How to Grill a Burger Without Your Guy, But Still Show Him You Love Him

Last night I lit a charcoal grill and cooked burgers for the first time ever. Now, I’ve helped with prep work before. But, the hubby has always been the one to get the grilling honors. In fact, he’s a bit of a mad scientist when it comes to his charcoal grilling or smoking techniques. Whenever we’re at parties or at the in-laws he’ll regale everyone in sight about his most recent grillin’ adventure.

This works out for me as I love to eat. He cooks. I clean. It’s a good arrangement as I’m OCD and he’s not. Sadly, however, my chef has been away on a business trip all week. Tuesday was the perfect weather for grilling. I thought about it, but didn’t. You ever have those days? Then, when Wednesday night turned out just as nice, I decided it must be a sign from the grillin gods.

When I told the hubs I was going to grill by myself, he insisted I send him pictures. He should have known better. Finally! It was my turn to brag about my grilling prowess.

6:06 P.M. Sarah <sj.whitney26 at gmail.com> to Hubby
Subject: Grillin

Is there supposed to be this much flame?

6:07 P.M. Sarah <sj.whitney26 at gmail.com> to Hubby
Subject: Oh yeah.

Just needed to close the bottom vent cover. Fire is fun. Onto food prep.

6:08 PM Sarah <sj.whitney26 at gmail.com> to Hubby
Subject: Oops!

Fire went out. Are you laughing yet?

6:13 PM Sarah <sj.whitney26@gmail.com> to Hubby
Subject: Crisis Averted

Onto food prep for real now.

6:30 PM Sarah <sj.whitney26@gmail.com> to Hubby
Subject: Grrr

Stupid burger won’t stick together. I’ll make it stick with an egg!

Hah! Take that!

6:31 PM Sarah <sj.whitney26@gmail.com> to Hubby
Subject: Ut Oh!

I think I messed up and made meatloaf.

The flour probably wasn’t a good idea.

6:37 PM Sarah <sj.whitney26 at gmail.com> to Hubby
Subject: Ah Well

At least the coals are still going. Almost grilling time. Just chilling with the dog and some suds. Maybe the burger loaf won’t be so bad.

6:51 PM Sarah <sj.whitney26 at gmail.com> to Hubby
Subject: Geez

This is taking forever. Maybe I’ll go plant a flower.

7:18 PM Sarah <sj.whitney26 at gmail.com> to Hubby
Subject: Flowers planted

Like our new red flowers? The flower lady said they’ll grow up into the railings. Pretty cool. Ok, back to grillin.

7:19 PM Sarah <sj.whitney26 at gmail.com> to Hubby
Subject: Yay

The burger loaf hasn’t fallen apart.

7:35 PM Sarah <sj.whitney26 at gmail.com> to Hubby
Subject: Happily Ever After

In my mouth.

7:40 PM Sarah <sj.whitney26 at gmail.com> to Hubby
Subject: Not to bad

Didn’t turn out like meatloaf at all. Quite tasty for a first try. I was planning to tell u how awful a job I did and how much I miss your cooking. However I did better than I expected – just need a bit more seasoning.

Moral of the story: I married you for your cooking and keep you around for the spice!

7:40 PM Sarah <sj.whitney26 at gmail.com> to Hubby
Subject: The End!

Cover for Finding My Place by Margo Dill

I’m excited to introduce to you middle grade author Margo Dill. Her historical middle grade novel Finding My Place was published by White Mane Kids this past October. In addition, she also has a picture book accepted by Guardian Angel Publishing and another by High Hill Press. She is also the memoir editor for High Hill Press. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her husband, stepson, daughter, and dog—Chester, a boxer.

When I first met Margo, she was introduced to me as the only other writer in the room who also wrote children’s literature. Since then we’ve become critique partners. However, I have never read pages from Finding My Place. Instead, I read it like everyone else as a reader, and I loved it.

Finding My Place tells the story of 13-year-old Anna Green who lives in Vicksburg, Mississippi during the Civil War. For 47 days in May, June, and July 1863, the Union army bombs Vicksburg day and night, attempting to overtake the city. Anna longs for the days before Yankee bombs screeched above her, before her family was torn apart, and before they moved to a dark, damp cave to protect themselves from falling shells. During one terrible bombing, a tragedy strikes Anna and her siblings and changes their lives forever.

