I, uh, think I killed my muse

Winter Word Games

2010-02-08T09:39:00.000-08:00

So if anyone has a hankering for some word games, head over to Sacred Dirt where the games have just begun.

Sacred Dirt happens to be a nearly brand new blog started by my very own sister/newly-agented writer/artist/mystery-nut/musician/Leonardo Da Vinci of modern women who I call Faithy, but who you can call Faith or numerous other names.

More to come on her later but for now, head over for the Winter Word Olympics, aka The Writer Games, with prizes too apparently.

In which I nearly sacrifice a kidney to the blogosphere

2010-02-04T18:49:00.000-08:00

Melodramatic. Who, me? What's the going rate for a kidney nowadays?

Hi-ya. How are things going? I've missed my blogging buddies a lot. But here I am and, hopefully, there you are too. What's new? What'd I miss? Really. Lay it on me.

I received a blog award yesterday which I'm sure will make some of you chuckle, perhaps even snort. CKHB at Heim Binas Fiction gave me and seven others the coveted "Over the Top Award". Well perhaps coveted is in the eye of the beholder. However, CKHB has an awesome writing blog as good as any out there. I highly recommend you check it out and have been planning on gushing much more about that particular blog and it's creator for quite a while. Stay tuned on that.

Well, in my acceptance speech (read: short-ish comment), I assured Carrie that I would blog today or forfeit a kidney. Which got me thinking. I know. Uh, oh.

Everyone knows it takes sacrifice to pursue your dreams or, in our case, to finish a story. Giving up one's social butterfly status. A regular paycheck. An easy answer when people ask what you do.

So I started wondering, how much would I give up to finish my long-suffering novel? Internet time, tv time, Sid Meir's Civilization time? Hmm. Then I started wondering, what about body parts? Would I give up one kidney? Don't really like messing with internal stuff so much. But still, I think I could survive on one kidney.

What's your answer? What body part would you give up to finish your novel.

I've decided my answer is my left middle finger, any fingernail or toenail except for my right thumb, my left fourth toe (that I don't remember if it went to the market, stayed home or what) and/or either ear. It's a no for now on the kidney but that's not to say it's off the table. I'm a reasonable guy, usually.

Now I can already hear my mom's voice telling me, like she has so many times. "The journey IS the destination." And that's true. If we're just given something, no matter how important, it's not really ours. We haven't experienced it, earned it. Allegedly. And maybe that is especially true in writing.

The process is everything. The struggle is the joy. And all that.

But if anyone sees or talks to my muse. See if he/she is in the market for a left middle finger. I can still flip people off just fine with my right.

PS Good to be back.

PPS This kidney sculpture pic was swiped from here and the photographer is Ken Ilio.

Its Rightful Place

2009-11-12T19:41:00.000-08:00

The Incomparable Stephanie Perkins posted two great videos on her blog Natural Artificial that both made me laugh very hard. And then...

And then.

She pushed--no reached--too far. She posted a third video that she claimed, let's see, ah yes...

"It's only THE GREATEST VIDEO EVER, EVER, EVER CREATED EVER IN THE HISTORY OF TIME EVER:"

Aforementioned video is entitled "Then he kissed me - Jim Sturgess". Feel free to find it through the above link for comparison or to drool if you're into Hot British Men. Stephanie is, admittedly, the HBM Connoisseur and Writer of Good Words but apparently expert on best video of all time she is not.

I am throwing down the children's book blog gauntlet right now. Certainly if ever such a GREATEST VIDEO EVER (etc, etc) existed it would have two components. FIRSTLY, it would have a timelessness to it (sorry Sturgey) and SECONDLY, it would have Christopher Walken in it. And THIRD, wait there was no third, THIRD, it would be THIS video. Which unfortunately I'm afraid you'll just have to click on through the link because the embedding feature has been disabled.

So there Stephanie Perkins, do your worst. This gauntlet is certainly directed AT YOU! Now if there ARE any other combatants, err, GREATEST VIDEO EVER (etc, etc) claimers, let's have it. Pipe up.

PS Congratulations to Stephanie and my brother for kicking butt in their NANOWRIMO endeavors to date. I wish you the best. Love to hear more success stories for the rest of us writing schlubs.

And finally a photo op from a sorta recent meeting of the minds. Another chapter in the saga of the Watson Brothers take on the children's book publishing world. Amazing what a few late night beer brainstorms will help you come up with. Ninety percent of which would be unfit for children or any civilized society of any sort. But who's counting. We certainly weren't.

Brother collaboration. 34 years in the making.

Catching Up

2009-10-23T09:30:00.001-07:00

So I've obviously been a little behind. Perhaps some of you have noticed. Perhaps some of you have even started an online petition to get me writing again (ahem, Jaime!). Well all of your kind words is deeply appreciated and also motivating. Wonderful to feel missed.

THE Stephanie Perkins at Natural Artificial has sad a lot of very nice words about me and my book. Stephanie, AKA, The HBM Connoisseur And Writer of Good Words was the last poor soul to get Dubbed. Thank you so much Stephanie. ANYBODY who has or has not yet checked out Stephanie's amazing blog should quit this one and RUN at the speed of DSL over there right now. Wonderful, hilariosity. Thank you Steph. Did I mention that Steph has her first of two novels coming out next year? Already on my Good Reads list (I think, better check).

My pops. Ricardo Jesus Watsonius. Or Richard Jesse Watson did a very nice post about a certain missing blogger son so he put up some of his(my) kid art. Sorry no naked pictures of me in the bath as a baby, but you get the picture. Thanks Dad for reminding me why I write. I appreciate it dad. Thanks pal.

The immortal Effeminator, and high-up member of the Children's Book Cosa Nostra did a very generous and kind post about me. Also known as Jaime, Jaime is starting another really cool looking blog-thing or msn superfan site called Bound, which I haven't completely figured out though did look at it and it is really cool like EVERYTHING Jaime does. Highly encourage you to check out that too. Jaime has a wonderfully hilarious and wicked sense of humor. Enjoy and thank you so much Jaime. By the way, if any of authors are ever doing book signings in Seattle, Jaime's your gal. She has a business helping authors do their book tours, even including muffins. It's called First Edition Media Services and like I mentioned before, Jaime's connected up the yin-yang. I've heard of editors giving Jaime lip before, they had union problems within the week. True story (you know but completely fictionalized).

I'm sure I'm missing some but these will do for now. Really cool guys.

Big News

2009-10-23T07:57:00.000-07:00

Hi.

Hello there blogging pals. Have you missed this mug? I've sure missed you. I'm reading a book right now by Humphrey Carpenter called The Inklings that I borrowed/stole from my dad. How does that relate to missing you?

Well, the Inklings were a group of Oxford professors and other pals, mostly of C.S. Lewis, who got together to read stuff they were writing or to have discussions about all sorts of things. One of these pals was J.R.R. Tolkien and another was Charles Williams amongst a small group of others. They'd read their poetry aloud and Tolkien regularly read from his new hobbit book (not The Hobbit but the sequel of sorts). There was mostly beer, tea or stronger stuff involved and it usually took place in Lewis' Magdalen College rooms or at the "Beer and Baby" pub amongst others.

What I'm getting at is that I've always envied this group of incredibly talented writers that were able to hang out, share things they were working on with each other, and above all, encourage each other as writers. They started off as an informal literary group, and perhaps that was always at the core, but ultimately it was really just a group of sort of like-minded friends all passionate about literature and writing, particularly the idea of mythopoeia, or the making (and power) of myth. "On the other hand there is, the belief shared by Tolkien and Lewis that myth can sometimes convey truth in a way that no abstract argument can achieve: a very important notion behind both men's work, and an idea that was certainly shared in some degree by Williams." (Carpenter, p. 157)

"Blessed are the legend-makers with their ryhme

of things not found within recorded time.

It is not they that have forgot the Night,

or bid us flee to organized delight..." Tolkien from Mythopoeia

Writing is a solitary battle. Sure there is joy and discovery, but it is also hard work and the promise of daunting criticism and rejection. Which is why I've envied the Inklings. And yet, through this funny thing called the internet, I've found (or been found by) my own Inklings. While it may not be JUST as good as getting to see you in person and shoot the breeze, drink good beer and or/coffee (or tea I suppose) and read our stories aloud to each other, it nearly is. And who knows, maybe we can even have a beer night where we toast each other and submit a piece of anything. Who knows. And for those who don't drink, coffee, ginger ale, or tea work fine too. Maybe this will happen soon. Let me know what you think.

BUT, All this is really saying that I have missed you all and am very glad to be back now.

And in HONOR of the occasion of our reunion, I have brought a tasty piece of news with me for you. You didn't think I'd come back empty-handed did you? In fact, I've sort of been waiting to post until I could share this with you.

The long and short news is that Amy is prego. Yep. The bun is in the oven, her eggo is prego. Been hard keeping that secret, though a couple of you might already know. She just had an ultrasound done (for free love ya Canada) and she's about eight and a half to nine weeks (or so) along. Accompanying the two inch (or so) baby, apparently the boob fairy and the nausea fairy have also visited, though the nausea fairy is much less welcome.

Now, I'm not saying I'm suspicious or anything. But I'll just add that our baby better not come out with a tail and golden fur.

We were very surprised and now are very excited. We, especially me, were still getting used to the whole concept until I saw this.

That pretty much did it for me. This is happening. Whew.

And Amy's reaction after she heard I put her uterus on the world wide web?

09/09/09 09:09 Day

2009-09-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

So today in honor of Studly Super Spouse Jarrod's visit on the last comment section and all other awesome spouses of our writing/illustrating community, I have an idea. Let's face it. We just couldn't do it without your encouragement and support. So today on 09/09/09 09:09 day, I'm opening it up to all of you. Tell me about your hunk-a-burning love, your confidant, your best pal. For those not hitched or attached at the hip an any way, tell us about your best pal anyways, whoever they are even if not the romantic kind.

To get us started on this special day, here's something to get us started. Yes I did post a link to the trailer a long time ago, but here's a refresher. Not the best, if you want that I recommend this link here and load the high def trailer. But that's just me. (Dangit just watched the imbedded clip and I think it's cropped a little for some reason. Go to the link for much better preview.)

I'll start.

My best friend also happens to be wife Amy Irene Watson. Well, best if we're excluding our dog, because otherwise they kind of have a co-best friend status with me. Don't worry, the other night Linus and Amy were on the couch (yeah) and I was on the floor (yeah) next to them and she says, "You're the love of my life," in that cute sweet lovey-dovey way. I didn't even have to look to know who she was talking about. After she was done cuddling with Linus, she leaned back on the couch and gave me a "hi, what's up" look. As I gave her my, "you know damn well what look" the lightbulb went on and she gave me a big hug and said, "well, you are too!"

Right. Linus and I know where we stand. Son of a bitch, literally. (this joke never gets old cuz if you don't know and I don't know how you couldn't unless this is your first visit, Linus is our dog-son).

Amy is my live-in writing coach, editor, boss, best pal, encourager, beautiful distraction, task master, gourmet chef, all-pro cuddler, hard ass, muffin ass (it's a Watson thing), goof ass, and resident go-go girl. Amy is a dancing queen and gets fully into it as she dances around the joint. She has a pretty good arsenal of moves too as she grew up as a figure skater. She has some pretty decent Michael Jackson moves. Linus is her dancing partner of choice. They're working on a ball room routine right now.

Amy's a bit on the shy side, though not at all at home or once you get to know her. She is mildly addicted to UsedVictoria.com and The Dog Whisperer. She thinks Bobby Flay, Matt Damon and the Seahawks new tight end, John Carlson are all pretty easy on the eyes. And luckily for me, me too. It's the gap tooth smile, gotta be.

Amy is the best person I've ever known. She's humble and cool and I think we suit each other pretty dang good.

All right now it's your turn. Wanna gush about your stud-muffin or stud-muffin-ette. Now's your chance. Gush away. If you want to include a picture I will post them on the next post. You can email me them at bwatson23@hotmail.com or put them on your own blog and give me a link in the comments section and i'll swipe it.

So gush away. Romantic, interesting, whatever tidbits you want us to know, throw it in. Funny, even better. Happy 9 day everybody. Tell me/us about your lovebug.

I DUB THEE...

2009-09-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

This should get my female readership's attention^

So it's not Saturday. It's Sunday. And I'm late. Deep apologies to those in need of their dubbing fix. Jaime. (yes she constitutes my entire dubbing fan base) Sorry Jaime.

This Dubbee comes all the way from the right coast and the land of Sweet Tea and Krispy Kreme (it originated there). Oh Sweet Tea how I miss you so. And Hot Now, what I wouldn't do to be there for you when you are turned on.

I found out about Stephanie Perkins from reading her comments on somebody else's blog (I think Natalie, a ninja star in her own right) and they drew me to her blog, Natural Artifical where I planned just to give it a glance and a peek but was instead "BVVVVVV tractor beam, sucked me right in." She is funny, very nice, passionate about writing and reading but especially about her HBMs. If you're going to get to know Stephanie you're going to have to also put up with all the HOT BRITISH MEN that are hanging all over her.

One more thing I like about Stephanie? She had the whole country to choose from but she decided to pick the best regional SCBWI conference to attend where she had one of those special magical connections happen with two people, Laini Taylor (you'll just have to read about it, really cool connection with these two, one more reason Laini is awesome) and an agent, Kate Schafer Testerman and so on and now is debuting as a writer with a TWO BOOK DEAL with Dutton (Penguin). Her first novel which I am incredibly excited to read is Anna and the Boy Masterpiece which will be released in Fall 2010 (because it just got bumped UP a year, SWEET!) and her second novel, Lola and the Boy Next Door which overlaps the first book but isn't a sequel. There will be kissing.

