Panster vs Outliner--What I learned at LDStorymakers from Larry Brooks

Are you a panster or an outliner?

I admit it, I’ve always been a pantser, but after attending Larry Brooks' class on The Six Core Competencies of Storytelling at LDStorymakers I may be reforming into an outliner.

First, let me explain the difference, (at least as I see it), between a panster and an outliner.

A Pantster is someone who writes by the seat of their pants. They sit down with a concept and just write to see where it goes. Stephen King talks about this kind of writing in his book ON WRITING. His advice is to start with a situation and then write, write, write and see what comes out. (A side note, I thoroughly enjoyed ON WRITING and I feel like I learned a lot from it.)

An Outliner is someone who outlines their book from beginning to end before they write it then they follow that outline as they write.

On the surface, being a pantser seems like a very cool, very pure method of writing; sit down, open up your brain to your muse, and let the ideas flow. I remember reading a quote by Ellen Raskin, author of the WESTING GAME, she said something like this, "What fun is writing a book when you know the ending?"

Even as a panster, I can’t imagine writing a novel as complicated as the WESTING GAME or any of Stephen Kings’ novels without some kind of outline to keep the story straight. (Yes, I’ve already accepted that both of these authors are smarter than I am.)

When I started my first novel, I basically had an idea for a beginning, an idea for an end, and a few scenes in between. I sat down and let the ideas flow, and flow and flow and flow. What I ended up with was an 87,000 word “fun story,” (according to my husband), that had some elements of plot in it, but often waxed episodic. I wrote scenes and situations that I loved, but some, (maybe even many), of those scenes took the story nowhere. Several drafts later I still love my story, but I’m not sure I’ve refined it down to a basic plot yet.

Even with all my struggles, I'm glad I pantsed my first novel. I was able to get it out on paper without over thinking the process too much, I enjoyed it, and I learned a lot.

I did almost to the same thing with my third novel, the one I actually sold, BREAKING BEAUTIFUL. I started with a situation, had an ending in mind and wrote as fast and furiously as I could to get the first draft out. I revised a few times (okay a lot), queried, found an agent, and she sold the book. YAY! (Okay, not quite as easy and straightforward as all of that, but you get the idea.)

I pansted both stories, but between the time I wrote my first manuscript and the sale of BREAKING BEAUTIFUL, I had taken writing classes, read books and blogs about writing, and I had written another full manuscript. Through all of that, I learned tons about the basics of plot.

BREAKING BEAUTIFUL went through several phases of revision; with my critique group before I queried, before submission with the help of my agent, and then after it sold, with my editor. And yes, I had to kill a lot of my darlings.

When Larry Brooks said he had the formula for writing a story that would be good without rounds after round of revision, I was skeptical, but curious and hopeful enough to take his class. I’m glad I did. In a very clear way, Larry outlined six core competencies of writing, and the tools you need to create a viable story.

Here are his Six Core Competencies of Story Telling:

1. Concept

2. Character

3. Theme

4. Story Structure

5. Scene execution

6. Voice

In addition to the six core competencies, Larry talked about the tools that drive a story forward:

1. Dramatic Tension

2. Pacing

3. Vicarious Empathy

4. Inherent Interest

When I compared what he was teaching us in his class to what I had learned while revising BREAKING BEAUTIFUL, I realized something important. My critique group, and my agent, and my editor, weren’t telling me to cut things because they hated me or they didn’t understand my vision; they were telling me to cut things because they didn’t work or move the story forward. No matter how touching, no matter how incredible the writing was, (oh and some of it was incredible), no matter how much of a "darling" a particular scene was to me, if it didn’t contribute to the story, if it didn't move the plot forward, it had to go.

I took extensive notes in Larry’s class, but since he explains all of this way better than I can, I’ll refer you to his book STORY ENGINEERING and his website Storyfix.com for more information about this process.

I’m offering myself up as a guinea pig to test Larry Brook's core competencies. I will (cringe) outline my current work in progress based on what I learned from his class, his book, and his website. I’m hoping it will mean less revision, less cutting, and yes, less killing off of my “darlings.” (Maybe even before they're written.)

I’ll let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, I'm curious about how you feel about this. Are you a pantser or an outliner? A little of both? What works for you in the creative process?

