My Writing Workspace

I do not have an office. I do not have a regular desk or a computer desk.

But I have 'my space.' Which is all I need to write.

Below is my old enamel top wooden desk:

This desk holds my laptop, my file folders for ideas, manuscripts, call outs and contests, tips for writing PBs and MGs, etc., my notepad, my books, etc. The pictures and mouse pad provide me with 'childlike' inspiration. There is a fold out poster stored beside of my desk for picture book brainstorming.

I just recently added this corkboard:

I will thumb tack my ideas on this during the month of November!
It currently has six new ideas posted on it!

I think this will work much better than keeping them in a folder or notebook. They will be in full  view at all times.  I will continue to keep my ideas there - whether they be ideas for PBs, columns or MGs even after PiBoIdMo is over.

What does your workspace look like? How many ideas have you came up with this month?

Go here to see links to other people's writing spaces.

Posted byJanet Smart on Creative Writing in the Blackberry Patch.

Picture Book Month - Illustrator's Process

What is your favorite part of a picture book - the story or the pictures?
I love them both. With picture books, you can't have one without the other.
Well, I guess you can.  There are wordless picture books. But, being an  author, I tend to like picture books with words. How about you?

Words and pictures share top billing in my opinion.

I recently found on You Tube videos made by author/illustrator, Will Hillenbrand.

I particularly liked his video on the process of illustrating the picture book, Down on the Farm. Click here to watch.

Click here for a partial reading of the finished book.

Want to see more of his You Tube videos. Click here for a listing.

I think it is helpful for us wanna be picture book writers to see the process of writing and illustrating the picture book.

Mr. Hillenbrand has a great website. You can go here to visit and look around.


Posted byJanet Smart  on Creative Writing in the Blackberry Patch.

The Start of Picture Book Month and PiBoIDMo

This is the first day of PiBoIdMo and Picture Book Month!
Since yesterday was Halloween, I decided to post about the following Picture Book:

The Bumpy Little Pumpkin

by Margery Cuyler

Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand

Scholastic 2005

In a picture book the illustrations are as important as the words.
The illustrations in this book are superb!

First Lines:
Little Nell lived with BIG Mama,
BIG Sarah, and BIG LIzzie in a great,
BIG house in a great, BIG woods.

But, according to Nell, things do not have to be BIG to be loved.

With all the BIG pumpkins to pick from their garden, Nell picks a bumpy little pumpkin. With help from her friends, including Crow,Cardinal and Sparrow, it is made into a jack-o'-lantern!

I loved this picture book.

Click here for a video on YouTube of The Bumpy Little Pumpkin.


Posted by Janet Smart  on Creative Writing in the Blackberry Patch.