Hello, everyone, and welcome to silviaacevedo.com! This is your best place to find my latest news, works, and musings.
Please take a look around the site, and feel free to reply to posts. I love hearing from fellow writers, journalists, and people from all walks of life.
I’ve got a new video gallery on my site, which features some of my television reporting and commentating. Just a sampling, but there you are. You can check it out by clicking here or on the Video link at the top of the page.
Okay, I know that I sound like an old fuddie duddie when I say, “Oh my, where did the time go? Another year come and gone!” Well, dangit, that’s exactly how I feel, and I just cannot believe that another year’s rolling ’round.
And what a historic year it was. New leaders. World changes. So, the eternal question. How did things change in your world? Did you accomplish your goals this year? Are you afraid to look?
I didn’t finish my next novel, but I did get far in it, which was my stated goal this year. It sure would have been nice to finish it, though. *Sigh.* And I’m planning on revamping a past work that’s garnering some interest, so there’s promising work ahead.
Here’s to wishing you and yours a great 2009. Much happiness and many blessings.
But not everyone does it well. There are angry critics who reject everything they see. There are unhelpful critics who expound without explanation. There are sunshiny, happy critics who see toil behind every work and inevitably praise every effort. Finally, there are objective, helpful critics who judge a work systematically and with professionalism.
I’m in a crit group that’s working on our style of critique, and one member helpfully suggested author Victory Crayne’s detailed method for critiquing fiction, found here. I liked its itemized, blow-by-blow approach to offering truly helpful critiques. Nicely done and worth a look!
I’ve been asked to be a regular guest on WTMJ-TV’s Live at 3 show, again joining anchors Charles Benson, Courtny Gerrish, and WTMJ-AM Host Jeff Wagner to talk over the hot topic of the day.
In today’s “What’s Hot” segments, we discussed the waning economy and why video games are still big sellers:
Hot Topics Number Two and Three: Will Britney Spears’ comeback efforts be successful and how well did the city of Milwaukee handle its first test of clearing snow:
I’ll be on the show occasionally, so I’ll update my blog with the segments, but never fear, I’ll also continue to write — and blog about it!
Monday, I blogged on voter turnout and hoped it would be impressively high this election. I hoped for that because I want to see Americans exercise their right to vote. My Puerto Rican relatives living on the island, as American citizens, can vote in presidential primaries. However, because Puerto Rico is not a state nor do its citizens pay federal income tax, Puerto Ricans living on the island cannot vote in presidential general elections. Many people argue over the fairness of that, but that’s not the point of this post. My point is that Americans who can vote, should.
Initial vote tallies are coming in, and they show numbers actually went down. The American University’s Center for the Study of the American Electorate used vote tallies from the Associated Press to come up with some initial data. It isn’t complete because there are still votes to be tallied — in some heavily populated states — but it gives an idea.
The examiners say about 61 percent of voting-age Americans actually voted Tuesday. The Census Bureau put it at 64 percent for 2004. Back to the AUC study, Minnesota scored the highest turnout with 75.9 percent of the voting-age population casting ballots, down from 76.8 percent four years ago. Wisconsin, my home state, came in second but also had declines, at 70.9 percent this year compared to 73.8 percent in 2004.
I’m always saddened when I see fewer people taking part in the political process, but I try to look on the bright side, too. Local elections can have turnout in the single digits, so anything over 50 percent should be celebrated. It shows at least half the population cares how this whole thing turns out.
On this Election Day, I joined WTMJ-TV Anchors George Mallet and Courtny Gerrish and WTMJ-AM Host Jeff Wagner on the show’s “What’s Hot” segment to talk over election- and voting- related issues.
Hot Topic Number One: How foreign countries view the U.S. election and hope for a “less arrogant America.” My take? See for yourself:
Hot Topics Number Two and Three: Whether the state of Wisconsin should require voters to show a photo ID to vote and whether Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin was poorly dressed at the polls, considering the controversy over her wardrobe costs. My thoughts here:
Lots to say on all those issues, but they can’t be said now. Election results are pouring in!
In about nine hours here, the polls will open for Election Day 2008. Don’t worry, no push here for whom to vote.
I will say, though, as a journalist, I’ve been appalled at low voter turnout on some elections. Those are usually the smaller local elections as opposed to national presidential ones. And while some experts are predicting 75 percent turnout tomorrow (It was 64 percent in 2004 and 60 percent in 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.), it’s still amazing to me that roundabouts a third of the nation lets others choose their leaders; leaders who will have an impact on almost every major aspect of their lives over the next four years.
For some, not voting is just an expression of their cynicism over the whole process. I say, sure, leaders can’t make everything perfect for all of us, but they do influence the world around us and shape our futures. I say, it’s worth it to do your best to select one that you feel will do well by you. Don’t be one of those who is censored — silenced — by themselves.
So go vote! Make yourself a force to be reckoned with!
There’s quite a bit of news to report about Welcome to Monster Isle, the picture book illustrated by Jeff Miracola, my hubby.
The book’s been distributed and is now available on bookstore shelves! In the Milwaukee area, you can find copies at independent bookstores such as Harry W. Schwartz. You can also find a list of convenient retailers at monsterisle.net, where you’ll also discover extras such as coloring pages.
More news: Today Jeff was a guest on WTMJ’s local TV talk show The Morning Blend. Hosts Alison de Castro and Molly Fay talked with Jeff about the book, his previous works, and what’s next (Click here to see the interview.). I hung in the wings, took pictures, and generally took up space. 
Well, I also chatted with former colleague and TMB Executive Producer Kim Buchanan, whose boys are diggin’ the art.
And speaking of which, thanks so much to everyone who’s contacted us to say how much their children are enjoying the book. It’s so nice to hear and makes Jeff so happy.
I’ve been posting for several days now on the speakers at SCBWI-WI’s fall retreat. The two I’ll highlight today were informative and funny, and their ideas were excellent.
Author Julie Bowe started her session with prompts to get us thinking back to our childhood selves. We’re talking thoughts such as, “It makes me so mad when … ” or “I love it when … ,” and we were to complete the sentence as if we were our 3rd-to-5th grade selves. That was a fun little mental vacation back to my elementary-school playground (I can still remember the concrete tubes we climbed on.). The idea was to mentally return to the age of your protagonist, an absolute necessity if your writing is to resonate with that group of readers. Julie took us through fantastic research highlighting the physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development of older elementary-school kids. Armed with this knowlegdge, authors can have their protagonists meet and resolve their own problems within their ability and intellectual capability.
Illustrator Henry Cole took us from rough sketches to final art on several of his books. His overhead projections showed how illustrations progress, how much they can change, and how very much emotion they evoke. We remember the art of our favorite picture books, and great art stays with us forever.
Well, great books in their totality stay with us forever, and no doubt kids who’ve enjoyed Julie’s and Henry’s works would count their books among them.
The “economy of language” is how one guest at the retreat summed up children’s picture books. Associate Editor Stacy Cantor of Walker Books for Young Readers, shown right, made us all think about just how tightly we must write for this kind of book. She suggests 300 - 1,000 words. She cited Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are at 338 words.
As someone who’s used to writing news, I’m familiar with the techniques of slashing and burning copy. Stacy’s suggestions fit with news as much as picture books, but let’s focus on the latter here.
She suggests authors introduce the characters and conflict early in the story, preferably on page one. Each sentence should progress the story, and repetition should be employed only if truly necessary. Lastly, keep in mind the mentality of the child and the creative license of the illustrator, who will tell half the story visually.
Stacy showed an original manuscript of a picture book and the subsequent markings and revisions made before publication. That little gem was wonderfully illustrative; less is more.
