Sunday, February 3, 2013

Shower Singers

I want to thank those of you who took me up on last week's request for quotes. (Thank you!) 

It struck me that being asked for an "official quote" is probably like being asked to sing on TV when what you're used to is singing in the shower. When someone's excited about some discussion we're having here about Sammy, what appears in the comments is always so enthused and fresh and real. Like singing in the shower! Nobody cares about misspellings or syntax or structure. La-la-la! It just comes out!

But when I asked for something official, it seemed that for some you, nerves came into play. (Or maybe  self-consciousness, or the "importance" of it, or worrying about grammar, or all of those combined!)

So if you haven't sent something in yet (or want to send something else in), just write it like you're talking to your best friend. About Sammy, about Cammy, about the series, about whatever. Sing like you're singing in the shower! Don't worry about anything. Just let it out. And forget about the "one or two sentence" thing. If it's okay with you that I pull out (what I think are) the gems, write as much as you want! (Here's the e-mail where to send: mail@exercisetherighttoread.org )

Moving on down the line...

I had a conference call last week about Random House's upcoming Sammy Keyes Facebook page. And going into the call I was kind of bummed because sammykeyes.com was supposed to have been updated by the end of January and when I went there pre-phone call, it still said that Cold Hard Cash was the latest Sammy and...well, you get the picture.

But my mood did a quick U-turn when I found out that Random House has folded the content of the old sites (Shredderman, The Gecko & Sticky, etc.) into this one. There are still a few tweaks to be made (like the various other sites need to redirect to the new one, and some changes to my bio), but I think they've done a wonderful job so far!

There's also something really cool about your character being on a scrolling tab with characters from your own childhood.

Well, there's not image of Sammy--just her name in her font, but in a lot of ways I like that better.

So I hope you take a minute to check it out. I'll see you in the comments, where I hope you'll sing like you're in the shower!

16 comments:

Gabrielle said...

I still need to send you my quote,but i haven't thought of one yet,i've been sick most of the week so i haven't had time,and this also difficult. I don't want it to be lame,but hopefully i'll get to it this week. Maybe my friend will help me. I hope everybody has a good week!! :)


Gabrielle

Wendelin Van Draanen said...

I sang that in my head as I read it, Gabrielle :) Hope you have a good week, too!

Unknown said...

La la la laaaa!!=)
I totally love the website i love how there are pictures on the side from the front and back covers and how it includes Sin City!!=)

Yusa said...

I love the website finally! Its so cool :) I dont think my quotes were just how i like them because it was hard to put exactly what i wanted to say in 2 sentences and in writing but i tried.

Kylie said...

I like the new site. Much more colorful than the old one. I need to send you my sentences yet they are written in my notebook and I don't have it with me. I must remember them tomorrow.

Today I began working on my newest art project. I photocopied a bunch of pages out of my favorite books, then made them look older and glued them to a canvas. The next step is to write the quote- We all need books and fairy dust once in a while on it. Most the pages I used were Sammy Keyes. It was so hard to pick my favorite moments. I did use the moment when she meets here dad. That is one of my favorite moments in the series.

Kylie

Jessica said...

Wow, the new website is awesome!

Okay, okay, I'll try to write a paragraph about romance in Sammy Keyes and send it in -- there might be a useable sentence in it (if not, well, that's okay, too).

Caradith Craven said...

Wendelin, congratulations on the announcement from the ALA mid-winter conference that The Running Dream made the TOP TEN 2013 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults list. One of the best YA books ever is getting the recognition it deserves with this honor and winning The Schneider Award last year. See the full list at: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/poppaper/2013/topten

Isabel said...

I LOVE the website!

