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Inspired by Loree Griffin Burns’s new book, CITIZEN SCIENTISTS, my daughter and I decided to take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count this weekend. The simple directions and downloadable regional birds checklist online made it easy to get involved, even though we’re fairly beginning birders.  It was cold today, so we decided we’d watch for 15 minutes at one of our favorite natural spaces, Ausable Point State Park, not far from our house. Here’s where we decided to set up shop with our binoculars and camera…

By the time our fifteen minutes were up, our hands were numb (note to self: bring gloves next time!) and we’d counted 39 birds, including five different species.  That’s a relatively small number, but we went later in the day, and it was quieter than usual.  One of our species, though, was a rare find (and one I’ve been looking for at this spot!).

Those huge, bright white birds are the tundra swans that have been hanging around this marsh for a few weeks now, according to local birding experts. They normally winter far to the south, but because it’s been such a mild winter, and Lake Champlain isn’t frozen, they apparently decided this was a fine place to spend February.  We’re happy about that — and hoping for a closer look on our next trip.

In the mean time, we’ve reported our bird count for today:

29 common mergansers

3 tundra swans

4 Canada geese

1 herring gull

2 mallards

By the way, if you’re interested in the Great Backyard Bird Count, it runs through Monday, 2/21 – and you’ll find the information about how to count and report birds here.

Today was full of lovely things…though not the exact lovely things I might have been expecting. I’m thankful for surprises like these…

I was hoping I might hear back on a manuscript that’s out– and while that didn’t happen, I did get the terrific news that my picture OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW is going to be published in Russia…

…and that EYE OF THE STORM will be on the Spring 2012 Kids’ IndieNext list — a selection of books recommended by indie booksellers.

The full list is available to preview online here,  and the fliers will be in indie bookstores later on. Indie bookstores have a special place in my heart, so this news made me extra happy.

I had four Skype visits today, including two longer presentations, so after a full morning of talking at my computer screen, I decided it was time to get a little fresh air.

I was hoping I might see the tundra swans that have been spotted recently at a state park not too far from my house. But alas…not only were the swans nowhere to be found, the wind was colder than I thought.

I paused by the lake just for a minute and raised my binoculars to watch some common mergansers offshore, when all of a sudden, the whole team took off into the air in a flutter of black and white. Weird, I thought…and was just about to lower my binoculars and head home when this guy came flying into view.

Bald eagles aren’t completely uncommon here in the winter (I actually looked out my window a couple weeks ago and spotted one from my couch) but no matter how many times I see them, I catch my breath.

Later on,  my daughter and I spotted this bird on my neighbor’s feeder.

It wasn’t as big or majestic as the eagle, but we thought it was striking with its suit of black and white.  We got out the field guide but were stumped for a while. It looked like a hairy woodpecker, but it didn’t have the red occipital patch. More careful reading led us to the answer.  It was a hairy woodpecker; only the males of the species have that red patch on their heads, so this one must have been a girl.

Tomorrow will be a long writing day with a quick break to go walking, looking for those tundra swans again. I may not run into them, but who knows what else might be out there?

Full disclosure: The author of this book, Loree Griffin Burns, is my friend and critique partner, and she fed me lunch in the middle of my pouring-rain drive through New England last fall. That said, I’d be singing this book’s praises even if Loree were a stranger who didn’t make great soup. I love this title for so many reasons it’s tough to know where to start.

There’s the gorgeous, outdoor photography by Ellen Harasimowicz…that perfect nonfiction voice that’s knowledgeable and fascinating but friendly, too… and opportunities for kids to get involve and extend the reading experience after the last page is turned.

But really, what I think CITIZEN SCIENTISTS does best is take science out of the realm of “hard stuff that grown-ups do” and brings it to a kid’s level, not through the usual kitchen counter experiments but through getting young people involved in actual scientific research projects. CITIZEN SCIENTISTS explains in vivid and stunning detail how kids can count birds and listen for frogs, tag butterflies, record data, and make a real, substantial difference in the world of science. And it does all of that in a storytelling voice that brings kids into the adventure right away.

Essential for readers who like to be outside (or kids you wish would leave the living room more often!) and for elementary and middle school classrooms & libraries, this is a beautiful book filled with gorgeous photographs, and loaded with resources to help kids get involved in real-life science in their own back yards.

