1.

As you may have guessed from my last post, I’ll be at BEA next week Thursday-Saturday. If you’re looking for a detailed schedule of YA signings and giveaways happening at BEA, I’ve created one and I’d be happy to share it with you. Please email me at shanasilver at gmail dot com. Since I’m a Project Manager in my day job, my schedules are pretty epic. I will also be carrying extra copies of the schedule with me at the Javits, so you can find me there as well. Or if you just want to say hello, that’s cool too! I love to meet new people, especially book-loving people! I look like this:

*Giant Hershey’s bar not included at BEA

2.

Since I work in publishing, my office is sending me to BEA, so technically I’ll be there under my real name. Luckily my real name includes “Shana” but my last name will begin with a “P” instead of “Silver.” It’s still me, you can still say hi! And I’ve got business cards that say Shana Silver to prove it. (I also have day job ones under my real name if you happen to be a vendor working in digital publishing.)

3.

Unless my achy feet have other plans, I’m hoping to attend some YA parties happening next week. I won’t be at the Teen Author Carnival but you may see me at other events happening Thursday and Friday evenings and maybe even Saturday afternoon.

4.

The good thing about BEA being next week, besides you know, all the bookselling and networking benefits, is TV is on hiatus for the summer. I can’t wait to fill my evenings with reading instead of gushing over shirtless vampires! Though I could still gush over shirtless vampires on Netflix…

5.

In other book/writing related news, I’ve surpassed 50k on my YA sci-fi WIP! I’m sooooo excited about this book. And I’m even more excited because getting to 50k means lots of kissing (for my characters, not for me). Also I’m almost at Act 3 and Act 3 will be epic!

BEA (Book Expo America) is quickly approaching and if you’re a first time attendee, it can be overwhelming. This will be my fifth year attending the conference and over the past few years, I’ve developed a list of tips for surviving and enjoying BEA.

My tips are a little different than others that focus on NYC itself. I work in Manhattan so I’m here every day, which means I’m not a tourist and can’t really speak to things like hotels or places to sight see beyond the obvious or shipping books home (I’ll be lugging mine home every night in a suitcase dragged onto a NJ transit train). NYC IS lovely of course and while you’re here you should make the most of it. But since I’m here every day, my concern is only Book Expo.

1. Make a schedule.

Anyone who has gone with me to BEA in the past knows how much I love schedules. I include every possible thing I want to see–whether it’s an autographing session, a conference session, or a galley giveaway. I also include stuff I’m not interested in myself but I know my friends might be. I always carry extra copies because there’s always someone who never thought to bring a schedule. And yes, I schedule lunch too. (More on that in a bit.)

2. Don’t get to the Javits on time.

What I mean is, get there either really early so you’re first in line (like 7:30/8) or get there late so you miss the line entirely. Getting there on time means you’ll be stuck on a ridiculously long line.

3. Get coffee before you get to the Javits center.

Avoid the on site Starbucks! The line there is longer than any other autographing line in the entire conference!

4. Check a suitcase but carry a backpack plus tote bags.

Schedule in periodic drops to the suitcase to lighten your carrying load. I think checking a suitcase for the day is $3 and overnight is $10. I usually leave the suitcase overnight one night so I don’t have to lug it around to parties since I commute into the city from NJ and will not have a hotel room to drop books of to.

5. Eat lunch early or late.

The Javits is expensive (for non-NYC standards. If you’re from NYC, then the food there is reasonably priced!). And crowded. I suggest either eating lunch either at 11 or after 2pm. Avoid the lunch time at all costs. You won’t get a seat and you’ll spend an hour on line anyway. Alternatively, bring a power bar or a snack. There’s nothing around the Javits to eat at unless you walk several blocks away (or eat at the gross McDonald’s nearby). Also, leave a water bottle in your suitcase so you don’t have to purchase one at the convention center.

6. Be selective.

Don’t take every galley you see just because you can. Don’t be greedy. Take only the ones you know you will read, leave the rest for others. The conference is mainly for librarians and booksellers, not bloggers.

