I am incredibly honored to be the very first author featured on the newly created WISCONSIN WRITES AUTHOR VIDEO SERIES. This interview chat was created by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for students to hear directly from authors about how they do what they do, providing a glimpse into both their current works and their creative minds.
I have two segments, which you can see above or at the WI DPI website. The first segment is on my writing process, and the second covers many topics, including my approach to subject matter, the role of research, editing, feedback from other writers, and advice to students.
Many thanks go the educators behind this series! I hope you enjoy it, too, and please feel free to share it widely with the writers (young and old) in your life!
http://www.silviaacevedo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/logo_1024x156.png00Silviahttp://www.silviaacevedo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/logo_1024x156.pngSilvia2015-10-18 15:56:312015-10-18 16:06:24Premiering (!) the “Wisconsin Writes” Author Interview Video Series
I had the honor and pleasure of talking on a panel about kid lit at the Wisconsin Writers Association‘s Annual Convention yesterday. Beside me were some of the most talented writers of the day, their works spanning from picture book to young adult novel.
A few of the questions had to do with taboo topics and whether we censor our writing for the sake of our audience. The answer was a universal no to censorship but that, of course, a writer’s presentation is tweaked depending on age range and relevancy to the story. We all agreed that stories are a safe place to explore new worlds and perspectives. Besides, those readers who don’t enjoy a book will self-censor, that is, decide a particular book isn’t for them and put it down. It comes down to choices, which is an integral part of growing up.
Not every book covers deep, heavy topics, but most offer a window to emotional growth. My God Awful Loser is a light read and yet doesn’t gloss over the protagonist’s womanizing. He and other characters eventually learn, with the readers riding their wave, to value those around them.
Do kids need books to teach them such lessons? Perhaps another question is in order: Who remembers reading a book at just the right time and having it profoundly affected their worldview?
http://www.silviaacevedo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/logo_1024x156.png00Silviahttp://www.silviaacevedo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/logo_1024x156.pngSilvia2015-10-04 09:43:082015-10-04 09:43:08Young People Can Handle It — at the Wisconsin Writers Association
Soon Wisconsin students engaged in writing will have video proof that, yeah, sometimes you just have to scrap what doesn’t work. And who got to teach them that? Why, yes, you guessed right. It was me.
It was part of an interesting video project being put on by the Wisconsin Department of Public Schools, the state agency that runs public schools. The “Wisconsin Writes” project aims to catch Wisconsin authors wherever they happen to be in their work-in-progress to talk to students about how they’re advancing their work and to answer a few tough questions. My work-in-progress is the sequel to God Awful Loser.
It so happens that I was at a point in which I’d explored a certain path only to find it didn’t work, and so I was on the cusp of scrapping a full chapter. That turned into a talk about how sometimes you just have to try something out, see how it goes, get messy, be willing to change it or let it go if it’s not your vision, and embrace picking it up again where you left off. I hope hearing that is helpful to students.
Here I am signing God Awful Loser for the program’s host. Thanks, Marci, for inviting me. 🙂
http://www.silviaacevedo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/logo_1024x156.png00Silviahttp://www.silviaacevedo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/logo_1024x156.pngSilvia2015-09-27 18:59:322015-09-27 19:19:23Scrapping a Chapter for “Wisconsin Writes”
Today’s post is a sample of my eclectic reading, which I’m sure is no different than that of most people. I mean, who reads in the same genre all the time without exception? Not me.
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole was recommended to me by Interviewing Authors podcast host Tim Knox, who interviewed me for his show (you can give it a listen here: http://interviewingauthors.com/silvia-acevedo-tv-journalist-great-time-god-love/) shortly after the release of my young adult novel, God Awful Loser. Knox gave me a huge compliment (although I didn’t know how huge at the time) by saying that he hadn’t laughed as hard since reading A Confederacy, which garner a 1981 Pulitzer Prize. Of course, I rushed the book to the top of my To-Read pile, and Knox was as good as his word.
