....like I love Judy Blume, which, believe me, is so much that my next book is dedicated to her, please click here and show your support.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
If you love Judy Blume...
....like I love Judy Blume, which, believe me, is so much that my next book is dedicated to her, please click here and show your support.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Semi-coherent musings on stuff...
I forgot that that's the subtitle of this blog, which is good because it frees me up to just go on and on and not feel like I have to make much sense and not worry about whether there's a point to what I'm writing. Because, honestly, at 10:16pm after a long day of writing and working at MTV and staying on hold for 15 minutes with the IRS and eating gnocci for dinner, my brain is too fried to find a point to much other than crawling into bed. Even thought I specifically ordered a cup of (decaf) coffee at dinner so that I could stay up really, really late tonite. Like, say, until 11:30.
I'm going back to L.A. for Memorial Day weekend. It's only my second time back since I moved away. I don't miss L.A., but I do miss my friends so I'm excited to see them. And I miss certain restaurants. And Target. And the 4:15 yoga class I used to take at Center For Yoga. And hiking in Fryman Canyon. And the coffee at Kings Road. And the coffee at Urth Caffe.
But I don't miss the traffic which, sadly, seems to be the first thing I think of when I think of L.A. and makes me want to stay away even longer.
Yesterday I was thinking about how people always say "Don't worry -- things will change" when you're going through something bad. Only the really misanthropes say it when you're in the good phases. But when the non-misanthropes say it, I smile and nod and say "I know, I know" but secretly I'm rolling my eyes (at least in my head) and thinking "But what if it doesn't? What if the way it is at this moment is the way it's going to be forever and ever and ever and it's like a Beckett play? Because that would just SUCK."
I said to someone the other day "The two words I use the most are 'always' and 'never'." As in "It's ALWAYS going to be this way" and "It's NEVER going to change." But that's just the leftover drama queen in me. The truth is, it ALWAYS changes...sometimes it just takes a while.
The reason I was thinking about this whole always-never thing is because there were a bunch of years in L.A. towards the end where I really struggled. Like really, REALLY struggled. I had left the executive ranks to write and the writing didn't come together as quickly as I hoped (like, say, the next day) and I blew through all my money, and I was doing a bunch of horrible odd jobs -- including putting Christmas gift baskets together at this catering company and working at an advertising agency where the minute I'd get in my car after work I'd start to cry - all because I wanted to write. And I WAS writing -- I just wasn't getting paid for the writing. And I had to sell all my fancy designer shoes on eBay so I could pay my rent (it wasn't like I needed to be wearing Manolo Blahniks with my yoga pants to type) and there were times I'd go to the supermarket and I'd hold my breath as the cashier was ringing up my stuff because every penny counted. And I'd lie awake at night trying to Figure It All Out until I got exhausted trying to Figure It All Out and when I stopped trying to Figure It All Out then some crazy little miracle would happen and I'd get a freelance writing gig that paid just the amount of money I needed to pay my bills for the month. Not a penny more, but just enough.
So it always had this way of working out, but it was very, very stressful. And people would say to me "Don't worry--it won't always be like this" and I'd smile and nod but inside I was saying "Yeah, well, it's been like this for YEARS now so I'm not quite sure why and when you think it's going to change, but whatever -- if saying that somehow makes you feel better, then knock yourself out."
And then...it did. It wasn't like the change happened in one day, because it didn't. It happened over time. Like over the course of three years. It just got a little bit better, and then a little bit better, and a little bit better until finally I felt like I was on semi-solid footing. I say semi-solid because the truth is we're never on solid footing (hello, recession). It's not like I'm rich or anything, because I'm not, but I also no longer hold my breath when I go to the supermarket any longer. And if I want to buy three pairs of $19.50 sandals at Old Navy now instead of one, I do it without feeling guilty. But here's the thing - what I know now is that if for some reason, I end up back in that place -- not that I have any interest in that happening because I don't - but if I did, I do know that it wouldn't stay like that forever. I know that it would change. Eventually. Not as fast as I'd like it to, because I tend to be one of those people for whom instant gratification takes too long, but I do know that I could sit through it until it did without feeling like I was going to die any minute from the fear and uncertainty.
