Write the Line

While recently re-watching Walk the Line (the love story of Johnny Cash and June Carter), I couldn’t help compare the dream of making music to that of writing.

Think about the speech given by Sam Phillips, the record producer who helps Johnny and his band get their start. I’m posting an edited version of the conversation below – except I have substituted “story” for “song”, “tell” for “sing”, etc.

Let’s just assume Sam speaks for publishers…

——

We’ve already heard that story, A hundred times. Just like that. Just how you wrote it.

…

If you was hit by a truck and you were lying in that gutter dying, and you had time to tell one story; one story people would remember before you’re dirt. One story that would let God know how you feel about your time here on Earth. One story that would sum you up.

…

Would you tell something real? Something you felt?

That’s the kind of story people want to read.

That’s the kind of story that truly saves people.

…

It has to do with believing in yourself.

—–

Excellent advice. Go write that story.

Sarah Wones Tomp

WRITING ON THE SIDEWALK

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This is What I’m Talking About… It Gets Better

Here is some proof of the YA sensibility I mentioned yesterday.

A group of authors and illustrators have gotten together to support the IT GETS BETTER PROJECT.

In support of open-mindedness, change and growth, hope.

(Excerpt) From The IT GETS BETTER SITE:

Growing up isn’t easy. Many young people face daily tormenting and bullying, leading them to feel like they have nowhere to turn. This is especially true for LGBT kids and teens, who often hide their sexuality for fear of bullying. …

While many of these teens couldn’t see a positive future for themselves, we can. The It Gets Better Project was created to show young LGBT people the levels of happiness, potential, and positivity their lives will reach – if they can just get through their teen years. The It Gets Better Project wants to remind teenagers in the LGBT community that they are not alone — and it WILL get better.

It gets better.

Sarah Wones Tomp

WRITING ON THE SIDEWALK

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Too Big To Be One Thing

Some recent articles about YA -  in the Wall Street Journal (all YA is too serious and dark) and Slate (YA is mass market fluff and the old people writing it are creepers) – have made something perfectly clear to me…

YA literature is not a genre.

It’s too big, too varied, too complex. There are the serious problem novels and the fluff mass market romance. There are mysteries and historical fiction. There are coming of age and survival tales. There are books that defy labels. Basically, in YA literature, there is everything that the “adult” fiction shelves hold. And I don’t mean XXX adult, although there are various degrees of sexuality in these stories – just like the books for older, more jaded, readers.

This section in the bookstore didn’t exist for my generation. No wonder so many people don’t understand what YA has to offer. YA is more of an age group distinction ~ but definitely not a reading level. Again, it’s too varied, too complex. But it absolutely deserves its own space on the (ever-growing) shelves.

For me, YA literature is a sensibility. It requires a few things of its readers.

• Readers must have a somewhat open-minded approach to life.
• They must appreciate shades of gray – they understand that there is no black and white, no easy answers in life.
• They must have some expectation of people – they know each of us are flawed and imperfect, but that’s no reason not to try to be better.
• They must be open to surprise, open to people and situations they never imagined.
• They must believe in change and growth.
• They must have hope.

I’m grateful for the articles about YA books, even if they have it all wrong – the writers and readers who love these YA stories are quick to chime in and voice their opinions. Open dialogue and discussions will help to broaden understanding and open minds.

There will be change and growth. I have hope.

Sarah Wones Tomp

WRITING ON THE SIDEWALK

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Go Read a Book!

Just a few events I have just recently learned about to help encourage literacy and the love of books, thought I would pass them on.

Save Bookstores Day is a the brain child of agent Kelly Sonnack I’ve posted Kelly’s letter below:

Hi everyone,

I’ve gotten sick of reading the bookstore obituaries in the publishing news, so I’m starting a viral campaign to get people, on one day, to go buy books from their local bookstore. Might not end up changing the tides, but it’s something small I can do and I’m getting a good response so far. Here are the details for you to pass on to your friends/family/fellow booklovers:

Who: You and all the book-lovers in your life
When: June 25th, the first Saturday of Summer!
Where: Your local bookstore (and if you don’t have one near you, Powell’s ships)
Why: Because bookstores are dropping like flies and we want them to stay alive

Thanks for passing this along to whomever you think would want to get on board.

