Writing News Galore (And My New Sandals)

My blog has been a little light on the writing news lately. I mean, let's face it, the blog's been light on everything in general, ever since I started it. Which is why I make a pledge: I will be posting twice a week, every week, from now on! Feel free to ooh and ahh. Seriously. Ooh and ahh. Humor me here. Why can I make this blogging guarantee? One reason will be revealed on Thursday, in my next post. One reason is that I love you guys! Also, I joined Twitter so I could be cool. No, J/k, that's not the reason. I'll never be cool. I was actually just missing out on crucial, crucial information, like what my next-door-neighbor had for dinner and whether or not my friends were pleased with the most recent So You Think You Can Dance? outcome.

Yes.  The time had come.  So follow me on twitter @emilywingsmith.  It'll be fun!

And while I was learning how to do stuff, I figured out how to post my blog to livejournal.  I probably don't have any lj friends left since I've been such a deadbeat, but it's a risk I''m willing to take.

In my writing world, two good things happened this week.  First, I found out I'm a finalist for the 2008 Utah Book Award (Young Adult Division) from Utah Center for the Book.  Great news, because I had no idea I was nominated for the award.  While the letter I received notified me that there is one other finalist, it didn't say who that finalist is.   I really wish I knew... so if it's you, email me!  Otherwise I won't find out until the awards ceremony on October 22.

Another good thing:  I got official word about the Second Annual Writing for Charity Event!  Do you like to write?  Do you like to write for young readers?  Do you want to meet a bunch of famous authors who live right here in Utah?  Do you know me personally and think, "If she can do this, it must be pretty easy?"  Then pay a mere $50 ($45 before August 21st) and register for...

(from the website)

The Writing for Charity Event, a workshop for aspiring children’s book writers (age 13 and up only), will provide participants with professional advice and the opportunity to have their work evaluated by one of the event’s participating authors. The event includes the opportunity to purchase books and have books signed. Participants can also purchase drawing tickets for great prizes, including signed books and a book bag signed by all of the participating authors (Note from Em-Dawg:  this includes me and about 20 other local authors.  Yep, 20!)

All proceeds from the event will benefit the non-profit Treehouse Children’s Museum and its award-winning Family Literacy Programs. Writers of children’s picture books should bring a full manuscript (fewer than 1,000 words), and chapter book authors should bring the book’s first page for the critique. Participants are not required to bring work sample for the critique session.

Saturday, August 29 10AM - 2PM at the Children's Treehouse Museum in  Ogden

Check out all the info here:

http://www.treehousemuseum.org/events_and_calendar.php

Speaking of my new sandals...

Two summers ago I bought the PERFECT sandals.  They had a strap across the heel, which is a must for me--otherwise I walk right out of the shoe (no$2 Old Navy flip-flops for me).  They were flats--no high-heel to trip on.  They had Velcro closures.  They were white with a tiny flower on the toe.  They were from the girls' shoe section at Target.

Daniel forbid me from ever again buying shoes from the kids' section.  But finding shoes that meet my shoe-qualifications is tough.  Enter Lisa, my awesome shopping-buddy and BFF.  She's infinitely patient while I try stuff on, and once told me:  "Friends don't let friends buy those shoes."

Today we went to Nordstrom for their semi-annual sale and came out with some GREAT shoes.  I may be $70 poorer, but look what I have:

Success!

Adventures in Yurting

Perhaps because I was feeling all outdoorsy and nature-girl from my stint with camping,  I was gung-ho when my sister and brother-in-law suggested we go on a yurt adventure to Manti, Utah.   Julie and Reo went to Snow College, mere minutes from the yurt,  and I was more than pumped to visit their old stomping grounds-- plus hang out with their son Holden, the most adorable baby ever.   Besides, we needed a break from our tired Rock Band routine.

I should have taken it as a bad sign that Holden cried for nearly the entire journey to said yurt, but I chalked it up to his being an infant.  Also I should have taken it as a bad sign that we got checked into our campsite by a nine-year-old boy, but I chalked that up to bad parenting (which I've experienced first-hand as of late).

I can't remember the first time I knew I wanted to stay in a yurt.  It wasn't very long ago, and I was surfing the web for some reason (Or maybe no reason at all, which I sometimes do)  and I saw a picture of a yurt.  Obviously, it was not this particular yurt.

