Patricia Wiles

snowstorm preparedness

patricia — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:25:52 +0000

We’re about to have our first big winter storm of the season. Around midnight, the white stuff is supposed to start falling. By tomorrow afternoon we should have 2-4 inches. This may not sound like a lot to people who live up north, but in the south such forecasts send people into a tizzy. We go to Walmart and clear the shelves of bread, milk, and eggs. We cancel school. We listen to the meteorologists’ predictions of doom and shiver uncontrollably.

The impending storm has made us more fearful than normal after the ice storm of the century hit here in January ‘09. We were without cell phone service, landline phones, electricity, heat, water, gasoline, you name it, for more than a week. Most people were without electricity for 2 weeks or longer. I can no longer burn scented candles. When you burn 15 of them every night for 12 days, the smell gets sickening.

I’m well prepared for this upcoming weather event. It’s doubtful we’ll lose power, but there are things you need to be comfortable during the blizzardy conditions. So here is a list of the essential supplies I’ve stocked:

Diet Coke
Bacon
Chocolate
Cheez Nips
Toilet Paper
One pink Snuggie (which my BFF bought me for Christmas. Hubby doesn’t need a Snuggie, though. Real men don’t wear pink Snuggies.)
Laptop with Internet access
Cat food and treats (for the cat, of course)

goodbye 2009

patricia — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 03:26:03 +0000

In my neck of the woods, there are about 3 hours left in 2009. Then we’ll have a brand new, fresh and shiny year.

As I look back on the year, overall, I’m pleased with what I’ve accomplished and had some great experiences along the way.

Since this blog is mainly about my writing life, I’ll focus on what I consider to be my successes this year.

Though my blog suffered from extreme neglect during the final three months of 2009 (due to family issues, increased SCBWI responsibilities, an intense revision of my WIP, and a hectic work schedule), I managed to update it fairly reguarly the other nine months. I’ve Tweeted on and off and really enjoy it (especially the Kidlit chats), but I’ve also found that it’s the first thing to get pushed aside when life gets too busy. While I’ve read comments by social networking gurus that writers should maintain a Twitter presence and use it to grow an audience, I’m not convinced it’s crucial to the well-being of my career. Facebook, however, seems to be easier for me to keep up and I enjoy the interactions there. The newspaper I work for started a Facebook fan page this year and it’s been a fun way to connect with readers.

I only got to attend one writer’s conference this year, but what a conference it was! The 2009 SCBWI-Midsouth conference was two days jam-packed with inspiration and information. I gleaned some great tips for my WIP, and thanks to a presentation by editor Cheryl Klein, had a couple of a-ha moments that led to major changes in the manuscript.

I also attended the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville. I heard Kate DiCamillo speak and got to hang out with some of my writer and illustrator friends. I also made the difficult and painful decision to relinquish my volunteer role as organizer of the SCBWI-Midsouth booth at the festival. As much as I’ve enjoyed doing it, I have too many other responsibilities now and it’s time to let someone else enjoy the blessings of serving in that capacity.

I can’t say I’ve set any goals for 2010 — at least not yet. I have a couple of WIPs I’d like to finish; both are novels and I’d like to complete both drafts and have one polished by the end of the year.

The best part of 2009, when it comes to my writing life, has to be the friendships that have deepened and the new acquaintances I’ve made. I am so blessed to know so many talented people from all over the world!

I raise my Diet Coke to you, 2009, and take a sip in honor of 2010.

Best wishes to all!

choosing books for kids

patricia — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:04:22 +0000

Newbery-winning author Susan Patron (The Higher Power of Lucky) offers suggestions on purchasing books for kids, based on her experiences as a children’s librarian:

Read the article from the L.A. Times here.

question number four

patricia — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:28:05 +0000

4) What do you like least about writing?

The self-doubt that comes as you wait for weeks and months — or longer — for a response to a manuscript submission. Publishing rarely happens like it’s portrayed in the movies or on TV.

question number three

patricia — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:21:41 +0000

3) What do you most enjoy about writing?

I love everything — everything — about the writing process. I’m not a grammarian. I’m like a person who has taught herself to play the piano by ear rather than reading notes. I consider myself a self-taught writer. I’ve had a few college classes, but most of my progress has come by trial and error, by falling off the horse and getting back on again.

For example, I love formal, metric poetry, like sonnets, pantoums, villainelles, etc. I love how the structure forces you to refine your words until you have created something that’s a pure thought set to an elegant, subtle rhythm. The problem is, I suck at it. Still, I believe like E.B. White, who said that he wanted to be a poet. Poets, he said, are “the great ones.”

Whether children’s writing or journalism, it always means a lot to me when someone takes the time to tell me I’ve written something that’s touched them or caused them to think differently, to see a situation in a new light or to understand a topic better. I love getting letters from kids who have read my books, when they tell me how much they like the characters or that they can relate to the stories.