Measure

I want to wish everyone a happy new year. 

This time of year, I get reflective, as many of us do. For my special education certification, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I should be student teaching spring 2015. And I look forward to going to work each day. On the writing front, I'm about to complete my second rough draft this year. While I still don't have an agent, I feel closer with each draft. On the family front, my husband and I will be together 25 years and married for 20 this coming year. At our newish home, both children are finally feeling more part of the community. And they're growing too quickly. My son is now in high school and my daughter is in middle school. I'm going to appreciate the last few years of my family of 4. With that thought, I wrote this poem: 

Measure

Every day he plays those repetitive notes

to that tune I don’t know the name of.

Some days they croon from the clarinet—

Other days they sing from the saxophones.

When he first attempted it the piece, it

hiccuped and coughed and squeaked.

But each day he practiced, the music

ascended, sparkled, and sashayed to the rhythm.

The concert has long passed, so its droning

presence has become a path to newer pieces.

A warming breath, an inhale, exhale—

An intention for his practice makes perfect.

Some days the music is background thrum,

but today the notes soar to renaissance.

This tune is a measure of my son’s progress—

Of composition coming to life with concerted effort.

This everyday, why again, sometimes

ignored tune has measured time in notes,

seconds, minutes, days, years, and so on it goes.

It’s a measure of the man he will become.

And when he does,

I’ll miss the repetitive rhythm

of the way it was.

- Theresa Milstein

Even though winter has just begun, many areas have already been slammed with a few snowfalls. Earlier this year, I wrote a poem about a storm from a  Magpie Picture Prompt. 

Since then, I've revised and submitted it. It now appears in the Winter 2013 edition Halcyon Magazine. You may either read it for free or purchase a hard copy. 

Enjoy! 

Love, Theresa xo

We are Boston

Last night, my ten-year-old daughter slept in the bedroom with my husband and me.

She was freaked out.

I didn’t know I was until I woke up in the middle of the night, and the previous five days’ events whipped around my brain.

When 09/11 occurred, I lived in New York. The magnitude of what had happened shocked our nation and the world. I lived an hour away and knew people whose lives had been irrevocably changed as a result.

A month later, I moved to Cambridge, MA.

Eleven years later, I moved to Arlington.

A couple of months ago, I posted an article about how I felt at the time of the move from Cambridge to Arlington http://arlington.patch.com/blog_posts/open-letter-to-cambridge-ma. I learned that, for some, there was a divide between the two places wider than the Charles River.

Monday, two bombs exploded at the Boston Marathon.

I’ve never gone to the marathon. Each year I mean to, but somehow don’t. I wasn’t directly in any danger. I knew someone who raced, who was fine. Later, I found out a woman who died worked not far from my house.

But I felt it profoundly. Boston is my home. Not Cambridge. Not Arlington. I don’t identify just with a street or a neighborhood or even a town. The reason my husband and I moved here is because we’d vacationed around Massachusetts when we were still in college and fell in love with the state. The whole Boston-area is home to me.

I wasn’t alone feeling Bostonian. Yankee Stadium played “Sweet Caroline.” Each time, I think about it, I get chills. Other cities, other people made similar gestures at other stadiums, plastered posters of solidarity on Facebook, set up races to honor Boston’s fallen.

The whole week felt surreal. It was spring break, but there was this unease. The persons who committed the atrocious acts were out there… somewhere. Would they be caught? Would they strike again?

Then Friday morning at 6:15, the events familiar to all of us began to unfold. For the next 16 hours, I was glued to the radio and TV and social media. Even though Arlington wasn’t on lockdown, the towns around us were. I had faith in the Boston Police and every unit of law enforcement on the case.

But other parts of the day were even harder. The picture of the suspect who’d escaped. He looked so earnest. I’ve taught children about the age he was in the photo in Cambridge for years. I’d even subbed at Cambridge Rindge and Latin two of the years he was there. I lived just blocks away from the suspects’ home. I had just PARKED MY CAR right by his house and walked past it on WEDNESDAY. Were either of the suspects in there at the time? What were they doing?

Had I walked the same streets with him at the same time? Had our paths crossed?

Even though the terrorists didn’t affect me directly, I was affected.