A Confederacy of Dunces is a comedic marvel. It has pretty mixed reviews, many of the negatives focusing on the “likability” of the protagonist, who is a snobby, idealistic, physically grotesque bum who still lives with his mother. She induces him to find work, and hilarity ensues. I tend to not dismiss books on the likability of the protagonist. I focus more on whether he or she experiences emotional growth and on the quality of the writing. Whether you love Ignatius Reilly as a character or not, no one could deny there’s a lot of great humor there. Thanks, Tim!
My next read was Double Exposure by Bridget Birdsall in which an intersexed teen (having both male and female sexual organs) leaves his bullying high school across the country to start fresh as a girl in a Wisconsin high school. Her lifelong interest in basketball helps her make friends and eventually keeps her sane when her past inevitably roars into the present.
This is not normally the sort of thing I’d read (I’m not into basketball), but maybe that’s exactly why it’s good to change habits once in a while. It’s good to expand your world. Double Exposure‘s story was engaging (main plot, subplots, and enough basketball talk to learn something but not so much the book becomes mainly a sports story). The characters were sympathetic, and the conflict was real for our times. I’d recommend it to anyone who might benefit seeing the grey between the lines. In the interest of full disclosure, I acknowledge that I have met the author through events at SCBWI, but that doesn’t matter. It’s an enlightening read.
What about you? Read any good books lately?
http://www.silviaacevedo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/logo_1024x156.png00Silviahttp://www.silviaacevedo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/logo_1024x156.pngSilvia2015-09-20 15:46:592022-09-08 18:22:28What I’m Reading – A Confederacy of Dunces and Double Exposure
What an honor it is to be interviewed about your work, but it’s especially wonderful when the interviewer is Tim Knox, author, entrepreneur, and host of the hugely popular “Interviewing Authors” podcast.
Tim Knox has interviewed many fascinating and talented publishing professionals. His podcasts are endlessly entertaining and a treasure trove of insight. I’ve enjoyed them, each and every one, for a long time now.
I loved meeting readers and writers this weekend at Tribeca GalleryCafe & Books in Watertown, WI. They promoted my appearance and my young adult book, God Awful Loser, which I’m thrilled to say they called “an awesome summer read you can’t miss!”
Tribeca is just a beauty of a bookstore with rows of great books, sumptuous coffee selections, unique local artistry, and an adorable children’s area upstairs that’s visible through the white picket fence. Enjoy a few pics of the event!
Tribeca GalleryCafe & Books
God Awful Loser right by the sweets!
Silvia and readers
Tribeca Book Of The Week!
http://www.silviaacevedo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/logo_1024x156.png00Silviahttp://www.silviaacevedo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/logo_1024x156.pngSilvia2015-07-12 08:09:552015-07-12 17:32:30LOVED Signing at the beautiful Tribeca GalleryCafe & Books
Premiering (!) the “Wisconsin Writes” Author Interview Video Series
/0 Comments/in A Writer Writes, In The News, Media / TV / Radio, Presenting the Prose /by SilviaI am incredibly honored to be the very first author featured on the newly created WISCONSIN WRITES AUTHOR VIDEO SERIES. This interview chat was created by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for students to hear directly from authors about how they do what they do, providing a glimpse into both their current works and their creative minds.
I have two segments, which you can see above or at the WI DPI website. The first segment is on my writing process, and the second covers many topics, including my approach to subject matter, the role of research, editing, feedback from other writers, and advice to students.
Many thanks go the educators behind this series! I hope you enjoy it, too, and please feel free to share it widely with the writers (young and old) in your life!
Young People Can Handle It — at the Wisconsin Writers Association
/0 Comments/in A Writer Writes, In The News, Media / TV / Radio, Presenting the Prose /by SilviaWisconsin Writers Association Kid Lit Panel – Pat Schmatz, Silvia Acevedo, moderator Melanie Boyung, Jessica Freeburg, and Miranda Paul
A few of the questions had to do with taboo topics and whether we censor our writing for the sake of our audience. The answer was a universal no to censorship but that, of course, a writer’s presentation is tweaked depending on age range and relevancy to the story. We all agreed that stories are a safe place to explore new worlds and perspectives. Besides, those readers who don’t enjoy a book will self-censor, that is, decide a particular book isn’t for them and put it down. It comes down to choices, which is an integral part of growing up.
