Happy Friday! It is a gorgeous spring morning and the eve of the Preakness Stakes (you didn’t think I’d let too much time go between blog posts to mention horses, did you?). Of course I’m rooting for Orb. After 35 years, we are way overdue for a Triple Crown winner!

As big a day as tomorrow is, today is even bigger! I am happy to introduce yet another new feature. Welome to our inaugural “Readers Respond”, where Laura and I ask our members questions that glean advice, pointers, hints, magic spells and potions about all things writing and illustrating. This week we wonder:

What is your favorite writing how-to book and why?

Lindsey Falkowski I like THE BUSINESS OF WRITING FOR CHILDREN. It’s clear and concise with good examples!

Vonnie Winslow Crist  THE FIRST FIVE PAGES – A WRITER’S GUIDE TO STAYING OUT OF THE REJECTION PILE by Noah Lukeman. It’s a short, focused book that points out the good, offers solutions for the not-so-good, and has exercises at the end of each chapter that help a writer improve his/her writing. Chapters include: Style, Characterization, Hooks, Setting, Pacing, etc

Lona Queen I haven’t read as many as I should, but I always liked BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott. It’s an enjoyable read whether you are writing or not, and it gave me one of the best pieces of advice that has kept me going when I start to feel overwhelmed–just tackle it bird by bird (one piece at a time

Ron Smith I really like  SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS by Renni Brown. It’s not overwhelming like some technique books. The voice is casual and there are a lot of helpful exercises.

Elizabeth Patera  SCBWI: THE BOOK. Truly an “Essential Guide to Publishing for Children”, as well as a workbook resource for finding publishers/editor’s tastes and acquisition preferences, as well as how to publicize your work – a good combination of how to make your document stay alive and be attractive to publishers and the public — PLUS pages for the reader/writer to record his forays into the business and successes (and failures).

We had two votes for WRITING PICTURE BOOKS by Ann Whitford Paul:

Christine Amyot Hurley …great writing exercises to stretch your thinking and make you really think about your work!

Susan Detwiler …gives instruction, exercises and great tips on how to craft a picture book text, and does it in a very fun and inspirational way. Ann Whitford Paul is the first winner of the SCBWI Jane Yolen Mid-list Author Award, in 2012.

 

Laura Bowers My two favorites are HOW TO WRITE A DAMN GOOD NOVEL II by James N. Frey and THE COMIC TOOLBOX by John Vorhaus. I read them whenever I need a tune-up!

Here’s my two cents: HOW TO WRITE A DAMN GOOD NOVEL II  and Stephen King’s ON WRITING: A MEMOIR OF THE CRAFT. King’s advice on writing and the writer’s life is down-to-earth and not at all scary!

Thanks so much to everyone who responded. I definitely will be reading some of your suggestions! Remember to keep an eye out on Facebook and Twitter for future questions.

Before I go – Have you been getting your  May Mid-Grade Madness on? As I reminded you last week, Laura and I will be getting it done (or giving it our very best to!) May 21-23 with a few of our friends at our favorite coffeehouse. Don’t be shy – let us know how you are doing. We’re here to encourage and cheer you on!

Have a great weekend!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

It’s time for another addition of From Lightbulb to Keyboard, this time with Pam Bachorz, author of CANDOR and DROUGHT!

Ruby dreams of escaping the Congregation. Escape from slaver Darwin West and his cruel Overseers. Escape from the backbreaking work of gathering Water. Escape from living as if it is still 1812, the year they were all enslaved.

When Ruby meets Ford–an irresistible, kind, forbidden new Overseer–she longs to run away with him to the modern world, where she could live a normal teenage live. Escape with Ford would be so simple.

But if Ruby leaves, her community is condemned to certain death. She, alone, possess the secret ingredient that makes the Water so special–her blood–and it’s the one thing that the Congregation cannot live without.

Drought is the haunting story of one community’s thirst for life, and the dangerous struggle of the only girl who can grant it.

Okay, Pam, you’ve just been inspired with a fantastic, breathtaking idea for a novel. What’s your next step? How do you take a light bulb to the keyboard?

I open up Scrivener and open my idea file. I made a few folder, then a new doc and start typing anything and everything about the idea. Next I go trolling the Internet for inspiring pictures; before I fully outline a story, I have to have portraits of all my characters hanging above my desk! I also go looking for inspiring music (right now I have Katy Perry and Nicky Minaj on heavy rotation for my current brainstorming project). After the fun of finding inspirational materials, I do a full outline.

Hmm, Scrivener! I’ve tried it once after hearing so many writers rave about it, but I ended up going back to Word. Sounds like I should give it another try, though!

Thanks, Pam, and happy writing and drawing, everyone!

Happy Thursday! Mother Nature finally got the memo and spring has arrived! Temperatures have moderated in our region, everything is blooming (just ask allergy sufferers) and the baseball season is in full swing. I just love the month of May. Yes, it’s May and you know what that means!

Time for May Mid-Grade Madness!

