Letter From my Muse

Dear Teri,
I hereby give you permission to suck. If the last 12,000 words of this book are awkward, stupid and just plain bad, it's okay, cause you can fix them. If you wrote 1000 words a day, you would be DONE in 12 days. DONE. So get on it.
Sincerely,
Your totally under appreciated and under utilized muse

Proof Positive that Good Happens and Multiplies

Well bless my boots! The Class of 2k10 is giving away a load of books and said I helped spur the idea. Check it out here.

From an email:

As a part of our 10-10-10 Giveaway, the Class of 2k10 is offering a mega lot of books to US libraries, book clubs, etc. Here are the details....feel free to forward:

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Announcing the Classof2K10 230-Books Giveaway

The Class of 2K10, a group of 23 debut middle grade and young adult authors, is banding together to help nonprofit book clubs obtain brand new, hot off the presses books for their reading groups. This gigantic 230-book giveaway will begin on October 10th, 2010, to mark 10-10-10 for the Class of 2K10. It will end on November 11, 2010.

The idea was spurred by author and blogger Teri Brown, who runs a book club at a low-income community center. Ms. Brown asked to be contacted by authors willing to donate 8 to 10 copies of their book, adding that she knows it can be a challenge, but that the girls in her club love their book club and “want more than anything to have it continue this year.”

“It can be difficult for authors to manage multiple copies on their own,” Leah Cypess, author of Mistwood and a member of the Class of 2K10, said. “We felt this was something unique we could offer as a group.”

Five book clubs around the country can win a prize pack of three to six sets of books written by authors from the Class of 2K10. The pack includes TEN copies of each book, and in some packs one of the books will be signed by the author.

The contest is open to all book clubs in the continental US associated with a nonprofit institution, a school, or a library. To enter, book club members or organizers need only comment on the giveaway post at the Classof2K10 blog (http://community.livejournal.com/classof2k10).

CONTACT: Leah Cypess at LCypess@gmail.com.

The prize packs are:

Middle Grade Fantasy Pack: (1) The Carnival of Lost Souls by Laura Quimby, (2) Under The Green Hill by Laura L. Sullivan, (3) The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams by Rhonda Hayter

Middle Grade Realistic Pack: (1) Fairview Felines: A Newspaper Mystery by Michele Corriel, (2) Island Sting by Bonnie J. Doerr, (3) Leaving Gee's Bend by Irene Latham, (4) The Reinvention of Edison Thomas by Jacqueline Houtman, (5) Shooting Kabul by N.H. Senzai

Young Adult Fantasy/Paranormal Pack #1: (1) 13 to Life by Shannon Delany, (2) Freaksville by Kitty Keswick, (3) Mistwood by Leah Cypess, (4) Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen, (5) Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready, (6) Under My Skin by Judith Graves

Young Adult Realistic Pack #1: (1) Change of Heart by Shari Maurer, (2) Faithful by Janet Fox, (3) Losing Faith by Denise Jaden, (4) The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride
Young Adult Realistic Pack #2: (1) Of All the Stupid Things by Alexandra Diaz, (2) Party by Tom Leveen, (3) Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards, (4) The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard, (5) Split by Swati Avasthi

New and Improved

Or not.

One gets to a certain point when they realize they are who they are and that's okay.

It's kind of nice.

Not that we shouldn't grow as human beings, but I think some issues are just there to stay.

But I CAN improve my writing. Craft can be worked on, nurtured and fed. And that is what I am doing right now. And I am loving it.

Remember to follow me on facebook and twitter... it's easier to keep up with than a blog;-)

More Shameless Begging

I am re-posting part of this from last year, because I am begging for the same thing:) BOOKS, people, Books!

As most of you know,(I've mentioned it enough!), I run a book club for teen and tween girls at a low income community center. Actually, it's a low income housing project and the community center is located at the apartments. Many of the residents are transitioning out of homelessness or other bad situations. The center is a meeting place that provides after school and summer programs for the kids, parenting classes, and meetings for those who had had alcohol or chemical dependencies. It truly is a place that fights generational poverty on all levels. You can check it out at www.cpahinc.com.


There are eight hardcore members in the book club (and a couple who show up intermittently) who love their book club and want more than anything to have it continue this year. For that I need some very special authors who are willing to give of their books. There is NO money to buy books. I had a fabulous list of authors and books last year! All sent books, some came to visit, others made a vlog and sent gifts. Out of the eight members who attended faithfully, I had three who were already readers. Now I have eight! That is HUGE!!!!The connection with the authors is key. I need that again this year! If you are an author or are someone willing to help out, please contact me. Remember, I need eight to ten of the same book and that can be a challenge!

new note: I have two girls who are old enough to join this year and are so excited! So I would say I need ten books a month. Please contact me at diddymon (at)verizon (dot)net.

