It’s cold this morning. Slushy, cold, snowy, crappy and blah. And like some kind of writing junkie, I’m sitting in front of my computer, staring at my writing folder and willing myself not to open it. Just a few more days. Then I’ll get my fix, man.

It’s hard not to write, minions.

Strike that, it’s mind-blowing impossible not to write. But I’m doing just that. You’d think that writing in my blog would make it easier, but it doesn’t. And last night, I had a revelation about a story I’d been working on last year. It was damn hard not to run screaming to that Word file and dive in head first.

Today I’ll be continuing to reread American Gods by Neil Gaiman. It’s excellent. Creepy and weird and often makes me wonder if I stumbled into Wonderland with Dillon, but I love it.

72 hours and I can write.

I’ve been reading quite a bit this week, minions. I wish I could read all the time, but I can’t…not when I’m writing. (Reading puts my head in a different place than I need to be when I’m writing.) Some of the books have been good, some not so good. One was terrible, and another was a strange trip down memory lane, through a book I haven’t read since I was in the sixth grade. It begged the question: didn’t I read any YA as a preteen?

So I thought about it for a while, came up with a few titles, but no…most of what I’d read (and loved) was far more grown-up than I expected. I had a deep love of horror, even then. So my tastes tended toward the creepy, the bloody, the unexplained. It was early on in sixth grade that I first read Stephen King’s Carrie. I remember closing that book and thinking, “That’s what I want to do.”

No, no, minions–I didn’t intend to use my powers to destroy prom (that would come much later). I knew then that I wanted to be a writer. Which is silly, really, because I knew it before then. I’d always written, had always lost myself in this author’s world or that…so I’m not sure why it took Mr. King to wedge that desire firmly in my mind. And how odd is it that now, when I go back and read Carrie, I really don’t care for it. Carrie White is annoying, Sue Snell isn’t trustworthy and frankly, I’m glad that certain people in the story die. But it was kindling for that spark of the need to write. And for that, I’m grateful.

But the reading will continue this week, as I’m still a few days away from allowing myself to write. Most of the mental cobwebs are cleared out now and I’m getting fidgety and anxious to dive back in. I love that feeling, that I-can’t-wait-to-begin wave that washes over the tips of my toes and threatens to drag me into the tide. And it’s coming…soon.

I’m a pathetic, whiny, no-friends-having MySpace user now. So please, minions, out of the good of your little, black, soulless hearts…please be my friend.

I have the coolest stuff.

And when I’m lacking stuff that is incredibly cool, people send it to me.

This week I received two wonderful presents. From my little brother in Germany, I got this:
Yeah. I know what you’re thinking. Is that a leprechaun in a jar? And it is…but it’s totally cool, because as you can see, he has the obligatory stick and leaf that all jar-captured creatures seem to need to live. He now sits atop my computer tower for luck…or until he gives me all his gold.

And my wonderful friend EJ Knapp sent me the most beautiful bat charm.
How gorgeous is that?? And he has that cute lil smooshed up face…the bat, not EJ. Not to say EJ isn’t cute, but he’s not a bat. One of my favorite bat experiences was my excessive visiting of Henry Doorly Zoo. They have these beautiful little vampire bats in a tiny cave. When it’s feeding time, the staff places little bowls of blood on the floor and the bats fly down, then wobble over to the bowls on their knobby lil wings. *happy sigh* Amazing creatures. I have serious bat-love. Good choice, EJ!

Now…how jealous are you? I have cool stuff and know great people!

(Incidentally, I also love giving cool stuff to great people…so just wait for the contests to begin when we get a wee bit closer to my pub. date)

Try Looking For Alaska by John Green. I read this earlier today and was completely immersed in the world of Miles (affectionately and ironically referred to as “Pudge”), Chip, and Alaska and their life at an Alabaman boarding school. The book is brilliantly structured, not by chapters, but by how many days before a particular event…and then how many days after. (Sorry, can’t say what–it’s a spoiler)

This book was smart (I love all the bookish references and hey! Pudge shares my love of famous last words!), funny, and terrifically sad. An excellent portrayal of love and loss…and what friendship really is.

I look forward to seeing more from Mr. Green in the future–he’s got the stuff.

I have an ever-growing list of personal gods and goddesses. And I’m adding Erica Orloff’s name to it today.

