Today

A few things:

1. Praying for Rick. Such a wonderful man and writer.

2. My baby rolled over.

3. My sweet neighbor decided to be me for her fifth grade wax museum which is so nice and strange and kind because she was supposed to pick someone famous and  I’m nobody and there’s jam on my shirt:

4. I’m trying to get a revision to my editor by Friday and that’s why I’m eating saltines with strawberry jam on them like I’m 11 again and blogging and taking pictures of my baby and eating saltines with jam on them.

5. For writing practice, please list all the after school foods you ate including jam and saltines. Do you still eat them? What does your character eat? Does their mom know? Is it payback that my kids now eat cereal with hot chocolate mix in their milk?

xoxoxo

Freaking Friday

Rick’s brain surgery was successful.

All the tumor has been removed.

There may be a need for chemo, but I’m not sure yet.

This has been a long, hard week. However, I’m grateful and hopeful for what may happen for Rick.

Thank you for all who have prayed and fasted and sent good thoughts out for our friend.

Three Things Thursday

Me: Thoughts and prayers for Rick as he is in surgery right now.

 

Brenda:

Writing for Charity, last Saturday, had some wonderful events, speakers, workshops, and critiquing sessions. All the proceeds go to help literacy efforts.

For the morning sessions, I was timing so people could get to their next event on time. The first one I heard was from Sharlee Glenn. During her presentation, she gave a “short” history of picture books, then talked about where the picture book is headed now.

What a romp through the past! I LOVED it! Some of my notes:

Orbis Pictus, in 1658 ( ! ! ! ) was the first (an encyclopedia) written and illustrated specifically for children.

It was followed by a sweet little volume entitled A Little Pretty Pocket Book in 1744.

Randolph Caldecott, 1846-1886 (died at only 40 years of age? Sad), was the one for whom the famous Illustrator’s award was named.

Then came the plethora of EARLY books for children — how many have YOU read? How many are still available for purchase?

The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Raggedy Ann, Millions of Cats (LOVED this one!), Mike Mulligan, Madeline, Curious George, Make Way for Ducklings, all the Little Golden Books like Pokey Little Puppy and Saggy, Baggy Elephant, Goodnight Moon, The Cat in the Hat, Are you My Mother?, Where the Wild Things Are, Alexander’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day . . . and so many more.

I recognized every one of those early ones from Beatrix Potter on. And loved them — all over again. Grab the ones you still have and LOOK at the original printing date! We should ALL have such staying power!

 

Cheryl:

Is there a section of your novel that you’re struggling with? Maybe it isn’t working, but you can’t understand why. 

Try this. Without looking at the original, rewrite the scene using only single syllable words.

By doing this, you get rid of the prose–the fancy words, the pretty phrases–and instead you focus on what’s really happening. Sometimes we fall so in love with our words that we lose sight of what’s actually happening in our story. This can help fix that.

Monday, Monday

Just a moment to write today.

Ann Dee and I finished our novel.

Here’s what I hope–that it sells.

And that we do well with the book.

Because Ann Dee was so much fun to write with.

She knows so much.

She had a baby and is moving and still finished this project with me.

So I want to be able to write with her again and again.

 

Challenge:

Find someone to write with.

Someone who isn’t a control freak or doesn’t expect perfection right away or who doesn’t have to have everything his way.

Make a plan.

Meet at McDonald’s and go in the play area and take turns writing or never meet and write chapter by chapter a book you have no idea anything about.

Follow the lead of your partner.

Have her follow your lead.

Hansel and Gretal it to the end.

 

As you write, you’ll both be dropping hints that the other has to figure out.

Just like you do when you write anything on your own.

 

Have fun.

Play.

Experiment.

Try a genre you wouldn’t normally write.

Don’t stress.

Stress.

Love it.

Trust each other.

 

Let me know how it goes.