Anyway, since that moment I've been digging yurts and their whole architectural style, which is like a tepee, but not.  Note from the picture above that the top of a yurt is flat, not cone-shaped as a tepee.  This yurt boasted a skylight at the top, perfect for stargazing.  Usually stargazing makes me too dizzy to be enjoyable, since I can't tilt my head back and look up at the same time.  If I was lying on my bed, though?  I could totally handle it.

Unfortunately, this was my bed:

Now, I wasn't expecting five-star accommodations or anything,  but I was expecting something better than this broken-down futon, which actually looks much cleaner in the photo than it did in real life.  Just take my word for it.

Julie and Reo's bed, however, had a whole different vibe (think The Princess and the Pea):

If these things alone had been the yurt's only shortcomings, no big.  I can handle odd, unsanitary furniture (I've lived in a college dorm, after all).

Alas, we had booked the yurt for the same weekend a family reunion had booked all the camping spaces around the yurt.  And by around, I mean that one tent was pitched so close to our deck that using our grill would have set said tent on fire.   Things I  tripped on/almost tripped on while walking to the yurt:

--one  inflatable pool with waterslide

--two pack-n-plays (neither of them for Holden)

--three camp chairs

The members of the family reunion wore matching shirts.  Also, they stared at us.  Whenever we were outside.  So we did not spend a lot of time at the yurt on our yurt adventure.

Which didn't turn out to be all bad.  We ate good burgers,  toured the desereted Snow College campus, and even went to Wal-Mart (where we bought sheets for our bed, because a sleeping bag was just not enough).  Plus, we ate at yet another One Man Band Diner.

Oh, and you could see exactly zero stars from the yurt's skylight.

My Other BFFs

Some of you already know that kids and I are tight.  In fact, it's gotten so that I'm actually surprised when some random kid I've never met DOESN'T run up and give me a high-five.  I think kids don't view me as a threat because I both look and act like one of them.  And I love it  (being tight with kids, not being childish.  The childish thing is probably something I should work on...). Daniel and I were discussing our summer plans, and my part of the conversation went something like this:  "So, August 1 is going to be a busy day.  G is getting baptized and I hope it's at a different time than Z's birthday party, because I really want to be there for him, plus his party is at Chuck E Cheese."

I should explain that in my faith (and G's faith) (Mormon), it is customary to be baptized when one reaches the age of eight.  This is the case with G.  Z is turning seven.   Yes, my busy schedule revolves around celebrations for pre-pubescent boys.  And I love it (not in a creepy way).

One of my best friends has two beautiful daughters and I'm tight with them, too.   Because they know me in a religious context (again, Mormon) it is customary for them to call me by my last name, preceded by "Sister."

Once when I was babysitting them, the younger girl (we'll call her LaLa) said to me:  "Sista Smith, if I'm really good, can I be naked?"

I SO didn't know what to say to that.  I mean, who am I to deprive someone of that primal need to be naked?  And she sounded so sincere.

But her sister interrupted.  "Nuh-uh.  My mom says she's not allowed to be naked!"  I loved both her big-sister tone and the fact that this scenario had obviously occurred before.

Oh LaLa, my sista.  I feel ya.

The other day, I was hanging out with one of my writer friends and her sons, two of my favorite boys.  One of them was introducing me to his cousin:  "Janie, this is Emily.  Someday soon I'm going over to her house to watch Clone Wars."  Which is 100% true.  I have about a million episodes of Clone Wars on my DVR, ready for him.

Lately I've been feeling unfulfilled.  Like, "Wow, what am I actually doing with my life?  I've only published one book, and my next one doesn't come out for another year and a half.  Maybe I need to get a real job."  Only how can I?  I would totally miss out on moments like these.

Some Of My Best Friends Are Teens...

So, this marks the end of the Week of Girls Camp and the beginning of a new, possibly less crazy week.  Possibly. Girls Camp reaffirmed my beliefs that:

1) I am, indeed, allergic to nature.  Mainly in the physical sense of sniffing, sneezing and general itchiness.  But I also just don't enjoy the outdoors that much.  This has not changed since I was a teen.  It probably never will.

2) I am, indeed, the most accident-prone person known to man.  Our campsite had quite uneven terrain, and with my high-quality walking skills, you can imagine how that turned out.  I just discovered a new fist-sized bruise on my leg today.