Drowning in Words

Greetings bloggerites,

What have I been doing since I last blogged? I've been on Facebook, (Teri Foreman Brown) Twitter, (Teribrownwrites) and working. I've also been writing. And wording. Wording you ask? Yep, playing with words. Creating designs from them, writing poetry, and looking up random words in the thesaurus. Wording.

I was also supposed to be running, but am not doing so much of that. No, I've been to busy having a mini nervous breakdown. What else do you call it when you are drowning in words to the point where you dream about them? Not sure if this is a good thing and I'm about to make some sort of creative breakthrough, or if I'm simply crazy. Hard to tell at this point:)

Lots of things going on in my real life. My mom is no longer driving, so I'm doing most of that. My fantabulous job has ended for the summer, so I am back working at Community Partners for Affordable Housing for the next couple of weeks. My son finally got a job and went from being home 24/7 to being gone ten or more hours a day. My daughter continues to be a delight, as does my husband.

But on the interior... oh, my interior is messy. A hoarders home of words and thoughts and emotions which have no words. My interior is rife with murder and mayhem, people with names and those with no names, and the heart breaking reality of unrequited love.

You know, normal writers stuff.

Until next time,
Teri

An Important Piece by Tim Wise

"Imagine if the Tea Party Was Black" - Tim Wise

Let’s play a game, shall we? The name of the game is called “Imagine.” The way it’s played is simple: we’ll envision recent happenings in the news, but then change them up a bit. Instead of envisioning white people as the main actors in the scenes we’ll conjure - the ones who are driving the action - we’ll envision black folks or other people of color instead. The object of the game is to imagine the public reaction to the events or incidents, if the main actors were of color, rather than white. Whoever gains the most insight into the workings of race in America, at the end of the game, wins.

So let’s begin.

Imagine that hundreds of black protesters were to descend upon Washington DC and Northern Virginia, just a few miles from the Capitol and White House, armed with AK-47s, assorted handguns, and ammunition. And imagine that some of these protesters —the black protesters — spoke of the need for political revolution, and possibly even armed conflict in the event that laws they didn’t like were enforced by the government? Would these protester — these black protesters with guns — be seen as brave defenders of the Second Amendment, or would they be viewed by most whites as a danger to the republic? What if they were Arab-Americans? Because, after all, that’s what happened recently when white gun enthusiasts descended upon the nation’s capital, arms in hand, and verbally announced their readiness to make war on the country’s political leaders if the need arose.

Imagine that white members of Congress, while walking to work, were surrounded by thousands of angry black people, one of whom proceeded to spit on one of those congressmen for not voting the way the black demonstrators desired. Would the protesters be seen as merely patriotic Americans voicing their opinions, or as an angry, potentially violent, and even insurrectionary mob? After all, this is what white Tea Party protesters did recently in Washington.

Imagine that a rap artist were to say, in reference to a white president: “He’s a piece of shit and I told him to suck on my machine gun.” Because that’s what rocker Ted Nugent said recently about President Obama.

Imagine that a prominent mainstream black political commentator had long employed an overt bigot as Executive Director of his organization, and that this bigot regularly participated in black separatist conferences, and once assaulted a white person while calling them by a racial slur. When that prominent black commentator and his sister — who also works for the organization — defended the bigot as a good guy who was misunderstood and “going through a tough time in his life” would anyone accept their excuse-making? Would that commentator still have a place on a mainstream network? Because that’s what happened in the real world, when Pat Buchanan employed as Executive Director of his group, America’s Cause, a blatant racist who did all these things, or at least their white equivalents: attending white separatist conferences and attacking a black woman while calling her the n-word.

Imagine that a black radio host were to suggest that the only way to get promoted in the administration of a white president is by “hating black people,” or that a prominent white person had only endorsed a white presidential candidate as an act of racial bonding, or blamed a white president for a fight on a school bus in which a black kid was jumped by two white kids, or said that he wouldn’t want to kill all conservatives, but rather, would like to leave just enough—“living fossils” as he called them—“so we will never forget what these people stood for.” After all, these are things that Rush Limbaugh has said, about Barack Obama’s administration, Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama, a fight on a school bus in Belleville, Illinois in which two black kids beat up a white kid, and about liberals, generally.

Imagine that a black pastor, formerly a member of the U.S. military, were to declare, as part of his opposition to a white president’s policies, that he was ready to “suit up, get my gun, go to Washington, and do what they trained me to do.” This is, after all, what Pastor Stan Craig said recently at a Tea Party rally in Greenville, South Carolina.