I have no idea what any of this has to do with anything. Probably because I'm going back to the scene of the crime, so to speak. But I guess what I want to say is that if you're going through something that sucks, keep going.
And if you're rolling your eyes as you read that, that's cool. I get it. Because if I were you, I'd be doing the same thing. In fact, I did the same thing just this weekend when I was talking to a friend about something and she said "Don't worry--it'll change." Luckily I was on the phone rather than sitting across the table from her at a restaurant so she couldn't see me.
So roll your eyes, or - even better - say out loud "Who the hell is this chick spouting all this Pollyanna b.s.?" Because you can do whatever you want - it's still going to change.
I'm going back to L.A. for Memorial Day weekend. It's only my second time back since I moved away. I don't miss L.A., but I do miss my friends so I'm excited to see them. And I miss certain restaurants. And Target. And the 4:15 yoga class I used to take at Center For Yoga. And hiking in Fryman Canyon. And the coffee at Kings Road. And the coffee at Urth Caffe.
But I don't miss the traffic which, sadly, seems to be the first thing I think of when I think of L.A. and makes me want to stay away even longer.
Yesterday I was thinking about how people always say "Don't worry -- things will change" when you're going through something bad. Only the really misanthropes say it when you're in the good phases. But when the non-misanthropes say it, I smile and nod and say "I know, I know" but secretly I'm rolling my eyes (at least in my head) and thinking "But what if it doesn't? What if the way it is at this moment is the way it's going to be forever and ever and ever and it's like a Beckett play? Because that would just SUCK."
I said to someone the other day "The two words I use the most are 'always' and 'never'." As in "It's ALWAYS going to be this way" and "It's NEVER going to change." But that's just the leftover drama queen in me. The truth is, it ALWAYS changes...sometimes it just takes a while.
The reason I was thinking about this whole always-never thing is because there were a bunch of years in L.A. towards the end where I really struggled. Like really, REALLY struggled. I had left the executive ranks to write and the writing didn't come together as quickly as I hoped (like, say, the next day) and I blew through all my money, and I was doing a bunch of horrible odd jobs -- including putting Christmas gift baskets together at this catering company and working at an advertising agency where the minute I'd get in my car after work I'd start to cry - all because I wanted to write. And I WAS writing -- I just wasn't getting paid for the writing. And I had to sell all my fancy designer shoes on eBay so I could pay my rent (it wasn't like I needed to be wearing Manolo Blahniks with my yoga pants to type) and there were times I'd go to the supermarket and I'd hold my breath as the cashier was ringing up my stuff because every penny counted. And I'd lie awake at night trying to Figure It All Out until I got exhausted trying to Figure It All Out and when I stopped trying to Figure It All Out then some crazy little miracle would happen and I'd get a freelance writing gig that paid just the amount of money I needed to pay my bills for the month. Not a penny more, but just enough.
So it always had this way of working out, but it was very, very stressful. And people would say to me "Don't worry--it won't always be like this" and I'd smile and nod but inside I was saying "Yeah, well, it's been like this for YEARS now so I'm not quite sure why and when you think it's going to change, but whatever -- if saying that somehow makes you feel better, then knock yourself out."
And then...it did. It wasn't like the change happened in one day, because it didn't. It happened over time. Like over the course of three years. It just got a little bit better, and then a little bit better, and a little bit better until finally I felt like I was on semi-solid footing. I say semi-solid because the truth is we're never on solid footing (hello, recession). It's not like I'm rich or anything, because I'm not, but I also no longer hold my breath when I go to the supermarket any longer. And if I want to buy three pairs of $19.50 sandals at Old Navy now instead of one, I do it without feeling guilty. But here's the thing - what I know now is that if for some reason, I end up back in that place -- not that I have any interest in that happening because I don't - but if I did, I do know that it wouldn't stay like that forever. I know that it would change. Eventually. Not as fast as I'd like it to, because I tend to be one of those people for whom instant gratification takes too long, but I do know that I could sit through it until it did without feeling like I was going to die any minute from the fear and uncertainty.
I have no idea what any of this has to do with anything. Probably because I'm going back to the scene of the crime, so to speak. But I guess what I want to say is that if you're going through something that sucks, keep going.
