Originally published at devafagan.com. You can comment here or there.

Okay, so I’m breaking my vow, and only a day into February. But it’s for a good reason!

From Publisher’s Marketplace:

International rights: Children’s Deva Fagan’s CIRCUS GALACTICUS and CIRCUS SPECTACULAR, the sequel, to Tick Tock, for publication in Spring 2011, by Heather Baror at Baror International

Woohoo! CIRCUS GALACTICUS is coming to the UK! With a sequel! This is my first foreign rights sale ever and I couldn’t be happier about it. But the best part about it, for me, is that it means I get to write the sequel I’ve been dying to work on. I love this world and these characters, and I really wanted to tell more of their stories. The original US sale was just the first book, though I’m keeping my fingers crossed that CG will do well enough here that the sequel will see print in the US too.

Thank you to my fantastic foreign rights agent Heather, and to Tick Tock!

This is making it even more exciting to plan a trip to the UK in summer 2011!

And now back to my internet vacation…

Originally published at devafagan.com. You can comment here or there.

I can be a wee bit obsessive sometimes. This can be a good thing, sometimes. It’s probably part of what kept me determined to publish, even after hundreds of rejection. But it can also be a bad thing, when I (for example) get obsessed with checking goodreads to see if anyone has marked my books “to-read”. Or when I start stressing out over whether people are blogging about my books. Or when I feel massive guilt for not updating Facebook and twitter often enough. Because while online stuff is useful and cool, I want to do it for FUN, not because of some obligation, or to shove my books in peoples faces saying “look at me!”. I’ve started to think I need a little break.

Then there’s the fact that I’m planning to start seriously working on the Circus Galacticus sequel tomorrow. It’s the first day of the month AND a Monday. It must have good project-starting mojo!

So I’m taking inspiration from author Laurie Halse Anderson and embracing Blog-Free February. No blogging, no twitter, no facebook, no goodreads (other than adding things I read), no google reader. Also, no self-googling and no worldcat stalking. And hey, I don’t have to worry about Amazon ranking anymore!

I haven’t quite worked up the guts to say no livejournal friendslist reading, but I will restrict it to a small subset of close friends so I don’t miss urgent life stuff.

Wish me luck! I’ll be back March 1 (or, um, sooner if I fail to control myself) to blog about how it went, and if I learned anything. And before I ride off into the blogless-sunset, here are some tidbits…

First, I have an essay up in the latest edition of Hunger Mountain (the journal of the Vermont College of Fine Arts) called “Proactive Princess: Re-imagining the Fairy Tale. Stop on over to read it and leave a comment if you like! Then go read Erin Dionne’s companion piece here. There’s a lot of other great stuff in this issue, which is dedicated to the memory of author Norma Fox Mazer. Check it out!

Second, I’ve been in a scifi state of mind lately, and thus was quite excited to see the trailer for this new short (20 min) scifi film by Kenyan director Wanuri Kahiu:

Third, here’s a poem that’s inspiring me at the moment:

An Adventure Begins

An adventure begins,
when the one who was grimacing
suddenly grins.

An adventure begins,
when the one who was losing
suddenly wins.

An adventure begins,
when the one who acts saintly
suddenly sins.

When the smooth surface pops up with circling fins,
when soft drums surrender to bold violins,
when the light of the moon starts to shine on our skins,

an adventure begins.

~by JonArno Lawson, from Black Stars in a White Night Sky

And now I’m going to take inspiration from my goofy dog and go sit in the sun and just enjoy being.

Originally published at devafagan.com. You can comment here or there.

Amazon.com has chosen to remove all books published by Macmillan (the parent company of my publisher, Henry Holt). That means you can’t buy new copies of Fortune’s Folly via Amazon (you can still buy used copies listed by third parties) and you can’t pre-order The Magical Misadventures of Prunella Bogthistle. I’ve also heard that existing pre-orders have been deleted. Why is this happening? The CEO of Macmillan has made a statement here.

I’ve been speaking in support of buying books from good local independent bookstores for some time now, and this sort of thing is just another reason why I urge you all to consider how you use your purchasing power. Amazon (and the chain bookstores too, for that matter) have a huge amount of power and influence over what you are offered to read, what the covers look like, etc. If you don’t deliberately go out to libraries, independent bookstores, online book blogs and review magazines you are likely to miss out on vast swaths of fantastic books. So I am once again asking everyone to really consider where you buy your books, and just how much that deep discount is saving you in the long run.