Erica Orloff is the brilliant, talented, sweeter-than-life author of more than a dozen books. And she was kind enough to read Eighth Grade Bites and give me a blurb. I’m asking you, minions, to pay Erica (who also writes as Liza Conrad) back by buying one (or more!) of her many wonderful books. I’m so thrilled that she enjoyed her peek into Vlad’s world!

“Heather Brewer has invented the most endearing of vampires in Vlad, an eighth grader juggling the woes of adolescence with the decidedly unique difficulties of being a vampire. She perfectly captures the humor and angst of eighth grade, mixed with a nail-biting adventure. Utterly charming and irresistible!”
~Liza Conrad, author of HIGH SCHOOL BITES

Thanks, Erica! You rule. (and I’m pretty sure Vlad just blushed a little at all the compliments…so, he thanks you too)

Line up, my minions! Single file, come on…Christopher, stop tugging Jackie’s braids. Dawn, leave Brian alone. Okay, are we all here? Good! It’s time for a hyper-critical announcement.

You’re about to miss out on a fantastic opportunity.

I bet you had no idea, did you? Here it is, mega-crucial appointment time and you almost missed it. Well, lucky for you, Auntie Heather is here to remind you.

The 2006 Backspace Writers Conference is coming up…and it’s filling at a ridiculously fast rate. You need to register, my minions, or else you’ll miss out on the grand opportunity of meeting me. Oh…and all that other cool writing and publishing-related stuff like tons of agents, editors, panels and hob-knobbing galore.

It’s going to be amazing, I assure you. And you will walk away smarter, better prepared, and several other positive adjectives just for having attended. You don’t have to be a member of Backspace to attend (though you’ll want to be after you do), but for any writer who has dreams of publication, this is the conference for you.

The Skip the Pitch sessions have filled and the awards banquet is stuffed, but there’s still room at the conference, so get those registrations in now!

You wouldn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to meet me, would you?

I was printing out a copy of Eighth Grade Bites this morning to ship off to a fantastic, amazing author who’s agreed to take a look (and maybe, if the stars align, give me a blurb) and received an enormous surprise.

As the printer spit the pages out, I’d capture a few in my hands and place them in a neat little pile. Well, see, it takes a while for even my lightning-paced printer to print 150 pages, so while I was waiting and organizing, I found myself reading some. And that’s when the big surprise came.

I don’t remember this book.

I remember writing it, yes, what happens, yes, but I’d forgotten how funny certain parts are and how engaging others are. In short, I really enjoyed the parts I read. And that gives me hope that others will enjoy it too.

Of course, it’s possible that the world will show up at my door with the obligatory torches and pitchforks, demanding that I give up my budding career as a writer…but if they do, I have a few choice words for them.

Mainly, bite me.

From YA Books Central:

“NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK IS APRIL 2-8, 2006
Mar-03-2006

National Library Week 2006 marks the sixth year of The Campaign for America’s Libraries, a multi-year public education campaign sponsored by the ALA and libraries across the country to speak loudly and clearly about the value of libraries and librarians in the 21st century. More than 20,000 libraries in all 50 states are being reached by @ your library, The Campaign for America’s Libraries. This year’s theme is “Change Your World @ your library.”

Libraries all across the country and around the world have the books and magazines, databases and free Internet access that can help you change your world. National Library Week is a wonderful time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers. Use this week to let your school, campus, or community librarian know just how much you appreciate him or her!

To learn more, please visit: http://www.ala.org/ala/pio/campaign/nlw/NLW.htm“

When I think of yesterday and what I accomplished, I’m reminded of a quote from Office Space. “I did nothing. I did absolutely nothing, and it was everything I thought it could be.”

Today will be a different story.

Today, I’ll be reading–though I’m not sure just yet what–and working very hard at staying away from the first draft of Ninth Grade Sucks. That’s probably the most challenging part of the whole process. Staying away. Leaving it alone. NOT writing and tweaking and fixing. It’s one of those necessary evils we have to deal with as writers. I’ll stay away from the book for a month. And I’ll try to stay away from writing anything at all for at least two weeks. It’ll be better for the book and better for me.

Besides, at what other job can you take time off to read and still calling it “working”?

I love being a writer.