To get us started, Margo, why did you want to tell this story?

Margo: I thought the courage and perseverance of the people of Vicksburg was amazing—they lived in caves with minimal supplies for 47 days in the summer of 1863 in the South. As a teacher, I also knew most of the resources for children are told from a northern point of view and from the view of the soldiers or a child solider (or drummer). I think it is important for children to know all sides of an issue—not everyone in the South was “evil.”

That’s a good point. What other historically accurate details did you choose to incorporate into your setting for Finding My Place?

Margo:  Besides the reasons I said above, I got the idea while teaching fifth grade social studies and reading one paragraph in the social studies book about the Battle of Vicksburg. I was amazed that I had never really heard much about it and wanted to find out more. When I heard people ate rats, printed their news on the back of wallpaper when they ran out of paper, and lived in caves to keep their city from falling into the hands of the “enemy,” I thought it was the perfect setting for an intriguing story.

What was the hardest part about writing Anna’s story?

Margo:  I think imagining what it must have been like for a 13-year-old girl to deal with such adult problems and issues, but still make the book for kids. I know that the Civil War is covered in 5^th/6^th grade in most places and home schools, and so I wanted to write it at that level. But war is awful, and so I had a lot of issues with trying to get the war to an acceptable level for children and still be realistic.  

Seeing as I have three siblings, I really enjoyed how realalistic James, Anna and Sara’s relationship was. Did you have siblings growing up or do you have children in your life who inspired their characters?

Margo: No siblings—I am always asked that question! I think it was just from my experience as an elementary school teacher or maybe from reading or just observing kids. I don’t know exactly where it came from; but it came out, and I’m glad it’s somewhat realistic.

Who would like reading your book? The people who have read it, what are they saying they liked about it?

Margo:  It seems as though adults and children are both enjoying my book—so that’s nice. Teachers have been reading my book to their classes, and one student wanted to know if they could keep reading instead of going on to the next subject. Another teacher recommended it be in the nominations for the Mark Twain award. I think people like the characters the best—Anna, James, and Sara. They also like (or hate!) the antagonist, Mrs. Franklin. They also like that it is a realistic and accurate look at the Battle of Vicksburg. Some people have said it was a real page-turner!

Can you talk about some of the historically accurate details you woven throughout the story? For example, did the residents of Vicksburg really live in caves in their backyards?

Margo: Yes, they really did. The yellow clay hills were perfect for the slaves to quickly dig out caves, secure them with some boards across the top and on the bottom for a floor and to run to when the shells started to drop. It is true that people used all the substitutions I mentioned because Grant was stopping any supplies from getting to Vicksburg—so people used acorns for coffee, sassafras for tea, berry juice for ink, and so on. There was a fire downtown at the General Store during the Siege, and the soldiers really did stop shelling three times a day to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

That’s crazy. I would have never thought acorns could be substituted for coffee. That seems like a lot of specifics. So, what did your research involve to make sure your details and facts were historically accurate?

Margo:  I went to Vicksburg in September of 2001, a few days after 9/11. I was supposed to fly, but instead I rented a car and drove down to do research. I toured homes that were standing during the Siege, and saw a shell still stuck in a doorframe in one house. I talked to historians in museums. I went to the battlefield which is now a National Park and memorial. I read diaries of women who were alive during the Siege. I also went to the library and went through their vertical files.

For writers, what are some tips and advice you’d tell them about researching a novel like Finding My Place?

Margo:  No matter if you are writing for children or adults, you have to do your research. You have to know details of everyday life as well as the event you are writing about. Find people who know your time period and ask them to read your manuscript and tell you what doesn’t fit. Research a lot, then start writing, and then fill in the holes that come up when you are writing your story. And always focus on the story while writing—put research details in where they fit with the STORY!

Thanks for satisfying my curiosity about your research process, Margo. Do you have anything else to add?

