Finding Jean L.S. Patrick

It has been a few years since I've posted on this blog.  In fact, even finding a way to gain entry was a challenge!  But if you've reached this and you're looking for information about author Jean Patrick (me!), please visit www.jeanpatrick.com   Thanks!

Thank you, De Smet!

Here I am again, well into the new year.  It's freezing again today, with the high temperature somewhere around zero.  I even made meatloaf, hoping to warm our house and bellies.

I had a nice surprise in my inbox today -- an invitation from the De Smet Public Library to lead a book discussion group in April about Giants in the Earth, by O.E. Rolvaag.

Some of you may be surprised that I read books written for adults (and not just for kids).  Leading book discussions is a far cry from dressing up as baseball player Jackie Mitchell for author visits in the schools, but I love it.  

BTW, if you'd like me to lead a book discussion, shoot me an email or take a look at the South Dakota Humanities Council website.  www.sdhumanities.org/programs.htm

Summer, Plot, and Meat

Author visits during the summer months tend to take on a whole new spin.

This week, I'm talking with girls at the Abbott House here in Mitchell.  It's kind of funny -- The last time I was in this building was back when it was Eugene Fields Elementary School.  I remember speaking to second graders about writing, even though I'd never published a book.  Little did I know that I'd be returning with eight.

Anyway, my presentation was much looser than my usual "school visit talk."   Afterwards, I had a chance to talk with the teacher to see how I could tweak it.  She clued me in that a lot of the kids were still struggling with definitions of nouns and verbs.  

"However," I said.  "They all know 'story.'"

I guess that's what I'm trying to communicate to the girls. Story is character.  Story is problem.  What does the character love?  What does the character want?  What are the obstacles that must be fought and/or overcome?

Unfortunately, my classroom exercise produced a generic, shallow plot.   However, as the girls started writing, I walked around the room to see how they were handling the concept of "problem."

One girl quietly revealed her story's problem, challenge, and beginnings of resolution.   I said, "Yes! That is the meat of your story."

"The meat?" she said.  "I like that word."

I like it, too. 

Story.  Character.  Meat.   Now I have something to chew on...

Tornado June

Here I am, still living three-quarters of a mile west from the paved road.  The air is heavy & we're supposed to get severe thunderstorms later in the day. 

June seems to be tornado month in South Dakota.  If we had a finished basement, it wouldn't be so bad.  However, ours is a pit underneath our kitchen (junk) closet, only reached by heaving open the trap door.  Things have to be pretty ugly outside before we descend.

I'll never forget taking my three kids down there when they were 3 months, 23 months, and 4 years old.  Somehow, I managed to nurse the baby, calm the 4-year-old, and keep the 23-month-old from eating mouse droppings - all at the same time!

There's nothing like chaos to keep your mind off bad weather....

Blueprints at the monastary

The days the monastary were incredible.  Peace, focus, and clarity. 

I achieved my main goal -- a better blueprint for my novel.  But in the process, I began to realize that I need a better blueprint for my life.  (In other words, if my life were a novel, an editor would encourage me to take out the clutter.)

BTW -- If I weren't married, female, and Protestant, I'd seriously consider being a monk.

It's waaaaay too late for writing

It's 1:00 am and I should be in bed. 

But somehow, I still need to prepare a Sunday School lesson for eight wild fourth-graders AND get things packed for a writing retreat in Nebraska at one of my favorite places in the world -- a Benedictine Monastery near Schuyler, Nebraska. 

Meanwhile, I've been sending out reminders about the two upcoming writers' and illustrators' conferences.  If you're interested, take a look at these links. 

University of North Dakota - 30th Annual Writers Conference in Children's Literature
October 9-10, 2009
 http://www.und.edu/dept/english/ChildrensLit/ChildrensLit09.html

First Annual SCBWI Black Hills Writers' and Illustrators' Conference
November 6-7, 2009
http://www.dakotas-scbwi.org/

G'Night!

Turtles and a Moustache

Why am I in Hankinson, ND?  Yesterday I had a school visit at the elementary school where I did four presentations about four different books, followed by a Title I family night.  Whew!  But seriously, this is the icing on the cake when it comes to being an author. 

There's nothing that matches the kids, their questions, and the stories that they tell when they're supposed to be asking questions.  Me:  "Does anyone have any questions?"  Kindergartner:  "One time a turtle crawled over my grandma's foot."

The family night featured kids dressed up as the people from one of my Mount Rushmore books.  My favorite was the lanky boy who dressed as Doane Robinson (the man who had the first idea for the carving in the Black Hills).  It's amazing what a hat and a suitcoat will do to a fifth-grader! (In fact, it reminds of the time my son bought a suitcoat from Goodwill to dress as Santa Ana, but that's another story.)

After the whole presentation was done, the kids had plenty of questions about Mount Rushmore. The best one of the bunch?  "How long is Teddy Roosevelt's moustache?"  (Did I mention that I'm in North Dakota???)