Kayaking on Lake George

I took a break from writing to join some friends kayaking on Lake George in September. It’s a beautiful lake that is sacred to the native people of the area. Though now it’s largely a community of travelers by motor boat. 

We rented canoes and kayaks at Bolton Landing then we headed off across the lake to our own little island to camp. The weather forecast was for rain, but we made it to our island no problem. The boat traffic was light on the crossing which was nice so we only had a few choppy wakes to plow through.

My kayak partner, Johana, was great. She paddled smoothly along and we cruised across the waves.

We had a nice little swim on our island and had camp all set up before the rain. Even then it was a light drizzle most of the evening and we had tarps! 

I took some black and white pics.

I love my Canon Rebel SL1!

 It was a good time with new and old friends!

 

 Yep that's an outhouse!

Here's a little photo gallery:

Crafting A Dynamic Character

I often moonlight as an editor for the SCBWI Metro NY Chapter Blog. For you writers with all those characters stuck in your head. Here is an article from of our events by Gae Polisner.

This article is reposted from SCBWI Metro NY Chapter Blog

Editorial Assistant Kelsey Murphy of Balzer & Bray led a wonderful workshop at the SCBWI LI on Saturday April 13, at the Huntington Public Library on Long Island. The workshop was on “Crafting a Dynamic Character.”

Ms. Murphy provided a four-pronged outline on how to craft dynamic characters, explaining that, to draw in readers – and prospective agents and editors! – realistic characters (1) must have a want, (2) must change, (3) must be emotional and reactive, and (4) must be specific (not stereotypical or clichéd).

Using examples from both participants’ own two-minute writing exercises prepared on the spot, as well as from well-loved picture books and works of young adult and middle grade fiction, Ms. Murphy walked the audience through each prong of character building, helping us to see how it is done, and why each prong matters.

“A character will change, while still being that character at the core.”

Always coming back to prong one, that a character must have wants in order for the reader to connect—and to build plot—at the outset of a story, Ms. Murphy explained that a writer should even know the wants of her secondary characters: “A character that wants for nothing is dull.” She explained physical wants versus emotional wants, active and overarching wants to build characters from the ground up—and to view their personal history through these statements of want.

Elaborating that showing, not telling, the history leading to those wants is key to a well-told story, Ms. Murphy stated: “A character with a want has power and will encounter conflict either in pursuit or in lack of pursuit of the desire itself . . . and the backgrounds to those wants give the book momentum and energize the story.”

Carrying these precepts over to picture book writing, Ms. Murphy shared that simplicity of focus in picture books matters. At the core of a picture book, there should be one central idea “blown out” via repetition or exploration or upending of classic tropes—bringing them to a funny or unusual setting, while the simple want of the story remains clear. “She wants a frog!” Ms. Murphy exclaimed, alluding to one of her favorite picture books her house has recently acquired.

Following the workshop, Ms. Murphy generously fielded an audience Q&A session and took writers’ individual questions.

—————–

Gae Polisner is the award-winning author of THE SUMMER OF LETTING GO and THE PULL OF GRAVITY (fsg/Frances Foster Books). She lives on Long Island with her husband, two sons, and a suspiciously-fictional looking dog she swore she’d never own. When she’s not writing, she can be found in her wetsuit in the open waters off the Long Island Sound.

The Adventurers Troll Creek -- Book Trailer

The Jason Galka Show: Mackenzie Reide

Meet My Character Blog Tour

After many folks have asked, 'Why don't you start a blog?" I finally acquiesced.

Thank you to Patricia Keeler for your gentle poke in the right direction, and the invitation for joining a character blog tour! Patricia is a wonderful author and illustrator who loves to draw scrappy little girls who hang backwards over swings, excel at watermelon seed spitting contests and whip around at high speeds on their scouters. These are girls after my own heart! My own characters, Dana, Amy and Jack love to ride their mountain bikes through the woods of Troll Creek and aren't afraid to plunge their bikes into deep muddy waterholes. I know our characters would get along great! As do Patricia and I!

Patricia and I meet through the New York Metro Chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and became friends as well as colleagues.

You can learn more about Patricia and her wonderful characters at Patricia's website and her blog.

Now onto the Character Blog Tour - Let's meet Dana, Amy and Jack in The Adventurers Troll Creek

Who is your main character?

Troll Creek focuses on Dana Redding. She is 12 years old with jet black hair and green eyes. She lives in the city with her mom. Her dad died when she was three so it has just been the two of them. Dana likes being on her own and doesn’t mind when her mom works long hours as a research librarian. Recently, her mother began dating again and before Dana knew it, her mom announced she was getting remarried. This set off a chain of events leading Dana to Troll Creek to meet her soon to be stepsiblings, Amy and Jack.

Who is Amy?

Amy Munro lives in Troll Creek with her younger brother, Jack. Amy has straight blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. She loves to ride her mountain bike everywhere and knows all the trails around Troll Creek like the back of her hand.

Amy just turned 13. All the candles on her birthday cake were shaped like different rocks. Amy loves rocks and wants to be a geologist like her mom. She carried dynamite in her day pack until her mom confiscated it. That was a drag, so now she collects rocks using her mom’s old rock hammer and keeps them on the dining room table.

Amy is grappling with the reasons behind her parent’s divorce and the fact her dad wants to marry someone new. She devises a plan to bring Dana out to Troll Creek hoping to make her life as miserable as possible.

Who is Jack?

Jack Munro is Amy’s younger brother. He’s 11 but small for his age. He’s famous in Troll Creek for his unique sandwiches. He has the same blue eyes as his sister, but his eyes are softer. He likes to avoid conflict while Amy does everything with brute force.

Jack knows the reason behind his parent’s divorce in spite of Amy trying to hide it from him. He’s upset about what happened but keeps everything bottled up. All of this is connected to his mysterious heart condition that is a guarded secret between him and Amy.

Where is the story set?

The story takes place in and around an old Irish mining town called Troll Creek. The mine was shut down 50 years ago due to a very bad accident and economic times. Troll Creek is now a little tourist town with a rich history of the mining days, a museum, a library, a hospital and a geology field station. Troll Creek thrives on tourism and the field station. It is well known for its Sweet Shop and their homemade fruit Ice Pops.

Every summer Troll Creek comes alive with the Troll Creek festival and the geology camps. But it is most famous for the mysterious train hijacking 100 years ago and the secrets hidden in the old abandoned coal mine.

What should we know about Dana?

Dana is grappling with the aftermath of a fight at her school. It is connected to how her dad died when she was three but she is having trouble talking about it.  She knows her mom is hoping that meeting Amy and Jack will help, but Dana is feeling very reluctant to go. She is struggling with feelings of guilt about the fight and the fact she doesn’t want her mom to get remarried. She wants her mom to be happy so she is reluctant to tell her how she really feels.

Are there more books in the series?

Yes, Troll Creek is book one of a new adventure-mystery trilogy for 8 to 12 year olds. The trilogy is called The Adventurers. Book two is now available and is called The Mask of the Troll. I am currently writing book three.

For more information you can visit Dana, Amy and Jack at www.theadventurers.com