Tony Varrato's Random Blog

Deadline Feline

2010-11-22T19:12:00.001-08:00

The cat gets more picky when deadlines get close.

Scarred

2010-11-07T08:25:00.001-08:00

I gulp the coffee down to kill my headache. The caffeine-addicted part anyway.

I’ll need something stronger for the part of the headache that comes from the knife wound in my left arm. But I know Laci won’t give that to me. This diner doesn’t have a liquor license, and they’d shut it down anyway for serving a minor. I’m lucky she let me in here looking like this. But she’s always been a friend. Even when I didn’t think I had any.

I take another sip and wait for her to get back from the all-night convenience store. I hope they have Monster Glue. That should hold me until I can get some stitches.

Otherwise it’s going to be a long wait until morning.

The hospital’s out of the question.

And it’s not like I can go home.

Jarrett and friends will be watching the place by now. And he’ll have someone hanging around the hospital.

When they actually take their heads out of their butts, they’ll figure out where I am. So soon’s Laci gets back, and I take care of my arm, I’ve gotta get outta here. I can’t put her life in danger like I already did with Colten.

Running on Insomnia

2010-07-27T04:11:00.000-07:00

At 43, with 3 years of book visits and 20 years in front of a classroom, you’d think I’d be over it.

But I’m not.

Every time I have a speaking/ book-signing gig, I don’t sleep. It’s always just about 3:00 am when I realize I’m staring at the ceiling. Well, toward the ceiling anyway—without my contacts, I have to take it on faith that there’s a ceiling there. How about if I say this? Yeah, that’ll be perfect. I’ve gotta remember that tomorrow. No wait, I’ll try this joke. I’ve gotta get up right now and write this down. No, I need sleep. I’ll close my eyes and rest. A couple thoughts later, I look at the clock and it’s 4:00.

Wednesday, I’m going to Dover, DE for a middle-school library literacy night with maybe 50 people. And Friday I’m flying to Nebraska for the Norfolk Public Library Literature Festival with closer to 200 people. In high school, the thought of talking in front of 200 people would turn me into a babbling insomniac.

Now, I’m just a pensive insomniac. Sadly, though I’m no longer petrified, I still don’t get to sleep.

I know already that I’ll be awake until Saturday night after the festival. Ironically, I have to get up 3:00 am Sunday to catch my flight home.

Right now, I’ll go run a 5k to exhaust and clear my brain. Then I’ll work on my presentation for the next few hours and then hit the beach with the fam. Maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll take a nap somewhere along the way.

A teenager's breakfast

2010-04-07T10:46:00.001-07:00

Because I think everything is novel research, I submit this...
This morning, this is what my 12-year-old chose for breakfast.

Kid questions

2010-03-17T19:01:00.000-07:00

Favorite questions from my preschool children.

1. Kid: What's in that fire truck?
Me: Water
Kid:...Then what's in a water truck?

2. Kid: When birds die, do they get four wings?

Can you believe

2010-03-15T19:14:00.000-07:00

...everything looked like this around here about three weeks ago? And now we're all out in t-shirts.

I just received a copy of the latest reprint of Fakie in the mail today from Lobster Press. It has cool reviewer quotes plastered on both covers and on a page inside. It made my day.

One Last Scar is due out in about three weeks. HIP Books sent me a preview of the interior art, but the cover is still being tweaked. So you'll have to wait a bit for that one. I'll give away some free copies around release day. Details to follow.

Off to grade, write, organize a comic literacy con and pick up the kids. "Too many irons in the fire," as a friend of mine used to say.

Blizzard-Imposed Writing Retreat

2010-02-11T19:50:00.000-08:00

You would think that with school cancelled and two blizzards less than a week apart I’d have had plenty of time to finish this novel already. But that would assume that I live in a secluded mountain retreat where there’s no one else around to talk to me during writing. Instead, I have four other people in the family and four pets.

So here’s how my time really goes.

1. Shovel path for dog to go outside
2. Play in the snow
3. Play board games
4. Play in the snow
5. Mario!
6. Mope because Feb 6 Young Author Conference is cancelled b/c of blizzard
7. Finish reading two books I started at the same time
8. Rearch for sequel. (I’ve gotta plan ahead, so I can see how to end this one)
9. Watch 24
10. Dig out car and forage for food
11. Write like 5 pages
12. Play in the snow
13. Spend too much time on facebook
14. More games
15. Make Play Doh versions of the kids
15. Take cat to vet (her foot was suddenly swollen 3 times normal size) on the one day the roads are passable
16. Take opportunity on road to fight crowds at store for supplies for storm #2
17. Throw “cook” in there about every other line. I have three growing kids
18. Do taxes

Now with 5 days remaining, I see I need to shovel up some solitude so I can finish this one.

