Mud Vs. Finger Paints

Quick note: I’m over on Calista Taylor’s blog talking about It’s All Kid’s Play, the importance of play in childhood, and the crossover from fiction writing to nonfiction writing. We’d love to see you there–feel free to drop a comment and weigh in on mud vs. finger paints. That’s right. It’s on like Donkey Kong!

(And if you are wondering about this crazy Kid’s Play thing of mine and want a little crash course and missed Jemi Fraser’s mini tour of It’s All Kid’s Play, it’s still up on her blog.)
Thanks and happy Trails!

Over the Top Blogger

I am pleased to announce that TK Richardson over at Evening Masquerade has awarded me with the Over the Top Blogger Award. As a recipient, I must answer the following questions about myself. Oh yes, we will plaster the blog-o-sphere seven or so blogs at a time. (But TK said I didn’t have to follow the rules and I’m kind of pressed for time, so I’m going to do the unmentionable (winces and checks for lightning about to strike) and not pass it on. (Sorry)

Here goes…

Where is your cell phone? uh? My bag?
Your hair? getting curlier
Your mother? alive
Your father? alive
Your favourite food? Mom’s spaghetti
Your dream last night? I dreamt?
Your favourite drink? Water. Straight up.
Your dream/goal? get my stories in bookstores
What room are you in? living room
Your hobby? reading, writing, but not arithmatic
Your fear? Loss.
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Happy
Where were you last night? Why do I need an alibi? (Buying a car)
Something that you aren’t? Mean
Muffins? Sure, thanks
Wish list item? Those flower clogs, Disneyland
Where did you grow up? In a schoolhouse
Last thing you did? Breathed
What are you wearing? work outfit
Your TV? off
Your pets? 2 cats
Friends? Yes, I have some. Thanks for asking.
Your life? It’s gooooood
Your mood? It’s good, too
Missing someone? Sure, it I think about it.
Vehicle? ’94 Dodge Shadow Selling it.   (See above)
Something you’re not wearing? men’s underwear
Your favourite store? MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op)
Your favourite color? Blue
When was the last time you laughed? today
Last time you cried? Uh? December?
Your best friend? My husband
One place that I go to over and over? bathroom
One person who emails me regularly? Lots of people, I’m lucky that way.
Favourite place to eat? At the table

Thanks!

Jean Oram: Profiled

Hey, I got profiled!–in a good way. There were no hunky men at a police station trying to figure out the motivations and psychological rumblings behind the woman makes up the enigma Jean Oram. Nope, not this time.

Aspiring author and blogger, J. Lea Lopez of the blog Jello World asked me to fill out her writer’s questionnaire. Every month she shows off an aspiring darling, and as it happens, December is my month. Yes, you heard right. I am sharing words of wisdom, insider trading tips (okay, not really), what makes me tick (or write), as well as spilling the beans on my library boyfriend over on J. Lea’s blog. So pop on over, there’s free hot chocolate with marshmallows and maybe a little light entertainment.

P.S. Here’s a strange fact, speaking of Jello, I really suck at making Jello. Yes, it’s true. I don’t know why. I can make layered cakes and brownies and nanaimo bars (For my American readers, these are a three layer bar with chocolate, coconut and graham wafer crumbs for the bottom layer, thick pudding for middle, and chocolate for the top.) from scratch, but don’t ask me to make Jello (or Rice Krispie squares). There’s some weird force field around me and simple treats that most 5-year-olds can master.

See this? Yeah, I can’t do that. Now you know my deepest, darkest secrets and must share yours.

Like Phone Tag, Only More Fun

There’s something going around the Internet tubes. And no, it’s not a virus… it’s a game called (wait for it) Blog Tag! Yes! You can now play tag while sitting, and you won’t even spill your coffee. Does it get any better? (The correct answer is ‘no.’)

I have to admit, I was blindsided. Calista Taylor snuck up on me while I was drinking a chai latte with friends and tagged me. I just about spilled my chai, I was so surprised. I didn’t even know I was playing! (Aren’t those the best kind of games?)

So, having been tagged, I get to answer some writing questions that you didn’t even realize you wanted answers to. There are a lot of them, you might want to take a bathroom break first.

*****

1)What’s the last thing you wrote? What’s the first thing you wrote that you still have?

Well, I just wrote this. Oh! You mean… Okay, um, the last thing I wrote was part of a work in progress–that was

yesterday. The first thing I wrote that I still have is probably some stories in my grade one notebook.

2) Write poetry?

On occasion, if a poem comes to me.

3) Angsty poetry?

When I was a teenager, but I haven’t been one in awhile, so, no.

4) Favourite genre of writing?

Romance is fun because you get to toy with character’s emotions and bring them down and then ‘wham,’ give them the greastest gift of all–love. Aw. I dapple with other genres, but romance is high-speed fun with the top rolled down.

5) Most annoying character you’ve ever created?

Well, there’s a guy character who always wore his shoes in the house and left mud on his friend’s coffee table. That annoyed the character. I’m not sure about reader’s though. I try not to annoy the reader.

6) Best plot you’ve ever created?

I think I might be creating it in my work in progress, but I’m not sure. It’s too soon to tell.

7) Coolest plot twist you’ve ever created?

Uh… huh. Hmmm… ummmm. I dunno. It’s hard to answer these questions because it’s hard to pull it out of your own writing, because it just is. Either that, or I’ve never written a cool plot twist, in which case, that’s just sad and depressing and I thank you for bringing me down.

8 ) How often do you get writer’s block?

