[Jade]

Good evening, Gord! I wanted to apologize for being inactive. I was busy, yes, but there's no point in excuses. I went back on my word, and I'm sorry. (Mostly because I was too lazy to open my computer [...]) But anyways, hello! It's been a while, and I'm going to give you more updates on life!

1. My WIP has gone nowhere. I finished writing the first draft in record time and I promptly procrastinated until we're here. Now. Only one chapter was edited. I haven't done a lot of writing at all this year and it's been kind of miserable. I'm determined to get back into my groove, though. I'm made for this. I am not giving up.

2. I've made new friends! Friends that actually enjoy writing, and some that don't! My friend, Salutations*, even showed me this really awesome Leadership "camp-ish" thing. I am going to apply once I convince my English teacher to recommend me, and I'm super excited for it!

3. The senior department head of English gave me and my best friends FIFTEEN books! Each! For FREE! I decided to go ask hi m if he had any spare copies left over since English teachers always do, and he actually does for the past decade. So yeah, I got fifteen classics. Isn't that awesome?

4. I'm going to a writing camp! In July! it's going to be so cool. It's actually an editing camp that I am very excited about. I just have to edit my book now... heh.

5. I bought a new, unused, hardcover copy of LEVEL 13 (A SLACKER NOVEL) for $2.99 at Ollie's! I don't know how they got it but I copped it and it's awesome. 

So, Gord, I have a question for you. And, five minutes later, I don't, because I forgot what the question was. Sorry. But how have you written so many books? Is it hard? I find the hardest part of book-making is the editing part, but I'm not even a rookie. I haven't even gotten to the third draft yet! I really do need to get working on my book collection... I am going to beat you, by the way. You may have 101 books now. I will have more books than you.

I suppose that's all for right now. I hope you enjoyed reading this. Can you believe I'm coming up on my second year on this Forum?

 

Be blessed,

Jade

*My friend's name is not Salutations. Who does that to a child? What's next? Goodbye?

[Gordon Korman]

Hi, Jade,

And here I was, picturing you having a fabulous fun-filled summer holiday! And what are you doing? Vegging! And that's OK too. You must have needed it. Everything happens for a reason, or so I'm told.

Don't worry about your book. No writer is going to sneak into your house, get their hands on it, and edit it in your place. It will wait for you.

Camp sounds interesting. I hope they have some fun there too! And making new friends is great. You are such a kind and open and generous person that there will be a lot of friends in your future.

MIXED UP is coming out soon. I'm waiting for you to yell at me over that one. It can be sad in places. I remember you worrying about reading THE FORT because you thought it might be sad.

My third and last kid, Leo, graduates from high school this week. He's 18, and I feel 100. He's going to Wisconsin. Far.

See? You've got me moaning and groaning now!

I'm off to Toronto in a couple of days to visit my own Mom and Dad.

Enjoy your summer. Even do some editing. Read aloud to yourself -- it gives you a fuller perspective on the prose, at least I think so.

Be happy. You call it blessed. Same thing.                                                                                              ---GK---

[Jade]

Perhaps not fabulous, but I'm certainly enjoying my summer. I get to practice cheer with my best friend (tryouts are in three days!) which I am super excited for. I also have a billion books I need to read. What is vegging? Oh, I suppose so! 

Thanks. I don't want anyone else to edit my entire book, that would be really bad. Then it would barely be mine anymore? Veiled Deception? More like Varied Reception...

Camp is most definitely going to be amazing! I went to one last year and I met so many awesome people, I had so much fun there. Thank you, I really do love people, even if talking does get tiring. People are so interesting and so important! 

I am SO excited for MIXED UP! I think that it's gonna be a good sad, or the kind that can be conquered and learned from with friends. I was super worried THE FORT would be sad because I didn't really want to cry, I think. Can you believe it's been almost a year since THE FORT came out? It doesn't feel like it. I think it should.

Wow... you have gone from twelve-year-old writing books, looking up to high schoolers, to watching your very last high schooler graduate and move up in life. I'd feel like Yoda too. Happy Bye-Bye-High-School to Leo! Class of '23! That is really far. He is probably gonna love it!

Yah... you're old. No offense. You're my aunt's age! And she's my favorite aunt, just like you're my favorite author. See? It works perfectly!

Have a super duper lot of fun! Family is a blessing. I love my Mom and Dad so much, and I live with them! Toodeloo in advance, I will make sure to blow up the Forum while you're gone.

Thank you, you too! A lot! I will do ALL of the editing. Reading aloud is some amazing advice. I suppose so! And yes, I will be happy.

Be blessed/happy,

Jade

 

[Gordon Korman]

An observation: People like you because you like them.

Another observation: Looking forward to something, and knowing it will be fun/great/rewarding makes it so.

Don't worry about the Forum. I can keep an eye on it wherever I am.