7. Get to autographing lines early.

And I mean EARLY. I often lined up an hour before certain authors I knew would have long wait times. I have never seen an autographing line without a long wait. If you want a book, plan in advance for it.

8. Dress to your standard of comfort but look professional.

I’ve seen other BEA tips lists suggest wearing sneakers. I’m not going to suggest that. I’ve never worn sneakers to the convention, even last year when I attended at 9-months pregnant. Yes, you will  be standing nearly all day. But that doesn’t mean you have to wear sneakers. Wear cute flats or sandals, something you can stand in all day. I always wear a dress. I never wear jeans.

9. Carry business cards

They don’t have to be super fancy or graphic designy, but you will want something to hang out to all the people you meet. Otherwise how will they find you? After all, you should be networking. Which brings me to…

10. Network, damn it!

You’re among your kind at BEA: other book lovers! Start a conversation with the people next to you on line. You clearly have the same interests. I’ve made great friends at BEA that I’ve kept in touch with.

11. Avoid twitter.

Otherwise you’ll drain your phone battery. Plus, you want to be present at the conference, not with your nose to your phone all day. (We’d all prefer you with your nose to a book you picked up!)

12. Get a Taxi on 10th ave or 9th ave, not in front of the Javits

You will be waiting forever if you try to snag a taxi in front of the Javits, but if you just walk a block or two, you’ll have your pick of taxis.

13. Don’t be afraid of the subway

Seriously, it won’t bite. It’s not that complicated to navigate with since most trains run straight up and down. Trust me, I take the subway every day to work and I’m still in one piece!

14. Enjoy the people as well as the books

My fave part of BEA is hanging out with my writing/book-loving friends who I don’t get to see the rest of the year. I always come back exhilarated about writing and reading thanks to our conversations and the general atmosphere of being in a place where everyone loves and appreciates books. Remember to have fun.

15. End the weekend with a pedicure.

Your feet will hurt. Treat yo’self!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. My list is in no particular order.

TOP TEN TUESDAY

1. LOSING FAITH by Denise Jaden.
   I’m not just recommending this one because it’s dedicated to me, but because Denise does an amazing job capturing the grief that comes from losing a sister. My fave aspect of the book is how the main character, Brie, questions whether she ever really liked her sister. I think that’s one aspect of having a sibling that everyone can relate to–hating them when you’re supposed to love them–and I love how Denise takes it to a new level by showing what happens when you lose the person you’re supposed to love even when you hate.
2. WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson.
   Laurie is a master of voice and there is no better demonstration of great voice than this book. And the voice in this book enhances the subject matter by showing just how fragile Lia’s mind is as she struggles with an eating disorder.
3. LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green.
   Of course this book would be on my list. How could it not? I love how the chapters count backward, increasing the anticipation to the Incident. I fell in love with Alaska along with the main character and I grieved when he lost her.
4. ELEANOR AND PARK by Rainbow Rowell.
   When I read this book, I expected a lighthearted swoony romance. What I got was so much more. And it’s the “so much more” that makes enters this book into my top ten tough subjects.
5. GOOD GIRLS by Laura Ruby.
   This book is about sexting before sexting had an official (official slang?) term. It’s a great book that explores the aftermath of a single act that brands a girl a slut at school and what that really means.
6. SWEETHEARTS by Sara Zarr.
   Child abuse from the eyes of someone who wants to help but can’t.
7. SHADOW KISS by Richelle Mead.
   Yes, it’s about vampires but it’s also about a girl who thinks she might be going crazy. It’s a supernatural twist on mental disorders.
8. THIRTEEN REASONS WHY by Jay Asher.
   No list could be complete without this entry. It’s a heart breaking look at how seemingly trivial things might be big enough to someone else to drive them to suicide.
9. JELLICOE ROAD by Melina Marchetta.
   This book is about abandonment and grief. But of course that’s not all it’s about. There’s so much more.
10. DREAMLAND by Sarah Dessen.
    A heartbreaking look at why some people stay in a physically abusive relationship.

My good friend and crit partner Chandler Baker has sold her debut YA novel ALIVE to Disney*Hyperion!!!