Stephanie's writing adventure is very inspiring to me and I encourage you to go read it if you want to feel good about getting published. She is refreshingly honest about her writing struggles over the years and gives some excellent thoughts about the process. And she was a librarian. And has a golden retriever (or is it two dogs?) and I think a cat named Mr. Tumnus... (is this true too?)

So to business.

I BJW, admirer of elephant-sized English Mastiffs and Hot Now gooey Krispy Kreme donuts, do with the deep admiration and another case of funny-clever writing envy, with a shared love of good movies and great books, under great illusion of my own importance and garish ramblings and with utter contempt for any suggestions for self-restraint...

DO DUB THEE...

The HBM Connoisseur and Writer of Good Words.

You've earned it. You are now The Authority. Your quest for the betterment of children's books and attractive Brits has enriched us all. We here at I, uh, think I killed my muse think that you very well may outshine us all. To say that I--err--we foresee good things in your writing/publishing future is an understatement. And if I was abandoned and stuck in a fully-stocked and cozy coffee shop for years and could only read ONE blog, out of the oh-so-many great ones that I love, I would read yours. I'm certain that I will enjoy your books just as much. Carry on HBM Connoisseur and Writer of Good Words, the future awaits.

Sorry fellas she's taken by this lucky guy. Though if you're really really good looking and a brooding sort and have the right sort of accent, she may be able to fit you in as a live-in imaginary boyfriend but you probably need some fame to boot. How, let's call him "Jarrod," managed to do this maneuver is beyond me. And yes, that is the Wienermobile.

I really like "Jarrod" and I've never even met him. Apparently he's this sort of guy.

And he rocks. Literally.

Another cool thing about Stephanie. She goes to Boston and the only picture she takes are next to Robert Mcloskey's ducks.

If you haven't yet read Stephanie's blog. DO IT! Warning, it is addictive and there's that tractor beam thing too.

Goodies

2009-09-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

Hello long-suffering faithful followers. All right. Maybe no one's been suffering from me not posting since... err LAST Saturday! But I've missed you. I'm neck-deep in a deadline (and sinking!) but will try real hard to appease the masses (read myself).

I'll be back later for a decent dubbing but for now I've got some goodies to share.

First, you know Jim. You met last week at the public dubbing. Well he and Laini's Lip's Touch Three Times now have a book trailer. Enjoy. (let's hope this works)

Here's the coolest bike video I've ever seen. So stinking cool. I hope this works.

That's not a dog. THIS is a dog. - C. Dundee

I've always loved elephants. I blame Babar.

I DUB THEE...

2009-08-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

For some reason, besides the Golden Eunuch (if he even counts), I have not dubbed a guy yet. That changes now.

Today's dubbee comes all the way from Portland, Oregon, one of Amy and I's favorite small-towns that masquerades as a big city. This absolute stud-muffin is sweet, kind, funny, doesn't suck to look at, is incredibly charming, possesses talent up the yin-yang, has great taste, is remarkably humble, hard working and, sorry single folks, happily married. And he's an illustrator.

There's a scene in Superbad (uh oh, just lost half my readers) where Seth tells Evan about a girl he likes, Jules, and why she's out of his league because of who she dated before. "And Matt Muir. Matt Muir? He's like the sweetest guy ever. Have you ever stared into his eyes? It's like the first time I heard the Beatles." That's Jimbo Jabber. AKA Jim Di Bartolo. Go ahead take a good look into his eyes. What do you hear?

If all that isn't enough, I dug up a little more history and found that to make sure that he would shame ALL the rest of us guys for good, he proposed to his wife in Venice.

Italy.

In a canal.

On a gondola.

Thanks Jim, jerk. My wife used to think I was romantic.

Here's his blog and his website. HIGHLY RECOMMEND you check it out. Incredible artwork. Imagine a hipper, contemporary, comic-influenced NC Wyeth with a touch of film noir and you're getting there.

Jim has done a ton of illustration work for the likes of Arthur A. Levine Books, G.P. Putnam's Sons, Dark Horse Comics, Image Comics, Upper Deck Entertainment, White Wolf Publishing, Paizo Publishing and Pacific Bell amongst others (whew) , including the artwork for the incredible Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer by Laini Taylor who doubles as his awesome wife! And the sequel that I think is out or almost out now, Dreamdark: Silksinger as well as an incredibly cool sounding new teen book collaboration with Arthur A. Levine Books, Lips Touch Three Times by Laini and illustrated by Jim. This is Jim's description of Lips Touch from his website:

It is a collection of two short-stories and one novella written by my wife Laini Taylor. Every story is a tale of supernatural love, each pivoting on a kiss that is no mere kiss, but an action with profound consequences for the character's souls. The book is out on October 1, 2009 and has just been selected as one of six YA novels to be featured in the "YA Editors' Buzz Presentation at the Annual National BEA Conference.

Whew. Talk about hot, this couple is taking the children's book world by storm. Talk about buzz too, I hear when they go to conferences now, there is a long line of drool behind them from all the editors following them. Sorta like a slug trail, kinda rainbowey.

But they remain humble as ever, very approachable and just plain sweet. They even have a mellow dog named Leroy. Linus is a Leroy fan.

Jim has expanded his familial role now, but I'll leave that to both of them and their blogs to share all about that. But you can imagine what kind of a dad this wonderful person is.

So to business. It's time.

I, BJW, Murderer of Muses, and Dubber of Dubbees (not to be confused with doobies) do solemnly and with the full official support and endorsement of no professional writing organizations or the writing Gods themselves, do wholeheartedly and with great aplomb and little-to-no shame or any regard to customs or propriety and with great honor...

Do Dub Thee...

The Gentle Bad-Ass Bohemian Warrior Daddy. No one draws/paints guys like you. No

one. Your characters and creations are as tough as you are warm-hearted in real life. While you could certainly do some serious damage if you wanted to, you are a friendly bear and a fine human being and I'm glad to know you. Your illustrations have always strongly affected me and drawn me in. I just can't wait to see what you work on next.

PS I have not given Laini her fair share of public gushing here because this is all about Jimbo, but rest assured I will eventually. This is her blog and website.

Thanks to Jim for letting me swipe his photo and his amazing cover of his new book. Please go check it out yourself. This is the superhero that Jim made at the Superhero Factory. Even looks like him, 'specially the pork chops.

The Talking Potatoes

2009-08-29T11:18:00.001-07:00

I'm pretty dang excited. The Talking Potatoes just reviewed our book, The Boy Who Went Ape. I don't care, call me a sucker. But I was more excited about this than maybe anything else that's happened as a result of getting published. Why? Because they're so dang cool. I love Ida and Small and think they're smart, nice, and wonderful. And they read like I eat Snickers. I had the pleasure of meeting the taters once and I can say they are just as charming in person as they are on the world wide web.

I was also very pleased to see the Potato's distant cousins Fry and Tot from Port Townsend review one of the books I loved, Superfudge by Judy Blume and also Bad To The Bone by Lucy A. Nolan. " 'Sup potato yo's" Go check out both of the awesome new Talking Potatoes book reviews. And while you're at it, become their follower. Why the heck not?

The girl book, boy book debate rages on over at Kirby's for the next few days. And promises to heat up, getting to the heart of the Great Debate that has been flying around the kid litosphere.

Stay tuned sometime this evening for the Great Dubbing. It is Saturday after all. And tip-of-my-hat wag-of-my-finger to, wait, that's taken, lick-of-my-finger and swipe-on-the-air-chalkboard to the Seattle Seahawks for having another preseason game tonight at 5. N0w, if you didn't already know, you do know. I'm a Seahawks junkie. Don't ever expect to talk to me on Sundays once the regular season starts. I will be busy. And in a bad mood when (IF) they lose. : )

Does Amy think this guy is really cute? Yes, yes she does. She thinks it's funny that he is a tight end too.

Hey kid you want a free book? How about a gender discussion?

2009-08-25T18:02:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give everyone who enjoys free books a heads up. Kirby Larson is starting her panel on boy/girl books tomorrow around noon. I think she's going to post a portion of the discussion each day. To sweeten the pot, Kirby is also offering a copy of her Newbery Honor book, Hattie Big Sky, to the first person to comment on each post.

My very own signed first edition, to me! : )

Kirby, the book giver-outer and all star blog panel creator.

And some shameless Linus pics at the dog park.

He met Chester who he quickly became pals with. You can barely tell them apart.

Linus is in the back and usually has a ball (and blue collar).

I love dogs.

Why I had nightmares of burning crosses as a kid

2009-08-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

I'm very proud of my big brother.

This was us a good while ago, more hair, less fat, less wisdom. Actually, Jesse has been playing soccer like a madman and surfing so much I think he's back to his Junior High weight. Me, I'm sporting the Chris Farley look. I guess that's what happens when you jack up your knee living in the lower forty-eight and work for yourself. Can't afford surgery, can't do any sports at all, or exercise much. So you get fat. Enjoy the rush of chronic pain. It's going on six years or so now. Then you marry a Canadian, move to Canada and voila, horrible, horrible free and excellent health care. Amazing. The same country getting criticized by the ignorant right now about their communist health care might just be my salvation from being chubby. And pain. Cool.

But I digress.

That's the cover of my big brother's new awesome picture book, called I and I.

This post is really about my brother Jesse and how he just had an incredible interview with the School Library Journal that I would encourage everybody to check out.

For any skeptical about Jesse's passion against injustice, I have a couple stories for you. Completely unapproved by said older brother too.

When I was a young boy I used to have nightmares about the KKK coming and leaving burning crosses on our front yard. It's true. Which is weird on a few levels because I'm a white boy, white family, and we lived in gold rush country in Northern California, between Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. You wouldn't think I'd have to worry much, or even know much about the Klan. But I was pretty sure they were going to come for my brother.

Why would a young boy worry about such a thing? Well, read the interview and you'll get a much better picture. Before Murphys, we lived in Pasadena, California, where I was born. Jesse's best friend there was African American. And our grandma was a member and activist for the United Nations and a devout feminist. Side note: when we'd bring girlfriends to meet her she'd grill them about their ambitions and views. Thanks grandma.

When Jesse was in Junior High School or High School (forget which) our family watched Cry Freedom, probably prompted by Jess. After the movie was over, Jesse was so mad at the injustice he kicked a whole in the drywall with his Doc Marten combat boots (all the rage). I was impressed and still am. That's passion.

In high school, Jesse was arrested (yeah, you heard me) with his friend because a hotel in Angel's Camp (where our hs was) refused service to a black reporter from the Sacramento Bee and so Jesse J and friend posted signs and picketed out front, just the two of them. Small town cops don't like that kind of thing. Arrested him, threatened him. Read the interview. That's why I dreamed about burning crosses.

When I was in junior high and Jesse (four years older) in high school, our family went on a trip to the Middle East and Europe for two months, one month per. My dad was illustrating a picture book for Ruth Graham, Billy Graham's wife and they sent him to research it. While in Israel we saw both sides of the deep conflict. I think Jesse, being older and more inclined, was deeply affected by some of the camps we saw that the Palestinians were forced to live in. This was around 1988 I believe. We met many Jews, Muslims and Christians and heard so many stories. Our Palestinian guide, Elias, was a personal friend of Billy Graham. He was one of the original boys who found the Dead Sea Scrolls. A respected and honored man. Yet, as an old man he was told by a soldier to pick up rocks and refused, so beaten severely.

I have always looked up to my older brother for many reasons. His lifelong passion for justice and his courage to speak up despite consequences or fear is one part of him that I especially admire. I hope you go read this article and find out more about this great guy and passionate artist.

Here's Jesse's blog and his website. Love you jess. Very proud of you.

I DUB THEE...

2009-08-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

So where has the dubber been the last couple weeks? Passed out under a bench, on a top-secret-kid-book-paparazzi mission for Betsy Bird, or planning which children's book author/illustrator will be the next to be Punked (we try to spell correctly around here for fear of the Grammarian Gestapo)?

No. None of these things.

The Dubber was actually working as an indentured writer servant to the great Martha Brockenbrough.

But having cast those chains off, I am back and ready to dub! A hint: Above is my writer's digest shelf of writing books.

This week a certain Cocoa-flavored nom de plume has nominated someone to be thoroughly dubbed. Not just any someone, but a huge SOMEONE in our field. Nothing like aiming high. Here goes...

Alice Pope is a pillar in the children's book field. But it was not always so...

"When I was a kid, I wanted to be a rock star. I spent countless hours jumping around on my bed singing into my hairbrush along with my favorite Journey album."

- A.P. from 2006 CWIM

For those of you who haven't yet seen the Writers Digest Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market, especially the brand-spanking new one, then drop whatever you're doing and go get one. NOW. Seriously. It's like a ten pound snickers bar, packed with all kinds of great information about publishers and agents, interviews with the best authors and illustrators, and tons of great articles on all kinds of topics. Contests, awards, grants, you name it, Alice Pope has it COVERED.

"Believe. Keep working and sending out your work. Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market is here to give serendipity a hand." A.P. from 2005 CWIM

She was also the guiding light of the SCBWI TEAM BLOG for the annual SCBWI LA conference.

So without further ado, it's business time. I, BJW, officially and with a little bit of rust after a two week hiatus, abiding all informal rites and regulations and with due pomp and circumstance, with zero humility and mass ego, by the powers in-the-vest-on me, with full admiration and plenty of anticipation of the next CWIM,

Do Dub Thee...

The Beacon. As in The Beacon that shineth its light into the seemingly impassable and treacherous waters of Children's Book Publishing. Just imagine the legions of kid's book stories that you have kept off the shoals and out of Davy Jones' Locker and the writers and illustrators you have saved from publishing purgatory. Maybe I should have dubbed you The Pope, or Her Holiness, but no. The Beacon it is, you are.

