What JRW Means to Me
Troy Howell is an author-illustrator whose debut middle-grade novel, The Dragon of Cripple Creek (Amulet, 2011), was chosen for both the ABA’s New Voices and the Accelerated Reader lists. He’s working on his second novel for Amulet. His contribution to the “What JRW Means to Me” series was submitted by his middle-grade alter ego.
What JRW mean to me is their 10th anniversary is coming up. 10th anniversary means you did something right. Like when you get a stroy published. And I did. I went 7 lucky number years at JRW. I liked JRW. I liked to write, too. I saw an agent there and the agent saw me there. She smiled and said she liked my stroy. She said send me a partly. So I sent her a partly. Then she waited too long. So I send it to an other agent. She liked it too. Meanwhile, 2 months after the agent who smiled and said send me a partly she said I like your stroy and it made somebody cry on page 50, please send it all. I said too late. The good agent sold my stroy and it got published to meddle grade aclaim. It won on a list too. I can sign it for you if you want and I have a gold pen I use because the art director made the page in front where you sign it black instead of white and black pen-marks don’t show up on a black paper, so I use gold. The kids like gold. There’s a dragon that likes gold too in the stroy but it’s not what you think. Anyway, I’m writing stroy number 2. (That’s not a potty joke but I could turn it into one. I don’t like potty jokes but some boys do. Maybe all the boys do. That’s not a potty joke either but I could turn it into one. I’m thinking this way because stroy number 2 has a boy in it, but he’s not the type that likes potty jokes, so I would conclude that not all boys like potty jokes). Anyway, back to JRW. JRW inspire me. (If you think about it, that’s correct utilization of grammar because JRW stands for James River Writiers which is plural, hence, JRW inspire me). JRW have advanced my carrer. JRW have cool folks. So if I belong to JRW, well, you get the picture. Or do I have to explain it? I won’t, just in case you’re smart. JRW have lots of smart people. Most of them are good writiers. I suposse their some meddle grade aclaim writers amonst them and also some GREAT writers. I think GREAT deserves to be in all capita letters, don’t you? They want me to say JRW are GREAT because maybe everyone doesn’t know they are GREAT.
In conclusion, I like JRW folks. We rub shoulders (not with our hands but with our shoulders.) JRW made me speak on a 3 panels, not the kind on the wall but on the floor, where I sat in a chair with other writiers, which is one kind of panel. It was fun. I have fondest memories of JRW.
One last thing, since they asked you to say why you joined. I joined because it’s easy. You fill out a form with your number 2 pencil (if you like) and pay some money and it was worth it. Someday, I hope to write a GREAT stroy so I can give more money to JRW.
(Notice the word stroy has my name in it).
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