Chautauqua Scholarship Deadline

I received this from Jo Lloyd at the Highlights Foundation. I highly recommend the Highlights Foundation Chautauqua Writer's Workshop. The faculty is top notch, and my experience was rich and though-provoking. Good luck!

Hi Folks,

I know many of you have already spread the word about the scholarship program for the annual Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua. The deadline for having applications in the mail to us is Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011. We'd love to see children's writers and illustrators, who need financial assistance in order to spend a week with our more than 25 exceptional faculty, be able to attend this workshop. It takes place July 16-23, 2011, in western New York at the Chautauqua Institution. For an application, and for more information, please contact Jo Lloyd, e-mail: jo.lloyd@highlightsfoundation.org, or phone, toll-free, 877-512-8365.

Cordially,
Jo

Jo Lloyd
Program Assistant
Highlights Foundation, 814 Court Street, Honesdale, PA 18431
Phone: (877) 512-8365 (toll-free) or (570) 251-4557
Fax: (570) 253-0179
jalloyd@highlightsfoundation.org
http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/

A YEAR OF POSSIBILITIES…

I sit here amazed at how fast this year passed. Never has a year blown by as speedy as this one. Sometimes I wish there was a button you could push that would slow life down and allow you to really savor the best parts of it all.

There are a number of things I would have slowed down – my experience at the Chautauqua Writer’s Workshop, for one. I reread my notes regularly, especially those from Patti Gauch’s sessions. What an incredible teacher she is! I hope that someday I will have another opportunity to work on my writing with her guidance. What a lady!

The George Washington Teacher’s Institute was another experience that needed more time. It was a whirlwind of a week, but I learned so much. I’d like to go back to Mount Vernon, not as a student this time, but as a visitor. Then I could spend as much time as I want on the parts that interest me the most.

My week in Fort Meyers with my husband and without the kids was definitely too short! We’ve never been very good about carving out time that’s just ours, but this year we made a point of it. Tuesdays have become “out to dinner” night. Daughter has a ride to and from gymnastics. Son is now an adult. No one needs us, so why not? It was odd at first. It took some getting used to being able to have an uninterrupted conversation, or to talk about something besides gymnastics, video games, movies, pets, and school friends. It’s been good, and we plan to take more kid-less mini-vacations throughout next year.

Next year… I have such high hopes! It hasn’t even begun, yet it feels like it’s going to be a year of opportunities on several fronts. My middle grade novel is nearly ready to begin the submission process, and I’ve several ideas for new novels. I’m applying for an incredible writer’s workshop. It’s a small group –only seven people, but the editor/facilitator is someone I’d love to work with. Hopefully I will be one of the seven who get to attend. 

Those of you who know me well know I love to sing. I’ve had very few opportunities to sing for nearly four years, but in the last six months, I’m suddenly getting requests to come perform again. I’ve got another invitation from a local orchestra for a concert this spring. It’s all fun, and I hope the opportunities keep coming.

Not everything in 2011 looks bright. The possibility is high that I might be a victim of a RIF (reduction in force) from my teaching position come June. The cuts in the budget are state wide, so there won’t be any teaching jobs anywhere else either. But I choose to look at this as another chance to turn lemons into lemonade. I’ll certainly have more time to devote to the creative endeavors in my life. It could be that a job loss is the button I long for that slows life down and allows me the time to savor the moments. I choose to make the most of whatever happens. 

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season. May the New Year bring to each of you the opportunities that satisfy your dreams!

These are a Few of My Favorite Links...

Writing, writing, writing... I've been doing a lot of that lately. And that's a good thing, although I've not written one word in my WIP this weekend. That tends to happen when I have LOTs of school work hanging over my head. It's that inevitable end-of-the quarter teacher pile-up that includes report cards, back-logged grading, and getting ready for conferences. You notice I'm not working on that right now either.  No, I'll save that for later tonight, because you know, it's not due until tomorrow.

Instead, I'll share a few of my favorite links that I came across this week:


Marcia Hoehne, an Institute of Children's Literature Instructor, has a fabulous October critique giveaway. You can find out the details here!


Anna Staniszewski (say that name 10 times fast!) has posted another installment of "Letter to Myself." This time guest author Alisa Libby offers advice to herself as a writing major in college.


Nathan Bransford blogged "This Week in Publishing 10/22/10" -a list of happenings in the publishing world and more than a few chuckles. My favorites are the Nerd flowchart and the video from Sesame Street with Grover as the Old Spice Guy.  No... I think I like Bookmans Does Book Dominoes best...

National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo, begins November 1st and ends November 30th. If you are a glutton for punishment, goal oriented, can stay awake for hours on end, and can silence your inner editor for 30 days, this is the writing challenge for you. The goal is to write 50,000 new words during the month of November. Just to clarify -that would be FIFTY THOUSAND.

Hanna Howard, a Chautauqua friend, has decided to honor NaNoWriMo by posting on her blog EVERY day during the month of November. If today's post on creativity is any indication, it should be well worth your time to visit. Also, take a moment and click on "Story Links." There you'll find three of her short stories (my favorite is "Ruby Riding Hood"). You can find Hanna at "Luna the Typewriter."

If you've ever had a brush with rejection this post by literary agent, Rachelle Gardner, will give you a chuckle.  Rants & Ramblings


Keep writing!
Nora

They Had Me With the Gift Bag... Chautauqua!

