Category Archives: This Nerdy Chick

Permission to do Nothing, Sir!

by kamikinard
Here's a photo of my ceiling. Feel free to stare at it.

Here’s a photo of my ceiling. Feel free to stare at it.

If there’s one thing I never do, it’s nothing. It seems like I just can’t do nothing right. I mean, I am ALWAYS doing something.  I’m writing, I’m folding clothes, I’m making plans, I’m walking the dog, I’m creating something out of paint, paper, beads, wire. I can’t sit still. This is the truth. But my housekeeping tells a different story.

Looking around my cluttered abode, you’d think I’ve mastered the art of doing nothing. There’s so much undone stuff at my house, you might ask yourself does she ever do anything?  Yes, I do. All of the time.  It’s nothing I don’t do.

Why? Why do I feel like I have to be busy all of the time? Could it be cultural? Does anyone else have this problem? When my son was in elementary school, I walked into the living room and found him lying on the floor, looking up. I asked him what he was doing. “Staring at the ceiling,” he said.

“Get up and go do something!” I commanded. Why?

When I later told my good friend about this, she laughed in my face. She said, “I just read an article about how we push our children too much and don’t let them lay around and look at the ceiling anymore.”

Oof. Not my finest moment as a mom. That ten year old boy who was thinking who-knows-what when I told him to stop staring at the ceiling, will think completely different things now, seven years later, when he looks up. The moment of idle contemplation I interrupted is forever gone.

It has been a hard couple of weeks for me physically, mentally and emotionally.  I honestly feel like I’ve been running on a treadmill for five and a half weeks straight. I stepped off of that treadmill Monday, exhausted.  So Monday night I asked my husband “Is it okay if I don’t do ANYTHING tonight?” That’s right. I feel so guilty about doing nothing; I have to ask permission to do it.

He looked at me like I was crazy. So I attempted to relax on the couch and watch an episode of Sherlock. (Watching TV counts as nothing, right?)

But I was fidgety. So I wrote this blog post while watching.

Shoot. I stink at nothing. I just can’t do nothing right.

Real Life: Virtual Disappearance

by kamikinard
Every Easter my family decorates blown eggs. My daughter made this one for me. Look familiar?

Every Easter my family decorates blown eggs. My daughter made this one for me. Look familiar?

Is it possible to miss an inanimate object? Because I have missed you, Nerdy Chicks Rule. Maybe it isn’t possible to call a blog inanimate when its followers, likes, and comments breathe life into it. I only know that I have missed being here, and interacting with you and that my sudden failure to post has not been by choice.

The past few weeks have taken me on a harrowing journey – one that included traveling hours from home and spending many nights in a Ronald McDonald House. During these weeks, I’ve had to hang on to the real world so tightly that I’ve all but disappeared from the virtual world.

But the journey was not without hope and promise. I met many wonderful people along the way. Inspirational parents whose road is more treacherous than mine, and who somehow manage to travel it with smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts. Brilliant doctors who have devoted their lives to making the lives of others better. Children who brim with enthusiasm, despite having to face obstacles unimaginable to most of us.

It is good to be back, even if I can already tell that the road ahead is full of potholes. I feel equipped to travel it now, knowing I will meet inspiration, brilliance, joy, and enthusiasm along the way.

 

I will be returning Friday with our normal Quotable Nerdy Chick feature! Until then I’ll be furiously working on revising THE BOY PREDICTION to the specifications of my brilliant and insightful editor. :D

 

What does it take to write a novel?

by kamikinard

IMG_20130301_134055All of the above, apparently! A few minutes ago, I sent my editor the completed draft of THE BOY PREDICTION (Notes and Observations of Tabitha Reddy)!  It has been great getting to know Tabbi over the last few months (sounds cheesy, but I mean it)! This is my dining room table as of a minute ago. It is a long table… and loaded with the essentials for writing a novel that includes dates, charts, graphs, line art, and math. Along with the essential for keeping me awake: Diet Coke.

Now it’s time to relax… until I get edits.

But for this weekend — Ahhhhhh!

Happy Friday everyone!

 

Valentine’s Day: A Pun-loving Holiday

by kamikinard

The first time my son brought home valentines from school I realized what a great snapshot of pop culture they were. For the next few years, I’d pull out a few valentines he’d received from classmates and create a scrapbook page with them. (Back then, I somehow managed to find time to keep a scrapbook.)  Here’s a page from 2001. One look at this and you can see what was hot with the kindergarten set and beyond.

