JOY

I am a HUGE American Idol fan. I haven't always been a huge fan, but I love Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, and Randy Jackson, and the way the show flows with them. I adore seeing all this young (amazing) talent come in, literally, off the streets. But most of all, I am drawn to the JOY of true artists. When performers go before the judges or go up on stage or join their groups to practice their musical numbers, it is sometimes easy to select the future 'idols'. Whether or not they will win the competition is irrelevant to me, because many incredible performers began on AI but didn't win. Early on, you can see the frontrunners shining through. The hard part for the judges is getting rid of the kids who are really quite talented, sometimes even MORE talented than some of the others, but they haven't quite 'arrived'. Here's how you know a performer has arrived into his or her talent: JOY. It's plain and simple. These performers come ALIVE when they sing. They physically transform before your eyes into vessels for their craft. It's like a glimpse of heaven. (Like Steven Pressfield says in THE WAR OF ART "All creative endeavor is holy.") They are full of JOY because their entire being is doing what it was put here to do, and it is breathtaking to see.

This JOY crosses many lines in life. My husband, believe it or not, is a completely JOY-filled dentist. Ask any of his patients. He LOVES his work. He is a true artist and falls in love with everyone's smile. He does cases all the time that truly change lives. Is it because he is technically excellent? Partly, but also because it brings him true JOY. He sees that smile and the role it plays in the life of the whole person. He believes with all his heart that your smile is key to all areas of life.

Athletes call this JOY the sweet spot. Athletes in their 'sweet spot' break records, win championships, and inspire mediocre teammates to great achievements. JOY is transformative. What Carolina fan can ever forget the joy on Michael Jordan's face as he dunked against Duke (with his tongue playfully out)? How about the joy of the female soccer players who first won the Olympic event? It's a beautiful thing.

When I was at Chautauqua, I had the honor of first seeing the amazing illustrator, Floyd Cooper, work. It moved me to tears. Even now, as I think about it, I am so affected by the opportunity to view his JOY, his genius, his gift. It was truly a spiritual experience, a glimpse of heaven.

I have been writing seriously, meaning every single day with goals and self-imposed deadlines, full time for four years. I was writing part-time for five years before that. This week, my brother said to me, "You could have been a doctor." Holy Cow, he's right. And with my kids approaching college and private school tuition rising, perhaps I should have gone that route. But here's what I HAVE accomplished in those years. I've gone from writing to being a writer. I've gone from daily self-discipline to JOY. Truly. I often laugh aloud as I type or write a scene. I giggle at my characters and even think of them as my children sometimes. I create every day, and it is joyous. Has it paid off for me financially? Uh, no. Has it paid off for me in book sales? Uh, definitely not. But I know for certain that I am doing what I am here to do because of the JOY. That's God's reward, IMHO, for finding your path and working it. I am in a place of joy in my creative endeavor, and that is holy and precious. I work from a place of total transformation, my heart and hands almost seem to take on a life of their own as long as I give them the time and space. I am birthing lots of good characters, stories, and worlds in this JOY. A few of them have gone out into the world to seek a home, many more wait for their time. But they have been given breath and life, and as they were borne of JOY, I cannot ever believe that this whole writing experiment of mine will come to nothing. Like Debby Boone said, "It can't be wrong, when it feels so right." (No, I CAN'T believe I just quoted YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE ha ha ha. My fourth grade self is thrilled beyond measure.)

So here's the thing, my dear readers. Wherever you are, whatever you do, do it from a place of JOY. In this JOY, I have gone from being 'someone who writes' to being a 'writer'. My husband has transcended beyond the normal realms of dentistry. Athletes everywhere inspire their fans and spread their JOY. And American Idol hopefuls will fall in proportion to whether or not they have found the JOY in their musical gifts.

May their JOY inspire you, stir your heart, and make you grateful for that glimpse of heaven. And when you find your own JOY, be sure to share it with the world. That's what you are here for.

Grateful Wed and More Conference Notes

It is Grateful Wed, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to attend the SCBWI Carolinas conference. I hope that I'll be able to share the rest of the notes with you today.

First of all, I'd like to add to my comments from Anita Silvey's talk. She shared the backstories of many well-known children's books (about 40!), so I couldn't tell ALL the stories, but I'll work them in when I can. For those of you who think you're doing a LOT of research for your latest writing project, let me tell you a story. Robert McCloskey of MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS fame and brilliance wrote his manuscript based on a newspaper article. But then the illustrations were really getting to him. He drew hundreds, thousands of ducks, but just couldn't capture their essence like he wanted. So finally one desperate afternoon, he walked to Greenwich Village and bought a bunch of ducks home to live in his bathtub. He'd take them out on walks, let them run around his apartment, all the while, sketching non-stop. While having dinner with his room mate one night, he discussed his frustrations. As they opened another bottle of wine, Robert complained that if he could just get the ducks into slow motion, he could certainly draw them better. Sure enough, they fed the ducks a little dry red wine and they slowed down just enough for Robert McCloskey to draw the breathtaking and hilarious illustrations in MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS. If you look carefully, you'll even see the images of a few drunk ducks.

My next talk I'd like to share is Alyssa Henkin's PICK UP THE PACE. She is an agent with Trident Media Group. Some of you may have been rejected by the likes of her like I have. (oh, excuse me, your WORK may have been rejected--BIG DIFFERENCE). Anyway, besides voice, pace is another biggie that captures the reader. She said, "If you pace and plot well, you'll always have work." She didn't actually mention what kind of work, but it sounds like a good thing!

She was really into OUTLINING. She challenged us to, like the Special K challenge, give it two weeks of serious outlining and see if it doesn't improve your work big time.
TOP TEN PACE SPECIFICS ACCORDING TO ALYSSA HENKINS
1. Start with action, something visual, even a motif
2. Think poker. Don't play all your cards.
3. Figure out the timetable BEFORE you start writing.
4. Give yourself permission to not write in order
5. REal life authenticity doesn't fly in books
6. Take stock every 50 pages
7. Writing is kind of like singing in the shower. It seems great when you're all alone, but you must recognize the need for improvement.
8. Be conscious of chapter beginnings and endings
9. Don't expect to get it all in one draft. REalize that editing and cleaning up will have to happen.
10. Think about the economy of language.
Final thought: like Rachel Ray, always have EVOO for every project. Extra Vigilant Outline Organization

My last session by Leslie Staub may have been my favorite. The topic was picture books, and she covered a ton of ground. She's an illustrator, so much of it was from the illustrator's perspective which I've actually thought a TON about since I fell in love with Floyd Cooper's work at Chautauqua this summer. She really emphasized the need to read lots of picture books to learn the line breaks, the sounds of a good picture book. She said to capture the heart of the editor, and you're golden. Think: Elegant Simplicity, Truth, and Depth. She recommended studying the following PBs in particular: OLIVIA, RUNAWAY BUNNY, TOUGH BORIS, THE GIFT OF NOTHING, MY FRIEND RABBIT, WHOEVER YOU ARE, THE KISSING HAND, AND MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS. She showed us how to make a mock-up but said the only person who should send one to an editor is a professional artist and writer who wrote and illustrated the manuscript.

She closed with a Jane Yolen quote: BE SIMPLE. UNDERSTAND STRUCTURE. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE.

Whew. Last of my notes. Ooops, actually I just found notes on Alyssa Henkin's keynote. I'll do those TOMORROW, like Scarlet O'Hara. djk