A Blog Post About Blogging

Yesterday I was at my niece’s wedding, so first let me express my congratulations to the happy couple. I’m so glad I was there to celebrate with you. Second, because I missed it, I want to give a shout out to Kirby Larson. Her new book, THE FRIENDSHIP DOLL released yesterday. I bought my copy today and will post my review next Wednesday. There's still time to post a blurb for my blurb contest and to win a copy of THE FRIENDSHIP DOLL or MY UNFAIR GODMOTHER or CAYMAN SUMMER.

Now to the blog post at hand, which, ironically, is a blog post on blogging. I was lucky enough during the LDStorymaker’s conference to attend a class taught by one of the queens of book blogging, Elana Johnson. Elana's blog has 1986 followers. She also blogs at The League of Extraordinary Writers (884 followers), and is one of the organizers of WriteOnCon. Her debut novel, POSSESSION, comes out June 7th.

I went to Elana's class because I enjoyed blogging, but I didn’t feel like I was having much success at it. After listening to Elana I realized I've been going about it the wrong way.

What I didn’t understand was that BLOGGERS ARE A COMMUNITY. You can’t use the Field of Dreams attitude about blogging--"if you build it they will come." You have to build it, make your blogs interesting and entertaining, and then you have to PARTICIPATE in the blogsphere. (Duh, why didn’t I think of that?)

For over a year I have been blogging in my little box, wondering why I don’t have many followers, basically; I built it, why aren’t they coming?

This is what I learned from Elana’s class:

1. Consistency: Your followers need to know what to expect, so pick a day (or two or three or five or seven) every week and then make sure your blog is up when your followers expect it to be. If a blog by yourself is too much, blog with other people.

2. Participate in the Blogging Community: Check out your follower’s blogs, post comments, enter contests. Follow a blog the way you would want to be followed. Not only will you gain followers, you’ll gain supporters, friends, and glean industry information.

For me I think this was my biggest mistake. I resisted the idea that I was an author blogging for authors, then I realized, other authors support each other, they buy books, they read books, they talk books to their friends. Since I started writing I have read more and people ask me all the time for book recommendations, especially for their teens. Besides, how better to learn the industry than from other people involved in it?

3. Be Yourself. Your blog is a tool to get your name out there, so use your real name, share your quirks, your likes and dislikes (without whining or ranting), your dreams and goals, let your readers get to know you.

4. BUT...Don’t make your blog a commercial. People go to media (like TV), for entertainment and information, not to read a two page commercial about themselves. It’s okay to talk about what you are doing, but if your blog is just about you and your books, (or whatever you’re trying to sell,) no one will be interested in what you have to say.

5. Other Ideas to get your blog out there: Participate in blogfests (which Elana is not a fan of, so call them blogging experiments instead). Guest post on other people’s blogs, have other people guest post on your blog.

6. Make it easy to read, follow, and comment on your blog.

· Keep it short, use short paragraphs, make sure there is white space so the look isn't overwhelming.

· Use a big font and a light background with dark writing.

· Adjust settings so you readers don’t have to jump through hoops to leave a comment. I allow anonymous comments and then monitor comments via e-mail myself. I’ve gotten spam once, and no inappropriate comments.

· Watch how fast your blog page loads no one wants to sit around waiting for it to come up.

7. Have fun with your blog, your readers can tell if this isn’t fun for you. If you absolutely hate blogging, don’t blog.

Thank you Elana for a wonderful class! If you want to learn more about blogging, queries, or anything else publishing related, check out Elana's blogs, and look for Elan's book POSSESSION out next month.

Do you have any advice about blogging? Is there anything that drives you crazy about blogs or blogging?

What to Look for in an Agent (And why I know I found it.)

Last week I got the chance to attend the LDStormaker’s conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was especially excited to go to this conference because my wonderful agent, Sara Megibow of Nelson Literary Agency was going to be there. I was looking forward to meeting Sara in person for the first time, to attending classes that would sharpen my skills, and to meeting other authors. As a busy mom, I was also looking forward to having a few days to myself. I'm happy to report that I got everything I was hoping for out of the conference and more.

This week’s blog posts will be about what I learned from the conference; from the classes I took, from having one-on-one time with my agent, and from meeting with other authors. I'm taking a brief break tomorrow to celebrate the release of Kirby Larson’s new book, THE FRIENDSHIP DOLL. (There’s still time to write a short blurb about your favorite book and enter to win Kirby’s book).

