Nonfiction Monday

For your weekly links to reviews of great Nonfiction books, click on over to Lori Calabrese Writes!

Writing news

This week has been dedicated to researching and writing critical essays for my second semester at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Next week I get to have fun with my new creative work.

What am I working on? Last semester I worked on a dog story. I tried to tell it from the dog's viewpoint, but very few writers can manage this, and I don't seem to be one of them. With the help of my Vermont College advisor, I changed the point of view to the man/boy and condensed it to picture book size. What an interesting writing adventure that was.

This semester my creative work will be about -- cats. So far the cats don't speak. I hope I can keep it that way, because it's more of a story about a girl and her cat, not the cat's story.

-wo

Must an author participate in social media?

Interesting discussions about the value of various social media (for authors) are going on.

Twitter

Facebook

Google +

blogs

websites

etc.

Must an author be visible on all of these, or can s/he pick and choose? After all, we are writers and we have the same 24 hours a day available to everyone else. But we also have to squeeze in Time To Write.

For a look at the experience of one writer who declared a 100-day Social Media blackout, only continuing with her website and blog, click on over to this article by Monica Valentinelli. posted on the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America website.

Oh, and for you Nonfiction Monday fans -- the links to Nonfiction Monday posts on other blogs are being collected at Check It Out. -wo

Attention teachers out there

If you are a teacher or you know any teachers, or even school librarians or principals, they might be interested in this message from author, Laurel Snyder.

Feel free to pass it along.

What

a

Deal!

She is offering a Skype Tour to 100 classrooms in 100 days this fall!

The first 30 teachers/ media specialists/ librarians/ (probably includes principals and veeps) to sign up for this tour will get a free copy of her new book, Bigger than a Bread Box.

She will also be providing reading guides and other tools to anyone who wants that, too.

Just click on over to her blog BewilderBLOG and sign up.

The sooner she gets 100 classes confirmed, the sooner she can set the schedule.

Did I forget to mention that it's free?

Sounds like fun. -w

NonFiction Monday And Vermont

Nonfiction Monday is being held at Chapter Book of the Day today. Click on over and follow the links to good books.

Sunday we had the morning off, so I drove around the Montpiellier area and discovered the Ben and Jerry's factory -- free samples, yum. As we exited, I bought some Ice cream themed PJs for the 11 year old and a scoop of (strange new flavor) ice cream for me. Hmmm, it's NOT on the way back to the airport. I wonder if I'll have time to bop back there for more before I head to the airport. But it'll be right after breakfast.... maybe not.

I'm enjoying having a car up here which means that I can occasionally get off campus.

After the graduation ceremony on Wednesday, our class will go out to eat together. This time at an Italian place. And this time I don't have to beg a ride from anyone. I can be the driver, instead. The college is on top of a steep hill and, although I can walk down it, walking back up takes twice as long, for me.

I'm trying to build my stamana by walking up the stairs to one of the lecture halls, instead of taking the elevator.

During readings in the evenings, I knit.

I've completed one scarf and are almost done with another. (I'm not attempting anything complicated -- just straight knitting.)

-wo

Vermont College -- Notes

Ah, I've discovered that other Vermont College students are posting about the lectures at the Through the Tollbooth blog. Good job folks. (and, it has pictures!)
-wo

Vermont College -- Notes

I'm going to be posting tidbits about my adventure at Vermont College of Fine Arts during the 10 day Residency. (If I can get the internet to cooperate.)

Yesterday, Classes at Vermont College didn't start today until 3 pm, so I took the car and drove up the mountain behind Montpelier.

and up.

and up.

Found a Maple sugar place and bought sugar. YUM.

Then took a different way home, drove off the map, found myself coming down a different side of the mountain on a dirt road. Eventually landed on Route 2 and wended my want back to the college. Just barely in time for the 3:00 gathering of all students.

The first lecture was in the evening was by the resident poet, Julie Larios. Her theme was "Who am I. The Lonely Riddle Reveals." The carry-away tidbit from her talk was, "How minds use language to organize the world affects the way we write. Riddles interrupt this and make us think.... and rethink."

-wo