David*Macinnis*Gill.com

In writ­ing news, I fin­ished the first draft of the PB. It’s in at 767 words, which is 267 words over tar­get. The set up is too long any­way, so it’s a good can­di­date for par­ing. The lan­guage is rough, of course. The biggest prob­lem is voice. There’s a POV shift in one para­graph, and …

I con­tinue to be awed and inspired by Jane Yolen. We’ve never met, unless you count a brief intro­duc­tion a con­ven­tion sign­ing line or in a brief “hello, love your work” in a crowded pub­lish­ers’ cock­tail party. Through her online jour­nal and the var­i­ous speeches posted on the inter­net, though, I’ve come to under­stand many …

I coined a new term today: geoxymoron–a con­tra­dic­tion of places. It’s my idiom for cities and town with names that are con­tra­dic­tions in term. Man­hat­tan, KS (my favorite) Rome, GA Athens, TN Got any others?

Printz Medal: LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green Printz Honor: BLACK JUICE by Margo Lana­gan I AM THE MESSENGER by Markus Zusak JOHN LENNON by Eliz­beth Par­tridge A WREATH FOR EMMETT TILL by Mar­i­lyn Nelson

Are you ready to W.I.N.? The 2006 Write It Now! Com­pe­ti­tion is open for entries! Dis­cover how to increase your con­fi­dence and sense of accom­plish­ment as a writer in the pres­ti­gious Write It Now! Com­pe­ti­tion. In just two years, over 40 of our W.I.N.NING writ­ers and illus­tra­tors have had their work pub­lished or put under …

I will arise and go now, and go to Inn­is­free, And a small cabin build there, of clay and wat­tles made: Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the hon­ey­bee, And live alone in the bee-loud glade. And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes drop­ping slow, Drop­ping from the veils …