Warmest,
Kelly

Kelly Sonnack
Andrea Brown Literary Agency

I encourage you to please visit your local independent bookstore and buy a book or two, or three, or four.

Friend to the blog Alyson Beecher has started a new literacy program Bridge to Books. Here’s what Bridge to Books is all about:

Take one educator with a passion for books and getting kids to read (Alyson) and mix in a talented book blogger and former bookseller (Alethea) and you have the start of Bridge to Books. As we began to talk, we realized that there were great resources out there that did not seem to be getting to the right places. We wanted to see people come together from various disciplines to share thoughts and ideas, with the overall goal of getting children excited about books and reading.

Bridge to Books will be kicking off their first program to encourage literacy  ”YA in Bloom” at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, on Saturday.

It might be too late to register for tomorrow’s event, but I have been told that they are planning a Graphic Novel- MG event in August and a Picture Book event in October. Keep checking the site  for more details.

Happy Reading,

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

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Writing Stumbling Blocks: A Stunning Chapter 4

stum·bling block

Noun: A circumstance that causes difficulty or hesitation.

Stumbling blocks, we all have them, and for a writer it’s that moment or situation that makes it difficult to continue writing. With my own writing I recently experienced a stumbling block trying to write chapter 4.  After working tirelessly on perfecting chapters 1-3, my writing came to a complete and utter halt. Aware that most agents and editors request to see the first three chapters of a manuscript, if interested, they will request to see the rest of the manuscript. That puts a lot of pressure on chapter 4. What if it wasn’t good enough? What if it was too boring? Will they want to read more? Will they want to read chapter 5?

There are many things and author can do to write a compelling story and it was researching those strategies that ultimately pulled me out of my block. But this led me to wonder, what are the root causes of a stumbling block? Through my research I found that there are a few common factors that can cause a stumbling block:

1. Lack of Confidence 
2. Lack of Skills and Tools
3. Perfectionism and Self-Criticism
4. Procrastination
5. Worry about Criticism 

     Based on this list I think my stumbling block was brought on by all of the above (especially #4). I have now moved past chapter 4 and now my worry is the sagging middle. But I am moving past it and soon I will probably be worrying about the intriguing ending.

     So what stumbling blocks do you encounter with your writing? And have you found a way to get past them?

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

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Reading in the Park Sidewalk Style

On Saturday I slathered on my SPF 85 sunscreen, grabbed my best sun hat and joined Andrea Zimmerman, David Clemesha, and Mara Price for a “Reading in the Park.” Sponsored by the City of La Mesa, this event invited children and their families to make book marks, exchange books and hear stories read while they ate lunch in the park. They even had a trash truck for the kids to check out. 

Andrea and her husband David shared their book “Trashy Town”

Mara read from her book “Grandma’s Chocolate”

I read from my book “Grandma’s Pear Tree”

This event also included a raffle where several copies of our books were given away to the children and their families.

It was a great event and thanks to the City of La Mesa for inviting me to attend. I always enjoy spending time with my fellow authors and my SPF 85 kept me well protected.

Happy Reading,

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

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Choices and Voices

I had planned to write my blog post early this morning.

But when I woke up, there were voices in my head.

I had to write them down. Finally, a conversation I’ve been trying to capture.

Limited time, gotta make choices. The story won.

But here is an amazing read for you: The latest VOYA online. The Voice of Youth Advocates. Amazing. Powerful. Important. 

I want to be a Voice someday.

Sarah Wones Tomp

WRITING ON THE SIDEWALK

 

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Hello?

I find cell phones to be a bit of a hassle in writing contemporary fiction. In my experience, it’s the rare teen who isn’t permanently attached to their phone. It’s harder to make your characters isolated.

During my teen years, I spent a ridiculous amount of time on the phone. Because this was back in the day way before cell phones ~ or even cordless ~ I would pull the cords around the corner into my room and spend most nights chatting for hours. My parents gave up and got call waiting so at least the line wasn’t always busy. (And yes, it was blue.)