You can still order my books from various other places online, including Powell’s Books (they offer a discounted price as good as Amazon’s, and an ebook too!), or you can find them on Indiebound.

Edited to add: And duh, I really ought to add a plug here for one of my favorite way to read new books. The library! A lot of states have inter-library loan programs now, so you can almost always get any book you want from somewhere. I do try to buy my own copies of books I really like (or give them as gifts) but the library is such a fantastic way to try out books you aren’t sure about, or that you don’t have the $$ to purchase.

Worldcat is a great website to search for books in libraries all around the world.

Originally published at devafagan.com. You can comment here or there.

Today I’m happy to welcome Rhonda Stapleton (the last, but not the least of the 2009 Debutantes) to my blog, to answer a few questions about her debut YA novel Stupid Cupid.

Q: Tell us about a scene or character from your novel that was especially easy (or especially difficult) to write.

A: The tarot card reading scene was surprisingly easy to write…in fact, it’s the only scene my editor didn’t bleed all over. LOL

Q: What is your favorite (or one of your favorite) myths or fairy-tales, and why? Or alternately, what fairy-tale or myth do you dislike, and why?

A: I am fascinated (and super saddened) by the little mermaid–the original one, where she turns into sea foam. Wow, how awful is that, really?

Q: So, what has been the most exciting part of selling your book(s) and getting published so far?

A: Getting my final author copies in. It’s really real now!! How crazy is that?!?!

( Read the rest of this entry » )

Originally published at devafagan.com. You can comment here or there.

Here’s something I hear people say that makes me sad:

“Oh, don’t ask me to do math. I was an English major.”

Or other variations of the same. I wonder what the folks who say this are thinking. Is it that you have to have some special arcane Mathematics degree to be on speaking terms with numbers? Is it that people who love words or history or music can’t also love triangulation and differential equations?

Another thing that makes me sad? When people make the assumption that everyone finds math tedious or boring or hard. When they say things like: “Okay guys, I’m sorry, but it looks like we’re going to have to do some math now.” Like it’s a chore, something nasty that could never be cool or fun.

I do understand that a lot of folks out there find math weird and scary, or mind-numbingly dull. The thing is, there’s all sorts of mathematics. There’s number theory and geometry and algebra and statistics and topology and that’s not even getting into disciplines that use math like astronomy and chemistry. In my opinion, saying you hate math is like saying you hate reading. There are a lot of folks out there who think they hate reading because the only books they’ve been exposed to were the classics force-fed to them in school (that’s not to say classics are bad, but they aren’t necessarily the best thing to encourage a love of reading in all people).

Anyways, the point of this post is not to rag on people who don’t like math, especially if they’ve actually given it a fair shot. But I would like to encourage folks who think they “aren’t good at math” to give themselves (and math) another chance.

That’s part of the reason I’m always thrilled when I find a character in a book who is good at and/or enjoys math. Here are some books with main characters who like math and/or are good at it:

The Magic or Madness series by Justine Larbalestier

The Midnighters series by Scott Westerfeld

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern

What am I missing? I know there are others…

Also, what books are there that show a character who doesn’t think she or he can do math, who learns otherwise?

And what about you folks? Do you feel intimidated by math? Do you think you’re good at it? Do you think it’s cool? Boring? Terrifying? I created a poll over on my livejournal if you would rather click buttons…

I’ll end with a (to me) beautiful and awe-inspiring video that I discovered via APOD that captures the feeling mathematics gives me: That the universe is absolutely, mind-blowingly enormous. That there is SO MUCH out there and we can’t even see or understand. That we can see the patterns and we can try to understand the rules. And that success isn’t finding the answers; it’s seeking them. It’s asking the questions.

Poll #1514846 Math and You
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 29

How would you judge your own mathematical ability?

How do you feel about math?

Originally published at devafagan.com. You can comment here or there.

There’s a lot of talk going around right now about the white-washing of book covers, specifically YA and MG book covers. I encourage you to go read those posts, which discuss these issues and present a number of different opinions.

