH GENRE DO YOU LIKE THE MOST?
Now that is a hard one - it's like asking me which kid I like the most. For the record, when asked that by my three kiddos - I always answer "Lily" (the dog). For writing - I think I like them all, and actually, I like having variety in what I'm working on. If I did the same type of book all the time - same age group, subject, structure, I think I'd get bored pretty quickly. Although I write a lot of nonfiction - and you could say that is a single genre - I cover a wide range of subjects, for many different age groups. So each project feels fresh!
WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT WRITING?
Having the discipline to get your butt in the chair for sure!! Being a writer is pretty solitary - there's no clock to punch or boss to check in to make sure you're at your desk. So you have to be your own motivator. Set goals. And make sure that you don't let anything - the Internet, TV, crazy kids - distract you from what you want to accomplish. It may be a simple as writing 20 minutes a day. Or reading a specific genre each day. Or researching a topic. As long as it is a step towards your goal!
WHY DO YOU LIKE BEING A WRITER?
Variety! I love learning new things, researching new subjects. Even in fiction, you can have research to investigate a setting, time period, historical event, etc. For example, in my mystery MG - I've found the perfect place to be the main setting. And it really exists in my town! So I'm planning a field trip - to visit this location and tour the home, walk the grounds, and record every single detail that I can. Smells, sounds, sights, everything! And then I'll be able to put those details into my writing and HOPEFULLY bring this place to life!
So that's the end of my four questions for today - I'm tagging the next author:
Aviva Orr, one of my fab critique group members, is the author of the awesome THE MIST ON BRONTE MOOR. It's a fab mash-up between a modern teen and the historical world of the Bronte family.
Happy Hopping!
Monday, October 21, 2013
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Silver Medal!
I'm excited to announce that one of my books -
Forensics - Uncover the Science and Technology of Crime Scene Investigation
illustrated by Samuel Carbaugh and published by Nomad Press won the Silver medal in the 2013 Moonbeam Awards in the educational science and activity book category!
We had a lot of fun creating this one - I had my kids posing as dead bodies, lifting fingerprints, examining bite marks in styrofoam plates, and predicting height from "bones".If you've got a reader with an interest in the science behind CSI, you might want to check it out!
Forensics - Uncover the Science and Technology of Crime Scene Investigation
illustrated by Samuel Carbaugh and published by Nomad Press won the Silver medal in the 2013 Moonbeam Awards in the educational science and activity book category!
We had a lot of fun creating this one - I had my kids posing as dead bodies, lifting fingerprints, examining bite marks in styrofoam plates, and predicting height from "bones".If you've got a reader with an interest in the science behind CSI, you might want to check it out!
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Montana Vacation
I've just returned from vacation at the Covered Wagon Ranch in Montana. Not a lot of writing, but a lot of recharging and exploring! Enjoy a few pictures from our adventure!
A rainbow at the bottom of the Lower Falls in Yellowstone.
Horseback riding at the ranch
Meadow lake - the view from one of our rides
Old Faithful at Yellowstone - it was interesting to see all the geothermal features in Yellowstone. I wrote a book a few years ago about geothermal energy. It's amazing to see in person!
Did you know that Yellowstone sits on top of a super volcano? For an interesting look at what could happen if that ever erupted, try the YA read Ashfall by Mike Mullin. It's the first in a trilogy that deals (fictionally of course) with what might happen if that disaster scenario actually happened. I picked up the second book in the trilogy at this year's ALA conference and can't wait to read it!
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Blog Hop Interview for KidLit/ YA Authors
I'm blog hopping today! Well, actually, I'm hosting the kid lit/ YA blog hop today - thanks to author Aviva Orr for tagging me last week in the hop! Aviva is the author of the fabulous YA debut novel The Mist on Bronte Moor which was just released in January 2013. If you are a fan of the Bronte sisters and their work, you won't want to miss this one. For the next stop on the hop, I've tagged YA Stephanie Keyes, author of The Star Child series, who will answer her questions next week. It's a great way to get to know other authors and their writing process. Check out what Aviva and Stephanie have to say about their writing.
What are you working on right now?
