MARY C. RYAN
  • BLOG
  • ABOUT
  • BOOKS
  • EVERYTHING ELSE

spring in the air

3/15/2018

0 Comments

 
Even though there's still snow on the ground, I sense this stirring in the air, and even in people, that tells me a change is coming! I can't ignore the daffodil sprouts in the garden, and the garlic shoots, and the ads in the stores that signal more colorful clothes, vacation ideas and summer beach books.

Last spring, I was eagerly awaiting a trip to Ireland with my family. Even though I had been there before, I was eager to see if there were any changes. There were, of course, and not always for the better. But it's still a delightful land, full of the most hospitable people on the face of the earth, breathtaking scenery and rugged coastlines. We got to see some really cool, out-of-the-way places and of course, managed to soak in some local culture at a few pubs along the way. Some of our group made the trip to Skellig Michael over rough seas and without "facilities," if you know what I mean. Skellig Michael is a setting in the most recent Star Wars movies. I wish I could have gone, too, but I have my limits. I did go to the Skellig Chocolate Shop, however.

And now, a whole year has come around. No special vacation plans to look forward to, but plenty of get-togethers with family here and there. And I'm happy about that, actually. I love having time to putter in my so-called garden. Every year is an adventure in seeing what I can put in the ground that actually comes up. I did well last year with peas and beans (sometimes too many) and some herbs which I dried and used during the winter. For most of the garden, I tossed in a packed of flower seeds and just let them do their thing. It worked somewhat. At least I could look at it, even if I didn't produce much to eat.

As for writing, I finished my third Aiden Pike adventure (see BOOKS) and was happy with it. At the moment, though, I'm working on a piece for a seniors' magazine. Winter, with its enforced isolation, is a good time for writing. I don't expect I'll be doing much from now until September, except for my column SCRAPBAG in a local paper.As the seeds in my garden germinate, so, hopefully, will be some ideas in my head.
Picture
Monastic "beehive" huts on Skellig Michael, Ireland
0 Comments

Catching up

3/3/2017

0 Comments

 
     I know, I know. It's been a really long time since I posted anything new. Like six months. My intention had been to post every week or two, but you know what they say about intentions and the road to hell. There were some decent excuses, like the holidays, and some other stuff, like health issues, but mostly it was my old bugaboo, procrastination. I can always think of something other than what I should be doing. I can't even blame the horrible winter weather. It hasn't been. So, apologies, apologies.
   Now for the burning question, what have I been doing writing-wise? Well, in between my bouts of foot-dragging, I've actually been making some inroads on my next Aiden Pike adventure, so if you or any kids you know haven't been following Aiden, it's a good time to check out this time-traveling library lover! I'm planning for #3 in the series to be out by Christmas.
     Which brings me to one of the most important aspects of writing, and one (as you can see) I struggle with constantly--keeping the pump primed. I've had students at the Institute of Children's Literature who submit one lesson a year. I can't seem to get them to understand that that's not going to cut it in the publishing world. No one knows better than I do that life does get in the way of all our plans, but if you (and I!) really look at it, there are many hours we just plain fritter away.
     Some successful writers try to write every day, or mostly every day. That's difficult unless you are at a place in your life where your days are relatively free and few of us are there. Others will set a goal of so many words a day or a week or an hour. You're the only one who can figure out what works for you. For a while, I found that two hours twice a week lent itself to my schedule very well. And I accomplish a lot more if I'm out of the house. If you have an infestation of time-eating monsters, do your best.
     It doesn't have to be New Year's to make a resolution, or Monday, either. Set a goal today to work out a schedule that fits into how your days usually go. Yes, there will certainly be exceptions. The arrival of spring will, I'm sure, begin tempting me to get out into the garden. Don't forget to hrow in a few meetings/appointments, a visit from family, lunch with an old friend. It's important to do those things, too. Just adjust your schedule accordingly.
     And now I'm off to try and follow my own advice.


