tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40052716384362581592023-11-16T04:51:22.037-06:00Barwick BlogWill work for Rye Triscuits and Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts.Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-33318084215569295322011-07-24T18:08:00.000-05:002011-07-24T18:08:36.966-05:00Finito<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEDaVJBalWTWW6aQnE7gOlVBcEXlcS97fK1PDwSPM0Eni4_oMd6vTRCSjEj3feaPA8UsBZFJKVSY0aNLGsYv73Gl8H9C9MvI5si0mHy3AA__pAyvGEQPPPWnztKIWLQklwVQi4rYUZrnr/s1600/IMG_1160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEDaVJBalWTWW6aQnE7gOlVBcEXlcS97fK1PDwSPM0Eni4_oMd6vTRCSjEj3feaPA8UsBZFJKVSY0aNLGsYv73Gl8H9C9MvI5si0mHy3AA__pAyvGEQPPPWnztKIWLQklwVQi4rYUZrnr/s320/IMG_1160.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Head for the basement, Toto!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In retrospect, deciding to live in an apartment with poor ventilation and a weak AC unit was a mistake. Of course, who would have anticipated Chicago having a heat index of almost 115. I survived the heat wave, but barely. You should have seen me trying to get a bag of ice home before it melted. It was more intense than Mission Impossible.<br />
<br />
Not to mention the insane storms we've been having here. Trees tossed around like javelins, power lines fishtailing in the street, hundreds of thousands without electricity. I could be wrong, but I'd say Mother Nature is upset about something. I just wish she would use her words. <br />
<br />
I realize I haven't updated this is in, lets see, forever? However, my reason is stellar. I made the final push to finish my manuscript in time for the SCBWI LA Conference. The idea for this manuscript was hatched one night when I was out to dinner with a friend. Almost three years ago.<br />
<br />
So, needless to say, it feels amazing to complete it. In three years I've been to five conferences, met AMAZING friends and critique partners, scrapped my story 100 pages in and rewrote from the beginning and been fortunate enough to sit down with people in the industry who gave me professional feedback.<br />
<br />
All the while I kept plugging away on my manuscript. While I worked full time and went to school part time.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvIJgK3Bxg1bUaxkpuqFn7nVP9JuEfYQuRXJ2P0WjTbXqL79rZ-G5bWMxCHozavBEXGgdzmmjtKoleyR3GAfqx1BlIOgGOEVNyGtTEUb1prDoMXSq65FTtwvlQwvXp4-wEIDuctZdKNK_/s1600/209-680_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvIJgK3Bxg1bUaxkpuqFn7nVP9JuEfYQuRXJ2P0WjTbXqL79rZ-G5bWMxCHozavBEXGgdzmmjtKoleyR3GAfqx1BlIOgGOEVNyGtTEUb1prDoMXSq65FTtwvlQwvXp4-wEIDuctZdKNK_/s200/209-680_large.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You're cheap but I love you.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>To be at this point is such a personal achievement I nearly went out and bought myself a ribbon. You know the kind. Tiny, red or blue ribbon with gold or silver writing. The kind you pretended were crap when you were a kid but yet you'd go home and proudly hang it up in your room. <br />
<br />
I gave myself a few days for distance and started editing. This is the fun part. This is where I get to go through with clipping shears and Miracle Gro, tending each sentence with a critical eye. This is the part I love.<br />
<br />
I'm beyond excited for the conference in LA in two weeks. This is the first time I will be walking in with a completed manuscript in my back pocket. I no longer have vague answers to when I will be finished. Everything about this conference will be different for me this time around. I can't wait for the next step in the adventure.Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-49562937642107038112011-06-05T14:15:00.000-05:002011-06-05T14:15:50.134-05:00The Young Adult Controversy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvvAGBSEd01QcrqDfDuukD-exq8aFSB5QRdMpHzNyb5Q_LViFAz1tcUIp2OArzNrpiq75EviuYyyVFRsmkyCHQH5lPt7e7AWXLBoKy_oDOvovNYKItS5vso9KWRCQRHA1bYHy5IzBpu6L/s1600/Book-censorship.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvvAGBSEd01QcrqDfDuukD-exq8aFSB5QRdMpHzNyb5Q_LViFAz1tcUIp2OArzNrpiq75EviuYyyVFRsmkyCHQH5lPt7e7AWXLBoKy_oDOvovNYKItS5vso9KWRCQRHA1bYHy5IzBpu6L/s320/Book-censorship.gif" width="289" /></a></div>Most people in the kidlit world has read or heard about the Wall Street Journal <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303657404576357622592697038.html">article</a> posted yesterday. Meghan Cox Gurdon, who penned the article, questions the darkness and gore found in today's YA market. She introduces us to a concerned parent trying to find a book for her thirteen year old daughter, only to leave the store with nothing. The article caused a hullabaloo on the web, rallying YA authors to defend the literature being produced. <br />
<br />
There is even a Twitter tag (<a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/search?q=%23YAsaves">#YAsaves</a>) being used to explain why young adult fiction is necessary. Why it should continue and why it saves lives.<br />
<br />
Now, it shouldn't surprise anyone that people who write kidlit are rising up to defend it. It would be silly if they didn't. It's the testimonials from young readers that really pack the punch. Authors sharing stories of a child reading their book and finding comfort.<br />
<br />
Comfort in darkness? Really? Yes really. To ignore the way the world is would be dangerous. To not write about it would be just as dangerous. YA literature isn't the darkness. It's the light.<br />
<br />
I don't personally know Mrs. Gurdon. I don't know how often she hangs around with teenagers. I can only speak for myself. I've spent the last four years working in a middle school. There is nothing particularly extreme about the school. It's a safe and supportive environment with kids of varying academic abilities preparing for high school. We're pretty Norman Rockwell-ish compared to other schools.<br />
<br />
Yet even here, in the bubble, I am increasing amazed by what the kids know about their world. Are they too young to know some of what they know? Probably. That doesn't change that they know it. Did they learn it from books? Perhaps some of them did. More of them learned it from TV, movies, video games and pop culture icons.<br />
<br />
And some of them learn it from their own lives. Their own experiences.<br />
<br />
Let me put it this way:<br />
You're walking down the street and a starving child is sitting on the curb. Do you offer the child some food or do you walk past them? If you answered the latter, click away from this blog and flee.<br />
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You'd feed them. Or you'd find out some way to help them. What good is our society if it doesn't look out for the children?<br />
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So what do you do when a kid opens up to you that a parent at home drinks too much and gets angry? Or something happened to them at a party and they don't know what to do. Or they live in a neighborhood that has shootings in the alleys and drug deals on the corners. Do you help these kids or do you walk past them?<br />
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Books are tools that help us make sense of the world. Children are at a place in life where everything is about them. No one has ever felt their emotions. No one has ever seen what they've seen. No one could possibly understand.<br />
<br />
Except <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Speak-Laurie-Halse-Anderson/dp/014131088X">Melinda</a>. And <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Go-Ask-Alice/dp/1416914633/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1307300038&sr=1-1">Alice</a>. And <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Outsiders-SE-Hinton/dp/B001U3YE5I/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1307300075&sr=1-1">Ponyboy</a>. And <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crank-Ellen-Hopkins/dp/1416995137/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2">Kristina</a>.<br />
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The list could go on for pages. Thankfully.<br />
<br />
Lets be glad for the stories that line the shelves of the young adult section. Our world would be darker without them. <br />
Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-15431552206338207802011-03-26T18:57:00.001-05:002011-03-26T19:08:41.060-05:00Bring In Da Noise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRLfmsbw2wE_sIbe64Z-P6f4SjumpSD39Af4d-jb2Dq_9eVZFlEHaz-n_XbJeDDpEltDqxyjVn7a4FVpTUkHxaVPpeZB-kAw1m6dxart36Ch6YAWTJXeAPN_4A9bUnIzb1Xu7mS_OWHW-/s1600/funny-pictures-ipod-cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRLfmsbw2wE_sIbe64Z-P6f4SjumpSD39Af4d-jb2Dq_9eVZFlEHaz-n_XbJeDDpEltDqxyjVn7a4FVpTUkHxaVPpeZB-kAw1m6dxart36Ch6YAWTJXeAPN_4A9bUnIzb1Xu7mS_OWHW-/s320/funny-pictures-ipod-cat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>A person can go about 3 to 5 days without water. You can survive without food for a little longer than that.<br />