He looked no different than the kids I’d taught, the children my kids went to school with, the people I saw in the street. I’ve met the teachers in his elementary school. I can picture the kindergarten classes there.

I’ve seen terrorists on the TV before. It was easy to demonize them. While I know this suspect should and will be punished, I know he was here living with us.

How did he live with us, yet still de-humanize us? How could he plan something so big and horrible?

He was a part of Boston, yet he hurt it.

He hurt us.

More than ever, I am not just a part of my street or neighborhood or town. The Boston Marathon is an international event. Our world is as big or as small as we make it.

If we make our world big, then there is no us vs. them. There’s just us.

No matter where we are, we are Boston.

This appeared on the Arlington Patch: http://arlington.patch.com/blog_posts/we-are-boston

Colonization Release!

I'm so excited to share the release of Colonization: Paradise Reclaimed! This has been years in the making. This story is very special to Aubrie and she's happy to finally be able to share it with the world! 


Click here for Inkspell's special 30% off discount 
Click Here to buy it on Amazon
Click Here to buy it on Barnes and Noble


Finding a new home has never been so dangerous...

Andromeda has spent all seventeen years of her life aboard a deep space transport vessel destined for a paradise planet. Her safe cocoon is about to break open as Paradise 21 looms only one month away, and she must take the aptitude tests to determine her role on the new world and her computer

assigned lifemate. As a great-granddaughter of the Commander of the ship, she wants to live up to her family name. But, her forbidden love for her childhood friend, Sirius, distracts her and she fails the tests. The results place her in a menial role in the new colony and pair her with Corvus, “the oaf”.

But when Andromeda steps foot on Paradise 21, her predestined future is the least of her worries. Alien ghosts from a failed colonization warn her of a deadly threat to her colony. And when Sirius's ship crashes on the far ridge in an attempt to investigate, she journeys to rescue him with Corvus.

Andromeda now must convince the authorities of the imminent danger to protect her new home. What she didn't expect was a battle of her own feelings for Sirius and Corvus.

Can she save the colony and discover her true love?

Lessons from Lenny Lee

"It is less painful to learn in youth than to be ignorant in age”

- Proverb

As a children’s writer, I believe youth have more to teach me than I could ever hope to teach them. While I pull from past experiences and feelings in my writing, my everyday life is consumed by adult worries, joys, and obligations.

Most of my on-line writer friends are adults.  Lenny Lee was the first child to follow my blog.  I’ve learned much from the few years I’ve known him.

Lessons from Lenny Lee

1.    Don’t let age stop you.

I think back to my youth. It never would’ve occurred to me to contact an author I admired, let alone start collaborations with other writers.  And since the Internet didn’t exist when I was his age (man, I’m old), writers weren’t as accessible as we are now.  Lenny Lee not only writes, but critiques other writers’ manuscripts. He’s part of the writing community! 

2.    If you want to do it well, learn it.

While I breathed books and liked to write, when I was his age, it also never occurred to me I could be a writer.  I thought people were just brilliant at it. If not, then I had no right to pursue it.  Didn’t know there was a whole craft to learn for everyone.  See, he’s smarter than me.  He actually finds out how this whole writing thing works. And does it!

3.    Use your knowledge to give advice to other writers.

Clearly, I didn’t have a blog when I was his age (since the Internet hadn’t even been invented). When I started a blog 3 years ago, I didn’t think I had much writing advice to offer the world. Lenny not only learns about the craft of writing, but also shares his wisdom with others. He has written excellent posts on writing. I’ve learned from reading his blog. 

4.    Be positive.

I don’t want to admit how often I feel sorry for myself. Actually, read the archives, and you can find out.  I’m sure Lenny Lee has down days too, but his blog is all advice and encouragement. 

5.    Have your own unique voice.

It took me YEARS to figure out how to find my voice as a writer.  Read Lenny Lee’s blog and it’s all VOICE.  His personality shines on his blog.  I bet it’s the same for his fiction.

I can no longer call Lenny Lee a child.  

He’s turning 13 TODAY!  

Please visit this teen’s  BLOG

 and wish him a very  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday, Lenny Lee!

May you have many, many more.

