Write Now! An occasional day in the life of children's author Erin Dealey

What Did You Do This Summer?

Back to school always seemed to include a prompt from my English teacher about "What I Did During Summer Vacation."  True confession: I have been known to give my own high school students the same assignment.

So here's a photo essay of my summer fun, starting with Zip-lining in Mexico, a huge lesson in letting go. This is something I can use when I send manuscripts off to publishers (or kids off to college!). I'm learning to turn those moments when the world has you dangling in mid-air into What-the-Heck moments and enjoy the ride!

Which brings me to whitewater rafting on the American River in June.  (I'm  the second blue hat on the right near our trusty river guide.)  Another writing lesson: Keep paddling through the rapids and the slows--to get where you want to be. And what a rush when you finish that chapter or scene, or make it through Troublemaker!

Speaking of trouble...4th of July found me INSIDE AN ELEPHANT pushing water balloon "poop" out of the rear end in the annual Mammoth (no pun intended) 4th of July parade.  Get this: the mammoth (ie elephant) was so mammoth (ie large) we had to lower the top part to get under the telephone lines as we paraded through Mammoth (ie Mammoth Lakes, CA). Is there a metaphor for writing in this scenario too? Tossing the "poop" was liberating--like trimming the excess "poop" from my manuscript. But enough about that... 

On to two wonderful weeks at Sugarloaf Fine Arts Camp where I head the Theater Dept. each summer. Second session we had fun with Shakespeare (no that's not an oxymoron) and first session with physical movement and clown noses. (Don't judge a person until you walk a mile in his shoes--or his nose!)  AND I took a flying leap on the Slip & Slide for the first time EVER! Talk about TRUST. Makes me think about the times I took a flying leap and sent manuscripts out.  And what a thrill to conquer those fears of rejection--or possible bruised bones on the slip & slide : )  I am happy to say I sailed through both.

Next flying leap: dropping our college freshman off at the dorms this August. Wish me luck!

Bo Peep and Goldie in ALASKA

Alaska Gateway Schools rock! I had such a wonderful time at their Young Author Conference!

Did I mention that the school district is twice the size of New Hampshire? Our eager young authors, grades 3-8, came from all over: Dot Lake, Tok, Tanacross, Katie John School in Mentasta Lake, Walter Northway School, and Tetlin. By the end of the conference, all had written sloppy copies (yay!) and final drafts of their own books of original poems. Hopefully I will be able to share some of the poems in my next blog. But let's back up a bit...

Wednesday: The flight from CA to Fairbanks included two stops, and a seat mate on pain meds (too many...) who would have passed out in the middle of the SeaTac airport if I hadn't flagged down an attendant and propped her up in one of those mini-trams to get her to her connecting flight. (Nice woman. NEVER mix alcohol with pain meds...). The highlight: an amazing sunset at 10:20 pm (11:20 pm, CA time, on my Elmo watch.) off the left wing of the plane. Ink black sky off to the right at the same time!

When I landed in Fairbanks snow flurries had just begun, which was perfect because when I think of  Alaska, I think SNOW. I was expecting COLD too but 28 degrees in Alaska felt warmer than 40 degrees in California. Seriously. And I NEVER expected to ask people to turn the heat down! (Maybe they'd cranked it up for the CA woman...)

Thursday Morning 6:45am: Met Rich, my fabulous "chauffeur," (who subs as a bus driver, school cook, tour guide, and from what I can tell, mentor/parent) in the lobby the next morning. Made sure I knew his last name ahead of time so I wouldn't have to go up to strange men and ask, "Are you Rich?" !!!! For the visual, he showed up in a regular cotton t-shirt and jeans--no jacket, mittens, hat, gloves--nada. Impressive.

On our three hour ride to Tok, we passed through North Pole--smart folks built a post office there--and I had Santa send my nephew a post card to make sure he was eating his dinner and being a good big brother.    

Saw miles of Pipeline sending oil (146 degrees!)  to the "lower 48."

And voila! The sun came out as we headed up the Alcan Highway to Tok. 

Check out these mountains! Isn't it amazing where books will take you? Ifelt so blessed!