0 Comments

SEPTEMBER SONG

9/23/2016

0 Comments

 
     Every year I find I'm surprised by fall's subtle changes that appear even while I'm enjoying a sunny day at the beach in August. The slant of the sun, the darker mornings, the almost imperceptible changes in the color of the leaves, geese beginning togather on the lake. And the appearance of a pomegranate on my breakfast plate.
     Growing up, I had no idea that pomegranates even existed. We didn't have exotic foods at our house. Broccoli was about as exotic as it got. But later--way later--in life, I discovered them and immediately fell in love.
     I'm not sure why, either. They do taste good, but they are such a pain to process. Every morning I stand by my kitchen sink and struggle to extract those little red arils from their strange membrane from a half of a pomegranate, stopping to corral the runaways skittering across the counter to what they probably hope is safety. Yes, I've read all the articles and seen all the videos professing to have the best method of harvesting these pesky pips, but in the end, I decided that my system works for me.
     I think it has to do with discipline. Patience, if you will. It makes me stop in my headlong dash into the day and concentrate on this one task. Not that I do much headlong dashing anymore, at least it gives me a chance to get my head together, to put some sense of order to my day. As a writer, I struggle with patience a lot. If the words won't flow, if the plot doesn't thicken, my first instinct is to get up and do something else. I often have to force myself to sit there and type gibberish, if necessary, until the muse begins to stir once again. Pulling pomegranate arils from their confines is a bit like pulling words out of my head.
     So that's my little philosophy for the day. You're welcome.
     Oh, and my daughter Peg recently gave me another reason why it's good for me to go through the hassle of my pomegranate. I have to stand. Standing is the New Smoking, say signs in my doctor's office. One more occupational hazard for writers!
     Happy Fall!
Picture
0 Comments

ANY PORT, etc.....

7/27/2016

0 Comments

 
     Writing is one of those endeavors that requires a lot of self-motivation. I often need to find increasingly creative ways to get myself moving. Some days, anyway. To be honest, it's been pretty much like that all summer, and for the most part, I've failed miserably. Once the doors and windows fly open to fresh air and bright sun, I want to be outside, not hunkered down over a keyboard.
     The game changer this month was a persistent heat wave that blanketed Cleveland for several days. Not one for air conditioning as a general rule, there were several days where I just had to give in and throw the switch. But even that didn't send me to the computer. I mainly puttered around, knitting some, baking some, taking care of all the nuts and bolts of running a household until I actually ran out of things to do. I was trapped. Not wanting to stay in, not wanting to go out.
     Enter Pokemon GO.
     My first reaction to this phenomenon was, "Hmmm. A cool thing for kids to do." I was intrigued by the technology, but remembered back several years when my grandson Tim tried to teach me the intricacies of his Pokemon collection and how to play it. He was about four and I was--well, quite a bit older. As I recall, I listened politely and nodded wisely here and there so he wouldn't realize that my head was spinning and my comprehension level was zilch. So, although Pokemon GO looked like fun, I decided I didn't have the brains, or the time, to get involved.
     Enter my writer friend, go-to techie and consummate blogger (www.raisinglifelonglearners.com), Colleen Kessler. We were having a bite to eat and some libation after a meeting one night when the subject of Pokemon GO came up. She pulled out her cell phone and immediately found a Pokemon to capture. And I was captured, as well. The next morning, I downloaded the app and soon found a Pokemon at the edge of the woods behind our house. There were two others in the park and during a walk, I got those, too. Plus I encountered several kids who were obviously on the hunt, too. I say obviously because they all had phones in hand and were clustered around where my own phone told me there was a Pokestop. I couldn't help myself. I had to ask them if they'd found anything. Their reactions ranged from incredulous (that someone even older than their mother knew what they were doing), triumphant (meaning yes, they'd caught one) and disgusted (their battery had run out).
     Several days later, I was in a nearly small town to run some errands and turned on my phone. Just to check, of course. The entire screen was filled with nearby Pokestops. I gave one brief thought to going after the prey when I realized how often I'd been telling people (and myself) I didn't have enough time to do this or that. Did I really want to use what little I had on such a fruitless endeavor? No, I decided after wrangling with my conscience. I did not.
     Still. . .
     Thoughts of these creatures continued to intrigue me. I managed to find Pokemon at places where I naturally went anyway--Wal-Mart, a restaurant, the theater--and church. Believe it or not.
     Then, one day, I had an inspiration. I had a few hours. It was Sunday. It was raining. Rather than spend them surrounded by closed doors and windows, I decided to go to our local library. I needed to get going on the next book in a series I had created and I'd always found I worked better without the distractions of home. To my delight and relief, I ended up spending two fruitful hours. Not only did I reignite a passion for my story, but I also sketched out the chapter flow and did some marketing by touching base with the librarians. And, as a reward, I caught two Pokemon.
     I think I've found my motivation.
Picture
0 Comments

May 23rd, 2016

5/23/2016

0 Comments

 
     My thanks to Gloria Adams for these tips on how to navigate your way through the jungles that are Amazon's Create Space and Ingram's Spark. It's wonderful to be able to publish your own book, but it does require some time and effort. Good luck!