It’s great seeing you grow.

xo

Love,

Miss Theresa

“Through our great good fortune, in our youth our hearts were touched with fire.  It was given to us to learn at the outset that life is a profound and passionate thing.”

- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Off Track

View from a field near my new home.

“Even if you are on the right track—you will get run over if you just sit there.”

- Will Rogers

Happy Autumn.

       Lately, I’ve been feeling like my blog has been captured by promotion.  And that is because it has.  Part of the reason is that good friends have published books.  Another part is that more people are self-publishing, so more books are being published.  And the last part is I have a short story coming out in an anthology, so I’m even going to be promoting my own stuff.

My blog has gotten off track. 

       I began blogging 3 years ago with the mission to chronicle my living hell life as a substitute teacher.  Some of the posts were funny or some poor attempt thereof. Some were poignant.  If I really nailed it, the pieces were both. 

       But I didn’t write just about teaching, but also writing and sometimes snippets of my personal life.  Here and there, I might do a book review or promote someone’s work, but those were exceptions.  Then I began working full time in 2010, and blogged less.  Those once-a-week slots filled up with more and more “other”. 

       While my blog has changed, this summer was (mostly) typical. I spent it visiting family, enjoying my kids, taking my kids to camp, setting up our new house, exploring our new town, applying for jobs, and writing and submitting.  The biggest change, besides the new house, was getting the dog. 

Oh, and my husband and his dad parachuted from a plane:

       Nearly everyday these few months, I wrote nearly everyday.  I wanted to achieve more than I did, but I did pretty well.  I started a middle grade novel (I’m over 10k into it) and started overhauling on an old middle grade novel (I’m more than halfway through it).  I also edited my last YA a bunch of times.  It’s with a reader now, so I won’t do anything with it until I receive feedback.

       My teaching life is kind of like my writing life: lots of stuff goes out, but they don’t lead to lots of “YES” replies.  But I did have a poem in the July issue of Vine Leaves and my vignette from their April issue, “Left Behind”, will be included in their Best of Vine Leaves paperback on December. 

      Now I’m back at work. My aide job this year is more challenging.  I’m working with an autistic child who has a hard time following the routine.  This student needs so much support just to switch tasks, which is a new experience for me.  While I’m fond of the student and am working hard to help the child thrive, it feels far removed from what I envisioned my role as an educator to be. 

       My kids are coping with switching schools in our new town.  My son went from a tiny school to a huge one.  After several scheduling problems, which added to feeling overwhelmed, he’s getting along better.  He’s also kept in touch with old friends, which helps.  My daughter had an easier start since this summer she made a neighborhood friend who’s in her class.  But it takes time to build friendships, so it’s still a transition for her too.  It’s hard to watch them struggle. 

       Even with work, the house, and the kid’s after school activities, I’m determined to keep writing manuscripts and submit short stories. A piece I wrote last summer,  “My Moment”, is coming out in the From Stage Door Shadows anthology on 09/29, so I’ve set up a mini blog tour.  I’ve gone through trouble to make sure when I link to guest posts, they’re not just there to say, “BUY MY BOOK.”  The crowd of publication-pushers has become so large, we’re all feeling fatigued.  But I’m proud of the story and if I have a piece in a book, I think I owe it to the publishers to get the word out. 

       I’m going to try to wrestle my blog back to its roots.  Not subbing which would kill me, but less promotion and more about my struggles and your struggles.  Like when I began this blog, I’m still trying to not get derailed by what’s not working in my life, but holding on to the small successes.  I think I can, I think I can.

 This is my cat when we were packing to move.

What were your challenges and successes this summer?

Generous Giveaway!

 S.A. Larsen 

at 

Writers Alley

has an agent.  YaY!

To celebrate, she’s doing a generous giveaway!  There were so many donated prizes that she set up 3 giveaway categories. 

Giveaway #1: a Rafflecopter giveaway Giveaway #2: a Rafflecopter giveaway Grand Giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway

As part of the giveaway, I’ve donated a copy of the anthology From Stage Door Shadows, which will feature a short story I wrote, “My Moment”.

Enter to win until 09/27 and spread the word.  Winners will be announced on 09/28. 

Good luck!  

Fifty Shades of Grammar

Jenny Baranick has great hair, 

  the most awesome car, 

and the best sense of humor.

