September 2010 Archives

Okay, so much for trying to get a jump on my other book ideas. The last couple of days I was busy with school visits at St. Pius X and St. Dominic, but I wasn't so busy that I couldn't work on my book ideas. I guess I'm just being lazy. I'm not proud of the fact, but I'll admit that sometimes I just don't feel like writing, and this week was one of those weeks. Knowing that I have to gear myself up for the notes on Barnabas Bigfoot took the wind out of my sails for starting something new, mainly because I was sure that once I started, I'd have to put everything on hold.

The good news is that my editor sent me a note saying she had read the three novels, so I'm sure her notes will be coming shortly. I might as well enjoy my down time, because I don't think it will last long.

Nothing left to do but sit by the computer and cry. I just finished my polish of Code Breakers Club and sent it to my agent. We're going to try pitch to Harper Collins first. I have someone on the inside bending the ear of the children's editor, and hopefully my manuscript will be read sooner rather than later. I have no control over whether the manuscript will be rejected or accepted, but I'd rather put myself out there than sit and wonder if I could have made it. An author has to have the courage to put him/herself out there even if they know they'll receive more slaps in the face than pats on the back.

The best thing to do while waiting for the slap or pat is to get working on the next project, and that's what I intend to do. I'm waiting for notes on the Barnabas Bigfoot Series from my editor, and while I'm waiting for those notes to show up, I'll do some research work for a novel about young Houdini and jot some notes for a y/a novel about dreams. The waiting game begins!

Just sent a note to my agent about the completion of The Code Breakers Club. So now it's a matter of finding an interested publisher. Of course, as soon as I sent the agent the note, I wanted to go over the last ten pages of the novel. I tell students all the time that writing isn't the first draft; writing is in the revisions. This is true with this manuscript. I think the climax is working well, but the denouement (resolution) is too quick. I haven't tied up all the loose ends, and I think a reader might not be totally satisfied with how the novel wraps up.

I'll target the last few pages tonight and then send the file to my agent for feedback. I often wonder if other writers go through this weird panic about when is the manuscript ready to go out the door. I guess the right answer is that it's never ready.

I thought I was giddy last week when I finished the first draft of Code Breakers Club. Well, I'm totally over the moon today. My copies of The Mystery of the Cyber Bully have arrived. Yay! I'm admiring the cover and flipping through the pages. It's geeky I know, but I love it when I see my first batch of books. It's like the first time I brought home my iPhone or my first computer. So shiny and new!

Dead Man's Gold and Other Stories by Paul Yee (aimed at grades 6 and up).

This collection of short stories draws inspiration from ghost stories told by Chinese immigrants to Canada and the U.S. The mix of supernatural and multicultural themes is a great way to bring historical events to life for young readers. I'm a fan of scary stories and a fan of this title.

Here's a blurb from Amazon.ca.

In this spine-tingling companion volume to his earlier collection, Tales from Gold Mountain, Paul Yee movingly explores 140 years of the history of Chinese immigrants to Canada through the kinds of stories he imagines were told in bachelor halls or shared with children and grandchildren at family banquets. Yee infuses these tales with a subtle sense of the supernatural that's sure to intrigue young readers, while creating a moving snapshot of the lives and times of these early immigrants--men who left their families in China hoping to bring them to the sweeter life of Gold Mountain, only to come up against racism, discrimination, and unfair immigration laws. In the face of such disappointments, these men built Canada's railways and worked grueling hours in fish plants, laundries, and coal mines. Yee tells stories about the curse of a friend, a brother betrayed by greed, the revenge exacted by a heartbroken woman betrayed by her callous fiancé, and the ghost of a dead father who realizes that there's more to life than hard work. He neatly uses the frame of traditional storytelling to create original tales that evoke both the historical and cultural moment and keep readers on the edge of their seats. Harvey Chan's woodcuts add a wonderfully spooky touch to this fascinating collection by a master storyteller.

Friday, September 17, 2010, 1:41 pm MST. I have just given birth to my official first draft of The Code Breakers Club novel. Now I can actually show this to someone for feedback. I'll sit on the draft over the weekend and then ask my wife to read it on Monday. I'll make any changes through the week and then get the manuscript ready to shop around. Yay! I'm tired and ready to pass out, but I'm thrilled to have finished.

Yay! I have about 15 pages left to revise on the manuscript. It's the climax to the novel, so I have to be careful not to get too wrapped up with getting to the finish line. I tend to rush myself when I see the end is near. Tomorrow, I'm going to take my time to milk all the action, drama and tension I can out of the climax.

Sad news to report. There was a delay at the printers, so The Mystery of the Cyber Bully won't be out this week as I had hoped. More likely, the book will be in the stores October 1. I'll post any updates as they come in.

I'm recommending Christopher Paul Curtis' The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963. This book is funny and touching. Great peek at an earlier period through the eyes of a kid. I loved this book. I wish I could write half as well as Christopher Paul Curtis.

When did the word "nerd" first appear in print?

Hint: What happens when a silly doctor takes over a menagerie of animals?

First person to guess wins an autographed copy of True Story.

I've been riding my bike through Edmonton's river valley all summer, and I've come to the conclusion that there are similarities between writing/revising a manuscript and riding a bike up and down hills.

When I see the big hill by the Folk Festival site, I'm totally intimidated because I can't even see the top of it, but I'm plucky and willing to give it a go. About a third of the way up, I'm gasping for air and wanting to jump off the bike. Halfway up, the hill levels off for a bit and I feel like I can manage it. Then it's more panting and grunting as I tackle the rest of the hill. Once I'm at the top, I think the hill wasn't so bad, and I continue along the trail until I hit the next major hill and the process begins again.

Right now, I'm about a third of the way up the "manuscript hill." Pant, pant, grunt, grunt...

My back has been hurting for several weeks now and I think it has a lot to do with how I've been sitting at my computer. I have the posture of a lazy teenage boy watching TV. In an effort to stop myself from turning into a question mark, I've set up a kneeling chair. It's kind of weird to be sitting at it right now, but I do feel good.

Anyone use a kneeling chair? Any suggestions for how long to use it before taking a break? Any pitfalls I should avoid? I want to use it as a go-kart, but I think that would be unwise on the carpet.

Anyway,I'll see how this thing works. Today, I put the chair to the test as I try to revise 10 pages of Code Breakers Club. Wish me luck.

I received a Facebook message from the editor who has been assigned to work with me on the Barnabas Bigfoot Series. I'm thrilled to announce that it is Diane Tucker. She was my editor on The Mystery of the Graffiti Ghoul and The Mystery of the Mad Science Teacher. She's great at finding kid moments in books, and she can kick my butt when I'm off base with the story or characters.

We'll be working on all three books over six months (2 months per book). I'm looking at my speaking schedule and watching my personal time shrink. It'll be a lot of work, but I'm going to enjoy it. Yay!

Two days and I'm still polishing the prologue. It's only three pages long and I'm fussing over it like an overprotective parent coddling his sick kid. Time to let it go and work on other sections of the novel. I can always come back and futz later. Hmm, maybe just one more tweak to the second paragraph...