REBECCA STEAD: reblog

Writing a book takes me a long time. There are ALWAYS times when it feels too hard, too unimportant, too lonely. My process seems to be: take a few steps in the dark, fall, lie there, eventually get up, take a few more steps. Slowly, the landscape of the story becomes easier to see, almost knowable. There is a feeling of recognition that creeps in - scenes and notes are coalescing into . . . something. I once took a writing workshop with Dani Shapiro where she said that, often, we just have to allow structure to emerge from the fog. I have mostly found that there's no other way. In other news, I may soon have OTHER NEWS . Happy New Year. (And yes, I know it's February.)

Small update: New book is at the "typing stage," where I create a long Word file from all of the material I've generated in notebooks. (It's kind of like step three of the five hundred and sixty seven steps.) 

Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a year of joy, good health, deep friendships and great books. (I bought this guy at a shop in Brooklyn a few months ago. The back says "timbergram." It's a wooden postcard but I'm not mailing it anywhere because his face makes me happy.)

The last few days have been a sweet reminder that we are all incredibly lucky that the U.S. has independent bookstores, devoted teachers, hero librarians, and kids who aren't too self conscious to shout their passion for books. And I am so crazily grateful. (G orgeous cupcake from the Tweensread festival created by Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston.)

Happy September, everyone! Here's some of what I'm up to this fall.  (MANY of these events include wonderful writers such as Ali Benjamin, Katherine Applegate, Gennifer Choldenko, Louis Sachar, Jenni Holm, Chris Grabenstein, Alice Hoffman, Jeanne Birdsall, R.J. Palacio, Mariko Tamaki, Paul Acampora, Valynne Maetani   and Bruce Coville.  I always BEG to do events with other writers because I think the conversation tends to be more authentic and interesting. Instead of one person saying the same thing she usually says, you get several people crashing their ideas together and, with hope, laughing a little. Please click on links for details.) September 26 @ 2pm Oblong Books Rhinebeck, NY September 28 @ 6pm Cambridge Library Porter Square Cambridge, MA October 3rd Tweens Read Festival w/ Blue Willow Bookshop Houston, TX October 5th Anderson's Bookshop Naperville, IL October 15 NCIBA Trade Show Children's Author Tea San F...

Goodbye Stranger is officially published today! It's been a long wait, and I am crazily indebted to the family members, friends, and widely scattered, much loved "book people" who have supported me, and this book, for the past three-ish years. This morning my mom left hydrangeas and a tuna noodle casserole at my apartment door. The day is made.