Kirby's girl/boy book panel

2009-08-21T11:12:00.000-07:00

Kirby Larson, the incredible northwest author of the Newberry Honor book Hattie Big Sky, has asked me to join a blog panel "discussion" about the boy book/girl book issue.

Other panel members are librarians Jerene Battisti and Nancy Pearl (yeah) and writers Erin Blakemore, Dave Patneaude, Rodman Philbrick, Jon Sciezka, Joni Sensel (WWA SCBWI!), Terry Trueman, and Tyler Larson (NYU film school grad, associate producer at HBO and Kirby's son!).

And me. Talk about out of my league! Whew. There's some pretty talented folks including the Ambassador of Young People's Literature himself, not to mention founder of Guys Read.

Quite an honor to be included in this discussion which should be posted on Kirby's blog in the next week or so. I will certainly link to it when it arrives, but stay tuned.

Hover boards and time-turners

2009-08-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

Hey bloggeristas.

Long time no talk. I mean write.

I've been swimming through a couple of deadlines. But I'm back.

I feel like Marty in Back to the Future II, "I know you sent me into the future but I'm back!" Which, I would argue, is one of the worst WRITTEN sequels to one of the BEST trilogies.

Yeah I said it! The writing SUCKS. Oh Robert Zemeckis, why did you make Doc Brown frantically "TELL" us every silly scrap of information to US through Marty. All the fun relationship that happened in the first movie, the smooth flow of information through character and normal dialogue was shanghaied because you were lazy and wanted to concentrate on your hover boards (which are sweet) and Max Headroom Coke diners.

Did I still enjoy it? Yes! But less and less each viewing and cringe at the over-telling. Not to mention the time-trap writers fall into. You know, the don't-F-with-time one. It's like the writer just planted a mine field blindfolded and now has to walk back through it. In Back To the Future PART DEUX, Biff steals the Delorian and goes back and gives the almanac to young Biff. At that moment, time has changed.

But not in the movie. Not until Doc and Marty go back to find it changed. So if Robbie Z followed his own rules this is what would have happened. Instantly, there would be no time machine because in his alternate reality he has Doc Brown committed BEFORE he made a time machine, before he and Marty could be friends and before they could take the Delorian back in time. Or ahead to where Biff steals it. Confused? Me too. But we're just getting started. The future Biff would return to be the Biff who is a casino pimp, EXCEPT he wouldn't be able to because the Delorian would disappear like Marty started to (and his siblings in the photo) in the first movie as they were ceasing to exist.

Whew! Do you see some of the complications of dealing with time travel as a writer? Yet, it calls us like a big fat white whale. J.K. Rowlings couldn't resist the urge and what happened? Soon after they appeared she had the time turners destroyed in book five. I loved The Prisoner of Azkaban and all things Harry Potter, but I could've done without time-turners. Because as my clever nephew Clay said, "So why doesn't Harry go back and take care of Voldemort or why doesn't Voldemort go after the NUMEROUS time-turners instead of wasting his time with the prophecy which was MORE inaccessible in the Department of Mysteries. Why couldn't a lot of things happen like Harry saving or warning his parents before they were killed or God knows what else.

But, despite the implications that she was opening up, she did a first-rate job on her plunge into time travel. Then promptly abandoned it. So did Back to the Future I and the third.

What do you think? When has time travel been used well and when should it never have been attempted?

Cuppa Dan Santat

2009-08-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

Jolie Stekly, aka Cuppa Jolie, generously asked before the LA SCBWI conference if there was any questions that we wanted her to get to the bottom of.

She didn't disappoint. And neither did Dan Santat, Lisa Yee, or Jaime Temairik.

Check this out. But only if you want to laugh.

And yes, Dan does give a shout out to Darth Watson, his/my "little light saber pen" and his/my book with the Blue Sky Press. And if anyone hasn't heard yet, Dan and Lisa have a pretty cool book coming out with a pretty cool editing team (Cheryl Klein wasn't there but was the *CO-editor with Arthur Levine), Bobby vs Girls (Accidentally). I met Dan like five years ago at the LA SCBWI just before his The Guild of Geniuses came out (really fun book). I recently asked him to be a friend on facebook, and despite him being famous now and meeting thousands of writers, he still remembered me and even details about me. Cool guy. I also met Lisa Yee at the same conference, when I think Millicent Min: Girl Genius was winning the SCWBI Sid Fleischman humor award (well-deserved, loved it).

I highly recommend both of these cool people's books and blogs. Both are so funny. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wet yourself. Just see Dan's dance instruction, Comic Con trip and pictures or Lisa's pal Peeps, who attacks certain Editors (now agent) like Mark McVeigh (also really nice and talented guy) and slips manuscripts to editors under bathroom stalls.

* This is a correction from my earlier post. I mistakenly mislabeled Cheryl as the main editor, when Arthur was the editor too! Sorry Arturo!

Rainy Day

2009-08-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

I've missed the rain.

Too much sunshine makes us hermit-writers a little cranky.

My Tree Monster missed it too. He looks pretty happy.

If you missed it here's my Tree Monster post.

Oh, and I'm very happy about a new addition to an incredible family. You are a cutey-pie Clementine. Welcome to this wonderful world. There is sad stuff but lots of wonderful stuff too when you look around, like you.

My contribution to science

2009-08-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

Hello friends. Today I'm taking a minor detour from kid's books to share an amazing scientific discovery. I don't want to say that I'm following in the footsteps of Newton or Edison or anything, but I can tell you they both wear size ten shoes.

Does anybody else ever mix cereals? I know it sounds dangerous but I have discovered an amazing natural (sorta) phenomenon. Ready? Here it is:

1) Pour one half large bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios

2) Pour one half large bowl of Life cereal on top of it

3) Pour generous portion of milk (yes I do chew my fingernails too short)

4) Use spoon, take generous deep spoonfuls and eat

It usually takes about four-plus spoonfuls for the HN Cheerios and the Life to completely trade places.

Voila.

And lastly, my obligatory, shameless Linus picture.

Country mouse visits the nuclear reactor Part four hundred and, I mean four

2009-08-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

With so many of my pals heading off to their own awesome conference in LA that I wish I was attending, here's my next installment from Haystack.

Also because Jaime T so nicely and publicly reminded me before her interview with Marla that I said I would. Good call Jaime!

Marla Frazee arrived at the Haystack (Reed) conference at the end of the first day. Why the tardiness? Because she's a prima donna that insists on things like having exactly 432 blue M&M's in a crystal dish, laid on a peach towel with an embroidered silhouette of Michael Jackson on it and not arriving until exactly three-quarters of a day late?

No. Not her style.

She was late because she flew STRAIGHT from Chicago and the ALA convention, where she received the Caldecott Honor Medal, to Portland and our conference.

I was eating dinner when she floated in, two feet above the ground. Silver halo etched into the

air above her. Little permanent smile. Dreamy eyes. We all huddled around her table to hear every little detail which she shared in typical humble and honest Marla fashion, answering every single one like we were as important as Betsy Bird or Jaime Temairik.

We were so caught up, finally the Reed cafeteria did the subtle turn-the-lights-off thing. Marla's silver halo glow lighted our way.

Imagine a very hardworking and deserving dark, curly-haired Cinderella being whisked up from her writing studio with paint smudges still on her face by her fairy librarian, magically slipped into a beautiful gown with cool shoes (apparently that's important to girls because there were a ton of questions about those), with pumpkin limos, beautiful hotel rooms and, of course, a magical night to remember. It was all on her face before she said a word.

But as magical as the night was and how it seems so sudden by the pomp and the event, the truth is that Marla has been working very hard for a long time. It didn't just happen. She made it happen by working passionately at something she loves.

Marla doodles.

ALL THE TIME. She said that she's never been able to concentrate in lectures or anything unless she is doodling. Though I don't think you can really call it doodling. I could take Marla's notebook from the conference and sell it right now on the black market for oodles. Doodles for oodles. (no really, make me an offer, sale on the caldecott shoes too)

Doodling is contagious too. Sitting next to her I started doodling and she would be very nice and complimentary which felt great, until I'd look at her doodle. Yeah, humbling.

My bear.

Notice the fuzzy, insecure lines. Marla's were razor sharp.

And my attempt at my Maestro character I've toyed with.

As you can see, not working out.

So I turn to the Caldecott Honor recipient and somebody who teaches illustration at Art Center and other prestigious places for help with my doodle.

I hope this reads. But she wrote, "Bigger rounder head. No neck. Lower the eyes." Then did the two-second, light pencil sketch at the bottom right as an example.

What does she know right? So I tried.

Nearly there.

Voila. Maestro!

At the faculty reading, Marla shared a book that should come out next year (I think) that is amazing. I foresee very great things from this book. You heard it here first, I'm calling it. NY TIMES BESTSELLER.

But Marla was having a difficult time reading from the dummy and turning the pages.

Who, oh who, could rescue her? Who would be qualified enough to turn the pages?

Duh, de, de, daaaaah!

Our hero.

Yes, Patron Saint of struggling authors and page-turners, Arthur A Levine to the rescue.

Afterwards, Arthur gushed about how he didn't even have to look to know where the page turns were (note to pic bk writers). Arthur's opinion on the book was something rhyming with:

Freaking Awesome.

And then they snogged.

I figured this photo might be able to land on the children's book smut tabloids. But I don't think there are any. Besides this blog I mean.

At some point in the near-ish future, I am going to give a whole post just to Arthur and how much he helped me at the conference and as a writer.

This post is my attempt to share what a cool, wonderful person Marla Frazee is. She has selflessly shared with many writers and illustrators both praise and direction. Classy, talented, stylish, friendly and funny. I've been a fan of Marla for a very long time and consider her a friend. Real proud of her too.

She'll be at the LA conference and is not intimidating, except for being so pretty. If you have an avocado she'll like you even more.

If you haven't yet checked out Marla's books, you're in for a treat. And if you look at her website, check out her awesome studio underneath an avocado tree. Really touching story about that. But I really wouldn't do it justice.

Zombie and other Interviews

2009-08-05T16:15:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't already heard, vampires are so spring 2009. What's the new rage nowa-today?

Zombies. Wonderful, wonderful Zombies.

As of today (and yesterday, come to think of it), Jaime Temairik , aka CocoaStomp, has left all other blogs behind by revolutionizing the art of the interview. Taking a page from the trendsetting Talking Potatoes, Jaime has raised the ante again with her SCBWI Team blog exclusive interview with the likes of Dan Yaccarino, David Weisner, Dan the man Santat, and the classiest artist around, Marla Frazee.

I laughed, I cried, I snorted. Clever-funny Jaime has outdone herself. Check it out.

Not to be outdone, Jolie Stekly at Cuppa Jolie, brought her own big gun out with another SCBWI Team blog interview with Newbery Winner Karen Cushman. Jolie is also nicely including any of us in her trip to the LA SCBWI conference by packing us in with her toothpaste. Right now she is taking any and all questions that we want her to hunt down while she's there. SCBWI in pj's? You bet! I'm in.

Kirby Larson is doing another excellent interview with Karen Cushman over at Kirby's Lane, A Place for Readers and Writers. Isn't that a great blog name? I love it. Makes me want to take my shoes off, drink some iced tea and stay awhile.

One more great interview, is by Amy Baskin at Euphoria. She's interviewing the talented and smiley author, Heather Vogel Fredrick.

Super Tuesday

2009-08-04T08:20:00.001-07:00

How does this blogging thing work again? Finally back home for a good long while.

First order of too-fun-to-be-business, the Super Tuesday book reading with my dad at the Secret Garden Bookstore in Ballard. Great turnout and I am eternally grateful for everybody who showed up despite the risk of heat stroke. And if you like celebrities, there was even a Talking Potatoes sighting!

Two really cool booksellers.

Thank you Christy and Suzanne!

Somebody get that guy a towel.

Suzanne, the events and public relations superhero with WWA SCBWI superhero, Kim Baker. Kim's getting ready to head to the LA SCBWI annual conference.

Have fun!

Martha Bee and Jaime T (see I can rhyme) even brought their really cool hubbies along. Such nice guys. I love it when wonderful people find each other and just seem to fit. Makes sense to me. You can't find two funnier, wittier couples. You can't. I've tried.

Nearly newlyweds looking amazing next to me doing my best sweaty Nick Foley (Chris Farley) impersonation. Jaime CocoaStomp is the creator of our awesome Mario Beartali painting.

Thanks to the very talented Karen from i, chihuahua for making an appearance as well.

That tall drink of water in the back is my single buddy Ryan. Any takers? Here's his front.

Ryan and Simone are really great friends (both single!) of ours for a long time. They also have enough dirt on me to bury me. Still, I can't resist. Who else thinks these two should just get over it already and snog? E-harmony meet Ben Watson, children's book writer and cupid.

Happy birthday to these two kids.

That's Chuck on the left and Christy, who owns the joint.

Good times, thank you Ballard!

Betsy Bird shout out?

2009-07-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

I'm a kid's book nerd. Did you know that? Yeah, I like writing. A lot.

Love to read about kid's book writing stuff, love to talk about it, love to roll around in manuscript pages (right Jolie?).

So, when none other than the great Elizabeth Bird of School Library Journal's A Fuse #8 Production, gives me a shout out...

My little kid-book-loving heart melts. Because I'm a big nerdy fan.

Now if you're Martha Brockenbrough, this is old hat. Just another day at the office. But if you're still-pretty-new blogger Benjamin Watson, you get dang excited. And she likes my blog name.

The post she was linking to was Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues, where I recount my sordid past as a children's book model.

Please go check out Betsy's post. And thank you so much for reading my blog. I do sure enjoy this. And also appreciated all the nice comments about this post when I first published it.

