CHANGE

The last couple of weeks, the Panhandle experienced unusually warm temperatures, as if summer was struggling to let go and make room for the new season. But last night there was a shift in the climate. Today I know that it is autumn. And the change feels good.

DID YOU?

October Give-away Winners:

Congratulations to: Leonard Skelencar from San Antonio, Texas and Gwen Green from Amarillo, Texas. You both won a signed copy of When Zachary Beaver Came to Town.

SWEET SAN ANTONIO

Last week was filled with sweet moments in San Antonio. And I'm not referring to the Krispy Kreme Doughnuts aroma that filled the air around my hotel. (Why do you think I stayed there?)

I'm referring to the schools I visited in the area, their students, librarians and teachers. Tuesday I kicked my week off at St. Luke's Episcopal School. Mary Milligan brought me in as a part of their book fair. These are lucky students because everyday that week they heard a different writer speak. One thing I'm certain they learned by Friday was that writers approach their craft differently. Thanks Mary and Henrietta.


Wednesday I visited Castle Hills Elementary School. Their enthusiastic librarian, Felice Feldman, is on the program committee of the Texas Bluebonnet so we both had to sit on the secret about Piper Reed Navy Brat being a part of the master list. (The list wasn't officially announced until Saturday at the Texas Book Festival.) At her school, I especially enjoyed eating lunch with the kids. It was sort of a revolving lunch for me because I went from table to table. That way I could visit with each student. Thanks, Felice, Nathalie and Jaime. I had a lovely day at your school.



My last day in San Antonio was super busy. I started the day at Coker Elementary. Carol Muska is a good example of how dynamite comes in small packages. Most of the students had read one of my books so they were already interested in what I had to say. I appreciate the teachers preparing them. Between presentations, I noticed the names of books hanging outside some classroom doors.
Carol explained that it was for a program they'd be doing the following day called Trick or Read . The older students buddy up with a younger student and they go from classroom to classroom, listening to a story. Now that's my kind of Halloween! Thank you, Carol, Melanie, and teachers.

That evening Miriam Martinez from University of Texas at San Antonio and I had dinner with one of her colleagues before heading to the campus. Miriam is an excellent children's literature professor who graciously put together an evening for me with her students.
It was a sweet way to end my week. The turnout was great and the students made me feel so welcome. I also got to meet up with an old chum, Tiffany, who used to work at the famous Toad Hall children's bookstore in Austin. Reacquainting with Tiffany proves it is indeed a small world.

Though I only got to chat with some of the students briefly, I loved hearing the excitement in their voices about their future teaching careers. There are going to be some lucky students that get those teachers. Thank you, Miriam, for all your hard work. And thanks to your students for reading my books. I'll always remember my evening at your campus.

GET OFF THE BUS!

Piper Reed Navy Brat is a selection on the Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List!

Thank you, committee members, for this honor.

IS AN ARTIST EVER SATISFIED?

My grandfather has always been a plant man--a man that appreciated the way a brilliant pink faded to cream in a camellia. But a few years ago he fell in love with amaryllises. That affection spread to all bulbs. So instead of receiving ties and puzzles for his birthday, he opened boxes of apple blossom amaryllises and blue jacket hyacinths.

Even at 94, he never considered not planting them himself. He designed the beds, hauled in the dirt, and dug holes. He labored hard and his efforts showed. Still as I watched him look on at his work, I could see the wheels turning. Was he pondering what the garden would be like if he'd shaped it another way? Or maybe he was thinking how nice it would look with a few tulips, if only the climate allowed them to grow in Louisiana.

I understand his restlessness. When I finish a book, I'm not finished thinking about it. I'll wash the dishes and imagine the perfect line my character could have said. Or a piece of description pops into my head while I'm driving to the coffee shop. Only it's too late. Perhaps it's the curse of all artists.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Have you ever met someone with a name that didn't fit them? Whenever I do, I have trouble remembering their name. Names should fit characters, too. The nice thing is writers can control that.

I keep a notebook for every book I write. On the first page I list the characters. If you look at any of my lists, you will discover scratches through some of those names because as I write and learn more about them, I often realize their name doesn't belong with their personality. It keeps me from getting to know the real character. So I'll change their name. And when I get it right, the characters start to become more fully developed.

(Double click on image to enlarge)
In When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, Cal's last name originally was Pringle. Then early in the first draft I realized his family had Irish roots. They became the McKnights. The entire family had red hair except for the mother. They were hard-working folks and Mr. McKnight expected his children to work in the fields on weekends and during summer breaks. All that came about after the name change.

The Bowl-A-Rama owner, Ferris Kelly was once Carter Kelly, then Fenton Kelly. For whatever reason, he became Ferris. Now I couldn't think of him by any other name.

Another ritual that I do when I start a story is that I write the characters name on a dry marker board. It hangs on the left wall of my office, visible from my desk. Just reading one of those names reconnects me with my story. With each draft those names become more powerful. Not necessarily in their character, but in their capability of drawing me into the story. They become real people. Real people with a name that fits.



***OCTOBER GIVE-AWAY***

If you would like to have a chance to win a signed hardback copy of When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, send your name and SNAIL mail address to kwhevents@suddenlink.net. Two winners will be chosen at random. The deadline is Friday, October 31 at 5:00 PM, Central time.

HEY, SAN ANTONIO!

If you live in the San Antonio area, I hope you will consider attending my presentation at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Here are the details:

Thursday, October 30, 2008
7:00 PM
Retama Auditorium University Center
2.02.02 1604 Campus
San Antonio, TX

Hope to see you there!