Thursday afternoon I did an assembly in Tok for the K-2 kids and then we headed to Dot Lake to meet the young authors! (Side note: The kids go out to play at recess even when the temp is below zero here. Teachers make sure they all have hats, mittens, jackets, etc. before they head outside! In winter, when they're down to a few hours of sunlight, those hours are during the school day, so they don't have to play in the dark.) 

Kicked off the Young Author Conference with a keynote, a little elbow tag, and some ice breakers before heading back to my hotel in Tok for the night. [My other option, sleeping on the gym floor with the kids--been there, done that. : )  ] Rode back with a couple of our authors and "Pink" and I had a contest to see who had more items of their favorite color.(Mine:green. Pink's: guess.)

I was hoping to get a glimpse of Aurora Borealis but the sky was overcast both nights. (Bought this post card instead. Doesn't look real, does it?) Guess I'll have to come back to see it another time!

Friday: Didn't see a moose either (I'd heard tales of dodging moose on the highway.) but we did come across crazy caribou on our way back to Dot Lake for the conference. (Actually, the caribou came across us.) These gangly dudes look like someone put together random body parts from moose, deer, and possibly the brain of a squirrel...(Check out the middle one who couldn't make up his mind which way to go after two of his buddies went one way and one went the other.)

The halls of Dot Lake School were decorated with posters by Tanacross teacher Bonnie and her talented students-- clever takes on nursery rhyme characters--in honor of Goldie and Bo Peep! Aren't these fun? (Click on thumbnail to get a larger view.)

The Alaska Gateway Young Author Conference was a fabulous way to encourage young writers. (And there were some good ones!) Four other teachers and I taught poetry workshops and the kids rotated through each. We wrote poker poems  and 1st line/last line poems in mine. At the end of the conference, each writer went home with a conference t-shirt, photo button of their group, medal, certificate, their original book of poems, and big smiles! An added plus--they made new friends from the other schools!

Congrats to the teachers and all who organized this successful event. You are making such a difference in the lives of your students!   It was an experience they'll never forget--and I won't either! Even if the only moose I saw was on this postcard  : )

Friday after the conference, my "chauffeur" and his wife drove me back to Fairbanks, retracing our route through North Pole, and past rivers beginning to thaw from the long winter.

An Alaskan tourist web site call Tok, "The coldest inhabited town in Alaska, with the warmest friendliest people."  They got the second part right anyway.

I had a 1:30 AM red-eye to catch Saturday morning so I passed the time Friday night at the Fairbanks airport working on my middle grades manuscript. Met a guy from Oahu, and another who was flying to Okinawa, slept 3 hours (I think) on the plane (1:30-4:30 am) then stretched out for two more in the Sea-Tac airport (6:30-8:30 am) before my flight home. would you believe I came home to 90 degree weather?  Crazy! There's no place like home. And you know what? There's no place like Alaska!   

Goldie's Going to Alaska! No joke!

It's April (see below for excuses why I haven't written!) and next week Goldie, Bo Peep, and I are going to Alaska! (No this is not a belated April fool's joke!) Alaska Gateway School District--3 hours from Fairbanks-- has invited me to be their visiting author for their Young Writers and Illustrators Conference, and help the students write their own books. How cool is that?  [Note: according to the web, actual temps will range from a high of 40 degrees and a low of 7 below. DEFINITELY COOL! ]  I promise to bring my camera (well--actually, it's my daughter's camera...)--and BIG DRUM ROLL--share my adventure with all when I get back--(Not in two months--Can I do this?? check back in and see!)

Erin's Top 4 excuses for not writing in this blog since February: 

I. SCBWI New York was awesome! The best part  was running into Atheneum 's Emma Dryden and spending time with my editor, Caitlyn Dlouhy, who is so insightful, and positive, and fun to work with, I consider myself one very lucky writer! Sat in on Caitlyn's break-out session where she said VOICE and personality are what attracts her to a manuscript. Look at this woman's desk! (photo right) Do you still wonder why it takes editors so long to respond to your manuscript? : )  

2. Asilomar SCBWI Golden Gate Conference: Despite a bit of rain, my author pals Anne Martin Bowler and Elaine Russell and I were able to squeeze in some walks on the beach and I got to hang out with the amazing Patricia Polacco. If you have never heard Patricia speak, you are missing something fabulous. She mesmerized the room full of writers and illustrators with her stories and her words of wisdom, "We don't fear failure! (This happens to us every day.) We fear success!" Isn't that the truth?  I also had the pleasure of meeting editor Randi Rivers (Charlesbridge) who gave me some excellent comments on one of my manuscripts--(see excuse #3), and hear Liz Szabla (Feiwel and Friends) talk about--guess what??--VOICE  (Is there a recurring theme here??)

