Mel is Mel Boring, moderator of this interview with Dandi Daley Mackall, and former Web Editor of the ICL Web Site. Jan is Jan Fields, the New Web Editor of the ICL Web Site.

Mel: Drum roll!!! At the very beginning of my ICL Web Editorship over three years ago, a dear friend suggested Dandi Daley Mackall as a Chat Guest in our ICL Chat Room. I invited Dandi immediately, and I'm SO glad I did; for it has taken these three years to find a date that would work in Dandi's busy writing and family schedule. Finally it has happened, so rewardingly for me on this final Guest Chat of my editorship here. So you understand how deeply pleased I am to welcome Dandi Daley Mackall into our ICL Chat Room. Dandi, just our short practice the other day let me know that I am a VERY fortunate interviewer for you to have come to be our Chat Guest tonight. A very WARM WELCOME from me and all of the chatsters here this evening!

Dandi: Thanks! Hi, Everybody!

Mel: Dandi Daley Mackall, I know from your bio that you live in Ohio now with your husband and three children. Could you tell us how you GOT to Ohio, or if you have always lived there, please?

Dandi: Oh my! I grew up in Missouri in a very small town. Then I thought I wanted to live in cities. So I did! LA, NYC, Paris, lots of states. Now we're in the country, with Amish neighbors and I love it!

Mel: Also, HOW did you get from being a POWER READER as a child--which I KNOW you must have been—to being a power author of books for children of all ages, AND for adults as well?

Dandi: I'm not one of those fast readers, but I don't care. I just read what I like, and I'm kind of stuck in children's lit mostly, like most of us, I'd venture. At first, I thought writing would be a hobby. Guess not.

Mel: Yes, I TOO guess not! Now let's go right to the HEART of your chat, and right to YOUR heart: What do you love about words?

Dandi: I love the sounds of words—fluttering, whispering, thump! I love that words can make us cry or laugh. They can put us to sleep or put us on edge.

Mel: So what are some MORE of your FAVORITE words or some words that you liked when you saw them in print?

Dandi: I love Sandra Boyton's playfulness—“Belly Button Beach.” I love the difference one word can make—like in No No Noah, a picture book I wrote: “40 days it rained and poured/ All the bears and beagles snored.” It wouldn't have worked if I'd said all the animals or dogs and bears snored. Beagles was the right word.

Mel: “Belly Button Beach”—I LOVE that—and No No Noah! Just that TITLE resounds inside me, let alone that DELICIOUS text! Board books, Dandi: Are there great words we can use in books for the youngest kids? Any hints?

Dandi: Yes! Some are onomatopoeia, sounds of words—like thump and crash. Others, we get to make up! Degan's “Trainberry/ Trackberry/ Clickety-clackberry” Gotta love it!

Dandi: Tough question! I like different ones for different reasons. Sentimental favorite: Silent Dreams, a PB, based on characters I met when I was eight. I think Eva Underground, out next month, is a favorite because it's what I experienced behind The Iron Curtain in Poland years ago. Others: Winnie the Horse Gentler Series because I get the best mail from kids. I'll stop, but I'll regret others I haven't mentioned. Larger than Life Lara comes out from Dutton this spring, and it's the best thing I've ever written—one of those books that just came. Wish they were all like that.

Dandi: What a noble goal—good for you for having such a group. OK—here are some quick rules. True rhyme only, until you're well known and editors believe you intended that off-rhyme. Example: weighed and sleigh—no rhyme; gain and again—no good, right?

Mel: Right, they’re wrong!

Dandi: Next, don't force word order. If you wouldn't say “Of which he did speak” then don't use it to rhyme with “bird with a beak.” Okay. Here's another one for everybody. What rhymes with “day”? Anybody? Fire away!

Mel: Weigh, say, hay?

Dandi: Not bad, Mel. But I'd try to stay away from those “easy” rhymes that come to our heads first. They come to editors' desks first, too. Go for consonant rhymes. Late and plate are better than the vowel rhymes with “a” and “I” and “e”. But be original! Go for two-syllable rhymes and two-word rhymes, etc. In No No Noah, I have a monkey who doesn't want to go on the ARK: “Can't you see it's way too scary? Is this whole trip necessary?” I like that one.

Mel: So do I—and GOOD advice!

Dandi: Very nice!