So, will you be going from 0 to 16.5K words in 72 hours? If so, now is a good time to outline, develop characters and anything else you need to be ready to write, write, write! It’s also a good time to make available that laptop power cord, pens, paper, coffee, and copious amounts of chocolate & doritos healthy brain food. Pick a favorite cafe and gather some of your writer buddies.

(courtesy of writeinseattle.wordpress.com)

If you prefer to work alone, clear (or as would be in my house, bulldoze) and set-up a space at home that brings out your creative genius. For inspiration check out this drool-worthy office from the all things southern decorating and generally lovely blog Between Naps on the Porch:

Seeing that I don’t have anything even remotely close to the above, I will be with Laura and a few of our writing pals at our favorite coffeeshop May 21-23 (even if I did, I’d probably choose to hang with my peeps). Look to the blog for pictures and madness! We cannot wait to share it with you!

Have a great day!

One of my absolute favorite writers is the lovely Cynthia Leitich Smith, NY Times best-selling author of Eternal, Diabolical, and Blessed. She also has a killer website with a Children’s & Young Adult Literature Resources section full of great information for readers, writers, librarians, and everyone in between.

When gathering information for my ABC Event last October that dealt with slumps, roadblocks, and renewing your love of writing, I posed the following questions to a few accomplished young adult writers:

Since a good way to achieve success is to study the habits of those in your field who are already successful, could you share any work habits, beliefs, or philosophies that make you excel?

Cynthia’s answer was so beautiful, I’ve been meaning to share it for some time now:

Choose yourself. Don’t worry about what you can’t control in publishing. Who’s the lead title, the trend of the moment, the critical/social-issue darling of the day… Focus on what you can impact. Hold yourself out as successful, upbeat, hardworking, and give back, too. Develop your own strategy, considering your individual strengths and resources, for serving as an effective ambassador for your books and the body of literature as a whole. Invent. Reinvent. Choose yourself. Reinvent again, and choose yourself again, too–embracing the fun along the way.

Sigh. Love, love, LOVE that. Invent. Reinvent. Choose yourself. If I weren’t absolutely terrified of needles, I’d get those words tattooed on my wrist as a constant reminder. Thank you, Cynthia, for the fabulous advice!

Happy writing, drawing, inventing, reinventing, and choosing, everyone!

Yikes, Susan and I have been doing some much-needed spring cleaning in the As The Eraser Burns dashboard, and we came across this awesome recap Larissa Graham did for Ann McCallum’s ABC Event back in 2012 that never published! Our deepest apologies, Ann, and since it’s such a lovely post, we thought we’d share it today in its original form:

Enjoy!

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A major Thank You to Naomi Milliner for providing us with this fabulous recap and photos of Ann McCallum’s ABC event in February.

1,2,3 – Easy as A,B,C!

What’s the probability that one plate of meatballs plus one gingerbread house equals a math cookbook? Extremely high – at least, if you’re Ann McCallum.
On February 11th, two dozen people (math and non-math lovers alike) gathered at the Twinbrook Library to hear Ann discuss the latest of her four math-oriented books, Eat Your Math Homework. The hands-on ABC event was fun, educational… and tasty!

Ann, a teacher at Richard Montgomery High, told us she “didn’t have a good math upbringing,” but demonstrated how both she and others can not only understand math concepts, but have fun doing so. Ann had audience members (including five students of various ages) identify tessellating patterns, then handed out bags of Probability Trail Mix to show probability in action. Her interactive exercises, easy-going rapport and sense of humor made it easy for even non-math people to have a great time and be inspired.
As for writing advice, Ann says, “It’s just perseverance.” She encourages writing every day – and if she can find the time with two kids and a full-time job, so can all of us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who wouldn’t love math when sugar coated brownies and trail mix are involved?

Thanks, Ann for presenting such a spectacular ABC event.  Happy writing and creating to all-

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Since this announcement came through my email, I thought I’d share it here, in case anyone is interested:

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Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive for Kids

*101 Stories about Good Decisions, Self-Esteem, and Positive Thinking*

After the success of /Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive/, our bestselling book for adults, we decided to make a version for children too. We have teamed up with Kevin Sorbo, who is not only a successful actor, known to many as the hero Hercules, but is also the spokesperson and chair for A World Fit for Kids!, a successful mentoring program that
trains teens to become heroes to the kids in their own neighborhoods by using the vehicles of school, fitness, sports, and positive role models. The program is unique because of the powerful format of “kids teaching kids” — and its success rate is astounding — working with more than 12,000 children in the Los Angeles School District, it has a 100% graduation rate in a school system that has a 54% dropout rate.

Bringing positive messages to kids at all socioeconomic levels, in all kinds of schools, is of paramount importance in a fast-paced world filled with technology and choices, temptations and challenges for children. Now, more than ever, it’s important for parents, grandparents, teachers, and other mentors to sit down with kids, get quiet, and talk. And one of the best ways to start a conversation with a child is by reading a story about another child first.

