Poetry Friday: Playful

So, I'm working on a poetry collection for a hotel in Cancun. Woohoo! In the rough draft is this:

Playful

The moon plays
hopscotch over the waves,
hide and seek
in the fluttering curtains,
and tags my daughter's cheek
with a glimmering kiss.

Lorie Ann Grover, 2009

Hm. I should have posted this at readertotz! Catch the full Poetry Friday roundup at Adventures in Daily Living.

Now back to writing more Cancun poetry after I turn the heat up.

Asian Delights and Burgers

So, I've been with the rgz ladies for two years now. And the ladies, LURVE Asian food of all varieties. And we almost ALWAYS end up at a Chinese restaurant or having Thai food.

Now, I'm up for trying new things, and my appetite is slowly growing in this direction, but sometimes a girl wants a burger. Period.

I had to laugh my head off on the way to my retreat with Dia Calhoun last week. We were so hungry, and so, I randomly picked a little diner in a tiny town. Somehow I missed the sign:


I mean I focused on the sign that said margaritas all day for $2. Only after emerging from the bathroom did I realize we were in a Chinese diner. Hence, Dia's laughter.

Thankfully, they had those little fried wonton filled with crab and cream cheese. *sigh* What's a girl to do? Maybe I was just missing my friend Justina CHEN Headley afterall. :~)

January Writing Retreat

And the retreat. It was wonderful! This was my view each day as I wrote for 10-12 hours. While the fam was back in the fog, Dia Calhoun and I had sun, sun, sun!


For a break, we'd walk down to the inlet, where there was beauty on all sides.

Dia Calhoun

We are looking forward to sharing the Steward's House in the WWII military encampment with our other writing friends soon.

In the meantime, let's see where these words go as they fly from our computers and out the metaphorical window...

Mitali Perkins Visits Seattle

Okay, before I post the retreat photos, it's back to Mitali Perkin's visit and the celebration of the release of Secret Keeper!

So, the ladies turned out to the Bellevue Barnes & Noble store.


Pictured here: Justina Chen Headley, Mitali Perkins, Jackie Parker, me, Holly Cupala, Sarah Woodard, and Dia Calhoun. Special thanks to Brenda Gurung, the beautiful and passionate, for hosting!


We were only missing our beloved rgz diva Melissa Walker!


It was definitely a day of hugs! It's always a blast to get to hang with Jackie, postergirl for rgz, and author of Interactive Reader blog o' awesomeness.


Mitali's reading and backstory for Secret Keeper was inspiring and beautiful. She spoke of sisters, secrets, and sacrifice. The novel truly has the most amazing sacrifice. A heartbreak for certain!


Then we were off to the Bellevue Library for a writing exercise on creating place. Mitali got us all thinking of how descriptions of place can reveal your characters. Thank you, Darcy Brixey for hosting!


By then, we were all sporting bindis. Here's rgz Sarah with her sister, Elizabeth.


We ended the evening over dinner, sharing stories, talking books, and laughing--a lot. We all have a heart for YA lit, and so we are back to work. Until the next launch that is. Thank you for visiting, Mitali!

Poetry Friday: Writing Retreat

Writing Retreat

Memories flicker
in the corners of the house
as the writer taps,

sloughing the echoes
along the white tin ceiling
and down the oak walls,

creaking the whispers
over the black-paned windows
to reflect her face.

Lorie Ann Grover, 2009

Catch the full roundup at Laura Salas' blog.

Mitali's tall!

Mitali Perkins is as gorgeous as I thought! :~) But WAY TALLER! Ha!

I'll do a full post on my return. From where? you ask. I'm off for a writing retreat! Right now. And I can't wait for all the photos to upload. *sigh* So full update on our amazing time together when I get back.

And here's a special wave to Mitali's mom and dad. *waves*

Meeting Mitali Perkins!

Just look at Mitali Perkins' gorgeous eyes! This is how I feel I know Mitali after a year of working together. Beautiful pieces.

But tomorrow, I'm off to spend the whole day with the rgz divas, postergirlz' Jackie Parker, and Mitali Perkins! (We'll miss diva Melissa Walker who is in NYC!)

Together, we'll celebrate Mitali's release of Secret Keeper and our year together. I can't wait! Stay tuned for photos. I'm guessing there's going to be a major height difference. :~) And if you are in the area join the party!



Here are the deets of the remainder of her tour.