Xander does the Snoopy dance in celebration!

I’ve known Chandler a long time. Nearly as long as I’ve been writing. She keeps me sane while on submission and always gives me awesome, thoughtful comments on my novels. Not only that, we usually spend all day on gchat talking about writing, motivating each other, and brainstorming. This deal is well-deserved. I’m so happy for her and her book!  I know when you read it, you’ll be as blown away by her writing as I am.

How amazing does this sound?

Stella Cross’s heart is poisoned—and it’s finally given out. At seventeen, Stella has always been a rule follower, both analytical and cautious, and her body has done the rebelling.  She’s been sick for years, and as the book opens, she’s undergoing a major heart transplant.

With a new heart comes new beginnings: her relieved parents can finally tackle a mountain of medical bills; Stella can reconnect with her golden-child baby sister; and at school, her friends delight in reintroducing her to life outside a hospital bed. But Stella’s post-op days have also introduced strange side effects: flashbacks. Hallucinations. A recurring pain that flares every day at the same moment. Then Stella meets the Levi Zin, the new and exotic boy at school, and soon, Stella discovers the line between life and death is more fragile than even a girl with a replacement heart could imagine.

Head on over to her blog to congratulate her!

Recently, I read a book that everyone raved about. Everyone loved. And I…didn’t. In fact, I had a really difficult time getting into it. Everyone talked about the amazing writing and I just wasn’t impressed.

I felt left out, like everyone I knew was invited to a party except me.

I started to wonder if I was missing something. Maybe the story had gone over my head. Maybe I was being too critical. Maybe I was too tired when I read and glossed over something vital that would have changed my mind. Maybe I didn’t really know what good looked like.

If I didn’t know what good was, how did that reflect in my own writing?

And the worst part…this was not the first time this had happened to me. I thought back and remembered other publicly beloved books that I had set back on my shelf after less than 100 pages without any desire to find out what happened next. Clearly, if this was a repeat occurrence, I couldn’t write it off as a fluke. There had to be something wrong with me, right?

No.

Books aren’t one size fits all. It’s okay to dislike something everyone else likes. It’s okay to be different! Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

That’s why demographics and target audiences exist. Sure, I like YA. But that doesn’t mean I like ALL YA. To be honest, I’m just not that into zombies. High fantasy usually doesn’t hook me. I tend to stay away from sad books unless I’m in a particular mood for them. But give me a swoony contemporary romance or a funny voice and I’m instantly drawn in. Others may be prefer something darker to exclamation points.

So when I hate a book everyone else loves, it’s not because I missed something and it’s not because I don’t know what good really is. It’s because my definition of good is not the same as anyone else’s definition.

My point is, it’s me, not the book. And that’s okay.

With only two weeks until the annual TV Upfronts, which is where most networks announce their Fall schedules and we find out which TV pilots have been picked up to series, I thought it was time to do my list of pilots I’m most excited about. If you’re a longtime reader of this blog, you know I’ve done this before. If you’re new here, then you might be able to get a taste for the things I like from this list.

For a complete list of all potential TV pilots in the running, go here.

DELIRIUM

Based on bestselling trilogy about a world where love is deemed illegal and is able to be eradicated with a special procedure. With 95 days to go until her scheduled treatment, Lena Holoway does the unthinkable: she falls in love.

This is the number one pilot I’m hoping gets picked up for obvious reasons. First, it’s based off a YA series. A YA series i happen to love by an author I really admire. Second, the concept is one I think will translate really well from book to screen. Third, I like the actors. And though this is a terrible reason, I’m curious to see if the guy from THE SECRET LIFE OF AN AMERICAN TEENAGER can actually act when he has decent material to work with.
 
 
 

SLEEPY HOLLOW

Follows Ichabod Crane as he partners with Sleepy Hollow’s local female sheriff to solve the mysteries of a town ravaged by the battle between good and evil.

DADS

Two successful guys in their 30s have their world turned upside down when their dads move in with them. Seth Green, Giovanni Ribisi, Brenda Song stars.

GOTHICA

A sexy gothic soap set in present day that weaves together a mythology that incorporates the legends of Dracula, Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein and Dorian Gray among others.