The sad part is I have no idea which of my accidents caused the bruise.  It's like on one of those trashy TV shows where (through a DNA test) a woman learns which of a long line of  men is indeed the father of her child.  "Ray, you're not the father.  Angelo, you're not the father.  RJ, you're not the father..."

With accidents, I have had multiple partners.

Additionally, I hit my head on the camp's makeshift waterslide, burned myself on a hot marshmallow roaster, and got seven bug bites.  Oh yeah, and lest I forget the piece de resistance....

Huh.  Okay, so the picture I wanted included a rock climbing wall in the background, but oh well.  This is a picture of Kim, Maribah, and Mariah standing NEXT to the rock climbing wall.  Use your imagination and picture me on a rock climbing wall.  Now stop laughing long enough to read that no, this is not a joke.  At the request of my girls, I not only climbed said wall, I MADE IT TO THE TOP!  Rock on Em-Dawg!  If I do say so myself.  Also noteworthy was how I made it to the top with no problem.  Alas, I had to get down.  I thought this was the easy part.  Everybody before me just let go of the rock, kicked off the wall, and down they fell in a nice, straight line.

I should have known it wouldn't go that way for me.  I let go of the rock, kicked off the wall, and fell at an angle, narrowly missing a collision with the girl climbing next to me.  To avoid hitting her, I over-corrected and swung as far to the left as my bungee would go.  Then I stopped short (still halfway between the ground and the top of the wall).  I was just hanging there, wondering what to do, when I dropped the rest of the way down.  The guy in charge looked completely baffled.

See!  This is the rock wall!  I'm not climbing it, but I don't have a picture of that anyway.  And Sydney and Rachel, pictured here, are way cuter.

Which brings me to the 3rd belief reaffirmed by camp:  I am so lucky to get to hang with these awesome girls.  They are far and away the best thing about camp (there's not even a close second.  The food, while good, doesn't even compare).

Did you know at Girls Camp people give each other lots of stuff?  This stuff consists of very cute handmade craft-type items.  I had no such items to give my girls.  Even if I'd had handmade craft-type items, they'd totally bite  because most accident-prone person known to man?  Remember?  So instead of giving them a craft-type item, I wrote them a song.  And by "wrote," I mean I made up new lyrics to an already existing song ("The World," by Brad Paisley).  I sang it to them at the campfire our last night (and by "sang" I mean that I downloaded a karaoke version of the song and belted out the new words in my not-even-good-enough-for-karaoke voice).

Anyway, if any of them are reading this post, remember:  To the world you may be just another girl.  But to me, baby you ARE the world.

UPDATE!  You can check out my interview with bff Brodi here

Random Friday Round-Up

While I multi-task and work on my novel/catch up on email, I will use my newfound skillz to pay the billz and upload all the great photos from last week that I've been too lazy to load so far.  Check it out, yo:

My home-dawg James Dashner at the banquet with his editor, Krista.  Check out how Krista has totally mastered the art of looking good for a picture without plastering a cheesy smile on her face.   I have not learned this.

True story:  When I was getting a "head shot" taken for the release of my first book, I hired a professional photographer for the first time in my life (I didn't even hire one for my wedding).  So the photographer says.  "Okay, for each pose we'll take three pictures.  In one, smile really big.  In one, just have a small, soft smile, and in one, look serious."  I nodded.  See, this is why I hate professional photography.  I always feel like I'm going to mess up.  So I smile big.  Then I smile soft.  Then I look serous.  And the photographer puts down her camera and kind of shudders and says.  "Aah!  Not that serious."

Kim, Sara and Brodi looking studious as we wait for the session to start.

My friend Lisa and I held a "reading" at our hotel Wednesday night (she's the one on the left).  We each read a bit from our novel-in-progress, as did new friend Deanne Campbell (right) and Valynne (the one taking the picture).

And on the last day, I got to talk wayyy too briefly with my friend Jen White ( my California-girl gorgeous classmate at Vermont College!  How lucky am I that now she's a Utahn and we only live an hour apart?).  On the right is Janessa, a talented writer I've met only a few times but is in Jen's writing group.  How can you go wrong with a clique like that?

Happy Friday, everyone!  If I survive camp, I'll let y'all know in approximately one week.