I'm headed today to the Secret Garden Books in Ballard (seattle) to do a reading with my dad for The Boy Who Went Ape, so I'd love to see you if you're in the area. I'm going to be gone for a few days too, and since my pictures are on my computer here, I may not be able to do my posts. But there may be a way around that, we'll see.

Country mouse visits the nuclear reactor Part Three

2009-07-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that I'm a huge fan of this conference? Just to catch anyone up who's missed the previous posts, that would be the 10th annual Northwest Children's Book Conference at Reed College in Portland, Oregon.

My first time at this conference, when it was at Lewis and Clark College, the dorm crew were wild. We stayed up late every night, played poker, had a rowdy critique group, and finished it off with a party to remember. We even got Marla Frazee to attend because it was the happening place. (there's marla on the right with that Caldecott Honor award glow, more to come on that)

My second time attending, the dorm folks were ghosts and disappeared after dinner. Meanwhile, the faculty were living it up downstairs and every night I could hear them howling and having a great time. This year I was determined that wouldn't happen again.

So, right away we had a meeting in the hallway where we agreed that we'd hang out in the lounges at night and make some noise. And noise we did make. There were only me and two other guys who were staying at the dorm. We became known as the Dead End Gang. But eventually, the whole upstairs joined.

This is Del.

Illustrator, writer, crazy son of a... gun. Del looks like a mild mannered gent but he's not. He's originally from Alaska, which should tell you something. Every day Del had a shirt that got people talking. Del has had more adventures in life than you would believe. In fact, we grilled him to make sure he wasn't full of it. He has a scar on his cheek from a disagreement with three knife-wielding Moroccans. Pretty good chance Del will end up as a character in a story one day. He was the one who coined us the Dead End Gang. One last bit about Del, he shared a surprisingly touching piece of writing about his love affair with a bridge that fascinated him.

Del's bridge.

Two of the original Dead End Gang. The character on the right is Rich, a fine writer with a heart for rivers. Rich lives RIGHT on the border of Glacier National park in Montana, where he teaches and co-owns a river rafting company with his wife. Rich actually gets bears hanging out in his yard. I was the boring one in this gang.

Is it time to bring out the big guns? I'd say so.

BONNY BECKER!

Yes, Bonny Becker, you know, New York Times Bestseller, this year's Golden Kite Award Winner, EB White Read Aloud Award, all for her brilliant picture book, Visitor For Bear, superbly illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. Have you heard my Visitor For Bear rant yet? What a masterpiece. If you haven't heard it, I'll save it for later. But the longshot is that as a picture book writer, I am extremely jealous of how skillfully crafted Visitor For Bear is. Seamless. Brilliant. You just don't know how difficult it is to write a picture book until you've tried. I study her book. Really, I do.

Bonny gave an amazing talk on Story Structure. The funny thing was that we were in the chemistry building, yeah THE ONE WITH THE NUCLEAR REACTOR! Anyways, I couldn't resist asking Bonny to show us how she concocts a story. She's a really good sport. Did I mention that?

And really cool and totally approachable. I've already referred back to my story structure notes many times. One day I walked back from a meal or class with Bonny and told her how solid Visitor For Bear is. I gave her my whole rant and told her that I believed that book is one of the most solid contemporary story structures I've read. It just is. She was very humble but gave me a ton of great insight, including how she would actually copy, or type, stories that she really admired. Just to get the feel and rhythm of it. Great advice. Bonny has written many other books, including novels, and I am going to eventually try to read every one. Big geeky fan.

Don't believe me about the nuclear reactor? Here's proof. In the lobby of the chemistry building. Thought those showers seemed hot.

Am happy to report that besides now being sterile and losing my sense of smell, and thus taste, there have been no real lasting side-effects.

Here's the clever, witty genius, Susan Blackaby, getting pitched a story on the way to eat by some newbie. Just kidding. Suz is a good friend of mine, who, with her husband, used to be a writer for THE Garrison Keillor and Prairie Home Companion. Susan's new book, Cleopatra, Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen, is out and excellent. Suz has published only about a billion books to date and is one of the more prolific and hard-working writers I know. And FUNNY. So is your hubby.

Who doesn't know of the elegant, wonderful Ann Whitford Paul? Ann is such an incredible writer and teacher/speaker. Whew. Years ago, I attender her talk on Picture Books that blew my mind. Lucky for all of us, Ann has a book on writing out, called, Writing Picture Books, A Hands-On Guide From Story Creation to Publication. This is published by the Writer's Digest Books, known for some incredible books on writing, including Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card.

If you write picture books, I highly recommend Ann's book. Ann has published many books and is a very generous writer who is so encouraging to us "newbies." Above is Ann, with some new "pupils" and nice writers.

David Gifaldi! Yeah that's right, HIM. I had the incredible honor to be in David's small critique group. He and the group were really insightful. I love getting a chance to read other writer's work in projects and hear about their process. Our group was really talented and impressed the socks off me. David is a writer, school teacher and on the faculty of the MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adult Program at Vermont College.

Here's David cracking up Illustrator Elsa Warnick.

And David sharing a new piece of work at the Faculty readings.

I just finished David's Listening For Crickets. What an amazing writer. Really talented.

Linda Urban is AWESOME. This is my first time meeting her and I love her already. Hilarious, smart, and a great writer. I'm in the middle of her new book, A Crooked Kind of Perfect. Linda gave two great talks, one on dialogue and the other on battling perfectionism and finding your story's spine.

Her talk on the story's spine and perfectionism absolutely coincided with other excellent advice I got from none other than Arthur Levine and just hit a chord with my own struggles with writing a novel. Inspiring, enlightening, I am very grateful I got to hear Linda's talk. Man.

The beautiful, the delightful, Susan Goldman Rubin. What a babe!

I love Susan. She has always loved art and that passion and her talent for writing merged into a wonderful career as an author. Susan's groovy non-fiction approach is incredibly addictive. I don't particularly want to write non-fiction, but after a dose of Susan I sure do. She has done some amazing books about many artists, in a way that is really fun and interesting. She is the Sherlock Holmes of research and once she gets on a scent, she is tenacious. Such a spunky nice writer.

I'm sorry this is so long. I'm trying to figure out how to cram a life-changing week into a few blogs, but this deserves some length. But I'm gonna wrap it up here, and immediately start on the concluding two posts. Congratulations if you've made it this far!

Country mouse visits the nuclear reactor Part Deuce

2009-07-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

<-- dad taking a picture of me as hundreds of thousands of tons of angry metal whiz past me from behind. do I look nervous?

I believe I left you last, breathlessly wondering if there is any more to my trip than a ferry and car ride. In other words, get on with the bloody story already. "Come Watson, the game is afoot." (sidenote, Sherlock Holmes movie previews)

Early the next morning, I awoke on American soil to a surprise visit from my baby nephew. All my morning travel preparation plans went right out the window and we had some too-rare Uncle Ben time. Nothing better. (grandpa's post with nephew cameo)

Dad drove me to the train station in Tacoma (about an hour and a half drive) so of course we talked about writing and books the whole way.

Author, illustrator brainstorm session at the Tacoma train station.

Dad clearly violating the stay behind the yellow line rule. That's actually a rule I believe in.

I haven't been on a longer train ride since I was in seventh grade and my family went to the middle east and Europe. And I was really looking forward to it.

The train goes from Tacoma, down right along the Puget Sound, then heads straight down to Vancouver, WA and then Portland. Beautiful scenery.

This isn't the Puget Sound, this is some lake on the left side of the train.

No, this is the Puget Sound. Which, I might add, isn't too far from where all you lucky writer dogs get to have your WWA SCBWI Retreat on the Water with Cheryl Klein, Jolie Stekly and company.

Did you guys know that you can write on a train? Yeah. Imagine that. What a cool way to travel. Very romantic and gives you an extra boost of inspiration. I think I even found my muse on the train, albeit briefly. Or it could have been a ghost.

World's biggest egg, apparently. They made a big deal about it on the train but it was disappointing. A concrete egg they painted white. I told my dad about it later and he very meanly suggested that someone should build a bigger one, just to mess with them. He was joking, but you can see where I get it from.

And at last, with great excitement, I arrived in Portland, Oregon. Home of Powells City of Books, Jim De Bartolo and Laini Taylor as well as a whole HOST of talented writers/illustrators, and a joint everyone raves about called Voodoo Donuts. This city has so much culture but it still maintains a small-town kinda feel. There are so many old, craftsman-style, Green and Green influenced homes. And relatively affordable too, at least compared to Seattle and Victoria. Small wonder it is on the top of Amy and I's places to live list. Pretty incredible hospitals too.

The train was late, which I hear isn't rare, and we had to wait a while for our luggage. So, with a stuffed backpack, HUGE wheeled suitcase and my itinerary I nervously walked to the bus stop a number of blocks away. I'm not a savvy bus traveler. At all. And my perfectly planned itinerary my wife had for me was now obsolete. Little nervous.

My bus stop was across from a pretty seedy apartment/hotel, where the owner was outside talking pretty loudly about how the SWAT had just left over some incident and that he was going to be on the news. Great.

When a bus did come, the very kind bus driver talked to me the whole drive, telling me about his wife and his trip to Victoria and where I needed to go next, then wished me luck at my conference. At the next stop, a lady with two wild-as-hell boys, helped me figure out the rest of my journey from there. We had about forty-five minutes to wait for the bus, but I was kept entertained. I was really grateful. Real nervous, I asked her if her boys read and she said they loved to. So I gave her my book about a wild-as-hell boy on a class field trip as a thank you. The bus came right after and then one of the boys came up and asked me to sign it. Then for half the bus ride I could hear her reading my story, loud enough for the whole bus to hear (who were now staring at me), to her wild-wonderful boys. Very surreal, pretty special experience for me.

The next stop was Reed College. And my amazing writing conference.

And a nuclear reactor and other stuff. I'm actually gonna try to get another post about this again today since tomorrow I'm heading to Seattle for book signing/reading thing.

I DUB THEE...

2009-07-25T23:04:00.000-07:00

We take a short intermission from your thrilling conference adventure to bring you another Saturday (Fine, Early Sunday AM) evening dub.

You didn't think I'd forget did you?

It is Saturday and that means it's time for a dubbing. But first, here's a second shameless photo op of my puppy (if I can still call him that), Linus.

Anyone sensing a theme here? No, not cute golden retrievers. Water. Specifically underwater.

Which brings me to today's dubbee, Corey Schwartz, all the way from the right side of the map,

also know as the right coast, or New Jersey. Corey is an excellent writer, all-star mom, wife, professional bloggarista (Thing One and Thing Two), and scuba diver who travels to exotic places like the Cayman Islands to explore underwater worlds.

Corey wanted to be dubbed as the Scuba Goddess, but that was already taken after Jaime T's bathtub expedition she led last month where she opened her golden egg underwater and heard the mermaids sing the next clue to the Tri Wizard Cup. Sorry where was I?

Yes, as the Scuba Goddess was taken by Cocoa Stomp, we've tried here at, I, uh, think I killed my muse, to come up with the next best dub.

So, without further ado, with all late-night seriousness and white-wine induced logic, without shame or regret, wholly lacking taste or discretion, in all official nerdiness and due process, and with the authority invested in me by the former grammatically-challenged Governor of Alaska,

DO DUB THEE...

A Fish Called Wanda.

Just kidding, just seeing if you've all hung with me so far,

DO OFFICIALLY DUB THEE...

THE JOYSIE SHORE MERMAID LAUREATE

Congratulations.

Live long and avoid fish nets.

"Baby it's betta', down where it's wetta', take it from me..."

- Sebastian the Crab

Country mouse visits the nuclear reactor Part One

2009-07-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

Home. Where Amy, Linus and I live. When my wonderful nieces visit, they call the Legislature building the fairy castle. Especially because in the evenings (at least in the winter) it is covered with white Christmas lights. This is part of Victoria's inner harbor.

About a week ago I got back from an amazing week-long journey. My brain has been so completely full and my body so tired, that I haven't yet had the courage to write about it yet. What an adventure.

My destination was the 10th anniversary Northwest Children's Book Conference at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. I've attended twice before and both times made a huge impact on me as a writer. Linda Zuckerman is the conference director and for ten years she has conducted this incredible labor of love. The talent of the faculty, both as professionals in the children's book industry and as teachers, is par with any writing conference out there.

As I've mentioned before, the other incredible aspect of this conference is that you get to "live" for five days with the faculty, sharing meals with them, attending presentations, critique groups, and joining them for stunning walks around the beautiful campus. As well as pajama parties and pillow fights. David Gifaldi has a wicked right hand feathered wollop, I know that from experience. Well, maybe I made that last bit up, but they sure SHOULD have pj parties and pillow fights. Who wouldn't want Ann Whitford Paul to tuck them in and read them a lullaby to fall asleep too?

But, I'm getting way ahead of myself. Because the proper telling of my adventure starts right here in Victoria, British Columbia.

I hate to pack. I'm allergic to it. I despise it. Abhor. Am prejudiced against it. Scared of it.

I'm also a worrier. Nice to meet you. Before trips like this I spend many sleepless nights worrying over everything, especially packing. My other issue is that I'm a dilly-dallier, according to Amy. She also just informed me I fiddle-fart around. Guilty.

Not Amy. When she gets a "hair up her @$$," she gets things done. Like, NOW. A dirty kitchen can take me weeks to clean, Amy knocks it out in minutes. Like a tornado.

So, when Amy saw me floundering in my packing-induced depression, she stepped in and, lickety-split, had me packed and organized. Packing. Done. She even had my entire journey planned out to the minute and handed me my detailed itinerary, with days to spare. I didn't know what to do with myself.

This is important because I was trying something different. Normally, when I head down to

Portland I drive. But because Amy had to work and had to worry about Linus too, I was attempting this trip sans car. And not being the most independent fellow in the world, was admittedly nervous and excited.