***NOTE: I learned so much that I might extend my conference posts into next week. ***

What to look for in an agent and what it was like to meeting my agent:

I was lucky enough to have a choice of agents to represent me and meeting with Sara in person confirmed to me that I made the right choice.

Here are some of the criteria I was looking for in an agent and how I know I chose the right one.

1. I had to be able to talk to my agent about ANY concern I had. I didn’t want an agent who intimidated me, or who I felt was too busy for me.

From the first conversation with Sara, I felt like she was someone I could talk to, someone I could sit down to dinner or lunch and talk about anything with. That was exactly what I got to do on Thursday night. Over dinner, Sara and I talked about our kids, our husbands, about skiing, and of course, about the business of writing. She answered my questions about marketing myself—among other things, BLOG, at least twice a week, (see Sara, I was listening), and where I needed to go with my next project. I wasn’t afraid to ask her any questions or to send her my messy first draft. She gave me good advice and direction and I value her opinion.

Since I signed with Sara, I’ve felt like I was her only client. I know that most, (if not all), of her other clients feel the same. Sunday night on Twitter a couple of Sara’s other clients were tweeting about what they would do for Sara--rob a bank, smuggle diamonds, etc.--she’s that wonderful. (If you're with the FBI, I'm sure they were just joking.) The week my book sold, another one of Sara’s clients, Miranda Kinneally, also sold her book. I had no idea that Sara was selling two books that week. The whole time I lived on the edge of uncertainty, I felt like I was the most important thing she had to worry about.

As the conference went on, I constantly had people tell me how impressed they were with Sara’s down-to-earth attitude. The people who went to her classes or had a pitch with her, said they felt like she was approachable, because she is. That's a big deal when you're entering a relationship were you're trying to sell something as intimate as your writing.

2. I had to have an agent who was knowledgeable about the business and especially the marketing aspect.

I hate selling myself, HATE IT. I would much rather spend time talking about my favorite author or book, (or my amazing agent), then I would talking about my own book. Not because I’m not absolutely excited about my own story, but because I don’t want to come off as self-centered. Having an agent who not only knows how to market, but is my biggest advocate and adviser in marketing my book is HUGE for me. Sara told me she was a walking billboard for her authors and I saw that was true. I appreciated how much she talked about me and my book at the conference. I appreciated how much time she spent gleaning information from the conference specifically to market my book next year.

When I signed with Sara, I got all of her knowledge about the industry, as well as the knowledge and advocacy that came with an agency like Nelson Literary. In an industry that is CONSTANTLY re-inventing itself, that's something that's vital to consider when choosing and agent.

3. I wanted an agent who would help me sell my work, was informed about what was selling, but at the same time respected my morals and my need to write what was in my heart.

Sara has been by my side in all of these aspects. She’s been willing to say what she thinks will and will not work in my writing. She respects my values. I know if I was asked to do something to my story I wasn’t comfortable with, she would support me.

4. I needed someone who understood that my most important responsibility is to my family.

Sara is a mom, and I know she makes sacrifices for her job, but I feel her commitment to her son and her husband come first. I appreciate that because I know she understands when I have to take a step back and concentrate on my family. As she and I discussed over dinner, we’ll might get many shots at our careers, but we only get one shot with our kids.

I appreciate everything Sara has done for me. I appreciate how accessible she has been to me, through e-mail, phone calls, and especially at the conference. For me, for where I want to go with my writing, I couldn’t have a better agent than Sara Megibow.

Sara, thank you for everything!

(See, I blogged and I even kept it short, (kind of).

What do you think are the most important qualities to look for in a literary agent?

I Have Blurbs! (And my first ever blog contest!)

Sometimes you can write a story, you can get an editor to like it, you can even have a publishing contract and still not be sure that you have written something good. I've struggled with the "What if no one likes it?"syndrome many times as I look forward to the day when BREAKING BEAUTIFUL comes out. So it was with fear and trepidation that I sent my manuscript out to some of my favorite authors, (meaning authors I idolize and admire), in the hopes that they would give me a blurb for the book.

I nearly wept with joy when I received the replies from Kirby Larson, Janette Rallison, and Angela Morrison saying that they would read for me. I literally cried when they e-mailed me back their blurbs and expressed how much they liked my story!

(Insert moment on cloud nine here. We might be here a while, it was a long moment.) Nothing thrills me more than to hear people I admire like what I've done.