One Great Post (Part 4 of 5)

Ah, Girls Camp.  The closer it approaches, the more dread I feel.  It is a good thing I really, REALLY love these girls.  Otherwise the meetings on top of meetings I attend prior to actual camp would be unbearable.  But before I leave so people can tell me random bits o' info about the menu for Dutch-oven night and the camp craft rotation schedule, I am posting yet again. The news I was too tired to post last night has to do with my friend and fellow writer Holly Cupala and the Summer Revision Smackdown!  To give a very, very poor explanation of the Summer Revision Smackdown:  Holly and one of her readergirlz co-divas decided to spend the summer helping YA writers everywhere to revise that dang manuscript (you know, the task that makes even taking off to Girls Camp seem like a good idea).  Each day, they're posting revision tips from some fantastic YA writers, and Holly asked ME to participate!  Click here to read what I had to say.

I just saw that today's post was by none other than Carrie Jones!  Carrie is an amazing writer and person, plus her urban fantasy Need is taking the YA world by a storm!  I guess it goes without saying that Carrie is my bff in all the world, although she lives in Maine (too far away to be part of  the Clique).  I have asked Carrie many times if she will come visit me this summer, but maybe it will sound better coming from you!  If anyone reading this will go to Carrie's blog and send her an email telling her to come to Utah this summer, I will give you chocolate.

Now, onto last week's Thursday fun at the BYU conference.  This was the night my dream came true and I got my much coveted photo with Louise Plummer!  Louise mentored me WAY back in college, when I first started seriously writing YA fiction.  She read a really bad novel I wrote that I now won't even read because it embarrasses me so.  But Louise didn't even make me a little bit embarrassed when she responded to the book.  Which is why I'm the published author I am today.

Anyway, since she was on the faculty at the BYU conference this year I was hoping to get a picture with her.  Alas, it looked as though that was not meant to be.  BUT...on the final night of the conference they held a banquet, and since I helped organize the mingle I got a special seat!  At a special table!  Which meant I was SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO LOUISE!  Oh, sweet goodness of life and its tiny miracles (okay, let's face it--for me this was a HUGE miracle).

The photo:

Third Time's A Charm

I accidentally bad-clicked on this picture because in the thumbnails I couldn't see what it was a picture of.  In case you were wondering, it is a picture of delicious sushi Kim ordered at Shoga's, a sushi bar in Orem where we ate lunch last Wednesday.  Have I mentioned I love to photograph food?  I love to photograph food!

I tried putting text above this picture.  With all I've learned about technology this week it should work, right?  As you can see, it did not.  So the picture's random.  This blog is random.  What else is new?

Meanwhile, I am exhausted.  Getting ready for Girls Camp exhausts me.  Also, I just realized this will be my third summer in a row as a leader at camp.  Maybe this time will be a charm!  Think positive.

I have other news, but it's not that important (is anything really important when you're tired?) so I'll post it tomorrow.  Don't fret--it's really not that important.

And They Said It Couldn't Be Done...

My posting every day this week, that is.  And who are "they"? Oh, you know who you are.

Since yesterday's post covered last Monday, this post will cover last Tuesday, which was extra super fun because of the "mingle" held that evening.  Apparently this mingle is a conference tradition, held for faculty of the BYU conference and other published "kids" writers from across the Wasatch Front.  I feel like I am over-using quotation marks.  Anyway, the day was NOT just about the mingle!  It was about learning, too.  Because education can be fun!

I attended two great presentations: one on plot by Martine Leavitt and one on voice by Dandi Mackall. I tried to link to Martine's site, too, but she doesn't have one.  Just so you know I am not playing favorites or anything.  They are BOTH my favorite.  But  one has a website and one doesn't, so what can you do?  Anyway, I learned bunches and barely had time to digest it all before helping prepare for the mingle.

Because I am non-exclusive, I invited my friend Valynne to be my "spouse" for the mingle.  People might say this has less to do with my non-exclusivity pact and more to do with my actual spouse's lack of interest in attending the mingle.  I pay these people no mind.  Besides, Valynne is not only well on her way to publication, she is also good at carrying heavy things.

In this shot V and I are preparing drinks.  The picture was taken by moi, who momentarily forgot how cameras work.  Meaning I forgot that I would be IN the photo, thus I shouldn't wear my typical brace-yourself-for-the-worst expression.  Sadly, out of the three photos we took, this is the best one.  Anyway, the soda was sufficiently chilled.  That's all that really matters.