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Last weekend when my parents came to visit, I had a similar gift delivered. Unbeknownst to me, my mother had saved the valentines from my classmates!

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It was fun looking through them. I remember that a lot of the valentines we bought back then were printed in over-sized paperback books with several to a page. We had to cut or punch them out. Some were adorable! Some were politically incorrect. Puns were as popular then as they are now.  Why are puns connected to this holiday?  I think it’s because they make it easy to show a little wit while also showing sentiment. Here are some favorites from the group above. (Not sure you’d see one like the top center today… and I think we know the identity of bat girl now…)

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Puns are also a form of humor accessible to children, offering a word game they can participate in, either by appreciating a pun with a smile, or by creating their own puns. My mother was making valentines with my eight year old niece this year. My niece asked what her cousin liked best, my mother said, “peace signs.” My niece responded, “Why don’t I make her one that says, I love you to peaces?” Perfect!

After hearing this story, it occurred to me that this could be a fun word game to play with children. Why not create Valentines for their favorite characters from literature? What would Harry’s valentine to Jenny say? What would Peeta’s valentine to Katniss say? How about Peter Pan’s to Wendy?

If you don’t have a pun ready for your young or old valentine yet, check out this list of 101 Valentine’s Day puns!

If you're looking for the perfect Valentine's book, full of play on words, check out The Hog Prince by my blogging partner, Sudipta!

If you’re looking for the perfect Valentine’s book, full of play on words, check out The Hog Prince by my blogging partner, Sudipta!

Happy Valentine’s Day! Keep playing with (and on) words!

Keeping it Real with Feelings

by kamikinard

feelings2

Back in 2011 when I was tossing around ideas for this blog with now co-blogger Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, I was also going through a family crisis. One of my children had been in and out of the hospital for six months and there was no real end to this pattern in sight. Additionally, I had a book coming out on the first day of 2012 that I hadn’t had time to publicize, and I felt the need and desire to start a new blog. I remember telling Sudipta, “I want to start a blog but it has to be something I can handle.”

Choosing a format that showcases smart, accomplished women and also highlights quotes from women past and present ended up being what I could handle. I have enjoyed every interview and have been inspired myself by some amazing quotes while seeking out quotes to share with you.

But this format also offered a buffer. A buffer between the world and my emotions. Because at that point in my life, I felt I was hanging on to my emotions by a thread, and I was afraid that even putting them out there a little might cause me to unravel. Of course at that point, I wasn’t completely aware that this was what I was doing.

When Sudipta came on board in 2012 she wrote a few posts themed What Happens in High School Stays in High School. We had great response to those posts! I think this is because Sudipta shared feelings that our audience could connect to. We had a similar response to my subsequent post, Why I Went Into the Woods, which details the physical and emotional need to get away every now and then to achieve focus.

The human experience is so varied and vast, that no two of us share the same pasts, but we’ve all had feelings of joy and sadness, anger and love. Understanding this, as writers, also helps our creations.

The first time editor extraordinaire Patti Lee Gauch critiqued my manuscript at a Highlights Foundation workshop she wrote of my main character,“How does she FEEL?” in the margins about five times on every page. I had offered a good plot, but hadn’t given readers a means to connect to my character emotionally.  I’ve had to go back and flesh out my characters’ emotions on every manuscript I’ve completed. But at least I know to do that now!

Now that things are much better for my child, getting back in touch with those bottled in feelings doesn’t seem so scary. Sudipta and I have a lot of ideas about how to move forward with Nerdy Chicks Rule. We will keep interviewing smart women and we’ll keep bringing you inspirational quotes, but one thing we also want to add more posts about experiences… and how they make us feel!

 

*This summer I wrote about using feelings to help readers connect with writing over at Stephanie Scott’s blog. Check it out HERE.

*If you are a writer inspired to add feeling to your work, or a teacher working with students to make their work more colorful, check out the Emotion Thesaurus.

Why I Went Into The Woods

by kamikinard
My Cabin at Highlights

My Cabin at Highlights

I went into the woods because a house pulls on your brain. It demands things of you. It wants you to use its kitchen, then clean it up. It wants you to use its bathroom, then clean it up. It wants you to dust and vacuum, to sort and put away. It is a demanding creature and I don’t think I can ever satisfy it. So every now and then… I leave it.

