Ten Week Class on Writing for Teens

Good news, Women on Writing has said they are going to announce their class lineup this November. I’ll be offering a class on writing for teens, a ten week class starting on January 4th, at the affordable rate of $100.00. If you are interested you’ll be able to sign up through WOW, or you can contact me at ann@anngonzalez.com.

It’s obviously a bias of mine, but I think some of the best adult fiction being written, is being written for young adults. Carmen Bernier Grand’s non-fiction, first person portrayal of Frida Kahlo, Frida, is simply amazing. Feed by MT Anderson gives one much to think and worry about as it anticipates the world that already is with Barack Obama putting political advertisements in video games. While slow to capture the reader, The Book Thief is a poignant exploration evil and compassion in world where genocide still exists. And Before I Die was simply one of the most beautiful novels I read last year.

Even if you don’t desire to write a novel for young adults, I hope you find the time and inclination to read one. If you haven’t read a young adult novel since you were a teenager, I expect you to be surprised at how delightfully good a read it is despite the fact that you may no longer be young.

Survivor confession

For some reason, I’ve decided after all these to finally watch Survivor. This years version is Survivor Gabon. I attribute my illness for this new, odd fascination I have with the program. I’ve never watched survivor. Not once in all the years that it has been aired. The very first season I turned on the television and caught the tail end of the last program where contestant A told contestant B that if A came across B’s maimed and crushed body on the side of the road, A would spit and kick B before driving on. That moment is probably what inspired the networks to make Survivor an annual event. Human beings treating each other with the utmost disrespect and condemnation. When looking at American politics, it’s clear that American’s love that.

So why am I watching the program now? To be honest, I’m not sure. However, I find the psychology quite fascinating. Even though their clothes are filthy, their hair and bodies appear well maintained for 13 days in an African jungle. I tend to think they’re getting some help with hygiene. Also, when a contestant is sent to exile island but has a camera crew following her around…how much exile is that, really? I think the stripper used her professional skills to find her way to the idol. (Don’t get me wrong, I don’t begrudge her that at all. She’s a lot smarter than she plays, and playing the camera crew would simply prove my point.) Anyway, I just find it fascinating to wonder at the images that are being presented to the viewer and the many moments that aren’t. Are the contestants really sharing a pit toilet? Where are they getting fresh water to drink? To brush their teeth? (Supposedly they came with only the clothes on their backs…no toothbrushes?) Who is doing their hair? It cracks me up to think of 15 people roughing it in the wilds of Gabon while having their hair done by the very best television hairstylists.

I could go on with all the things I think about the program and what I’m seeing and what I’m not. Admittedly I really want Fang to win a contest or two. It breaks my heart that they perpetually lose and they have so little food to eat. (That’s true, isn’t it? They really are starving, aren’t they?) With my illness I’ve been through hell and I’m finding my way back. I guess I feel for the suffering survivors, and am happy to think if they can hang in there, so can I.

ICL Nanowrimo Chat

If anyone is interested I’m a guest chat board host this month (it’s going on right now) at the Institute of Children’s Literature. ICL is a great organization, which offers classes and interviews and the much needed on-going support for writers. 

Please stop by and check it out. Go to: www.institutechildrenslit.net

Losing perspective

Recently I was diagnosed with juvenile macular degeneration. It doesn’t do any good to get mad at one’s body for breaking down, but I’m a little frustrated with the onslaught of disease I’ve had in the past few years. I recognize I’m lucky, and I aim to be grateful for the many, many good and fortunate experiences in my life. Can I just say, though, I really don’t want to go blind.

The past few days I’ve been fearful. That’s an enormous amount of wasted energy. Too bad we can’t run generators off of the energy generated by an anxious and fearful person. I’d be happy to know my hand-wringing was saving the planet and providing light to read by. I’ll say it again…I don’t want to lose my sight.

Saying it a couple of times doesn’t seem to help, so I’m going to use this new worry to power me through nanowrimo this November. Blindness will be a factor or a feature of my nano novel. If that doesn’t cure me of this bad case of the frets, nothing will.

Meanwhile, I’ve got to finish the revision on my novel in order to be prepared for November. Time is shortening, pressure is building and for some reason I am getting more and more stuck. I don’t understand it. All I can think is that I can’t see what make characters tick…I can’t see where I’m going…I can’t see how to make the first chapter work. I just can’t see…and I’ve lost all perspective.