The mingle was a huge success (due in no small part to me, I'm not going to lie).  However, there were others involved (and by involved, I mean they actually did everything).  In charge were none other than my writer posse James Dashner, Sara Zarr, and Anne Freakin' Bowen!

Me with Anne.  Anne is not from the ghetto.

Speaking of Ann(e)s:

Here are Ann Dee Ellis and Ann (A.E) Cannon

Here is Sydney Salter (left) with two of the delightful editors at the conference.  Besides having a brand new book out (MY BIG NOSE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS), Sydney is our regional advisor for the Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) so how fitting to get a picture of her with the big-wigs!

Okay, so there are lots of other pictures but they take forever to post, and time is money, people.  I have to wrap this up, especially since it's only Day 2 of my 5-Day Journey.  Don't want to get burned out.

Side note:  I am going to be interviewed on Brodi Ashton's ultra-blog! If you have any questions for the interview, send them her way!  Please.

Until tomorrow!

The Clique

So, last week was the BYU Writing and Illustating for Young Readers Conference.  And I am not alone in saying it was sah-weet!  Seriously, I had one heck of a good time.  I know a bunch of other, better people have already blogged about this event, even DURING the event (perish the thought).  I had no time for this.  For one thing, I was writing.  And when I wasn't writing, I was hanging out with My Clique, aka My Peeps.

Does anyone else feel a negative chill when they hear the word "clique?"  I do.  It stems from a time much before the book series about an ultra-wenchy clique, too.  I suppose it My Childhood, a collection of dark days in which cliques existed solely to exclude/mock me.   Imagine my chagrin when my friend said,  "Guys, I feel like we're the biggest clique."

No!  A clique!  How can that be, when we love all and exclude none?   Honestly, we are not in much of a position to judge others, since I think each of us would agree we have something wrong with us.   Also, we don't mock people.  Unless, of course, those people are ourselves (who we mock freely).

Anyway, I was worried until she explained:  We weren't the biggest clique.  We were the biggest clique.  (The six of us were barreling into Brodi's ultra-vehicle at the time).   My issues solved (for the moment), we could enjoy the rest of the day in peace.  And enjoy we did!

Now, in a threefold effort to 1) show off my awesome conference pics, 2) learn how to use my computer and camera in harmony and 3) recap some of my favorite conference moments, I will be blogging EVERY DAY THIS WEEK!  Yahoo!  This yahoo is mainly for my own benefit, as who actually wants to read my blog every day?  But the point is that by doing so, I hope to acquire the mad skillz I so desperately seek.

To leave you on the edge of your seat (yet also somewhat fulfilled, like all the best cliff-hangers) here's another picture of the Clique, from Monday last:

Where I Went Instead of BEA

This week, while my colleagues and friends were attending Book Expo America (BEA) in New York City, I was in Las Vegas.  No, this was not a consolation trip to cheer me up for missing BEA...or maybe it was.  But it was unintentional.  I promised my husband we'd go to Vegas to see Cirque du Soleil's LOVE (a tribute to the Beatles) for his birthday.  His birthday was six weeks ago and we finally had time to get away for a few days.  And let me tell you, it made me forget all my cares! For those who've never seen a Cirque du Soleil show or, more to the point LOVE,  I'll try to explain.  People say it's a glorified French-Canadian circus troupe, but that SO doesn't even come close.  LOVE was part Broadway musical, part rock concert, part magic show and part Mardi Gras parade.  Dan loves the acrobatics.  I loved the KILLER soundtrack.   I give the performance two thumbs way up.

Near the end of the trip I realized that while I had pictures of food a-plenty, I hadn't taken pictures of anything else.  This thought occured to me at Caesar's Palace, and right away a photo op presented itself:

Check out my guns!  Don't I look tough?

I know, I know.  You don't have to say it.

On another note:  As random commenter Juliana pointed out, whatever happened to my sister, scribe extraordinaire and computer genius, who helped me with my posts?  It's like when Aunt Jodi mysteriously disappeared from Jon and Kate Plus Eight!  Whaddya say, Juliana?  This weekend, for some blog bonding/Rock Band?  I'll call you!