Sunday, April 26, 2009

WHAT I DID ON MY WEEKEND VACAY...

CAN YOU FIND...

The mama and baby monk seal in the rocks on this beach?

I got to play with other authors on the island of Kauai. We were all invited to speak at a literary festival called Celebrate Reading this past weekend.
It was quite thrilling. Christopher Moore talked about his book FOOL. Markus Zusak discussed THE BOOK THIEF. I talked about LOTTERY. My friend Kaui Hart Hemmings talked about her book THE DESCENDANTS. Kiana Davenport talked about THE HOUSE OF MANY GODS. Witi Ihimaera talked about WHALE RIDER.Plus Kealoha did his nationally recognized slam poetry.
It was great fun to chat in our "green room" and compare horrible reviews, emails from readers who tell us all the mistakes in our books and each time someone comes up to us and says, "And you are WHO??? Have I ever heard of you? Have I read your book???"

Unfortunately Chris sneaked away before we could snap the photo but I can photo shop him in later...
After we were done for the day everyone else went back to Oahu and I got to do a gig with Kealoha at a coffee shop later for the Kauai Backstory Writers Group. It was great fun...And a COFFEE SHOP? Well I was in caffeine heaven.
Anyway...
The point of this post is that just talking to readers and other authors for two days got me so charged up that I was anxious to get back to work.
I hadn't realized how drained I was working on my current project.
It felt so good I'm going to ask you all for "recharge" suggestions.

10 comments:

ORION said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
How to Party with an Infant said...

It was fun!

ORION said...

oh!!! Kaui!!! it was wasn't it?

Holly Kennedy said...

Sounds like it was fun, Pat.
Again, I LOVED The Book Thief.
As you already know.

Now back to writing for me (and a sick kid who's off school today....)

Jennifer Hillier said...

Really enjoying your blog, Patricia. Read LOTTERY last year and started it again yesterday!

Sarah Laurence said...

Sounds like fun! My teenaged son loved The Book Thief but it was to scary for my then 10 year old daughter. Lucky you to meet that author.

I just recharged in NYC - art, dining and a bit of shopping. I also did some novel research. I think a change of scenery and time off writing can help give perspective. I came home ready to write and am spending the week weaving in new material and fixing the plot point problems that are now more obvious with some distance.

On a weekly basis I try to get together with a writer friend for a walk or swim. It can help not to feel alone. You need to make your colleagues as a writer working at home.

Michelle O'Neil said...

Sounds like a wonderful time Pat! All that creativity in one room? Heaven!

Les said...

Sounds like a wonderful time! And, like Holly, I LOVED The Book Thief. What a great book.

Bookfool said...

I'm so envious. Look at you, within touching range of that adorable Marcus Zusak. He's so cute it's ridiculous (not to mention a rocking fine writer).

Unknown said...

I like to read Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird. It always charges me up to write.

What are you working on? Is it anything like Lottery?