Month: May 2013

Friday Check-In and Kidlit Writing Contest

It’s been an up and down week with my writing. I’ve managed to slog through some pages, but haven’t felt ‘in the groove’ at all. Maybe when this thunderstormy heat wave passes and my propensity for migraines brought on by weird weather patterns is no longer challenged, I’ll get back in gear. Or maybe it’s just a slump, and as usual, things will get better if I just keep showing up. Probably the latter. Speaking of “just showing up” here’s a link to my oft-viewed TED Talk by Elizabeth Gilbert “Your elusive creative genius.” I highly recommend viewing this when the writing is at a standstill. I may be watching it today! Here’s  the TED Talk summary: Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses — and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person “being” a genius, all of us “have” a genius. It’s a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk.

The following link to Kristi Holl’s Blog “Warning: Do You Know Where You Are?” takes a different slant on reaching your goals.

Here’s an excerpt:

“No matter what type of map you use (Google map, MapQuest, GPS or the old-fashioned paper kind), you first have to know where you are right now. Knowing your destination won’t help one iota if you don’t know your present location.

And why don’t we writers know where we are at this moment? Are we lost? Not really. More like deluded. We deceive ourselves about our true locations at the present time. (I do it too. We all do it.) And that’s one big reason why our “maps” don’t work and don’t get us to our destinations.”

I have soooo been there–and, no doubt, will be there again.

Finally, here is a link and some information about a kidlit writing contest, deadline July.

Current Contest at Children’s Writer: Kindergarten Story: Exploration!

http://www.thechildrenswriter.com/af627/

Specifications: Fiction about exploration for kindergarteners, up to 150 words. The story should be appropriate to children 5 to 7 learning to read on their own. The theme of exploration could be set at home, down the block, at school, on vacation, in books: Use your imagination! The story should be fun, colorful, use well-targeted words, and have special interest for the age group. Do not write too high for this readership. Know what a five- or seven-year-old can and cannot read. Originality and the overall quality of writing will also be considered. Publishability is the ultimate criterion.

Entries must be received by July 12, 2013. The first contest entry is free to Children’s Writer subscribers who include their account number on page one of their manuscript. All others pay an entry fee of $15, which includes an 8-month subscription. Winners will be announced in the October 2013 issue. Prizes: $500 for first place plus publication in Children’s Writer, $250 for second place, and $100 for third, fourth, and fifth places.

The contest rules are important. Please read them carefully.

Love to know what you think of the TED Talk or Kristi’s blog, or if you’re thinking of entering the contest. Have a great weekend!

Classroom Visit and NaNo Thoughts

I had a great morning yesterday, visiting a class of Writer’s Craft students at a local high school. I talked with them for an hour about publishing: different ways to get your work published, some warnings, some resources and some facts about the money side of the business. The time flew and the class was attentive and asked good questions. I hadn’t visited the school before, but I was made very welcome. I was a bit early and while I waited for the teacher to meet me, without exception every teacher that passed me smiled and said good morning. That doesn’t happen everywhere.

In the conanowrimo_participant_06_100x100urse of talking about writing resources with the teacher after the class, I mentioned National Novel Writing Month. She teaches a course in the first semester that would overlap NaNoWriMo’s dates, and I thought it might be fun for her students to explore.  NaNoWriMo has a fantastic program for young writers with lots of excellent resources for the writers and for teachers who might want to get their classes involved.

So this got me to thinking about this coming November. Will I join NaNo and try to write a novel in 30 days? The first time I attempted NaNo, I stopped around 20,000 words. I was happily writing a suspense/romance and enjoying just letting the story go where it may, when I realized that if I could write 20,000+ words in a couple of weeks, why wasn’t I writing the book I had wanted to write for several years? Duh. So, I stopped the novel and finished Writing Fiction: A Hands-On Guide for Teens, instead. My 13-year-old son finished his NaNo novel with 50,000+ words and a lot of pride. The second time, just as we started NaNo, my much-loved mother-in-law began a swift and deadly decline due to pancreatic cancer.

There’s a unique quality about NaNo that seems to crack through something in me that just gets words on the page. Maybe it’s because the objective is so absurd that the writing can’t be overthought or second-guessed, and I don’t put up my usual procrastination roadblocks because I need to post a number every night.  Yup. Seeing that graph head upwards really motivates me.