PULLING

The story of three dysfunctional women in their 30s living their lives the way they want, even if society tells them they should have it all figured out by this point. June Raphael, Matt Oberg, Jenny Slate and Kristin Schaal star.

SUPER FUN NIGHT

Kimmie and her two best friends since high school have an awesome Friday night tradition of staying home in their pj’s and hanging out with each other, but when Kimmie gets a big promotion at her law firm and is invited to a party by the cute transfer from the London office, she realizes that she needs to step-up her game and convince her friends to take Super Fun Night on the road. Rebel Wilson, Lauren Ash, Liza Lapira, Kelen Coleman and Kevin Bishop star.

SUPER CLYDE

Single-camera comedy about a meek, unassuming fast food worker decides to become a super hero. Cast: Rupert Grint, Tyler Labine.

CRAZY ONES

Single-camera comedy about a father and daughter who work together in an advertising office. Cast: Robin Williams, Sarah Michelle Gellar.

BLOODLINE

From producer-director Pete Berg, Bloodline is a pulpy, highly stylized, thrill ride that catapults the viewer into the cheeky world of Bird Benson, a smart, irreverent and strong young girl who, due to an accident of birth, finds herself caught in the middle of an epic struggle between two warrior families set against the backdrop of modern suburbia. Skyler Samuels, Jonathan Banks star.

THE SIXTH GUN

A drama that’s based on the best-selling supernatural graphic novel that follows the story of six mythical guns, each with its own other-worldly powers. Michiel Huisman, Laura Ramsey star.

This is being created by Carlton Cuse, aka one of the masterminds behind LOST. Though I haven’t yet forgiven him for season 6 of LOST and the horrible, predictable outcome of the show, I still enjoyed the ride of LOST and the way the story unfolded. I was hooked from minute one. I hope this has the same appeal, but with a better final mystery solution!

DRACULA

This drama series re-introduces Dracula as he arrives in London, posing as Alexander Grayson, an American entrepreneur who claims that he wants to bring modern science to Victorian society. In reality, he hopes to wreak revenge on the people who ruined his life centuries earlier. There’s only one circumstance that can potentially thwart his plan: he’s fallen hopelessly in love with a young woman who appears to be the reincarnation of his dead wife. (Cast: Jonathan Rhys Meyers)

I hope by now it’s been well-established I love retellings. I love them ALMOST as much as I love vampires. This sounds like REVENGE meets SUPERNATURAL. As long as it’s not procedural, I’m in!

ASSISTANCE

A single-camera comedy centered on an idealistic working girl assistant who is pulled between her colleague — aka work husband — and her real life fiance while trying to manage a demanding (translation: crazy) boss. Krysten Ritter stars.

THE TOMORROW PEOPLE

Based on the original UK series, The Tomorrow People is the story of several young people from around the world who represent the next stage in human evolution, possessing special powers, including the ability to teleport and communicate with each other telepathically. Together, they work to defeat the forces of evil. Robbie Amell, Luke Mitchell star.

THE ORIGINALS

This back-door pilot already aired and was picked up to series! Klaus is one of the most compelling characters on the show, and I’m intrigued by the idea of making a villain the protagonist. Klaus is evil, yet still sympathetic. He’s a bad guy who sometimes does good things and sometimes does bad things. He’s gray. And I think that’s awesome. I also love Rebekah and Elijah is mysterious and fun. I’m not too into (SPOILER ALERT: the Renesmee-esque plotline) but I have faith that Julie Plec and the other writers can make this show just as awesome as its original (ha, see what I did there?) counterpart.

THE HUNDRED

97 years after a nuclear war has destroyed civilization, a massive spaceship housing the lone human survivors sends 100 juvenile delinquents with dark secrets back to Earth to investigate the possibility of re-colonizing the planet. Eliza Taylor, Paige Turco, Eli Goree, Bob Morley, Henry Ian Cusick star.

CW + sci-fi seems made of win! Plus, this is based off a YA book.