For now, I’m just going to say thank you:

To the folks who are making these conversations happen. I’m glad people are raising their voices and talking about this, even though it might not be a comfortable discussion. We need to talk about this.

To the people who are taking action: writing letters to publishers who put white faces on books that feature non-white characters. Or super-skinny models on the covers of books about normal or overweight characters.

To the writers from all backgrounds working on putting more diversity into their books. I’m grateful there are people willing to risk getting it wrong (no matter how hard they try), in the hopes of getting it right. I am grateful to the writers who are giving readers of all colors and backgrounds the message that it’s okay to be who they are. That they are not less than others.

To my editor, my publisher (Holt) and artist Brandon Dorman for creating a beautiful cover for my next novel that accurately depicts my brown-skinned main character.

To all these people for the positive steps they are taking to create change. I hope we can all keep it up.

Originally published at devafagan.com. You can comment here or there.

I already posted the short version of my ALA Midwinter daytrip, but here are a few more highlights (and pictures!):

( Read the rest of this entry » )

Originally published at devafagan.com. You can comment here or there.

I’ll hopefully post something more detailed tomorrow, but for now here’s some nifty ARCs I managed to get while I was there:

I had a fantastic time, and am very glad I went, even if I had to leave home at 5:30 AM and didn’t get back until 11PM (whew!). It was wonderful to meet some of my online friends in person, and to see those I’d met before again. I met Inkies, Debs, fellow Betsy-Tacy fans, and a host of other cool librarians, authors and publishing people.

All that conferencing was fun, but it sure wore me out. After I crawled out of my extrovert costume I slept in to the extravagent (for me) hour of 8, and spent the day goofing off, working on LARP plot, and playing with my beeyootiful new MacBook. I also discovered something I must do to celebrate next year when CIRCUS GALACTICUS comes out (discovered via this blog post by author Kristin Cashore): Trapeze Class!

And now back to revising!

Some of you may recall that I said I would dye my hair a funky color if I sold CIRCUS GALACTICUS, back when I was still writing it and trying not to worry about the saleability of science-fiction.

I wanted to go for purple streaks, but when I went in the first time I ended up with iridescent lavender that kind of blended into my natural brown. The stylist had me back last night to try a different dye.

We didn't get purple this time either, but that's okay. I like blue just as much!

( Blueness )

And now Bob and I are off to a party with our gaming friends, to be followed by a staff meeting where we will make our plans to destroy the world.

Originally published at devafagan.com. You can comment here or there.

Author PJ Hoover (THE EMERALD TABLET) poses an interesting question about writing books with humanoid aliens over at The Spectacle, about humanoid aliens. Check it out!

Her last question is: So what do you think? Humanoid aliens or not? Which do you like? Which would you write?

Here’s what I said in my comment:

In visual media I tend to just suspend any disbelief, as long as things are consistent (frex when watching Avatar I kept thinking “why do the Na’vi have four limbs, and all the other fauna on their planet have six?”).

In books, where we don’t have to worry about SFX budgets, I think it is very cool when authors create completely alien creatures. But you can’t just say they look like giant fuschia spider-apes, and then have them nodding their heads for yes and eating with forks and forming democracies and listening to rock music. You have to provide a whole alien culture that also makes sense. Off the top of my head I can’t think of very many MG/YA sf novels that do that.

I myself spent a bunch of time thinking about this when writing my third novel (CIRCUS GALACTICUS, tween sf due out in 2011). Part of the reason I was writing it in the first place was to try to capture that feeling that science was cool and that space exploration could be fun and exciting. So at the same time I really wanted to try to make it an accessible story. A down-to-earth story. For me, that meant making my aliens very “human”. So I built an explanation for the similarities into the fabric of the world of the novel and the plot. Hopefully will make sense to readers. I guess I will find out!

I am curious to hear what others say, and if there are any examples of really well done non-humanoid aliens in YA/MG lit that anyone can recommend.

Originally published at devafagan.com. You can comment here or there.

I love setting goals, for the same reason I like lists in general: they help me feel in control and organized, and it’s fun to check things off once they are taken care of. I like to include a mix of easy things and stuff that will stretch me a bit, and to avoid items that rely too much on luck or the whims of others.

