I forgot to mention that I did an interview with The Enchanted Inkpot (not an actual enchanted inkpot) which was posted on their blog Tuesday.  You can still read it by clicking here, if you’re interested.  It’s largely about conflict in story and how I applied my theories on conflict rich narrative in GDC. 

And a final reminder that the Fire Petal Books auction will only be accepting bids on most items and services until tomorrow.  If you haven’t yet looked at what’s available, go here.

Lastly, I just added a paper I wrote a few years ago about archetypal literary theory to the essay section of the site. (That section is available to members only, so you’ll need to join for free to see it.) This is more academic than the other essays I’ve posted so far, with citation of sources used included. Anyone interested in a more theoretical treatment of my storytelling philosophy may be interested. As always, comments are welcome, and complaints are accepted.

Just updated my calendar, so all these events that I’m taking part in are included there if you’re interested and want a reminder.

First off, tonight I’ll be talking to Rick Walton’s BYU class on children’s publishing again. The class is about breaking into the business, and having one book out for roughly nine months I’m sure qualifies me. I really enjoyed the last time I visited the class, and expect to do so again tonight.

Next up, I’ll be taking part in a pair of events next week. The first will be a visit to East Sandy Elementary school on Thursday, March 4th. I’ll do an assembly for 3rd-6th grades at 1:30 p.m. Should be fun, as always.

The next day, Friday, March 5th, I’ll be presenting at UELMA’s Spring Conference (the Utah Educational Library Media Association), which is being held at Mountain View High School (665 West Center Street, Orem, UT). I’m slated to present at noon (as is James Dashner, who somehow always seems to follow me around. I will need to think of a particularly biting joke about him to use in my presentation to teach him a lesson). The presentation is called Goosebumps, Great Expectations? Tomato, Tomaeto, Potato, Potaeto…: Why the only poor story is a story not read. I’ve put together what should be a really fun workshop on archetypes in narrative, why they exist, and how they undergird the importance of libraries as a place where children can develop narrative literacy without the impositions on reading that come from other areas of their lives. We’ll talk about archetypal theory and see it in action in a wide variety of texts, learn who fills the Darth Vader role in Pride and Prejudice, and stuff like that. Any school librarians considering me for a visit to their school are encouraged to attend the breakout session. It will give you a good idea of what I have to offer as a teacher and presenter.

Finally, a pair of events on May 15th. In the morning I’ll be conducting a two-hour workshop on characterization and triple-duty writing (come to the workshop to see what that is) for the League of Utah Writers’ Spring Workshop. I’ll be holding the workshop from 9 – 11:00 in the morning. The event is free for League members, though I promise the experience will be worthwhile even if you have to pay. (Joining the League for $24 a year is cheaper, and well worth it for any local writer.) I’ll give more information about venue and other contributors when I learn more.

After the workshop, I’m driving to Provo to take part in the Provo Library’s Annual Provo Children’s Book Festival. I believe that I will be reading from Green Dragon Codex in the afternoon, but I’m not sure when. Of course, I’ll let you know as soon as I do. This is a great—and FREE—event, so anyone interested in children’s literature really should be there. The list of participants is just fantastic. When you start with names like Brandon Mull and Shannon Hale and don’t go down much at all from there, you know it’s going to be a quality experience. Also, those who know me are aware that I don’t do many readings, especially of my work for children. (Though I’m not too shabby at it, if you’re worried about that.) If you want to hear me read from GDC, this may be your only chance in the near future.

Finally, I try to announce other writing events in my local area when I hear about them (and when I remember to pass along the message). I’m not participating in this one this year, but the 2010 Teen Writers Conference is being held on Saturday, June 5th, at Weber State University. This is a really cool conference focused on encouraging teenage writers between the ages of 13 to 19. Josi Kilpack is kind of the driving force behind this conference, and she and other organizers have lined up a fantastic list of presenters and instructors, many of whom are good friends I respect a lot. If you’re a teen who writes or is interested in writing, or if you know such a person, please let them know about this event. It’s really a great opportunity for professional level instruction very early in a person’s development as a writer.

Thanks to all the teachers and students who took part in last Thursday’s assembly at Bell View Elementary in Sandy.  Thanks, in particular, to Principal Webb and to Ms. Chilcutt, who, I believe, has the impressive title of Literacy Specialist.  As for the event itself, it went about as well as I could imagine for a first time presentation.  