Imagine a black radio talk show host gleefully predicting a revolution by people of color if the government continues to be dominated by the rich white men who have been “destroying” the country, or if said radio personality were to call Christians or Jews non-humans, or say that when it came to conservatives, the best solution would be to “hang ‘em high.” And what would happen to any congressional representative who praised that commentator for “speaking common sense” and likened his hate talk to “American values?” After all, those are among the things said by radio host and best-selling author Michael Savage, predicting white revolution in the face of multiculturalism, or said by Savage about Muslims and liberals, respectively. And it was Congressman Culbertson, from Texas, who praised Savage in that way, despite his hateful rhetoric.

Imagine a black political commentator suggesting that the only thing the guy who flew his plane into the Austin, Texas IRS building did wrong was not blowing up Fox News instead. This is, after all, what Anne Coulter said about Tim McVeigh, when she noted that his only mistake was not blowing up the New York Times.

Imagine that a popular black liberal website posted comments about the daughter of a white president, calling her “typical redneck trash,” or a “whore” whose mother entertains her by “making monkey sounds.” After all that’s comparable to what conservatives posted about Malia Obama on freerepublic.com last year, when they referred to her as “ghetto trash.”

Imagine that black protesters at a large political rally were walking around with signs calling for the lynching of their congressional enemies. Because that’s what white conservatives did last year, in reference to Democratic party leaders in Congress.

In other words, imagine that even one-third of the anger and vitriol currently being hurled at President Obama, by folks who are almost exclusively white, were being aimed, instead, at a white president, by people of color. How many whites viewing the anger, the hatred, the contempt for that white president would then wax eloquent about free speech, and the glories of democracy? And how many would be calling for further crackdowns on thuggish behavior, and investigations into the radical agendas of those same people of color?

To ask any of these questions is to answer them. Protest is only seen as fundamentally American when those who have long had the luxury of seeing themselves as prototypically American engage in it. When the dangerous and dark “other” does so, however, it isn’t viewed as normal or natural, let alone patriotic. Which is why Rush Limbaugh could say, this past week, that the Tea Parties are the first time since the Civil War that ordinary, common Americans stood up for their rights: a statement that erases the normalcy and “American-ness” of blacks in the civil rights struggle, not to mention women in the fight for suffrage and equality, working people in the fight for better working conditions, and LGBT folks as they struggle to be treated as full and equal human beings.

And this, my friends, is what white privilege is all about. The ability to threaten others, to engage in violent and incendiary rhetoric without consequence, to be viewed as patriotic and normal no matter what you do, and never to be feared and despised as people of color would be, if they tried to get away with half the shit we do, on a daily basis.

Game Over.

So I Tried to Write Poetry...

And it didn't turn out too badly. Granted, I will never be, nor do I want to be, a poet, but it felt good to stretch my creative muscles. Especially since I am now on chapter seven of kick ass, major overhauling, revisions. I am very, very pleased with how this book is shaping up. I just sent the six chapter proposal off to my agent. I hope she loves it as much as I do.

Oh, did I mention? I'm now the Rose City Romance Writers Published Authors Liaison. Not sure what all that entails, but I'm learning! And it's good to give back to a chapter that has been so good to me.

I'm training for a half marathon... It's coming along... slowly. I'm seriously out of shape, but I think I'll be ready as long as I'm consistent in my training. Which as anyone who knows me can attest, consistency is pretty much my downfall in anything.

Okay, off to get ready to write... I'm meeting a friend to write later and need to upload everything to Google docs:)

Gratitude

Just a few things I'm grateful for:

1. Family
2. Friends (Even if I never get to see them)
3. Employment. (All four people in our family are employed!)
4. My writing (Whether it's going good or ill, I still love doing it!)
5. My running (Even if I can't run far or fast, I have the ability to run!)
6. My Husband, who dropped everything he was doing on his one day off to go help a stranded friend.
7. My agent, who still believes in me.

What's New

Egads, it's been six weeks since I updated. What? I guess like many other people, I found that coming up with 140 characters, or whatever it is on Twitter is much easier than thinking and constructing an entire blog. I have also found the status updates on Facebook to be easier, as well. So you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook. Dangit. I don't know how to direct you to my facebook. Damn these techie learning curves!

In other news, my son has a job. After many months of unemployment, he is now working 10 hours a day which means many hours of quiet for me. Oh, yeah, I am no longer working at Penneys. SO FREAKING HAPPY. I didn't mind the work or the people, but being there at 5am was insane. My teaching job is going great. Love it.

About my writing? Digging deeper and deeper...this concept is so big, I want to do it justice. Been thinking a lot about creativity and how it's connected throughout the arts. How to harness it and make it work for you. Anyway, a discussion better left for over a bottle (or two ) of vino:)

See you on twitter. Will add my facebook url as soon as I figure it out!