Waaaay too late

2009-06-24T21:51:00.000-07:00

So It's about 1:00 and I've been writing for about six hours today. And I'll still probably write for a few more hours. Which brings me to today's topic.

The Writing Groove.

The most popular writing question I hear is "How do you write through writer's block?" And I usually give the answer walk away from it. Go do something else.

Today, after writing for maybe two hours, I went out and cut the grass. It's been rainy, so the grass was long, soggy. It forced me take it slow. The drone of the push mower drowned out all other distractions. During that time, I plotted out the rest of my story. Not word for word or anything, but most of the main twists and turns.

And now, since I've been typing pretty solid for the last three hours, I believe I'm in the groove. That is, my words and ideas are just coming together like they are already written and just waiting for me to make them appear on the screen. And it's possible that if I stay awake long enough, I could finish the whole thing tonight. However, since I type with two fingers, it's highly unlikely that will happen.

It's not often I get in the groove. And I can't make myself get there. So once I'm there, I'd be crazy not to stay and ride the groovy train.

Yeah, you knew I had to throw a cheap pun in there.

That's all my insight for tonight.
Back to work.

Good thing I kept my aluminum foil brainwave protector beanies

2009-02-10T18:05:00.000-08:00

So in Canada, scientists have created a machine that can tell a person's preference between two items using a fiber-optic headband and a near-infrared light aimed at the head.

Basically, it measures oxygen levels through light absorption.

Their explanation: "When your brain is active, the oxygen in your blood increases and depending on the concentration, it absorbs more or less light," one scientist said. "In some people, their brains are more active when they don't like something, and in some people they're more active when they do like something."

Hmmm. Why do I care? Jack Bauer's interrogations will be more reliable. The government and aliens that want to read my paranoid thoughts can get a closer look.
My wife will have proof of all the thoughts she's accused me of having!

I'm doomed.

reference link:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/newdevicereadsmindsprettywell

Now this is what I'm talking about!

2009-01-08T18:11:00.000-08:00

Spider-man and Obama comes out next week! The future president has said he read comics as a kid. Now he gets to star in one. I don't think my Spidey collection will be complete without it.

I've gotta get me one of these!

2008-12-05T15:35:00.000-08:00

Here's the only thing I want for Christmas.
It's not much.
Say, not as much as a gold plated Mercedes.
And way less expensive than a trip on the space shuttle.
It's a bio-fuel car that can go 180 mph. And it can fly!
So really, I'm helping the earth by driving this and I'm reducing highway congestion by flying with this to work.
So if you could put in a good word for me with the guy in the red suit, I would be deeply appreciative.
I know you want one too, so go to Skyjet's site.

Guest Blogger: Dylan (my book-reviewing son)

2008-10-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

I mostly like to read sci-fi and fantasy, so I don't know a lot of books on other genres. Here are my favorites.

* The Artemis Fowl series, by Eoin Colfer, as well as the Supernaturalist and the Wish List by the same author.
* The Inheritance cycle is very popular right now: Eragon, Eldest, and Brisengr by Christopher Paolini. A little thick, probably above the average 8th grader.
* The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddel.
* The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerizzi and Holy Black. Lower level than 8th grade, but that means I've talked to some of my classmates, even a football player, who like this series.
* Harry Potter is, of course, world renowned, but I sort of think that if students were going to read these huge books, they would have done it by now.
* The Black Tattoo by Sam Enthoven. One of my favorite all-time books. However, it is sci-fi, and sort of redefines religion and belittles God, making him look like a nerdy twerp compared to other entities. (Yes, these are the kind of books I read.)
* The Land of Elyon series is good, a story for either gender, with talking animals. By Patrick Carman. One of the lower level books, they're around 250 pages each.
* The Olympians series is good, by Rick Riordan. It is about modern day gods, and kids who find out they are Greek demigods. First book: The Lightning Thief.
* The Bartimaeus Trilogy is awesome as well, by Jonathan Stroud. About slavery among demons.
* Another sci-fi slavery book is The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima. It has a theme, anti-prejudice among races. This is also a series.
* The Ranger's Apprentice, by Lohn Flanagan. It's sort of a medieval fantasy book. Comparatively short, but tough vocab.
* Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke. About a girl who with no mom, finds out that when her dad reads aloud, the characters come to life, lost her mom in a book. I think it even won a few awards a few years back. Sequel: Inkspell.
* This series, Warriors, is like Inkheart and Land of Elyon. Girls might actually read it. By Erin Hunter. About wild cats in clans who fight among themselves. Seems to address common issues like racism between countries, but with cats.
* Pendragon series. Hard core sci-fi. Multiple dimensions, time warps, and, of course, a guy who wants to rule all of them. By DJ MacHale.
* The City of Ember- Jeanne Duprau. This is a cool book, it's part of a series, and the movie is just out, so kids are more likely to read it.