Dandi: You know--it's funny. Kids get a long word when it's obvious or fun-sounding. I used to pay strict attention to word lists, and it's a good idea if you're not used to an age group. But I like to challenge now and again with a bigger word—and editors seem to let me get away with it. Readers too, I think.

Dandi: Hi, Molly! Great question. Funny—I never thought I'd write historical fiction. I backed into it. I wrote Eva Underground based on my time in Communist Eastern Europe. My editor said, “I love historical fiction.” First time I felt so old that my life was history!! But maybe that's the answer. Find the reality, the “you” in the story, the reader in the story.

Mel: Dandi, I'd really like to know about your time in Communist Eastern Europe. How did that come about, and what did you do there? Did you go by yourself or with your husband?

Dandi: After college, I met someone who knew someone in Poland and asked if I'd go there and teach Bible studies and English and writing to a group of university “kids.” Hey—I was young, and said, “Sure!” Little did I know I'd end up with an illegal printing press and many narrow escapes. Great time, though.

Mel: Can you give us an example of a rhyme/couplet that YOU wrote and are MOST PROUD of, in ANY of all the poetry you've written?

Dandi: Yikes! Are We There Yet, a Dutton PB: (As they leave the city) “ducks parading/ mooing cows all serenading.”

Mel: That is SUPER, “parading” and “serenading,” those CONSONANT-rhyme words, right?

Dandi: Yup! And from We Needed a Tree for Christmas: “Was there wood in the manger that held our Lord? Did his tiny fingers touch the splintered board? Was a tree cut down for the Child adored? We needed a tree for Christmas.” That's—and it's a metaphor throughout—all the wood in Jesus' life. But I like the rhyme scheme. Go for something different. With that one, three lines rhyme and the last one doesn't. It's a tag line. At least I call it that.

Mel: Dandi, NOW is a GOOD time to ask you what your inspiration is for writing words and books with SPIRITUAL content. May I ask?

Dandi: Of course you can ask, Mel! I never set out to write about God, but so often He just comes in anyway. I'm always stumbling around and learning spiritual lessons the hard way. Sometimes it comes out in the books.

Dandi: Not anymore, baby! God is in! And Jesus isn't doing so bad either! Seriously, many mainstream publishers want good, wholesome books, and they aren't flinching like they used to when Jesus entered in. But it all depends. Good to read what's being published by whom. Some are overt, some not.

Mel: Here's a compliment about your Winnie the Horse Gentler books:

Dandi: Hi, Wendy! How nice of you to say that! Those books have been such fun to write. I think that if we can get a reader inside a character's head and let the reader experience what our character does, then we never have to preach spirituality. It just happens.

Mel: Did the Winnie the Horse Gentler books come out of your equestrian experience, Dandi? (Note that BIG word—LOL!)

Dandi: I'm impressed, Mel!

Mel: Thanks!

Dandi: Yep—not so fancy, though. I grew up with horses as my best friends. We had “backyard” horses, the cheap kind who loved you. I still have a horse or two at all times.

Mel: Here are a couple of SPECIAL greetings for you:

Dandi: Hi! We need to fuss over Mel. It's his last chat here, right? Everybody sing!

Mel: . o O I can HEAR it! THANK YOU ALL, from my heart!

Mel: Dandi, Pam Kelly, Director of Instructional Services at ICL, sends you her BEST tonight!

Dandi: I miss Pam! Thanks for the greetings! When will you have me out there???

Mel: I'll have her write you about that, Dandi! Picture books: What kinds of words are a “waste” in them?

Dandi: We can't let anybody's pictures be worth 1,000 of our words, right?

Mel: Right!

Dandi: So if it better be conveyed in illustration, don't waste your words—very big, round, red. Waste! Instead, just let them try to draw smells! Or sounds like buzz and clang and crash. Or touch, or your character's thoughts and even feelings. Or dialogue!

Mel: What about other word choices in picture books? Any examples from your own work?

Dandi: Use assonance and alliteration and word imagery. In In the Beginning, I say: “In the beginning, there weren't any toys/ no mommies or daddies, no girls and no boys, no swing sets or sunsets, no songs and no noise.” And later: “Then God got creative, with camels and, Zebras and weasels and beavers and bats, puppies and ponies and rabbits and rats/ Snuggly, cozy, safe inside/ Tracing where my window cried”—a Little Blessing board book.

