As a writer, and a pseudo-pessimist, I tend to focus on the challenges of the craft most of the time. At this time, we have a few fellow potatoes going through some life challenges, which makes me realize writing is just writing, not life, and I need to focus on the blessings in my work too. Here's a short list of some recent blessings related to my writing:
1. I just got a great invitation to be part of a summer author series at a university in Arkansas. So I'll be heading down there in July for a couple days, all expenses paid.
2. My picture book Babu's Song is in the second grade language textbook from McGraw Hill, and I received some fan mail last week from a second grade class in Bellevue, WA. Always fun.
3. Last week at BEA, I was a guest of Brilliance Audio at the Author Breakfast ( with Julie Andrews, very cool! I tried not to break into song.) along with my wonderful agent Scott. We don't get the chance to meet in person very much, and it was wonderful to sit between him and the remarkable Tim Ditlow, discussing my next novel The Gardener, which is, like The Compound, with Feiwel and Friends and Brilliance Audio.
4. Later, I got the chance to meet many of the people at Feiwel and Friends during the Macmillan dessert party at Dylan's Candy Bar. How fun to hear people have such great things to say about The Compound. I'd met my editor Liz a few times before, since she was also my editor for Elizabeti's Doll a decade ago, but we'd never had a picture taken. ( She is also an editor of John Coy's, a fellow potato.)
5. Today I'm having a bookcase installed. Which means I finally get to unpack all my books. And I will be ready when the 75 pounds of books I shipped home from BEA arrive via UPS. Yes, much to be thankful for all in all...
6 comments:
Steph,
What wonderful blessings in your writing life! I am impressed and proud to be connected to you as a fellow potato.
Yes, Stephanie, so much to be thankful for each day. Congratulations on all your good news and great to see that fun picture of you and Liz.
Hearing your happy news made me happy.
Thank you, Stephanie.
I think a lot of writers are pseudo-pessimists, because there's so much that's hard about writing. Thanks for sharing some of your blessings! The paid July trip sounds awesome.
This is so wise of you to list the positive. You then can remind yourself of this wealth during the lean times which will inevitably come--just a given in the writer/artist's life.
I forgot the #6 blessing: all my fellow potatoes:)
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