So here are my 2010 goals for writing, reading, and everything else:

• Complete a draft of a new book.
• Post new writing each month on the Chasing Inspiration community, and to use it as an opportunity to play with writing and try new things.
• Participate in three book-related events or conventions (frex, ALA Midwinter, Hudson Book Festival).
• Create a new PRUNELLA-based presentation (maybe reader-theater)?
• Create and post a vlog or other video related to my writing.
• Get set up for Skype and promote my availability for Skype visits.
• Create a detailed list of updates I’d like to do for my website, and hand it off to my webdesigner.
• Read all the nominated books for the new YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction award (I’ve already read two of them).
• Try out five new recipes.
• Attend at least one session of Fiddlicious. If I like it, go more!
• Try out the Zumba classes at the gym.
• Create some sort of community for the dog owners in my city so we can coordinate volunteer work at the new dog park.
• Go to the U-pick strawberry place and make jam with the bounty.
• To do some sort of obedience/agility class with Charlie.
• Go away for a long weekend somewhere new and interesting with Bob (we’re saving money and vacation time for a 2011 UK trip but we do want to have some fun this year too).

And I have one more writing resolution (see #1 and #2) to try to stick to throughout 2010 and beyond. And that is: Strive and Reach!

Which basically boils down to: keep trying new things, don’t be afraid to write outside my comfort zone, don’t fall into a rut or start thinking that I can only write one kind of book. Hopefully Goal #2 above will help with this one!

Originally published at devafagan.com. You can comment here or there.

It’s that time of the year: time to take stock of what’s been and look ahead to what may be. And since I love lists, I’m recapping 2009 in a series of five lists of five, starting with…

Five books/authors/series I discovered in 2009:

• INCARCERON by Catherine Fisher: [This is coming out in the US in 2010, but it's been out in the UK for a while now]. I really enjoyed this, most especially for the worldbuilding (a sentient prison world!), but also for Claudia (the warden’s daughter) and her subtle and bittersweet friendship with her tutor Jared. The sequel, SAPPHIQUE, has been on my wishlist for awhile now!
• MY LIFE IN FRANCE by Julia Child: Julia Child is now one of my heroes. She is one of those people who seems to have figured out that elusive question: how to be happy and have a full and meaningful life.
• THE BEEKEEPER’S APPRENTICE by Laurie King: Even listening to a scratchy, occasionally garbled, obviously-much-played library cassette recording of this couldn’t stop me from loving this book. It’s just the sort of book I like to read for pure pleasure, for interesting characters doing clever and amusing things. The dynamic between Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes could have gone terribly wrong in the hands of another writer, but King handled it perfectly.
• FREDERICA by Georgette Heyer: I’ve heard so many good things about Georgette Heyer from so many people who share my tastes in books that I don’t know why I put off reading her for so long. I was absolutely delighted by the wit, banter, humor, and rich historical detail of this book. More, please!
• NINE COACHES WAITING by Mary Stewart: I read Mary Stewart’s Arthurian series many many years ago (in fact, so long ago I should probably re-read them as I have forgotten so much) but I had never before tried her suspense-romances. I am so glad I finally did! I am actually still in the middle of this one, but I am loving it. The prose is lovely and lyrical, the characters intriguing, and the sense of place incredible.

  Five highlights of my writing year:

  • The publication of FORTUNE’S FOLLY, my first novel. Words can’t express what this means. It was truly the fulfillment of a life-long dream.
  • Seeing the cover of my second book, THE MAGICAL MISADVENTURES OF PRUNELLA BOGTHISTLE. I got thrills! I am so pleased with the alligator, with the running, with the creepy swamp and firefly lights. I love it!
  • Finishing my submission draft of my third book CIRCUS GALACTICUS. This was by far the most fun book I’ve ever written, the one that has stayed with me, haunting my brain, and the one I’m most proud of. This is the first time that writing a book was a bigger thrill for me than selling it.
  • Sharing my debut year with the rest of the 2009 Debs. It is not an exaggeration to say that I would have gone off the deep end without them. The debs have brought me laughter, comfort, and much-valued friendship.
  • My very first library visit, where I got to meet strangers who had read my book, and discovered that I actually kind of enjoy speaking in public and doing presentations.