The first stage of my journey, Amy and Linus dropped me off at Victoria's inner harbor, at the Coho Ferry, also known as the Black Ball Ferry

Line.

Me being a big boy. Ready for adventure and wearing my trademarked gap tooth smile.

The Coho ferry crosses the Strait of Juan de Fuca, takes about an hour and a half. It is quite a trip since to the North is Vancouver Island with its stunning mountains. To the South, the Olympic Peninsula crowned by the magnificent Olympic Mountains and the jagged, snow-tipped Hurricane Ridge. West, if you kept going a long ways is the Pacific Ocean. East, the San Juan Islands and Whidbey Island, dwarfed by

Mount Baker and the Cascade Mountains behind. There's usually some kind of mysterious fog, making the Olympic Mountains look like a floating fairy kingdom.

You know you're in Victoria when you see these little water taxis.

And when you see these float planes.

They're called that because they're planes. That float.

And a fishing boat, salmon I think, heading past the jetty toward the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the United States, Washington, Port Townsend, Tacoma, and eventually Portland and Reed College.

My dad picked me up on the other side and drove me to my old home, about an hour away in homey Port Townsend for the night. After stuffing me with an incredible beef dinner, and getting a quick visit with my sister and brother-in-law, beautiful, sweet nieces, and my youngest smiley nephew, I tried to sleep knowing I was just getting started.

Stay tuned for the rest of my trip, including what the heck I'm talking about a nuclear reactor for, another two modes of transportation, and a bunch more stuff that will get other kid's book writers and illustrators all hot and bothered.

G-night. Or good morning when you'll likely be reading this.

Ultimate Tuesday and other biz

2009-07-22T13:57:00.001-07:00

Now that I have my blog back in my firm, manly, non-sensitive hands (After my wife Amy's hijacking), it's time to catch up with a little business. Up next I have a bunch of stuff to share about my amazing conference complete with photos. So much, I'll probably steal a page out of Natalie's book at Between Fact and Fiction and do a series of posts.

First of all I wanted to let people know that I'm going to be in Ballard with my dad for the Ultimate Tuesday at Secret Garden Books on the 28th of July. Really excited about this, so any of you Seattle blogosphere pals, I'd love to meet you in person if you get a chance. Also my dad did a pretty cool post about me, that I'm finally now getting around to gratefully sharing. To the right is a drawing he did of me hard at work, or possibly blogging. Notice the mac.

I also had the opportunity to do an interview with Amy Baskin at her awesome kid lit and writer blog, Euphoria. I came within a whisker of meeting Amy in person while I was in Portland, but unfortunately we just couldn't make it happen. Did talk to her on the phone and it's funny when cyberspace personas become real people with voices and faces.

My cyber pal, Angie Ledbetter rewarded me with some blog bling at her hilarious, cool blog, Gumbo Writer. She's from Baton Rouge and if she doesn't make you laugh within two posts, I'll buy you a coffee. And a sense of humor. I'll be doing the official Kreativ Blogger ceremony some day (famous last words) where I nominate my own seven blogs.

Thank you so much Angie. I love your last name. It sounds like you should be a blues guitarist or something. Do you play?

Last thing, check out Holly's alter ego, The Extraordinary Whipped Jones. She also has a new, great SRS revision tip from Janet Lee Carey.

Stay tuned tomorrow for my version of the country mouse visiting the big city. Complete with gang fights, writer brawls, and critique groups. Okay two of those are lies.

News Flash: Blog Hijacked

2009-07-21T20:01:00.000-07:00

Someone call the blog fuzz, I’ve hijacked blog personality BJW’s dashboard.

Sigh. Here I sit having just come off another grueling, now infamous, two days, two nights, twelve hour shift set with a feeling that can only be compared to a red wine hangover, minus the fun evening that caused it.

With Benjamin now officially out of the country (at the time of this original writing a week ago) and since he’s so freely featured photos of me at 7 am on the way to work , I’ve decided it’s time for my own debut on the blogosphere, to let you all in on a couple top secret secrets that are soon to not be secrets about beloved Ben. You know, the kinds of secrets privy only to wives.

Disclaimer: Don’t expect the same writing caliber as Ben. Ben is funny when he writes, and, as I always tease him, more funny on paper than he is in person. I, on the other hand, am a goof in person and prone to puns. I’m more accustomed to writing dry, technical, boring papers like I did in nursing school, using fluffy academic words like phenomenological and hegemony and talking about airy fairy things like relational narratives from my Self and Others class.

Though, being an ER nurse, I do have plenty of gross stories that, let’s just say, you wouldn’t want to hear at dinnertime.

So, without further ado, and since it’s easier to ask forgiveness than request permission, consider this post the equivalent of the date where the guy’s mom pulls out naked baby pictures.

Top secret number one, the sad blunt truth: Ben cannot cook. Boiling water is a struggle. Microwaving? Doable. At best. At worst, overwhelmingly confused by which containers are microwave safe. Precise orders a must when anything needs to go from the freezer (God forbid) to the oven for dinner. Timers, bells, whistles and alarms must be set unless you enjoy blackened casserole, grind-your-teeth-to-pegs pizza, or dry-as-a-mud-puddle-in-the-desert enchiladas.

But he tries. Sincerely.

Our first official date, Ben tried to impress with a homemade breakfast one early, Saturday morning in Port Townsend whilst he was house-sitting. Ben went very early to Safeway and bought an entire grocery shelf, enough for ten breakfasts. (Strange, I’ve never known Ben to go overboard.) Crossaints, bear claws, cereal, granola, orange juice and champagne for mimosas, strawberries, bananas, melons, grapes, donuts, milk, cream and whipping cream ( because he heard on special occasions I actually eat my cereal with cream...don’t tell my mother, she didn’t know why she was always out of cream for coffee). But the main attraction, besides, ahem, our attraction for each other, was to be freshly made ham, cheese, bell peppers and mushroom omelletes. Uno problemo: Ben had never cooked an omelette in his life.

As I watched him fumble through preparations, set the frying pan smoking, barely whisking the eggs, unevenly chopping vegetables, and proceeding to place them raw in the omelette, it occurred to me that just maybe, he was in over his head.

So I took over.

And haven’t stopped.

A saving grace, Ben does make a mean mashed potato, heaps and mounds and mountains of mashed potatoes. In fact, when Ben makes mashed potatoes we eat them for a week, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Top secret number two: Strange sleep habit. Warm milk, cozy pajamas, folding down the sheets, turning out the lights, just writing it makes me sleepy. Works for me. Not Ben

For the more needy and sleep deprived, chill pills and tranquilizers do the trick. Gravol (Dramamine in the US), Benadryl, Immovane, Ativan, and serax (this is not a prescription, see a doctor). Not Ben.

Ben’s regimented nightcap: full glass of water (he’s paranoid of muscle cramps) and, especially, a movie. Unable to drift into the land of peaceful dreams, rolling waves on sandy beaches and finished novels, Ben instead, takes comfort in the serenity of blasting guns, slashing swords, perilous dangers, thunderous aircraft, and the great acting skill of none other than Harrison Ford. For some reason, Harrison Ford movies top the list of Ben’s most beloved Zonkers. I have personally watched the first ten minutes, in silence, of Clear and Present Danger more times than I have digits. And Dr. Richard Kimble in the Fugitive is as good as a mobile above his crib. I guess there’s just something about the chiseled chin of HF that coaxes Ben into sweet slumber. ( Other soothers, Thirteen Days, about the Cuban missile crisis, Master and Commander, and The Fog Of War, a documentary about the Cold War)

Thank goodness he has the decency to wear ear phones.

Top unsecret number one: Ben would do anything for the people he loves. Ben has the biggest heart of anyone I have ever met. His quirky ways, though on certain days drive me CRAZY, most of the time make me laugh. And laughing is the best way to get through life.

Thanks Benjamin for being you. I love you.

Signed, The Blog Bandit, aka The Impossible Whipped Lash, aka Amy Irene Watson

Ben recorded this for me in case I got lonely when he was gone.

I DUB THEE...

2009-07-19T00:24:00.000-07:00

Well it is Saturday, and you know what that means.

Okay, you caught me. I am a filthy liar. It is actually Sunday at 12:24 AM. BUT, it's still Saturday in Hawaii, SO, on with the show.

I have travelled on nearly every form of transportation to bring you this week's dubbing. This is a special dubbee, because I have known her the longest of anyone I know on the blogosphere. This supremely talented, gorgeous lady, lives in my favorite small town in Washington. She's married, sorry guys, and has a beautiful family. To top it all off she also has an incredibly cute dog. See-----------}

This wonderfully encouraging writer--excuse me--novelist, is incredibly generous to other writers and illustrators. She is also passionate about children's books. Did I mention that she was the SCBWI WWA Regional co-advisor who was well known for organizing conferences known for how organized they were? Yep, organizing organized conferences. This year she's organizing (you know it will be well organized organization too) the SCBWI WWA writing retreat. AND with her partner in crime and secret messages, Holly Cupala, has provided the incredible Summer Revision Smackdown, as you probably know.

Who is this stylish writer I speak of? None other than the great bloggerista, Jolie Stekly, aka CUPPA JOLIE. Now dubbing Jolie has been especially difficult as she already has such a classy nom-de-plume as Cuppa Jolie. So I figured we'd better continue to rob Cuppa Jolie of pictures for inspiration...

Let's start in Missoula, Montana. Origin of writers Jolie Stekly and Norman Maclean.

How about a quote Norm.

"We always assumed that these three words were spoken directly to the four of us in our family and had no reference to the world outside, which my brother and I soon discovered was full of bastards, the number increasing rapidly the farther one gets from Missoula, Montana."

- N. Maclean from A River Runs Through It

Jolie's fashion sense and skill continued to develop as she grew up and people started to take notice.

Yes this heart-breaker and budding talent began to find her voice. The sky was the limit for her writing and her hair.

And one day she moved to a sleepy town surrounded by water, mountains, and hippies.

And she got a puppy.

And a caffeine addiction.

Any-who, Jolie is a talented bloggist, novelist, and any other good ist you can come up with.

So after much thought and late-night deliberation I came up with some final dub candidates. Would it be the Stiletto Wielding Scribe or the Chic Writer Chick?

Neither.

It is time. With all sleep-deprived neurosis and proper tradition, I Muse-Killer, do by the powers invested in Freddie Mac, solemnly and with great admiration,

Do Dub Thee...

Cuppa Jolie. It's just too good. It fits you perfectly. Congratulations you are who you have always been. A wonderful person. And a caffeine addict. Now, live long and apostrophate.

I DUB THEE...

2009-07-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

It is Saturday, but first I want to let everybody know that I will be gone for a week at the amazing Haystack conference in Portland (or at least it used to be called that). Then I'll be hanging out in Port Townsend, bugging Jolie and the rest of my fam.

I am REALLY looking forward to seeing all my Haystack friends. Very excited for nearly a week of intensive children's book learning and fun. One of the best parts is that we get to live and eat with the faculty, so it takes away all the pressure of networking and elevator pitches and you just get to know them as people.

Oh yeah, and Arthur A. Levine is going to be there.

See ya in a week or so, unless I sneak time to post (and figure out how to do it on Amy's PC, yuck).

SATURDAY DUB DAY

It IS Saturday, so that means it's time to dub the heck out of somebody. Buried beneath the mountain of dub mail requests, I think "we" have emerged with a winner (that we really should include Jaime T). Yes, this amazing woman is as talented a writer as you will ever meet in the children's book field. There aren't too many writers alive that I am genuinely envious of, but for some dang reason, I sure as heck am of her. I sincerely believe we will be seeing/hearing/reading HUGE things from Martha in the children's book field soon. (HUGE Thank you to Jamie T from Cocoa Stomp for the inspiration that I swiped and the art that I also swiped)

Please meet HER, Martha Brockenbrough. Martha has already written TWO books, It Could Happen To You: Diary of Pregnancy and Beyond and THINGS THAT MAKE US [sic] and has done everything from founding a religion called SPOGG, err, I mean a grammar society called SPOGG (Society for the Promotion Of Good Grammar) to writing movie reviews, a parenting blog, writing the SCBWI WWA Chinook update (best in the country), and perhaps most importantly, being half the gene contributors behind the incredible TALKING POTATOES. Apparently, she also has a really cool husband (sorry guys) who she bounces ideas off of (literally) and a golden retriever dog named Rosie.

Martha has edited no less than the Stanford Daily while she was at school and many other lucky children's book writer friends' stories as well, all while maintaining her incredibly wry wit and intimidating smarts. Basically if Martha ran for president, she'd have my vote.

So without further ado. In keeping with our storied tradition and by the power invested in me by the nations of Canada and the United States, with all pomp and mock sincerity, with many flourishes and mumbo jumbo, Martha Brockenbrough, I...

DO DUB THEE...

SAINT MARTHA, PATRON SAINT OF GRAMMARIANS AND LOST OR KILLED MUSES

Live long and punctuate! St. Martha is not to be confused with St. Frances De Sales, who apparently is the patron saint of writers. Amazing what you learn writing blogs.

This is not endorsed by the Catholic Church or any other religious institution but SPOGG.

Have a great week and here's one last Linus picture to tide you over until we meet again.

And he wants Jaime to know that his nose has never been photoshopped, enhanced surgically or otherwise, and that it is the real thing baby!

JUST LIKE TOM THUMB'S BLUES

2009-07-09T23:14:00.001-07:00

Okay folks. I've been holding on to this secret for a very long time. I've tried to deal with it through therapy, bad decisions, and finally acceptance. Life hasn't been easy carrying this heavy secret. But it is time to admit the truth.

I am Tom Thumb.