3. This much I've learned: A writer needs to write more than blogs and e-mails. I'm working on three new manuscripts and revising another per Randi River's request, so I need to end this blog soon!

4. Author Visits! Love, love, love them! Thank you to Kira and Isabelle who wrote to me recently. I'm thrilled you think I'm funny! Yay! Thank you to the Sacramento Area Library Association for inviting me to be part of your Author's Symposium last weekend, and to the ARRC committee and my workshop participants at the Asilomar Regional Reading Council Conference March 1-2, who dove in and tried all of my crazy theater games! Hi to Korematsu Elementary (Davis CA), Stonegate Elementary (San Jose CA),Visions in Education (Woodland CA), Sargeant Elementary (Roseville CA), Glenwood School (Sacramento CA), Jackson Elementary (El Dorado Hills CA) and all five schools in the Buckeye Union School District!

Time to PBIC and get back to writing!  How about you?   

Happy I Love to READ month

February already??? Well, it's certainly been a while since my last entry...What have I been doing you ask?

Celebrating SLJ's selection of Little Bo Peep Can't Get to Sleep as a REMARKABLE READ (SEPT. 07). Yay !!!!

SCHOOL VISITS! (Which I love, Love, LOVE!) Many, many thanks to the students and staff at Paradise Valley Elementary (Morgan Hill CA), Spinelli Elementary (Antelope CA),and the schools in Buckeye Union School District (Cameron Park CA): Buckeye Elementary, Blue Oak Elementary , Silva Valley Elementary, William Brooks Elementary for their warm welcomes and enthusiastic responses to my assemblies. : )

And let's not forget BOOK STORE VISITS, including my upcoming visit to Barnes & Noble at Sunrise in Sacramento on February 12th, 2008! I'll be there at 10:30am for Storytime and I have a fun little Valentine craft based on Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox, who's just ITCHIN' TO BE YOUR VALENTINE!

In between all of this, and of course the holidays (LOVELY time--glad they're over!), I've been writing, trying not to bug my agent too much : ) (This agent stuff is fairly new to me and I've always been a bit of an over-achiever...), giving a few keynotes including a fun evening with the Placer Area Reading Council, putting together a power point retrospective to celebrate the 25th anniversary of our SCBWI Golden Gate Conference at Asilomar (which is coming up at the end of the month!), writing some more, trying to stay healthy (I think I'm immune to Airborne at this point...) and rooting for my awesome teenage daughter and her Girls' Varsity basketball team! Go G!

And this weekend, I get to go to the NYC SCBWI conference and hang out with my Valentine in NYC!!!! Can't wait! I promise to take copious notes, and not to take three more months to enter them in my blog. Check back next week to see if I'm true to my word or just in denial...

Fall into books!

Fall weather makes me want to curl up with a good book! And judging from the armloads of books kids at Barnes & Noble (Roseville CA) were toting this past weekend, I'm not the only one. Little Bo Peep and Goldie Locks and I saw some old friends--like my writing pal Ann Martin Bowler (far left) whose new book, Adventures of the Treasure Fleet (Tuttle) is just out [Congrats Annie!] , and family friends Leah (far right) and her mom who helped some of the smaller booklovers make their sheep puppets(Thank you!), not to mention kids and teachers who remembered me from school visits at Rocklin Academy, Quail Glen, Cobblestone, and Charles Brown Elementary--plus we made lots of new friends too! (Like Noel--who brought her proud grandpa--on my right, and Cody--who knew all of the nursery rhyme references!-- on my lap.) How does that song go? 

Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other's gold. That's what books are like. Know what I mean?  Those golden friends that kids want to read over and over again. And the new friends that open your world to magical new adventures.