Kirby Larson is a master of story weaving. Her book HATTIE BIG SKY, won a Newberry Honor Award in 2007, picture books NUBS and A TALE OF TWO BOBBIES both warmed my heart and brought me to tears, and I am looking forward to reading THE FRIENDSHIP DOLL when it comes out next week.

Janette Rallison is funny, and charming, and writes the kinds of books that I love to recommend to my daughter and her friends. (And my daughter has read almost all of her books.) Check out our mother/daughter review of ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE, WAR, AND HIGH SCHOOL. Janette is one of the presenters at the conference I'm attending this week. I have marching orders from my daughter to buy Janette's new book MY UNFAIR GODMOTHER and get it signed. We are looking forward to reading it and pretty much anything else that Janette has to write.

Angela Morrison is a master of words and poetry and romance, she can write a clean, story that sizzles every bit as much as the TWILIGHT books. If you don't believe me check out the TAKEN BY STORM series or SING ME TO SLEEP. I am continually in awe of how well she can paint a picture with her words. In the interest of full disclosure, Angela is my sister-in-law and mentor. I know from lots of personal experience, how tough of a critic she can be, so when she told me she liked BREAKING BEAUTIFUL I knew it was a sincere compliment. I have read her latest book, CAYMAN SUMMER, as it appeared on her blog. I can't wait to read it again in one sitting as soon it comes out in paperback. ***PRESS RELEASE: It is now out in paperback YAY!***

Since I am so grateful to all of these authors and because I really want to share their books with all of you. AND because they all have books coming out now, I am pleased to offer...

MY VERY FIRST BLOG CONTEST!!!

Simply give me a blurb for your favorite book, put it in the comments section, and I will chose the ones I like the best (top three). Each of the winners will receive either, THE FRIENDSHIP DOLL by Kirby Larson, or a singed copy of CAYMAN SUMMER by Angela Morrison, or a signed copy of MY UNFAIR GODMOTHER, by Janette Rallison.

And while we are on the subject of blurbs...in a few weeks I'll announce my second contest. The winner of that contest gets an Advance Reader's Copy of BREAKING BEAUTIFUL and a chance to blurb it for my website. So stay tuned!

Thank you again to the wonderful authors who blurbed BREAKING BEAUTIFUL! Their blurbs are there for all to read (SQUEE!), at the top right of my blog.

Combatting Writer's Butt--Walking and Writing

I’m writing this from a treadmill at my local gym. Yep, walking and writing, that’s my new thing. It’s my way to combat writer’s butt.

In a former life, I had small kids, I ran around the house chasing them and cleaning up the messes that they made. This helped me stay in some semblance of shape. When my kids got older I made it to the gym 4-5 times a week and I loved to run outside. I completed a half-marathon and a few 10ks back in 2005. As much as I’ve been in denial, times have changed. When I started the whole writing thing, I found myself sitting more and more. My favorite place to write was (and is) the couch in front of the fire.

A year ago, my youngest son started school, and I started writing more seriously, I spent more time at the computer, and since I was now sending out queries, I had to have the rejection chocolate handy. Now with a book slated for publication (insert scream of joy/exhilaration/disbelief here) writing has become a job. With deadlines looming, kids on crazy schedules, and oh yeah, housework, dinner, laundry, (etc. etc. etc.), my gym/running time has become non-existent, (and rejection chocolate has nothing on on-submission and now revision chocolate.) Hence, writer’s butt has crept up on me.

And it’s not just my butt (or my thighs or my stomach) that are suffering because of my long hours on the couch. I have found that although I’m trying to fit more into my day, I have energy to do less. For my health and sanity, I needed to find a way to be active without spending hours at the gym or on the road running.

I’m a big multi-tasker, (what mom isn’t?), so when I read about the idea of a treadmill desk, or working/writing and walking, I knew it was something I needed to check out. I googled treadmill desk and came up with several articles and ideas based on research by Dr. James Levine of the Mayo clinic. I loved the idea, but I don’t have an extra $4,000 to invest in the treadmill desk found on Amazon. Another website suggested building a desk onto a treadmill, but again, a good treadmill, like the one the author suggests you build the desk on costs $1,500-$2,000.

I started looking on Craigslist for a good used treadmill, but I wasn’t finding anything in the price range I had set for myself. I needed another solution, and quick, because I’m not a patient person and my butt wasn’t getting any smaller. In my Googling, I came across the Surf shelf, a plastic shelf that you can strap your laptop to so you can use it while you walk. Most of the reviews on Amazon for the Surfshelf were good. I already have a gym membership, and since the Surfshelf said it would fit on any treadmill, I decided to try it. This was a $40 solution, (plus my $30 a month gym membership).