I'm HOME!  I wasn't sure I would make it back. Somewhere along the Pennsylvania/Ohio border my van began to hiccup and the engine light came on. Since the temperature light didn't show, I kept driving. Once I reached Columbus, the engine light started blinking, so I stopped and got some advice from a mechanic. He ran a diagnostic and announced that not all pistons were firing. That's not the first time someone has said that to me, although they weren't referring to my van...  He thought I could make it home to Cincinnati, but advised me to drive under the speed limit. I followed his advice -much to the annoyance of every trucker on I-71 South.

How do I explain the Chautauqua Writer's Workshop?

Generous - I was greeted at the Hall of Christ by friendly faces and a Highlight's tote bag full of FREE BOOKS. That alone was enough to make me a happy gal. Every member of the faculty was friendly and helpful. Each person willingly took the time to answer questions. Any question, whether it was about books, writing, or finding the post office. No one ever made me feel that I was keeping them from someplace else they'd rather be.

Fun - Throw roughly 120 creative thinkers together for a week, and how could you not have fun? Especially when there is good food, ice cream and chocolate involved.

HOT - Holy moly was it hot! And humid. I thought I would melt and become one, big puddle of Nora somewhere along the brick road to the Atheneum Hotel. There was no air-conditioning except in the Hall of Christ, and that was to protect the pipe organ. I think the guest rooms at the Atheneum had air, but ceiling fans were the norm everywhere else. Whew!

Thought-Provoking - Every speaker gave me something to chew on. No word was wasted. Each piece of advice was rich.

Friendly - I met some nice people this week. They came from all over the world - Hong Kong, Spain, Thailand, Africa, Canada, and of course, from every corner of the USA.  There are several people I know I'll keep in contact with. You can find two of them at Slushbusters. I'm sure Michelle and Sarah will also blog about their experiences. Hanna is another fun, new friend. You can find her at Luna the Typewriter. Yup. She named her typewriter after the moon.

I'm already packing for another workshop, so it might be another week before I return to the blog. I leave on Friday for George Washington's Mt. Vernon Teachers' Institute for one week of immersion in the life and times of George Washington. It should be interesting, and it will renew my teacher's license.

Before I go, I want to leave you with a list of some of the books the Highlight's presenters used as examples in their workshops. I know my to-be-read list has expanded. Hopefully you can find something helpful here too.

Patti Gauch - Conflict & Tension - turn the page power
*SPEAK, Laurie Halse-Anderson
*THE CHOCOLATE WAR, Robert Cormier
*THE HOBBIT, J. R. R. Tolkien

Patti Gauch - Books Examples With... 
Voice: SAVVY, Ingrid Law
Narrative catch: HIGHWAY CATS,  Janet Taylor Lisle
Transcendent moments: MOCKINGBIRD, Kathryn Erskine

Peter Jacobi - Beginnings 
THE BLACK CLOUD, Fred Hoyle
A SUMMER TO DIE, Lois Lowry
THE HIGH KING, Lloyd Alexander
WIND IN THE WILLOWS, Kenneth Grahame
THE 13 CLOCKS, James Thurber
THE BAD BEGINNING, Lemony Snickett
BACK WHEN WE WERE GROWNUPS, Anne Tyler
FINNEGANS WAKE, James Joyce

Peter Jacobi - Endings
CHILDREN OF SANCHEZ, Oscar Lewis

Kim Griswell - A Sense of Place
THE HIGHEST TIDE, Jim Lynch

Kim Griswell - Mining Your Memories
Emotional Mining: HARRY POTTER, J.K. Rowling
Anecdotes and Events: PERPETUAL CHECK, Rich Wallace
FIREFLY MOUNTAIN, Patricia Thomas
People: THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY of a PART-TIME INDIAN, Sherman Alexie
TELLING TIME: ANGELS, ANCESTORS, AND STORIES, Nancy Willard
Specificity: THINGS INVISIBLE TO SEE, Nancy Willard

Donna Jo Napoli - Tension techniques
THE LOVELY BONES, Alice Sebold
I AM THE CHEESE, Robert Cormier
ZEL, Donna Jo Napoli

Rebecca Kai Dotlich - Creativity
A CELEBRATION OF BEES: ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR INSPIRING CHILDREN TO WRITE POETRY, Barbara J. Esbensen
DONAVAN'S WORD JAR, Monalisa Degross and Cheryl Hanna
POEMCRAZY: FREEING YOUR LIFE WITH WORDS, Susan Wooldridge
FOOLING WITH WORDS; A CELEBRATION OF POETS AND THEIR CRAFT, Bill Moyers
THE GLASS CASTLE: A MEMOIR, Jeanette Walls
PRINCE OF TIDES, Pat Conroy

Helen Hemphill - Writing for YA
HUNGER GAMES, Suzanne Collins
THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX, Mary Pearson
SHARK GIRL, Kelly L. Bingham
GOING BOVINE, Libba Bray

Patti Gauch - Fantasy
THE BOOK OF THREE, Lloyd Alexander
THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES, Joseph Campbell
THE HOBBIT, J.R.R. Tolkien
HARRY POTTER, J.K. Rowling
WATERSHIP DOWN, Richard Adams
THE WIZARD OF EARTHSEA, Ursula K. Le Guin

There you have it. That should keep you busy. Happy reading!