I love letters from kids, and I always write back, but sometimes I forget to check my post office box for a little while, and things get backed up. Today was one of those days, so I came home with a pile of mail that made for a delightful afternoon.  Here are a few lines that made me smile:

I like to read your books, which are very good. I don’t know what your next book will be. Please let it be as good as the others.     ~Gage

I read The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. Are you married to a Zig?   ~Kayla

Why does Nonna have Alzheimer’s? I feel bad for her.          ~Austin

I really love your story. But did you know that you made Mrs. Good cry?    ~McKayla

Who inspires you to write your famous books?    ~Katie

Haylea sent me a letter and an author portrait that she drew. Can you see the resemblance?

 

I write stories for my friends to give to them, but first I copy them so I can have a copy.  What does it take to be an author?      ~Macey

You wrote a very good book. Will you write another book like it? If so, why or why not?              ~Jordan

I love all of your books. My teacher is fixing to read our class another book of yours, too.                ~Madison

Dear Mrs. Messner, I love your book called The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z….. P.S. If you aren’t married, I’m sorry that I said Mrs. instead of Ms.         ~Bryonna

Before I get to book-talking, thanks to everyone – teachers and librarians and booksellers, especially – who have shared OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW with readers & friends. It’s received some lovely accolades lately — named an ALSC Notable Children’s Book for 2012 and an Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12 — and I’m so very thankful that this little book that started out with me wondering in the woods has found so many kindred spirits.  I know it’s been hard to find since the holidays, but the second printing should be available early this week. In the mean time… I thought I’d post about some new books that make me feel that out-in-the-woods sense of wonder.

“I always think of animal migrations as heading south,” my daughter wondered as we read this beautiful book together. And that, I think, is part of what makes NORTH: THE AMAZING STORY OF ARCTIC MIGRATION such a special book – all these animals, from the soaring snow geese to the regal caribou to the pointy-tusked, alien-looking narwhals, heading north, to a part of the world we so often think of as inhospitable. But in the summer sun, the Arctic is full of life and light – food and space to breed and raise young. This book tells the story of that migration, of the animals that swim, walk, and fly north when the days grow longer. Beautiful art work in soft blues and yellows captures that warmth and light, and some gorgeous, wordless spreads tell stories of their own. A lovely, lovely book – and one that would be great to pair with OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW for winter studies in the classroom.

This is a beautifully illustrated book that begins with a question on the title page. Through its conversational tone, CAN WE SAVE THE TIGER? introduces young readers to animals that have been lost to extinction over the years, animals that are in danger, and animals that are recovering, thanks in part to awareness. Without preaching, this gentle text inspires wonder and respect for the space and resources animals need and issues a quiet challenge not to stand by while more are lost. The art in this book is simply stunning – reminiscent of Audobon’s detailed work – and will make young readers want to know more about the animals that grace its pages.

This book would be a great anchor text for a research unit exploring animals in danger of extinction. It makes a perfect class read-aloud, and then students could branch off and read other titles (KAKAPO RESCUE and others in the Scientists in the Field series come to mind immediately) to extend their thinking.

Right now, I’m re-reading a book that I first read as a manuscript from one of my critique partners, Loree Griffin Burns.  It’s called CITIZEN SCIENTISTS: BE PART OF A SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD…

…and it’s even more remarkable than I remembered from the manuscript. I’ll do a proper write-up when I’ve finished basking in Ellen Harasimowicz’s eye-popping pictures and Loree’s engaging stories from the field, but for now, just know that it comes out February 14th.  Wrap it up with a butterfly net and a field guide or two for Valentine’s Day, and if you teach, know that this is one that belongs in every K-8 classroom & library. It’s a gorgeous, smart, and empowering book for kids.

At the gym where I’ve been taking a morning fitness class lately, there’s a racquetball court with big windows that I pass on my way out.  Sometimes, I’ll see people hitting a ball around in there, but mostly, it’s empty in the morning.  Yesterday, though, there was a man – maybe about fifty years old – doing tricks with a red and white striped hula hoop.

I stopped to watch. He twirled it on one arm, moving it smoothly from his shoulder to his hand and back again.  He tossed it up and caught it.  He did the same thing on the other arm.  More hula hoops leaned against the wall – five or six, all striped in bright red and white, and different sizes.