Twelve Things About Self-Publishing with Ingram Spark
 
Your book is ready to publish and you’re trying to decide if you should use Create Space or Ingram Spark. All the advice I’ve read (and my own experience) says to use both. Your cost through Create Space is going to be less for ordering print copies, as well as the fact that there is no set-up fee with CS like there is with Ingram. CS is also much easier to work with. But if you get your book listed in the Ingram catalog and hopefully, Baker & Taylor (now Follett), credibility with bookstores and libraries will probably be worth the extra cost.
Here are twelve things I learned about Ingram Spark:
 
  1. The tools you need and the know-how to use them are Adobe Acrobat DC and Photoshop or a good clone of Photoshop.
  2. It costs $49 for set-up with Ingram, but you can recoup that if you order 50 copies for your first order. This can also include set-up for an ebook if you do it at the same time.
  3. The $12 distribution fee is waived the first year.
  4. There is a $1.65 handling fee added onto the cost of every book.
  5. Keep your book under 200 pages, as costs per page are added after that.
  6. For all information on formatting, pricing,etc., make use of the questions answered under "Help" on the toolbar after you create an account.
  7. You have to use their template for the cover or they won't generate a barcode on the back. And the file you used for CS probably won’t fit the template for Ingram Spark.
  8. Fonts MUST be embedded in Acrobat or the file will be rejected.
  9. You can upload a new file after you have approved one, then found mistakes, but it will cost an additional $25.00.
  10. Ingram will distribute to Baker and Taylor (now Follett) but they may or may not pick up your book.
  11. If you don't print with Create Space first or at all, but only use Ingram, Amazon often postpones the upload of your book and says it's out of stock. To avoid that possibility, you need to use both CS and Ingram.
  12. Email support is pretty good, but if you have tech questions, another good source is a Yahoo group called POD Publishers.
 
       The name Ingram and Baker & Taylor hold a lot of weight with bookstores and libraries. It may be worth the extra hassle to give Ingram a try. Good luck!
 
Gloria G. Adams,                                                                                            
www.gloriagadams.com.
Author (with Lana Wayne Koehler), Ah-Choo! –
Sterling Children’s Books
My Underpants Are Made from Plants (with Vera J. Hurst) –                   
Schoolwide, Inc.
Contributor(pseudonym) and publishing group member,
Seven Deadly Sins: Simply Delectable Stories,
Third Thursday Publishing, www.thirdthursdaypublishing.com

0 Comments

ah-choo! gesundheit!

5/3/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
     This is Jack. Only five weeks old and he's already bringing books to Grandma to read. Jack obviously knows about the important things in life.
     The book Jack has chosen today is AH-CHOO!, a delightful offering in a bouncy rhyme from the talented duo of Lana Wayne Koehler and Gloria G. Adams. (Sterling Children's Books, 2016) It's a simple story of a boy in search of a pet. Creature after creature, from an Antelope to a Zebra, is brought home, but to his utter dismay, his sister is highly allergic to them all. Her sneezes are of gargantuan proportions. Of course, there's a solution, but not until an entire alphabet of animals parades across the pages in bright, fanciful illustrations by Ken Min.
     Of course, Jack is a little too young at the moment for all the nuances in AH-CHOO!. What I can't wait for him to develop is that tingling sense of anticipation as he gets ready to let out a blast of his own--AHHHH-CHOOOO!--as the pages turn. Maybe we both will. Kids love books where they can actually participate in the story. I think that's the beauty of poetry, at least the rhyming kind. Just from hearing the end of one line, we usually have a pretty good idea of what the end of the next one is.
     Jack will also be happy to learn that one of the animals bears his name--the Xantis, which I also discovered is a form of, or another name for, a Yak. An exhaustive Google search wasn't particularly clear on the subject.
     Any book that provides education about the alphabet, a bit of zoology and a whole lot of fun, is okay in--well, in my book!

    
0 Comments

Out with the old, except for. . .

2/13/2016

0 Comments

 
Our son-in-law brought to our family a new tradition for New Year's Eve. At the stroke of midnight, everyone grabs some household item of value long forgotten and heaves it out the front door. Out with the old, as it were. It's a good idea. It's said that we spend the first half of our lives collecting stuff and the second half getting rid of it all.

Most of us have a little pack rat inside. I have a whole slew of things that for one reason or another, I can't seem to part with. No, I'm not quite ready for American Pickers, thank you, but I also don't think I can live in a world where there's a place for everything and everything in its place.

Recently, we did some updating of a couple of rooms in our house. They were "guest" or "extra" rooms and you know what happens to them, don't you? They become a depository for everything you want to keep, but don't want out in the open. With me, it's craft things (fabric and yarn), old manuscripts, file folders of ideas, and, of course, books. Where would a writer be without books? But honestly, how many do you need? Especially once you've read them. So I purged. I traded some in to our local bookstore (for credit so I could buy more books), gave some to charity organizations, and passed along some to our kids. But try as I might, I absolutely couldn't part with some of them.