Grades 4 through 6 attended, and they were excited and eager from the moment they entered the auditorium.  (This enthusiasm was helped along by the really cool images of dragons I had cycling on the projector.  I know they were very cool because each class that entered the room did so with choruses of “Oh, Wow!” which is always good.)  The students were well-behaved and participated eagerly.  Together we learned about the secret pieces of a story, told a great tale about a hero and best friend searching for Captain Kidd’s lost treasure while being chased by Evil Tyler (who used a giant eggbeater to create a whirlpool and, when that didn’t work, sicked his trained attack swordfish on our heroes), and made a lot of noise in general.  Then I talked a little bit about GDC, answered a few questions, and signed books for kids who had bought copies.  A few others asked if Barnes and Noble carried them for Christmas.  I assured them that my book would be the single greatest Christmas present that any kid ever received in the history of the world.  I think they were too smart for that, but some still said they’d ask for it on their Christmas lists.

It was a good learning experience for me, and I’m looking forward to more school visits in the future.  I’m confident it was an entertaining and useful experience for the students and teachers as well.  What I covered should give the teachers a platform from which to address reading, writing, narrative, and media overall, and I hope the students now have a new appreciation for how capable they are at storytelling, and know that is important. 

If none of that happened, well, at least they’ll always have me as Superwoman.  (Just a photoshopped image.  I thought that showing up at the school in a red miniskirt and cape, while interesting, might send the wrong message.  I’m not certain just what message that might have been, but I suspect it would have been wrong on a multitude of levels.)

Just finalized today: I’ll be conducting a full two-hour version of my most popular workshop, Conflict and the Mechanism of Story, next Monday at 7:00 pm in the Layton Barnes and Noble (1780 North Woodland Park Drive, Layton, UT).  The event is being held by the Wasatch Writers chapter of the League of Utah Writers and is free to all who would like to attend. 

Anyone interested in storytelling (even if you aren’t a writer) who hasn’t attended this workshop really should consider it.  It’s quite different from most other workshops on writing or story that you’ll ever attend in that it tackles how components and facets of narrative work together in a systematic way for effect.  If the system isn’t right, the story isn’t right, and too often we talk about and teach writing by addressing facets or elements in isolation.  Every single time I’ve given this workshop at least one person has come up to me afterward to say that I either helped them solve a problem in the story they’re working on or helped them improve the story by taking it someplace they never would have reached alone.

I’m firmly convinced that anyone, regardless of natural talent, can write great stories; I’m just as convinced that the way to do so can be taught.  For those who are interested in learning—for free—drop in next Monday.  If anyone wants, I’ll also sign copies of GDC if you bring them or buy them that night.

When GDC came out a few months ago, I thought I’d get some copies in the SLCC bookstore.  It isn’t often–or ever, to my knowledge–that employees of the college have had nationally published novels to their name.  I assumed the bookstore would be ebullient to sell a homegrown masterpiece.  Instead, I found them… what’s a mix between indifferent and disdainful?  Well, whatever the word, it described them fairly well.  Eventually, they gave me the standard arrangement for self-published authors: twenty books bought on consignment for sixty days.  Basically, they were covering themselves in anticipation of selling no copies, and after sixty days of indulging me would tell me to take my wares elsewhere.

After two months, they were out of copies.  That changed things. 

So, I just got back from the bookstore, which bought ten more copies—this time not on consignment.  Apparently, they are no longer worried about being able to sell copies.  Can you tell this post has been written in a little bit of smug mode?

I just can’t help it.  I found out today that people have been stealing my book from the bookstore!  While this may not exactly be ethical, I find that really cool.  Now, it’s cool whenever people read my book; it still stuns me a bit that this is so.  It’s even better when people think enough of the book to buy it.  Best of all is when people tell me, in that special shallow-breathed enthusiasm, that they loved the book.  But there’s something special about knowing that people out there consider my book important enough to break the law to attain.  There’s something very charming about the thought of dashing thieves willing to live on the lam for the sake of great literature—or bizarre kids stories about dragons colliding with cows, however you characterize GDC. 

Anyway, I thought it was cool, and it made me happy.

When I wrote Green Dragon Codex I really hoped kids would enjoy it.  I had to hope, as I had literally no experience to fall back on.  I’d never written anything for kids.  Nothing.  Nadda.  Zilch.  Then one morning I woke up with a contract to deliver a children’s novel in nine months.  (A lot of things preceded that morning, by the way; contracts are not in the habit of creeping up on us writers as we sleep.)  Finished the book in three months and waited the rest of the time, worrying that kids would find my writing about as interesting as a lecture on lowest common denominators delivered in monotone Latin (which is, I’m certain, one of the 666 layers of hell). 

The book’s publication did little to alleviate my worry; however, gradually I’m starting to get a sense of how kids feel about the book, and the news seems to be good.  Better, the good news has been pretty uniform.  And best, sometimes the news has been better than good.  A few online reviewers that let children review the books have post reviews on GDC, and thus far they have all been extremely positive, scoring the book in the “Great!” or 8 through 10 on a scale of ten range.  It was even named a FlamingChoice Award Winner. 

