I just realized my appearances calendar didn’t show my week at the Glen Workshop. I’ve corrected that. And will also tell you:

This is a very special weeklong workshop and retreat that could, potentially, change your life. (It changed mine when I first went in 2002.) Especially geared toward those who are pretty sure there’s something bigger than us that has to do with this creativity thing, it’s a week of workshop (in the mornings), readings, lectures, resting, wine and cheese, soul-filling conversations, and spectacular sunsets. And, to steal a phrase from David Dark, a bunch of very kind/funny/caring people “trying to redemptively process reality in one another’s presence.”

I’d love to have you in my class. Email me if you’ve got questions about it. July 29-Aug 5, in Santa Fe, NM.

(And coyotes calling at night, the daily drama of thunder and lightning, Georgia O’Keefe landscapes, stars, music, grace, passion, laughter, tears, friends you may make and have for life, omelet station, and the best conference book store in the history of the world.) (Can you tell I LIKE IT?)

(I’m not exactly credible when it comes to giving financial advice, but my personal opinion is that this is something worth going into a small amount of temporary debt for. That’s how I afforded it the first four or five years I went. And, if you do the numbers, it’s actually a bargain all things considered.)

Preeeeviously in our tale, I was happy, I was nervous, I was thankful and also depressed and anxious, and man am I consistent or what because that’s how I’ve felt for the last five years and that’s how I feel today!

But back to 2007.

I hadn’t really thought much about how I’d conclude this week’s posts. I thought about posting the extremely meh/dismissive Kirkus review of Story of a Girl so that you could see that there’s no such thing as a book everyone likes, but you already know that. I thought about recounting key moments, like the launch at The King’s English, which was really the only store event I did for that book. Or when Colleen Mondor of Bookslut featured it in her “Heirs to Judy Blume” column, which led indirectly to the movie option. Or my first ALA which was also my first trip to D.C. which was also my first “power librarian lunch” where I felt like major NKOTB and not in the Donnie way. Or how the people at my publisher have helped make my career be good and feel good and be fun. Read more »

Today’s episode is a video. Because there has been a lot of text this week, and also this seemed best expressed thisaway.

Tomorrow, back to text with the startling conclusion. Did I win the National Book Award? Did I have to get plastic surgery to hide from the paps? Did I buy a mansion? (Hint: the answer to all those questions is the same.)

See you then and, if you want, in honor of L.K. Madigan, write what you are thankful for in the comments, or in your journal, or on twitter or facebook or tumblr or your blog, or somewhere out in the world, today.

Heartfelt, heartfelt thanks to all of you who participated in the twitter fun yesterday. As well as being a good time, it’s meant so much to me right now. Best luck in the giveaway drawing! So shall we continue our story? Alright!

2005, continued: Business all settled, I met Jennifer Hunt via phone, and we hit it off. We talked about the book and what revisions would entail. They weren’t much, since I’d already worked on the book so long. I mean, they felt like much at the time, but compared to later books – ha! I revised the book and turned it in and I think there were a few little things after that, then Jen said something like, “Get ready to let go.” Because it was done. As much as I’d anticipated that moment I also felt like, Done? How could a book ever be done? Did that mean it was perfect? Or just that it was time to stop writing it? Read more »

Before we pick up our Story story, I’ll remind you -

Today is the official five-year mark, we will have a fun giveaway on Twitter. Tweet something about Story of a Girl–a favorite line or moment, a memory of reading it, a response to the story, a comment about a character, etc., and use the hashtag #storyofagirl (easy to remember). Little, Brown Books for Young Readers will randomly pick from these tweets and give away five signed copies of Story of a Girl.

Obviously, if you have a memory or favorite line or comment about the book, there’s a good chance you don’t need a copy. Play anyway, and if you win you could give your copy to a friend, or donate it to a school or public library. If you haven’t read the book, you too can play along. You can tweet something about one of my other books that makes you want to read Story, or straight up beg for a copy. Just be sure to use #storyofagirl in your tweet. Today. Tuesday.

Okay, in our last episode, I was waiting for a certain agent to GET THE HELL BACK TO ME ALREADY… Read more »