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I, however, cannot live longer than a few hours without sound of some sort. It could be normal city sounds, background television shows, thunderstorms or music.<br />
<br />
Complete silence is not calming. It is not refreshing. It is loud. It is terrifying. I do not like it, Sam I am.<br />
<br />
Maybe it's because half of my life has been spent in noisy places. In the city car alarms go off at one in the morning, bar-goers stumble past your window at two shouting at the top of their lungs and sirens of all kinds of emergency vehicles play a sporadic nighttime symphony. If I did not have these sounds, I would not sleep.<br />
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Ever since I was little, listening to a Billy Joel tape in my Walkman as I slept, my need for sound was apparent. It started with a constant running fan, even in winter, and progressed to leaving the radio/tv on.<br />
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How does this effect my writing? I've had conversations with other writers who can't write with noise. Others can write to music as long as it doesn't have words. Then there are the ones like myself, who can write with anything on, at almost any volume. As I type this I have the Elite Eight Arizona/UConn game on in front of me.<br />
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I'm one of those who creates a playlist that I think matches the mood of my book, or even the scene I am currently working on. Scary part? Those We Don't Speak Of from The Village Soundtrack. Haunting part? Creep cover by Scala & Kolacny Brothers. Introspective moment? Breathe Me by Sia.<br />
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If the music is faster, I type faster. If only the same principle worked when I exercised. <br />
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My mind wanders if I try to write in complete silence. I start to wonder why there isn't any sound or whether or not I took the chicken out of the freezer oriftomorrowisgarbagedayorwhereileftmykeys. My thoughts are too loud in silence and rarely hones to the task at hand. Music/noise allows me to focus.<br />
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Are you like me? What do you listen to? Do you need quiet? How do you achieve isolation from noise?Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-25963516222208526232011-03-07T11:24:00.001-06:002011-03-07T12:12:55.606-06:00WriteOnCon Contest!The WriteOnCon crew just announced the dates for WriteOnCon 2011. They happen to span my birthday as well! August 16, 17 and 18 are the dates so mark them on your calendar. It's a fantastic opportunity.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Speaking of opportunities, they are running contests to help get the word out. The first contest has begun, with the prize of a query critique from Sarah Davies of Greenhouse Literary Agency! Go here for more information: <a href="http://writeoncon.com/2011/03/prize-1-query-critique-from-sarah-davies-with-greenhouse-literary/#more-1531">Sarah Davies Critique!</a><br />
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Keep checking the site all day today for the new contests! I see they just put up a query critique from Jennifer Rofe of ABLA! I met Jennifer in Big Sur in December and with her feedback I improved the first pages of my MS. Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-70671690237061861962011-02-21T14:55:00.000-06:002011-02-21T14:55:01.617-06:00Puppies, Claws and Fleas<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbj2QYPEVqPymVB17mIrN2bJSWrKCiXHfwjkIHd5OF-fByub8P5xLCSfee5jnpJwpM9ZgOYL3m0d11oQG4SfiXd-bTvDsVgQEqNVEPt0Oan_guWJvUhHKq1scrhxdell8Y5cmrq2mUhyY/s1600/trip23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbj2QYPEVqPymVB17mIrN2bJSWrKCiXHfwjkIHd5OF-fByub8P5xLCSfee5jnpJwpM9ZgOYL3m0d11oQG4SfiXd-bTvDsVgQEqNVEPt0Oan_guWJvUhHKq1scrhxdell8Y5cmrq2mUhyY/s200/trip23.jpg" width="173" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sure, she looks cute now.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I get it. Puppies are adorable. Kittens are cuddly. Baby animals reduce us to inarticulate goo.<br />
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Like most children I started begging my mom for a kitten shortly after learning to speak. Fluffy fur? Win. Pull-able tail? Win. I had to have one.<br />
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I named our first kitten "Sarah" because I'm original like that. She was cute, wide-eyed and bushy-tailed. She was also a blood thirsty piranha. <br />
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For Sarah, every day was hunting season and your ankles were the game. She would hide behind the couch, in baskets of laundry and I'm pretty sure there were times she would descend from the ceiling a la Mission Impossible.<br />
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After the removal of her front claws she came at you like a Velociraptor instead. She was a real charmer.<br />
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The animals that followed in the wake of Sarah weren't on her level of insanity. Most of them were actually quite gentle and even sweet. However, as I got older I started to realize how much of a responsibility these little creatures were. They insisted on eating regularly. Some of them needed walks. They even defecate and stare at you until you do something about it.<br />
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Not what I signed up for.<br />
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Don't get me wrong, I love animals. I do. But I love them the way I love babies. I'll come play with yours then hand it back over when it starts to fill it's diaper.<br />
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I'll sympathize with you when your dog eats your pumps, then go home and hug my intact shoes. I'll hand you a paper towel when your cat coughs up a hairball on your carpet, then go home and kiss my hardwood floors.<br />
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Maybe someday I'll feel the need to have a dependent furball in my life. Anything is possible. For now, I'm content.Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-12261589958061545172011-02-03T10:45:00.000-06:002011-02-03T10:45:45.592-06:00Snowpocalypse<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD51bfuOon4AWyFh-ihcoiHdLo2K_g0qQN48vJxss4Luz30SlhBKXne7QQ-oOF-kjbi3SPHXyjiMPDfXyxERrXpAwXQaw5_IsTXr-nu-WkTF3jvyeuALqhBmwLFDWF8_J3Q-Cfgp4lFw1f/s1600/IMG_0835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD51bfuOon4AWyFh-ihcoiHdLo2K_g0qQN48vJxss4Luz30SlhBKXne7QQ-oOF-kjbi3SPHXyjiMPDfXyxERrXpAwXQaw5_IsTXr-nu-WkTF3jvyeuALqhBmwLFDWF8_J3Q-Cfgp4lFw1f/s400/IMG_0835.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A stopped moment on I-94, during my 2hr+ drive home.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I guess it takes the entire city of Chicago shutting down for me to make a blog post. I'm sitting here, day two of no work and no classes, digging deep into the pantry so I don't have to try to fishtail my way to a store. <br />
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All my muscles are very upset with me. They told me it wasn't a good idea to shovel for several hours yesterday and now they are chanting "I told ya so" every time I move. At first I had the six-year-old reaction of: SNOW! YAY! LET'S GO PLAY IN THE SNOW! SURE I'LL SHOVEL, IT'LL BE FUN! That enthusiasm lasted all of five minutes. I've never had to clear two feet of snow before and it's an experience I'll add to the "never again" list. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllvC68pUAYzxJnzKmZw7B7NiaIFwHupmdOif0H4k4jsGpyfOiWn2bdehrpv4uJz7lvY-gtFMCQx58vrKxPVClGF7cUKuRtuLdYYkq-PLNYlnXVgt9xESZNZ_2qVhLlpqRiOII4FO7haz9/s1600/IMG_0844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllvC68pUAYzxJnzKmZw7B7NiaIFwHupmdOif0H4k4jsGpyfOiWn2bdehrpv4uJz7lvY-gtFMCQx58vrKxPVClGF7cUKuRtuLdYYkq-PLNYlnXVgt9xESZNZ_2qVhLlpqRiOII4FO7haz9/s320/IMG_0844.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, that's my car under there.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Digging my car out was the pinnacle of the day. The drifts had made it almost unrecognizable and yet it was still in better shape than the cars on the street. <br />
<br />
We had to clear the driveway first which took roughly an hour and a half (with a snow blower even). Then I had to clear the car off and try to get to the snow that the wind packed under the car so that the tires would move. I started the car, thinking it would be easy to move it over to the clean part of the driveway so we could get to the rest of snow behind it. My car wasn't having it. It took another hour, pounds of salt and the smell of burning rubber to get my car to move. <br />
<br />
The reports of stranded cars on Lake Shore Drive makes me thankful I was driving into the city and not out of it. If you have ever been to our fair city or can equate Lake Shore Drive to one of your popular highways you understand how intense it is to think of people just abandoning their cars and running for it. I can't imagine having to make that decision.<br />