I’ll be totally honest. When I opened the package for my SurfShelf, I thought it looked cheap. The idea of strapping my laptop to this contraption scared me. Have I mentioned that I call my laptop “My Precious?” (said in a Lord of the Rings, Golom voice). But I didn’t have any other solution, so I loaded the SurfShelf into my laptop bag, waited for a slow time at the gym so I wouldn’t be totally embarrassed if this didn’t work (10:00 on a Friday night), and headed to the gym. With much trepidation and doubt, I strapped the surf-shelf on, secured my laptop, and started up the treadmill.

In just a few minutes I went from skeptical to amazed. The SurfShelf actually fit on the treadmill at the gym, the keyboard was at a comfortable height for me to work, and it felt secure. (Does it sound like I’m doing an infomercial? If I am, I’m not getting paid for it.)

I had to make the text on my laptop the size of a page width so I could read it. Once I did that I found out I could write fairly well while walking at 3 mph. (Dr. Levine's research and everything else I've read recommends a slower pace than that.) The first day, I burned off almost three hundred calories. The hour went by so fast, I was surprised when I looked at the clock and it said after 11:00.

That was three weeks ago. Since then I have used my SurfShelf several more times. I have walked up to three hours with a break after every hour so the treadmill can cool down and I can stretch and go potty. I have written 1,500 to 2,000 words, critiqued for my group, revised, and even written a blog post. (This one.)

The advantages of walking and writing at the gym are these:

1. I’m writing and burning a lot more calories than I would if I were sitting.
2. I’m away from my house and the distractions of laundry, dishes, etc. I realize all of those things have to be done, but sometimes I spend my whole day cleaning and don’t get to the writing part. Leaving the house reinforces to me that this is my work time.
3. My gym doesn’t have internet access, so I don’t have the distraction of the internet, although this can be a plus and a minus. The internet for a writer is a necessary evil. I’m able to focus better, but I miss being able to do instant research while I’m writing.
4. I feel like the motion, and maybe the flow of blood to my brain helps me focus so my word count is actually up from what it is when I’m sitting down.
   
5. If I’m using equipment at the gym, I know it’s high quality, and someone else maintains it for me.

The minuses for writing at the gym are:

1. Funny looks.
2. The gym itself can be distracting—Televisions, other people’s conversations, music, the hot guy lifting weights across the gym, (but that also could be considered research, right?) I like to wear headphones to keep myself focused, even if I’m not listening to music.
   
3. No power source at the gym, I can only work for the length of my laptop battery.
   
4. I can’t write and walk and write whenever. My gym has late hours, but it still requires a ten minute car ride to get there.

Other minuses for me have been that my back, legs and feet do hurt after I’m done, but I’m getting more used to it, and frankly, my back hurts when I sit on the couch and write all day too. However, I am looking for better shoes.

I should point out that I started in okay shape. I’m only a few pounds over what my BMI says is normal for my height, and I can still run three to five miles continuously.

I am a little concerned about the effect of static electricity on my laptop. Every time I move my hands from the keyboard to the treadmill I get shocked. I’m not sure if that’s doing anything to hurt my laptop or not. Also, I keep a hand towel with me because my hands get sweaty and I’m worried about what that will do to my laptop.

Overall I’m really pleased with my experiment, but it’s still a work in progress. After hitting the gym three times last week and watching what I ate, I dropped two pounds. Still a long ways from my goal, but it’s definitely progress.

I am still looking for a used treadmill on Craigslist, so I can walk/write whenever I want to, but for now I’m happy with the way my walking and writing is going. I’ll keep you posted.

So tell me, how do you feel about this whole idea?

How do you stay in shape through long hours at the computer?

Teens Doing Great Things--Chinook Reaches out to Japan

Moved to tears. That’s the only way to describe how I felt when I walked into Chinook Middle school on Wednesday, the day after the coin drive to raise money for Japan was announced. Four long plastic tubes lined the office window to hold the students' donations, (see Friendships Bridging the Pacific for more details about the coin drive). The tubes were there so the Chinook students could see which pride, (North, South, East, or West), had donated the most. When I left the school in the middle of the day on Tuesday, the tubes were empty. By the time I came in the next morning two of the tubes were nearly full. As I watched, another student came in to deposit his donation. He completely filled one tube and the extra money had to go into a big plastic jug.