Margo:  Well, since I am so thankful for you and the other Lit Ladies (our critique group!), I want to say that a critique group is invaluable. This novel actually went through two critique groups because I moved while still working on it—Thursday Writers in St. Peters/O’Fallon and Columbia Novels Group in Columbia, MO. Without going to critique groups and learning about the writing craft at conferences, I would not have gotten my novel published. If you are a writer and not in a critique group, try to find one. It will be the best thing you ever do!

In addition to being a children’s author, Margo L. Dill is a freelance writer, editor, and teacher, based in St. Louis, Missouri. Her work has appeared in publications such as Grit, Pockets, Missouri Life, ByLine Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, True Love, On the Line, Fun for Kidz, and The News-Gazette. She is a columnist, instructor, and contributing editor for WOW! Women On Writing. She writes weekly book reviews for The News-Gazette (Champaign, IL).

Learn more about Margo and Finding My Place by visiting http://www.margodill.com or her Facebook Fan Page where she posts about reading, writing, grammar, her books, photos from her school visits and pictures kids have made her and more. She is also on twitter @Margo_L_Dill and tweets for WOW! Women on Writing @womenonwriting.

Buy Finding My Place online at:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
White Mane Kids
Autographed copies are also available at Margo’s blog.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve always wanted to give National Novel Writing Month a try. However, life just keeps getting in the way. Work. School. Family. To-Do lists. Vacuuming. Facebook.

This year, I decided enough was enough. I gave myself permission to put writing first for 30 days. Five days ago, I crossed the NaNoWriMo finish line with 3 hours to spare and 1,214 words above my target.

Since I nabbed that coveted purple winner star, however, I’ve realized I finished November with a lot more than just a decent first draft of a YA fantasy novel. Here are the unexpected rewards you might also experience from this exercise in literary abandon.

Setting Boundaries

Deciding to participate in NaNoWriMo teaches you how to boundaries with your friends and family. Thanksgiving morning, I was at my in-laws, but I only agreed to come over once everyone agreed they would leave me along to type on the couch. I finished 500 words that morning in about an hour. More importantly, I realized that setting clear boundaries ensures people will respect them.

Getting Into A Routine

Developing a routine ensures success. Every night after work, I didn’t worry about dinner. I went straight to my couch with my favorite blanket and started writing. Several times, food materialized thanks to my hubby. See above. When he learned dinner was up to him, he stepped up to the plate. I just had to give him the chance.

Go Easy On Yourself

Give yourself permission to have a dirty house. Even though it meant I wore mental blinders when I walked around my house – I learned how to turn off the clean freak inside of me. I reasoned with myself by saying, “Yes, the pile of dirty dishes is overtaking all my dirty counters, but it’s OK. I wrote 2,000 words today.”

Silencing Your Inner Critic

Don’t be afraid to tell the editor inside of you to shut up. I have an especially harsh editor living in my head. She loves to tell me how mediocre that last sentence was or who do I think I am, trying to become a published author? Before November, whenever she started talking, I’d start staring off into space instead of writing. I’d tell myself this was just part of my process, but I’ve since realized it’s a lie.

The solution to shutting her up was to download this program called “Write or Die.” For a measly $10, this program has redirected her perfectionist tendencies. Now instead of making the sentence beautiful before proceeding to the next, my inner critic loves to hit the word count goal without making the screen flash red. We’re much happier this way.

Increase Your Productivity

You learn to write fast in 20 minute increments. I have discovered I can pound out 500 decent words in 15 minutes. Knowing that, helps me focus better. I can now spend 30 minutes a night writing and make decent process. The thought is encouraging and builds upon itself. Try it and you’ll see what I mean.

This past month has been a great experience. I highly recommend that anyone who considers themselves an aspiring author try participating in NaNoWriMo at least once. Even if you don’t succeed, what you’ll learn about yourself and your writing process will make the journey well worth it

This is the best safety infomercial ever. 1. The Hobbit is awesome. 2. This airline is awesome. More ads should be like this.

Last week, I was tagged by Margo Dill to play a game going around the interwebs called “The Next Big Thing.”

Here’s her original post. Per the rules, I must answer ten questions about my current novel because it is the next big thing and then tag five other writers/authors. I was supposed to post this on Wednesday, but its late because I was busy attending my critique group that night and then Thursday was my birthday. So, here it is, now Friday.