A big thanks to Barnes and Noble event coordinator Christina Richter (below left with her froggy friend who's holding Shirley Parentau's picture book One Frog Sang) and the Queen of the children's section *Deanna* and your staff for such a warm welcome.

And here's a silly photo of me reading Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox. (You can't say I don't get into my stories!) : )

Hope you fall into a good book soon!

Bo Peep and Goldie at Barnes and Noble Roseville!

This Saturday, September 29th, at 11 am, I'll be the featured Storytime Author at Barnes & Noble in Roseville CA, for their Local Authors Appreciation Day!

Come and join the fun with Goldie & Little Bo Peep.

We'll meet all their friends, sings some songs, and little ones will get to make a sheep puppet to take home (so they'll never lose their sheep like Bo Peep...).

But that's not all! Beginning at 12 noon, my writing pal,

Anne Martin Bowler, (Adventures of the Treasure Fleet, Gecko's Complaint) will follow with a fun bead craft--making geckos!

This wonderful childrens' event continues until 3pm with local authors Shirley Parenteau (One Frog Sang)  * I hear the frog himself is coming!,

Lee Roddy (Cinnabar) , Ken Ramirez (Gift of the Ancient Grove, and Naida's Quest Trilogy), and Leslie Cummings (Born to Ride). Local adult authors will be featured after that. Hope to see you there!

Meanwhile, my agent is back from NYC and I have my publishing fingers crossed. Guess it's time to PBIC and write!

All-things-Harry and Summer Sheep Flock to Kepler's

August already? Whoosh! That's what happens when you spend your summer at CAMP! That's me, "Drama Mama," with some of my amazing staff (left photo), and (right) getting an ice cream sundae on my head last summer. (Haven't downloaded this year's photos yet!) This summer we told all our theater students at Sugarloaf Fine Arts Camp NOT TO TELL US what happens to Harry. And--dare I admit this Muggle scandal?--I still haven't had time to stop by my favorite indie to buy the book. (GASP! I can hear your curses now: RIDICULOSO !!!!)

As an author, I can't even begin to imagine how Ms. Rowling must feel to have her books and characters take on such active lives of their own. Did I say Lives? Heck--more like complete universe! It's mind boggling. No one has asked to make a theme park of Little Bo Peep Can't Get To Sleep yet--not that I aspire to that kind of fan base...(And this is not reverse-jealousy-psychology talking. The woman deserves a theme park. Totally.). Nor have my teenage daughter and her friends made their own Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox t-shirts to wear at the midnight showing of the latest Goldie Locks film... I'm o.k. with that. 

Days before Harry-Time (Hey, if it's a universe, it no doubt has its own time zone) I was at Kepler's in Menlo Park CA for a great Storytime (Thank you Angela and Kepler's staff for holding off Hogwartsing the store until after everyone had made their sheep craft and left with signed Bo Peeps and Goldies. YOU ROCK! ), and I realized Storytime is my universe. Seriously. I count my blessings for every opportunity to enjoy a fleeting rock-star status with 7-year-olds but still lead a normal life doing school visits without the Daily Mirror following my bad-hair days (of which I assure you I have plenty) and wondering if I'll ever have another best-seller. (Come on, guys--leave the woman alone! So what if she never writes a grocery list again after all-things-Harry. That's like asking the Queen if she'll ever build another castle.)

As for me, it's time to do something about the piles of camp laundry extending out of the laundry room and down the hall.  (Perhaps there's a spell to get it all done at once?) And then it's back to PBIC and to the book store for Harry.

Sunday Storytime July 8th at Kepler's and Finding Writing Time This Summer!

Happy Summer! Please mark your calendars and join the fun at Kepler's Book Store (see keplers.com) in Menlo Park, CA on Sunday July 8th at 11:30 for Storytime. I would LOVE to share my books with a storeful of young book lovers (and big ones). Check out the cool Kepler's flyer at Download 8_SundayStorytime_ErinDealey.pdf and come on down!

This photo is of yours truly giving the keynote at the Reading Rainbow Young Writers' and Illustrators' Awards Night at Fairytale Town. (Goldie and Bo Peep's home away from home.) What fun it is to listen to young authors read their own stories aloud! Many are budding artists too. Way to go you guys, and thanks PBS. I'm thrilled to be a part of this fabulous program that encourages kids to read and WRITE.