Marjorie in Command by Carolyn Wells, Copyright 1910. I don't know where I got it (I'm not that old, honestly!), but I remember reading it while on vacation in Canada. I was probably somewhere around 9 or 10. I'm glad I kept it.

Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin by Marguerite Henry and Wesley Dennis, Copyright 1947. I had to track this one down in an online used bookstore. It's the story of the famous American painter, who was also a Quaker. How he began his art career really captured my imagination.

Wind in the Chimney by Cornelia Meigs, Copyright 1947. This was a gift from my Aunt Alice and Uncle Ed. They never disappointed me at Christmas. There was always a book under the tree.

And then there are some that our kids loved so much: Rumple Nose-Dimple and the Three Horrible Snaps (a very odd book, but fun), The Stone Doll of Sister Brute, Ickle Bickle Robin, Bread and Jam for Francis, Mr. Pine's Purple House and The Little House. Plus a large assortment of Dr. Seuss titles. There are more, of course, but these especially conjure up images of my young self curled up in a chair or my older self curled up on the couch with my kids.

For a writer, there would be no greater honor to know that years and decades later, one of my books is still lovingly tucked away on someone's bookshelf.

Picture
0 Comments

b(re)aking bread

11/5/2015

0 Comments

 
     My favorite breakfast consists of: a soft-boiled egg, cradled in a blue egg cup that I bought in Dublin, Ireland; a bowl of pomegranate seeds and a slice of homemade bread with a light smear of sweet cream butter. The egg is timed for about three minutes using the same egg timer my mom used to time my dad's eggs each day. And yeah, I know pomegranates are a hassle, but they provide a much needed bit of patience to my day as I dodge the juice and corral errant pips when they scoot across the counter. The bread is a whole 'nother ballgame.
     I love baking and bread is my thing. I'm not great at it and am constantly trying out new recipes to see if I can get the perfect loaf. But there isn't much you can do to bread that renders in inedible, so even if it doesn't have the right "crumb," it doesn't make much difference to me. I just go back to the bread board (which, actually, was my mom's).
     For the past few years, I've been focusing on the no-knead artisan variety. It's healthy, quick, and makes the house smell wonderful. I love tossing crunchy seeds into the mix--sunflower, sesame, flax, etc.
     Moldering in my filing cabinet for the past thirty years or so was an idea to write a series of children's books that used the Dewey Decimal System as a focal point. It should come as no surprise that in addition to baking, I love to write and have always loved libraries. And as a kid, I had quite the fascination for the life of a cowboy, to the point where I even had my own pair of chaps. I never owned a horse and very seldom got to ride one. I wasn't much good at that, either. But I also love quirky ideas, so when I resurrected my Dewey Decimal idea last year, it probably shouldn't have surprised me that my brain had somehow mushed everything together so that my first book, Aiden Pike: On the Sourdough Trail, was about libraries, bread and cowboys.
     While researching bread recipes for kids for the book, I stumbled upon a blogger, Beau Dealy, from the heartland, who, in addition to penning www.somethingedible.com, has spent time as a stay-at-home dad. His "Bread in a Bag" intrigued me and we soon became Internet friends. (Please do not ask me how I ended up with not just one, but three stay-at-home dads working with me on this book. It was a gift, pure and simple.)
     Anyway, cutting to the chase, I included a variation of Beau's small loaf recipe at the back of the book. I called it BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL BREAD.  If you and/or your kids decide to try it, give it some time. Work your own magic on it. What turns out well one day may be heavenly the next.
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Keeping the faith

10/6/2015

0 Comments

 
Back in the 1980's, I had the distinct pleasure to meet, and have a wonderful lobster dinner with, Patty MacLachlan, author of the 1986 Newbery Medal for Sarah, Plain and Tall. It was on Cape Cod, at the family home of a member of our Buffalo area writer's group. Fun-loving Patty wore the Newbery around her neck that evening and we were all pretty excited, probably figuring it was about as close to one as any of us would ever get. But I distinctly remember Patty saying something that has stuck with me. "Now what am I going to do?" In other words, "How do I top this?" A handful of authors have actually managed repeats, but I'm sure that the millions of us who are a click or two (or three or four) down from that rarefied atmosphere also deal with the same fear on a daily basis. "Am I even going to write something better than I did yesterday? Or get a new idea?"