I've got a few projects in the works right now - polishing up a picture book, revising an early middle grade contemporary, and starting a middle grade mystery. Since I'm also a nonfiction author, I've also got a few nonfiction projects in the works as well. I think I'm never happy unless I'm juggling several things!
How does your writing process work?
I've discovered through trial and error that I'm a planner. It takes me awhile to think through an idea - I usually start with a character that I love and immediately know their beginning and ending points. It's figuring out the middle and how they get to the end is what takes all the time for me!
What would you like to try as a writer that you haven't yet?
I would love to do a big YA adventure/thriller. That's the type of novel I absolutely love reading!
Who are the authors you most admire?
I'm a huge fan of Laurie Halse Andersen. She has done such a wide variety of projects - I love her historical fiction work in Chains and Forge (and I'm impatiently waiting for the third book in the trilogy). She also has really honest contemporary YA books in Speak and Wintergirls. Her ability to get inside her character's head in Wintergirls was incredible!
What are you working on right now?
I've got a few projects in the works right now - polishing up a picture book, revising an early middle grade contemporary, and starting a middle grade mystery. Since I'm also a nonfiction author, I've also got a few nonfiction projects in the works as well. I think I'm never happy unless I'm juggling several things!
How does your writing process work?
I've discovered through trial and error that I'm a planner. It takes me awhile to think through an idea - I usually start with a character that I love and immediately know their beginning and ending points. It's figuring out the middle and how they get to the end is what takes all the time for me!
What would you like to try as a writer that you haven't yet?
I would love to do a big YA adventure/thriller. That's the type of novel I absolutely love reading!
Who are the authors you most admire?
I'm a huge fan of Laurie Halse Andersen. She has done such a wide variety of projects - I love her historical fiction work in Chains and Forge (and I'm impatiently waiting for the third book in the trilogy). She also has really honest contemporary YA books in Speak and Wintergirls. Her ability to get inside her character's head in Wintergirls was incredible!
Monday, July 22, 2013
ALA Pictures!
OK - so I'm a bit behind on giving the scoop on my ALA trip, but sometimes life gets in the way of blog posts!
Anyway, the trip was fantastic. ALA is always one of my favorite conferences to attend. The energy is great and it is so exciting to walk though the exhibit hall, checking out all the publishers and authors.
My own signing, Forensics, for Nomad Press went really well. There was a steady stream of people interested in the book - and we were out of books in about 1/2 hour!
It was fun to bump into fellow author friends - Shirley Duke and Anastasia Suen - were actually signing in the Rourke Educational booth right next to me.
After I was done with the signing, I turned into Fan Girl, getting ARCs and books signed by authors! One of the highlights for me this year was actually meeting and getting a book signed by one of my favorite authors, Cynthia Voigt, who wrote some of my childhood favorites: Homecoming, Dicey's Song, and A Solitary Blue.
Like a kid in a candy store, I came out of the ALA exhibits with a LOT of new books. Books for myself, my kids, my nephews, and niece. As I read the ARCs and new titles, I'll be blogging here about them - I've already read a few that were fantastic!
One of my favorite things about ALA, however, is sharing it with my daughter and watching her enjoy her own pile of book "candy".
Happy Reading!
Anyway, the trip was fantastic. ALA is always one of my favorite conferences to attend. The energy is great and it is so exciting to walk though the exhibit hall, checking out all the publishers and authors.
My own signing, Forensics, for Nomad Press went really well. There was a steady stream of people interested in the book - and we were out of books in about 1/2 hour!
It was fun to bump into fellow author friends - Shirley Duke and Anastasia Suen - were actually signing in the Rourke Educational booth right next to me.
After I was done with the signing, I turned into Fan Girl, getting ARCs and books signed by authors! One of the highlights for me this year was actually meeting and getting a book signed by one of my favorite authors, Cynthia Voigt, who wrote some of my childhood favorites: Homecoming, Dicey's Song, and A Solitary Blue.
Like a kid in a candy store, I came out of the ALA exhibits with a LOT of new books. Books for myself, my kids, my nephews, and niece. As I read the ARCs and new titles, I'll be blogging here about them - I've already read a few that were fantastic!
