and Yuyi Morales’<\/a><\/strong> kickin’ ’07 snowflake}<\/em><\/font><\/center><\/p>\n
First, the two links: <\/p>\n
* * * Head on over to Anne Boles Levy’s Book Buds<\/em><\/a><\/strong> today, ’cause she’s posting a Q&A with none other than Jane Yolen<\/a><\/strong> for a cause she’s promoting. She’s Children’s Ambassador for the Winterthur Museum<\/a><\/strong> in Delaware and is hosting a contest for children to write their own ABC books. As Anne put it yesterday<\/a><\/strong>, it’s “not some measly, peasly bloggy giveaway, either, but one sponsored by a museum with a gala dinner thrown in.” Woot! <\/p>\n * * * Secondly, have you all seen Alkelda’s<\/a><\/strong> new Spinning Wheel series? I have to take a moment to point out how rockin’ it is. It’s a series of interviews she has begun — her own original series, that is — of children’s musicians. If you are someone who cares about good, doesn’t-make-you-want-to-gag, non-Barney-esque music for children, then it’s a great resource (as well as Warren Truitt’s Children’s Music That Rocks<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, a colleague of Betsy Bird’s<\/a><\/strong> at the New York Public Library). If you visit Saints and Spin<\/a>ners<\/strong><\/em> and look on the right of Alkelda’s blog’s template, you’ll see the musicians she’s interviewed so far (under “Spinning Wheel Interviews”). Today she interviews Eric Ode<\/a><\/strong>. Here’s<\/a><\/strong> the link. Enjoy! <\/p>\n What say you, authors? As someone who likes to talk to authors and author\/illustrators about their writing process (though fellow Southerner Gwenda<\/a><\/strong> is the queen of this), I found that an interesting statement. But then, I’m not a writer. If you are, what do you think? Do tell. We Blog Nerds who love to read and read about<\/em> writing would love to know. <\/p>\n Addendum: This was very much a parenthetical, quicky side comment as she was telling us that — after showing us slides of her space at home where she works as an artist (which was great) — she would talk about her novel. I didn’t hear her entire talk, so I missed some about the novel-writing. She might have delved into process — or the lack of it — there, though I believe she was planning on mostly talking about her Civil War research. Part of what makes this a good question for authors is the open-ended nature of it. I, in no way, mean to imply that Wells was being insensitive. <\/p>\n
for You Authors Out There (if you’ve made it this far):<\/strong><\/font><\/center><\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/sfob.jpg\")
At the Southern Festival of Books<\/a><\/strong> a couple weeks ago here in Nashville, I heard author\/illustrator\/novelist Rosemary Wells<\/a><\/strong> speak briefly. She said — and I quote this exactly — “process doesn’t exist. Any good writer will tell you that.”<\/em><\/font> <\/p>\n