I feel better already. Yes, when I was a wee little boy, no bigger than my mother's thumb, I lived

a much different life.

My father, Richard Jesse Watson, was an up and coming children's book illustrator at the time. He needed a model and I agreed. On two conditions, I told him. One, that nobody would ever know about this. And two, that he would buy me a brand new G.I. Joe character of my choosing AND a brand new SWATCH.

As he cut my hair into a bowl cut and told me to put on bright red tights, he promised me, nobody would ever know.

My mother made all the clothing, including "mouse" leather boots and the "acorn" leaf hat.

Yes, this modeling seemed innocent enough, at first.

Swing on a rope, hold enormous cherry tomatoes. Avoid behemoth moth flying right at me.

And then things started getting more dangerous. I was "told" to juggle eight pointy objects at the same time. I'd never done more than three before. And they had been soft bean bags.

Working hours started getting longer. I was forced to go on a diet to keep my previous size and weight. So I'd fit in my custom clothes.

Under the strain I became dangerous to myself and others. Lashing out when my makeup boy didn't have my correct foundation and at the lighting guy for, well, just for being there.

I became an adrenaline junkie, as you can see on this bike. Later, Father would paint in my mouse steed. Yes those are VANS that I am wearing. All the rave. VANS came out with a TT mouse-leather prototype after our book came out, but under pressure from PETA and Disney they never took it to production. I could have really used that extra cash.

And then the inevitable happened. They needed something more edgy. So, sure enough, my clothes came off.

I did get a swell acorn sailboat out of the deal. Cheap tradeoff for my integrity? Perhaps.

Things went from bad to worse.

I was washed up. Just when I thought I'd given all I could possibly give to my father and the project...

Things hit rock bottom. I made some bad choices. Hung out with the wrong crowd. Same old children's book model story.

"I had no friend to go my bail they slapped my dried up carcass in that county jail." JR CASH

I don't like to talk about this time in my life. Though, I did make friends with sorts that I never thought I would. That's Geezer, in for cheese theft. Good company.

But after a lot of soul-searching, I found religion.

And my Dad found fame and awards. Like this one up there. And so it goes. They even wrote songs about me, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues. "I do believe I've had enough." B. Dylan

So thanks Dad. For telling me that nobody would ever see me in tights. I guess you meant everybody but the whole world and Chevy Chase, who has, or at least had, a painting of me on his wall at home. It was nice shaking his hand.

I'm sure there are legions of us, former children's book models, never recovered from the adrenaline rush of an art show at Every Picture Tells A Story starring yours truly in Beverly Hills. Funny how life changes. How we change. I'm no longer that three inch hardbody you see in those pictures. I've grown. Mostly outward but, hopefully inwardly too.

Assalaamu 'alaykum. Namaste. Jesus loves you. And so does Abraham, Isaac AND Ishmael. No matter what size you are. Or what Golden Kite Award Winning book you posed for as a boy. You can't go forward until you admit who you are and where you've been.

So this is me. I am Tom Thumb. I'm no longer ashamed to admit it.

You think you're bad?

2009-07-09T15:40:00.001-07:00

So how bad are you? "I'm bad, I'm bad, you know it..."

Because if you want some fun head over to Editor Cheryl Klein's blog for a bad writing contest. Years ago, my parents had the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest book in their bathroom. Boy it really helped pass the time.

Anyways, Cheryl decided that since there wasn't any children's literature winners, she'd do her own mini contest. Apparently the winner gets a three book contract. That is a joke. I meant to say they get her cool new book on writing. In fact, it's so new, it hasn't even become a book yet. It is more like a book embryo at this point. Though, her essays/speeches on writing really are top notch.

So late last night as I was enjoying another bout of insomnia, I saw a new post of Cheryl's on my handy blog dashboard. Like a late-night, giddy fool, I typed three quick ingenious (i was sure at the moment) bad-but-funny opening lines and posted them. Huzzah.

Then called my dad, since he had nothing better to do at that time, and ordered him to read. His reaction brought me back to earth as I realized my first post, especially, amounted to what I can only equate to a late-night drunk-call to your ex. Sadly, I had no booze to blame it on, just a late night stupor I mistook as genius. So yeah, the first "deleted by author" is mine. You're

welcome.

Have at it. Look forward to enjoying your badness, though there is a LARGE caveat. Be funny.

PS Here's a photo update of Linus after his "tutoring" (thank you Jaime T for the Far Side reference). And, according to our vet, "reliving the 60's" at that moment.

Tree Monster

2009-07-07T17:25:00.000-07:00

This is a tree monster. He lives in the backyard.

I think he's pretty cool. And scary. He doesn't think about me at all.

But.

For someone who doesn't care one way or another about you, he does some funny things. Like on a hot day he stretches his shade out for me just a little more.

And he doesn't eat me.

Sometimes I try to write stories in the backyard. I hear him rustling behind me and catch him trying to read over my shoulder. He pretends he was just going to eat me.

But.

I know better.

At night I take Linus to "do his business" in the scary dark. Lots of sounds make us jump. And I say things like, "Who goes there?"

But.

We know a certain tree monster is keeping an eye out for us. And that helps Linus pee.

Then we hurry back inside where there's light and quilts.

But.

Before I do, I say, "Good night tree monster."

And he doesn't say anything at all.

I DUB THEE... (PG-13 post, in canada 14A post eh)

2009-07-04T22:54:00.001-07:00

Yes, it is the fourth of July, but it is also Saturday which means...

It's DUBBING TIME.

Not as catchy as the Flight of the Conchords "It's Business Time" but close enough. Just sing "It's dub time" in that soprano voice. Quick story, when Linus was a little puppy (and ever since), we'd take him out in the back yard to do his business. And every time to spur him on I'd sing, "It's business, it's business time." Worked like a charm. Consider it the Flight of the Conchord's response to Pavlov's dumb bell. (was it a bell? I think it was)

So, Today's Dubbing is slightly different than the previous two. Today's Dubee comes all the

way from my living room floor.

Host: Welcome Linus Seamus Watson to our show. What is the big event that is happening for you on Monday?

Linus: I am getting neutered.

Host: How about that? And you must be really excited about so boldly making such a drastic change from "society's norms" yes?

Linus: No. No I'm not.

Host: But surely this is going to free you up to pursue some of your dreams of singing as a soprano? And also this way you'll never have to worry about getting that call, you know from some, ahem, bitch you met at the dog park. You know, the I'm having your puppies call.

Linus: No. I don't answer any phone calls. No thumbs.

Host: Okay, that's about all the time we have now for our brave guest and temporary virile fella, Linus Seamus Watson. Thank you.

Linus: This wasn't my idea.

So for being SUCH a good sport in the face of the unspeakable, this week's dubbing award goes to our pal Linus. And now with all formalities and hocus pocus, I...

DO DUB THEE...

THE INDOMITABLE GOLDEN EUNUCH

Live long and do not propagate.

Linus hiding out after this interview.

Speak softly and carry a big stick

2009-07-02T13:44:00.001-07:00

My alter ego

Thanks to Jim de Bartolo for his link to the Superhero Factory.

Not to be outdone, Amy created her own, much more stylish hero.

Emergency Room Nurse by day (ok, nights too dangit, there goes my intro)

THE IMPOSSIBLE WHIPPED LASH by day's off and nights off, after the two on two off, etc, etc, sigh...

TOMIE DEPAOLA SHOUT OUT!

2009-06-30T10:41:00.000-07:00

So there I am doing my pre-writing routine (pre, during, post) by looking at today's writer's and illustrator's blogs that inspire me. You know, Jimbo Jabber, Kirby's Lane, Grow Wings and Not For Robots, Cocoa Stomp, Cuppa Jolie, Brimstone Soup, Between Fact and Fiction, throw in some Talking Potatoes or their Mom, a little Jane Yolen, Adam Rex's blue whale sightings, JJK, Marla Frazee... You know the usual little children's book writer pick me up. (ok so there's many many more blogs that I love and will gladly gush about again but this is just this morning's list)

Oh yeah, and TOMIE DEPAOLA!

You know Tomie, famous for his huge role in Jarret J. Krosoczka's (JJK) video about creating Monkey Boy. Actually you may have heard of him before that. Like only one of the most beloved illustrators of children's books alive! (And Newberry Winner!) Just look at my favorite books list on my profile and you'll see his "The Clown Of God" on there. I also loved the "Strega Nona" books, "Helga's Dowry, A Troll's Love Story" (absolute genius), "The Prince of the Dolomites," "The Mysterious Giant of Barletta," and many, many more (he's published more than 200!). Oh AND he's one of TWO MASTER CLASS SCBWI DVD speakers. I recently became a follower of his blog and so this morning on my dashboard I see Tomie has a new post with a picture of him, Julie Andrews (yes HER), Meg Cabot (yes her), and Krouse Rosenthal.

So I went and checked out Tomie's Blog again and another post caught my eye. Lo and behold, I see MY name. I rub my eyes and realize I need to get my coffee going pronto and look again. Still there. I actually got a shout out from the Great Tomie dePaola on his post here.

Awesome! Thanks Tomie!

I've had the pleasure of meeting Tomie at least a few times, though I was pretty sure I would be the only one remembering that. He's also been really cool to my brother Jesse too. Check this dream dinner out.

Around twenty years ago or more, my Dad went to a SCBWI conference and had a manuscript critique with none other than... Tomie dePaola. Tomie gave my Dad somebody's card and a year later he got his first contract. Fast forward in time and Tomie has been very kind and encouraging to the next generation of Watson boys.

So it is a pretty cool morning where I get a shout out from one of my favorite boyhood writer/illustrators. What's going to happen this afternoon?

My Big Brother Jesse

2009-06-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

Please read this post by Jesse Joshua Watson. My brother:

http://jessewatson.blogspot.com/2009/06/brother-not-brotha-bruddah-bredda.html

I have the best big brother in the world. That is a fact.

Anyone have a problem with that, we can sort it out one way or another. And this is Jesse's new pic bk, I and I, which I noticed got a starred review from Booklist and is generating a lot of BUZZ.

So what's my problem? My big brother Jesse did a post in his blog about brotherhood. He was incredibly generous and nice about his little brother and jump tester, Ben. That's me.

What I take issue with is how hard he was on himself as my big brother. So I'm going to have to respond with a post of my own. But there's my problem.

I can't possibly describe my big brother Jesse in one measly post. I could probably start a blog only about having a big brother. In fact, I should write a book about him or brothers or

something, and eventually, probably will.

So my solution--after I put some thought into this--is to write at LEAST a one post response and rebuttal to Jesse's incredibly generous and self-deprecating post. And to SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT!

Jesse before we rescued him from his tough life as a leprechaun pimp.

Jesse doing a book signing with The Fonz and Hank Zipzer. Jesse illustrated all the new Hank Zipser edition covers, written by Henry Winkler and THE Lin Oliver.

I repeat I had the best big brother there ever was. And still do. If you disagree then please know that I think you are a ninny, which in my handy online dictionary means a fool, or simpleton.

I DUB THEE...

2009-06-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

So it is Saturday again already (somehow, whew). And around here that means Dub Day.

Petitions have been flying around here like monkeys this week. If we were in the Wizard of Oz that is, and if by petitions flying around I meant one petition was suggested on another blog in passing by none other than The Effeminator.

Not letting either of these minor details slow me down, I have waded through the waist-high Dub Day requests, threats, and bribes and come out with a proclamation.

I, the mostly honorable, sometimes charming, always argumentative, Benjamin James Watson, do hereby bestow on thee Holly Cupala, propagator of young adult fiction, key cog in the readergirlz diva machine, author of soon-to-be-released debut YA hit Novel Tell Me A Secret, and who with her dashing hubby just took New York City by storm with their fashion and verve, a binding literary title. With great flourish and sacred oaths,

DO DUB THEE...

INK SLINGING DEBUTANTE

Consider this your ball as we, your early fans, present you to society. You are officially... ON YOUR WAY! We expect to see you gracing the covers of all children's book fashion and bestseller lists forthwith. Adieu and bon chance.

And to all those sending your requests, petitions, suggestions, threats, and especially bribes...

Please keep sending them. (this means you Effeminator and anyone else in need of a good dubbing)

How to unstick

2009-06-24T17:25:00.000-07:00

This is a sketch I did of my "cover" for the novel I'm working on. I drew it on my small metal dry-erase board a long time ago. I doubt this is the title.

So what do you do when you get stuck?

When that story grinds to a halt and something is just holding the whole bloody thing up?

Well for me, I was pretty much stuck about three or four weeks ago. I knew where I wanted to go and I had some early scenes that worked for me. But the transition from an overly polished chapter to a completely rough scene had me hooped (Canadian expression for... screwed).

I just couldn't get my mind wrapped around a stupid transition from a flashback to an important plot point that basically provides my main character's entire motivation for everything that comes after.

Welcome paradigm shift. I call her Amy. Or my wife. Or muffin ass (term of endearment in our family). She realized I was SCHTUCK so she prepared a picnic and told me to bring my writing stuff. (See moleskin notebooks and pens)

After going to the dog park to wear Linus out (Coming Attraction: dog park post!), we drove around and tried to decide where my muse was hiding out (if she survived, see blog title). I remembered seeing this spot off of Dallas Road.

It's a spit of land that juts out into the Puget Sound (facing south toward Port Townsend that you can see on a clear day, including the steam from the paper mill).

At the end, there is a worn wooden lounge chair all by itself. Which is just the kind of place my muse wanders off to relax.

What a cool family I have. I love my wife. What a babe. And awesome writing coach.

Me and my dog.

Here's the view from our working lunch (our legs are slightly less white now but not much).

And Linus' semi-private swimming hole.

Care for a chip and salsa?

