It can be tempting, when you FINALLY sit down at the computer to get some writing done, to do other things. Check author blogs or facebook, etc. But, last month I found the secret to getting writing done: sign up for a standardized test for which you need to study.

I had to sign up for the Praxis test as part of keeping my teaching license current. So I bought this study guide, since I am rusty (I haven’t been in the classroom to actually teach in a LONG time). And yes, I recognize the humor in the fact that I, an English teacher, bought the Cliff Notes study guide.

But I digress.

Every time I sat down to study, I found myself writing instead. Because I would so, so much rather write than study for a standardized test. “What are you doing in there?” my husband would ask, as the sound of the keyboard rang out through the land. “Are you studying?” I pretended I had my earphones in and didn’t answer him.

I’ve taken the test now, but I’m keeping the study guide here to watch me. Whenever I get tempted to get off-task, I’ll pretend I have to study it and that will keep me writing. Maybe I should buy the GRE or LSAT study guides. Those would certainly scare me into submission.

So that’s the secret. It’s taken me all these years to discover. Aren’t you glad I shared it?

P.S. I’m doing a book signing this week, on Thursday. More info here. Also, it was wonderful to meet some of you at the AF writing conference last weekend!

P.P.S. Thank you for all the lovely comments on the cover! I LOVE it. That’s why I missed posting last week, so you could look at it for another week at the top of the blog.

I love it!

My great-uncle Wilbur Braithwaite passed away this week. There are many stories in print about him, one of which can be found here.

WIlbur was the witness at my wedding when my father and grandfather couldn’t be there. He sent me poetry and coaching advice in high school when I was running. He was one of the first people to send me a congratulatory note on my first book. He was a wonderful man with a warm laugh and a light in his eye and a space in his heart for everyone. If anyone had a good life, it was him. And this was in spite of hardship. He suffered his entire life from wounds sustained in WWII when he was 18. He had other trials. He had a good life because he made it that way.

So many people were touched by Wilbur. I know that I am just one of many who cherished his coaching and his poetry and his kindness. We want to be around goodness. We crave it. We feel better in its light. We all seek a good life, but few of us are unselfish enough to achieve it. Wilbur certainly did.

So I have a few bits of news about Matched to share.

We have sold foreign rights in sixteen different countries.

I have seen the (not-final, but getting there) cover and it is GORGEOUS. I will post it as soon as I get permission, but wow. It makes me happy every time I think about it.

I had to change my main character’s name. It was Calla, but there is another fall book coming out from my publisher with a main character named Calla. (Obviously neither of us knew about the other Calla.) So. To differentiate the characters, my publisher asked if I would be willing to change the name. And I said yes.

This was hard to do. Because for so long I’ve been thinking of her as Calla (and, in fact, in the sequel I’ve been writing I’ve typed “Calla” on almost every page on accident–it’s hard to make the switch). I like the name. It’s pretty, it had significance to the story, and it’s been a name that my husband and I have loved since we had calla lilies at our wedding 10+ years ago and he wrote me a poem about them. So it felt kind of romantic to name her Calla.

But. I like my character so much that I want her to stand out. To have her own name. So we changed it to Cassia, which is a lovely classical name that looks a bit like Calla. (It’s pronounced Cash-a.) I like it.

So, that’s what’s new. Foreign rights, cover on the way, and new name. Which I need to go practice typing in the sequel right now before the baby wakes up from his nap…

So, this is the problem with sports: There are winners and losers. And I can’t handle it.

I was in utter agony during the Winter Olympics because they would show us these adorable teenagers from different countries (figure skating, I’m looking at you) and tell us how the whole country would freak out if they didn’t win, and then. Guess what. They didn’t all win. Did anyone see the face of the female silver medalist for figure skating? I wanted to cry for her.

And then in the NCAA game last night–argh. I couldn’t even watch. I wanted everyone to win because they’d both come so far! And worked so hard!

I remember (I am old) when the Jazz were in the NBA Finals and lost to the Bulls and my whole family was SO BUMMED and my dad had to go on a long walk when it was over to ease the pain. When he came back, he said, “I have come to an important realization. I do not play basketball for the Utah Jazz.”

No, he didn’t. But he played in the alumni tournament and he played in the backyard with three of his four kids who went on to play high school ball (and he would have played with me, too, if I’d ever wanted to). So. My dad is not a member of the Utah Jazz. But basketball was still his. He liked it, he played it for fun, and he played it with his kids.

And writing is like this, too. There are awards and sales and ways to get competitive if you want to. But these things are often out of your control. So, when I’m writing something new, like I am right now, I try to remember: I do not play for the Utah Jazz. Nobody sees if it rims out; no one knows how many times it takes me to make that shot. I just play for me, here on my own little court, for now.

Clarification added 4/7: After reading my good friend Jake’s comment, I thought I should clarify that the part about winners/losers being a “problem” with sports was meant to be tongue-in-cheek/self-deprecating. I love sports and also learned some of my best life lessons through competing.