Have you tried NaNoWriMo? What do you think about the experience? Are you thinking of signing up this year? If you’re a teacher, have you ever used the resources or used NaNoWriMo with your class?

Friday Writing Wrap-Up

This week began with the Victoria Day holiday, and I discovered that I should never go away without my NEO. My son needed my laptop for exam prep, and the work I wanted to do just wasn’t going to get done without a keyboard. The solution? A couple of early mornings for me when I could have the laptop to myself. Of course that meant that all I could do for the rest of the weekend was read and relax. Somehow I managed to cope. 🙂

This week has been all about editing. I’m converting a middle readers novel from third person to first person POV. I did a quick run through first, just changing the he’s to I’s, etc. Yesterday I began a much slower edit where I get to have fun getting into the head and voice of my character. There’s a section that needs a total rewrite near the end, but I’ll worry about that when I get there. I’m really enjoying this process right now, which is also telling me that I made the right decision to make the change.

Have you ever changed the POV of your novel or story? Why did you decide to make the change? What did the change add to your story?

Where I was on the weekend.
Where I was on the weekend.

Next week I have a school visit to talk to a writer’s craft class about publishing. I’m looking forward to meeting the students and their teacher, and have already started gathering all the material I want to take with me. I’m sure that the hour that I have with them will just fly by.

Bouquet of Three Awards–Very Cool!

first-best-moment-award-winner11    versatilebloggernominations-copysunshine-blog-award

It was such a nice treat  to open my blog comments and see this note from blogger, Jessica: “I have nominated you For The Bouquet Of Three Award! For more information please go here to my blog post http://ladykins.wordpress.com/2013/05/08/bouquet-of-three-awards/ Take care and congrats!” Jessica, I’m thrilled that you picked me. Thank you! Thank you!

Needless to say, I scooted over and found a great blogger, whom I’m now following, and the scoop on the award. It goes like this:

~Below Are The Rules~

1.  Display your award picture, on a blog post. Done

2.  Thank the person who nominated you, link them back in your post. Done

3.  Pass the nomination on to 15 bloggers you have recently discovered.

I don’t have 15 on my list, but here are a few that you might like to check out and to whom I’d like to send these awards:

Kristi Holl  http://kristiholl.net/writers-blog/

Kristi’s blogs are always inspiring and seem to always tell me what I need to hear, just when I need to hear it.

Lisa Maccoll  http://lisamaccoll.blogspot.ca/

Lisa’s frank, touching and funny blogs are a pleasure to read.

Laura Best  http://lauraabest.wordpress.com/

I love reading Laura’s posts for her insights into her writing and the joys in her life.

Teens Can Write Too  http://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com/

This blog is nominated because I truly believe in empowering teens to write.

 

4.  Finally share 7 things about yourself.

1. I am a terrible sailor. I can get sea sick on a calm lake. And yes, of course, my husband owns a sail boat. I’m all about the shore.

2. I reread books all the time. At bedtime, I don’t want to read something that really involves me because it would keep me up reading when I really need to sleep. So I choose Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngiao Marsh and just drift away.

3. I like to listen to music when I’m writing, as long as it doesn’t have words or isn’t the melody of a tune that I know the words to. I do listen to Gregorian chants, but they don’t count, because the only Latin phrases I know are are the mottos to my high school, ex oriente lux, and my university, veritas omnia vincit.  When I’m driving, I listen to just about anything: country music, classical, CBC, easy listening–I just keep pushing the presets until I find something I like.  And if I hit upon something I know, I sing along–loudly!

4. I don’t enjoy cooking. Enough said.

5. I love to knit and crochet and would love to learn more about how to paint with watercolours. I did a little painting a long time ago and really enjoyed it. It’s on the ‘when I retire list.’

6. I have never owned a dog, but this year I want to change that. We don’t have room for a big dog, and our family needs one with a fairly docile temperment, and we will definitely be considering our local shelter first. Lots more research and planning to do until the big day.

7. My favourite authors are Jacqueline Winspear, Susanna Kearsley, Louise Penny and Laurie King, and, lucky me, they all have books out this year!