  Five entertainment discoveries:

  • Big Bang Theory: A show about science geeks who love gaming, comic books, and takeout food, and who are all hilariously funny.
  • Project Runway: My husband and I got addicted to this near the end of the year and have now watched seasons two through five. I generally don’t get into “reality tv” but I absolutely love this show, and not just for Tim Gunn. It’s fascinating to watch the challenges themselves, but I think my favorite part is seeing creative people striving to achieve their dreams. And it’s pretty nifty to see how many parallels you can draw between fashion and writing.
  • Last.fm: I have actually used this website in the past, but this year I actually took advantage of more of the customizable radio station options to find new music. My greatest success was in finding a host of moody, atmospheric world-music groups to listen to when I’ve exhausted my Dead Can Dance collection. Some of my favorites: Irfan, Stellamara, and Azam Ali.
  • Blaqk Audio: Discovered via Maggie Stiefvater. I listened to Semiotic Love over and over again while dreaming about CIRCUS. It reminds me of the Depeche Mode I loved in high school.
  • Lady GaGa: Every single one of her songs that I’ve heard has ended up stuck in my head on repeat for about a week. But aside from the catchy beat, I love her over-the-top stage presence, her gutsy attitude, her willingness to go out there and wear a dress made of muppets or a ginormous freaky hairdo. And she really can sing. Go listen to the live performance on the Ellen show and you’ll see. Another big inspiration for CIRCUS.

  Five favorite new foods:

  • Hot chocolate at Florian’s in Venice
  • Ricotta Brown Sugar gelato from The Gelato Fiasco
  • The Special Raman from Ippudo in NYC
  • Chocolate-filled Cornetto from Scudieri’s in Florence
  • Roasted Brussels Sprouts. Cut in half, daub with olive oil, and roast until crisp and brown. My favorite vegetable of the year!

  Five Moments of Pure Happiness:

  • Stepping out of the train station and seeing Venice for the first time
  • Listening to the chants at San Antimo Abbey in Tuscany
  • Biking to work along the Kennebec under a brilliant blue sky
  • Seeing Charlie racing around joyfully at the off-leash park
  • Sitting cozily upstairs drinking tea and reading in our newly painted library, watching the sun highlight the books on the shelves and the bright purple walls.

  All-in-all an excellent year!

Fingers and toes crossed, Bob and I are planning to take our next "big" vacation to the UK in 2011. I've never been, and Bob hasn't been in many years. And now I've just spent the last hour or so reading travel websites and getting utterly overwhelmed by our options. So I turn to you, any of you, for advice and travel wisdom...

We are pretty sure we would stay in London for a chunk of time (5 days?) at the beginning of the visit, and perhaps the last night so we can get to the airport easily.

We would also like to spend sometime somewhere beautiful and quaint with rolling hills where we could hike around during the day, eat in pubs, and generally pretend to be hobbits tramping around the Shire. That sounds a lot like the Cotswolds to me, but I imagine there are probably other less-well-known regions with similar appeal. We are currently considering trying to overlap our trip with that of some friends who want to stay in the Cotswolds in August. I would love to make that work but I am a bit concerned about it being high season. Plus, I've always wanted to see an English bluebell wood in bloom (which would mean April/May I think).

And then there's Wales, which I've wanted to visit since reading THE GREY KING and the various Brother Cadfael books...

And Bath...

And the white cliffs of Dover...

And Bob is interested in Glastonbury...

I'm trying to not even think about Scotland and Ireland, which I would also love to visit, but which are almost certainly beyond the scope of this trip.

So, if any of you out there have advice on where to go, when to go, what are the must-see sites, and what can be missed, I would be very grateful to hear it!

Originally published at devafagan.com. You can comment here or there.

I sat down to try to write about having fun while writing, but much of what I have to say on this topic has already been said quite well in these two posts that I will direct you to:

Author Stephanie Burgis talks about following the fun in writing in a guest post on the blog of Margie Gelbwasser.

Author Laini Taylor writes an inspiring post about the discipline of fun.

My own experience is very similar to Stephanie’s: of all that I had written, the book that finally got accepted for publication (Fortune’s Folly) was the one I wrote “for fun”. I had been struggling with this big epic serious dark fantasy for over a year. It was the kind of book I thought I should write. It was the kind of book I enjoyed reading. But I wasn’t enjoying writing it, most of the time. Then in November of 2003 one of my friends asked me to join a group doing NaNoWriMo. I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare, so I picked an idea I’d had on the back burner, something light and entertaining that I thought would be fun to work on. And it was! Sure, there were still days when the writing dragged and the motivation ebbed. But most days I sat down eager to see what would happen next. My main character came alive the way no other character had for me previously. I was working with fairy tales, one of my favorite things. I was entertaining myself. I was in the moment.