Mel: Blessings and Brava!

Dandi: I just had a PB come out with Sleeping Bear, Legend of Ohio, an Iroquois legend. I think it works because of the language and imagery more than anything.

Dandi: I guess it depends on the author/illustrator, right? We all know some terrific ones. But they're rare. Most of us have one forte. I can't draw worth a hoot. But I do get two creators in a book. The artist brings so much!

Mel: You've worked with LOTS of editors, Dandi. How would you say editors feel about writers who ALSO send along illustrations, but which aren't exactly professional?

Dandi: I'm guessing it hurts the author's chances a lot. With as many submissions as an editor gets, you have to imagine someone who's looking for a reason to say no. Don't give 'em one! Do what you do best.

Mel: Speaking of editors: Can you tell us about experiences with the MANY editors you have had, Dandi, maybe some of the good and not-as-good?

Dandi: Most of my editors are terrific. My Dutton editor bought Larger than Life Lara in 48 hours! She believes in the book and loves it as much as I do. She bought my next one, but there were so many editorial changes that I was afraid the love affair was over. But they were great ideas, and I really got into the rewrite. We both saw the book get stronger. With Eva Underground, my editor stuck with me through three serious rewrites, guiding and commenting. Wouldn't be what it is without her. My Tyndale House editors are like family. They KNOW my family from our e-mails and meetings. They're friends.

On the other hand, an editor who will remain unnamed bought my PB manuscript and changed two dozen words in a picture book without telling me. No big deal? Yes! It was a carefully metered and rhymed PB--and the changes threw everything out of whack! Words were changed, such as “down and outers” to “friends and neighbors.” Not the same at all for homeless people! I complained, and I was told that she knew better. I called again—and I was a nice guy—and she hung up on me! My agent got involved. A very well known author went to bat for me by vetting both manuscripts, names removed, and reaffirming my side. The book ended up my way, mostly. But that editor didn't support it and it didn't sell well. . o O sigh...

Mel: What I think I hear you saying, and WELL, is that books are NOT just written to be published. If they are to be PUBLISHED, they must be BOTH written and EDITED—and at least two heads are better than one in the publishing process—when it works, and it usually does work—right?

Dandi: Right! I love the process, most of the time—love rewriting and getting input. But to be honest, I still feel rotten when I get that letter itemizing the changes or “problems” in the manuscript. I know better! I can tell my writer friends that it's the profession and nothing personal and doesn't mean they don't love me and my words. But the truth is, it hurts. I guess it hurts the old ego. I got one of those letters today and felt crummy all day. Stupid, huh?

Mel: NOT stupid—just REALITY—REJECTION HURTS! How did Larger Than Life Lara—which has a TERRIFIC title in my opinion—come about, Dandi?

Dandi: It's one of those dream books I'd heard about and never really totally experienced! In the middle of the night, I “heard” this kid with an attitude say: “This is not about me. This story, I mean. So already you've got a reason to hang it up.” At 3:30 a.m. I wrote it down. Next day I just started typing. It just kept coming. I was done in two months; I usually rewrite dozens of times, but I was almost afraid to change anything. I changed very little. In the whole Dutton editorial process, I don't think we changed more than 20 words of this middle-grade novel. Wish they all happened like that!

Mel: An AMAZING real-life writing story--SO encouraging, Dandi! Two months to write and only 48 hours to be accepted!

Dandi: I know. I'm so grateful. I've talked to some other authors, and many who have written a number of books have one that came in a different way—not always their most successful book, but the most satisfying.

Mel: What's the LONGEST you've had a book manuscript “out there” before it was accepted?

Dandi: It's probably still out there!!

Mel: LOL!

Dandi: Seriously, I have had the funniest PB, Rocking Granny, out there for a year—so close, but no cigars. But the first book I wrote was for grownups and took three years to be accepted…

Mel: YIKES! Three years!

Dandi: …only to then have the contract not honored and book returned!

Mel: TRIPLE YIKES!!!

Dandi: But it was too late. I thought I was an author, and I'd written two more books. Eventually, that first one came out, much stronger, more material. Guess what the title was?

Mel: What was it?

Dandi: When the Answer is No!

Mel: LOLROTF!!! I think I speak for us ALL in saying that it is SO encouraging to hear from you the HONEST truth of trying, failing, trying again, succeeding, failing, yet succeeding!

