| Wenny Movie in Japan |
[Apr. 1st, 2008|03:41 pm] |
We had a blast in Japan! I flew there with my husband, Tom. We met my agent, Irene Kraas, in the airport and were driven to a five star hotel.
On the morning of day one, we viewed the Wenny Has Wings movie (Remember That Sky opening in Japan April 26th) in the Sony studio which just happened to be right across the street from our hotel.
Irene and Janet in the hotel room getting ready to view the movie. Note the comfy kimono.
The movie was brilliantly done. Somewhat different from the book but that’s to be expected. The actors were perfect for their key roles: Yutaka Takenouchi as the father, Miki Mizuno as the mom, and the brilliant young actor, Ryohie Hirota as Will and the little, Riko-chen as Wenny. (see poster in earlier blog).
Two days of intensive interviews with help from the interpreter, Yoshiko Okura, followed the film -- newspapers to manga to magazines (including Newsweek Magazine Japan) to TV spots. It was a whirlwind and Irene Krass was there with me through it all. We drank gallons of water to keep going!
We left for a school visit and TV spot at Kabara Junior High School where I played the song a wrote for Wenny "You Had To Fly". We had a terrific time getting to know the kids there. Note the green slippers!
Sony Studios not only put us up in a top Tokyo hotel, they also took us to dinner after the interviews. Here we are with the producers, director, Shin Togashi (on my left), Sony senior publicist, Miki, and senior vice president of SonyMusic.
On day three we were free to become tourists. After another night in Tokyo, Irene joined us on the bullet train to Kyoto.
Irene and Janet in front of Temple Gate
It rained on the day we toured Kyoto temples but we braved the weather. Tom caught this shot of Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion in the rain.
Irene sped back to the states. Tom and I took the train with Drew to Koyasan where we stayed in the temple two nights, went to early morning Buddhist services, visited the historic graveyard, and hiked steep trails through a cedar and bamboo forest.
A wonderful trip.
Traveler may you walk well . . .
Arigato
Janet |
|
|
| Wenny Movie Japan |
[Mar. 31st, 2008|02:48 pm] |
We had a blast in Japan! I flew there with husband, Tom. We met my agent, Irene Kraas, in the airport and were driven to a five star hotel.
On the morning of day one, we viewed the Wenny Has Wings movie in the Sony studio which just happened to be right across the street from our hotel.
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm312/janetleecarey/th_IMG_0005.jpg
Irene and Janet in the hotel room getting ready to view the movie. Note the comfy kimono.
The movie was brilliantly done. Somewhat different from the book but that's to be expected. The actors were perfect for their key roles: Yutaka Takenouchi as the father, Miki Mizuno as the mom, and the brilliant young actor, Ryohie Hirota as Will and the little, Riko-chen as Wenny. (see poster in earlier blog).
Two days of intensive interviews with the help of the brilliant interpreter, Yoshiko Okura, followed the film -- newspapers to manga to magazines (including Newsweek Magazine Japan) to TV spots. It was a whirlwind and Irene Krass was there with me through it all. We drank gallons of water to keep going!
Here's Irene when we took a quick lunch break with Miki Okai Senior Publicist of Sony Pictures Japan. Irene mastered chopsticks long enough to grab some noodles!! A proud moment for her.
We left for a school visit and TV spot at Kabara Junior High School where I played the song a wrote for Wenny "You Had To Fly". We had a terrific time getting to know the kids there. Note the green slippers!
Sony Studios not only put us up in a top Tokyo hotel, they also took us to dinner after the interviews. Here we are with the producers, director, Shin Togashi (on my left), Sony senior publicist, Miki, and senior vice president of SonyMusic.
On day three we were free to become tourists. After another night in Tokyo, Irene joined us on the bullet train to Kyoto. Irene and Janet in front of Temple Gate
Torrential rain on the day we toured Kyoto temples but we braved the weather. Tom caught this shot of Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion in the rain.
Tom and I took the train with friend, Drew to Koyasan where we stayed in the temple two nights, went to early morning Buddhist services, visited the historic graveyard (statue in picture above), and hiked steep trails through a cedar and bamboo forest.