SEATTLE AREA
Book Launch Party, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2009, 2 p.m., Bellevue Barnes and Noble, 626 106th Ave. NE, Bellevue, WA. Phone: 425-453-7958.

Teen Writing Workshop, Chai, Naan, and Samosas, Sunday, January 18, 5:00 p.m., Bellevue Regional Library, 1111 110th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004. Phone: 425-450-1765.

BOSTON AREA
Book Launch Party, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009, 2 p.m., Newtonville Books, 296 Walnut St, Newton, MA 02460. Phone: 617-244-6619.

Brava, Mitali!

Poetry Friday: Sea Breeze

This is what pops out when you are working next to your daughter and she's playing The Little Mermaid soundtrack! Ha! I didn't even realize it at the time.

Sea Breeze

The seaside breeze holds
sweetness and decay in its
curls like mermaid's hair.

Lorie Ann Grover, 2009

Catch the roundup at Karen Edmisten's blog!

My Emotional Journey with a Manuscript

I just reached the end of a 224 page manuscript. And...it's time to turn back to page one and begin again. I offer this stock photo as my novel is set in a high desert like this one.

That image and finishing another pass brings to mind my stages of the novel. I wonder if this is normal? I have a crazy emotional journey with each that tends to pattern like this:

1. First draft: "I'm writing an AMAZING work!"
2. Handing over the draft for a critique: "Oh, dear. It's actually stupid."
3. Listening to comments: "Maybe it's not so bad."
4. Multiple rewrites: "I'm pulling this up, and it's really not so bad."
5. Final pass: "Woohoo! This is soooo strong."
6. Sending it to my agent: "This is stupid. What was I thinking?"
7. Hearing her affirmation: "Could it be good after all?"
8. Waiting on an editor: "What was I thinking? No, wait. This is a really good work! She should buy it!"
9. Sale: "See. It is good!"
10. Waiting for reviews: "What was I thinking? It's stupid. Everyone will say so."
11. Reviews: "It is good!"
12. Starting a first draft: "I'm writing an AMAZING work!"

This is really what I go through. Oh, my. I exhaust myself. *sigh* Now back to page one.

Poetry Friday: Thoughtlessness, a haiku

Sorry for the sadness, everyone. These things do happen. *sigh*

Thoughtlessness

A word creaks open
her soul and freezes the hopes
like winter's whisper.

Lorie Ann Grover, 2009

Catch the full roundup at Anastasia's!

Writers are liars.

Over at rgz we are chatting with Jennifer about A Northern Light. I just posted a thread to get discussion going on this quote:

"I have read so many books, and not one of them tells the truth about babies. Dickens doesn't. Oliver's mother just dies in childbirth and that's that. Bronte doesn't. Catherine Earnshaw just has her daughter and that's that. There's no blood, no sweat, no pain, no fear, no heat, no stink.

Writers are damned liars. Every single one of them."

I love this so much! And then the following passage about Minnie giving birth is incredibly real.

Certainly in 1906 writers were restrained, especially in their portrayal of women. Thankfully, we are not so inhibited today. Although there still are a few harnesses left for writing YA, and certainly many more are in place for middle grade novels.

Despite those, I have a driving aim to tell the raw truth. Truly, that was my goal for Loose Threads.



But even when we bust through barriers with publishers, we can still be held back. I was asked at a school visit for Loose Threads not to mention the word "breast" when discussing breast cancer with the fifth graders. I'm-not-kidding.

May we female writers push to tell our stories. Without one lie. To everyone who will listen.

Vision Boarding Step-by-step

So, you get a great group of people together...

Eric, Emily, and Ellen

Dia Calhoun

and make a huge mess by cutting up piles of magazines.

Justina Chen Headley

On a piece of poster board or cardboard or canvas, glue down those pieces that appeal to you in some way. Don't worry about the composition, but go with what feels right and natural.

You'll be surprised when you end up with an awesome vision board that reflects who you are right now:


or your hopes for the new year.

Try it out! Visualize through words and images and surprise yourself.

Poetry Friday: Trust, a haiku

This past week my dear friend Justina Chen Headley sat down and read my new board book Hug Hug! It is so encouraging to have words valued. This haiku springs from her care and time.

Trust

A friend holds your words
cherishing the thoughts and sounds.
Seedlings of hope sprout.

Lorie Ann Grover, 2009

Catch the full roundup at A Year of Reading!