One of my favorite things about ALA, however, is sharing it with my daughter and watching her enjoy her own pile of book "candy".
Happy Reading!
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Book Signing at ALA conference
This weekend I'm headed out of town for a book signing - the American Library Association (ALA) annual conference in Chicago. One of my publishers, Nomad Press, invited me to come for a signing of my new title that was just released - Forensics - Uncover the Science and Technology of Crime Scene Investigation.
We had a lot of fun in the Mooney house working on this book. As usual, the kids helped me test the experiments and activities. We tested blood spatter, extracted DNA, and compared bite marks. It's exciting to have the finished book in hand and be able to share it at ALA!
We had a lot of fun in the Mooney house working on this book. As usual, the kids helped me test the experiments and activities. We tested blood spatter, extracted DNA, and compared bite marks. It's exciting to have the finished book in hand and be able to share it at ALA!
Friday, June 21, 2013
What's In a Name?
So I've been brainstorming, asking What If?, and making tons of notes about my MG project. But I still haven't settled on names for my characters yet. I've only named one character so far already: Helen. That's a shoutout to my own late grandma. And although this is not her story, there are a few elements from her life that I'm incorporating. But that, is a tale for another post!
Usually I have character names pretty early on in the process. This time, however, I've been focusing a lot more on the plot and character relationships, and even character traits - and somehow the names just haven't come to me yet.
So all of my notes are littered with "MC" for my main character - MC goes here, MC talks to grandma, etc. So far the cast of characters includes:
MC
Brother
Father
Grandma
Neighbor
Lawyer
Neighbor's Son
and a few other Important People
and the all important Bad Guy (or Gal).
This temporary fix has been working so far. But I have to admit, I'm really getting tired of writing and reading about MC and other Important People. And somehow - I don't feel like I can really get to know and understand MC until she has a name. I know that I want her to have an "old name that is new again" something that is coming back today, but was also popular generations ago.
So that's my assignment for the weekend - names! What's yours? And how do you go about naming your characters? And feel free to leave suggestions for MC!
Usually I have character names pretty early on in the process. This time, however, I've been focusing a lot more on the plot and character relationships, and even character traits - and somehow the names just haven't come to me yet.
So all of my notes are littered with "MC" for my main character - MC goes here, MC talks to grandma, etc. So far the cast of characters includes:
MC
Brother
Father
Grandma
Neighbor
Lawyer
Neighbor's Son
and a few other Important People
and the all important Bad Guy (or Gal).
This temporary fix has been working so far. But I have to admit, I'm really getting tired of writing and reading about MC and other Important People. And somehow - I don't feel like I can really get to know and understand MC until she has a name. I know that I want her to have an "old name that is new again" something that is coming back today, but was also popular generations ago.
So that's my assignment for the weekend - names! What's yours? And how do you go about naming your characters? And feel free to leave suggestions for MC!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
A Pleasant Surprise
Last week, I opened the mailbox and pulled out a large envelope. I opened it to find this:
Two copies of the July 2013 Highlights magazine - with one of my articles inside!
I'd almost completely forgotten about this piece that Highlights had purchased from me a few years ago. I'd interviewed a fantastic young lady about the work she was doing to raise money for local charities that help kids with special needs. She had seen the remarkable work that therapists, teachers, and many others had done with her brother, who has cri du chat syndrome. Children with cri du chat can have problems understanding ideas and may have difficulty learning to talk. They may also have weak muscles that can cause problems walking or using their fingers.
Highlights accepted the article as part of their Gallant Kids feature. Because Highlights' policy is to pay authors on acceptance, the actual publication can be months or even years (in my case) after acceptance.
Which makes finding the finished article FINALLY in my mailbox - a nice surprise indeed!
Two copies of the July 2013 Highlights magazine - with one of my articles inside!
I'd almost completely forgotten about this piece that Highlights had purchased from me a few years ago. I'd interviewed a fantastic young lady about the work she was doing to raise money for local charities that help kids with special needs. She had seen the remarkable work that therapists, teachers, and many others had done with her brother, who has cri du chat syndrome. Children with cri du chat can have problems understanding ideas and may have difficulty learning to talk. They may also have weak muscles that can cause problems walking or using their fingers.