Speaking of which, my goal this summer is to squeeze in some writing time. I know--sounds simple. But the minute school gets out and our summer schedules kick in around here, writing time seems to fly out the window. (Well, not counting writing stuff for my theater students at Sugarloaf Fine Arts Camp, but that's another story. Or PLAY actually...) So this morning I thought about those essays teachers love to assign at the beginning of the school year (I admit I'm guilty of this one myself.): WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION.  Which lead to the following proclamation. Let it be known that three months from now I want to be able to say:

• I finished (We're talking stick-a-fork-in-it DONE. Finished. Send it in already!) my tweener/mg.
• Those PBs found good homes, thanks to my wonderful agent.
• My critique pals have read my early chapter book ms. and I've revised and polished.
• I found time between summer camp (Yes, I still get to go to summer camp!), the invasion of giant zucchini and (ugh) tomato worms, reunions, vacations, visitors, and a revolving door of teenagers to WRITE.    

Which means I'd better PBIC...now!

Goldie Locks, Connie Goldsmith, and Germs

What do germs have to do with writing? I meet with three of my writing pals, Connie Goldsmith, Patricia Newman (www.patriciamnewman.com) , and Linda Joy Singleton (www.ljsingleton.com ), every other week and we are all so proud of the great press Connie's latest non-fiction books have been getting that I have to share. Check this out:

The National Science Teachers (NSTA) Children's Book Council chose Connie's book, Influenza, the Next Pandemic? (Lerner 2007) as an Outstanding Trade Book. "A seamless blend of history and science!" Believe, me , it's true! I am not a scientist (I blew up the lab in my high school Chemistry class...), and fear of needles kept me from pursuing any medical profession so I need stuff like influenza and pandemics explained to me in user-friendly terms, with an entertaining voice to keep my eyes from slamming shut, and Connie does just that.

NSTA Children's Book Council: "The author...describe(s) the impact of the flu on generations before us, the impact of another possible pandemic, and how to prevent and care for patients with the flu. Vignettes interspersed throughout the book make this important book real for readers."

Next out will be another book that has gotten our group to wash hands more frequently, SUPERBUGS STRIKE BACK, When Antibiotics Fail  (Lerner 2007). These titles followed INVISIBLE INVADERS, Dangerous Infectious Diseases (Lerner 2006) which the School Library Journal called: "...clear, clever headed and brisk, intelligent writing that never patronizes." Way to go, Connie! For more info on all three titles, go to www.lernerbooks.com .

And speaking of germs, my lesson plans for Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox prompted an e-mail from a wonderful Kindergarten Mom who helps in her daughter's classroom. Missy shared this cool Germ experiment she used after she read the Kinders my book:

I cut potatoes into slices. I gave each table several slices. In one group they touched them all over and we put them in a baggie. Another group washed their hands first and then handled them before placing them in a baggie. The third group touched them all over but then spread hand santizer all over their potato slices before putting them in a baggie. The last table didn't touch their potatoes at all. They used a set of tongs to put the slices in a baggie. I labeled each baggie with how the potatoes were treated. We decided to wait one week and check on the potato slices and see how they look. We made predictions ahead of time and will compare those with how the potatoes really did. FUN!!!

Suddenly I feel like washing my hands...and then it's time to PBIC... and Write!

Bo Peep at Stanford

I met up with author pals Lynn Hazen (center) and  Kim Zarins (with the bunny ears) at the Provost's Egg Hunt last Saturday at Stanford.  Big thanks to another author pal, Nancy Etchemendy (R) and her husband John, who hosted the event for all the darling little bunnies of the Grad students.

Nancy's middle grade novel, The Power of Un , (Cricket Books 2000) is one of my all time favorite reads. Who wouldn't want an "Unner" that could undo any event in your life?

The lawn of the The Buck-Meyer house was covered with eggs and the kids had a blast.

Here are some photos of my new friends "in their Easter bonnets," making sheep, and listening to stories.

Click on the image for a larger view.

                                                                                         I hope everyone had time to hang out with their own special bunnies last weekend.

And now...it's time to PBIC and WRITE!