When I can, I leave it for the hills of Pennsylvania, where a quiet cabin awaits me. The cabin is giving and forgiving, it wants nothing in return. Down the hill from my cabin is a staffed kitchen full of smiling folks who cook and clean. They are better than House Elves. Because of them, I do not have to look at dirty pots and pans. I do not have to think about meal preparation. All I have to think about is what I want to think about, which is writing.

For me, this is true freedom. Each time I come here, I leave with well written chapters and renewed energy for writing. I leave with new ideas and refurbished old ones. But while a cabin can offer you escape, and freedom, it cannot love you. Which is Why I Always Go Back Home to the demanding house that holds dust and dirty dishes… family and love.

*     *     *

I wrote the above while attending the Highlights Unworkshop in October of 2012, intending to post it as soon as I got

Who knew so much could happen at such a tiny desk.

Who knew so much could happen at such a tiny desk.

home. But one thing after another distracted me. And now, as I work on a novel I was contracted to write since returning home from that unworkshop, I am wishing for the focus that being away brings!

The sink is full of dirty dishes. The laundry waits impatiently. But I am writing anyway today. And I am happy. Whether at home, or away from it all, I hope you are too.

Nerdy Chick interviews return next week!

Looking Back, Moving Forward

by kamikinard
Me, signing books at my first launch party, January 2012.

Me, signing books at my launch party, January 2012.

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of my first novel’s debut. Having a book release on New Year’s day is certainly one way to start the year off with a bang! What followed was a whirlwind tour of blog interviews, guest posts, author visits, conference appearances, and celebrating what it took me so long to achieve. This was followed by the inclusion of one of my poems in Nasty Bugs, and more recently, a contract for a second Boy Project Book! Hats off to 2012!

2012 also turned out to be a great year for my family. (Okay, here is where I admit that I just typed and deleted variations of the same sentence about 15 times. I can’t find words to describe how tough 2011 was, so suffice it to say that we celebrated many blessings in 2012 and are kind of sad to say goodbye to a much needed good year.)

And of course, this blog was born in 2012. Interviewing so many strong, smart women, and researching famous females to quote has made me stronger… and hopefully smarter too. Thank you, thank you, for following us as we change, grow, and celebrate the achievements of some amazing people.

Like all years, 2012 also brought its share of sadness. The week before Christmas I lost one of my closest friends to cancer. Her last few weeks were very difficult and I was lucky to be able to spend quality time with her. I am so thankful that I had that chance.  But I didn’t feel much like writing, or blogging, during these weeks. It seems like when your days are heavy with sadness, the pen weighs a ton in your hand.

Today, I stumbled across a Chinese proverb that inspired me to pick up the pen again. Here it is:

You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair.

(For those of you who have just seen The Hobbit, you probably have a ready mental image of those last five words.)

So today I will shake out my hair and start writing again. I have a book to finish, nerdy chicks to interview, children to encourage, and, of course, a house to clean. Even the latter is a blessing. I look forward to sharing all that 2013 brings  with you! May the birds of sorrow spend most of their time flying over open land.

Happy New Year!

 

 

 

 

 

And 2012 proved to be a much better year for us than 2013!

Take Two

by kamikinard

IMG_20121130_132859This week I’m announcing the big news that I’ve been offered a contract by my wonderful publisher, Scholastic, for a second book. Hooray! This book will be a companion book to THE BOY PROJECT: NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS OF KARA MCALLISTER.  So I thought I’d talk a little today about the process so far. My editor, the fabulous Aimee Friedman, and I gave book two a lot of thought. We ultimately decided that Kara’s story has already been told, so I will focus on her best friend, Tabbi Reddy for this book. But readers like Kara, so she will be around a lot in this book too! I’m happy about this decision, since I also like Kara, and her voice came naturally to me.

Readers of the first book will remember that Tabbi has already had a boyfriend, so her journey will be different from Kara’s. Still, she hasn’t found the right boy, so this will be her focus. Like THE BOY PROJECT, this book will have plenty of humor. I’ve already gathered a lot of humorous situations (some courtesy of my 7th grade daughter, and some courtesy of my active imagination) to include. But when researching a book, you can never have too much information. So if anyone reading this thinks of a perfect middle school scenario that just needs to be included in a book, let me know! There will be graphics in this book too… which means I get to doodle, which is always fun. The working title for book two is THE BOY PROJECT TOO: NOTE AND OBSERVATIONS OF TABBI REDDY.