Dandi: I don't see how any writer can have a big ego. Rejection is so much a part of our lives!

Mel: AWOMEN to that! AMEN too!

Dandi: I've had a lot of books published, but you see how many are UNpublished!!

Dandi: Hi, Wendy. Sometimes it's easy—just comes that way. Sometimes it's practical. Maybe you plan to have two POVs in the novel. I vote you try it both ways and see what works. I've gotten into a book and changed the whole thing. If you let yourself try first person, you might get close to the character and can switch back to a close third?

Mel: Do you have any idea how much of your fiction is in FIRST person, and what fraction in THIRD person, Dandi?

Dandi: Wow! Great question. I'd guess half and half—but I honestly don't know. I've done series both ways. Cinnamon Lake Mysteries is third person. Winnie is first person.

Mel: I've been reading Linda Sue Park's When My Name Was Keoko, with alternating (two) POVs. Have YOU written in changing POVs?

Dandi: Yep. In Eva Underground, I'm in Eva's POV (She's American). And I'm in Tomek's (Polish love interest). They usually get their own chapters and it's clear when I switch. I've experimented with POV quite a bit. In Love Rules, it's mostly in Mattie's POV. But when she goes on dates, I switch and show it in the guy's POV. He usually thinks he's doing great. Then I'm back with Mattie, and we see he wasn't. More…

Mel: What factor(s) made you decide to write in alternating POVs for Eva Underground, Dandi? The two nationalities?

Dandi: Okay—back to Eva Underground first. I did want to clearly show two people from two different cultures, but with similar problems going on inside. But it took me years to see that the book needed to go that way. I did it with Eva first, and knew it didn't quite work. Two years later I picked up the unfinished manuscript and added Tomek's POV, and it clicked. Could I toss in another experiment in POV?

Mel: Yes, PLEASE—sorry to interrupt!

Dandi: Don't be silly! Your interruptions are more fun than my talk!

Mel: . o O (BIG Boring Blush!)

Dandi: Anyway, another experiment in POV: In Degrees of Guilt, I conspired with two other authors to plot a mystery—someone dies at a party. We agreed on certain sets and plot points and our three characters. Then we each wrote that character's version of the story. If you read mine, Kyra’s Story, you think you have the whole story. But if you read the other two books in the trilogy, you see that Kyra had no idea of so many things. Ends in a trial. Fun!

Mel: Sounds like a DANDY innovation! J

Dandi: I guess I'm an ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) of writers. I do love rhyming picture books, heaven help me. But I also love those teen novels. And board books. I'm not a good example for focusing on one age group. Sorry.

Dandi: Sadly, that's very true. The hardest book to sell is a rhyming PB. But that's only because those other authors don't know what you know—about true rhyme and rhythm and the “rules” and originality, right?

Mel: ForSure!

Dandi: Make your rhyme sit up and get noticed! And all PBs are pretty hard to sell now, I'm afraid. But so what? You have to write what you have to write. Writing is more than half the fun!

Mel: In longer fiction—middle grade and young adult—we get more words to work with. How do we get the power of words into longer fiction?

Dandi: Short answer is REWRITE (except with Larger than Life Lara)—ha! Longer answer is to work and rework that text—I know, same as short answer, right? But it's true. We should have fat long drafts with skinny books inside crying to get out! Look for fresh metaphors and similes, sustained imagery. Make readers see things in different ways. I saw an eagle once and thought of it as “crucified against the sky.” I used it, I think.

Mel: Can you help us with other examples of metaphor or simile?

Dandi: Sure, I like to play. So let's play.

Mel: OK!

Mel: Yes!

Dandi: He's the kind of person who wears molars for cufflinks. Now, use that with your character. She's the kind of teacher who...Who hates questions? Who makes you want to get an A? Who makes you think of moonlight on snow? I used a sustained metaphor in Horsefeathers. Gramps had Alzheimer's and all he'd say was, “Air. I need air!” He'd also squirrel away jars under his bed. Sarah, my teen character, wanted to get to know him, but now it was too late. He was her only living relative. When he dies, she finds him on the floor of his old farm basement, surrounded by empty glass jars. But she sees that each one has a yellowed paper folded and taped to the lid. She reads one: “Air April 7, 1949, when Reba smiled at me in WY.” Each jar contains air of a special moment. He'd collected air in these jars—of assassinations and birthdays, deaths, and rainy days. She releases the air over his grave and can almost hear her history and the stories.

