With a week of rest and relaxation just on the horizon, I'd like to touch on using "vaca" as a valuable writing resource. I never go anywhere without at least a small notepad and pen. Some of my most interesting characters and settings have "introduced" themselves while on summer vacation, and that doesn't necessarily have to mean deep sea fishing or rock climbing or backpacking through Europe. Simple, long weekends to places just around the corner can be just as useful, if seen through the observant lens of a writer.

For both of the following writing challenges, find someplace to park yourself, unobtrusively, for at least half an hour. This can even be on a towel by the pool:)

Vacation writing challenge: CHARACTER - Goal: Three (3) individual character profiles

For this challenge, choose a location with plenty of people coming and going, but not so many that it becomes difficult to hone in on individuals. You'll want at least 15-20 people interacting in a 30 minute period, so you have plenty of potential subjects. Each chosen subject should be very different (ages, genders, nationalities, physicality, etc.).

Think of yourself as the only witness to a crime and this is your one chance to describe a suspect to authorities. For each chosen character, jot down what you can obviously observe about the following:

1. Gender
2. Approx. height and weight
3. Build (stocky, thin, etc.)
4. Approx. age
5. Skin tone, hair color/style, eye color, etc.
6. Likely nationality
7. Most notable physical feature
8. Speech patterns/physical mannerisms
9. Describe clothing/uniform

Now, take the challenge one step further. Using visual and/or verbal cues, attempt to answer the following about each character:
1. Where have they just been and/or where are they going?
2. Profession?
3. Married? single? family situation?
4. Give your character a name!

Vacation writing challenge: SETTING - Goal: One (1) paragraph description of a setting

For this challenge, choose any location with plenty of sensory impact.

Explain what you can easily observe about the following:
1. What do you see within 3 yards? 10 yards? Beyond 10 yards?
2. What about this setting is most visually interesting?
2. Close your eyes and concentrate on the sounds around you (nature? man-made?).
3. Open your eyes and attempt to identify the sounds you just heard.
4. Close your eyes and concentrate on the smells around you.
5. Open your eyes and attempt to identify those smells.
6. Write a paragraph, of no less than 100 words, describing your setting.

Guaranteed ... one of these characters or settings is bound to turn up again at some point in your writing. I'd bet my vacation on it!

One of the most common mistakes many writers make (myself included) is the misuse of "you're" and "your." Even if you totally understand the difference, sometimes the most experienced writer will slip in the wrong spelling.

Here are the basics, for anyone who needs a refresher:

You're
- short for "you are"
Examples: You're the character I've always wanted to meet. You're the writer who will give J.K. Rowling a run for her money. You're beautiful and funny and amazingly amazing.

Your
- possessive ... shows ownership
Examples: I would love to see your novel published. Your writing makes me weep (in a good way). How could you give up on your dreams?

I hope this little reminder helps during your next edit.

You're welcome. Have a memorable Memorial Day weekend, readers!

Today was one of those days.

With two different contractors doing work in two different locations in my home today, I couldn't leave the house.

I couldn't go get groceries. I couldn't buy a ceiling fan at the hardware store. I couldn't even take my vehicle through the car wash. I was stuck ... at home ... with no responsibility calling me away from the young adult novel I've been working on. In other words, I really had no excuse for not getting my self-imposed, mandatory, 5 - 10 pages written, a goal I set for myself early this morning.

It just didn't happen. Perhaps it was the banging hammer or the sound of the rip saw, but I couldn't commit. I wasn't feelin' it. In fact, I'd go so far as to say I had a bit of a writer's block.

So, instead of writing, I chose to:

1. Read the most recent issue of "The Writer" magazine, cover to cover.
2. Checked out several websites on how to optimize my own Power of Pages website.
3. Perused the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators website for Northern Ohio, to see if there are any upcoming conferences I should know about. I also looked at the guidelines for starting a writing critique group (something I dearly miss being a part of since I moved about four months ago).
4. Downloaded all of my picture book texts, in PDF format, to my tablet. Re-read each without being able to make changes, which I would likely have done if I'd read it from my Word program on my computer. By doing a true "read through" without the option to edit, I was better able to look at each title with fresh eyes and without getting caught up in fixing every little grammatical issue that caught my eye. This also allowed me to analyze the flow and overall "readability" of my work. I took copious notes on my perceptions of each title, but did not immediately go in to the document and make any changes. I'm a firm believer in letting the ideas stew around in my noggin' for a couple days, before I make any major plot changes.
5. Looked over, edited, and filled in gaps in my most recent notes for my current young adult work-in-progress.
6. Drew a map diagram of the world I am building for my current young adult work-in-progress.
7. Wrote this blog ... it's a Friday, my usual blog day, so why not?

The point of this list is to prove to my readers, and myself, that even if every day doesn't produce 10 new pages to add to your manuscript, it is still possible to find relevance in what may, at first, be perceived as a non-relevant day.

I actually accomplished a great deal. Did any of it further my novel? Not quite. Perhaps.

Regardless, it was no lazy non-writing day. Sometimes, we, as writers, must me okay with doing what we can, even if it wasn't what we originally planned.

I will always try to be relevant. And so should you.

When I was a librarian for Penn-Trafford School District's Sunrise Estates Elementary, I'd regularly tempt kids to check out a book by doing "Random Reads," or pulling several titles from the shelves and reading just the first sentence, paragraph, or chapter of each. This was intended to pique curiosity and leave them wanting more. I'd leave the titles (and any additional copies) strategically at the end of my desk, available for the taking.

Invariably, there would be one title everyone wanted, and the copies were gone within seconds. Invariably, there would also be one title no one would touch.