Of course, you are. And I am. That's practically a given, unless we give up writing altogether. (And occasionally, one can make a case for that.) But there are days when the muse is too busy doing--oh, whatever muses do on their days off--and the words and ideas just won't come. The Internet is filled wit all kinds of tips and suggestions to get us over the rough spots, but to be honest, even those can get a little wearing You long--I long--for the surge of inspiration that sends me running to the computer or back of an envelope, that makes me want to ignore things like doctor's appointments and cooking and editing someone else's manuscript. (Even the bad writers have ideas, for pity's sake!)

So, I ran into a bout of that a few months ago. I was planning a series of chapter books. The first two plots came in a rush. Practically wrote themselves, they did. And then--basically nothing. A two book series? Not quite what I had in mind. Every quiet moment, I thought about it. Thought and thought and thought. Nah, that won't work. Neither will that. Or that. That, either. Too--whatever. I fiddled. I diddled. I went to doctor's appointments and cooked and edited other people's manuscripts. It was the old saying: If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. If it weren't for bad ideas, I'd have no ideas at all. I despaired.

And then one morning, as I tossed and turned and tried to wake up but wasn't really getting there, it came. The whole book. Plot and everything. Twists and turns. Names of characters. A movie was practically showing on the backs of my eyeballs. It was so clear, so vivid, that when I eventually woke up completely, it was all still there. I didn't even have to write it down. (Although I eventually did.) Why had I agonized? The crockpot of my novel had been simmering away, blending all the flavors together until it was ready to be served. Oh, me of little faith!

(With a special nod of thanks to my old Western New York writer's group: MJ Auch, Karen Beil, Nancy Buss, Margery Facklam and Sallie Randolph. Good friends and writers all. We had fun, and we got published!)




0 Comments

What's so great about picture books?

9/8/2015

0 Comments

 
    Quite a bit, obviously. Everybody wants to write one.
    I don't remember having picture books as a child. I don't know why that is. Maybe we were just moving around too much when I was that age. But my dad bought a set of Collier's Junior Classics at some point and I began to devour them. I still have them, too. The exact set.

Picture
    My kids loved picture books. I still have some of those, too, although I've given them some of their favorites: Mary Anne's Mud Day, Too Little, Mr. Pine's Purple House, Rumple Nose-Dimple and the Three Horrible Snaps, Ickle Bickle Robin and The Stone Doll of Sister Brute. My kids had strange tastes, at times. They still can quote extensively from any number of books, as could (and can) I.
    Picture books are deceptively simple. I've tried writing them. I think they're good, yet they all seem to garner a ho-hum from editors, while my middle grade and younger books met (mostly) with good reviews, some awards and even a Disney movie. At one point in my career, I submitted a picture book manuscript to my editor. She offered me this observation: "I don't really know what makes a good picture book. I just know this isn't it." Luckily, we had the kind of relationship where she felt comfortable saying that and I felt comfortable hearing it. Other editors seem to have the same thought. Oh, well.

    And yet, most beginning writers I've met are focused on that holy grail of the publishing industry. I guess I can understand it. They don't have many words. They're just so darn cute, you could scream. Little kids want you to read them over and over and over and over until you're forced to say something like, "Hey, I know! Let's watch mindless drivel on TV until you fall asleep and I carry you up to your bed." It's really tempting to try your hand at writing one. You've got a couple of little kids at home and they love your bedtime stories and it's a good way of teaching them that vegetables are good for you and to always listen to your parents. You might hit the jackpot, but to be brutally honest, probably you won't.

    I guess I'm glad I started my career sans computer, sans self-publishing, practically sans typewriter. I had to look for places that wanted my writing--church and community newsletters. primarily. Then I got a job with a local newspaper, which meant sitting through hours and hours of boring political rhetoric, but which gave me an in for features in their Sunday supplements. It was the old story of "work your way up."

    It's sad, in a way, but I don't think there are many of those "work your way up" opportunities any more. Where do you pile up those credits that will make an editor look at your work with a degree of interest? Maybe in the blogosphere. I don't know. Most blogs aren't really like newspapers. The people who read them are usually there for one particular focus. How you find your way through a variety of separate interests and make a name for yourself is anybody's guess.
   
    But you know what? Try. Try it anyway. If you like to write, if you want to write, and especially, if you have to write, get out there and see if you can find yourself a niche. You won't publish that picture book, that middle grade novel, that op-ed piece for the Wall Street Journal if you don't give it a go. Good luck!

   


0 Comments
<<Previous
    Picture
    MARY C. RYAN
    Weaver of words and teller of tales. And, of course, I'm a tree hugger. Aren't trees and books pretty much the same thing? Just a little different form.

    Archives

    March 2017
    September 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.