And if you're rolling your eyes as you read that, that's cool. I get it. Because if I were you, I'd be doing the same thing. In fact, I did the same thing just this weekend when I was talking to a friend about something and she said "Don't worry--it'll change." Luckily I was on the phone rather than sitting across the table from her at a restaurant so she couldn't see me.
So roll your eyes, or - even better - say out loud "Who the hell is this chick spouting all this Pollyanna b.s.?" Because you can do whatever you want - it's still going to change.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Titles, Book Festivals - all that good stuff
Okay, first of all, we now have an official title for my new book that will be out next February:
LITTLE MISS RED
Cute, huh? I wish I could say I came up with it, but I didn't because I totally suck at titles. I don't even PRETEND to be good at them. I think Jen, my editor, came up with it.
It's a retelling LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, so it makes sense. I saw an early version of the cover and it's very cute. I'll post it here as soon as I get the okay.
If you live in New York and you're looking for something to do on Saturday, May 16th, then come to the Millbrook Book Festival in beautiful Dutchess County. Check out the schedule of events -- I think it'll be really fun. Plus I'll be on a panel there from 3:15 -4:00 so you can come and ask me all sorts of questions which I will gladly answer.
Also, if you live in Chicago, I'll be at the Chicago Tribune Printer's Row Lit Fest the weekend of June 6-7. More info on that to come.
I've been a horrible blogger, I know. And I know that's like the seventeenth time I've written that sentence. More later...I promise. xx
LITTLE MISS RED
Cute, huh? I wish I could say I came up with it, but I didn't because I totally suck at titles. I don't even PRETEND to be good at them. I think Jen, my editor, came up with it.
It's a retelling LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, so it makes sense. I saw an early version of the cover and it's very cute. I'll post it here as soon as I get the okay.
If you live in New York and you're looking for something to do on Saturday, May 16th, then come to the Millbrook Book Festival in beautiful Dutchess County. Check out the schedule of events -- I think it'll be really fun. Plus I'll be on a panel there from 3:15 -4:00 so you can come and ask me all sorts of questions which I will gladly answer.
Also, if you live in Chicago, I'll be at the Chicago Tribune Printer's Row Lit Fest the weekend of June 6-7. More info on that to come.
I've been a horrible blogger, I know. And I know that's like the seventeenth time I've written that sentence. More later...I promise. xx
Friday, April 17, 2009
I don't think I've ever been nominated for ANYTHING before this...
Why Today is a Very Good Day:
1. As evidenced by the abundant sunshine and the fact that I got to leave my coat at home today, it's finally spring.
2. I bought a pair of old school Dr. Scholl's sandals (red, natch).
3. I'm drinking a Tab.
4. GEEK CHARMING WAS NOMINATED FOR THE 2009 YALSA TEENS' TOP 10 LIST !!!!
If you click here, you can read about what the Teens' Top 10 List is and if you click here, you can see the entire list of nominees.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Teen Vogue Haute Spot at Short Hills Mall
So I'll be at the Teen Vogue Haute Spot at the Short Hills Mall in Short Hills, NJ this coming Wednesday, April 22nd at 5pm to talk about GEEK CHARMING.
Penguin Book Reading: Robin Palmer’s Geek Charming
When: Wednesday, April 22nd, 5:00 P.M.
Come hear author/screenwriter Robin Palmer discuss her LA fairytale bestseller, “Geek Charming”—a “Clueless” meets the “Frog Prince” look at LA high school popularity. In addition to an author Q&A, a TEEN VOGUE Merchandising Editor will be on hand to help you put together your own “happily-ever-after” spring look.
If you're around come by.
And I just realized if I'm showing up for Teen Vogue, I should probably actually put a presentable outfit together....hmmmm.. Note that a Teen Vogue Merchandising Editor will help you put an outfit together - not me - because the older I get, the more that talent has shriveled up and died.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Good news to come
I keep thinking I'll wait and write when I have including exciting news to report....like, say, 1) I won the lottery, or 2) Seth Rogen left his girlfriend for me...but neither of those have happened 1) because I've never bought a lottery ticket in my life and 2) because other than seeing me in the post office on Fairfax Avenue the day before I moved from L.A, all sweaty and gross because I was frantically running around town doing the stuff that one does when one is organizationally-challenged and about to move one's life of 17 years across the country, Seth Rogen does not know I exist.
