A New Start

Writing is hard. When I seriously started writing children's books I had no idea how far out of my comfort zone I'd be required reach. 

I'm still not where I want to be. I don't think I ever will be. I will play a level of Candy Crush over and over again until I get three stars. Of course I only play Candy Crush when I'm all done with everything on my to-do list.

https://openclipart.org/detail/30277/tango-face-grin-by-warszawianka

Anyway, the video above is brilliant advice from author, Kristen Lamb. Couldn't wait to share it. 

Have a great week.

The Importance of Community in Writing

Books by Dianna Hutts Aston

I had the fortune of meeting some writers through PiBoIdMo, run by Tara Lazar, who lived in the same area as me, so we started a Facebook group to keep each other informed of writer's events in our area. Word of our group spread, and we grew from a handful of members to over 30.

As I added the people requesting to join the group, I realized how many of them had amazing credentials. It made so much sense to pool that local knowledge, so we decided to have our own mini-workshop.


 
We had the first one, of many I hope, a week ago. About 13 of us, and the presenters, met in a library (the rooms of which you can usually reserve for free) and listened to award-winning author, Dianna Hutts Aston, talk about her inspiration, where her stories came from and how she got her start (She even talks about money in the full presentation for those who are curious about that aspect of publishing.). 

We were then treated to a tour-de-force presentation, by Marcie Flinchum Atkins, on using mentor texts to guide your writing. I've heard Marcie speak on this subject before, but I still learned so much. 



I put their full, well mostly full, presentations on YouTube (included at the bottom), but above are two very brief videos that showcase just a bit of what they talked about.

Besides learning how to improve my writing from these talented women, I also learned that a gathering of writers can empower an individual. We learned from each other as we exchanged ideas and knowledge, and offered suggestions and insights to those seeking ways to overcome a specific writing hurdle. 

I'd highly recommend forming smaller groups within your communities that you learn with and from. It's a more personal way to strengthen you in your writer's journey.

Have a great weekend and please see below for the full presentations.

Weekend Links: The Beauty of Human Collaboration

I saw the above clip today with Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury and thought it was perfect to illustrate what happens when a writer and an author add their distinct interpretations to a story. Bear Hunt is a classic I've read to my children, not quite 2500 times, but pretty close. Okay, not that close. Anyway, it's fun and educational to learn the story behind the story.

The video below shows one of my favorite illustrators (who has also authored his own stories), Chris Riddell. He and Paul Stewart have collaborated on a number of fantasy books for children. It's a great overview of what happens when art and words, and the people who craft them, work together.




And the final video, well it's a life insurance ad from Thailand. I'm not sure how effective it is as an ad--I guess if it were a Kleenex tissues ad--but it's quite a glorious message so don't let the advertising deter you. The video has nothing to do with writing, per se, but it is about the human experience which is what we, as writers, seek to unfold.

Have a great weekend.

Weekend Link: Mo Willems

We had a great day today. We traveled to DC and watched "Elephant and Piggie: We Are In a Play," by Mo Willems. I had no idea that the appearance of Elephant and Piggie at the Kennedy Center was the premiere venue for Mo Willem's new play. No doubt it won't be the last...

Our kids loved the play and that's saying something for my very wiggly son. It was fun, well-paced and interactive. The kids were putty in the actors' hands.

It's a great illustration of Mo Willem's genius to take his books and move them to another format. I couldn't find any clips of the play, but do enjoy Mo Willems presentation at the National Book Festival also in DC.

The Plunge

Taking myself seriously as a writer has been the biggest hurdle in my progress. I toyed around with ideas I'd had for years, until I finally decided to write them down. Once I had them on paper, I realized I'd taken a step into the territory of a writer.  

I had to decide, do I keep going or cloister my stories in the safety of my hard drive? But there were ideas coming out in my writing that needed their own life, so I made another move, quite literally.

Online Writing and Illustrating Courses

Just a few links here. As mentioned in my previous post, I'm taking an online picture book writing class from Joyce Sweeney. She offers other online classes as well. You can check her information out at http://www.sweeneywritingcoach.com/.

Katherine shared a link with me earlier for an online 2-hour course by Ann Cannon sponsored through Folio Academy. The course is $30 and covers dos and don'ts for writing picture books. You can see a trailer for the course at http://folioacademy.com/samplebc.html.
 
And finally, for you illustrators out there, Will Terry has a YouTube channel with illustration tips and tricks. Find his channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/willterryart

Happy writing/illustrating. 

Writing Practice

One of my ideas to get flow going in the writing process is to choose a book I really like in the genre I want to write in. Then I look closely at how the author writes dialog, describes scenery, shows emotion, makes time pass, etc. I choose my own story and copy the techniques of the writer I like. If I'm having to work at getting into the writing process, I can just copy parts of the story I like and experiment with changing a character's reaction, the time of year, or creating a different outcome to a problem. This type of writing practice gets me into the writing without worrying about creating something out of nothing - a problem I can easily have on a day I've been too busy with other time demands or when I'm feeling tired. Once the writing process gets underway, I can tackle my own projects.

Practicing writing in this way isn't much different than the practicing a musician does. Jazz artists spend hours transcribing well-known jazz players' solos to get ideas, rhythms, and immerse themselves in that particular style of playing. The end result is their own solos are richer and have the right sounds and patterns for the jazz idiom they're playing in. Composers spend hours listening to and practicing other musician's compositions. Why shouldn't a writer spend hours reading and practicing the writing techniques of other writers they admire?

Getting Back Into It

I know I’m supposed to write every day. That’s what famous authors say, and it’s a good idea because it keeps what I’m writing fresh in my mind, and then I get ideas while I’m cooking dinner or taking a shower. But it in my life, it just isn’t always possible. I spent the whole summer moving--finding a house, packing and unpacking. I’m still not finished unpacking. I have been so focused on this move that I worked on it from the time I got up until the time I went to bed. A few weeks ago I realized there was no way I could sit down and write or draw because I had forgotten how to sit down and relax. I had to have some time to unwind before I could get back into creating anything. And then…how do I get back into my writing? How do I start illustrating? It’s exciting and a little frightening at the same time.

Writing Magic a' la Gail Levine

It can be overwhelming for new writers to enter the fray of the writer's world. I've found the children's writing community to be especially kind, but still I do feel the inadequacies of being a newbie among more experienced and polished authors.

That's partly why I wanted to start this blog, to help myself and anyone else who may feel a little insecure about entering the world of a writer. 

One of the first books I checked out on my initial foray into serious writing was Writing Magic, by Gail Carson Levine.

I adore this book. It's written for kids, but that hasn't stopped me from loving it. I think it's fitting to use a writing book intended for a younger audience when I'm trying to write for that audience. 

You Want to Write for Children?

After we moved back to the U.S., I decided it was time to dust of a dream to write children’s books. So I started writing.

I found a writing group and regaled them with my 1000 plus word "picture book," with about 50 main characters (that's a bit of an exaggeration) and lots of description.

Suffice it to say, I shelved that story and started writing others. I thought I’d hit gold when my manuscripts started getting better reactions, so I started sending out queries—to agents and publishers.

AAAAAARGH!!!!! Here’s a few things I wish I would have done (and actually some I did) before ever sending my name out into the publishing world.