THE SELECTION

Set 300 years in the future, an epic romance centering on a working class young woman chosen by lottery to participate in a competition with 25 other women for the Royal Prince’s hand to become the nation’s next queen. Balancing her loyalty to family, true love, and kingdom, she must attempt to remain true to herself as she navigates the cutthroat competition and palace intrigue, all while a budding rebellion threatens to topple the crown. Based on the book by Kiera Cass. Yael Grobglas, Lucien Laviscount star.

OXYGEN

Passion and politics threaten the peace and an epic romance ignites between a human girl and an alien boy when he and eight others of his kind (The Orion 9) are integrated into a suburban high school ten years after they and hundreds of others landed on Earth and were immediately consigned to an internment camp where they’ve been imprisoned ever since. Aimee Teagarden, Matt Lanter star.

This seems similar to the premise of Melissa Lander’s upcoming YA book ALIENATED. My sister used to be obsessed with ROSWELL back in the day, pulling me into her obsession as well, so I’m excited about the next generation of alien romances on the CW. If it’s anything like The Vampire Diaries in comparison to Buffy, then it will be awesome!

I read an article on CNN.com this morning that really hit close to home. Not because it’s close to anything I’ve ever experienced, but because this survivor’s story mirrors that of my character Lara in KASEY SCREWS UP THE WORLD.

I realize the real life horror that someone went to does not in any way compare to that of my fictional character who doesn’t really exist. But I want to share Adrianne Haslet-Davis’s story because her attitude moved me. It’s the same “nothing will stop me–not even this injury” attitude my character Lara has in my book, and I specifically wrote it this way in the hope of inspiring others to do the same. Just because something wrenches all our best laid plans doesn’t mean you have to give up completely, no matter the adversaries you face, in fact, the strongest people form a new resolve and vow to keep going anyway.

I love that attitude. And I think Adrianne Haslet-Davis’s story needs to be shared.

Here’s an excerpt from the CNN Article about the moment the bombing took place:

The shock wave flung the 32-year-old dance instructor into the air, along with her husband, Adam Davis. Their bodies hit the pavement together, contorted into what felt like a pretzel.

For a moment, Haslet-Davis lay motionless amid a cloud of dust and mounting panic.

“I think we’re OK,” she told Davis, recalling later: “I didn’t feel any pain and had no idea what had happened.”

But as the two tried to scramble to safety, she paused.

“I sat up and said, ‘Oh my gosh, my foot. There’s something wrong with my foot.’”

Doctors said later the blast had shredded 80% of the bone and muscle on her left foot and ankle.

Imagine if you’re a dancer, and you make your livelihood teaching people to dance…and then you sustain an injury so bad your foot needs to be amputated? I think most people would shut down. But not Adrianne. Look how amazing she is in this next excerpt:

Dancing, she explained, “is the one thing that I do, that when I do it I don’t feel like I should be doing anything else.”

Ballroom dancers tend to roll and pivot on the edges of their feet, using a series of muscles and tendons to achieve a balance and dexterity honed with years of practice.

“You can’t recreate that in a prosthetic,” she explained. “But maybe the technology…” she paused. “We’ll see.”

A week after the attacks, now propped up on a hospital bed with her leg wrapped in hot pink cloth and gauze, Haslet-Davis has plans to get back to teaching the students who have filled her room with flowers.

“Part of my life is being able to teach people how to (dance).”

In my book, Lara doesn’t get injured by a bomb or lose her limb, but like Adrianne Haslet-Davis, Lara loses her ability to ever dance again (due to a permanent hip injury). It’s Adrianne’s resolve to keep her spirits up and not let her injury stop her from doing what she loves, that mirrors Lara’s story. And though I myself did not experience anything close to what Adrianne has gone through, as a writer, I’ve lived vicariously through my characters. I had to go through the same emotions Lara did to capture them on the page.

So Adrianne’s story hit close to him, and I urge you to read the article.

If you are part of the YA community, you already know that Rock the Drop took place last Thursday April 18th. What you don’t know is that I participated!