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At the end of it all I am lucky to live in a place with heat and water pipes that won't freeze. I'm going to use my unexpected time off to get some writing done and ask the snow gods to retire.Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-44696735232926825592011-01-15T19:30:00.001-06:002011-01-17T15:42:29.031-06:00iPhone, you phone, we all own some kind of smart phone...<div style="text-align: justify;">When I first held an iPhone in my hands the action felt very familiar. Was what I held in my hands a revolutionary phone that allowed my fingers to do the talking? Was it something I would have to adjust to? If I planted it, would it grow more iPhones?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I inspected it, my fingers said, "Hey yo, we're having a flashback." Yes, my fingers speak like Tony Danza. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My hands remember a time when such a device had another purpose. A purpose so awesome that kids all over the world spent hours with it, ignoring things such as productivity and sunshine. What device am I talking about?</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcXjnFYvn8uUCB-6M04Z1yDoRXkPO3oZrLJyHRzZcxoHw7CIZVTBiEDK4MtskveTxobUtcMw9QjXgf8gd9V3PtTng4rpiALEE2U-6PxWvh4cdj3g2AJRy3oEv00ADKv_Mfjj9j87HG18k/s1600/gameboy_original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcXjnFYvn8uUCB-6M04Z1yDoRXkPO3oZrLJyHRzZcxoHw7CIZVTBiEDK4MtskveTxobUtcMw9QjXgf8gd9V3PtTng4rpiALEE2U-6PxWvh4cdj3g2AJRy3oEv00ADKv_Mfjj9j87HG18k/s200/gameboy_original.jpg" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beep. Boop. Beep.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Game Boy of course.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My Game Boy went with me everywhere. I played Mario while I waited in the Orthodontist's office. Sailed through Disney's Aladdin when I should have been doing homework. Weeping while I gave Zelda the old college try.<br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So when the iPhone showed up, I saw it for its most useful purpose. Gaming. Beautiful, addictive, time-wasting gaming. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">As we all know, the popularity of iPhone applications has pretty much exploded in the last couple years. Being already pre-disposed to obsess over games on tiny screens with simple controls, I have downloaded my fair share of apps. Here are my current top three:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkEqKeOXnGBVc9_kWPbp5oPKq_jyT8F1q8xGn_ss-gNBcdtO43oFatKSIXB1ZRAvqlywmgqhWqAh6BByF9BVWdVjNEBvht4VOm4Uxk1Y8gmLyueSxo0wOMajSDGQtwTdvmWbjnFaKSJQF/s1600/rock-band-iphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkEqKeOXnGBVc9_kWPbp5oPKq_jyT8F1q8xGn_ss-gNBcdtO43oFatKSIXB1ZRAvqlywmgqhWqAh6BByF9BVWdVjNEBvht4VOm4Uxk1Y8gmLyueSxo0wOMajSDGQtwTdvmWbjnFaKSJQF/s200/rock-band-iphone.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cyhVYx0SFuCkbtvcnGNHHqHaXGTCKCx3uGX7_UC25PICs5FNIHhq4mdZprSbBCN8KjvWZnygMaEY7ZjSsVy74FWwhTMf62BZFizY_3g4FEoyqrhtYJZHwOHp4QVu_mn8ZJpzAnazaax8/s1600/mzl.jnfuvxfg.320x480-75.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cyhVYx0SFuCkbtvcnGNHHqHaXGTCKCx3uGX7_UC25PICs5FNIHhq4mdZprSbBCN8KjvWZnygMaEY7ZjSsVy74FWwhTMf62BZFizY_3g4FEoyqrhtYJZHwOHp4QVu_mn8ZJpzAnazaax8/s320/mzl.jnfuvxfg.320x480-75.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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3.) Rock Band</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">For any of you who have enjoyed the full fledged game on your game system of choice, this Rock Band app is a cute companion. For those of you, like myself, who have no guitar strumming coordination or kick pedal timing this version makes you feel like a rock star. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Perhaps you're asking, "Kelly, how do I know if I can be successful in this Rock Band app?" To you I say: put your hand on a flat surface. Now tap your fingers. Did you tap successfully? Congrats, rock star.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3eVyp59PnWqm5IHMjpboDXdF-gqZObEs4HF1yS67Qawqe05xqH0yZmByytFDc3bBCWZoY3V4TTBP6jOOczE5Dzy6YNMrd1JhYk-I02vcHrKLay8Yu3C_rtBjmArW0ICo7vlc8iTAk1ra/s1600/angry-birds-game-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3eVyp59PnWqm5IHMjpboDXdF-gqZObEs4HF1yS67Qawqe05xqH0yZmByytFDc3bBCWZoY3V4TTBP6jOOczE5Dzy6YNMrd1JhYk-I02vcHrKLay8Yu3C_rtBjmArW0ICo7vlc8iTAk1ra/s200/angry-birds-game-logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2.) Angry Birds</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It might be because it is simple physics combined with birds and mustachioed pigs but this game is just plain addictive. You fling the birds in a slingshot and attempt to destroy the hungry pigs that have stolen the bird eggs. Simple concept. Simple fun.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Plus, the look on the faces of the pigs when you fail makes me want bacon.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuX_TmgScR6P3zAiH352IkUsN_1yr-zeJ0cYdFaFGOf4b03WYVFJrrCs1x11qv0aLXB0aawFiihSvNV26IN6We8sqdM8M9ViR7XosHKRUaxaSBkGJGlt0wnqXKOU73lTAZU22_K4prtWHK/s1600/plants-vs-zombies-Android.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuX_TmgScR6P3zAiH352IkUsN_1yr-zeJ0cYdFaFGOf4b03WYVFJrrCs1x11qv0aLXB0aawFiihSvNV26IN6We8sqdM8M9ViR7XosHKRUaxaSBkGJGlt0wnqXKOU73lTAZU22_K4prtWHK/s200/plants-vs-zombies-Android.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1.) Plants Vs. Zombies</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvP0GU-FE3blPIiRFkP2x5PPJUCJDCmOGhOhKBs6t3fmVy41OHmoy4oqzRYhYyeFutRtGpG_LFGeoNVowrNUTEWO_lExsUp9xbDmxVG8xtG_63VDhFBpCgkzP2tvmkdvzw8PX9nucsLMc/s1600/plants-vs-zombies-20090526-184913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvP0GU-FE3blPIiRFkP2x5PPJUCJDCmOGhOhKBs6t3fmVy41OHmoy4oqzRYhYyeFutRtGpG_LFGeoNVowrNUTEWO_lExsUp9xbDmxVG8xtG_63VDhFBpCgkzP2tvmkdvzw8PX9nucsLMc/s200/plants-vs-zombies-20090526-184913.jpg" width="200" /></a>There aren't words for how habit-forming this particular app is, but I'll give it a try. Again, the premise is simple. The Zombies are attacking and your garden is all that stands between you and them. They think your brains are tasty and are relentless in their pursuit. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Some zombies are football players. Some are disco dancers. Some wear safety cones on their heads. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When you beat the first round of the game there is a music video awaiting you that is a proper conclusion to one of the best apps available.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1y3STN7KlIlp9mOQbJZKh5qoja_kez5SXss8FwGVD85yManO1ce6nG3UzDNRuhy9bzJJXiOzHUWexZpVISZQIHMp6Ya_es8bm56pRwX5rhecbZ-dH3BGHyfE0Mlb-MAHVkgSDyUNEb69/s1600/44659_orig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1y3STN7KlIlp9mOQbJZKh5qoja_kez5SXss8FwGVD85yManO1ce6nG3UzDNRuhy9bzJJXiOzHUWexZpVISZQIHMp6Ya_es8bm56pRwX5rhecbZ-dH3BGHyfE0Mlb-MAHVkgSDyUNEb69/s200/44659_orig.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-6039849949298352152010-12-29T11:43:00.000-06:002010-12-29T11:43:45.322-06:00Generation Why<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnovmK1RIuPmtmSCzxxbVKk5miPhHsNrvGpLuS4s2TOWgBd7O3lZPToD0Ccpg0lL1Zp5y2QnZk-IqJqzQ5sP-h-FQ6CQMvIElSp6NdrZlxoPgN48plWYX03OBt-8hQ_PB9mR5CvFHEOrrJ/s1600/meandmrhanks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnovmK1RIuPmtmSCzxxbVKk5miPhHsNrvGpLuS4s2TOWgBd7O3lZPToD0Ccpg0lL1Zp5y2QnZk-IqJqzQ5sP-h-FQ6CQMvIElSp6NdrZlxoPgN48plWYX03OBt-8hQ_PB9mR5CvFHEOrrJ/s320/meandmrhanks.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chalk-o-lots </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">I, like many people of my generation, have succeeded in scaring the crap out of the generations before us. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">How would the people of my generation fix social security? How would we preserve (or restore) the integrity of America in the eyes of the world? How would we stop Eddie Murphy from making movies?</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">They say Generation Y has no patience, having grown up with instant communication technology. They say that we're a bunch of Peter Pans, delaying adulthood as long as possible. We'll change careers several times while we live at home with mom and dad. If we have a job at all.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">First of all, I grew up with Oregon Trail so don't tell me I don't have patience. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kqwVoIsivzVd03PptIbsn5a9x7qWpXCJ27_opgIiCDaPyHy8uPdKD9T4ao5unb9WUP-rOh17VOxOrY-Vb0ZPLqLkAFwPHVXrJE3plYvzwDeQp6kdcG7A0I48hN4UQFEO9shhHRcHnlM9/s1600/cholera.