Amy asked me lots of questions about my story, which at first I bristled at and felt like I was wasting my time, until I got over myself and then suddenly it clicked. Amy had asked why I didn't just separate my flashback from the rest of my story's timeline. I may not be explaining it well at all, but something clicked and my block was gone. Amy kept asking questions and wrote down everything. This was one of those awesome feelings you get as a writer where ideas come too fast to get down.

Linus curious if I'll fall in or not.

Linus... Official stick rescuer.

And apparently kelp retriever as well.

Snickers.

So thanks to Amy I wrangled my muse here, just off Dallas Road in Victoria, on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada.

If you can't find your muse. I recommend checking this lounge chair.

I DUB THEE...

2009-06-20T15:58:00.000-07:00

In honor of brilliant illustrator and etsy shop queen Jamie T's suggestion that I have a weekly dubbing on my blog, I proclaim Saturday, Dub Day.

And on this first Dubbing Saturday, for softening a certain gamma ray poisoned green hunk's hunkiness,

I dub thee, Jamie T, aka CocoaStomp:

The Effeminator.

Live long and illustrate.

And here of course is The Effeminator's response: I ask you, is there nothing sacred? Surely she wouldn't effeminate a manly pink box of Raspberry Ginger cereal called Peace. She wouldn't. She couldn't.

Yep, she did. And check out her video. Obviously, I am dealing with a more clever mind than my

own.

The wagon that has America singing!

2009-06-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

I'd like to introduce all of you to an American classic. This chick-magnet is guaranteed to get you a date from any classy circa 1976 gal. What feathered-hair hottie could resist those faux-wood, side panels and that puke, olive-green sheen?

Too much crappola to fit in the spacious hatchback? No problemo, tie it on top like a pro.

Yes folks, welcome to a Watson flashback, the Plymouth Volare.

Now just imagine many, MANY, semi-annual, cross-country trips with two exhausted adults, three fighting kids, and one mammoth dog, Frodo, who was some kind of cross between a boarhound, German Shepherd, Great Dane, a little Saint Bernard maybe and of course Dinosaur, and you'll get the general gist. Of course our "little" Frodo had a drooling problem and would get a bit warm nestled in all our luggage (that wasn't tied on top of the roof) driving through Southern California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and Kansas in the middle of summer. His drool would slide down those faux-leather green seats to our necks and backs.

We were the Griswalds. And we really drove in the nearest thing to the Family Truckster.

How my parent's marriage survived those family vacations I'll never know, nor how they didn't leave one (or all) of us at one of the secluded, tumbleweed-lined rest stops.

I'm glad they didn't because I'm putting our lima-bean green, wood-paneled Volare in my story. In memorial of all the car sickness and family times that brought us SO close together.

Here's a link to a volare station wagon commercial. I love reading the comments underneath, especially the last one:

"I had a '77 non-wagon for my first car. Terrible car. Still miss it. Kind of like my first girlfriend. Terrible person. Still miss her."

a few Inspiring/interesting blogs and posts

2009-06-12T15:44:00.001-07:00

Neat car whoever you are in the Tim Horton's parking lot.

This post is from Corey's blog at Thing 1 and Thing 2.

Richard Peck said, "I am a writer because of two boys on a raft."
Which got me thinking...
I am a writer because a little girl discovers the key to a locked garden.
Why are you a writer?

Check it out. Bunch of good answers. Other interesting and funny posts too, especially about her old "flame" writing a memoir on his love life.

Here's a good post from a talented illustrator Paul Schmid. It's in response to Betsy Bird's top 100 writers with 10 of his top illustrator's starting with my favorite, NC Wyeth. I should have put NC Wyeth as one of the reasons I became a writer. His illustrated classics are stunning: Treasure Island, the White Company, Robin Hood, Deerslayer and The Last of the Mohicans, Kidnapped and David Balfour and so on. He is certainly my very favorite illustrator.

If anybody hasn't already joined the Summer Revision Smackdown cult, you're missing out. Check that out at either Cuppa Jolie or Brimstone Soup. Cool, cool group of writers and illustrators trying to encourage each other with revisions (and other goals).

This is from a writer all the way in Glasgow, UK entitled Writers and Rejection. His blog is The Truth About Lies where his posts I've read are as well written as any book (nearly as long too). I was impressed what he wrote about rejection. That is something all of us who submit anything for publication are going to have to deal with. And it sucks. But only because we make it suck. I can't begin to summarize his eloquent post so go read it yourself.

Okay, last for now is another Watson, though not related (that I know of). Here's SC Watson's website. A moody talented illustrator influenced by the likes of Brian Froud, James Gurney, Sean Tan's Arrival (big fan myself), and Frank Frazzeta. This is his blog.

And my random dashboard picture. They don't make

dashboard's like this anymore.

stupid goodbyes

2009-06-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Canada eh.

Don't be a hoser and ask to go to the bathroom unless you plan on taking a bath. It's the washroom. Where they... wash. Big difference.

And don't call those trucks sem-EYE trailers. It's sem-EEE trailers.

Yes I am living amongst the nice people, otherwise called Canadians. Land of the free, home of the good beer. And maple syrup. Not to mention universal health care, Canadian Tire, and Tim Hortons. All great things. In fact, you can't become an incorporated city in Canada unless you have at least one Tim Hortons in your city limits. It's true, mostly.

I know more than a little about Canadians because I'm married to one. She's an emergency room nurse. She has to work long 12 hour shifts that come in sets. Like two days on, two nights on. I worked swing shifts in the paper mill in Port Townsend one summer in college and HATED IT. On my days off I mostly just wanted to sleep, so the four/five day off things sounded much longer and better than it was.

I'm very proud of Amy and she comes home saying things in her humble Amy way like, "How was your writing today honey? That's great. Me, oh not much. Just sorta saved a life."

Yeah, talk about a tough time trying to top that one. Thanks Amy, way to overshadow my big day of researching Slavic names in my character name book. Sure shocking someone out of V-Fib sounds cool (or is it into it?), but did you know that Milos means peasant or that Chesna means peaceful? Didn't think so.

It gets pretty lonely without Amy around, especially on her night shifts. That is one of the reasons we got Linus, to keep me company.

So now I'm not the only one who misses Amy anymore while she's gone helping people, comforting them and saving lives.

Don't go

Mommy.

Mommy, STAY.

Don't go mom. Heel, stay, sit. Come.

Who says dogs don't have feelings?

So now it's my turn. Amy and Linus went to the Okanagan Valley, home of the legendary Ogopogo (Canadian version of the Loch Ness Monster), to help her parents move (and yes he has a doggie seat belt as well as a crate to drive.) I'll be flying to join them eventually. I'm putting a brave face on it.

But it sucks.

Heel, sit, come, STAY!

Stupid goodbyes.

POW!

2009-06-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

We've all talked about how difficult writing is. But I can't help but think that if I had a suit like this guy------>

that writing and many other things would suddenly be possible.

"What's that muse? You don't feel like working today? My Hugo Cabaret ray gun says you will. And like it!"

This reminds me of something along a similar vein.

Has anyone else seen the preview for the upcoming movie called 9? There are two coming out, one is 9 (number) and the other is Nine (word). I'm talking about the upcoming movie 9 produced by Tim Burton of Edward Scissorhand's and many others fame. His movies work and don't work for me, but THIS looks to be an epic animated masterpiece directed by Timur Bekmambetov (miracle if I spelled that right). Anyways here's a site where you can download the trailer, and I recommend downloading the HD large trailer (it's worth the wait):

http://www.apple.com/trailers/focus_features/9/

It comes out on 9/9/09 or to Canadians that would read, 9/9/09.

And last of all for today is a picture of Linus. This is the other day when we were on a walk and were attacked by dementors.

Don't worry, my elephant patronus warded them off. Unfortunately dogs can't eat chocolate so it took him a little longer to recover. I took my medicine in the form of a king size snickers bar.

In case you were wondering what Linus hears when dementors are near, well he told me. He said the sound of a day with no walks. I asked him what that sounded like but he wouldn't elaborate, only shuddered.

My Summer Revision Smackdown Progress

2009-06-04T17:40:00.000-07:00

So here's my summer revision smackdown progress. Or this might be easier to read:

It was such a nice day I took my SRS goals outside with me and my writing coach Linus.

Sometimes I like to use a white board to mix things up.

Oh the stress of that blank page.

So first I tried to loosen up with some art.

My shadow self-portrait.

Voila.

I'm a writer, not an artist. Black sheep in my family.

Then I went to work loosey goosey. Great writing session thanks to my Summer Revision Smackdown buddies and that licorice WHERPLASH! It's a great kick in the rump and I think it is really motivating me and helping me get my butt in the chair, wherever that chair may be.

My other inspiration today came from my dad's post about how the journey is the destination (http://richardjessewatson.blogspot.com/2009/06/are-we-there-yet.html) and also with Kirby's revision tips to go for a walk and then get your butt in the chair (http://cuppajolie.blogspot.com/2009/06/srs-lash-flash-kirby-larson.html).

You know what I realized?

That sometimes I make writing all formal and uptight. But when I chill out a little and customize it to me and my quirks, it becomes fun (God forbid). And when that happens my big butch perfectionist bully shuts up and glares with her arms crossed. But SHUTS UP! Hallelujah. And then my writing relaxes too.

The journey is the destination. Time to enjoy the journey and the love of writing. My way.

And so we soaked ourselves with the hose and I put my butt in the chair. And Linus murdered our neighbor's dog's stuffed animals.

Shameless - rated R post

2009-06-03T18:24:00.000-07:00

Ok, so southern Vancouver Island has been incredibly hot and muggy. No this is not normal around these parts. Linus and I have been taking turns hogging the fan. I think Linus might think it's his buddy since he keeps licking it.

Here's some photos of his nap.

Dork. Must be related to me.

And apparently needs some lessons in modesty because he has NONE. Warning canine full frontal nudity below. Please cover any adolescent dog's eyes nearby.

Shutting the door

2009-06-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

In honor of my new music player that sits (used to sit but got thrown out for slowing things down) at the bottom of this blog, I'm throwing this question out there. What do you listen to when you write or create art? Does your music preference change when you switch from brainstorm to rough draft to revision and so on?

For myself I like to listen to music when I write, especially to block out noise. In On Writing, Stephen King has this to say:

"I work to loud music--hard-rock stuff like AC/DC. Guns 'n Roses, and Metallica have always been particular favorites--but for me the music is just another way of shutting the door. It surrounds me, keeps the mundane world out. When you write, you want to get rid of the world, do you not? Of course you do. When you're writing, you're creating your own worlds."

Sometimes I just need it quiet so I turn everything off with the shades drawn and the lights out. Or I head to my Other Office (see pics below). Other times I have a couple writing playlists on Itunes, usually set to random. Lots of Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, classical, guitar. Sometimes I need just instrumental stuff, other times my writing mood gets a boost from a soundtrack. How about you?

My other office

2009-06-02T15:40:00.000-07:00

When I was a boy I was notorious for reading in the tub. Or anywhere else for that matter. I would stay in and read for hours as my mom yelled, "Ben, do you have a book in there?"

"No ma."

Of course I did. Every time. She especially didn't like it when I'd take our Scribners Classics in there or our nice copies of The Lord Of the Rings. This also happened when I had to "ahem", use the loo. It got to the point where she'd check me as I'd go in or out for contraband (see books). No we weren't in Nazi Germany, just Murphys, California.

I learned to stash books quickly if I sensed I was under scrutiny, under the sink, beneath the washcloths. I also grew adept at tucking them in the front of my pants and shirt, then sucking in my stomach as I went by the Gestapo, sorry, my parents. (disclaimer: they actually encouraged me to read my whole life and didn't speak German at all, they just wanted other people to use the bathroom too) Of course Scribners Classics contained the stunning full page NC Wyeth illustrations and a bunch of other pages that made me look suspicious, and pregnant, as did the Lord of the Rings, War and Peace and the other "fatties". When that was the case I'd resort to a distraction like throwing a pillow at a lamp or something else to "throw them off the scent". Steinbeck, Kjelgaard and many others were nice and slim, no outlines.

Well my cloak and dagger days have come and gone (as far as you all know...) but my

affinity for baths and books have not. I figured since I loved reading in the bath so much, why not write in it too?

It was love at first dip but my early attempts were primitive. The problem with writing in your journal while in the tub is that you have to crank over to the side for too long and it isn't very comfortable. Plus you have to keep your elbows and forearms dry so you don't get your Moleskin black leather journal wet either. Right? And that narrow ledge.

So, through trial and error, and with "necessity being the mother of invention" my tub writing has evolved into my "Other Office". That's what I write in my notebooks when I write there, usually accompanied by time and date (which I never know, so I always have vague attempts that are pretty pathetic - Nightime, sometime in October, or November, I think the 12th, or the fifth pretty sure a Tuesday or Sunday, In Other Office).

So here are some pictures of my "Other Office" (no not with me in it). My dad thinks I'm nuts. I don't spend a majority of my writing time here, but if you want to get away from all distractions, I recommend it.

Notice the waterproof job on the ipod. I don't always listen to music, and sometimes just need quiet, but other times Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan are mandatory. My wonderful wife made me those awesome sandwiches this morning before she went to work, so I just had to pull them out and presto. If you can see there is a king size Snickers bar, but the apple on the right balances it out. Balanced meals are everything. Yes, there is a candle. Yes, I would get beat up by the guys I grew up with if they saw that. Yep, that's a phone too. So if you ever call and hear a strange echo while I'm talking, bingo. My pops gets all weird if he hears me in the tub and hangs up when he figures I'm in there. There is an alarm clock as well so I don't forget to pick up Amy at work or if I need to do whatever. The desk itself is the middle leaf to our dining room table upside down.

It is important to have a lifeguard around, while in the water.

So here he is:

I think this looks pretty inviting. Don't you?