I had grand plans before I left for work to drop one of the books in Penn Station and the other book in the Canal street Downtown A,C,E subway station (where I get out for work). Both these plans were thwarted, however, by the increased police presence in NYC due to the Boston Marathon Bombings. All the potential locations I had planned on leaving the book in Penn Station had a uniformed police officer looming nearby.

Clearly, I am not a terrorist–I don’t even like to see blood on The Vampire Diaries. Not to mention the fact that though I don’t know the general fashion of terrorists, I’m guessing they don’t usually wear sparkly blue Toms shoes, an aqua jacket, or carry a pink floral purse. Still, I didn’t want to look suspicious by leaving behind a book, which a passerby may think was an unattended package. “If you see something, say something,” announcements warned. I didn’t want to cause fear in any of the other people walking through the station who may have misinterpreted my actions. I would only be dropping a book that I hoped someone else would pick up and read and love just as much as I did. But you never know what might set off someone’s alarms.

So I left Penn Station with the books still in hand and headed to the subway, reinforcing my plan to drop at least one book there. My revised plan now called to drop the other book in the park across the street from my office. Well, this plan was thwarted as well by the swarms of police officers roaming the subway cars and the station itself. I forgot that there’s a police station INSIDE the Canal Street station. Doh.

Strike 2.

The park was suddenly becoming not just my last resort, but my ONLY resort. If I struck out there, I’d have no choice but to place the books on the free book shelf in my office–where most books sit for years without ever being picked up. (Remember I work for a publisher–there are a LOT of free books sitting in my office.)

When I went to the park, I discovered I wasn’t alone in my predicament! There, sitting on an otherwise empty bench, was a copy of HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT by Natalie Standiford. Someone else had already dropped a book in this location! I had a fellow YA-loving comrade in my very vicinity!

I decided to spread out the wealth and keep the other book company. I headed to the opposite end of the little park where I placed both of my books, side by side, so someone who loves YA would find not one but TWO awesome books.

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer and Legend by Marie Lu

I will ignore the fact that when I went out for lunch a few hours later, both books were still there.   I didn’t check after the work day. I couldn’t bare to see them still there then!

• Yesterday, I was at Starbucks. I’d gone with two coworkers on an afternoon break of caffeine and whipped cream and came back with fear. The increased police presence on my way home only escalated my fears despite my relief at hearing that all my Boston-area loved ones were safe.
• When Newtown happened, I was also at work, hunched over my desk and refreshing twitter, hoping news would break that the shooting was just a hoax, a rumor exaggerated. I went home and held my baby tight.

• When the Virginia Tech shooting happened, I was also at work, at a different office. At the time, I was a freelancer and I used to go to a new office nearly every day. They all blur mind, each one indistinguishable than the next unless I worked on an extended project. I was only at that office for two days, and yet I remember everything about it. The rows of desks set up classroom style, all pointing toward the giant windows. From my spot in the front, everyone could see what I was working on. The clutter scattered around the room of mood boards, paint, protractors, and storyboards, inspiration dripping from every surface. The drab gray decor and the bathroom hidden in an alcove that was so ornate, it didn’t match the rest of the place. The salad I ordered for lunch, which came with the wrong dressing. And I remember gchatting with my friend exactly at the time of the shooting, where his girlfriend was currently attending grad school.

• I remember sitting in the Machine Room (where tapes are dubbed and large, powerful computer consoles are stored), freezing in my jacket despite the heat outside. The familiar whirr of the machines suddenly switched off, leaving only silence. The circuit breaker wouldn’t fix it. I tore off my jacket and went into the main office, where everyone had gathered in the dark, the only light streaming in from the windows inside the usually-closed Editing rooms. We all looked at each other with the same thought in our minds: terrorism. My heart amped its pace and my fingers couldn’t fumble fast enough to call my parents and my boyfriend (who later became my husband), to find out if they were okay, if they knew anything. But my cell refused to make the call and rumors swirled that it wasn’t terrorism, just a black out.Still, I left with coworkers and as I walked from Lexington Avenue all the way to the Hudson River, I worried I’d be heading right toward the next attack. My mind was full of plans run, duck, abandon your shoes if you need to. In a fight or flight situation, I was ready to flee. One of my coworkers had experience from 9/11 and knew to wait by the One-Day Cruise ships. “They’ll start letting people on, I promise,” he said. And they did. We caught the first trip across the way to Hoboken and I walked the mile back to my apartment, terrified the rumors were wrong. That this was another attack.  I wore uncomfortable heels that day and my feet were cut up and raw from the miles of walking. Ever since then, I’ve only worn sensible shoes to work.