Highlights accepted the article as part of their Gallant Kids feature. Because Highlights' policy is to pay authors on acceptance, the actual publication can be months or even years (in my case) after acceptance.
Which makes finding the finished article FINALLY in my mailbox - a nice surprise indeed!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Asking WHAT IF?
So I'm starting a new MG project, but this time, I'm trying something new. The last two MG manuscripts I worked on - I had a general idea of the beginning, the end, and a pretty good sense of the characters. So I jumped right in and started writing - letting each chapter take me to the next place. I learned the hard way that maybe this "pantser" style of writing might not be the best approach for me. I got stuck in the murky middle each time and struggled to figure out how to bridge the beginning and end of my book. And struggled...
Last year, I auditioned for a ghost writing fiction project. They gave me a detailed chapter by chapter outline, and I wrote the first three chapters. I didn't get the assignment, but I learned a lot in the process. And one thing I learned is that I write MUCH better if I have a plan or roadmap to follow BEFORE I start.
So I decided to create the same roadmap for myself for this project. I'm spending a lot of time brainstorming and freewriting ideas. This week, I've been asking a lot of "WHAT IF" questions. What if my MC does X or Y? What if character A dies? What if MC's grandmother is alive? What if character B isn't in the book at all? Once I ask each of these questions, I'm brainstorming answers and just writing it all down. And I've already found some diamonds in the rough - intriguing ideas that I hadn't originally thought of for my plot, but may make things a whole lot more interesting.
So what do you do for your pre-writing process? Comment below!
Last year, I auditioned for a ghost writing fiction project. They gave me a detailed chapter by chapter outline, and I wrote the first three chapters. I didn't get the assignment, but I learned a lot in the process. And one thing I learned is that I write MUCH better if I have a plan or roadmap to follow BEFORE I start.
So I decided to create the same roadmap for myself for this project. I'm spending a lot of time brainstorming and freewriting ideas. This week, I've been asking a lot of "WHAT IF" questions. What if my MC does X or Y? What if character A dies? What if MC's grandmother is alive? What if character B isn't in the book at all? Once I ask each of these questions, I'm brainstorming answers and just writing it all down. And I've already found some diamonds in the rough - intriguing ideas that I hadn't originally thought of for my plot, but may make things a whole lot more interesting.
So what do you do for your pre-writing process? Comment below!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Summer of Fiction
Welcome to the new blog! I've changed platforms - hoping that this one is easier to update and follow!
Tomorrow is the last day of school for my kids - summer officially begins in our house. This year, I've officially named it the "Summer of Fiction". Along with are usual summer reading, I've decided to dedicate this summer to fiction writing. I've been writing a lot over the past few years. But most of it has been nonfiction. While I love the research and projects, I'm also itching for some time to devote to some fiction ideas that have been popping around my head for awhile. I've got a picture book that is almost ready to sub. I have a draft of an early middle grade that is screaming for an edit. And I'm also ready to outline a new MG project that I've been brainstorming.
So last week, I turned in the last nonfiction assignment. My desk is empty of research books. A have a folder full of critiques to help with revisions on the PB and early MG. And I have a brand-new notebook ready for my new MG.
Let the Summer of Fiction begin!
Tomorrow is the last day of school for my kids - summer officially begins in our house. This year, I've officially named it the "Summer of Fiction". Along with are usual summer reading, I've decided to dedicate this summer to fiction writing. I've been writing a lot over the past few years. But most of it has been nonfiction. While I love the research and projects, I'm also itching for some time to devote to some fiction ideas that have been popping around my head for awhile. I've got a picture book that is almost ready to sub. I have a draft of an early middle grade that is screaming for an edit. And I'm also ready to outline a new MG project that I've been brainstorming.
So last week, I turned in the last nonfiction assignment. My desk is empty of research books. A have a folder full of critiques to help with revisions on the PB and early MG. And I have a brand-new notebook ready for my new MG.
Let the Summer of Fiction begin!
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