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This is why I write.

This colorful collection of homemade cards arrived in the mail today, from some kids whose school I visited a few weeks ago.  The artwork they created in response to my two Lake Champlain historical novels is gorgeous, and their letters made me smile over and over again.

If you’re a writer, you know that certain parts of our amazing job can be tough, particularly the waiting parts.  Waiting for news on a project. Waiting for reviews to come in on a new book.  Waiting to find out if people like it.  And a bit of worrying, too.  I was having one of those waiting, worrying days, until I saw all these gorgeous drawings, read about the kids’ favorite scenes, and finally, read this from Lily.

If Lily is full of excitement to read, then I am one happy author. How do you worry with a fat exclamation point like that staring you in the face? 

Thanks, Lily, Tenzin, Ben, Konner, Kylei, Lawrence, Riana, Carson, Gooey, Rebecca, Emma, Cameron, Lauren, Danny, Madison, Dennis, Cedric, and Caiden. I love that you took the time to write and to draw the pictures you saw while you were reading.

There’s something about a science fair…

I love the elementary school science fair.  I have plans to sneak back in, even when my kids are grown, just for the pleasure of watching the baking-soda-and-vinegar volcanoes erupt.  There’s something magical about science fair night…when everyone is herded outside for the messiest of the demonstrations, and the grownups are required to just stand around and watch helplessly while things explode.  I find it delightful.

There were volcanoes galore tonight, earthquake demonstrations, solar system models, a trained mouse, some really terrific rockets, and a most spectacular Mentos/Diet Coke display…

We all clapped and cheered. And if I ever write a book about a science fair, you can bet your Mentos this scene will make an appearance.

Five Things on a Friday

1. Thank you so much to everyone who answered my plea for advice for a plunge-in sort of writer working on a project that demands an outline.  The fact that I can post a note asking for help here and have so many wise and wonderful writers respond with just the kinds of encouragement and ideas I needed…well, that’s just awesome. Thank you.  And if anyone else is looking for advice about outlining, click here to get to the post – then skip my ramblings and proceed to the wise, wonderful comments.

2. Based on #1, I have taken the plunge and downloaded Scrivener, a writing/organizing/drafting program for Mac people.  As much as I feel a little overwhelmed about learning a new software program right now, the arguments were there.  I like technology.  I am a Mac girl.  And   dropped me a note with information about "the Scriv" as she calls it, and told me she used it when she was working on ONCE WAS LOST. (October 2010, Little Brown).   I read my ARC of this book  in a single sitting on the porch this week while I was home sick; it’s truly one of the best, most beautifully crafted books I’ve ever read (and you know I read a lot.)  I’m not expecting Scrivener to turn me into Sara, but if it helped her to keep all those amazing characters and plot threads organized, that’s a good reason to give it a try.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

3. Speaking of ARCs, if you’d like to be entered to win an ARC of my upcoming middle grade novel, THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z, you still have time to click here and leave a comment telling me what kind of tree you’d be if you were a tree. It’s fun, really…  Deadline is 11pm EST.

4. My list of Authors Who Skype with Book Clubs has grown by leaps & bounds this week and somehow ended up with a link on a librarians’ listserv.  I’ve gotten a  handful of notes from librarians in different states saying they’re excited to help their reading groups connect with authors for book discussions, so I’m tickled to know that folks are finding the resource to be helpful.  If you’d like to check out the list, it’s here, along with a link to some helpful information about Skype visits.

5. Including today, I have eight regular teaching days left, and then eight days of final exams, and then it is SUMMER!  Not that I’m keeping track or anything…but I’m kind of excited to have more time for bike riding and hiking and reading and writing and Scrivenering.  What are you most looking forward to this summer?

Do you believe in Champ?

Big news from Lake Champlain this week… Our local media has picked up the story of a Vermont man who videotaped a mysterious-looking something apparently swimming in the lake near Burlington over the weekend.  He shared the video to YouTube.  Is it a really big dog?  A deer? Could it be Champ, Lake Champlain’s resident monster?