Biologics

I haven’t posted on my blog for a couple of days because I’m at the low point of my week health-wise. I’ve been slowly improving ever since I started injecting Enbrel, a biologic which suppresses the immune system. Even so, over the course of a week I have several good days, and a few less good.

Today it’s nausea and pain that have me reeling. It’ll pass, like all things and experiences it is impermanent. Enbrel is a wonder drug. I don’t know how it works but it effectively suppresses the part of the immune system that is malfunctioning without adversely effecting the overall organism. I’m one of those people who react terribly to prednisone, a drug which shuts down the immune system and disrupts many other systems in the body. Not so with Enbrel…except for this nausea, a metallic taste in my mouth, and a minor run down feeling, I hardly know that my immune system is being dampened.

If you notice an ebb and flow to my blog posts you now understand why. I’m not yet cured, but I’m feeling so much better thanks to a new class of drugs called biologics. Let’s hope that the devastation in the economy doesn’t stop medical researchers from doing what they do — finding treatments and cures for the ill among us. 

They’ll never see it, but I want to thank the researchers and doctors and nurses and techs who research, experiment, support, serve and treat aim to restore health to the ill. I know I’d be devastated if it weren’t for you.

Bird Feeders

This is a little off topic, but one of the nice things about blogging is anything goes. I put a bird feeder outside my writing window in order to inspire and entertain me when I’m chewing pencils and choking on words. The thing is, the birds haven’t found this new feeder. This led me to wonder how do birds discover bird feeders?

According to a source on the net, they do it visually. How they know that these tubes are filled with food I do not understand. 

I wasn’t having any luck with my new feeder so I took the one from the front of the house (it’s wildly popular) and brought it to the new location, and moved the new feeder to the old spot. A few birds found their way to my writing window and absolutely no birds are feeding at the new feeder.

Hmm.

If anyone has any knowledge, thoughts, or theories regarding the habits and enticements of birds I’d love to know more. I have a cabinet full of birdseed, and two feeders that I’m willing to keep full…if only I can learn how to let the birds know they’re safe and the food is good.

Online Writing Class

Calling all writers interested in taking an online writing class. I’ve been hoping to work with WOW-Women on Writing as they launch an online teaching component of their program, however, the timing just hasn’t been right.

Writers have contacted me and expressed an interest in an online class. If you are interested please let me know. We could get our muses amped up and ready for National Novel Writing Month. You are going to participate in NANOWRIMO, aren’t you?

Online courses are great. You get to work on your writing from your writing desk. There’s not even any need to get out of your writing outfit, those footsie pajama’s and well worn hoodie. 

Again, let me know if you’re interested or if you’d like more information. Contact me at ann@anngonzalez.com

I hope as the rain falls here in Seattle that you are all having a blessed writerly day.

Starting Over

Oh, man have I had a rough day at the computer. I’ve been working, or reworking, the first chapter of my second novel and it hasn’t been going well. Today was particularly rough. But, you know, considering that I’ve gone for months without being able to write at all due to illness, I’ll take a few rough days of writing anytime.

It is particularly terrifying to rework the first chapter of a completed novel. I think the reason I’m having such a rough go of it is that there’s a part of me worried that if I start somewhere else I may end up writing a different book. I have to resign myself to the fact that I need to write the book that begs to be written. If that’s a different one than the one I’ve already composed — well, so be it.

Writing isn’t fun, nor easy, but I’m lost when I can’t do it. It is the way that I give voice to the emotions and experiences that simply cannot be talked about. The reality of life is that the things we cannot say are the things we must. Writing is the key.

I’m back…

It’s terrible to let a blog sit idle for as long as I’ve let this one wallow. I apologize. My illness was resurgent and, well, I was pre-occupied with primary election activities. Fortunately, my health is better today and I’m able to write once again. That was the scariest aspect of my illness — it smothered all words in a fog of fatigue and pain.

I’ll try to stay away from politics and stick to writing. I remain an HRC fan and will always support her agenda and her candidacy. Meanwhile, I see the pros and cons of both senators John McCain and Barack Obama and am, more than anything, grateful that neither man is a repeat of GW Bush. No matter who wins I believe America will be better off in 2009 than it is today.