Valentines Day

Okay, this blog isn't just about Valentine's Day, though it could be. Not sure because I haven't finished it yet and I did win a Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass, at my chapter meeting, which I am pretty ecstatic over, but right now, I want to talk about my wonderfully romantic weekend.

My husband and I left on Saturday afternoon and our goal was to spend the night in Garibaldi, a small fishing village on Tillamook Bay.




Unfortunately, there was no room at the Inn and we ended up back in Tillamook, which was fine because the hotel was cheap, clean and perfect for the evening's festivities. Which included fine wine, (for me) beer, (for husband) and the Olympics. It also included tons and tons of laughter, which we haven't had nearly enough of as of late. We woke up the next morning and took a walk in old town Tillamook and then headed up the coast around Tillamook Bay and all points North.



We did wine tasting and bought a bottle of Wine at the Great Northern Garlic Company in Manzanita and then stopped here at the Nehalem Bay Winery for more wine tasting:



Ken Kesey used to come here and once stopped with the Merry Pranksters. The winery hosts blues festivals and other such fun and frolic and I can't wait to go back!

We Tried to stop at Seaside, but it's such a tourist trap, we couldn't find a place to park, so we got the heck out of Dodge and went on to Astoria. LOVE Astoria. Astoria is where the movies Goonies was filmed and is such a fun place to hang out.

There are houses like these on almost every residential street.





We tripped around downtown and had some fabulous clam chowder at Steve and Larrys Cafe. The Cheese bread there is very, very special. Then we left the coast and traveled home by way of HWY 30 on the Columbia river where I came up with the new terms, "decor by deliverance" and "Meth much?" It was still fun:)

Incredibly romantic and lots of hand holding. We needed that trip!

tat

I Haven't Forgotten!

I haven't forgotten I have a blog. Nor have I forgotten that I should update...but I did say I've changed my attitude and apparently that means not being online as much as I used to. I'm not even twittering as much!

Last time I posted I wasn't sure how this new attitude was going to affect my life and writing. It's been good. Very good.

I am taking my health seriously again, which in turn has given me new energy. Remember my nonprofit idea? My book club for girls at the low income community center? My wonderful teaching job at Common Ground Extended Care? My writing? All of that takes energy and when my health isn't optimum, neither is my energy.

I took a 2 day Margie Lawson deep edits class that blew my mind. Several times. I have the high concept idea and her workshop gave me the tools to take my writing to places it hasn't been before. So excited! I've also signed up for Bob Mayer's Warrior Writer Workshop in February.

And...I'm getting a tattoo!I have already made the appointment and chosen my design. It's absolutely gorgeous and I will take a pix when it's done. Basically, the design will remind me everyday, of who I am.

So onward! And I promise I won't wait another month to blog:)

A New Attitude for 2010

As most of you know, it's been a long time since I sold my first (and only) fiction book. Three years to be exact. There are any number of reasons why I haven't sold again. I switched agents during that time. I lost my editor, twice. My new agent had to take eight months off for medical reasons... the very day she was going out with my new work.

But when it comes right down to it, I just haven't gotten the right book into the right editor's hands at the right time.

And I'm concerned because in some ways selling has become my focus. Rejections sting more, whereas I used to take them in stride. I'm suffering from professional envy more than I used to, even with people I care about and am truly happy for.

Writing is a business, so it's good for me to be concerned about selling, especially when I want to write for a living. That's my goal, so selling is key, but it isn't everything. I've lost sight of the fact that writing is also my art, my passion, and my calling.

I'm out of balance, out of whack, whatever you want to call it. I feel it in the way I read Publisher Market Place. I feel it in the way I write or don't write. I don't feel the same confidence in myself as a writer and that affects the way I interact with fellow writers, editors and other industry professionals.

So this year, I'm going to focus on myself as an artist--as a writer. I'm going to focus on words, on craft, on seeking out inspiration, on nourishing my inner artist. My new focus doesn't mean I'm going to stop my agent from submitting, or that I'm going to run away to a Tibetan monastery to write in peace and solitude, (though doesn't that sound kind of nice? LOL) But my blog may be different. I may blog about my journey, or I may blog only intermittently. I'm not sure how it's going to look, but I do have a couple things in mind:

1. I won't be attending any conferences this year, only craft workshops and writer's retreats. My RWA chapter has a few good ones coming up that I'm looking forward to. I also plan on putting together a writer's retreat on the Oregon Coast for anyone who is interested.

2.A reevaluation of my goals every few months. I need to keep my finger on my creative pulse to see how I am doing. Keeping in mind I also want to start a non profit and run a marathon this year, I need to keep all my passions in balance.

3. Read or reread some good inspirational books. I love Natalie Goldberg's, Thunder and Lightening. Anyone else have any suggestions?