Arigato |
|
|
| True Confessions |
[Nov. 16th, 2006|06:29 pm] |
I moved the office from bedroom to upstairs about (let me see) four months ago? I'm still in boxes and have to pick my way across the room to the computer. I was going to put everything away once I had all those deadlines under my belt and BEFORE I started writing another book.
Meanwhile more clutter is piling up.
I need more boxes -- or a bulldozer.
Until the next blog. Be Well
Janet |
|
|
| STARTING OVER |
[Nov. 2nd, 2006|02:46 pm] |
 I've sent off the latest revision of Book Two of the Noor Chronicles and turned in copyedit queries for DRAGON'S KEEP (Harcourt) and TALON (Faber & Faber UK). Now I've come up for air. No looming deadlines this week. Ah.
The Seed:
It's time to begin a new tale. Back to the seed stage. Looking at a tiny little idea that might have great potential. I think of the biblical quote "A grain of wheat remains a solitary grain unless it falls into the ground and dies; but if it dies it bears a rich harvest." John 12:24. There is a kind of death at every stage of the writing process. This first stage requires a letting go of the original idea that's been sheltered in the mind for months or years. Burying it in the real soil of existing things and encouraging it to grow.
I was given a tiny opening this morning. This came out of the Diviner's critique group meeting from Judy Bodmer http://writetoinspire.blogspot.com stressed the importance of dialogue. I'd envisioned the main character alone in the opening of the book, now I asked myself, "Can I begin with dialogue? How?" And the scene came whistling around the corner.
This was only a glimpse into the new novel but I can lean into it and see where it goes. I know I can't force anything this early on. Time is needed to allow the roots to grow deep not just in the character's emotions and personhood, but also deep into the new fantasy world where the story is set.
In Out of Africa Isak Dinesen talks about shading the young coffee plants ". . . with branches broken from the bush, since obscurity is the privilege of young things." (pg. 7)
What I'm telling myself after racing through so many deadlines is that I need to nourish the creative process.
Wherever you are in your writing from early seed stage to final polish, I hope you find a way to nourish your own creative process.
Until the next blog -- Be well.
Janet |
|
|
| Great Book Festival |
[Oct. 16th, 2006|06:44 pm] |
FUN FESTIVAL!
I just got back from the 26th Annual Children's Lit Fest at Drury University Campus
In Springfield Missouri where I gave presentations to hundreds of kids and signed hundreds (yes hundreds) of books. Met fellow children's authors and illustrators:
C. S. Adler
Sandy Asher
Marsha Diane Arnold
J.B. Cheaney
Vicki Grove
David Harrison
Alexandria LaFaye
Anna Myers
Barbara Robinson
Brad Sneed
June Rae Wood
Judy Young
It's always great to meet the readers and kids know me in Missouri from the Mark Twain Award for WENNY HAS WINGS. This year I got to sign and sell the new book THE BEAST OF NOOR.
I'm still in the dark ages with my presentations (dirty little secret -- I haven't learned power point yet) so I was on my own to present 4 workshops in a row (about 400 kids in all) and nearly lost my voice by the end. I found my voice again (it was in my back pocket) by 8pm that evening when a few writers and illustrators did an Author Slam. That's 4 minutes to present something about your books. I told the strange and magical story about finding the buried glass doorknob while I was writing THE DOUBLE LIFE OF ZOE FLYNN. If you don't know that weird story and you want to hear it -- write me here on the blog and I'll spill the beans (or doorknobs).
One last thing. I was working on the galleys for DRAGON'S KEEP while flying to fro from Seattle/Denver/Springfield and nearly left the manuscript in the airport shop when I went to buy chapstick. Oi!
Until the next blog, be well.
Janet |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[Sep. 9th, 2006|12:21 pm] |
I just sent the revision of my medieval fantasy, TALON, back to my Faber & Faber editor in the UK (one month turnaround. Not bad!). Now it's back to THE ANCIENTS --
sequel to THE BEAST OF NOOR. My Atheneum editor, Susan Burke cried "Shorten!" saying THE BEAST OF NOOR was Long. Could I make THE ANCIENTS about 100 pages shorter than BEAST?
Hum . . . I knew this would be a lot of cutting since THE ANCIENTS was turned in at about 100 pages LONGER than the BEAST manuscript. Still Susan gave me some suggestions about where to begin lightening the load.
