Monday Morning: A Few Things I’ve Learned and Morning Announcements

THINGS I LEARNED:

1. Spicy titles do not draw more readers.
2. Pancreatitis hurts like a big dog and the pain lingers for days. This is the first morning I haven’t awakened feeling ill. Of course, I have a bill coming.
3. Health care woulda been nice.
4. Writing is hard.
5. Good writing is harder.
6. Not all publishing houses are the same.
7. There are terrific editors everywhere.
8. Writing with a friend is fun. But still hard.
9. Growing old has it’s benefits.
10. I am not a naturally organized person and therefore when I try to organize it takes me forever.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Kyra and I are giving a presentation in August at the Provo Library (August 22, 2017 at 7 pee em). We’ve written books that are sorta related: Kyra’s novel is REAPER, about a girl who dies and must help three souls pass from life to the other side in order to see her father ho has gone on before her. My book, MESSENGER,  is about a teen who’s family (on the matriarchal side) receive Gifts from and for the Dead. Both books are all about family.

All this Dead talk, we should have a party  featuring a rollerskating Reaper and Cheri and me singing (Don’t Fear) The Reaper. Oh, wait. That happened at a WIFYR already.

Here are our plans:

Drawings for three people to have their cards read.

Drawings for three creative energy necklaces.

Singing and Dancing. Well, karaoke singing. Songs will include DOA, (Don’t Fear) The Reaper, The Dance and I’m Already There. (Am I the only one excited about this?) (My ex would be super-excited about the country songs.)

Reading and talking and teasing and hopefully a little laughing.

Book signing with books from The King’s English.

 

AUGUST WRITING CHALLENGE

Rules of engagement announced tomorrow!
MARK YOUR CALENDAR

WIFYR 2018 DATES: June 11-15, 2018

 

check out these songs!

 

ANN DEE HAS A SIGNING TONIGHT!

Everyone go!

The King’s English.

7 pm.

Let’s make that place CRAWL with authors and readers and buyers of books!

As a writer, I know how hard it is to go to the release of something you have worked YEARS on and have people ask if they can borrow your pen, not buy your novel.

Let’s make this standing room only.

I am emailing everyone I know who loves to read and lives in UT and reminding about this event.

Will you, too?

Will you email just five people and say . . .

ANN DEE’S THIRD NOVEL, ANN DEE’S AMAZING NOVEL, TONIGHT!

THE END OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT!!!!!!

I love this book and can’t wait to get my hands on it.

 

Cheryl Van Eck

Now that I have a toddler, I have joined the world of  “The Never-Ending Story.” I don’t mean the totally awesome movie. I mean the board books that are her favorites and that she begs me to read over and over and over again.

Her current favorite is “Blue Hat Green Hat” by Sandra Boynton. The plot goes something like this: each page show different animals wearing different colored clothing, and the last animal is a turkey that wears socks on his head or a hat on his foot and says, “Oops!”

She loves it. More than she loves me, I daresay. As soon as I turn the last page, she screams for me to read it again. Is it the funny way I say “Oops?” Is it that she actually understands that the turkey is wearing clothes incorrectly? Is it the rhythm of the words? The illustrations?

I’ll be honest, I have no idea. All I know is that it can calm the worst temper tantrum, and we’re going to need a new copy soon. 

So, picture book writers: What is your magic formula? How do you grab and maintain a baby’s attention? Is there a form of sorcery involved?

 

Brenda Bensch

For more than 30 years, I taught full time in Utah’s secondary schools. Often, as both debate coach and drama director, plus teaching English or remedial classes, I was fully drained by the end of the school year. I would think I could not possibly go back to it in the fall: I had nothing left to give. Then I’d use summers to take classes, work in a summer camp, go to see live productions at the Shakespeare Festival and Logan Opera season, try to read a few books I hadn’t had time for.

As writers, we sometimes try so hard and for so long, we’ve given all we have and/or are to our writing. Writers need to “fill ‘er up” again too. Yes, reading is taking in, but it keeps us involved with “writing” and “words” too. How else can we “fill ‘er up”? What do you do to rejuvenate, so you have more to give? Your story deserves your best, doesn’t it?

An addition:

Fill ‘er up at Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers.

We have a few spots open in some of the classes.

Go here for more information.

http://www.wifyr.com

 

Three Things Thursday

1. I had no idea the blog had changed. I like The Vermilion Christmas Theme.

Cool Ann Dee and Cam.

🙂

So Ann Dee and I have about two pages of our book written.

I haven’t read her part.

But I know we both talked about breakfast. Ann Dee told me.

That’s hat happens when you write a book with someone and don’t read each other’s stuff.

Soon we will be able to read each other’s stuff and then . . . well, we will write a book that falls in the genre that editors aren’t supposed to want any more of. Yup. Dystopian. Plus there will probably be a lot of food stuff going on. Like breakfast.

2. One Hour On, One Hour Off

It actually worked. I was able to write a chapter of the book I’m working on with Cheri and work on my own novel, too. I had to do about 30 minutes of research for the historical fiction. Some people do love research. Yes. Some people do.

:I

I haven’t perfected the timing yet. But on days where I must get writing done AND do several other chores, this is good for me.

One thing I found was when it was time to stop writing, I could do that easily.

When my hour was up and I was maybe helping my mom or Carolina, I couldn’t just stop.

Maybe Two and Two would work.

3. Cheri and I are signing this Saturday at The King’s English, 2:00 in the afternoon. Manelle, our illustrator, will be there, too. It’s weird to think we are writing the fourth book of this series. It’s also weird to think it’s going to be cold for a long time.

Boo.