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kqwVoIsivzVd03PptIbsn5a9x7qWpXCJ27_opgIiCDaPyHy8uPdKD9T4ao5unb9WUP-rOh17VOxOrY-Vb0ZPLqLkAFwPHVXrJE3plYvzwDeQp6kdcG7A0I48hN4UQFEO9shhHRcHnlM9/s320/cholera.gif" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Press Enter to Size up the Situation</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Second, I realize that many of us apply our Peter Pan mentality to our future jobs. Our parents and our parent's parents craved stability and typically entered a career that would provide benefits and pension plans. Most of Gen Y throws such notions to the wind. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">A typical Gen Y-er realizes that they have wide spread talents that shouldn't be contained to one career path. This leads to indecision in college and a crisis upon graduation. It leads to living in your parent's basement. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Personally, with a blanket apology to all the put upon parents out there, I don't see the problem. The explosion of creativity and technology that has been nurtured in the last thirty years has expanded our world in ways that only the creators of the Jetsons knew were possible. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvZ90AflHXIpZSa_KKST1qB-gazWYMjzorB9SyJKoMlU89MAWD879cSyb5SXf13shyIEDX0kslBfaDvqDLDucXfvvb2Elmlv-25aUl0iq5mhFDmY1XOOOVuo-t7ktKVatlDiOZ9xMkPtw/s1600/The-Jetsons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvZ90AflHXIpZSa_KKST1qB-gazWYMjzorB9SyJKoMlU89MAWD879cSyb5SXf13shyIEDX0kslBfaDvqDLDucXfvvb2Elmlv-25aUl0iq5mhFDmY1XOOOVuo-t7ktKVatlDiOZ9xMkPtw/s200/The-Jetsons.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I SEE YOU!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">So what if I get my news online and can't picture myself married with kids until my thirties? Who cares that I would rather send an email than call or keep in touch with friends through Facebook? </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our generation is in the midst of a cultural revolution. Our progressive attitudes and sensibilities have helped the LGBT rights movement gain footing. Our generation voted in record numbers for the first black president. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">For most of our lives, the American military has been engaged in war in the Middle East. We witnessed the worst terrorist attack on American soil, most of us from TV screens or computers. The youth mobilized immediately. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">To those concerned about my generation's contributions to the greater good, I say this:</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">We may be impatient, but that impatience has led to the development of tools that help us work faster. Communicate faster. Innovate faster.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> It may look as though we don't want to grow up, but what we are actually doing is redefining adulthood to fit our expectations. We demand more out of life than the linear path our grandparents walked. Having more than five careers in a lifetime simply means we are contributing in more ways and we're happier about it. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Am I making sweeping generalizations about Gen Y? Sure. Despite this, when all is said and done, I fully expect to be sitting on my porch in my old age watching hovercrafts and complaining that my kids never teleport to see me anymore. I'll dream of the glory days of my youth, when I really could do anything I set my mind to and be the person I wanted to be. </span></div>Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-47203109299518564532010-12-12T20:00:00.000-06:002010-12-12T20:00:49.119-06:00Mega Long Big Sur RecapAs I sit here, watching the Bears get walloped by the Patriots (sigh), I find that I have a moment to reflect on the Big Sur Children's Writing Workshop. Before I start, let me clarify the purpose of the post. I wanted to relay my personal experience in order to inform anyone looking for a workshop like this. I had an incredible time and want to spread the word. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBHIQ3rwRiJ7uF0QTjgJLeXSnNWjMnfXzVOOl5l3IXfFHKuMn7E59KGs-40bfRWk1UWJYZsIngKUxV_3Blvf6sBmRhaz5JVyNoWw9FsbGETkcaqD-KHoJp8IsWx7tgM1FrM8NrfJu_Upp/s1600/bigsur3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBHIQ3rwRiJ7uF0QTjgJLeXSnNWjMnfXzVOOl5l3IXfFHKuMn7E59KGs-40bfRWk1UWJYZsIngKUxV_3Blvf6sBmRhaz5JVyNoWw9FsbGETkcaqD-KHoJp8IsWx7tgM1FrM8NrfJu_Upp/s200/bigsur3.jpg" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Sur</td></tr>
</tbody></table>For those of you unfamiliar with it, the workshop is hosted at the beautiful Big Sur Lodge in Big Sur, Ca. Agents from Andrea Brown Literary Agency and a variety of editors and authors (who is there depends on when you go) are in attendance. By keeping the amount of attendees below 100, the format is able to function unlike most conferences. You work in small rotating critique groups that meet twice over the weekend. You also get to meet with a member of the faculty for fifteen minutes to work on query letters or your synopsis. There is time built into the weekend to revise based on the feedback you receive. In short, this workshop is worth every penny.<br />
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<b>Let's start at the very beginning...</b><br />
I attended SCBWI's L.A. Conference this past August for the second year in a row. At the Golden Kite Awards I had the fortune to sit next to a fellow writer named Anji. She started telling me about this workshop she had heard about in Big Sur that she was really excited about. We exchanged contact cards and parted ways. A month or so later Anji gave me a call.<br />
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I had actually forgotten all about the workshop since the start of a school year is always so hectic. If Anji hadn't taken the chance to call me and see if I was still interested I would have missed this amazing opportunity. I registered, sent in my materials and found out I was accepted a couple weeks later. Then I started searching the couch for pennies.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoX5OHwk9btaqnI7ZOlCV43hikR48ZDnGXH2adoeU_yq86sBn-8lY7Hplg1MS3jAKEabgKxxqVYoVoJlhBYDiUMEybxk4PEKnugv1tSkYGkqaM4qfrpLfqUH3Y2TYROqDaUfMuX-3dcrq/s1600/bigsur2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoX5OHwk9btaqnI7ZOlCV43hikR48ZDnGXH2adoeU_yq86sBn-8lY7Hplg1MS3jAKEabgKxxqVYoVoJlhBYDiUMEybxk4PEKnugv1tSkYGkqaM4qfrpLfqUH3Y2TYROqDaUfMuX-3dcrq/s200/bigsur2.jpg" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Yacht</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The workshop started on a Friday, which meant I had take an early flight out of Chicago that connected in Phoenix. From there it was a short trip over to Monterey where I picked up a car in order to drive down the California 1.<br />
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They gave me a boat. I'm used to driving a car that doesn't have much width. This Impala forced me to drive like my grandma going to K-Mart. If you've ever driven along the California coast you know that it twists and turns a bit. So if any of you driving on that road that day remember getting stuck behind a Nervous Nellie in a yacht, I apologize.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNbiHfG70talPOGgtdmVx-NUGYp5tZd3Ju_krL7uk1ohi4sI3gEwPcF9GLK8G3ovwWIImeyYuJZz5dyE9gGqrIHI_5wnCPgWlRqvM43c62QK4kj8pm4lr5ppPHgVwXCaGXAseQCsTUfag/s1600/bigsur1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNbiHfG70talPOGgtdmVx-NUGYp5tZd3Ju_krL7uk1ohi4sI3gEwPcF9GLK8G3ovwWIImeyYuJZz5dyE9gGqrIHI_5wnCPgWlRqvM43c62QK4kj8pm4lr5ppPHgVwXCaGXAseQCsTUfag/s200/bigsur1.jpg" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I docked my boat to take a picture</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The coast is gorgeous. I also saw that California Happy Cows do exist. They're hanging out along the 1 eating grass and napping.<br />
<br />
The Lodge was easy to find and lived up to the pictures I had seen online. A nice big fire constantly runs in the Lodge's sitting room where you can sit and write in one of the comfy couches. There were so many trees I almost O.D.'d on oxygen, but in a good way. The rooms are set up like cabins and circle the conference center which made it really easy to commute between rooms and panel discussions. There was no wifi access (the horror!) and spotty cell phone reception. Being disconnected is the point. Without distractions, can you be more productive?<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofzmRT1O_fJ6NvrJ0vk3QsSlmysccVUDfeoYNCUrr0lv4H69Ip3m-XINny-zYKJWJ1Icruwj84jd449lj6EgIZPSs5ZRwOj3zrWJsPBOH0aFMeV7ETUnzMgFly_B04TGVPwAcvQIefU18/s1600/bigsur6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofzmRT1O_fJ6NvrJ0vk3QsSlmysccVUDfeoYNCUrr0lv4H69Ip3m-XINny-zYKJWJ1Icruwj84jd449lj6EgIZPSs5ZRwOj3zrWJsPBOH0aFMeV7ETUnzMgFly_B04TGVPwAcvQIefU18/s200/bigsur6.jpg" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Conference Center</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Things were kicked off in the conference center, where the faculty introduced themselves and told us a little bit about what they do. Agents talked about what they like and their recent client books. Editors spoke about their histories and what they were looking for. Authors let us know what they have published and what they were working on.<br />
