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Week of Jan. 31-Feb. 6
*Read a current article from The Horn Book such as A is for App.
*Start with a popular topic and think of a new angle to write from.
*Send a word of encouragement to a fellow writer.
*Sign up for a regional conference. Check out Austin’s here.
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Using your new calendar
Below are a few suggestions for advancing your writing this week. Getting a new calendar organized should give you peace of mind.
Week 2 - Ways to use your new calendar
*Pencil in local SCBWI meetings (or other writing group meetings) and plan to attend.
*Mark contest and conference submission deadlines, and give yourself a two-week reminder.
*Keep ( Read more... ) -
Research prior to submitting
For the past few days I've been researching, deciding where to submit a manuscript. I'm sure we all approach this a little differently, but I started with the 2011 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market. I read book publisher entries, looked for online instructions (and found several updates), and searched their catalogs. I compared my ( Read more... ) -
Do one thing
With the advent of a new year, many people make resolutions, but have a hard time keeping them. Rather than making bold, unattainable goals this year, I've decided make every effort to do one thing each week to make a difference in my writing life. I plan to post three or more suggestions each week and do at least one of them myself. If one of them ( Read more... ) -
Interview with Kathleen Muldoon
Happy Holidays! My first author interview is with Kathleen M. Muldoon, author of Sowing Seeds: Writing for the Christian Children’s Market.
What was your first published work and how long was your submission process?
My first published work was an article in Women’s World magazine, followed soon after by a picture book, Princess Pooh, ( Read more... ) -
The Final Installment
When I started posting my alphabet book, B is for Beans, I didn't think it would take months to get to the end. That's the funny thing about life. Another school year started, full of challenges, excitement, and goals, and I threw myself into it. I'm doing a lot of writing this year as a National Board Certification Candidate, but not as much ( Read more... ) -
O, P, Q of B is for Beans
O is for Ornamentals,
which are in this family.
These lovely plants develop pods-
Wisteria and Redbud tree.
This type is best when eaten fresh,
Sugar-Snap Peas will be our P.
Though many varieties are now lost,
in gardens since the sixteenth century.
This color is for royalty ( Read more... ) -
Return to B is for Beans
It's been awhile since my last installment.
L is for Licorice,
intense, sweet treat.
The root is often harvested.
The rest we must not eat.
M is for Moth Bean,
on a plant twelve inches high.
Each bean is like a grain of rice,
eat fresh or lightly fry.
N is for Navy,
a bean that is well-known.
Sailors often ate these, when
fresh food couldn’t be grown.
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J and K of B is for Beans
J is for Jicama,
the Mexican Turnip.
The root is used in salads,
and it’s tasty with some dip.
Kentucky Coffee Tree
will be our letter K.
This bean’s a coffee substitute.
That’s what historians say.
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H and I of B is for Beans
If you seek old fashioned beans,
the kind your grandma grew,
I recommend this type for you.
H is for Heirloom.
I is for the Ice Cream Bean,
whose pulp is white and sweet.
Just like a bowl of vanilla
it’s a Brazilian Amazon treat.