Snow Day

Off the Record: My kid's had so many snow days this year, I'm beginning to wonder if we should just start homeschooling!

While there's nothing like sharing a cozy day at home with loved ones, there's also something to be said for a writer having her space and quiet time.  A lot of work happens between the ears, and that's more challenging with more people in the house.

My solution: put the wee ones to work!  (Okay, my "wee one" is a teenager who's chomping at the bit to earn money.) Today, she has updated my paper files, and is now transcribing an interview for me.  Both tasks are essential to keeping the writer productive. Yet I have shoved both tasks onto the back burner for far too long.
Keeping my files updated helps me keep my life in order.
The interview transcript will be the primary component in a chapter of the non-fiction book proposal I'm developing.  

The subject of the book?  That's a secret, but I will divulge that the interviewee was the legendary folk singer Pete Seeger.  He is one of many generous individuals who support my book idea.  We had a great phone conversation several months ago, and I'm excited to read the transcript and then put it to good use!

Back to writing!

The Book(s)

Wow, has it really been almost a month since my last post???

Off the record: Vacation Time is GRRRRRREAT! What did I do, aside from spend time with my beautiful child?

I reflected, I read novels and magazines, and I considered my future. And, oh yeah, I wrote FOR MYSELF. As enjoyable as journalism is, there is nothing like the feeling of just letting words flow without worrying about who's going to read them, what they may think, and whether or not the writing is actually good. Playing with words is one of the joys of my life.

I also resumed thinking about the book project I started earlier this year, when I traveled to Nicaragua to interview people with disabilities. Just as I was feeling discouraged about the possibility of actually getting the thing published (or being PAID to write it), I stumbled upon a super-helpful post about getting published at Editorial Ass. It's amazing how just reading the info therein got my creative juices flowing, reminded me of how much I have to offer and made me see that I actually do have a chance at getting a book published!

As Moon Rat (the Editorial Ass blogger) says, "Published authors are just the writers who had the most perseverance."

p.s. Two novels I read and LOVED this summer:
"The Sound of Waves," by Yukio Mishima
"The Westing Game," by Ellen Raskin (recommended by my daughter)

OFF THE RECORD: This Actor Turned Author is Truly Inspiring

Friday I had the priviledge of interviewing the author of a new vegan diet & lifestyle book for a national magazine.

The book excerpts her publisher sent me were inspiring, and speaking with this author was great fun. I love interviewing people and finding interpersonal connections. In this case, our love of food and passion for health unites us.

If the woman's name was Jane Smith, I would have been excited about the interview. However, the author of "The Kind Diet", forthcoming from Rodale press this fall, is Alicia Silverstone. With all the crazy stories about Hollywood “stars-run-amok”, it's refreshing to meet someone so down-to-earth and committed to helping others. Her breakout movie role may have been the starring role in "Clueless," but Alicia Silverstone is anything but.