The truth is, as I think I said in my last post, I've pretty much been writing. Throw in some yoga classes, dinners with friends, some trips to the dry cleaner and the supermarket, afternoons at MTV, but, yeah, it's mostly been about the writing. I'm just finishing up the last revision on the next fairy tale retelling which will go to copyediting next week. It's a retelling of LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD and because I have the best editor in the world - Jennifer Bonnell - and because her colleague Kristin Gilson is also incredibly astute at her job - the book is in really good shape. It's about a high school junior who's a bit of a drama queen (okay, so maybe not a bit....maybe a MAJOR one) and in love with the idea of love and meets a guy on a plane on her way to her grandmother's house.
Let's just say that it saved me thousands of dollars in therapy as it allowed me to work out my feelings and get some closure on a certain relationship with a certain person of the opposite sex I recently had. I have to say, writing's pretty great when not only do you get to do THAT but you also EARN a few bucks in the process.
So I've been doing that, and I've been working on YOURS TRULY, LUCY B. PARKER which is my new middle grade series which I'm very excited about.
Wow - just got some fabulous news - like LITERALLY just got it - but can't talk about it....but it's pretty awesome. Hopefully will be posting about it in a few weeks.
Oh wait - I DO have some news...I don't have all the specifics yet, but if you live near the Short Hills Mall in Short Hills, NJ, I will be there on April 22nd, come by to the Teen Vogue Haute Spot where I will be there with GEEK CHARMING.
The truth is, as I think I said in my last post, I've pretty much been writing. Throw in some yoga classes, dinners with friends, some trips to the dry cleaner and the supermarket, afternoons at MTV, but, yeah, it's mostly been about the writing. I'm just finishing up the last revision on the next fairy tale retelling which will go to copyediting next week. It's a retelling of LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD and because I have the best editor in the world - Jennifer Bonnell - and because her colleague Kristin Gilson is also incredibly astute at her job - the book is in really good shape. It's about a high school junior who's a bit of a drama queen (okay, so maybe not a bit....maybe a MAJOR one) and in love with the idea of love and meets a guy on a plane on her way to her grandmother's house.
Let's just say that it saved me thousands of dollars in therapy as it allowed me to work out my feelings and get some closure on a certain relationship with a certain person of the opposite sex I recently had. I have to say, writing's pretty great when not only do you get to do THAT but you also EARN a few bucks in the process.
So I've been doing that, and I've been working on YOURS TRULY, LUCY B. PARKER which is my new middle grade series which I'm very excited about.
Wow - just got some fabulous news - like LITERALLY just got it - but can't talk about it....but it's pretty awesome. Hopefully will be posting about it in a few weeks.
Oh wait - I DO have some news...I don't have all the specifics yet, but if you live near the Short Hills Mall in Short Hills, NJ, I will be there on April 22nd, come by to the Teen Vogue Haute Spot where I will be there with GEEK CHARMING.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
There's nothing else to say...
...I'm the worst blogger in the entire world.
I know.
I'm just so BUSY. Which I'm not complaining about because God knows I had years where I was most definitely NOT busy...and that pretty much sucked.
But it's about balance. Of which I have very little at the moment.
That being said, that horrible tragedy that happened yesterday with Natasha Richardson has been a huge eye-opener. A person's life can change - or be over - in a minute.
So why am I spending all my time indoors writing? Especially now that spring is almost officially here. (maybe not temperature-wise, but at least calendar-wise).
Anyway. Yeah -- go live your life. I'm going to.
I know.
I'm just so BUSY. Which I'm not complaining about because God knows I had years where I was most definitely NOT busy...and that pretty much sucked.
But it's about balance. Of which I have very little at the moment.
That being said, that horrible tragedy that happened yesterday with Natasha Richardson has been a huge eye-opener. A person's life can change - or be over - in a minute.
So why am I spending all my time indoors writing? Especially now that spring is almost officially here. (maybe not temperature-wise, but at least calendar-wise).
Anyway. Yeah -- go live your life. I'm going to.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)