I began, as always, with some trepidation and started to remove a paragraph here, a page there, working tenderly with tweezers. As I grew more daring out came the the scissors, clip clip here, clip clip there, scenes dropped to the floor. Finally I pulled out the hacksaw, cutting out whole chapters that "slowed the pace" or "could be turned into a telling little paragraph after all."
To make sure I don't cut anything vital, I'm scanning the manuscript using a Plot Chart I devised to keep track of the the Through Line.
Three weeks to go before I have to turn the revision in.
The race is on.
Until the next blog,
Be well.
Janet |
|
|
| Author Insights |
[Aug. 30th, 2006|10:39 am] |
Today I'll take the plunge and share some of the meandering thoughts from my personal journal -- thoughts on the author, the character and the self. Turn ye back if ye do not like to delve a little deeper. Okay fair warning.
Life has been presenting me with some very difficult challenges of late.
What I want:
To understand my life from above and not just from below.
Relief from sorrow.
To have faith in God.
To believe I'm on the right path.
To make the right decisions and move on them.
To live with compassion.
Much of what I want is out of my hands. I'm human, flawed and not "all seeing". I suppose I want the guarantee of a "happy ending" Who doesn't?
MY CHARACTERS are in much the same situation. They want:
To understand the story from above and not just from below.
Relief from sorrow and difficulties.
To have faith.
To believe they are on the right path to solve to story problem.
To make the right decisions and move on them.
They don't always think in terms of "living with compassion" so that's a bit different.
AS THE AUTHOR I can see my characters' struggling.
I DO see the story from above.
I cannot relieve them from their sorrow or difficulties or the story would be over.
I know the characters are on the right path to solve the story problem even when they fail.
I know they don't always make the right decisions but as long as they move and continue moving, they will make progress toward the story's end.
They don't always live with compassion, but though the story seems to be harsh, I as the author have compassion for them.
My characters don't walk away with a PRIZE at the end of the story. They don't always get with they want. They DO walk away with a better understanding of themselves, of their gifts and of their place in the world. This "invisible prize" is something they will always have. It is imperishable/untouchable. No one can ever take it away from them.
I expect no more and no less from my characters than I expect from myself. Insight into the Author's Role/God's Role does not relieve the pain of my daily life. I blunder along as best I can with what faith I have. I'm flawed just as my characters are flawed. But I'm out for the invisible prize.
Fellow traveler,
Walk Well,
Janet |
|
|
| Beauty |
[Aug. 29th, 2006|10:53 am] |
Peace found as far away as a woodland walk
as close as a breath
be well,
Janet |
|
|
| After the Party |
[Aug. 27th, 2006|12:28 pm] |
AFTER THE PARTY - THE LEFTOVER PLUNDER
The book launch party for THE BEAST OF NOOR was a blast! I'm still unpacking the boxes stacked in my entryway, and the Falconer's Trunk is loaded to the brim with treasure. It was great to see so many folks in costume. A few came as characters from the book. The Sylth Queen arrived with her entourage of Sylth servants all fanning her and doing her bidding. I gave her a silver goblet (Sylth Queens don't drink from paper cups!) The Sylth Queen was kind enough to toss fairy petals on some lucky partygoers.
Here's a picture of the Sylty Queen, a sylth, the intrepid author, and Brother Adolpho opening the Falconer's chest. 
Many left with some Noor treasure, but I have a lot left. Hum. Were folks a bit shy about loading their plunder pouches??
The food from Noor was delicious -- I heard it was anyway. I was only able to gobble two strawberries the entire evening. I ordered a glass of white wine during the book signing but the white was gone and red wine gives me a headache. Ah well.
I chose to read a tale within tale -- the story of how the Shriker came to be, and I'm told the reading went well. After the reading, people lined up to get books signed or went over to watch the cool Search Dog video.
I might get the rest of the party unpacked sometime next week when my family gets fed up with tripping over these boxes. No food left at all :)
My thanks to all who came to revel. And to all those who bought books. The bookstore was sold out!
Still recovering here by waterfall.
Until the next blog, be well
P.S. Someone left their wolf's head costume. Contact me through my website so I can mail the wolf's head home. J |
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
janetleecarey's journal