Adorable pirate basket/photo credit Brook Andreoli

Our tradition for the past seven years (since the birth of our first little guy) has been to have books as the gift in our Easter baskets. This year’s books are:

For Boy 3, Spot’s First Easter.

For Boy 2, Bunny Party.

For Boy 1, Superfudge.

For me, Beautiful Creatures (can’t wait to read it!).

For my husband, it’s a toss-up. I can’t decide between Fablehaven 5: Keys to the Demon Prison and The Big Short. I kind of love that he would love both.

Any books in your basket this year?

P.S. Some of our favorite Easter Books are Humbug Rabbit, The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes, Max’s Chocolate Chicken, and Max Counts to Ten. Does anyone have any others to share?

There’s a great conference coming up that I want to spread the word about–it’s an excellent deal and has a lot of wonderful classes. (Some of which are taught by yours truly.) Below are details and a tentative schedule. Also, anyone who signs up before April 12th gets to attend Plot Shop on Friday night for free, and take home a free book or literary journal, which they get to choose from a selection. And guess what. Deseret Book has kindly donated copies of some of my books so they will be among the offerings.

Free books. Great conference. And a very yummy lunch. I hope to see you there!

American Fork Arts Council Conference for Writers
Saturday, April 24, 2010
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

To register call Lori at 801-763-3081.

SPECIAL PRICE: $29 before April 12th
$40 after April 12th
American Fork Historic City Hall, 31 North Church Street (50 East)
American Fork, Utah

Lunch catered by Flour Girls & Dough Boys, $9 per person payable at morning registration.

8-9 a.m. Registration
9-9:10 Welcome (Plenary)

KEYNOTES
9:10-9:40 Keynote #1 Ginger Churchill, “What I Wish I had Known as a Beginning Writer”
9:40-10:10 Keynote #2 Ally Condie, “My Journey to National Publication”
10:10-10:40 John D. Brown, “Aiming for National Publication”

INTRODUCTIONS of editors and authors
10:40-11:05 EDITORS: Derk Koldewyn, Granite NAME
AUTHORS: Caleb Warnock, Linda Jefferies, Shannon Guymon, Natalie Whipple

11:05-11:20 15-minute break

11:20-noon BREAKOUT ONE
Upstairs room “Crafting the Novel” with Shannon Guymon, Natalie Whipple
Downstairs One “Finding and Working With an Agent” with Ginger Churchill, Ally Condie, John D. Brown
Downstairs Two “Taking Your Questions about Publishing” with Deseret Book and Granite Publishing

noon-1 LUNCH “Mix and Mingle with Authors and Editors”

1-1:40 BREAKOUT TWO
Conference One Derk Koldewyn of Deseret Book “What Deseret Book is looking for now”
Conference Two Ginger Churchill, Shannon Guymon, Ally Condie, “How to be a Writer and a Mother Too”
Upstairs room John Brown, “How to Write a Story That Rocks Part 1: First Principles & Story Concept”
Office room Caleb Warnock “10 Things Every Writer Should Know about Copyright”
Downstairs One Granite Publishing “What Granite is looking for now”
Downstairs Two Natalie Whipple, “Is Your Story Ready for Publication? How Do You Know?”

1:40-1:50 Ten-minute break

1:50-2:30 BREAKOUT THREE
Upstairs Room John Brown, “How to Write a Story That Rocks Part 2: Character”
Conference Two Ginger Churchill, Natalie Whipple, “Querying Agents and Publishers”
Conference One Derk Koldewyn of Deseret Book “National Publication with Shadow Mountain”
Office room Caleb Warnock “”What Every Writer Needs to Know about Investing Your Talent”"
Downstairs One Granite Publishing “Publishing Options with Granite”
Downstairs Two Ally Condie, Shannon Guymon “Succeeding as an LDS author”

2:30-2:40 Ten-minute break

2:40-3:20 BREAKOUT FOUR
Upstairs Room John Brown, “How to Write a Story That Rocks Part 3: Plot”
Conference Two Ginger Churchill “How to Write and Publish Picture Books”
Conference One Natalie Whipple: “Writing the Synopsis and Query”
Office room Caleb Warnock, Shannon Guymon “Writing Nonfiction”
Downstairs One Ally Condie, “Writing Young Adult Fiction”
Downstairs Two Linda Jefferies “Writing Poetry”

3:20-3:30 Ten-minute break

3:30-4:10 BREAKOUT FIVE
Upstairs Room John Brown, “Writing Scenes: The Basic Units of a Novel”
Conference Two Ginger Churchill, “Genres of Children’s Books, from Board Books to YA Novels”
Conference One Natalie Whipple, “Marketing Yourself with a Blog”
Office room Caleb Warnock “Okay, You Were Rejected – Why, and What to Do Now”
Downstairs One Linda Jefferies, “Publishing Poetry”
Downstairs Two Shannon Guymon, “Tips for Writing a Fiction Series”

4:10-4:20 PRIZE GIVEAWAYS, CRITIQUE GROUP, GOODBYE