Monday Music: Too School for Cool

Good song. Happy Monday!

Team Thanksgiving

Even though I'm from the other side of the big pond, I like Thanksgiving. There's food (score one), more food (score two), and some contemplation of Things We Are Thankful For (score three, since it increases contentment and zen-ness). So I was going to write a post on what I'm thankful for and all that good stuff.

But then I got angry. All around me, the Christmas decorations are going up. The orange stuff is already on clearance or gone altogether, and we're having early Black Friday deals. Like we needed more time shopping.

It's not that I don't get it. Thanksgiving isn't a moneymaker, and we're all run by advertising, right?

Wrong. I'm on Team Thanksgiving. I like that there are no presents to be bought, or carols to be sung, or deals to be had today, today, today. I'm ticked off that Christmas seems to think it's fine to just bulldozer over Thanksgiving with its big, overpriced sleigh full of stuff.

So I'm warning you, Christmas: back off. Go hang out at the mall food court until it's your turn. Or Team Thanksgiving is going to take your Black Friday away. Don't mess with this turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving, all :-)

Good Bad Guys

I love a good hero in a story. Especially one with a good sense of humor, some flaws, but mostly a lot of guts. But heroes aren’t too difficult to create-not as difficult as creating a good bad guy (oxymoron, I know, but you get what I’m saying), I think anyway.

My favorite bad guy: Professor Doofenshmirtz on Disney’s Phineas and Ferb—watch the show sometime if you haven’t. It’s funny. And Professor Doofenshmirtz is hilarious. Here are some quotes (I looked these up on the web, since I’m that lazy:

“I created this for peaceful, cheese-loving purposes, but you have forced me to wield it in anger!”

“You see, back before I was evil, I was something a little less than evil: I was a bratwurst street vendor!”

“The molten lava at the Earth's core completely slipped my mind.”

How about you? Who’s your favorite bad guy?

Music Monday: Green

This is such a sweet song. For fun, check out (on YouTube) the many artists like Willie Nelson and Jason Mraz who've done their version of this one.

Still, Kermit rocks it the best.

PW's Best Children's Books 2010

Just in case you're looking for a new children's read (and you always are, right?), check out PW's Best Children's Books 2010 . Go to page two and three for the MG/YA listings.

And happy Friday!

Monday Music: On Juju For Your Mojo

My love of books started when I was an awkward little girl. It was my escape, my time alone with imaginary people. And not much has changed: I still like to read, in solitude. I just now write about imaginary people too—still happily by my lonesome.

I think most of us writers like that part: the just-me-and-my-story thing. It’s the time when you are free to stink, mess up, and take chance on what you in your gut feel is the right move. And nobody's watching. You can always change your mind later. It’s just you there, right?

I do find it’s nice to go out and meet your fellow writers, though—I’ve been missing that lately. A little too much time by myself, and that’s not good. You need your peeps as a writer.

But then I talked to one of my writer pals who had the opposite problem: too many voices of well-meaning critique partners in her head made her lose her mojo. She was frozen. The just-me-and-my-story thing had turned into a mental intrusion by Everyone. Not good. You know what I’m talking about if you’re a writer.

I’m hoping she’ll find her mojo. This writer friend is very talented—I predict she’ll find her way to the shelves soon. Until then, here’s some good juju for her mojo.

Monday Music

A little inspiration for you NaNo Nutter Butters from Mary J. Blige. This song is one of those I listen to when I try to get energized, because nobody kicks it like Mary.

Good luck, guys.