• When the planes hit the Twin Towers, I was still asleep. Until my roommate barged into my room, frantic and ranting so wildly, it took me several minutes to decipher what she said. I sprang out of bed and grabbed my cell phone. But even though I was four hours away from NYC at Syracuse University, the cell phone towers there were knocked out as well. I couldn’t get in touch with my sister to find out she was okay. She was at Columbia University, which is nowhere near the World Trade Center, but close enough that she could have been in the vicinity for whatever reason. I had to trek a mile down to the shops and wait on a long line for a pay phone just to call my parents.A few years later, I moved to Hoboken and the Path train opened back up into the WTC, I remember taking it and being shocked it traveled directly through the destruction site, right into the heart of Ground Zero, enough to see the rivets that used to be part of the old buildings. Now, I take the Path from the WTC station every day but the building has been paved over. It’s just a tunnel I go through, dark and forgetful. But every day I walk down the steps into the station, I remember.

• It goes farther back. I remember being in the bottom of the stairwell in High School, on my way to Western Civ, when someone at the top of the stairs shouted about the shooting at Columbine. Suddenly the bomb threats we’d been having because some kid wanted desperately to delay his tests were no longer funny. They were no longer something to ignore.

• I remember being in the back seat of the car as my mom drove my friends and I home from a Jewel concert and hearing that Princess Diana had been involved in a tragic car accident.

• Ask anyone my parents’ age and they all know where they were when JFK was assassinated.

• We all remember where we were during tragedies and scary situations.

I remember where I was even though I was never there.

But I don’t remember where I was for the good things.

I have no idea what I was doing when we first landed on Mars, when the God particle was discovered, when we first cloned a sheep named Dolly. I have no idea when the Gulf War ended even though Wikipedia tells me it was in 1991 with Operation Desert Storm ending November 30, 1995. I was a Sophomore in high school in November 1995, and it was just one month after the October 3rd verdict of the OJ Simpson trial. I remember exactly where I was when I heard the verdict and I had to lean into my friend next to me in English and ask her what “acquitted” meant. So why do I remember the OJ verdict and not this other important piece of History?

I can tell you vaguely who won some of the most prominent Olympic races in 2012, but I can only think of two names for the 2008 Olympics (Nastia Luikin and Michael Phelps). I know way too much about the plots and romantic entanglements of various TV shows and not enough about our world-wide achievements. Even our national achievements.

I think it’s time we start remembering the good things. Keep those forefront and prominent in our heads so they are etched in our brains as deeply as the tragedies, the ones that make us collectively hold our breath. I want to remember the world as a good place. I want to see the glass as half full again.

Sorry about the lack of blogging this week but I have a good excuse! Look at what I accomplished this week:

1.

Sent revisions of my Peter Pan retelling to my agent. Killed a lot of darlings (though not Wendy Darling) in the last pass but it was worth it.

Screen shot from the best Peter Pan adaptation: the 2003 version.

2.

Completed the outline for my new novel. The outline bulged to 10k and reads more like a bare bones first draft. It even has some dialogue in some places. Now I just need to flesh it out and make it awesome!

3.

Began writing said new book. I’m only about 900 words in so far, but progress is progress!

4.

Started baby proofing the house because the baby learned to crawl! I also played an infinite number of games of “How big is Quinn?” “So big!”

5.

Spring cleaning! It’s time to switch my drawers from sweaters to short-sleeves and make the whole house shine. Yes, that means I’ll even wash the windows, which is one of my least favorite tasks on account of me being 5’0″ and have to stand on a stool. (Okay who am I kidding? I’ll make the husband do that job while I take care of the easier, lower to the ground ones.)

Next week I’ll be back with more writing advice!