<br />
After that we got straight to work. My first critique group was with Jennifer Rof<span class="body"><span class="redbold">é from Andrea Brown and I read my first chapter of my YA WIP. I received AMAZING feedback that basically challenged me to rewrite the whole chapter. I was also so impressed by the writing of the members of my group! Jennifer was spot on with her comments and I knew that by heeding her suggestions I strengthened my first chapter. </span></span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhXFhplG6cbI1ue4WYhmFq8OgEu6UxWrMRpKv_nWvxHrvfb59H5m1l0En8p3sJF-C-gbwK8NwA0Q3kIfCSJjJjV5CsT6Fy5oEx4ljQFvbF9YTqcBM-qZAU-1cSo2du2BgH3N0gG0d2s9m/s1600/bigsur4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhXFhplG6cbI1ue4WYhmFq8OgEu6UxWrMRpKv_nWvxHrvfb59H5m1l0En8p3sJF-C-gbwK8NwA0Q3kIfCSJjJjV5CsT6Fy5oEx4ljQFvbF9YTqcBM-qZAU-1cSo2du2BgH3N0gG0d2s9m/s200/bigsur4.jpg" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many trails</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="body"><span class="redbold">Friday night was capped off with a cocktail party and dinner where we were serenaded by Magnus Toren, who made sure we knew the difference between Henry Miller and Arthur Miller. It was a wonderful atmosphere to meet other writers and faculty and the food was fabulous. Jennifer Laughran sat with us and showed us her great sense of humor.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="body"><span class="redbold">There was a panel after dinner that responded to random first pages that Andrea Brown pulled from the submissions. It was a great inside look for us to see how agents and editors view the first page and what catches their attention.</span></span><br />
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<span class="body"><span class="redbold">Saturday was busy. Right after breakfast was our second critique group. Again there were great writers and a wonderful faculty leader. Allyn Johnston of Beach Lane books led our group and gave us all insightful feedback. I was able to share one of my later chapters and get comments. I walked away feeling good about the direction of my story.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="body"><span class="redbold">I then had the opportunity to sit down with author Elissa Haden Guest and work on my query letter for fifteen minutes. She was lovely and helped me figure out what essentials must be in the query. </span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span class="redbold"> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2u7s7ep5kh6vpZdxxlKTsQw882E5jxVS2XzDeRDigwmVfWY-ELT9z6xurrE7zhUiDzs9McI59b_YkxA5vPjTHkNf1kUKTlwFhGw-FMJUYOS42u55NMEG_147IAm3tbMQkJb3fHXZswD2l/s1600/bigsur7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2u7s7ep5kh6vpZdxxlKTsQw882E5jxVS2XzDeRDigwmVfWY-ELT9z6xurrE7zhUiDzs9McI59b_YkxA5vPjTHkNf1kUKTlwFhGw-FMJUYOS42u55NMEG_147IAm3tbMQkJb3fHXZswD2l/s200/bigsur7.jpg" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oxygen makers!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="body"><span class="redbold">We were given lunch and four hours (yes four whole hours) to revise before meeting for the second time with our first critique groups. I had rewritten my first chapter and based on the reactions, it was for the better. I'm very happy with the changes and so thankful for the feedback that led me to them. </span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span class="redbold"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span class="redbold">After dinner we heard a panel of editors tell us how they acquire manuscripts. Another valuable look inside the industry. </span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span class="redbold"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span class="redbold">On Sunday I had the luck of sitting at the same breakfast table as Andrea Brown and Jennifer Mattson, the latter being based in Chicago. After our bellies were full we met with our second critique groups again and I was able to share another chapter from later in my WIP. I picked a part that was crucial to the story and was able to get feedback on whether or not it was effective. The workshop closed out with an Agent panel where they took questions and handed out business cards. </span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span class="redbold"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span class="redbold">I had a flight out of Monterey around dinnertime so I relaxed at the lodge with other writers until I had to leave. By this time the coast was taken over by a storm. Now I was driving up the coast in my massive rental car while streams of rainwater cascaded down the highway. I went from Nervous Nellie to OMG-PANIC Nellie. I made it to Monterey with gray hairs. </span></span><br />
<span class="body"><span class="redbold"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxb0P9-QjjuPm1H7Pf2itXAjK5QEEeFvZk1C96wOVXqoUpVX9rpPcXUdB2fdzA2I57AAIovSG9Z537T80DpvBWhsqQbK5sLKkLFB4doesJnuXokDFzMnCwSCcuxrJhj1fx8ey0Mdep10x/s1600/snow1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxb0P9-QjjuPm1H7Pf2itXAjK5QEEeFvZk1C96wOVXqoUpVX9rpPcXUdB2fdzA2I57AAIovSG9Z537T80DpvBWhsqQbK5sLKkLFB4doesJnuXokDFzMnCwSCcuxrJhj1fx8ey0Mdep10x/s200/snow1.jpg" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet home Chicago</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="body"><span class="redbold">Flight from Monterey to San Fransisco delayed two hours. Flight from San Fransisco to Chicago delayed an hour and a half. I arrived in Chicago around 5:15 am and had work at 7:30 am. It was hard to be upset about getting no sleep when the trade off was such a valuable experience. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="body"><span class="redbold">As I sit here looking out at the swirling snow, I find myself missing the beauty of Big Sur. The bottom line of this massive post is that this is a workshop worth your money if you are ready for in depth critiques of your work. They hold it in twice a year, the next one being in March. Check it out <a href="http://henrymiller.org/AFW3.html">here</a>. If you have any questions I didn't cover about the experience feel free to ask!</span></span><br />
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<span class="body"><span class="redbold"> </span></span>Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-79150526860285900712010-11-21T19:22:00.000-06:002010-11-21T19:22:44.025-06:00Thanksgiving and Other Wonderful ThingsIf I waste a single moment of my free time the next two weeks I will be P.O.'d. <br />
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The actual day of Thanksgiving is the only day this week when I will not be writing. Even then, I'll have my computer with me during the festivities. I'm two weeks away from flying out to California for the Big Sur Workshop.<br />
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In addition, in case you were wondering, it's really not a good idea to read four books at once. I've been juggling Ellen Hopkin's <u>Crank</u>, Maggie Stiefvater's <u>Linger</u>, Brenna Yovanoff's <u>The Replacement</u> and Harper Lee's <u>To Kill a Mockingbird</u> (4th time). The last one is because I'm currently teaching it. I'm getting to the point where I think a drug addicted Scout is in love with a werewolf that was replaced at birth. Might be time to scale it back a bit.<br />
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I went and saw <i>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</i> part one yesterday. It really does feel like the end of an era. I thought the film was great and it really requires the viewer to have read the book. There is a lot you miss if you've only been watching the movies.<br />
<br />
Speaking of movies: If you've read Suzanne Collins' <u>The Hunger Games</u> you should take a look at this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_jw3z68TW0">audition tape</a>. Warning: It has violence and death in the clip.<br />
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I hope you all have a wonderful holiday (those of you who celebrate it) and good luck on the last week of NaNoWriMo.Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-63268743818559586852010-10-30T22:56:00.000-05:002010-10-30T22:56:00.147-05:00Obligatory NaNoWriMo PostWith the dawn of NaNoWriMo almost upon us writers everywhere are battening down the hatches. They're stocking up on fuel and saying goodbye to spouses, kids, friends and pets. They've done trials to see how long they can write without coming up for air. There are corkboards full of ideas and marked up character sheets all over the world. Creativity and inspiration are set to explode in households everywhere, as long as they can keep that pesky Writer's Block from crashing the party.<br />