Mel: EXCELLENT teaching, Dandi! How can the right words help with SETTING in long fiction?

Dandi: They're our secret weapon for getting mileage out of our words! In Larger than Life Lara, my little narrator has three things on her wall. One of them is an old tennis shoe glued to the lime green wall (all the house's walls are lime green because of the sale). She won a race in 3rd grade and people clapped and she never wanted to forget what that felt like. So the setting characterizes her. In contrast, Kyra's room in Kyra’s Story is white with light blue curtains her mom picked out. Her posters were given to her. The CDs are from guys she dated; she pretended to like their music. She has nothing that's “her.” That’s her character.

Mel: How do words get us “voice” in our fiction?

Dandi: Word choice is our tone and music. The rhythm comes from how we shape our sentences, how we repeat or stop short. We recognize dialect by word choice, rather than funny spelling now. Each character should sound a bit different.

Mel: So GOOD, so HELPFUL—THANK YOU!

Dandi: Hi, Chippy! Kind of depends on the day. I always like to have one rhyming idea going on in my head, though. But I don't think I'd be happy if I couldn't do YAs too.

Dandi: I don't think I have. But I've had a lot of things reprinted in magazines. Those mags are a great place to start out and to reach so many people, too. Go for it!

Dandi: There are books of Word Lists, and the BEST is Children’s Writer’s Word Book by Alijandra Mogilner. But still BETTER is to pick up books and guidelines from target publishers who do what you want to write. Analyze those books and make your own charts. Fit in. They're all different in their levels.

Mel: Reality questions, Dandi: How long a time has it taken you to publish your about 400 books? In the realities of the writing life, how many books might we mortal writers HOPE to publish per year? And how many books published a year makes a supporting income for a writer and their family?

Dandi: Lots of questions, Mel—you're really something. Here goes. My first book came out in the late 70's (I was 4 at the time. J ). I do have a lot of books come out most years—22 last year. Series of board books and any kind of series add up fast. I'd like to do no more than two long fictions a year, but I usually do more. I don't know how many for a good income. Guess that depends on lifestyle? But I'll be honest. I do make a nice living—more than I ever thought I would. And, you guys, if I can do it so can you. All I do is work very hard and write a lot. And pray. Please know that I only said that because I want you to be encouraged. So many times tonight, I've wanted to say, “I'm so like you guys—” Hope I haven't sounded like I'm bragging. I hate bragging!

Mel: You HAVE encouraged us MUCH this evening, Dandi--and ESPECIALLY me, I believe!

Dandi: I'm all for keeping that cover letter simple. Let your story be childlike. You could lead with your best story line. But I think you need to connect with that editor as a grown-up.

Dandi: Hey--nice to meet you, too. I never used to get that privilege. Seemed they did all possible to keep us apart and keep the visions separate. It's still that way with many publishers. But more and more I've seen publishers let me have input. Sleeping Bear made connections between me and Greg LeFever for the Iroquois tale because I'd done research. Same on a Hobo story I'm doing for them now, with a new illustrator. WaterBrook/Random House is flying me out there to meet with illustrators for four new PBs. I love getting let in!

Mel: You know, Dandi, I've never heard that great suggestion before, that publishers keep writer and illustrator apart to keep the visions separate—to INCREASE the total vision for the book. I always thought is was just a capricious restriction. SUCH AN EXCELLENT INSIGHT, THANKS!

Dandi: I have. Alas, I did one a year ago (won't tell you for which book), and it made me less enthusiastic about the book. But if I hadn't done it, I wouldn't have gotten the publisher's backing. It's a hard call. I should say that 90% of the time, editors are right on.

Dandi: Picture book. Sorry I didn’t explain that, zebra.

Dandi: Middle Grade books. Shame on me! I'm so sorry.

Mel: No need for sorry, Dandi, with such GREAT insights you're giving us all!

Dandi: No! I love rural! In touch with nature—people are so interesting and willing to talk.

Mel: Would it have been easier for you to get established as a writer if you had lived in New York City?

Dandi: I've wondered that, too. I do go to NYC a couple of times a year and meet with editors. But I'm not sure it's such a big deal now, especially with the Internet and e-mail. It's as if we're right there…almost.