And that’s the book that finally sold. It wasn’t the book I thought I SHOULD write. It was the book I WANTED to write.

More recently, I had this idea that I kept coming back to, about an intergalactic circus. And honestly, I was a little uncertain about whether I should pursue it. Science fiction (especially non-dystopian sf) isn’t the hottest genre right now in YA/MG. But what I wanted to create was the kind of science fiction I love best: something that excites and inspires a dream of discovery, something that takes you to fantastic new worlds but remains grounded in honest emotion. So that’s what I set out to do. And I had so much fun doing it. I think it was the first time I can honestly say that when I finished the draft, my own enjoyment and love of the book outweighed my dreams of getting it published. I was just so happy to have had the chance to write the story, even if it didn’t sell.

But it did sell. Better yet, people I trust have read it and liked it.

So I’m going to try to keep paying attention to what’s fun, and write what I want to write, not what I think I ought to write.

Considering that both Bob and I had colds, this holiday season was actually quite enjoyable, if not quite as ambitious as I might have originally planned. Mostly we just lounged around the house drinking hot beverages and watching past seasons of Project Runway and eating takeout food.

On the Saturday before Christmas we had a small caroling party (though we did not in fact do any door-to-door caroling - maybe next year!) which was heaps of fun despite the fact that I was coming down with my cold and Bob was recovering from his. We sang a bunch of songs, including my favorites (Good King Wenceslas, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Angels We Heard On High) accompanied by some most excellent drumming by yulecat. I am already planning next year's party, right down to begging our friend Dave to bring more of his luscious hot chocolate.

Christmas Day was a low-key affair for our household, as the humans were recovering from colds and the canine has an abrasion on his paw that means romping in the snow is restricted. Fortunately Charlie found things to entertain him inside:

( Cute Dog pic, plus our tree )

A quiet solitary sort of Christmas was probably a good thing this year, but we did miss our family and friends. Thank goodness for Christmas cards, phones and the internet!

And now that I finally have my motivation back, it's the perfect time to start thinking about my goals for 2010!

And to send out all the Christmas cards and holiday letters that have been sitting in a neglected pile since I got sick...

Originally published at devafagan.com. You can comment here or there.

Thank you to everyone who entered my Bookish Cheer giveaway. The winners are:

Ghosts: Livejournal user stuff_on_a_stik
Fairies: Ying Lee

I’ve sent emails to both winners, but if for some reason they don’t go through, you guys can email me at deva at devafagan dot com with your mailing addresses.

I wish I had copies of these books to give everyone who wants to read them! If you didn’t win, I encourage you to see if you can get them from your local library, or even order a copy of your own!

Originally published at devafagan.com. You can comment here or there.

I don’t re-read books very often, especially books that are not childhood favorites or comfort reads. There are so many books out there I haven’t read even once I have a hard time justifying reading anything twice, even if I loved it. But last week I did re-read a book that I originally read not two years ago: The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner.

And I loved it. I’m really glad I re-read it, because the experience the second time around was truly different than the first. I’m trying to refrain from spoilers, so without going into details, I will say that this book really made me consider something I hadn’t thought about as a writer. That is, what makes a book remain engaging (or even become more interesting and rewarding) on a re-read? It’s not something I ever really considered when writing my own stories, although now that I consider them from that light, I like to think there are aspects of all three that would reward a re-read. But what an interesting challenge, as a writer, to think about what one can do to make a story appealing not just the first time around, but the second and third and twelfth.

What do you guys think? What books do you re-read, and why? What do you hope to get out of a book when you re-read it? Are you looking for a reiteration of the original experience, or are you hoping to discover further details you missed and additional layers of meaning?

For me it can be both — with comfort reads it’s mostly about reliving the same beloved tale over again, but I do love it when I find new reasons to love a book, as I did with The Thief.

And on a completely unrelated note: I have all the entries in now for my holiday book giveaway, and I’ll be drawing the two winners later today and posting the results tomorrow if all goes to plan. Thank you everyone who entered!