And yes, of course that's coffee in my new mug. Plenty of cream and sugar please.

Time to take the plunge. Nice dirty mirror.

Yes, that is the same sweater in every picture I've posted on here so far. There IS a logical reason for that. It is my WRITING SWEATER. It makes me feel like a writer. That being said, there will be other sweaters in other pictures someday. And shorter posts. And literacy rates will improve. Ok, one thing at a time. Of course most of my other sweaters are brown too.

Licorice whippings

2009-06-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

All right, now I'm really in trouble.

I just signed up for the Summer Revision Smackdown, the brainchild of Jolie Stekly and Holly Cupala. Here's Jolie's blog where you can sign up to be whipped:

http://cuppajolie.blogspot.com/

Basically somebody whips you with licorice or something until you finish your revision. Maybe I misheard exactly how it works and with my convoluted approach to writing my novel I'm not sure if I'm officially on revision or not. However, I'll take the kick in the butt. (actually I think they send the winner a licorice or it's a virtual licorice thrashing or something like that, should have read the rules a little more carefully)

My goals involve getting up early, going to bed early, not drinking coffee. (ok that last one I'd NEVER agree to) And basically trying to bang out three chapters in June...

WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?

Great, now it's in cyberspace (or cyperspace as I just wrote, cyperspace sounds better, no?) so I can never take it back. Well I better get writing then. Too bad blogging doesn't count.

One of these days I'm gonna get around to writing about the upcoming writer's conference at Reed College in Portland. http://www.ceed.pdx.edu/children/index.php

Officially called

Guest Editor ARTHUR A FREAKING LEVINE is going to be there... WHAT!

That's right folks. Not to mention Caldecott Honor recipient for 2009 and lifetime most stylish and hip looking artist award winner, Marla Frazee. Not enough for you? How about Benjamin Watson? Ok, you've never heard of him, but I'll bet you heard of Bonny Becker! My pal and writing spurrer-on-er who (with her hubby) used to write for Garrison Keiller, Susan Blackaby, the elegant and funny Ann Whitford Paul, the crazy as a cat Susan Goldman Rubin, the classy Elsa Warnick, and two other faculty members that I haven't met yet but who are easy on the eyes, David Gifaldi and Linda Urbin. AND last but not least, the amazing and scary (to me when she's reviewing my manuscript in front of me, I melt in fear and take ALL her suggestions and run out the door when she releases me, but at all other times is a funny, generous, warm, caring, sweet, and incredibly talented person with an awesome hubby artist whose artwork is hanging in our house as we speak), the great Linda Zuckerman.

Now everyone but that Benjamin Watson guy are this year's all star faculty. I kid about Linda being scary (no I don't, she's had a lifetime worth of children's book publishing experience, editing the likes of Trina Schart Hyman and then she's sitting there with that shrewd editor's look and that PEN, READING MY MANUSCRIPT, TERRIFYING, And I haven't even TOUCHED her first page critiques), she is a lot of fun to hang out with and has brought one of the best in-depth children's book experiences I've ever been a part of (twice before). Plus you get to "live" on campus with the faculty and have meals with them and food fights and poker games. (ok we haven't yet gotten the faculty in on food fights or poker YET but)

This is in no way competes with or replaces SCBWI conferences, rather supplements them. I love going to them both and this Portland conference is kinda like going to a week long SCBWI retreat kinda thing. But slightly different. I've been to numerous Western Washington local SCBWI conferences, and both national (or is it international?) SCBWI annual conferences in LA and NY, and hope to go again soon.

If this is my teaser what is my post about it gonna look like? Geesh. I need to write some shorter posts.

You didn't know the country mouse sports dreadlocks?

2009-05-31T08:50:00.000-07:00

Of course he does. I know this because he's my brother, Jesse. And that dreadlocked country mouse just headed all on his own to New York City. Again.

Apparently Prince Harry had the same idea and they are hanging out right now as I type. Reading about Jesse's NY adventures on his blog (http://jessewatson.blogspot.com/) made me think about my first and only trip to New York City.

I went with my big brother. It was about four years ago and Jesse was giving the whole "children's book thing" a try. I'd already attended a number of SCBWI conferences and the Haystack conference. This time it was the SCBWI annual winter conference. Jesse had arrived two days earlier than me for the Illustrator's day.

After flying in to JFK and taking a shuttle to our hotel in Manhattan (I think one of the Marriott hotels), I was about ready to turn around and head straight back to microscopic Port Townsend.

My face was glued to the window as I absorbed this strange immense world. I felt like the immigrant in The Arrival. My senses just couldn't cope. The drivers, the buildings, the mass of it all. I had felt similarly in Bangkok, Thailand but I was expecting that to feel foreign (duh). But in New York I'd brought some preconceived notions. I had entered the cultural center of the world, as important today as Rome, Athens, Babylon, Beijing or London had ever been. The NYSE, The United Nations, the Met, NY Public Library, Kramer. And I was half-expecting to get mugged, shot or raped any second. The reality of encountering that city and its mystique in person awed me into a mild state of shock.

After surviving the shuttle ride (thank God), I checked in, found our room and checked and rechecked the door of our room. Evidence of another Watson boy was strewn about the room. I peeked out the curtains to the opposite skyscraper and however million floors down to the concrete ant sidewalks and streets far below. I curled up in the corner of the huge bed. I carefully unfolded the SCBWI winter conference schedule and reread it for the ten-thousandth time that day until the phone rang.

It was my big brother. He was making sure I got there ok and seeing if I wanted to go out with a friend in Harlem. I could hear lots of people laughing in the background.

"Yeah, we'll take the Subway, it'll be awesome."

Two things I was not ready for was Harlem and subways. Or going out for that matter.

"Ok, tomorrow night then," Jesse said then added, "New York is so f#@'ng cool." A few minutes later my dreadlocked country mouse brother walked through the door with a huge smile on his face.

He looked down on me turtled up, still wearing my jacket, sucking my thumb.

"Isn't New York so cool?"

Turns out, in addition to the conference, my big brother had already travelled around on the subway by himself, FIGURED IT OUT, checked out half of New York, not the tourist parts either, and basically almost become a local in two days time. I, on the other hand, felt like a baby refusing to believe he'd just been born.

We looked at each other and at that moment I understood that my brother was much braver than I was. Especially in this urban jungle.

In the middle of the night Jesse finally coaxed me out just in front of the hotel to a guy on the street selling the grubbest of grub and cheap Indian food (or was it Mexican?). At night the line stretched down the sidewalk. Weird. And awesome. Even McDonalds closed at night in Port Townsend.

The conference was amazing for both of us, especially because I was there with my brother. Jesse entered a piece of his artwork from a turtle story he was working on in the SCBWI New York Showcase and won the grand prize. When it was announced I was so excited I forgot to film him going on stage and getting his award from Lin Oliver. When I finally realized I was holding his camera at this pivotal moment in his career, I whipped it out (the camera) and shakily filmed the tail end of him walking back to his seat looking red-cheeked and squinty-eyed. Jesse always gets squinty eyes when he's trying to smile at people with his mouth closed and he's embarrassed or shy. These are things little brothers know.

We were so excited afterwards that Jesse called his mother right away with the good news.

What?

Yes, that's right. Not his WIFE at home with his son. His MOTHER. Man us Watson boys got issues.

The rest of our trip we both made the rounds to publishing houses. That is I had the great privilege to meet and go to lunch with The Great Arthur Levine at Scholastic, who I try to call Awdie with my pathetic New Yawkah accent. New York is the children's book publishing center of the universe. We were both dwarfed by the magnitude of it all but had a brilliant time.

While we were there Christo was preparing to unveil his Central Park installation art piece, The Gates. Jesse finally did get me on the subway and we did some tourist stuff. I didn't get to go to the New York City Library. But that will be my first stop whenever I go back. I read somewhere that the lion statues out front were named Patience and Fortitude by Mayor Fiorello LeGuardia because these were the qualities New Yorkers would need to survive The Depression.

My big brother has since gone back to NY on his own to "pimp himself", do some school visits and to promote his book Chess Rumble.

He's back in NY again right now by himself to promote his new picture book, I and I and to make the rounds again, including the huge BEA. I'm very proud of my big brother and how hard he has worked to make a career as a Children's Book Illustrator. I foresee very good things for him and can't wait to see what is in store.

Jesse made a DVD of our trip together and when he gets back home maybe I can get his help getting it on here. The two yokels visit the biggest city.

New York is an amazing place and the more I learn about it, the more I want to. I loved and was completely intimidated by that city. I can't wait to go back, but I don't see any trip beating the one time I went there with my big brother.

Have fun Jesse. Wish I was there with you. Though I'm sure you'll tell Mom all about it so I can ask her. Just maybe call your wife first with the good news this time.

First post on my brand-spanking-new blog

2009-05-25T18:47:00.000-07:00

This is me. Ben. Nice to meet you.

A little background for those who don't know me, or who thought they did but don't. Surprise.

I am a frog jockey.

Well, I was, it's been a long time. I'm trying to write a novel about it. Cue worried parents, "Ben you shouldn't divulge that, someone might swipe your idea."

Right, well I'll divulge even more, it's about a boy and his manipulative best friend. Now I've done it. Waiting for the phone to ring... "Yeah hi, I know, It's all right Ma I know what I'm doing."

This is my sweet wife Amy. She'll probably try to replace this picture. I don't get it, she always thinks she looks horrible in pictures just when I think she looks pretty.

I, on the other hand, am not photogenic like her. At all. My friend Ryan had a face he called his Ben-say-cheese face. Pretty accurate, not so flattering. I think I used to be photogenic but got pudgy. Maybe there's other fatties out there who take great pictures and will share their secret with me. I have a suspicion it's the tan, or in my case lack of it. But I'm a hermit and like to write in the dark and I live in Victoria, BC, not LA.

Anyways, I think my wife is the most beautiful woman in the entire world. Now it's on the internet, so official right? Isn't everything on tv and the internet true? Well this is.

That's our son next to her, or the closest thing to one we have. He is certainly spoiled and a big suck. Yes he slept in bed with us until just recently. He's grown so big he decided he couldn't stretch out enough and that we made him too warm. No, it wasn't us that kicked him out. Who do you think is in charge?

And yes, Linus does have a blankie. Thanks to his Grandma Sharon. It's actually a doggie quilt. Sharon's an amazing quilter and if you look carefully enough at our pictures you'll see her artwork in the background.

Here's her blog:

http://creativequiltingcompany.blogspot.com/

My real reason for doing this blog, apart from the excuse to post millions of pictures of our doggie, is to document my attempt to write a novel come hell or high water. As you can tell in the blog title, I am not one of those writers who find writing incredibly easy and joyful all the time. On the contrary.

Just a few days ago, we had some plumbing issues. I have no idea what happens to water or anything else once it circles down the drain, toilet, or tub, so we called for help from a large plumber. After I hopped around in the background asking if everything is ok a hundred times, offering coffee, juice or milk (It's a Watson Jewish mother thing) even Saltines to grunts of no thanks, I tried to be helpful by wringing my hands. I will report that said plumber did not have the prototypical Plumber's Crack, which was slightly disappointing after all the buildup. Plus he was wearing sweats, don't know if that affects it but will get to the bottom of it (doh, sorry). Finally after a good hour or more of fighting the hidden sewer monster, our plumbing hero emerged leaking sweat from every pore, grimy, and red faced. Yeah, I thought, that's just how I feel trying to write.

I won't mention that he used our good cereal bowl and other cherished items for "catching drips" without asking or that I spent the rest of the day and night cleaning up after him. Ok, I guess I did just mention it, but he's still our hero for beating back the very dirty sewer pipe monster.

Who ever thought that writing, like everything else, takes tons of hard work and discipline? Unlike in movies where they show a writer sit down at a typewriter, take a deep breath, an introspective glance, then start clacking away with sexy confidence and ruffled hair. There's always a cigarette smoldering on an empty teacup plate nearby.

I am looking around and don't see a cigarette smoldering anywhere. Maybe that's what I need to improve my writing. And I drink coffee, not tea, and lots of it. I do not have a typewriter either. Just a typewriter font.

I do use my IMac with the Scrivener writing program every day. After researching writing programs I actually bought a Mac just so I could use Scrivener. Best fortune I ever spent. Here's their link: http://www.literatureandlatte.com/ check it out if you are a writer and want to make yourself buy a new Mac computer soon.

Look, the truth is I haven't painted the whole picture here on purpose. It's called the set up. Yes, writing can be incredibly difficult, and sometimes when I've been writing all day I do feel like I've just battled ten sewer pipe monsters. BUT...

BUT. I love it. Just like marriage or raising a puppy or anything that matters to us. Love is not easy, it takes a lot of work. The more I work at it, the better I get. And the better I get, well, the closer I come to creating something original. Something that even I can be proud of. And I am my hardest critique so that's saying something.

My whole life I tried to figure out where I fit, what I was put on this earth to do. I never gave any real thought to my closet reading addiction. Turns out, all those stories I read my whole life, spoke to my heart and changed me.

"Eventually all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.

I am haunted by waters."

A River Runs Through It, Norman Maclean

I am haunted as well. By the words of those writers that I pored over, whose stories I adored. I've probably idolized these writers, but I am learning that they are not so different as me or you, if you write. They had to face the same blank page. They also had to silence their inner critics and write that shitty first draft. They had to be disciplined and put their Butt In Chair as Jane Yolen and others have said. They too had to tell the truth. Be disciplined, even get on a writing schedule.

Writing is a noble endeavor. I am grateful for all the writers who enriched my life, who inspired me.

I finally realized one evening that I was put on this world to write stories. So here I am.

My name's Ben. Nice to meet you. I love writing stories. This blog will be the place where I write all about it.