I have four good books that aren't sci-fi--

* Alex Rider series, by Anthony Horowitz. Sort of a "if James Bond died and had a son" action-adventure book. Alex is blackmailed, and unwillingly put into the British secret service. He's like 15.
* Young Bond series. Not as good, but guys will read it because it IS about the kid version of Bond. By Charlie Higson. Just went on the site. Apparently, there are graphic novels out for his books as well.
* The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, by Rick Yancey. Very cool. Like a search for the Holy grail meets Indiana Jones meets James Bond.
* Last, The Series of Unfortunate Events. (a series) The author's pen name is Lemony Snicket. Cynical humor, most of the adults are bad.

Shiny, Happy Stories

2008-10-11T03:47:00.000-07:00

OK. I've always said that I write for my students.
But Friday they threw me a curve ball.

Several ninth graders in 5th and 7th period told me they want more shiny, happy stories--where no one gets shot, eaten, exploded, and all animals featured in the story live happily ever after...including cats. Which is difficult for a language arts teacher whose definition of "fervent" is when your cat gets stuck in the heating duct. (That would be "fur vent" for those of you auditory to visual learners.)

So I accept the challenge. But only for a short story. Maybe something featuring Teletubbies or Barney. OR Teletubbies VS. Barney in an all out ninja war. No, no. that's not shiny, happy.

This will take some work.

Until I get a better one, I'll submit "Fishing for Corn" which they will see in January anyway.

And while that's stewing, I'll get back to the story referenced below containing grenade launchers and such.

See ya soon.

Insomnia and Grenade Launchers

2008-10-06T03:20:00.000-07:00

So I'm at the point in writing the new story that I can't sleep. The characters are starting to keep me awake, and I have to get up at 4:30 to write things down.
Soooooooo. It's a really good thing that I plan my lessons before I go home the week before. It's also good that I have a lot of coffee.

I wonder if a hydropack will hold hot liquids.
hmmmmmmmmm....

My Favorite Banned Books

2008-09-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

I’m working on reading the 100 most banned books in the last 7 years. I feel it’s my duty to read them all. Toni Morrison has several on the list, so I’m going to have to try one of hers next.

In the ironic category, I love the fact that Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry is on the list. It was challenged at a middle school where I used to work. A parent thought it was racist. A book written by a black woman about a girl in Mississippi learning to deal with racism was racist? Luckily my principal (a black man, incidentally) defended the book and the book stayed in the classroom.

And Captain Underpants???? Oh, come on!!!

Happy reading!

My completed list so far.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling

Forever by Judy Blume

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers

We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Ordinary People by Judith Guest

The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

Blood and Chocolate Annette Curtis Klause

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor

A Time to Kill by John Grisham

Check out the Top 100 most frequently challenged books from 2000-2007 here.

National Book Festival

2008-09-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

At the National Book Festival on Sept. 27, there is a Pavilion of States. In this pavilion, each state library sets up a display to represent literacy in that state.

To encourage the 120,000 visitors to check out each state's site, there is a kids' map activity where the object is to visit every state display and get a stamp.
Therefore, each state chooses one children's or YA book to represent the state.

Delaware's book is Fakie.

So while I'm an hour or so away at the Baltimore Book Festival, my book will be in DC on display--representing the First State.
Please wave at it if you go.

End of Summer

2008-08-20T03:41:00.000-07:00

I had to start back at school this week, so the fam and I went camping for the last hurrah of vacation.

Cape Henlopen State Park (Delaware)

In addition to the whole tent and marshmallow thing, we biked to the beach with body boards under our arms. The waves were big because there was a storm brewing, so we rode them for hours. Sorry, no pictures, too busy.

Now I can deal with September!