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Many attempt it and like a squad or recruits sent to basic training, only the strong survive. Some can't find the balance between family and writing. Some intimidate themselves by pausing too long to think about the enormity of the project. Some don't have a story idea.<br />
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I have not yet had the opportunity to partake in the NaNoWriMo festivities. This year I'm polishing my current MS so it looks showroom new in time for the Big Sur Workshop in early December. I would love to be in a position to try it someday.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">"There's a plaaaace for us (NaNoWriMo),</div><div style="text-align: center;">a time and plaaaace for us..."</div><br />
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Anybody giving it a go this year?Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-12900854633986079392010-10-17T12:23:00.000-05:002010-10-17T12:23:46.280-05:00*yawn*<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">I am, quite simply, exhausted. We took our 8th grade students to Washington D.C. last weekend and it has been a game of "catch up on sleep" ever since. Problem is, work doesn't stop. Schoolwork doesn't stop. Social life doesn't stop. Housework doesn't do itself. This book doesn't write itself. So when it's all said and done, I'm not getting any more sleep than usual, which is not enough. Oh well. C'est la vie.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">I have about 50 days before the Big Sur Workshop in December. The more I read about the workshop the more excited I become! I can't wait, but I definitely need those 50 days to get ready.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">In my freetime (HA!) I'm daydreaming about what car I would get if I were able to swing it. My Honda Civic EX is making death rattles but I'm going to push it as far as it will go. I'm not into flashy cars. I just want reliability. What cars do you all drive? Are you happy with them? Are you happy with the service of the manufacturer? </span></span>Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-88971052003052275502010-09-21T18:14:00.000-05:002010-09-21T18:14:38.621-05:00Beautiful.You know that feeling:<br />
When you're sick as a dog and you've worked all day, you come home and take some extra strength super-dee-dooper medicine, slip under your covers, close your eyes, listen to the thunderstorm rolling in and smell the moisture filled air (through that one nostril that works).<br />
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It's a beautiful thing.Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-63300616890160705052010-09-12T15:35:00.001-05:002010-10-30T22:59:34.315-05:00Blogger AwardsAbout a week ago, Catherine over at <a href="http://catherineawinn.blogspot.com/">The Writing Room</a> gifted myself (and wonderful others) with two blog awards! I'm here to pay it forward!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXWStEFTBgY-uth7uvRDkFQk-FCKf8lWRsocA8oWXI-fMIrL26rDV7aXxoRCn3-QqTxqFl7ICT6gmAMycKgxCX1n_VWdAYaoVDiOVwK6CTFDK_xCIfD_VjL4paHxJaG8Ux_WPj3d8H0-6/s1600/versatile-blogger-award.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXWStEFTBgY-uth7uvRDkFQk-FCKf8lWRsocA8oWXI-fMIrL26rDV7aXxoRCn3-QqTxqFl7ICT6gmAMycKgxCX1n_VWdAYaoVDiOVwK6CTFDK_xCIfD_VjL4paHxJaG8Ux_WPj3d8H0-6/s320/versatile-blogger-award.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9naC0gKq3R40-HDVz-c5oGfIkF_AZccSgfUx3YwMBnsu8sobSgVRWVBNqNPUIfdPHAvZg_jDV0bINHETRvyRmJ2zO180oCatl5M2OOFVA1eNGPCQ7Dnq-gUtfqpp2BfgtrV2t2KDh8Jbw/s1600/one-lovely-blog-award.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9naC0gKq3R40-HDVz-c5oGfIkF_AZccSgfUx3YwMBnsu8sobSgVRWVBNqNPUIfdPHAvZg_jDV0bINHETRvyRmJ2zO180oCatl5M2OOFVA1eNGPCQ7Dnq-gUtfqpp2BfgtrV2t2KDh8Jbw/s320/one-lovely-blog-award.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>The Rules for The Versatile Blogger Award:</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thank and link back to the person that gave you the award. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Share seven things about yourself. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Pass the award to fifteen bloggers that you think deserve it. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lastly, contact all of the bloggers that you’ve picked for the award. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>One Lovely Blog Award Rules:</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.</span></div><br />
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Here's the thing. I'm so new to Blogger that I'm not sure I'm in a position to hand out 15 awards right away. So what I'll do is this:<br />
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As I find a blog I want to gift I'll post until I have 15, and if any of you have suggestions please feel free to let me know and I'll check them out. I do have one to start us off.<br />
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1. My friend Mary is a very talented musician who has channeled that ability into writing PB's accompanied by music and lyrics. I realize she hasn't posted in awhile but maybe a couple awards will jump start her! Either way, check out <a href="http://mgfurlong.blogspot.com/">her blog</a> and her books!<br />
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Second order of business: "Share seven things about yourself."<br />
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1. I am an "Expert" singer on Rock Band, a "Medium" drummer and a "Laughingstock" guitarist.<br />
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2. I severely dislike the guy on the new All State commercials that keeps cutting people off while they are talking. Makes me want to switch insurance companies.<br />
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3. I'm an avid fan of NFL football. AVID.<br />
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4. I go to school at night to study Graphic Design at the amazing Columbia College of Chicago.<br />
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5. In April I won first place in the "YA" category of a conference contest. It judged you based on your first page only. It was the Writers' Institute in Madison, WI.<br />
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6. I've been lucky enough to have traveled quite a bit in my young lifetime. In America and abroad.<br />
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7. I use <a href="http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.html">Scrivener</a> to organize my research but I still write my MS in Microsoft Word. Old habits are hard to break.<br />
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I suppose that's it. I hope you all have a great week!Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-72438008013566542212010-09-11T20:07:00.000-05:002010-09-11T20:07:06.900-05:00Remembrance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbnAMy72RXrHR7Rblvm7pU5IZ-2EKPs4z_fIOm5qGa2htvaA02IuPgnM5wRP33nnWpUfwabUL4SyDyW77xH_-deb1MKr8UlCgkoXu7rs0sWIReJ8vzqPuBfEaB9FEFUJi81UTmD-d2bhk/s1600/groundzerounderworld460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbnAMy72RXrHR7Rblvm7pU5IZ-2EKPs4z_fIOm5qGa2htvaA02IuPgnM5wRP33nnWpUfwabUL4SyDyW77xH_-deb1MKr8UlCgkoXu7rs0sWIReJ8vzqPuBfEaB9FEFUJi81UTmD-d2bhk/s320/groundzerounderworld460.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was a senior in high school in September of 2001. I had my first two classes of the day free, so I usually strolled into the building just before ten. My mom would leave for work around eight and I would have the house to myself until I left. In those days I listened to Eric and Kathy on the MIX (101.9) as I got ready. Eric was always cracking jokes and the music was my taste. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On September 11th I woke up, told my mom to have a good day as she ran out the door and made myself breakfast. Eric and Kathy were chattering as they always did and I was about to turn them off so I could shower when Eric stopped everything. There was silence for a moment, then with a voice so serious I stopped in my tracks he said that a plane had flown into one of the Twin Towers. I immediately turned them off and flipped on the TV, scrolling madly for a news station. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then there it was, rough footage of one of the Towers billowing smoke and debris. My first reaction was complete and total confusion, which seemed to be everyone's reaction. The newscasters were awkwardly speculating about what had happened. Terrorism was not on their lips. Yet. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Their live camera was trained on the South Tower with the North behind it, it's top on fire. It was an image no one could have pulled their eyes from and I found myself inches from the screen when a grey object moved into the field of view and collided with the South Tower. The newscasters were flabbergasted and suddenly it dawned on all of us that this was deliberate. America was under attack on its own soil. