Inspiration

Today I'm posting at YA Outside the Lines on "Taking off the Parent Hat." It's about how "writers can’t parent their YA characters. We can’t protect them from their own mistakes. Sometimes we have to let characters do things we would never want our own children to do."

All I have to offer the world is inside those books. That's it, the absolute and dubious sum total of my ability to offer aid to anyone. If what you're looking for isn't in there, you need to look elsewhere. I can't save you. I can't even help you. All I can offer is my stories. And anyone who asks more of me is overstepping boundaries they have no right to cross.

---

I've had much worse birthdays than yesterday. readingthedark came down in the late afternoon. We had dinner at Tortilla Flats. We played an absolutely abominable game of "World of Warcraft" Monopoly (and why the hell are the Draenei represented nowhere in the game?!), and, in theory, Geoffrey won. We had some frozen caramel and cashew ice-cream pie thing. I got stoned. We talked too much. I got to sleep just as the sun was rising.

My thanks to all the "happy birthday" wishes yesterday. There were something like four hundred via Facebook, and, honestly, that just freaks me right the fuck out. Thank you for being there.

---

Spooky is still having a Caitlín Was (Most Years) Actually Born on the 27th of May Sale in her Dreaming Squid Dollworks and Sundries Etsy Shop. Cool and bow-tie stuff, with FREE SHIPPING, which will run through Monday. In order to take advantage of the sale, you need to use this code during checkout: CRKBIRTHDAY. Buy something bow tie, kittens!!! No, really!

---

Looking back from -08, here is what I will say: I want such very simple things. That's actually true. Instead, my life has presented me with a baffling array of complexities. I didn't say that quite right. "Baffling complexities" isn't actually what I mean. If the cosmos had some collective consciousness, if all our gods and goddesses and demons were anything more than fairy tales, they might understand what I meant to say. Those things I wish I had, though – those things I still hope for to the point I feel ashamed and ungrateful for not being gladder for what I have instead – they are so simple they might take your breath away.

Breathe In,
Aunt Beast

http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2012/05/report-from-bookaroo-in-india.html

By Christopher Cheng
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Last time I reported about networking and I mentioned Singapore and India. Here is what happened at Bookaroo in New Delhi last year:

My First Picture of India

I love India. If I had to use two words to describe my first impressions, they would be sensory explosion.

I arrived at New Delhi airport and was driven to my hotel, and all the while my brain was working in overdrive and I was thinking, “What is going on?”

Welcome at midnight

It was midnight for goodness sake and the roads were jam packed, and they drive so close to each other and they don’t use the marked lanes. Street lights I don’t remember, but there were so many car lights they weren’t needed. And the sounds! Honk! Honk! (plus a few toot toots from the wildly decorated tut-tuts!)

My Festival Appearance

It was like many other literary festivals I have spoken at. There was an outdoor bookshop, a green room, and enthusiastic audiences. But the children and parents that I was speaking to in India were wildly enthusiastic. They wanted to touch. They wanted to question.

They wanted more and more and more.

At Bookaroo

I presented a story reading session for my (then) new picture book Sounds Spooky under the overarching branches of a gorgeous tree (botanical name unknown) next to a solid stand of bamboo that provided a wonderful backdrop and sound barrier for my spooky storytelling session.



In an amphitheatre seating a few hundred, I presented a community story-creating session (one I used as a classroom teacher), gathering children from the audience, bringing them to the front of the stage and together creating an oral story. It was mid morning there (early for Indian time) so I started with about 20 people, but within minutes the amphitheatre was full and children were hollering to join our expanding story. After an hour, it was standing room only, and there were 20 children standing on stage (and hundreds more in the audience) who could recite the lines from the story we had created.

Next to a clay covered building I presented talks about my favourite subject - me and the life of a children’s author; about writing historical fiction texts; and about writing picture books. It was mostly outdoors under the warm and inviting Indian sun.

And like many festivals there were the author signings and the bookstore was alive with children, trying to locate the books. And the signing queues seemed to snake on forever.

The bookstore.

Like most festivals, I was asked to sign pieces of paper (okay), and books that I didn’t write (I declined), as well as the autograph book…but these autograph books were something special. They had the signatures of Indian cricketers too!