Repeat: Have a wonderful summer!                                                 -----Gord-----

[Jade]

Hi Gord! I am having a wonderful summer already! I wasn't going to tell you this before Wednesday, but here is a new "book idea"... What if two best friends, Janet and Rowan, do different sports (volleyball, cheer), and Janet decides to try out for cheer--the sport Rowan does? Janet and Rowan were both extremely lonely when they had no friends in their own sport. They are super excited up to tryouts about how the upcoming season is going to be so awesome, as they will have each other. Except, when tryouts happen... Rowan doesn't make it. And she's been (officially) doing cheer for five years. But Janet... who's been doing volleyball for two years, and has no cheer experience... makes the squad. 

This would be a really cool book idea if it wasn't real life for me right now.

Be blessed,

Jade

[Gordon Korman]

Itreally does sound like a wonderful summer!

But what about Rowan? I'm kind of sad for her. And what about the volleyball team having to do without Janet, who is probably 9/10 of all their enthusiasm, if I know her?

Now you've got me all worried and confused!                                                       --G--

[Jade]

I am sad for her too. I don't know what to do, or anything to do about it. And eh, I was never super excited about volleyball. I don't miss it. There is no reason to worry. (Alden, KOTLC). But I really don't know what to do next! I don't want it to be awkward. This next year will be hard.

[Gordon Korman]

I thought you might feel that way. It IS awkward. The real reason is probably  that all the candidates are pretty good, and they want to spread it around a bit more. Rowan had her shot at it, and it's now over. Sad when the two of you have to be separated by something like that.

As for you, I don't doubt that you will always get pretty much everything you set your sites on!                             --G--

[Gordon Korman]

Ouch. That's set your SIGHTS.  I'm ALMOST not as ignorant as I style myself.         ---G---

[Jade]

Gord, do you need a writing presence to be an author? I have an Instagram, but what do you do on there? Do I need to find a bunch of writing contests to join? How do I do that? Do I post the stuff on Instagram too? How do you build your writing presence, other than writing books, obviously?

Be blessed,

Jade

[Gordon Korman]

Oh, wow, Jade, you're asking the wrong person. I wrote a story, people told me it was as good as anything in the library, so I sent it to Scholastic. I had no presence in literary circles. I was 12.

I can guess, though. I don't think you need a presence. What you need is a good manuscript. And maybe a literary agent, who can often be harder to get than a publisher! You need to have something good to sell, and you need to get it read by someone in a publishing house. That's what I believe. Would I swear by it? Not really. It's a long time since I was a beginner, and the industry has changed a lot.

I really wish I could be more helpful in this regard. I can tell you what worked for me, but I can't guarantee that it will still work that way some 45 years later.                                                                                          ---G---

[Jade]

Gord, now that I think about it, I think you were BORN to be a writer. Like, come on. You were twelve. You had what? ZERO writing experience? And you weren't writing that book because you wanted to, it was mainly because it was a school assignment. And then it was great. Like, really great, great to the point other kids actually LIKED it and Scholastic actually AGREED to publish it. Yeah, there's no way you weren't born to be a writer. So cool!

Thanks, Gord. A lot. #BestAuthorEver And yeah, it may not work now, but there's always something to learn from the past. I highly doubt the market (or whatsitcalled) changed 100,000totally%. We still speak English! (I know all of that make 0 sense. I am not deleting it, because I am EXCITED!)

Also, thanks for the advice on cheer. Support. Etc. You know, I never actually understood what "set your sights" on meant until just about now. Like, set... with your eyes. Gord! Guess what! I edited chapters 2, 3, and 4 yesterday! I've got so much done! I have literally forever to go, but SO much done!

 

Be blessed,
Jade

[Gordon Korman]

Hey, Jade,

Congratulations on your editing accomplishments. You may have a lot still to do, but someone (I can't recall who) once said "The longest journey begins with the first step." Onward and upward!                                                       --G--

[Gordon Kormang]

Yikes! I DO remember. It was in different words, but it was Lao Tse.                         --G--

[Jade]

Thanks for the advice, Gord. And thank you! You know, I'm only fifteen years old, but time is flying. I know I've said that before, but June 20th, when I sent that message, and when you replied, feels like yesterday. Maybe the day before. It was five days ago. Nearly a week! Time is going by much faster than I've wanted it to. Life is way too short to be addicted to social media or meaningless activities. Lao Tse seems very knowledgeable. My writing camp is in a bit like three weeks. The time to actually edit. Life is passing quickly as a vapor. Schedules, I think, are necessary. 

 

Be blessed, Gordon Kormang. LOL!

Jade

[Gordon Korman]

Oops. My foot slipped!

P.S. If you want to slow down time, try waiting for an important phone call!                                   ---G---

[Jade]

Great tip. My math grade plummeted 4 points from a bad homework assignment. I don't know why I even try

Hang in there, Jade. You'll make it up.      -G-

[Jade]

Thanks... it's always the math assignments that make me question why I do what I do (school)