What I found eye-opening was that many of the books I chose, because I remembered reading them when I was young, no longer held any appeal for me. Some books just don't age well. Additionally, I discovered that some titles, even today, take wayyyyyy too many pages of backstory to get to the good stuff. There is a lesson to be learned here, both for a parent of young readers and for a current children's writer who wants to attract a target audience.

Below is my top 10 "Read It Again" list of titles - preschool through young adult. Any parent or writer should consider re-reading these. Some oldies made this list because they are still just as good as they were 50+ years ago. Timeless. Some are fairly "young" novels but made the cut because they have a "suck-you-in" beginning or are "current" and written smartly for today's world. For giggles, I've included the first lines of each. All are worth a re-read, for one reason or another.

Perhaps you will discover something about your own youth and how you perceived the world around you, back in the day, or, if you are an aspiring children's author, these are great examples of how to hook readers in and craft a story that can stand the test of time. Enjoy.

1. "The Lorax," Dr. Seuss
"At the far end of town where the Grickle-grass grows and the wind smells slow-and-sour when it blows and no birds ever sing excepting old crows ... is the Street of the Lifted Lorax."

2. "The Giving Tree," Shel Silverstein
"Once there was a tree, and she loved a little boy."

3. "Charlotte's Web," E.B. White (there may be no better opening line, in my opinion)
"Where's Papa going with that axe?"

4. "Holes," Louis Sachar
"There is no lake at Camp Green Lake."

5. "A Wrinkle in Time," Madeleine L'Engle
"It was a dark and stormy night."

6. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," J.K. Rowling
"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."

7. "The Hobbit," J.R.R. Tolkien
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit."

8. "Because of Winn-Dixie," Kate DiCamillo
"My name is India Opal Buloni, and last summer my daddy, the preacher, sent me to the store for a box of macaroni-and-cheese, some white rice, and two tomatoes and I came back with a dog.”

9. "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," Ann Brashares
"Once upon a time there was a pair of pants."

10. "The Hunger Games," Suzanne Collins
"When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim's warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress. She must have had bad dreams and climbed in with our mother. Of course, she did. This is the day of the reaping."

Last week I touched on quirky characters and the importance of avoiding stereotypes, but let's not forget setting. It, too, may lend character to your story.

Who didn't want to be a wizard alongside Harry after reading all about Hogwarts and its castle-like demeanor with moving staircases and talking portraits?!? A setting's "character" can suck in the reader. Rowling created a completely unique world which her fans wanted to return to time and again. Carefully crafted, the setting of your story can be just as integral to your tale as any living, breathing, walking, talking character.

3 TIPs to help a setting's character come to life:

1. Be selective - Readers lose interest if description is bogged down with the obvious. Writing about a gas station? Most readers know what that looks like. However, if this gas station's roof is partially caved in, three-foot-high grass is shooting up through cracks in the sidewalk, and graffiti covers every inch of the storefront ... well, that's something to mention. Writing about a grocery story? Most readers know what that looks like. What if the shelves are overflowing with only yellow boxes of Cheerios? What if two bright suns burn twin beams through the window, laying a spotlight on the cash register, its drawer open and empty but for a single penny? Let your reader use his or her knowledge of the obvious paired with the unique details you provide. The mind will fill in the gaps and create a mental picture.

2. Use your senses - Plant sensory details the reader can recognize based on his or her own experiences. Does the movie theater smell like overcooked hotdogs and popcorn butter or body sweat and musky perfume? Do the floorboards of the dilapidated barn creak like an old woman's knees? Does the wind whistle through the tunnel, swirling about the little boy's shoulders and lifting his bangs from his face as he inches toward its source? The senses can add a more intimate layer to any setting.

3. Do your homework - If your story is set in a real place, either visit it in person or use Google Maps to explore. This way you can easily add details that create an authentic experience for readers. For instance, if you are setting your story in Savannah, Georgia, you'd be remiss in not mentioning the many bars and eateries along River Street or the strategically-placed parks with Spanish moss hanging from the trees.

BONUS TIP - Write it all down. Take notes of your setting's details, to keep everything straight. Are all the city's streets named after types of trees, east to west, and numbered north to south? Is there a fence surrounding the community? Are the homes upscale or falling down? Is there a body of water? Use visual aids - note cards, a dry erase board, or even a hand-drawn map - to use as a reference. This is particularly helpful when world-building for a fantasy novel or, in the case of Rowling, creating a plot which spans multiple fictional settings in and around real locations.

Setting Sample -
The following excerpt introduces the reader to any typical summer camp in the woods and includes familiar sensory details (a colorful sunrise over a lake and breathing in cool, clean air). In addition, it includes a not-so-familiar curiosity (Seneca Sal), that tempts the reader to know more.

Excerpt from "Forest for the Trees," young adult
By Brenda Haas

Above the main entrance to the mess hall was a metal bell, with a rope dangling down to eye level. Christina motioned the girls through the wooden doors. A huge, stuffed black bear greeted them. A sign around his neck read “Seneca Sal says, ‘Respect nature and nature will respect you’.” His beady, black eyes seemed to follow as Em walked by. She was all for respecting nature, but Sal creeped her out.

The building was long and narrow – an empty fireplace at both ends – and the air smelled of apple pie, fried chicken, and cleaning fluids. Tables hunched in eight sturdy rows of four. Ceiling-to-floor screened windows provided a view of the lake as the sun sewed a horizontal blanket of reds and oranges on its surface. The strips of color reached from the shoreline, extended across the water, and met the opposite woods and boy’s camp on the other side. A massive Maple rose above the campfire site at the water’s edge, its branches fanning out in a majestic silhouette. Em took a deep breath. The cool, clean air from the nearest window slammed into her lungs, waking her more thoroughly than any caffeine could.