Still from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT49LQMxthg

People are naturally skeptical, and at least one scientist has suggested that it actually looks like a moose in distress.  I can’t say for sure what’s swimming through the water in this shot.  But I can say that it’s very different from my own experience with the legendary Champlain monster. 

That’s right…I’ve seen the lake monster. I don’t talk about it much (because I’m afraid of getting those looks that I always used to give people who talked about seeing lake monsters).  But the creature I saw was longer –  probably 15-20 feet, with bumps along its back, and its head didn’t stick out of the water so much.  I’ve seen it twice.

The first time was late spring of 2003.  I was making dinner, and my son called to me from the living room. 

"Mom…. What’s that?"  He stared out the window, and when I saw what he was pointing at, I stared too.

"Well…"  About 60 yards offshore, I could see a series of small bumps in the water that stretched out for at least fifteen feet.  And the whole thing was moving.  Swimming.  There was a small wake behind it.

"Well," I said again.  "I think…uh…."  The thing turned in the water, and the bumps snaked around.  It straightened out and swam a little closer to shore. "Well…I think that’s what people see when they say they see Champ."

We rushed outside and stood on the seawall, watching it swim back and forth for at least five minutes. Then it sank below the surface and disappeared.   About an hour later, my husband came home for dinner.

"What’s new?"  he asked.

"We saw Champ," my son told him.

"Right…"  No matter how many times we insisted it was true, he shook his head and laughed.  Until the following week.

"Hey, Kate?"  he called from the living room window.  "Is that what you saw the other night?"

There it was again.  This time, we all ran outside, along with a dozen people from the birthday party that was going on next door.  The creature was just the same…bumps protruding from the water just a little…and easily 20 feet long. 

And then… a second creature appeared, looking just the same, but swimming in the opposite direction.  They crossed paths, back and forth several times, and didn’t even seem to acknowledge one another.  Were they feeding on a school of fish?  What were they?  No one left to get a video camera; we were sure they were about to disappear.  But they stayed for another ten minutes, swimming back and forth. And then swam off.

Were they lake creatures left over from centuries past?  Was each long creature really just a few giant sturgeon, swimming in perfect single file?

I don’t know.  And part of me… likes not knowing.  I love living here, for the mountains and cool still water, for the historical shipwrecks and musical waves.  And for the mystery.   I love that Lake Champlain still has some secrets she’s not giving up just yet.

To outline or not to outline…?

Consider this a combination writing-process-post and request for help.  There’s always a debate about whether it’s better to plunge right into writing a new draft or to craft a meticulous outline first.  I know of hugely successful authors who do both, and I think a lot of it comes down to what works for the individual writer.  But what if you’re a plunger…working on a project that wants an outline?

I’ve never really been an outline person.  More often than not, I start a new book with a bare-bones premise and a fairly clear sense of who the characters are, and then I let them guide the story.  I write every night but usually go to bed without a clue as to what will happen next.  Then I sit down the next night, read over what I’ve written, close my eyes for a few minutes, and watch and listen until the characters do or say something.  Then I write it down.   I keep doing this over and over until eventually I can see the end. 

It’s the driving-at-night approach, where the headlights illuminate things bit by bit, but only as you move forward.  In THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z, for example, I was writing about Gianna’s grandmother for months, following her around, thinking, "Why does she keep doing things like this?" before I could see that she was showing real signs of dementia and that was what was really upsetting the family apple cart.

All of this plowing ahead and figuring things out as I write leaves me many, many messes and dangly bits to clean up in revision, but I’m good with that.  I like revision, and the whole process has worked pretty well for me.  Until now. 

Enter the  middle grade mystery project…the one that makes me bounce up and down in my chair with excitement.  The one that sent me off to Washington D.C. a couple weeks ago for research, certain that completing said research would throw open the doors and make the process work for this book, too.  The research trip was wonderful and illuminating and really, really fun.  But I have started writing this book five times now, and I’m ready to face the truth.  It wants…no…needs an outline.

So here’s the request for help part… If you are an outliner, what do your outlines actually look like?  Are they formal outlines?  Or  just summaries of each chapter, written out in a synopsis?  Do you use some fancy-schmancy outlining software that stores only sell to organized people?  Index cards? 

