Backspace is around the corner

I've been such a slacker with the diner. Sorry about that. There really is good food here, and I should stop by more often!

So, in two weeks from today, I'm boarding a plane at Pittsburgh International and heading for the Backspace Conference in New York City. I've been revising my manuscript THESE WALLS CAN TALK for months now, and I'm so excited to get back out there and share it with agents and editors who will hopefully love it as much as I do.

I've had some first readers who've loved it, too, it should be noted.

In any case, I'm unagented, but hopefully that will change in the next couple months. Of course, I'll share good news as soon as there's any to share. And the good news I'm sharing now is that I will be the official Twitterer (Tweeter just sounds strange) at the Backspace Conference.

I'll share all the great quotes from agents, the success stories, and the faux pas writers should avoid (as per the agents' requests of course).

So check out the conference and follow my tweets: twitter.com/TamaraGirardi for all the dish.

What Happens in Vegas, Even if You're Not in Vegas

I feel like a movie set stalker. Today, I drove through Kittanning, a small river town north of Pittsburgh where Janet Evanovich's One for the Money is being filmed. I walked along the river and listened to the glorious calls.

"Rolling!"

"Background!" (And cars start moving along the bridge).

And finally, "Action!"

If I didn't have to drive up to Indiana University of Pennsylvania today to reserve a study space in the library, as they all go within hours of the first day of classes, I could have been driving one of those cars.

Sigh.

But instead, I listened from the sidelines as the cool breeze blew through the trees in the riverside park and the morning sun reflected off the water. For people who live in New York City or Los Angeles, movie sets may be common place. Pittsburgh has played host to several film crews, especially recently, but it's still fresh and exciting to see the trailers, actors, and cameras in town.

And seeing all of that in Kittanning this morning reminded me of last week. Point of information: production companies make background actors (aka extras) sign confidentiality agreements that specify the actors will not talk or publish pertinent information about shooting. This includes locations and plot points.

They might say something like what happens on the set stays on the set. But they might also say when the movie comes out, feel free to blog, tweet, and Facebook all you like.

If you're following me, good. If not, rewind, and read between the lines.

In other words, I've taken some notes about my experience in "Vegas", and when a certain movie hits theaters, I will post more details about filming.

In the meantime, it's back to IUP for me (classes start tomorrow) and more work on my revisions (which are going well) of THESE WALLS CAN TALK.

Very exciting Monday morning

After several emails, I have finally managed to get hired as an extra on a movie set.

I'm not saying much just yet because I want to be a good extra. But later, I will blog and let you know anything I can. Hopefully I'll have a few photos as well - not of the set. Cameras and phones are strictly prohibited on set. But I'll see what I can do!

Happy Monday, everyone!

Jackie Evancho - wow

The city of Pittsburgh is a buzz over the 10-year-old singing sensation Jackie Evancho. Jackie wowed audiences on America's Got Talent, but she has been making a name for herself in the city for some time now, even being compared to another Pittsburgh native, Christina Aguilera.

There are several YouTube videos of Jackie, including this one:

How very (and depressingly) true...

Hard at work today, so it won't take years...


"It can take years. With the first draft, I just write everything. With the second draft, it becomes so depressing for me, because I realize that I was fooled into thinking I’d written the story. I hadn’t—I had just typed for a long time. So then I have to carve out a story from the 25 or so pages. It’s in there somewhere—but I have to find it. I’ll then write a third, fourth, and fifth draft, and so on."

DAVID SEDARIS

Get more Advice for Writers.
P.S. This is definitely not a Rainy Days and Mondays post!

I Survived Summer School

I hate to be such a drama queen, but I did, in fact, survive summer school. Good to hear, right?

Although the reading and writing seemed tortuous at times, I actually enjoyed my classes and especially enjoyed the company. I'm on a break now until Aug. 30, but a break from school is not a break from work.

In the fall, I have an amazing opportunity waiting for me. I will be the graduate assistant to Dr. Lynne Alvine who teaches a Literature for Adolescents course. My assignment will be to read YA literature and discuss it with the students in the class among other duties assisting Dr. Alvine. I've already started reading the books on the list.