I have made it. I am up there on the same plane as international cricketers! (At one hotel, the lobby was vacated while I was signing the visitors book - there were a few Bollywood stars in that book).

My School & University Appearances

My school visits in India were some of the most wonderful and inspiring that I have ever been to. The schools were not elite wealthy schools but simpler schools with a passion for inspiring their students and empowering them to have a better future, schools where parents have sacrificed enormously. They were unlike any other school I have visited, and even writing this now, I pop out with goosebumps and I tingle.

These students were like super sponges. Not only had they researched as much as they could about me, some students created posters, others wrote biographies, and still others read my website so thoroughly that they could tell me about all of the animals that were with me while I was teaching at the zoo.

And the questions they asked. They were not intrusive or ones that could have been answered from reading my website. They were inquisitive and showed a real passion for finding out all there is to know about me and writing and being a ‘famous’ children’s author (in reality the fame doesn’t go past my street corner), with the most frequently asked question:“Mr. Cheng,” (so courteous and polite), “you write lots about Chinese people, so will you write about us?”



These children want their stories told to a wider audience, too. At every school visited, I was treated like a rock star. At each school entrance was a welcome sign - just for me - crafted by students, often with my picture downloaded from the internet. Morning and afternoon teas were in the Principal’s Office. I was presented with gifts that had been crafted by the students from their hand craft classes, a small glazed kiln-fired clay vase that now holds my pencils, a plaque that is now attached to our outdoor wall, a small bamboo lined mirror now on our sitting room wall, a note book for me to use crafted from recycled paper (the students were so thrilled to see that I write first drafts in note books) and much more. And in these offices, Mr. Cheng was asked if he would consider staying to teach at their school - they were serious.

I spoke in universities to students who were just as passionate and just as sponge-like as the school students but in conditions that (mostly) were very unlike our universities.

In one talk, not only was room filled inside (about ten seats wide and thirty rows deep), but there were students outside blocking the breezeway.

At university

The raised wooden podium wobbled and I had a handheld microphone (with a rather short chord) and the single speaker was tied to the window frame. The lights were sparse and there were no projection facilities. But these students too, they continued to ask, to question, wanting more.

India is a fascinating and a passionate country, and the students are passionate, too. They love hearing us speak, reading our books and they want more!

So if opportunity comes your way, grab it with both arms and go!

Cynsational Notes

More on Christopher

With more than 35 titles in traditional and digital formats, including picture books, non-fiction, historical fiction, a musical libretto and an animation storyline, Christopher Cheng is well experienced in Australian children's literature.

He conducts workshops and residences for children and adults and holds an M.A. in Children's Literature. He is a board member for the Asian Festival of Children's Content and on the International Advisory Board and co-regional advisor (Australia and New Zealand) for the SCBWI.

A recipient of the SCBWI Member of the Year and the Lady Cutler Award for services to children's literature, Chris is a devoted advocate of children's literature, speaking at festivals worldwide.

Christopher will be covering the children's-YA book scene in Australia, New Zealand and across Asia for Cynsations. Read an interview with Christopher. Read more about Christopher's time in India at his blog.

Pre-orders for Sharp End of the Stick close in just five days. That is also when we’re expecting a truck to show up with four pallets of books. The arrival of those books will usher in the next stage of book shipping work. Howard and Travis will spend a day signing covers while the kids and I stamp the sketch editions. Howard will begin sketching and I will begin shipping. This time we’re changing our shipping process. Instead of having a single big shipping day, we’re going to have many smaller shipping days. It will spread out the work and thus lower the pressure, rather like spreading out weight over a larger surface prevents breakage. It is possible that we’ll hate this new shipping method, but we’re committed to trying it this time. I’ve got two teenagers to help me in addition to my regular shipping second in command. I think that the end result will be all the books shipped by June 12th. Which is pretty important because on June 14th Howard and I depart for DeepSouthCon in Huntsville Alabama. If you’re in that area, hope you stop by.

For this Memorial day weekend, I plan to catch up on sleep and watch entirely too much Sherlock.

Comments are open on the original post at onecobble.com.

Once more into the fray.
Into the last good fight I'll ever know.
Live and die on this day.
Live and die on this day.

