Now it’s officially time to stop procrastinating and update the blog because this past weekend my fellow liaison Cathy C. Hall and I put on a great SCBWI Schmooze and I can’t wait to tell you all about it. The Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators has members all over the country. Member volunteers plan these schmoozes, or mini writer’s workshops, to help educate writers and illustrators as well as get the word out about what a great organization SCBWI is.  Last Saturday, we had the opportunity to hear authors Janice Hardy and S. R. Johannes speak.

Katherine with one of her favorite authors - Janice Hardy

Janice Hardy, author of The Healing Wars” trilogy, talked to us about plot.  The key advice I took away from her speech was that plot is a VERB.  Your character must act and make decisions that advance the story, and take it to the place you want it to go. This means, yes, you have to know where you’re going – which is different from knowing exactly how you’ll get there. To put it simply, you always want your reader to be dying to know what happens next. I left feeling excited to get back to my manuscript and apply some of her advice. Janice has a treasure trove of “how- to” articles on her blog “The Other Side of the Story” that you should check out if you haven’t already.

S.R. Johannes (Shelli) was our second speaker and she gave a fascinating talk on the positives and negatives of self publishing. I appreciated her honest look at how difficult it is to publish either traditionally or on your own and it was hard not to admire her dedication to giving the best she has to offer every step of the way. Shelli has an awesome website about marketing called “Market My Words”. Stop by to learn a little more about her. Her YA novel “Untraceable” has been nominated for Georgia Author of the Year, and is available through amazon in paper back or e-book. Look for her middle grade novel “On the Bright Side” through amazon as well.

Not only was it great to learn more about writing and publishing, it was nice to see familiar faces again and get to know new writer friends. Writers are amazing people and I’m always both touched by their generosity and inspired by their creativity. I’m looking forward to the next SCBWI schmooze in my area , but I have to say, I’m kind of glad Cathy and I won’t be planning it.  It’s one less thing to procrastinate on.

After a few minutes of staring, I had to remind myself that I’d better get back to work. Funny thing about acceptances is they don’t happen unless you submit!

Also, I want to thank everyone who offered their congratulations last week on the story I have in Life Lessons for Moms. My daughter Katherine put all the names on one of Nathanael’s old baseball hats. The winner she pulled is Elizabeth Plath. This is especially fitting because Elizabeth, a.k.a. Louie, does a lot of art work for my blog. Speaking of which, have you noticed that brand new May header? I think she did a great job and can’t wait to see what she comes up with in the future.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing my happy news.  Hope to see you again soon!

I’m asking, not telling. Hope you’re not disappointed. It’s something that’s been going through my mind all weekend. I know people who need to do a little “warm up” before they get down to business. They might check facebook, blog hop, listen to music or watch a little television. Then again, others I know refuse to waste time. They’ve learned how to flip the switch to “on” and get to work right out of the gates.

I think I’m somewhere in between. I can’t sit down and shut every thing else out while I write, especially since my kids figured out how to jimmy a locked door with a bobby pin or library card. On the other hand, I know how easily those warm-ups can vaporize what little time there is.

I’m sure it’s different for everyone since we all have different responsibilities and distractions. For me, I’ve realized I can’t wait until my fingers are on the keyboard to think about what I want to say. I have to keep my eyes open for ideas when my hands are preoccupied with other things. I’m surprised at all the things I’ve noticed in just the last few days: A picture book idea while biking my four-year-old around the park, a flash fiction idea while shopping at the grocery store, a middle grade fiction outline while yelling at the kids to stop playing in the street, this blog post while refilling the water pitcher.

Now I have a brand new “Ideas” folder filling up with little snippets of inspiration, and I don’t feel so bad that I wasn’t able to get as much of the actual writing done.  The ideas percolating now will be my stories later on.

This just might work for me and my chaotic life, but I’d love to know about you. When you know something has to be done, how do you make it happen?

I’ve been a mom for fourteen years now and can honestly say it’s the hardest thing I will ever do. Ever. Mom, thanks for giving me the blueprints to follow and for continuing to inspire and encourage me every day of my life. I will always want to walk in your footsteps.

I had planned to wait until Mother’s Day weekend to share my publishing news, but I changed my mind. Mostly because the wait was killing me, but then I thought maybe you’d like to order a copy of the book to give as a gift. It’s available now on Amazon. You can also go here and get it on your Kindle or Nook. OR you can get one free! Just leave a comment  and I’ll pull the winner’s name out of a hat one week from today.

As always, thanks for stopping by. And to all you moms out there, Happy (early) Mother’s Day!

Dad, Mom, from left to right, myself, Elizabeth, Bethany, Jill, and Rebekah (1979)

This morning I found a mystery contest that’s right up my alley: The Middle Grade Mystery contest from the Children’s Writer magazine.  They’re looking for a well written mystery that will appeal to children ages 9-12, with a word count of 900 or less. Click here for all the juicy details. There is a $15 entry fee, but that includes an 8 month subscription to the magazine. (So now cheap skates like me can justify spending the money.)

Doesn’t this sound like a fun one? Oh, and one more thing. Contest deadline is April 30th. So start thinking about what happened on that dark and stormy night…or bright and sunny day… or whatever. Good luck!