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I scrambled for the phone and called my dad, who was at work in the EPA building in downtown Chicago. He picked up quickly and I asked him if he had seen the news. He hadn't. When I told him he became very quiet. I heard him open his office door and raised voices from the hallway wafted in. He told me he would have to call me back and hung up. Shortly after that his building, along with all other major buildings in the city were evacuated for precautionary measures.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I drove to school listening to the news the whole way and when I got there, people were crowded around TVs all over the school. Some classes still continued, either they didn't know or they didn't know what else to do. By the time I got to a TV, Flight 77 had just hit the Pentagon. No one could say anything. There was nothing to say. I don't know how the newscasters kept talking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By the time Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania, everyone was so shell shocked that classes ceased to function. We rotated with our schedules but most teachers had a TV on in place of a lesson. We were all aware that this was a day we would never forget. We were all present for a moment in history that saw tragedy and heroes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I look at the 8th graders I work with now I'm shocked to realize that most of them were around four when 911 occurred. They are fuzzy on the facts of what happened that day. Some think only NY was hit. Most don't quite grasp the gravity of the event. Such it was for my generation missing the JFK assassination. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I think of 911 I remember everything I did that morning. I remember the emotions I felt and the reactions I had. In the days following I listened to stories of American heroism that made me cry and made me appreciative. What always came to mind in the weeks, months, years that separated us from the event, was that the people who attacked us underestimated the spirit of the this country. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For all their intricate plans and execution, they couldn't have realized how their attack would bring Americans together. Even those of us, a thousand miles away, felt connected to the lost. The pain reached everyone. Patriotism soared and people started doing everything they could to help. Give blood. Help the rescue and recovery teams. Join the army. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I read Meg Cabot's harrowing <a href="http://www.megcabot.com/2010/09/nine-years-ago/">personal account</a> of that day and I recommend you read it if you haven't. The individual stories of heroism are important to remember. My heart still goes out to all those who died on that day and all those who died in the wars that followed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-16463105853344215792010-09-05T11:53:00.000-05:002010-09-05T11:53:12.383-05:00Put Title HereHappy Sunday everyone!<br />
<br />
First off, Catherine over at <a href="http://catherineawinn.blogspot.com/">The Writing Room</a> kindly gifted me a blogger award which I'll post about soon!<br />
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Numero dos, I'm gearing up for Columbia's semester starting next week. Now I'll have night classes to tack on after working all day. And the hopefully going to the gym. And maybe seeing my friends sometimes. And reading a book or two. Oh yeah, and writing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqFhVEkqKUcWyRZk_tKZDakrZhzRSahyAZTXbWf_d5deXEBx0kYU_aQlwMMr7fomjypxmHaKLNm0ELDe-73J8AfAanXKlIgewIULh5wm0rRXXy7EcEdsKF8BRuam1JENK3OmoYvMgvyW5/s1600/mockingjay.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqFhVEkqKUcWyRZk_tKZDakrZhzRSahyAZTXbWf_d5deXEBx0kYU_aQlwMMr7fomjypxmHaKLNm0ELDe-73J8AfAanXKlIgewIULh5wm0rRXXy7EcEdsKF8BRuam1JENK3OmoYvMgvyW5/s200/mockingjay.png" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mockingjay Pin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Speaking of reading books, I managed to finish <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Mockingjay,</span> by Suzanne Collins, within six hours of buying it on its August 24th release date. This was mostly due to not wanting to have to avoid spoilers everywhere (I work with 8th graders). I promise the below review has <b>NO SPOILERS</b> if you haven't yet read it.<br />
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My first recommendation is to reread <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">The Hunger Games</span> and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Catching Fire</span> before embarking on <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Mockingjay</span>. There were some little things I had to remind myself of once I had already started reading.<br />
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The end of a series is always such a bittersweet experience. I'm usually anxious to see what ends up happening to the characters I love and yet I'm sometimes not ready to see them go. When I read <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">The Hunger Games</span> I enjoyed every heart thumping word that came across the page. I cared instantly about Katniss and her family. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Catching Fire</span> succeeded in making me care even more deeply about the world Collins created.<br />
<br />
I had meetings the day <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Mockingjay</span> came out and as soon as they ended I zipped to my nearest bookstore and gleefully picked it up. I found the pacing to be similar to <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Catching Fire</span>, by starting slower and picking up speed as it went. The story was both satisfying and not, which I thought I was appropriate for this series. If we were meant to be happy with everything that happened it would have been penned by Disney, not Collins. The book was bloody, upsetting at times and, I felt, completely necessary. It was a roller coaster ride of emotions.<br />
<br />
In a YA world seemingly obsessed with "Team Boy A" and "Team Boy B" I was happy to find that the love triangle in the story was a background thread woven into a larger tapestry. When discussing this series, most people wouldn't start with the Peeta vs Gale debate. They want to talk about the horror of kids killing each other or about the parallels of the Capitol and our society. I think that's how it should be in this type of series. Don't get me wrong, I adore a good love story. I just never want it to come at the expense of a fantastic story.<br />
<br />
And as far as I'm concerned, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Mockingjay</span> is a fantastic story to cap off a thought provoking series. I rarely reread books but I know I'll reread this series at some point in the future.Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-54628645574669075632010-08-31T22:34:00.000-05:002010-08-31T22:34:46.496-05:00omgsobusyWow. Work has certainly begun.<br />
<br />
Our meetings began last Monday and then the kids started on Thursday, hence my falling off the map. My days have consisted of getting up at 4, arriving at my gym by 5:30, getting to work around 7 and hanging out with eighth graders all day. After, I road rage my way through construction traffic to get home. Once home I make a valiant attempt to write while battling heavy eyelids in my air condition-less apartment.<br />
<br />
I've fallen asleep sitting up, on my couch, fully clothed, facing the wrong way on my bed and I even caught a mini nap while leaning against my pantry. It's always like this at the start of the year. The theory is that teaching is a job that simulates hitting a brick wall. At the end of the year it's "GO GO GO" and then suddenly everything stops entirely. At the start of the year you go from months of self-structured time to "being on stage" several hours a day. It can be a shock to the system. By Monday of next week I will have settled in.<br />
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Meanwhile, I found time to read Suzanne Collins' <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Mockingjay</span> and Jay Asher's <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Thirteen Reasons Why</span>. I'm working on reviews of each that I'll post this weekend. I also mapped my WIP's plot line on a cork board just to make sure my changes don't derail the arc. They don't! Yay!<br />
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I'm currently reading <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Lone Survivor</span> by Marcus Luttrell with plans to finally read Maggie Stiefvater's <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Shiver</span> next week.<br />