I’ll be sure to update everyone now and then on the process! Writing a novel under a deadline will be a new experience for me. I’m setting daily goals as we head into the holidays and hoping to keep them.

If you haven’t read the THE BOY PROJECT, or if you just want a copy to give to a teen or tween during this gift-giving month, check out Nerdy Chick Jocelyn Rish‘s blog. Not only did she do a post about THE BOY PROJECT which includes an embarrassing moment from my middle school years, she is running a contest to give away a signed copy! All you have to do is leave a comment HERE to enter.

 

 

Hook and Theme: A Post For Writers

by kamikinard

Me with fellow panelist Megan Miranda and moderator John Claude Bemis. MG author Stephen Messer was also on the panel.

This time last week I was in Charlotte NC at the SCBWI Carolinas conference. It was an honor to be included on the faculty this year. During the conference I critiqued manuscripts, participated in author panels, and attended some inspiring speeches and workshops! So… can I boil down all that happened in an info-packed weekend into one blog post? No way. But being around so many authors and so many enthusiastic writers who long to see their books on shelves has made me think about this question: What is the MOST IMPORTANT thing an aspiring author can learn?

The answers to this question may vary, depending on who you ask, but here is my answer.

Writers must know the difference between theme and hook. The theme of a book tells us what it is about. This Wikipedia definition is accurate: a theme is the central topic, subject, or concept the author is trying to convey.

When I ask aspiring authors to tell me the HOOK of their book, they often describe the theme instead.  But the hook is different from the theme. It is the part of your book that pulls the reader in, but it is also the part that NO ONE ELSE has ever thought of before.

It’s true that no two characters, no two settings, no two plots are ever exactly alike. But slight differences between characters, settings, and plots are not enough to set a manuscript apart. For a manuscript to stand out, it must present a truly original idea. One that will make editors and agents wonder how you thought of it in the first place!

When I looked over my conference notes, I saw that some of our most esteemed speakers echoed the importance of presenting editors and agents with truly unique work.

During SCBWI President Stephen Mooser’s workshop, he gave us this advice on character:

“Think about who is someone that editors have never seen.”

This goes hand in hand with advice from Harper Collins editor Molly O’Neal whose keynote included the thought:

“Collect your ideas from where no one else is looking.”

Our words alone do not set us apart as writers. But those unique ideas, the HOOKS, will set us apart instantly. Think about your manuscript. How can you make it completely different from anything else out there? Once you latch on to that idea, you are one step closer to publication!

 

Theme: A girl who discovers the truth about her world, and her quest to find her mother, and safety.
Hook: A girl who discovers that her father can read characters out of books, and her quest to find her lost mother, who disappeared into a book, and safety.

 

I Can Make That!

by kamikinard

Okay Nerdy Chicks. You know that feeling you have when you see something in a store and the first thing that pops into your mind is, “I can make that!” And the second thing is, “I’ll save money doing it!” If you are one of those people, you are definitely a nerdy chick…  and  this post is for you.

With Halloween is right around the proverbial corner, now seems like a good time to talk about a particularly successful project I completed about two years ago.

 

  •  All by itself, it has brought hundreds and hundreds of people to the craft blog I run with my daughter.
  •  It has been copied and worn by a teacher in a Halloween parade in Sewell, NJ.
  • It has won a Halloween Costume Contest judged by the mayor of the booming metropolis where we live.
  •  It is…

 The Hippie Vest.

And we (my daughter and I) made it ourselves.

Sometimes being a Nerdy Chick means making your own costumes, or your own birthday cakes. Sometimes it means thinking you don’t want to pay for something because you assume you can make that something better yourself.

Sometimes you are wrong about the previous assumption.

But not in the case of the Hippie Vest. The Hippie Vest rocks. It was created from a $2.50 brown fleece blanket, a needle, and a pair of scissors. It didn’t take long to make. But long it will dwell on the Internet, and bring hits to the craft blog, especially around Halloween.

Long live The Hippie Vest! I wish all of my ideas were this good.

To find out how to make The Hippie Vest, click HERE.

And if you’ve ever taken the “I can make that!” challenge, tell us how it turned out in a comment!