Dandi: Thanks, Char. Thanks for the question. This is such a hard thing to teach. You know how you can recognize the Beatles or your favorite group on the radio, even if it's a song you haven't heard? That's what it is with writing. Each book has a different tune or sound, maybe a kind of voice. But you are who you are—you look at things a certain way. Know yourself and trust that. And keep writing.

Mel: WOW, what a ZINGER of a TERRIFIC illustration, those Beatles, Dandi Daley Mackall!!!

Dandi: Lots of things have been hard to get published. Many never made it. But Winnie sold right off the bat—on a proposal. I lined up an inviting world for that age group—horses, other animals, quirky kids, good set-up. That's why it worked in proposal, I think.

Mel: Do you feel it was your up-close-and-touching KNOWLEDGE about horses from experience that helped sell that series?

Dandi: I'd been teaching people to “write what you know because you have the edge,” but it took me so long before I realized that not everyone knows this much about horses or loves them like I do. Back in Missouri, we were horse whisperers before they had a name for it!

Dandi: Like this very day? J Seriously, YES! All the time! Are you kidding? My agent shows them all to me, too—on my orders.

Mel: You're a REALIST writer, and that's one thing that is SO likeable about you, friend!

Dandi: I did mention that picture book, Rocking Granny, so filled with specifics of rock and roll. Sigh... Right now the ones that haven't sold probably shouldn't have. I'm working on some contracts—sold but not yet written.

Dandi: Hey, Mandy. My life is so full—great family (loaded with quirks and problems ripe for the pickin'). They inspire me without trying. I'm a Bible reader and a God-love—lots of inspiration there. It's just everywhere! Our daughter is in Special Olympics, a special needs kid. Talk about inspiration!

Mel: One more question, Dandi: Someone asks, Why did it take you so long to do this interview with Mel???

Dandi: Ha! I love this kind of group. Wish I could meet you face to face. It's the techy stuff that scares me. So nervous! I was here 30 minutes early. But Mel is so warm and wonderful. He wore me down!

Mel: NEVER has any Guest Chat zipped past faster than this one with you, Dandi Daley Mackall! We are so GRATEFUL to you for sharing your love of words with us here tonight, and for the EXCELLENT life-of-writing advice you have given us. We give your our BEST for your continued success with the books you write, which are so effective for adults and for children, as well. Even though you have been our guest already, what I know you’d bring to each chat will always be new, and always so needed by us children's writers. Would you come back again some day and continue your marvelous help?

Dandi: Man, how can I say no after that! I'm flattered. And grateful. And worn out a bit. THANKS! You're the best. Mel and all of you!

Mel: Jan Fields SECONDS the idea of inviting you back, Dandi:

Jan: Just wanted to say goodnight. Flu meds have me zonked and folks are being so good. So, good night. And I think Dandi is a very cool speaker.

Mel: Paula Morrow will be with Jan Fields for the next Guest Chat in our ICL Chat room on February 2. Paula Morrow is a Children's Editor of children's editors, whose expertise was developed first in her work as a librarian. Then Paula was very quickly hired by the Cricket Family of magazines, where she edited their Babybug and Ladybug for many years. Paula Morrow is a very popular conference speaker and has given very freely of herself and her writing and editing expertise to many hundreds of children's writing conferees. Paula's sense of story is absolutely sound, and her sense of humor gives sparkle to her presentations. I am as eager to hear from Paula as if I were to be interviewing her myself; and I will also be eager to read Jan Fields' transcript of the interview with Paula after it happens on February 2. How about joining Jan to be here for Paula Morrow's Guest Chat just two weeks from tonight?

Mel: Dandi Daley Mackall, even during this last announcement I could sense the great excitement in the ICL Chat Room resulting from your chat with us this evening. I know our chatsters are eager to THANK you for coming tonight, and are grateful for the suggestions, tips, and secrets of writing for children that you have shared so freely with us here in chat—we wish you our WARMEST and BEST in your writing!

Dandi: Thanks, you guys! You rock! I'll be looking for your stuff! Night!

Dandi: Isn't Mel the greatest!

Mel: THANK YOU! <BLUSH!!!> Goodnight, everyCHILDREN'Swriter! And THANKS for being here!

Dandi: Thanks and goodnight!