Done! Whew! And thanks again Jessica. 🙂

Writing Links for Writers and Teachers

Work-in-ProgressThought I’d share a few blogs and resources that I’ve found useful this week.

A great blog from Janice Hardy showing writers how to set tone and mood in their scenes. The examples are excellent and capture a lot of writer flaws that are easy to see in your own writing–mine included. Sigh. http://blog.janicehardy.com/2013/04/how-to-set-tone-and-mood-in-your-scenes.html?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+janicehardy/PUtE+(The+Other+Side+of+the+Story)

An interesting blog on why the word “suddenly” should be deleted in your writing. The comments add some other words that can be deleted, too. http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/2013/04/most-common-mistakes-series-why.html?utm_source=feedly

Skype in the classroom offers ways to connect with teachers and specialists who are willing to connect to you and your students through Skype. https://education.skype.com/

Have a great Wednesday!

Friday Writing Wrap-Up

day 7 photoHow has your writing been progressing this week? What are you working on?  I’ve been working on a sequel to a middle readers fanatasy that I’m in the process of publishing. I had my biggest day yesterday, adding just over 1500 words to the manuscript. That’s a big day for me! If you’re stuck for inspiration check the writing starters on this site and see if you can find a story idea that works for you.

I also have some reading on my agenda, too: Mary Kole’s Writing Irresistible Kidlit, and Kristi Holl’s Writing Mysteries for Young People. I love reading about the craft of writing, and I can’t think of a better time than on the first long weekend of the summer.

Hope that you find some time today to be creative and that you have a great weekend ahead.

 

 

Win copy of Writing Fiction: A Hands-On Guide for Teens

I’m a guesTwitter_bird_logo_2012_svgt at #yalitchat on Twitter tonight between 9:00 and 10:00 Eastern time talking about freelance writing. If you join the chat, host Georgia N. McBride (@Georgia_McBride) will be giving away 4 copies of my book throughout the hour. If you’re on Twitter, you can follow me at @hwrightwriter. I generally just post links to interesting writing blogs that I’ve found. I will be talking about my new book soon, but don’t expect any hourly hard sell sales pitches.

Writing Prompts for May 2013

Last year's irises.
Last year’s irises.

It’s been a fun month of April. I wrote every day, which was good, and I got  a good start on my sequel to a children’s fantasy that I’m currently publishing via Kindle Direct Publishing. More about that very soon.

What has also been fun is to check my website and find out that I’ve been getting visitors from South Korea who have been searching for me using the title of the book I wrote for the schools there. I had so much fun writing Sherlock Holmes and the Orphanage Mystery, and it has been very cool to know that students are actually reading my book and then checking in to my website. So ‘Hi guys. I hope you’re enjoying the book!”

And since it’s May 1st, here are your writing prompts for the month. Hope you have a creative May!

1. Use one, some, or all of the following words in a story or poem:

  • hill, bloom, light, road, branch, blue
  • box, cry, cap, bench, ring, lake

2. Try one of these opening sentences to start your story:

  • No matter when sunrise is, it’s too early.
  • I really hoped that was lightning.
  • Bill hated coming second.
  • “I don’t need any help.”
  • It wouldn’t be long now.
  • Lex couldn’t grip the sword a moment longer.

3. Try using one of these dialogue excerpts in a scene.

  • This is important.
  • Only to you
  • That’s not true. Both our lives depend on it.
  • Can’t you sit still?
  • The ground is wet.
  • Okay, you can get wet or you can find dry ground and risk being seen.
  • Oh no, that’s just not fair.
  • What’s not fair?
  • On top of everything else, it’s snowing!
  • Leave it on the desk.
  • Leave what?
  • The memory card that’s in your pocket.

4. Can you think of a story for one of these titles?

Disc Life, Grey Area, Left of Centre, Table for Three, In Danger, River View, Never Alone

5. Here are some “may”-themed song titles and expressions that might inspire a story:

Mayflower, Mayberry, First of May, May You Never, Lusty Month of May, Maggie May, May the Circle Remain Unbroken, Come What May, You May be Right, I may or may not, May the road rise up to meet you, Mother may I? I wish I may. I wish I might …

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