It was supposed to be a penny/loose change drive, but there were ones, fives, and even twenties wedged into the tubes. One girl brought a big jar of change, then when she saw the bills that were donated by other students she decided to bring in twenty dollars of her babysitting money. By Thursday the tubes were abandoned because there was just too much money coming in to fit in them.

The culmination of the whole week was an assembly on Friday. The Japanese student performed an exercise routine and a dance for the Chinook students. Their performance was met with bleacher shaking screams and applause. Then Ms. Rae, Chinook's principal came to the front. Her voice cracked with emotion as she announced that the money was still being counted, but the Chinook students had raised well over a thousand dollars. With matching funds from Cultural Homestay International, (the organization that brought the Japanese students to the US), more than two thousand dollars is going to the American Red Cross relief efforts in Japan thanks to the Chinook students.

The Japanese coordinator of the group, Toshiki Hirose, thanked the students from Chinook not only for their friendship, but for their humanity. At the goodbye party that night, Mr. Hirose expressed the same sentiment to the host families. He pointed out that during the week they were here, he and the 26 students relied on the kindness of strangers for a place to stay, food to eat, transportation and basically everything they needed. Although I have hosted exchange students before, I had never thought of it that way.

As I look back, the entire week was a lesson in humanity for everyone involved. We learned that a smile means the same thing everywhere. We learned that people are compassionate and generous, no matter what they look like, what language they speak, or how young they are. We learned that we are more the same than we are different.

I appreciate the lessons I learned from the students at Chinook and the students from Japan. This week renewed my hope for the future and confirmed my belief that their are kids doing great things on both sides of the Pacific.

***UPDATE***

The money has been counted and the total amount donated by the students at Chinook Middle School was $1,695.43!

Way to go Chinook!

The Two Party System--Exchange Students Learning about the US

Our Japanese student, was only here for a week, so she only had a few days to learn about the US. We decided that one way to show her what life was like for a teens here was to introduce her to the two party system.

The Birthday Party

Tuesday was my daughter's 13th birthday. One of her friends (who is also a boy, but not to be confused with a boyfriend, no hand-holding in the halls or anything), was concerned that what I was doing with the exchange students would overshadow the celebration. After all, you only officially become a teenager once. (Although in my daughter's case you can act like a teenager for years beforehand, but that's another post.) This friend decided to organize a surprise party. Our Japanese student, her sister, and four other Japanese students who were staying with my daughter's friends came to the party.

I'm sure there were some moments where the Japanese students thought the American kids were crazy. For example, to make sure my daughter was surprised, twenty of her closest friends, including the exchange students, crammed themselves into a corner behind our bar. And waited. They were there for a good twenty minutes before my daughter came home. The surprise was worth it. My daughter had no idea so she screamed and laughed and made a good scene.

During the birthday party, we introduced the exchange students to some classic American party traditions, (or maybe they're just traditions that my daughter's friends came up with). The first was sucking the helium out of the party balloons and talking like Mickey Mouse. The second was, after the traditional "Happy Birthday," blow out the candles thing, you shove the birthday girl's face into the cake. (Aren't best friends great?)

After all the party guests (and the walls and chairs and floors), were cleaned up we moved onto party games. It took a little bi-lingual explaining, but everyone got into the games. We played the ever popular middle school game where one person is blindfolded and they have to guess whose lap they're sitting on by asking the person to oink like a pig. Based on the laughter and red faces this game was embarrassing and entertaining for guests from both countries. Eventually the Japanese students taught us one of their own games. They all sat in a circle on the floor and played a game with flat marbles. It was kind of a mix between marbles and finger pool.

The Pajama Party

The second traditional American party that our exchange student got to experience was a pajama party, or sleep over. The seven girls, including three Japanese students, watched movies, had a pillow fight, and stayed up late talking and laughing. (At 2:00 am, I was wishing the language issue was a little more of a barrier.)

The next morning, we had sausage, pancakes and Japanese egg cakes, (Tamagoyaki). The recipe, written and illustrated by my exchange student, Haru, is below.

Experiencing the two parties with my kids and with my adopted-from-Japan-for-the-week-kids made me even more aware of how much the same teens are, and how easily cultural differences are forgotten in the midst of just having fun.