Not every book covers deep, heavy topics, but most offer a window to emotional growth. My God Awful Loser is a light read and yet doesn’t gloss over the protagonist’s womanizing. He and other characters eventually learn, with the readers riding their wave, to value those around them.
Do kids need books to teach them such lessons? Perhaps another question is in order: Who remembers reading a book at just the right time and having it profoundly affected their worldview?
Scrapping a Chapter for “Wisconsin Writes”
/0 Comments/in A Writer Writes, In The News, Media / TV / Radio, Presenting the Prose /by SilviaIt was part of an interesting video project being put on by the Wisconsin Department of Public Schools, the state agency that runs public schools. The “Wisconsin Writes” project aims to catch Wisconsin authors wherever they happen to be in their work-in-progress to talk to students about how they’re advancing their work and to answer a few tough questions. My work-in-progress is the sequel to God Awful Loser.
It so happens that I was at a point in which I’d explored a certain path only to find it didn’t work, and so I was on the cusp of scrapping a full chapter. That turned into a talk about how sometimes you just have to try something out, see how it goes, get messy, be willing to change it or let it go if it’s not your vision, and embrace picking it up again where you left off. I hope hearing that is helpful to students.
Here I am signing God Awful Loser for the program’s host. Thanks, Marci, for inviting me. 🙂
What I’m Reading – A Confederacy of Dunces and Double Exposure
/0 Comments/in A Writer Writes /by SilviaToday’s post is a sample of my eclectic reading, which I’m sure is no different than that of most people. I mean, who reads in the same genre all the time without exception? Not me.
A Confederacy of Dunces is a comedic marvel. It has pretty mixed reviews, many of the negatives focusing on the “likability” of the protagonist, who is a snobby, idealistic, physically grotesque bum who still lives with his mother. She induces him to find work, and hilarity ensues. I tend to not dismiss books on the likability of the protagonist. I focus more on whether he or she experiences emotional growth and on the quality of the writing. Whether you love Ignatius Reilly as a character or not, no one could deny there’s a lot of great humor there. Thanks, Tim!
This is not normally the sort of thing I’d read (I’m not into basketball), but maybe that’s exactly why it’s good to change habits once in a while. It’s good to expand your world. Double Exposure‘s story was engaging (main plot, subplots, and enough basketball talk to learn something but not so much the book becomes mainly a sports story). The characters were sympathetic, and the conflict was real for our times. I’d recommend it to anyone who might benefit seeing the grey between the lines. In the interest of full disclosure, I acknowledge that I have met the author through events at SCBWI, but that doesn’t matter. It’s an enlightening read.
What about you? Read any good books lately?
Featured on “Interviewing Authors”
/0 Comments/in A Writer Writes, In The News, Media / TV / Radio, Presenting the Prose /by SilviaTim Knox has interviewed many fascinating and talented publishing professionals. His podcasts are endlessly entertaining and a treasure trove of insight. I’ve enjoyed them, each and every one, for a long time now.
Tim and I had a fun talk about my newly released fantasy novel, God Awful Loser, my TV life, and just how interfering Venus is, really. And Tim is so complimentary, calling God Awful Loser “one of my favorite books of the year, and I don’t say that lightly.” Here’s a link to our talk. Enjoy!
http://interviewingauthors.com/silvia-acevedo-tv-journalist-great-time-god-love/
LOVED Signing at the beautiful Tribeca GalleryCafe & Books
/0 Comments/in In The News, Presenting the Prose /by SilviaI loved meeting readers and writers this weekend at Tribeca GalleryCafe & Books in Watertown, WI. They promoted my appearance and my young adult book, God Awful Loser, which I’m thrilled to say they called “an awesome summer read you can’t miss!”
Tribeca is just a beauty of a bookstore with rows of great books, sumptuous coffee selections, unique local artistry, and an adorable children’s area upstairs that’s visible through the white picket fence. Enjoy a few pics of the event!
Tribeca GalleryCafe & Books
God Awful Loser right by the sweets!
Silvia and readers
Tribeca Book Of The Week!