What is the working title of your book?

Jenny BigSis & The Bug Club

Where did the idea come from for the book?

It started as a short story based on a ‘mini’ adventure my younger brother and I went on during grade school. I took it to my then critique group and they wanted to read more about the main character’s adventures. So, I sat and did some character development. I asked her why she’d gone on her mini adventure. Her answer was, “I have to save my pet spider. His name is Jack.” Once I learned that I had to keep writing.

What genre does your book fall under?

The story is younger, middle grade. If you want to be more specific it’s a mystery/adventure.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I’d prefer unknown actors for the kid parts. Similar to how Harry Potter was cast with maybe the two secondary adult characters – Grandma Stella & Red the Janitor – played by more well-known people like Lainie Kazan or Simon Pegg.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Jenny Maria Jenkins and the Bug Club have less than two weeks to rescue her pet jumping spider Jack from the snotty Girl Gang before they smash him during the Easter Expo and ruin their chances of winning the All-Round Science Award.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I am in the process of pitching to agents. If that doesn’t work, then self-publishing is an option further down the road.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

First draft took a year. I seriously thought I was done. How silly was that? Second draft, took another year, while it went through my awesome critique group, The Lit Ladies. I’m now finished with final edits and am ready to start submitting.

Now that I’ve learned the process of how much work goes into writing a novel, my next manuscript I hope to finish in less than half the time it took to finish Jenny.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Sweet Farts & The Secret Zoo series

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My brothers & sister & the adventures we had growing up.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Jenny BigSis is not just about finding a missing pet. It explores the themes of friendship and overcoming bullying without becoming a bully yourself. Jenny discovers this is harder than she thinks.

Also, because Jenny loves bug collecting and her pet is a spider, I’ve had several alpha readers say they think it would appeal to boys.

So here are the people I “tag”:

Deb Marshall at http://quicksilverpen.blogspot.com

Elle Lothlorien at http://ellelothlorien.com/blog/

David Lucas as http://davidalanlucas.blogspot.com/

T.W. Fendley at http://twfendley.com/?page_id=404

Brad Cook at http://www.thewriterslens.com/

Be sure to check out their blogs to see their answers about their “The Next Big Thing” by Wednesday, Sept. 19.

Worrying about copyright law is not something that keeps me up at night. However, it is a topic that all writers will encounter at some point in their career. Over at the Missouri Writers Guild blog, I recently interviewed Copyright expert Paul Lesko, who happens to work three floors below me.

Paul Lesko, IP Attorney

Whenever I have a copyright question, instead of doing a google search and praying, I shoot him an email. As he says in his interview, following any copyright advice on the Internet is not a good idea. I consider myself lucky that his advice is just an elevator ride away. However, this April, any one who attends the Missouri Writers’ Guild annual conference will get a chance to pick his brain, as he’s presenting a breakout session on copyright law.

If you don’t want to wait that long, or you can’t make it, you could win a consultation with him by checking out my Q&A and leaving a comment. Here’s snippet:

The interview I’ve looked forward to the most at the Missouri Writers’ Guild conference blog is finally posted! My interview with Jane Friedman, who has an assortment of publishing industry credits including former Writer’s Digest publisher, is posted!

Just while researching my questions, I learned so much. That caused me to worry, though. How was she going to add anything more to the interviews already out there. How was I going to think of questions that allowed her to add new thoughts to the conversation?

To achieve this, compared to my past interviews, I asked a different kind of question. A more personal question about my own writing fears. How much energy should I spend obsessing over commas, grammar, spelling, etc. Are there any mistakes beginning writers are allowed to make without their manuscript being tossed into the recycling bin?

Her answer didn’t disappoint.

Jane: Let me allay your fears. Any agent or editor who rejects your work based solely on random surface-level concerns (stray punctuation errors or grammatical snafus), isn’t someone you want to work with. Great writing shines through stray surface-level errors—assuming those errors aren’t so numerous that they become distracting.

