On Recent Developments in My Small Corner of the Literary Universe

March 3, 2009 by maureen.ulrich.

So it’s official. Power Plays has been nominated for the 2009 Snow Willow Award — the winner of which will be announced in February 2010. What longevity you might say. And I would certainly agree. How can my modest little young adult novel (about which I was once asked, “What would ever make you write a book about girls’ hockey anyway?” by a teacher no less) published in 2007 STILL be in the running for awards? It boggles my mind. Anyway, for those of you not familiar with the Willow Awards — they are a young readers’ choice award. Librarians (if there are still schools left in our province that have managed to KEEP their librarians) will encourage students in Grades 7-9 to read all ten books nominated in the Snow Willow category and vote on their favourite. Eric Walters and Gordon Korman also have books nominated in this category. Simply wow. And for those of you think I am beginning to sound more and more like Jessie McIntyre in my blog — you’re right. After four months of immersing myself in Jessie’s world, I find myself unable to write in any voice but hers. I have finished a very rough draft of a sequel to Power Plays. And now the real work begins –going back through it and making sure it all hangs together. Revising has always been my favourite part of the writing process, but it is still intimidating.  I have a subplot which needs to be replaced by another subplot, and I’m not sure how easily I can do this. Oh, I know what I’m replacing it with.  I just don’t know if I can make the events around it fit. However, I did the same thing numerous times in the original, so I am an “old hand” at it. Stay tuned to hear more about “mein kampf” with the revision. 

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