The first was Chris Lynch's Inexcusable in which a teenage girl makes an allegation against a teenage boy. Unlike so many YA books on the shelves, this story is told through the perspective of the boy. His view of the world could be considered naive and/or twisted. I won't divulge the surprises, but I would recommend the book. I think it will make for some great class discussion this fall.

Now, I'm rereading Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak. It's been years since I read it the first time. The voice is surprisingly funny, especially the way Melinda names the people around her. The voice is so candid and surprisingly aware. This book is one of the top recommendations in YA literature. If you haven't read it, you really should.

Other than reading ahead for the Literature for Adolescents course, I am back to revising my manuscript, THESE WALLS CAN TALK. I've been hoping to submit it to agents since July, but it's not ready. I want to send them my best work, so I've found a way to be patient. Hopefully, I will have it ready soon.

Hope everyone's enjoying the last days of summer...

On hiatus. . . again

If only there were more hours in the day.

But there aren't. So, something's got to go, and it's going to be the diner for a while.

The PhD program is intense. I'm working on a presentation featuring using YouTube to teach argumentative theory and a paper on the value of Twitter in classroom instruction. If you want to keep an eye on my studies, check out my student blog (I know! Another blog? It's a requirement) or my student web page where we post most of our assignments in my Literacy and Technology class.
Other than that, here are a few videos I go to when I need a smile or a break:



And:



And:

Plum Lovin'

Yes, I'm still in awe at the fact Stephanie Plum is coming to Pittsburgh. If you're thinking, "Stephanie Plum is fictional, Tamara. You do realize that, right?"

No. I don't. In fact, you're wrong. She exists.

So does Lula and Grandma Mazur and (if there is a God) Ranger and Morelli. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, pull your credit card from your wallet, and click here pronto.

Janet Evanovich, if you come across this posting by some grace of all things tasty, I offer myself up to you as a tour guide. I'm a good tour guide. I promise to keep you away from Pittsburgh's "Stark" streets.

Or, hey, we can drive down them if you prefer!

In honor of my future feature film debut, here are some recent tweets from Janet (we are so on a first name basis. Sort of. Not really, but I mean, there's still time for that to change). They are always bright spots in my Twitter feed, so if you're a tweep, follow Janet. Like now.

“That's the second CR-V you've burned up this week.” - Vincent Plum, Hard Eight

“I'll throw in a bucket of chicken and an ice cream cake from Carvel. That's my final offer.” - Morelli, Finger Lickin' Fifteen

“I always thought I'd make a good detective, on account of I'm so nosy.” - Grandma Mazur, Hard Eight

“He mess with a big woman like me, and he be nothin' more than a smelly spot on the carpet.” - Lula, Two for the Dough

“You've got a helluva gene pool, babe.” - Ranger, Two for the Dough

Stephanie Plum's Shadow

I love, love, love Stephanie Plum. And I just might be able to star (or, you know, appear in the corner of a room or walking down a street or something) in "One for the Money."

The film is being made in Pittsburgh!!! This calls for a celebration!
Anyone else up for being an extra with me?

Day 1 - What I Learned

What did I learn the first day of my PhD program?

I don't have time to post this blog right now. Lots of reading and a bit of writing to do tonight before I head off to bed (this blog was written Tuesday night but posted Wednesday morning). So I'll keep this short and sweet.

I left my house at 6:30 a.m. for class. I returned at 6:30 p.m. Ouch. People around the country do this every day. If you're one of them, you have my utmost respect. I work from home. I roll out of bed, cross the hallway and plop down at the computer.

But it's also kind of exciting. Both of my professors are great. I already have ideas flowing for the assigned essays. None of the food places on campus are open in the summer (I know!), so I'll be snacking on fruits and veggies that I bring every day and lose a few pounds.

Can't beat that. Now, it's off to work I go!

P.S. Check out my blog (I wrote it before I started my classes) at Working Stiffs today.