There were the required calls from the boyfriend, the best friend update calls, the misc. check-ins, and best of all ~ the insider view from a friend who happened to be a boy. Those calls were the longest. When the phone rang, I didn’t know who would be there – no caller ID!

I still like to talk on the phone when I have the time. Sometimes phone calls are more direct and focused than an actual face-to-face conversation. There’s a different sort of energy.

And yet, I am thankful that there were times I was out of touch as a teen. I feel lucky to have not been distracted by cell phones – not to mention all the other social media. I am pretty sure I would have been way more neurotic and angsty than I already was.

My kids have been quite different about phones. I’ve accused them of being either afraid or incapable of actually talking on a telephone. Sometimes I beg them to simply call – it’s so much easier to make plans through a 30 second conversation instead of a 30 minute text exchange. They simply don’t talk on their phones. In some ways they are more connected to their friends than I ever was. Primarily they text and Facebook (haven’t figured out if that really can be a verb).

But my biggest boy got up at the crack of dawn to chat with a friend from college. An actual phone conversation. Sometimes you need to hear someone’s actual voice.

And so today, I’m feeling a little wistful for friends I haven’t talked to in way too long.

Sarah Wones Tomp

WRITING ON THE SIDEWALK

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Congratulations!

Congratulations to all the 2011 San Diego Book Awards Winners!

 

I am especially delighted that Mara Price‘s bilingual picture book, Grandma’s Chocolate/El Chocolate de Abuelita, won in the published picture book category. This story of a grandma’s visit from Mexico is deep and rich and sweet (sounds like chocolate, eh?).

However, I would not have wanted to be the judge for that round – the other finalists are pretty extraordinary as well.

Rumor is that the SDBAA put on a fabulous event Saturday night, complete with delicious food and literary love all around.

So, perhaps you wonder, who is the SDBAA?

The San Diego Book Awards Association (SDBAA), is a volunteer organization dedicated to enriching the large, diverse, and vibrant literary community of the nation’s third largest county.

Founded in 1994, the SDBAA honors the best published books and unpublished manuscripts by San Diego County residents each year. Winning authors report that receiving a San Diego Book Award boosts sales of their books, and several winners of our unpublished novel, memoir, and poetry chapbook competitions have said that receiving a San Diego Book Award played an instrumental role in their later securing a publisher for their work.

A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the SDBAA promotes literacy in San Diego County schools through the Read-4-Fun program. Specially designed for fifth graders—the grade in which reading for pleasure dramatically declines—Read-4-Fun gives away approximately 2,500 books a year to student readers. For many of these children, the books they receive through Read-4-Fun are the first books they have ever owned.

Sounds like a winning organization!

Sarah Wones Tomp

WRITING ON THE SIDEWALK

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Fiesta Friday- Let’s Make Chicken Tacos

My husbands youngest niece is in a baseball tournament this weekend in San Diego and that means that family could be visiting Casa de Santillan sometime during the trip. It’s always hard to prepare for these visits since I don’t know when or if I will be cooking, so I have developed a recipe to make chicken tacos using only a rotisserie chicken and a few other ingredients I have here on hand. This easy recipe is always a crowd pleaser and doesn’t take very long to make.

So rather than sharing a cake recipe today (like I have done on some Friday’s in the past), I thought I would share my super easy chicken taco filling recipe.

Ingredients

1 rotisserie chicken

2 cans chicken broth

1/2 can of water

1/4 cup (approximately)  Las Palmas Chili Colorado Sauce

Directions:

Place rotisserie chicken, water and chicken broth in large pan. Cover with a lid and boil for approximately 15 minutes. Remove chicken and add Chili Colorado sauce to broth. Using fork or tongs shred chicken removing skin and bones and add to broth mixture (caution chicken will be hot!). Simmer chicken mixture for another 10 minutes.

This works great for tacos or burritos.

***Blatant Family Plug***

Today’s picture is from a quilt made by my cousin Beth. I loved the colors and pattern so much I asked her permission to use it as my photo today. You can check out her quilts on her Etsy site.

Enjoy!

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

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