And are there any "plungers" out there who have needed to outline for a particular project?  I’d love to hear how it all worked out. 

Summer Reading & Win Free Books

As a teacher, I’m often asked to recommend summer reading for kids.  I don’t like one-size-fits-all summer reading lists, but I often provide "idea lists" — with lots and lots of possibilities for lots of different kinds of readers.  Along those lines, I’m trying something new on my Twitter feed… Kate’s Great Summer Reads will feature a book a day with thoughts on who might like it and a link to IndieBound.  Today’s tweet:

Kate’s Great Summer Read #1: For mystery-lovers ages 8-12, E.B. White Read-Aloud Winner MASTERPIECE by Elise Broach. http://tiny.cc/summer1

I’m KateMessner on Twitter if you’d like to follow and make summer reading suggestions of your own, too!

Now on to the free books…

If you haven’t had a chance to play the "What Tree Are You?" game & enter to win an advance reader copy of THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z, you have until Friday, and you can click here to enter.  I’m loving the comments so far.  For example, did you know that   is a purple-leaf plum,   is an aspen, and   is a Charlie Brown Christmas tree?  What kind of tree are you??

Also in the blog-world this week:

You can visit   and enter to win a copy of Linda Urban’s delightful, foot-stomping picture book MOUSE WAS MAD.

Mary of KidLit fame is just back from BEA and giving away CATCHING FIRE, SHIVER, and ALONG FOR THE RIDE over at her KidLit blog.

And Reviewer X has a bunch of contests (some ending June 3rd so be quick!) Titles up for grabs include CATCHING FIRE as well as books by

[info]lisa_schroeder

   and Elizabeth Scott.  


And one more thing…

If you have not checked out this post from   about the caterpillars/eggs in her backyard, you should go see her photos and then get yourself outside to explore your own yard.  In my little world, this is what summer’s all about.

What Kind of Tree Are You? Win an ARC of GIANNA Z!

My new middle grade novel, THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z, will be released from Walker Books for Young Readers September 1st, three months from today! 

To celebrate, I’m giving away an advance reader copy this week. To enter the drawing, I’m asking you to try out a fun game that Gianna and her best friend Zig play in the book.

Zig invents “The Tree Game” to help Gianna remember the different kinds of trees she’s supposed to be learning about for her monster school leaf collection project.  Here’s a sample from Chapter 3:

Zig points to me.  “You’re a sugar maple because they’re colorful and fluttery.  I’m…”

“You’re that big tall brown tree in front of the school!”  I get it now.

“The oak?” Zig says.  “Why am I an oak?”

“Because you’re not all showy.  But you’re important and…stable.”

Zig taps his chin with his finger. “Okay.”  He nods. “I’m an oak.  But I want to be a red oak.  White oak leaves are all loopy and weird looking.”

And from Chapter 5, when Gianna’s dad is dropping her off at school…

“Hey wait!”  Dad calls.

“Yeah?”

“You never told me about that tree game.”

“What about it?”

“Did you decide about me?”

“Umm…”  The bell is about to ring, and I haven’t used the leaf guide enough to decide what a Dad-tree would be. I flip through the book until I find a short tree that’s kind of chubby and droopy.  “How about a dwarf mulberry?”  I blow him a kiss.

“Hmph.”  Dad puts the car in gear as I slam the door. Clearly, he was hoping to be a redwood.

So what about you?  If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? 


Is this you??  It’s a Swamp Chestnut Oak outside the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

If you’re like Gianna and need to do a little research, here’s a great online tree reference site to help you out. 

Just leave a comment about what kind of tree you’d be and why, and I’ll enter your name in a drawing for an advance reader copy of THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z.  Please keep all entries appropriate for a middle grade audience!  If you leave an anonymous LJ comment, please make sure I have a way to contact you in case you win.

The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada, and the deadline is 11 p.m. EST on Friday, June 5th.  After that, I’ll draw a random winner and send GIANNA Z your way!  (And I may give away an additional ARC if anyone makes me laugh hard enough to snort tea out my nose. You never know…)  Feel free to share the link or tweet or do whatever you do to spread the word.

Ready… Set… What kind of tree are you?