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Alright, I feel a "pass out in my chair" moment coming on so I'll catch you all on the flip side.Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-12247793065352210032010-08-18T18:56:00.000-05:002010-08-18T18:56:23.126-05:00WIDK Wednesday and More..."Word I Didn't Know" Wednesday:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div class="sep_top shd_hdr pb7" style="background-image: url(http://sp3.dictionary.com/en/i/dictionary/results_mid_hdr.png); background-repeat: repeat-x; border-top-color: rgb(182, 208, 221); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font-family: verdana; font-size: small; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-top: 7px; position: relative; width: 455px;"><div class="KonaBody" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small;"><div class="lunatext results_content" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span id="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">Somniloquence</span></span></b></div><span id="hotword" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">Som*nil"o*quence\,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">n.</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">The</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">act</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">talking</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">one's</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">sleep;</span><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; cursor: default; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static;">somniloquism.</span></span></div></div></div><div class="rcr" style="color: #7b7b7b; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; padding-bottom: 13px; padding-top: 6px;"><span id="hotword" style="position: static;"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="position: static;">Webster's</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="position: static;">Revised</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default; position: static;">Unabridged</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="position: static;">Dictionary,</span> © <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default; position: static;">1996,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default; position: static;">1998</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default; position: static;">MICRA,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default; position: static;">Inc.</span></span></div><div class="rcr" style="color: #7b7b7b; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; padding-bottom: 13px; padding-top: 6px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium;">To my knowledge I've only done this once, and I ended up waking myself up. I have been present to hear others chat it up in their dreams and it can be pretty entertaining. Even more fun is to have a whole conversation with someone when they are clearly more in the sleep realm than the awake one. When you ask them about it the next day they have no idea what you're talking about. Good times.</span></div>Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-36192346395924755602010-08-09T18:36:00.001-05:002010-08-09T18:37:28.936-05:00WriteOnCon!Have you seen this? <a href="http://writeoncon.com/">http://writeoncon.com/</a><br />
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What a fabulous idea and a wonderful opportunity! I'm registered (it's free!) and looking forward to the information generously given by all the awesome people involved. I can't even imagine all the work the organizers of this conference have put in but I, for one, am most thankful.Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-83278070723784275622010-08-06T21:43:00.000-05:002010-08-06T21:43:49.075-05:00Lollapalooza and Other Long Words<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42EDoFR1ErVwAL9NtUEq9tjLXTI4BI2p5iMGKYMUOM91Wci8PN1kX1R_uV1RJ_mi82ei4Z6gJfd8jl7lstLPM9glqomnJvHRyPk8XzcsHerCIgD6r3Z1F3iBQhmYsaciagLd7gO2uXPuz/s1600/Lollapaloozalogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42EDoFR1ErVwAL9NtUEq9tjLXTI4BI2p5iMGKYMUOM91Wci8PN1kX1R_uV1RJ_mi82ei4Z6gJfd8jl7lstLPM9glqomnJvHRyPk8XzcsHerCIgD6r3Z1F3iBQhmYsaciagLd7gO2uXPuz/s320/Lollapaloozalogo.png" /></a></div><br />
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For anyone unfamiliar with Lollapalooza, it's a popular music festival held in Chicago's Grant Park. It used to be a traveling festival but Chicago has hosted it for several years now. I couldn't afford to go to all three days (my money went to the fantastic SCBWI conference) but my friends were wonderful enough to purchase a one day ticket for my birthday. Tomorrow I will join the sweaty masses downtown to listen to great music all day, capped off with a long set by Green Day.Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-67791277480005697672010-08-05T16:25:00.002-05:002010-09-01T19:09:10.259-05:00SCBWI 2010 Summer Conference: LAHere's my attempt at a mini recap of one of the best conferences I have ever been to.<br />
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This is my second SCBWI Summer Conference and I can't get over how professional and inspiring the event is every time I go. It's incredible to be in the same room as so many amazing people. I don't just mean the authors/publishers/editors/agents that go, but the people who come from all over the world because they love to write for children. They may not be published yet, have an agent or even have a completed manuscript but they feel compelled to be part of this. Everyone is friendly and supportive.<br />
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Instead of a blow by blow, I'll give some of my favorite highlights.<br />
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Here are some of the nuggets of information I walked away with:<br />
How to approach agents without scaring them off. (Hint: Don't leave your query letter on their hotel pillow, how creepy is that?).<br />
An inside look at what certain houses are looking for and what catches their eye.<br />
What's hot, what's not.<br />
There are some incredible artists illustrating for children.<br />
Dressing like Where's Waldo means you'll get your picture taken a lot. (I was Waldo for the Heart and Soul Ball).<br />
Non-fiction is really hot right now.<br />
So are funny middle grade books.<br />
Peer group critiques are helpful and you meet some awesome people.<br />
Writing to trends means that the vampires win (Justin Chanda).<br />
There is a massive amount of people and money involved between acquisition and publication.<br />
I would listen to Ashley Bryan recite poetry any day of the week.<br />
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I also had the privilege to meet Jennifer Rees as she did my manuscript critique. She was funny and insightful. I came away from the meeting overflowing with ideas and the drive to revise!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj941Ban12ioBLqL7PKygf9NJ0tusa8CV_YMlk_nx05c5xV5D_29qODxdOT4ztRApNgWBKMC_e1jU21lt9_0u-Te_qm-SOOYwokb-15WDXs6clGAyOEXA87r1bT8mz1YCBz2tJVcIP4sNVp/s1600/IMG_0552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj941Ban12ioBLqL7PKygf9NJ0tusa8CV_YMlk_nx05c5xV5D_29qODxdOT4ztRApNgWBKMC_e1jU21lt9_0u-Te_qm-SOOYwokb-15WDXs6clGAyOEXA87r1bT8mz1YCBz2tJVcIP4sNVp/s320/IMG_0552.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Heart and Soul Ball</div><br />
The whole conference was overwhelmingly helpful and I can't wait until next year. If you've never been, I recommend saving up for it. It's worth every penny.Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4005271638436258159.post-26059824686291360262010-08-05T15:08:00.000-05:002010-08-05T15:08:15.187-05:00Dawn of a New BlogI've made the move from Livejournal to Blogspot based on testimonials and research. No hard feelings LJ, I hope we can still be friends. Don't call me, I'll call you.<br />
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I'll reintroduce myself here and get off to a fresh start. I'm Kelly, a twenty something writer living in the beautiful city of Chicago. During the day I work with eighth graders and at night I work toward my degree in Graphic Design at Columbia College Chicago. Somewhere in-between I write. I've been working on a YA novel for a couple years.<br />
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Other fun facts:<br />
I consider laughter to be a necessity. I place it right behind food, water and shelter.<br />
I would work for Rye Triscuits or Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts.<br />
I can call up a quote from Golden Girls for any situation.<br />
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I was fortunate enough to attend the SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles this past weekend. I'm still processing all the information! I'll make my next post a recap of it.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by! Check back again and I may have cookies.Kelly Barwickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383576894398436258noreply@blogger.com1