I looked back at the two women at the reception desk. Did they know there was a man playing with hula hoops on the racquetball court?   One of them smiled at me. She did. “That’s Simon, the juggler,” she said, then added, “That’s not all he does. It’s his dream job.”

The other woman nodded. “He practices every day.”

They went back to their paperwork, and I went back to watching Simon.  He was facing the other way, toward a plain white wall streaked with racquetball smudges, but he performed for it as if it were a circus crowd of thousands. The hula hoop rolled off one of his outstretched hands, down his arm, over his neck, down the other arm, and into his other hand.  I stayed back from the glass, quiet, so I wouldn’t disturb him.  But inside, I was applauding wildly, even after I left Simon to his practice and stepped out into the cold January air.

I wondered what his other job was. Was he going to work in an office cubicle after this?  Would he pack up his hula hoops and head to a law firm, or hospital operating room, or the post office?  It didn’t matter – not really. He’d made a choice to practice what he loved.  And what a gift.

I spent last weekend at a writing retreat in Vermont, surrounded by creative people who are doing what they love. It was a wonderful, spirit-filling weekend. There were readings and hours of quiet writing, hot fudge sundaes with gummy bears on top, and a raging bonfire, too.

There were quiet conversations about this work that we love – our joys, our worries, and our fears that surround it.  And oh, do we have those.

But today, I thought, heading home from the gym to my writing room, I’d worry a little less about how the pieces of this mystery are or aren’t coming together. I’d let the words roll down my arms like colored hoops, and I’d appreciate this time to practice work that I love.

Today, I wanted to write like Simon.

Writing is special. It is.

Telling stories for a living and having other people connect with those stories is magical.

And that’s part of the problem when it comes to inspiration. Sometimes, honoring the magic of writing prevents us from doing the work of writing, especially when we buy into the belief that we shouldn’t write unless the great and almighty voice of Inspiration is visiting on that day.

When we accept that idea, we go about your business of day jobs and picking up kids and making lasagna…waiting for Inspiration to come.  And the more we wait, the further away she drifts until it feels like we might never write anything worthwhile again.

For me, the best invitation for Inspiration to show up is a nicely set table…or desk as the case may be.  When the laptop is humming and the notebook open, the planning pages laid out just the way she likes them, with the colored pens and Post-It notes, she starts to snuffle outside the door. The clincher, though, is me, inside the room, working without her.  If I show up to work, with or without her, it’s a whole lot more likely that Inspiration will consider showing up, too.

So how to get started?  Here are five things I do to feel inspired when I’m not.

1. Go to your writing place.  For me, that place is now the room we built off the back of the house, a tiny room for only writing and not the business of writing.  But it doesn’t have to be anything that fancy.  For years, it was a corner of the kitchen table after my kids went to bed, the third table by the wall at my local coffee shop, and the study carrel near the books on tape at my public library.

2. Brew a really nice cup of tea.  Fact: I have special, nicer tea for when I’m feeling like I need to make a writing time feel more sacred.   Or hot chocolate. Or water with extra lemon. Or whatever your writing beverage of choice might be.

3. Find a focus object. Sometimes, I’ll change my computer background to an image that relates to my project – a tornado, a snowflake…something beautiful or powerful. Sometimes, I’ll put an object on my desk to ground me in the world of my book. This symbolic act can make writing more of a ritual, and that helps to honor the magic while still honoring the work. I know a writer who lights a candle when she starts a new book, and I think that’s lovely.

4. Protect the time.  Set a timer, and stay off the Internet. Silence your phone. The muse is a jealous sort and isn’t likely to show up if you call her and then start texting with someone else.

5. Make peace with the imperfect. If you regard those crummy sentences you write when you first sit down as the warm-up, the invitation that simply must be issued before Inspiration arrives, then you’ll feel less pressure to make them perfect. Look at writing without Inspiration as an act of courage, and be proud that you’ve shown up to do your job.

What about you? What do you do to feel inspired when you don’t start out that way?

How do you get inspired to write every day?

I get asked this question quite a bit…by writers and people who think they might like to be writers. It’s a question that popped up even more often when I was still teaching full time as well as writing, and even though my writing time has shifted from late-night to middle-of-the-day, the answer to that question hasn’t changed.