But without question the greatest praise was delivered to me a few days ago in the form of a mother’s put out complaint.  Her daughter—six, I believe—now wakes her every morning at six am and begs her to read GDC.  This poor woman really tried to express the humor of the situation when she told me, but that good natured exterior was a thin crust over genuine sleep-deprived irritation.  

I told her I was sorry for the unfortunate circumstances, but I couldn’t remain such a hypocrite so I retracted the apology and admitted that I wasn’t sorry at all—rather, I was resisting a strong impulse to do a happy dance on the nearest table.  Every writer wants people losing sleep to read their stories; little girls ensuring that entire households lose sleep is even better!

So, if my book has upset the tranquility of your routine, please let me know.  Quoting Kai-Lan (those who watch television with children may know who I’m talking about), it makes me “Superhappy!”

My report:

The LUW’s Annual Roundup was, as always, well worth participating in.  The best part—other than seeing old friends and meeting some new ones—was the location.  It was the first time I’ve been to the Homestead in Midway, Utah, and it was the most pleasant conference setting yet.  The Homestead’s rooms are located in lodges and largish cabins scattered about the grounds, which gives the place a distinctly European feel.  They even have a natural hot spring ninety feet deep inside a stone chimney, which I think was called the Crater (very cool), though I didn’t do more than view it.  (Other guests went swimming.)  My room was large and comfortable, and the meals were of unusual quality.  The best attribute of the Homestead, however, was it’s natural setting.  Every outdoors glance was rewarded with peaked mountains with forested sides dappled in yellows and reds from the onset of autumn.  The drive to and from the conference was thus an unexpected highlight of my weekend.  I’d forgotten how magnificent fall leaves can be.

As for the conference itself, my workshop went about as I expect, which means I am pleased with the results.  People thanked me heartily for teaching it and asked many questions afterward, which is always a good sign.  I think we sold out the bookstore’s stock of Green Dragon Codex as well.  (No complaints there.)  I spent much of my free time with some friends, including Eric Swedin (writer and professor at Weber), James Dashner (children’s and YA author, whose The Maze Runneris coming out on Oct. 6th, so buy it because it’ll be great—and who is neither particularly dashing nor a Jane Austin character, despite the misleading nature of his name), and Heather Moore (LDS fiction writer and professional editor).  I also met some great people for the first time, including a woman named Taffy, which configuration was a first for me (for the record, a man named Taffy would also have been a first).  Got some marketing pointers from Richard Paul Evans and learned the Sandra Dallas is a very smart and very funny woman, which is always a great combination.

So, I’m glad I went and I am glad that it is over.  And anyone who attended my workshop, if you enjoyed it, I would greatly appreciate a short recommendation.  Thanks!

Oh, an interview I gave to akgmag.com (a free site for and about writers) should be available soon.  When I know when, you’ll know.

Two major projects all but done, and now on to a third (after writing this blog post while watching Magnum P.I.), while a fourth stays on the horizon for the moment.

This morning I finished revising and editing the sample chapters for my newest proposal package. Overall, I feel pretty good about the work I’ve done. The book is clearly YA, a little older than my most recent children’s novel, which was itself a little older than Green Dragon Codex.  (I have a feeling that middle grade is a stretch for me, or at least for my much-cherished stylistic and content extremes.)  The one thing that does worry me a bit about the sample chapters is the length of the first chapter: 6,000 words.  (The next two chapters come in a touch lower combined.)  That’s a long chapter for a YA book, and an especially long first chapter.  My worries are alleviated somewhat by confidence that it’s a really good 6,000 word first chapter that happens in stages, and so should work out just fine—I think.  And to be honest, there’s just no way I see to cut it into sections or to cut it down more than I have.  I’d rather have it be longer than strategy dictates than kill the living story.  So, barring major issues raised by an alpha reader or two, the chapters are ready to stand out.

I’m even more relieved at finishing the second project: the first of my two presentations for the literacy conference in Idaho.  I’ll probably polish things a bit more, but the PowerPoint is done.  Now, any of you who know me—and some of you do—know that I don’t like PowerPoint.  No, that isn’t exactly correct.  I loath PowerPoint.  I often say I’ve never witnessed a PowerPoint presentation that didn’t malfunction in some way, ruining any sense of professionalism the program may have enabled.  Why am I doing this then?  Kicks, I guess.  It isn’t often that I address general educators (rather than teachers of writing specifically), which has left me feeling somewhat the prophet, responsible for crying narrative salvation in the educational wilderness (it’s startling how unimportant storytelling has become in many classrooms).  Because of this, I’ve done more research and work than was perhaps necessary for the occasion.  I doubt most attendees will expect the child’s author to run them over with educational theory complete with citation—but that’s what they’ll get, at least for much of the presentation.  Hey, I’m arguing for the killing off of the canon (or at least for its significant demotion).  I thought I’d better have a lot of smart people on my side to make that case. 

