Saturday, December 31, 2016

Storystorm! Jot the PB Ideas Down


Storystorm, formally PiBoIdMo is ready to start!

Click here to sign up at Tara's sight and get ready to weather the storm of ideas that are developing in your head.

I have joined. If you write picture books, I hope you do, too.

What can you lose?

You can't lose anything, but you can gain picture book ideas that may just be the one that an agent or publisher is looking for.

You can also gain (by writing down an idea every day during January) prizes which include professional consults, signed books, original art, writerly gadgets and gizmos.

Never won anything, you say. Don't ever say never. I have won prizes before and so can you. But more importantly we will win knowledge in the field of writing for children, and we all can benefit from that.

In January, Tara will have helpful posts on her blog daily by  professional authors, illustrators and experts in creativity.

 You have until January 7th to officially register on Tara's site. But don't delay, do it today.

Are you a picture book writer?
Do you want to be a picture book writer?

I would love to hear if you are going to enter or not. Let me know by commenting.

Even if you don't join StoryStorm, and you love to write for children, you can visit her site each day to read some wonderful and learning blog posts.

Happy writing in 2017!

Let the storm begin!


Thursday, December 22, 2016

Keeping Busy Writing


December is coming to a close and we soon will start a new year.
Hopefully, a new year filled with writing, reading and getting our work out there for the world to see.

December has been a very busy place at our house.
I haven't been blogging much.
Santa is liable to leave me a lump of coal in my stocking.

Let's just hope it is a pretty lump of coal!    


I have been writing the weekly column for the Ripley Senior Center for a number of months now. I was asked to take over when their regular columnist stepped down for a while.
I try to make it interesting for everyone to read and people have been telling me how they enjoy reading it each week. Along with conducting craft classes there every Wednesday with my cousin, it is part of my small contribution to the center.

I am still writing a monthly column for kids in Two-Lane Livin', a regional magazine in our area. The magazine goes out to approximately 18,000 households each month.

I enjoy writing for the magazine. It is a challenge each month to come up with something new to write. I like to keep my articles informative, fun and interesting. I always learn something new when I research for new topics to write about.

You can click on this link and read online copies of the magazine.

I kept my new years resolution for about half of the year. But, I tried to do my research and send out my stories to publishers that I felt my work really had a chance at being published. I think that is one of the most important factors in getting published. We need to send our work out to the right place.

Have any of you had any luck in the past year at getting your stories published? I'd love to hear of your success in the comment section. Let us all celebrate with you!

I hope in the coming new year I will have good news to share with you about my writing.  

No matter how you celebrate it -
I wish you all a very happy holiday season.