How do I get inspired to write every day?

I don’t.

I also don’t get “inspired” to do the breakfast dishes every day or exercise every day, but on most days, those things get done.

For the record, I like writing a LOT better than doing dishes, but I am trying to make a point here.  One doesn’t need to be inspired to do something in order to do that thing. One really just needs to get going on it.

Have you ever noticed that we don’t ask this question of people with too many other jobs?  I didn’t ask my mail carrier how she got inspired to deliver the mail today, nor do I ask my husband how he gets inspired to figure out the weather forecast.  I think that’s a real myth of writing…that we somehow need to be inspired or else shrug our shoulders and go have a cookie instead of writing that day. And it’s just not true.

Inspiration – true, holy-cow-I-need-to-write-it-down-this-very-second-because-I’m-channeling-the-goddess-of-creativity inspiration  — does happen, and when it does, it’s an amazing feeling and a true gift. But as a writer, I can tell you that it’s not a feeling that I have every day or every week or every month.  It strikes when it strikes, and that’s great. But if you want writing to be your job, you can’t really just wait around for those rare and sparkling moments.

The rest of the time, when I’m not feeling that rush of inspiration, I get myself writing the same way I get myself to go running or to yoga class on cold mornings, with some friendly, firm self-talk. “Hey, you chose this thing. Let’s go now. You’ll be happy about it once you get started.”

And so I sit down, and I start writing, and most often, I just write some stupid thing so I can say I started. But once I’ve made the commitment to show up for the work, something happens, and the next thing that shows up on the page is a little less stupid. And from there, if I just keep going and don’t stop to think about that stupid first sentence, some pretty good stuff shows up by the time I’m done.

So it’s really not about the inspiration. It’s about the showing up.

I’d also argue that inspiration is a whole lot more likely to strike when you’re there at your keyboard than it is if you’re upstairs watching Oprah.

It’s okay if you don’t feel inspired to write. If you want to be a writer, just write anyway. It will work out.

You should also watch this TED talk by Elizabeth Gilbert, in which she says some of the same things I just wrote but way more eloquently.   Watch the whole thing – the ending is my favorite part.

 

Tomorrow, I’ll some thoughts on faking it and feeling inspired even when you’re not.

Many thanks to all who entered my winter contest to help spread the word about MARTY MCGUIRE and its upcoming sequel, MARTY MCGUIRE DIGS WORMS!  The winners are…. (drum roll, please)

Signed Copies of MARTY MCGUIRE DIGS WORMS in April:

Alisa Kohn

Debbi Michiko Florence

Marilee Haynes

Coleen Patrick

Kathy Schmidt **

Crystal Brunelle **

Cally Flickinger

Kellee Moye

Michelle Bowker

Dana Schreiner

** Starred teachers also won virtual writing workshops for their classroom efforts to share Marty!

And the winner of the $100 bookstore gift card is… Abi Kurfman!

Thanks – again – to all who entered and to everyone who’s been sharing Marty McGuire with readers far and wide. Book #2 is just a little over two months away!

I struggled a bit with my college economics class, but the laws of supply and demand always made sense to me.  Until now…

Can you make out those prices? They are silly prices.

I’ve been flooded with emails this week (most, from grandparents, for some reason) saying some version of “Dude…why is your book SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS?? It’s a nice book, but…um…”

So here’s the deal. OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW was popular this fall (yay!), and its first print run sold out very quickly, so at the moment, it’s mostly unavailable.  Amazon is out of stock and can’t get it from distributors, which has prompted one or two of Amazon’s affiliate sellers to raise their price on the book through the roof. Thus, the $700 price tag for a new copy and the bargain basement price of $613.46 for a used one with just a few wrinkled pages.

You obviously should not pay that price. That’s silly, even if you are my mom.

So what’s a snow lover to do?  Here are a couple options…

If you want it now, I know two terrific indie booksellers who still have a handful of copies, and they ship: The Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid, and Books, Inc. in the Bay Area.  (I’d always rather have you buy my books from an indie bookseller anyway.)

Or if you can hold tight just a couple weeks, Chronicle tells me that the second printing is scheduled to be in the warehouse & ready to go on February 7th, in plenty of time for Valentine’s Day.