How They Got Here: 2009 Debut Author Danielle Joseph

This post is part of a year-long series of blog interviews I’ll be hosting with my fellow 2009 Debut Authors, called "How They Got Here."  

It should be an especially helpful series for teens who write, teachers, and anyone who wants to write for kids.  2009 debut authors will be dropping by to talk about how their writing in school shaped the authors they are today, what teachers can do to make a difference, how they revise, and how they found their agents and editors.  (You’ll even be able to read some successful query letters!)  If you know a teacher or two who might be interested, please share the link!

Today… Danielle Joseph, author of SHRINKING VIOLET!

So I’m extra pleased that I’m Danielle’s blog tour stop today, since I just finished reading SHRINKING VIOLET yesterday and loved every minute. This is the kind of book teens love for its authentic voice and realistic portrayal of what it’s like to be graduating from high school.

Tere Adams is a super-shy senior who loves music and has dreams of being a radio DJ. Her inner strength is tested when her mom’s boyfriend provides an "in" to the local hit station at the same time a dreaded group presentation at school forces her out of her shell there. As someone who worked in radio right after college, I laughed like crazy at Joseph’s dead-on characterizations of the personalities that inhabit popular radio stations, from the shirt-open prime time DJ, to the music-loving cool guy, to the front desk receptionist. This novel will especially appeal to teens who are constantly attached to their iPods and those who love popular music, and it has a mysterious love interest to satisfy romance fans, too. A fun, fantastic summer read!

Welcome, Danielle! Tell us about the first thing you ever wrote that made you think maybe you were a writer.

"Mommy, Can I Go to the Zoo?" Written and illustrated by me in first grade and laminated by my teacher.

What books did you love when you were a kid?

Pippi Longstockings, all Judy Blume books and I was a big fan of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.

Is there a particular teacher or librarian who was a mentor for you in your reading and writing life?

I was lucky to have many inspiring and supportive teachers but I will always thank my mom for reading to me every night.

Moving on to the here and now, most writers admit that making time to write can sometimes be a challenge.  When and where do you write?   Do you have any special rituals?  

I sometimes write in my office and other times I head off to Starbucks with my laptop. Sometimes I sit down with a cup of coffee, other times it’s all about the chocolate. If I’m editing I like quiet. If I’m writing something new, I often turn up the music.

Your favorite strategy for revision?

I like to break things up into segments and I often jump around.

Best advice for young writers?

Be true to yourself. Write what you want!

What’s special about your debut novel?

That I wrote about real people and their fears.

What were the best and worst parts of writing it?

The best was just getting my thoughts down on paper. There really was no worst because I had so much fun writing this book!

How did you find your agent and/or editor?

I read a book that I really enjoyed and then decided to query the agent. She liked my sample and requested the full manuscript and soon after we began working together!

Thanks for sharing your journey, Danielle!

You can read more about Danielle at her website, and of course, you can ask for SHRINKING VIOLET at your local independent bookseller.  You can also order it through one of my favorite indies, Flying Pig Bookstore (they ship!), or find an indie near you by checking out IndieBound!

Three Cheers for Peru Intermediate Readers!

I spent part of Friday afternoon celebrating with Peru Intermediate School 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders to mark the end of their big reading incentive month.  While reading is always important, Peru decided to give it some extra attention in May by asking kids to set personal reading goals.  (I set one, too, and finished my 8th book just last night!)  And I wasn’t alone in meeting my goal – check out all these successful readers!

I loved the way the school celebrated.  Since their theme for the month was Lake Champlain, they created a lake in the front hallway and gave each class a ship.  When students met their goals, they put their photographs on the ships and signed them.

The school also gave away 30 copies of SPITFIRE and CHAMPLAIN AND THE SILENT ONE in a drawing for students who met their goals.  By the end of the afternoon, my voice was hoarse from cheering, my hand was tired from signing, and my head was full of great book suggestions from these awesome readers. 

Congratulations, Peru kids!!  I hope you find just as many fantastic books to read over the summer.  If you need some new suggestions, here’s the latest ALA Notable Books list with plenty  of great choices.  Happy Reading!