Today, Jenny is here to teach you a little about grammar:

Fifty Shades of Grammar

I haven’t read Fifty Shades of Grey because why would I want to read about something that so closely mirrors my own life? Gorgeous men buy me cars all the time. I just signed like my fiftieth sex contract. And I am so sick of private helicopter rides. But another reason I am boycotting the book is that I heard that upon its release it was riddled with spelling and grammar errors. Apparently, the publisher fixed them and re-released the book, but I hold grudges—especially grammatical ones.

I scoured the Internet for examples of the errors, but I couldn’t find any. So I decided to take quotes from Fifty Shades of Grey and make my own grammar errors. What’s wrong with these excerpts?

1.     You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your Prince.

A.     A lot should be one word.

B.     Prince should be lowercase, unless she means that we can all find our own star of Purple Rain.

C.     Your should be you’re.

2.     He kisses me, forcing my lips a part with his tongue, taking no prisoners.

A.     A part should be apart.

B.     I appreciate a passionate kiss, but a kiss that “tak[es] no prisoners” seems like teeth would get chipped.

C.     The first comma should be a semicolon.

3.      “The more you submit, the greater my joy – its a very simple equation.”
“Okay, and what do I get out of this?”
He shrugs and looks almost apologetic.
“Me,” he says simply.

A.     Worst deal ever!

B.     Its should be it’s.

C.     The comma after me should be after the quotation marks.

4.     My subconscious is furious, medusa-like in her anger, hair flying, her hands clenched around her face like Edvard Munchs Scream.

A.     The titles of works of art are put in quotation marks, not italicized.

B.     Munchs needs an apostrophe.

C.     It’s a bit much to include a Greek mythological character and Norwegian Symbolism painter reference in the same sentence.

Good luck!

For more fun, Missed Periods and Other Grammar Scares can be found at:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Book Depository

Visit her BLOG

Hide

“I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that before developing his talent he would be wise to develop a thick hide.”

—Harper Lee

       I read my last post and feel like a different person wrote it.  This isn’t an unfamiliar feeling.  Any writer knows that with great hope comes the eventual loss of hope. 

One positive piece of news can make a day.

One negative feedback can break a day.

       For me, it seems to be coming from all fronts. I apply for jobs, many through schoolspring.com.  Sometimes, I get an email that an employer has read my resume (hope).  Sometimes, I get an email that the position has been filled (loss of hope). 

       I spent much of Sunday applying for non-teaching jobs.  I’m still applying for teaching and even better paying instructional aide jobs.  What is one qualified for (other than teaching) with a History B.A. and M.A.? I worked at GEICO full time, and then part time during grad school, but that was a long time ago.  I hope to find a position in education, so maybe there will be some more vacation time for me to spend with my kids.  I’ll miss the summer. That is, if I get a job. At least my last job is waiting for me.

Then there’s writing…

I’ve sent 10 queries.

I’ve received 2 rejections.

 Vine Leaves Literary Journal  accepted my poem for their July issue. (YaY!)

       In the midst of that happiness, I received 2 bits of negative writing feedback, so the brief moment in the sun became a tsunami.

I feel like hiding.

I’m tired of saying I’m a teacher who isn’t teaching.

I’m tired of saying I’m a writer who isn’t published.

Small pieces.

But no BIG BOOKS.

       Since summer began, I’ve been devoting lots of time to editing.  I plan to have 2 more projects to query by end of summer. 

Too bad the story of my life is… the best laid plans.

Depressed yet? 

I’m leaving us with some inspirational quotes.  We could use them about now.

“When your story is ready for rewrite, cut it to the bone. Get rid of every ounce of excess fat. This is going to hurt; revising a story down to the bare essentials is always a little like murdering children, but it must be done.”
—Stephen King, WD

“Plot is people. Human emotions and desires founded on the realities of life, working at cross purposes, getting hotter and fiercer as they strike against each other until finally there’s an explosion—that’s Plot.”
—Leigh Brackett, WD

“Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read. I know of no shortcuts.”
—Larry L. King, WD

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”
—Ernest Hemingway

“Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.”
—George Orwell

“The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress.”
—Philip Roth

Okay, maybe not all inspirational.

What do you do to keep a thick hide?