---

Indeed, it is my birthday. And here I am, some -08 years after my unlikely birth in the year 1964 (of the Gregorian calendar). And, oh my motherfucking god, I just fucking realized something amazing! 1964 was a leap year, so, on years that are not leap years (unlike this one), my birthday is actually May 27th. Motherfucker. Weird. Anyway, my thanks to everyone who has sent well wishes and gifts. There are truly too many of you. It makes my head swim a bit. Life may be a steaming shitstorm, but at least there's you lot, kittens.

I'm hoping that I will soon be able to make an announcement about the future of the Alabaster comic. Hang tight.

Spooky is having a Caitlín Was (Most Years) Actually Born on the 27th of May Sale in her Dreaming Squid Dollworks and Sundries Etsy Shop. Cool and bow-tie stuff, with FREE SHIPPING, which will run through Monday. In order to take advantage of the sale, you need to use this code during checkout: CRKBIRTHDAY.

---

Last night was Kindernacht, of course. After the ritual of an atomic fireball (complimentary from Acme Video), we began our double feature with Olivier Megaton's Colombiana (2011; a film made with the involvement of such film heroes of mine as Luc Besson, Ridley Scott, and Tony Scott). A very enjoyable crime thriller, and, hey, a big dose of Zoe Saldana! Also, Cliff Curtis, and I never get enough of him. The film is smarter and darker than I expected. The ending didn't flinch from the logical consequences following from it's events, a thing always and forever to be admired.

But, Colombiana paled into insignificance by the unexpected jolt of our second feature, Joe Carnahan's The Grey (2011), which I'd not heard of and picked up based on the synopsis on the box and the fact I find Liam Neeson sexy. Anyway, now, here's the director who made Smokin Aces (2002) (a good film, but...) and (**cough cough**) The A-Team (2010). The very last person on earth – okay, that's a lie. Still. Not the man I'd have expected to make the best film I've seen since Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life (2011). I am not heaping hyperbole. This film instills one with a nigh unto indescribable sense of cosmic wonder and dread, and it is beautiful. The cinematography (Masanobu Takayanagi) and the score (Marc Streitenfeld) went a long way to setting this film on the road to brilliance, and every performance is marvelous. Okay, I'm saying too much. You simply have to see it. Please. Trust me.

And Now I'm Even Older,
Aunt Beast

http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2012/05/author-speaking-opportunities-in-asia.html

By Christopher Cheng
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

This is a note about networking and contacts. 

They are vital.

I have always loved exploring new countries and recently my life as a full time children's author (my first title was published in 1990) has dramatically increased these opportunities.

In late 2011, I had the privilege of speaking at Bookaroo - a children’s literature festival in New Delhi, India. I love traveling the world, but India was not a country on my radar.

How did I get offered a speaking gig at Bookaroo?

It all came about because, in 2010, I was presenting at another international children’s festival in Singapore - the Asian Festival of Children's Content. After I had finished my first day of speaking in Singapore, the Bookaroo organisers asked me to present at their upcoming festival.

As I had already accepted another festival for the same time, my fourth for the year, I had to decline but that was immediately followed with “Would you speak next year?” and so in November 2011, I landed in India.

It’s a long way to travel from Australia to New Delhi for a three-day festival so thankfully my trip was extended when the Australian Government sponsored my visit under the visiting artists programme, taking me on a tour through more Indian cities visiting school and universities.

Why all this preamble? Because it’s all about networking and getting involved and advertising you!

Christopher speaking in Singapore

We authors and illustrators can lead very sheltered lives, barely encountering another human - except maybe our children and spouses - in our daily activities as we produce our works, but we shouldn’t. We need to belong and we need to get out there. In the past 12 months, I have spoken at festivals in India, Singapore, Hong Kong, USA, the Philippines. How come?

Since becoming a full-time children’s author I have learned that for me this job is not only about writing for kids - which is the best job in the world and what I love to do - but it’s also about networking and developing contacts.

As part of my networking, I write articles for journals and blogs and newspapers, and mentor, consult, and promote. I have been a judge and an assessor on writing awards and established international children’s book awards.

Edited by Christopher

I was, for a number of years, a National Ambassador for Literacy Week (a federal government programme), and this year I am one of 18 National Ambassadors for our National Year of Reading. For me it’s all part of the ‘job’ of being a children’s author.

It’s never too early to start developing a list of contacts. I have been published for more than 20 years, and over that time I have gathered a list of industry professionals, bloggers, writers, editors, journal publishers, newspaper columnists and more.