Originally published at devafagan.com. You can comment here or there.

I’m a big fan of taking stock of things at the end of each calender year, and I love dreaming up lists of goals for each new year. In my own personal vocabulary, a goal is something that you can easily measure and check off when you have done it. Something like “write a new book” or “run in a 5K race”. A resolution is more amorphous, more ongoing, like “be a more understanding friend” or “enjoy nature more”. So generally speaking, I go for goals rather than resolutions. I’ll be posting closer to the end of the year about my goals for 2010. This year, however, I’ve also got three writing resolutions.

Here’s the first: I will not feel guilty about sticking to my own writing process.

There are so many different ways to write, a whole spectrum of possibilities, and one of the things I’ve been recognizing lately is that understanding one’s own process is one of the most important keys to success as a writer. And yet, just yesterday I was talking with a writer friend about how we both like to take a relatively long break (I will take anywhere from a month to two months) between projects. And we both commented on how easy it is to feel guilty over that (especially when there are other writers out there who seem to plunge right into their next project within days or even hours of finishing the previous one).

I’ve been on a writing holiday since mid-November when I abandoned NaNoWriMo. Over the last month I’ve spent the time I would have spent writing on painting our library, reading, Christmas prep, and watching Project Runway (among other things). On the surface it doesn’t look like I’m doing anything remotely like writing. And maybe I haven’t. There’s a voice in my head that likes to hiss at me that I’m lazy, that I should be writing every single day.

I think these breaks revitalize my writing, like a good night’s sleep. They give my back-brain time to synthesize ideas and work the still-mysterious-to-me alchemy that produces characters who can make my plot outlines come alive. And even if that’s not true, I’ve still been producing one new book per year, even with those breaks. And I’m happy with that. I like that pace. It works for me. So why the guilt?

I think there’s an innate dangerous quality to the human psyche that makes us doubt ourselves if we feel like we are doing something “different”. But seriously, we need to get over that instinct because we are ALL doing something different.

So that’s my resolution: no guilt over writing the way I need to write.

What about you guys? Do you ever feel like you don’t write “the right way”? That you ought to change your process?

Originally published at devafagan.com. You can comment here or there.

I don’t read a lot of picture books, though I occasionally page through my own childhood favorites or read with my friends’ two-year-old daughter. But when I saw that The Children’s Book Cellar in Waterville ME was hosting an event with Chris Van Dusen, author and illustrator of THE CIRCUS SHIP, I knew I had to be there. Firstly, because I have a current obsession with circuses. And secondly, because I’ve long wanted to visit The Children’s Book Cellar, which is one of two (I think?) dedicated children’s bookstores in Maine, and is run by the marvelous Ellen Richmond.

Accordingly I ventured forth on Saturday after Thanksgiving with my mom and dad (Bob was working). The store itself was bright and colorful and welcoming: perfect for a children’s bookstore. And I found lots of great books featured on the shelves. Here are two I was particularly happy to see:

Kate Messner’s lovely contemporary middle grade THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z and Kate Coomb’s middle grade fantasy THE RUNAWAY DRAGON (currently on my to-read list).

We roamed around the store for a bit as dozens of other patrons lined up to get copies of THE CIRCUS SHIP signed. We ended up meeting Chris Van Dusen’s very charming wife, and my parents discovered a number of mutual acquaintances (the Van Dusens live in the same area we did when I was a kid). Eventually there was a reading, which seemed to enthrall the kids (and the adults) who were on hand:

I was reading along in my copy, so I could get a close look at all the fantastic illustrations. I have always loved best those sorts of illustrations — the ones rich with little quirks and hidden details. The story itself is also utterly charming, and it was fascinating to hear Chris talk about the (sad) real-world inspiration (a ship of circus animals that was lost off the Maine coast) and how he wanted to turn it into something joyful with a happy ending. I love seeing how writers play with reality, shaping it and turning it into something new that feeds our dreams.

So if you are looking for a picture book to give as a gift this holiday season, I highly recommend THE CIRCUS SHIP. It’s colorful, fun to read, and uplifting. Plus, Chris was a warm, generous and just plain nice guy. Thank you Chris and Ellen for a wonderful and inspiring book event!