To be crystal clear: I’m not talking about the kind of bad grammar and punctuation that immediately reveals a writer who hasn’t even begun to master his craft. I’m talking about people who’ve probably been at work for years, and have the requisite skills to be a writer, but may not be flawless from a mechanical standpoint.

I’m a college writing professor who sees error-ridden work daily—but I can still spot fabulous voice, insightful observations, and provocative point of view through all those errors. Surface errors can be fixed. Boring stories can’t.

Continue Reading on the Missouri Writers’ Guild Blog >>>

I was recently asked to judge my writing group’s annual Children’s Contest for 3rd and 4th graders.

We received167 entries from children in St. Charles County schools. Thankfully, I didn’t have to read all the entries. My critique partner Camile Faye was the contest chair. She, a former college English professor, and two retired elementary school teachers read through the entries and then each sent me their top ten.

For three days I received new entries in the mail. Like presents wrapped in manilla envelopes. Those were three days of happiness. Then I realized I had to pick a winner. Great gnashing of teeth ensued.

How was I supposed to pick a winner from stories that featured such wildly creative ideas like a well-spoken beetle, a dreaded vampire squirrel or flying dinosaurs. I was also surprised to find stories that addressed complex issues like the grief of losing a friend to cancer and the courage needed to face a bully.

The first time I realized I might be good at this writing thing was when as an elementary schooler, I won a children’s writing contest. Now as a judge, I had the power to inspire – or not – a child not unlike my past self. That thought was intimidating.

To keep myself from being intimidated, I formulated a ranking system for each child’s entry. They received points based on their story elements, plot and story structure, grammar and spelling, and  following directions.

This past Saturday, we held an award presentations for the winners. (You can see pictures from the ceremony on the Saturday Writers’ Blog) The parents treated their kids like mini-movie stars. Their devotion to ensuring their smiling child was forever captured in digital format, seemed slightly absurd, but I couldn’t blame them. I expect myself to be the same way as a parent.

Some children were absent. Afterward, I gave their certificates to their teacher. As I handed them over to her, she asked me, “Where are the rest of them?”

“Pardon me?”  What did she mean by the rest of them, I thought?

“I was told all the children who entered would receive participation slips.”

I know she saw my look of disbelief before I could straighten my face. If only agents and editors gave participation slips for submissions.

I recently did a Q&A with YA literary Agent Ann Behar with Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency, Inc. She receives mostly fantasy and scifi queries because she said of her agency’s track record of success with authors like Terry Goodkind, Arthur C. Clarke and Mercedes Lackey. However, she is interested in all good writing:

“…if a book is extraordinary, I don’t care if it’s about faeries, dragons or stamp collecting. A great writer can make any subject gripping.  So, a fantasy or science fiction novel would have to have three-dimensional characters that I come to care about immediately, a detailed, fascinating world that makes me feel as if I am a part of, and a tightly structured plot that holds my attention from the start to finish.”

Read the full interview with her over at the Missouri Writers’ Guild Conference Blog.

I have decided over the past couple years that working a day job in Corporate America will better prepare you for rejection as an aspiring author. Especially if you’re a woman.

Last night, I watched a Season 3 House marathon while doing a marathon of dirty laundry and folding. The gist of House is basic: somebody gets sick, then House cures them while being a jerk. To keep the story interesting there’s always a subplot that runs over multiple episodes. The subplot over these episodes was a quarrel between Dr. Cameron and Dr. Foreman.

Foreman had stolen an article idea from Cameron, which he’d later gotten published in a medical journal. As a writer, I was rooting for Cameron. Foreman had broken a cardinal writing rule.

Then, at the end of the episode, the screenwriter gave Foreman a chance to explain himself. Dr. Cameron told him she believed they were both wrong and should apologize to each other. She recited a heartfelt apology and then waited for him to reciprocate.

He didn’t. Instead, he told he has nothing to apologize because they’re not friends, they’re colleagues.

Click. Did you hear the light bulb switch on? It did for me.

If you haven’t worked a day job where you experienced constant criticism and feedback on your work, then you will have a harder time dealing with rejection from agents, editors and publishers. Because, unlike the people at your average writer group meetings, they’re not trying to be your friend. They’re interested in being your colleague. Friendship will come later, if you’re lucky.