So I saw the site, and I love the way it's set. So then I clicked on to each different page. And I read the one that said, About the Author, So i saw that you(Wendelin) were born in Chicago, IL, and that is the place I'm using in my book that I'm making!(I'm on pg 126) So yeah, t that I was super happy- like :DDD. LOL.
Then I went to Other Great Novels, and saw the book 'The Running Dream,' and I'm thinking, that you(Wendelin) are such and AMAZINGLY overwhelming author, that I should read it. So I just checked it out in my library. Then I see 'Runaway,' and when I see the name Holly, I'm like, "Ahhhh!!" And i'm thinking, this is the book Yusa has kept on telling me about, I mean i always wanted to read the book, it's just I was never told the NAME of the book, so when I see see it I am literally like:
Go on a new tab...
Type in the name of the book...
see nothing..
"Dang it!"...
Type in Van Draanen, Wendelin...
check 5 pages of books I've read and my brother has read, and I don't see it...
"Aghhh!"...
Go to my OTHER library...
type in Van Draanen, Wendelin...
See it, request it...
And here I am telling my recent event, LOL!
So then I go to back to the website and click on Videos, then I watch the video, and I'm like.."WOW.." And now I'm super excited to read the book, I love how you(Wendelin) actually got inspired, saw someone related to the character of your book, and totally dedicated it to people with disabilities. I love it, and it's so touching. :)

Jessica said...

Congrats on "The Running Dream"! Isabel, you will love it.

I sent in 3 sentences (that were each so long, it became a long paragraph...). Feel free to edit them down. It's funny, I remember you mentioning that housework helps you when you're stuck. I opened an e-mail, but couldn't think of what to write, so I made myself a snack and came up with a bunch of stuff while my hands were busy. I couldn't remember it all by the time I got to the computer, but I remembered enough to get me started.

Isabel said...

So I got this one book and I'm going to take it out of my library, cause I got it in my school library so......
AND Running Dream is IN TRANSIT....Yes! *Just pumped my arm in the air*

Gabrielle said...

Just sent in my quote! I hope you like it Wendelin! :)

Isabel said...

Awkward silence....I'll break it by a random chat...

So me and Yusa were at this place, and we're learning religious stuff, so in a room girls are all around this lady who's reading out of a book and telling religious stuff, and we're listening and this woman she has her head down and Yusa and I, we're sitting by each other, and when its all quiet, we hear the lady snore, so we look at her and she was sleeping, then Yusa and I look away like, "Her business, not ours." Then it's quiet for a few more minutes like..awkward silence... then the lady like jolts her head up and she looks around like, "What happened?" But that's when the gathering of girls ended.
So then Yusa and I go to where the ladies are, and there's this like, 3 or 4 year old boy, with full of life blue eyes and sandy blonde hair, and he's the only little kid and he's all bored. And Yusa and I are just sitting listening, and I'm thinking, This boy doesn't look like any of the ladies here, so he must be adopted or something like that. And he's looked SO bored, so when he looked at me, I smiled at him, like, "It'll be over." Then he smiled back his eyes lighting up and I have the urge to go, "AWWWW!" But the ladies are talking and listening to serious stuff so I keep my mouth shut. Then the boy he starts getting giddy, and he starts moving this way, that way, up, and down. And it's so funny, he's moving himself so he could see Yusa and me around this other girl, so it's like peek-a-boo with a teen in the middle to do the hiding part for Yusa and me, and the little boy doing the peeking part. And when his head is tilted to the side, I smile, and his mouth goes like D, and I'm thinking, AWWWW! And finally, he sadly, he becomes a distraction to the ladies, and he has to move, but whenever he sees Yusa or me he starts smiling. Then at the end, snacks are passed out, and the little boy is just standing by the couch staring at the treats, so I look at him, the snack, and back, then I give him a snack and he starts eating. Then he comes back and he mumbles, "Can I have one?" So I give him another. Then he comes back AGAIN and I know what he came for, so I simply give him his 3rd snack, and when I tell Yusa, she's like, "Wow." So yeah....that was a random conversation.....

Isabel said...

So now I'm thinking when I'm old enough, I should become a babysitter, and my mom is like, "You could." So I'm thinking about it....

Unknown said...

Wow Congratulations on The Running Dream!!!=) Thats so awesome!!
Isabel you will love Runaway thats my favorite book EVER!! and The Running Dream is a MUST READ, one of those books that you could never imagain not reading after you read it=)

Yusa said...

Isabel: okay if you want to talk you should make your own blog.....:)
Did you like the bookws?

Isabel said...

The Books are in transit, and I finished Matched yesterday, it's slow at the start then it goes super good, then super sad. And the second book says 2 out of 2 so I'll be waiting a while. But I'm super happy and excited to learn about Holly's life...that'll be cool.
Bella: I can't wait to read them, thanks for the excitement!