Thought for the Day:
“A writer – and, I believe, generally all persons – must think that whatever happens to him or her is a resource. All things have been given to us for a purpose, and an artist must feel this more intensely. All that happens to us, including our humiliations, our misfortunes, our embarrassments, all is given to us as raw material, as clay, so that we may shape our art.”
~ Jorge Luis Borges ~
Gifts for My Writer Friends:
In one of my manuscripts, my main character is badly injured. I wanted this to be realistic, and I was lucky enough to have a critique partner whose husband was an emergency room doctor. I was able to get good information from him. HERE is a great article from K. M. Allan with The Injuries Checklist, an invaluable tool if you don’t have an emergency room doc on call.
Dave King has a super post on Character Building HERE on Writer Unboxed that will help you ensure your characters can fit in wherever they are in time and space.
If you are doing any revision, you will want to read the Narrative Nugget HERE from Janice Hardy. You won’t be so overwhelmed after reading this.
I’ve spent way too much time watching the U. S. Open tennis this week. I don’t usually watch the U. S. Open, and I think it’s because of the screeching of the shoes on the hard court surface. I guess that’s why I like the French Open (clay surface) and Wimbledon (grass surface) so much better. There are still some terrific American players in the tournament, but my absolute favorite player on the men’s side, Ben Shelton, was forced to withdraw due to injury. Boo! But he is young and strong, so I’m sure he will be back soon. Coco Gauff, my absolute favorite player these days, has been struggling with her serve. She hired a new coach just last week, and it has been interesting to see her work on that problem in the middle of this important tournament. There is another American player I haven’t seen before, Taylor Townsend, who is tearing up the courts. She is very exciting and fun to watch. Unfortunately, she is out in the Round of 16, but boy, howdy, did she battle!
Last week, I offered one of you a gently-read hardcover copy of THE BURNING SEASON by Caroline Starr Rose. This week’s winner, who shared my link for an extra chance, is Danielle Hammelef. Congratulations, Danielle! Thanks for reading, commenting, and sharing my link. I’ll get your book out to you soon.
Someone mentioned THE HONEST TRUTH by Dan Gemeinhart on one of the blogs I read. I wish I could remember where I saw it. Anyway, I had read a couple of other books by Gemeinhart that I really loved — THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF COYOTE SUNRISE and COYOTE LOST AND FOUND. If you’re interested, you can see my reviews of those HERE and HERE.)
Mark, 12, has battled cancer more than once in his short life, but this time, when the doctors say the cancer is back, Mark isn’t interested in spending more time in hospitals having poison dripped into his body, feeling lousy, and watching his parents and best friend worry. He decides he is going to take control of his life, however much he has left, and complete a journey he and his late grandfather had long talked about. Mark has some money — not a lot but enough — and his faithful dog Beau to keep him company. And he has a plan. He leaves a note for his best friend, Jessica, and sneaks out of town, covering his tracks well enough to fool everyone about where he is going. It’s a long journey with plenty of obstacles, not the least of which is a huge blizzard — all things that threaten Mark’s plan. And just when you think things can’t get worse, they do.
THE HONEST TRUTH, it turns out, was Gemeinhart’s first novel, and to some degree, it shows. His character development and storytelling skills are better now than in his early days, but THE HONEST TRUTH is a very good story, one I think young readers will find engaging. Readers will be cheering for Mark all the way through, even when he makes very questionable decisions, as do a couple of other people in the book, including Jessica, Mark’s best friend, as well as a seemingly very intelligent person who gives Mark a ride. There is no lack of tension in the story, and young readers are bound to keep the pages turning. If you like exciting stories and survivor stories, you are sure to like this book.
Please don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.
Rosi Hollinbeck 
Congrats to Danielle! This sounds like a great survivor story. It’s interesting that you can see how the author’s writing has improved since he wrote this debut book. Happy MMGM!
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It was interesting to read his first book after having read the later ones. It’s a good exercise for writers. Thanks for the comment.
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Thank you, Rosi! Survivor stories always keep me reading. The Honest Truth also sounds like an emotional survival story and it’s one I hadn’t heard of before. I haven’t watched any of the tennis matches, but I did find it interesting that the different countries have different materials for the courts.
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This is a story you would like. Your library should have it . Thanks for the comment.
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well, who can resist a story about a blizzard? not me! Back in the last century I had a friend who had cancer and decided to take a cross-country road trip instead of medical intervention.
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So you like blizzard books. Interesting. One of my all time favorite books is Winter Cabin by Carol Ryrie Brink — a great blizzard book. It’s old and hard to find, but really good. I hope your friend made the right decision. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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This one’s been on my list for ages. I absolutely loved Coyote Sunrise (I think I owe you thanks for tipping me off to her story). And I live where Mt. Rainier is just “The Mountain.”
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Both Coyote Sunrise books are great. Glad you liked it. They do refer to Mt. Rainier as “The Mountain” in the book. You would probably enjoy the book especially due to the setting. Thanks for the comment.
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I loved watching Wimbledon when I was younger but now I rarely watch tv. I’m glad you are enjoying the US Open! Thanks so much for the links. The book sounds good, it’s a difficult topic to write about, and it sounds like the author does a good job. Thanks for the recommendation!
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Glad you like the links. The book does cover difficult territory, but it’s very good. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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I believe it was Susan Uhlig’s review where I first heard about THE HONEST TRUTH. It’s on my TBR list and hopefully I will get to it soon, especially after reading your reaction. Labor Day gave me time to enjoy all your links in one sitting. Great information. Thanks for finding them. Happy MMNGM!
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So glad you like the links. Maybe it was Susan’s blog where I saw this. I get a lot of good recommendations from her blog. Thanks for the comment.
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This sounds like a heart-renching but good book. And the title is great.
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Heart-wrenching is a good description. Well worth reading. Thanks for the comment.
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I’m still chuckling about irony. Thanks for the laugh! I’ve read Dan’s other books, so it will be interesting to read this one. Maybe it will end up on my TBR pile.
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Glad you liked the joke! It’s an interesting book. I think you’d like it. Thanks for the comment.
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Thanks for including my Injuries Checklist post, Rosi. Much appreciated, and I’m glad you found it helpful 😊.
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Maybe it was me! Who recommended the book.
This Injuries Checklist inspired me to write my own blog post about writing injuries and listing it as one of the helpful resources.
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Well, now you’ve got me curious about where Mark actually goes! I like what you said about Gemeinhart getting better at character development and storytelling. I sometimes think of writing as some weird kind of martial art, with me as the eternal grasshopper!
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