As of today, I feel I have that.  And I’m glad to be moving on to something else.

That something really isn’t much of a project, either.  I’m just refreshing myself on the workshop I’ll be presenting Saturday at The League of Utah Writers’ Roundup.  (2-4:00 pm I believe, for anyone who’s attending.)  I’ve done this workshop more often than any other, so it shouldn’t take more than an hour or so tonight to brighten up all the material.

As for next on the docket, that’ll be the second presentation I’m giving for the literacy conference in Idaho.  A lotta research; a lotta PP slides; a lotta hassle; a lotta theory behind a controversial claim (that writing fiction is a uniquely effective way to teach meta-cognition).  Uberfun. 

Hope to see some of you at Roundup.

Finally found my way back to this blog to toss a few things out at you…

The next book in the Dragon Codices line is out.  It’s the Silver installment, so if you’ve liked the others in the series, go pick it up.  (If not, just buy Green.  I didn’t say you had to like it, just buy it.) 

*****

A bit more information on my Idaho conference.  It’s called “A Change of Season: The Art of Literacy” and is being held in Meridian, Idaho, on October 1-2.  It’s an educator’s conference sponsored by both The Idaho Council of Teachers of English (ICTE) and The Idaho Council of the International Reading Association (ICIRA).  I won’t be attending the conference, just presenting my two programs.  I’m not sure when that will be, the 1st or the 2nd.  Oh, and there’s been some interest in my visiting schools in the area while I’m in Idaho, so I’ll post more information about that here when I have it.

*****

I just finished the rough draft of sample chapters for a new book.  For those who don’t know, I’m trying to stay productive over the nine months and counting a publisher has been considering a manuscript of mine they requested.  So I first developed a concept for an adult novel and got that package all ready to go; now I’m doing the same for a new children’s series.  Can’t tell too much about it, but here’s a little flavor: it addresses the themes of public education, espionage, and peer influence, and uses lots of funny names, many of which start with P.  If you want more than that, you’ll just have to wait until it gets published. 

Anyway, I finished the first go at chapter 3 yesterday, so starting next week I’ll begin to revise.  Once I’ve gotten the sample chapters as fit as I can, then I’ll write the synopsis and find out what actually happens over the course of the entire book.  After that comes the cover letter and, viola, another proposal ready to go.  With this new package and my adult idea, plus about three finished projects I think are profitably publishable, I’d call the pipeline a bit full. 

Next step?  Hopefully, hear back from this publisher about my book.  If the news is good and they offer me a contract, I’ll be on the phone to agents.  If I don’t get word about that contract soon, or they don’t offer one, getting an agent is still the next step, but I won’t have the convenience of using the phone. 

More letters and months of waiting.  Yeah.

*****

Finally, tonight, I refuse to be productive.  Absolutely refuse.  I am going to go over to a friend’s place to see how she’s doing, and I think I will bring Chinese (and a good Korean dish if I can find one, as she’s Korean).  Then I’ll run over to Chuck E Cheese to watch my nephew dart about like a hyperactive hummingbird on caffeine.  It makes one tired but it’s fun.    

What?  Am I leaving work undone to engage in this evening of frivolity?

Shut up.

It’s all arranged: I will now be giving a free two-hour workshop on characterization in tandem with my book signing in Sandy on September 3rd.   For those who don’t know, the event is being held at the Sandy Barnes and Noble (10180 S. State) from 6:00 – 9:00 (ending one hour later than was originally planned). Here’s the way the evening will work.  From 6:00 to 7:00 I’ll spend time signing Green Dragon Codex, answering questions, and chatting with people.  Then at 7:00 the workshop will begin, and it will end around 9:00.  (Though I don’t mind staying later to work with people, unless the B&N people grow irritated with us and kick us out.)

The workshop will be on characterization and how to make our writing do triple-duty work, meaning how to make every page engrossing by avoiding blocks of anything—especially exposition, but any other single element of narrative delivered in large chunks is dangerous, too.  The workshop will be on ways to make every page we write serve multiple purposes at once, thus making the story more interesting.  I’ve only done this workshop one time before and was very dissatisfied with it (at World Horror Con earlier this year).  Feedback was very positive, but I only had one hour for the workshop then and that simply wasn’t enough.  This workshop takes a lot of interaction and hands on exchange between writers and myself, and writers and other writers.  So I’m really looking forward to getting a chance to do the workshop with as much time as I need to do it justice. 

I hope to see plenty of people there.  It isn’t often that an intensive event like this is offered for free (I wish I could do that more often), so if you can possibly make it, do.  Also, please tell friends and other writers who you think may be interested.  I promise, the content we’ll cover will be well worth the time.