The happy vibes wore off about the same time my sunburned skin started to sting. And then it hit me. I’d be dead on my feet by the time I tucked the last little kiddo into bed and where would that leave me for writing? To put it nicely, I have a tendency to get peevish when I can’t write and no one around here wants that. I could tell by the way they all scattered after my post-dinner announcement, “I’m going to write for an hour. Anyone who bugs me will go straight to bed.” Poof! They disappeared faster than you can say, “Once upon a time…”

I got to work writing a piece for Chicken Soup about, ironically, writing. Alas, it was not to be. There were just too many distractions. Katie started running through scales on her flute. Outside the little kids were scaling the poles on the gazebo and bouncing matchbox cars off the roof. Someone needed a bathroom break. Someone else let the dog out.

I snapped the laptop shut in frustration and called them all together for bedtime prayers. I was feeling pretty sorry for myself and sort of impatient with the kids. I gave them the entire afternoon at the park. Wasn’t that enough? Sometimes I need some time alone to do the things I want to do. Is that so bad?

I got the answer as I was getting Mark ready for bed. Forgetting he was just as worn out as I was, I rushed him to use the bathroom and crawl under the covers. He wouldn’t stop crying about something. Finally I pulled him in my arms and listened. He just wanted to make sure his new matchbox cars weren’t left outside all night. Time slowed instantly. I felt his skinny little arms around my neck and his hair against my cheek and suddenly everything was clear.

Sometimes the writing has to wait because a little boy needs some time with his mom. And that’s actually pretty sweet.

This month’s art belongs to my sister (in law) Emily. I love the imagination in this picture and will never view an Easter egg hunt the same way again! Click on the Header Art page above to learn more about Emily (that’s her on the left) and the other illustrators who graciously share their work here. Their contact information is listed if you find yourself in need of whimsical, fun children’s art. (Incidentally, that’s my brother Paul in the picture. I’m hoping to feature his art here one of these days too. You’ll never see more masterful work done with stick people.)

Speaking of illustrators, if you happen to be one I would love to feature your art here. Maybe you’re a seasoned pro or maybe you just enjoy drawing as a hobby. Either way works for me! If you’re interested, pick a month and let me know. I can offer suggestions for what to draw or let you follow your creativity wherever it may lead.

Lastly, if you haven’t checked out the links for the coloring pages, be sure to do so. These seasonal pictures are cute and fun to color. Print them off and share them with your favorite kiddos. And don’t forget, a new picture is added each month!

Enjoy!

It was kind of liberating for me, but I poor Mark was a little confused when story time turned into a rant and rave session on my part. You see, he made the mistake of pulling my old nemesis “Tootle” off the shelf. This book, like so many Little Golden Books, is heavy on text. I wonder why this series seems to be immune to the rule that illustrations tell half the story. Though the writing is descriptive and sometimes quite lovely, it’s not necessary.

So I looked my four-year-old in the eye and refused to read the book. An amused Katherine snickered from the couch. “Is it really that bad?” she asked. I tossed her the book and said, “You read it. I guarantee you’ll won’t read it a second time.” Halfway through, Mark was yawing and rolling off the couch – the sad result of too much dialogue. And Katie agreed. It had a lot of words. She even counted them for me and came up with over 1300 words.

To be fair, “Tootle” is an older story. But I’ve read newer stories, like ones about Thomas the Tank Engine and felt the same way. So I’ve finally concluded that “Tootle” and “The Poky Little Puppy” and their co-horts are not for me.

How do you feel about Little Golden Books? Do you struggle to read them, too? Or are you such a big fan that you’ll never speak to me again?

And I have to say, I liked the movie. I held my breath at times, screamed once, and cried here and there. As movies go, it was good. I was certainly entertained, but when it was over I was ready to go home and get on with my life.

Putting the book down? Now that wasn’t nearly as easy. Because I loved the book. Movie-goers who’ve read the book first may well be a little disappointed. And I maintain that this is a good thing. A thing to be celebrated. Because it means books contain an irreplaceable magic.

While movies are a fun diversion, it’s the power of a well-told tale that really leaves a mark on us. Words are enough and it never ceases to amaze me. I see it in my 4 year old when he sits on my lap to listen to a picture book. I see it in my older kiddos who leave their lights much to long, just to “finish this chapter!” I see it in myself when I’m dead tired and running out of hours to sleep, but still turning pages.

Simply put, nothing beats a great book. So grab one, curl under the covers and rediscover the joy of reading. The popcorn’s cheap, too.

This afternoon I had my very first prenatal appointment. I’d forgotten what it felt like to be surrounded by all things maternal. Not that I’m saying it was a bad thing. Just… wow. Babies and bellies, charts, scales, diagrams, and scary, life-like models of stuff that looks like it belongs in an aquarium. It was overwhelming, but then I had my ultrasound. Suddenly, the rest of the the world closed off and it was just me and my sweet baby. What an amazing miracle to see those tiny arms and legs, and that beautiful, beautiful heart beat. In that moment, I was so incredibly grateful it left me speechless. Good Speechless.

Later I was waiting patiently to see my doctor. My chair happened to be near the scale when “Barbie” and “Ken” walked up. I couldn’t help but overhear. Barbie’s height, Barbie’s weight. The chubby nurse said politely, “You’re long and lean.” To which Ken replied, “Just the way I like ‘em.” Then – I kid you not – he cut loose with a low, throaty growl. Nurse and I were both speechless. Bad Speechless.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. We all say things we regret right? Right. Absolutely. Yes, of course. But for pete’s sake, when you’re thinking of how to leave your mark on this world, shoot for the Good Speechless. Because the Ken kind? It’s just…. eew.

P.S. Sorry, Mom, no pictures with this post because when you google “foot in mouth” the results are kind of scary.