Right from the start I maintained a contact list, grabbing contact details from the magazine and newspaper journalists. It’s a bit like detective work, growing the list. And of course there is social media too - blogs, and Facebook and Twitter. It’s all part of gathering those contacts, networking and getting connected!

Which leads me to why I was presenting in Singapore.

Most of my recent appearances came about because I received an email early in 2010 asking me to advertise a new festival in Singapore. The organisers knew that I had a solid network of contacts in the Australian children’s literature scene and of course my SCBWI membership. They had also investigated my website and found out what I can do and so a request for promotion assistance ended up becoming a speaking invitation as well.

(Which is another lesson - make sure you have a website and that the website sells you!).

With Warren Buckleitner - Children's Technology Review

Five months after the inquiry about broadcasting the festival news, I was presenting in Singapore, and sitting in the audience were the organisers of other Asian literary festivals - and not just children’s festivals either.

Enlightened festival organisers engage speakers with a children's literature focus as well as adult literature. My presentation was also an advertisement - for me - and it lead to appearing elsewhere around the region.

There are festivals exploding all over the Asia Pacific region with a children’s literature component. Many people don’t realise that there is a huge English speaking population that is located not in the Americas or Europe but here in the Asia Pacific region. Children are learning English at school, and they are hungry for English books to read, and they love to hear us speak.

So from that one email enquiry early in 2010, I was able to spread the word about a new festival, encourage other creators to attend, and have myself be contracted to speak at a number of other international literary festivals.

And remember too that speaking contracts are also really important.

So get your lists started. Read journals and blogs and e-zines. And then start sharing, and you never know where that might find you.

Cynsational Notes

More on Christopher

With more than 35 titles in traditional and digital formats, including picture books, non-fiction, historical fiction, a musical libretto and an animation storyline, Christopher Cheng is well experienced in Australian children's literature.

He conducts workshops and residences for children and adults and holds an M.A. in Children's Literature. He is a board member for the Asian Festival of Children's Content and on the International Advisory Board and co-regional advisor (Australia and New Zealand) for the SCBWI.

A recipient of the SCBWI Member of the Year and the Lady Cutler Award for services to children's literature, Chris is a devoted advocate of children's literature, speaking at festivals worldwide.

Christopher will be covering the children's-YA book scene in Australia, New Zealand and across Asia for Cynsations. Read an interview with Christopher. Find out about his appearances and more at Christopher Cheng's Blog.

I love my town. I love farms. I love animals (but not to eat). I love gardens. I love learning how to live more sustainably. I love supporting local farmers. I love good, locally grown organic food.

I love this event!

Hello my fine friends! It's finally here! The Year of the Beasts written by me and illustrated by Nate Powell is finally here!


Shop Indie Bookstores

“…a poignant and entertaining mixture of storytelling and nightmare.”--VOYA

Every summer the trucks roll in, bringing the carnival and its infinite possibilities to town. This year Tessa and her younger sister Lulu are un-chaperoned and want to be first in line to experience the rides, the food . . . and the boys. Except this summer, jealousy will invade their relationship for the first time, setting in motion a course of events that can only end in tragedy, putting everyone's love and friendship to the test. Alternating chapters of prose and comics are interwoven in this extraordinary novel that will break your heart and crack it wide open at the same time.

Cory Doctorow reviewed it over at Boing Boing
Here is a nice interview I did with blogger Els de Clerq
I also did a playlist for it over at Large Hearted Boy

I prefer if you go to your local indiebound bookstore, but you can also get it online at Amazon and B&N where it is also available as an e-book. And remember, you can always order signed copies from Skylight Books. (of this book or any of my books!)

On this, the morning before my -08 birthday, I find myself quoting one of Spooky's high-school history teachers: "If you assume, it makes an ass out of you and me." Can I exchange this day for the apocalypse, please? Big space rock, please?

Happy birthday to Billy (docbrite), whom I miss dearly, and for whom I wish a kinder year to come.

Depending who you ask, today is either Geek or Nerd Pride Day. I prefer geek, but whichever. In honor of this, I leave you with the Guild's "I'm The One That's Cool":



Reaching for the Slide Rule and Polyhedral Dice,
Aunt Beast, La Cabrita