Never. There are times when I have to step back, go for a walk and let the next scene or move come to me.

9) Write fan fiction?

Nope. I’m not avid about a show or series enough to feel the desire to pen myself some fan fiction.

10) Do you type or write by hand?

I can type faster than I can write now, so brainstorming and here-and-there notes are by hand, the rest is a la computer.

11) Do you save everything you write?

Yeah, pretty much. I’m a natural packrat.

12) Do you ever go back to an idea after you’ve abandoned it?

Define abandon. These are my kids, they might get neglected, but never truly abandoned.

13) What’s your favourite thing you’ve ever written?

That would be The 15 Date Rule. Not because it is the best, but because it was the most fun to write.

14) What’s everyone else’s favourite story you’ve written?

What? It isn’t The 15 Date Rule? Come on! Seriously though, people seem to love Caviar and Lemon Drops. It is pretty good, but it wasn’t quite as much fun to write as 15DR. (It came after 15DR and plotting it, etc, wasn’t as ridden with challenges to keep me on my toes.)

15) Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?

Romance, yes. Teen drama, no.

16) What’s your favourite setting for your characters?

Honestly, I forget about setting a lot of the time. I’m more concerned with the mood, emotion, motivations, etc. I have to remind myself to add setting into each scene.

17) How many writing projects are you working on right now?

Of my own–just one. It’s a first draft, so everything else of mine gets to hang back for a bit. I am doing some editing work for other people’s projects. (You can contract me to edit, coach, critique, and more! I do queries, synopses, manuscripts, and proposals.)

18) Have you ever won an award for your writing?

Nope. I placed in a contest, but I’m not much of a contest hound. I won first in a province-wide art contest once, does
that count? No, no it doesn’t. I just wanted to feel special.

19) What are your five favourite words?

Leave me alone, I’m writing.

Not really–I don’t think I’ve ever said that. How about ‘pristine’. That’s a good word. Now, I need four more…

20) What character have you created that is most like yourself?

They all have pieces of me.

21) Where do you get your ideas for your characters?

They just show up, ready to kick a$$ (or whatever they are there to do).

22) Do you ever write based on your dreams?

Nope.

23) Do you favour happy endings?

Sure. If it fits the story. It has to be satisfying for the audience, that’s the number one requirement.

24) Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?

Sorta. I’ll backtrack to fix spelling. Mostly, it’s full steam ahead in the first draft. My first concern is the get the idea down before it disappears. I can make it flow or grammatically correct on the second pass.

25) Does music help you write?

It depends. Sometimes music interrupts, which is really annoying.

26) Quote something you’ve written. Whatever pops in your head.

“Cynthia tossed her wavy hair, leaving it tousled, sexy, and perfect in a way that made Beth think of champagne and movie stars.” I wrote that line in one of my edits of Caviar and Lemon Drops and then forgot about it. I reread it months later and got all pissed off. I thought someone had been messing with my manuscript. But the worst part was that they were better than I was. It was an interesting moment when I figured out I wrote it.

*****

That’s it. You made it to the end. I hope I didn’t bore you too much.

Now… I get to tag another three writers!

I’m going to chase after Yvonne Osborne, snag TK Richardson, and grab J. Lea. Lopez because she posted an interview the other day with moi and some of these questions weren’t covered in her interview with herself back in June.

Hmmm… I’m noticing a trend here… I’ve been a guest on all three of these blogs! It’s tag nepotism at its best. Love it!

A Book Discussion About ‘The Giver’

A few days ago, Yvonne Osborne (aspiring writer) posed a list of questions to Jemi Fraser (aspiring writer and teacher) and me about Lois Lowry’s young adult book The Giver. Yvonne has posted our replies to her thought-provoking questions on her blog, The Organic Writer. I recommend you stop by her blog to read the discussion, say hello, and weigh in on what you think about The Giver. If you haven’t read The Giver, our discussion just might prod you to do so.

A bit of background on The Giver (taken from my book review):

This is a soft science fiction young adult novel that has been challenged and/or banned in schools due to some of its content. Jonas, a 12-year-old living in a Utopian society, is chosen to become a receiver of memories. In the past, Jonas’ community decided to go to ’sameness’ and to remove emotion and emotional memories from their lives in order to live pain-free. Naturally, that comes at a cost. As Jonas learns more about his new job (he accepts the memories of the past that include war, hunger, and much, much more in order to serve as an adviser to the community) the more the illusion of innocence slips from the way he views his world, separating him from his friends.

More On Twitter

I suppose I should mention that I am on Twitter too, eh? It’s not just for fictional characters, it’s for real humans too!

You can look for me under my username: jeanoram. I try to update it daily, but it doesn’t always quite work out that way.

As well, there are a pile of agents twittering (or is it tweeting) over there too. If you’d like to see a list, AQ Crew on Agent Query has started a nice list. It’s another way to put your ear to the ground in the publishing world.

It’s All Kid’s Play Gets a Recommendation

The It’s All Kid’s Play website and blog (created by Jean Oram) got a recommendation from writer and editor Matt Sinclair over on his blog, Matt Sinclair’s Coffee Cup. Check it out. (He always has amusing polls going on as well.) While he believes he “was born aware of how to make armpit farts”, he points out the fact that some of the activities are not as common. For example, curling. Who knew American kids are unaware of curling?

If you haven’t checked out the It’s All Kid’s Play (dot ca) website with over 700 free (and almost free) activities aimed at keeping children from uttering the dreaded words, “I’m bored”, check it out! It’s fun and free. (P.S. You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy some of the activities.)