That’s the goal of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive for Kids— to start conversations with children about core values, good examples, making good decisions, and having the courage to do the right thing. The values that children learn today will stay with them for the rest of their lives. We hope to contribute to the building blocks that create tomorrow’s wonderful young adults through this book for today’s children.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive for Kids will contain 101 stories about issues that are important to children. It is geared for children 12 and under. The stories in it can be read to younger children, read by older children, and discussed with adults. The stories will be personal anecdotes that are entertaining and also impart a lesson. For example, someone might write about that summer at camp when she got up the courage to invite an unpopular girl to her house, even though other girls made fun of her for doing it. Or someone might write about the time he found a ten-dollar bill on the ground and turned it into the teacher instead of keeping it, and was glad that he did because there was a new immigrant crying because she had lost that bill and it was her family’s money for dinner that night. The stories can be just plain fun as well — someone might write about the time that he spent a month practicing saying hello to a girl and then she said hello back and it was all worth it. That kind of story can help a lot of kids too, as they wrestle with private social dramas.

Stories should be written in a way that kids can understand, but contributors do not need any special ability to write for children. Just focus on one theme per story, keep the message clear, and don’t talk down to kids or try to use “cool” language. They see right through that. We’d like to keep stories in the 500-1200 word range. We are looking for stories from your own childhood, or about children you know, written in the first person, that both entertain and educate children, and that expose them to positive thinking and good values. These stories will show children how to make good choices… even when no one is looking, how to respect the needs and feelings of others, how to develop their own self-esteem, and how to stay true to their convictions. The stories will remind kids that each day holds something to be grateful for and show them that they are not alone in dealing with difficult issues.

Some of the themes and issues we want to address are:

• Bullying
• Relationships with friends and family
• Divorce
• Moving
• Crushes and relating to the opposite sex
• Self-acceptance
• Helping others
• Being different
• Physical and mental disabilities
• Following rules
• “Telling” on someone when it will help them
• Doing the right thing even when it’s hard
• How it feels to do the right thing

We are not planning to include stories that might be too mature for younger readers, such as stories about abuse. We are also a “Santa safe” company — we keep the magic alive for all our readers.

If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story and you will retain the right to resell it.

*SUBMISSIONS GO TO OUR WEBSITE (click here,) select the Submit Your Story link on the left tool bar and follow the directions. The deadline for story submissions is June 30, 2013, with the book going on sale in October 2013.

Good Monday morning! It was a lovely spring weekend in our region. This is a great time of year and not just for the weather. For my family this is the beginning of our sport’s season, which will run into November. No, it’s not baseball, though I am a loyal fan of the perennial losers New York Mets (bless their hearts).  Those of you who know me, know that my daughters ride and show horses. Their discipline is Eventing, which is a three-phase competition that includes dressage, cross-country and stadium jumping. I could go on, but then your eyes might glaze over, rendering you unable to read, write and operate heavy machinery.

The premiere show in the country (and one of only seven at the very top level of difficulty in the world), the Rolex 3-Day Event, took place this past week in Lexington, Kentucky.

That’s nice, Susan. But unless you can relate this to writing or illustrating my eyes and brain will definitely glaze over.

Bear with me…

There were many stories of perseverance, grit, determination and, most importantly, passion, last week. I am going to share just one. It is about our friend and my daughters’ former trainer, Katie Ruppel. This was her third time at Rolex. The last two didn’t go well and she never finished the competition. Undeterred, Katie and her amazing horse Sir Donovan came back and achieved one of her life’s dreams, literally flying through all three phases over the Kentucky bluegrass.

(Wendy Wooley/EquiSport Photos)

I told you she flew! Katie could have given up on herself and her horse, given in to naysayers (no pun intended), and succumbed to self-doubt. Instead, she kept working on her craft (sound familiar?) and finished high enough to take part in the exhilarating victory gallop. Needless to say, I am elated for her. Like I said, Katie’s wasn’t the only story, but seeing this isn’t a sports/horse blog I’ll stop here.

I’m talking about inspiration. I love the various stories about famous (and not-so-famous) authors and the obstacles they have faced –  rejections, self-doubt, life challenges – and overcome. They are invaluable sources of encouragement, but they’re not the only source. There are people out there beyond our keyboards pursuing their passion, despite the odds. A lot of folks play baseball, a small percentage make it to the majors. A lot people ice skate, very few compete at the international level. A lot of people ride horses, only a small percentage make it through Rolex…

Get the picture?

Friends, what we do is hard and we are striving to do something that not many accomplish. We are going to get knocked down and deflated. It’s part of the game. But, we all pick ourselves up, brush ourselves off, indulge in perhaps some chocolate or favorite adult beverage and get back at our keyboards and drawing tables and keep going. Why? Because we love what we do and cannot imagine our lives without it.

So, who are your sources for inspiration? Share them here, whether they are from sports, the arts, entertainment or from your own circle of family and friends. Let’s celebrate those qualities that keep us all going and striving.

I’m not too proud to admit it – I learned a huge life lesson from someone half my age. And I’m ready to learn more.

Off to write and revise! Have a great Monday!

Yes, it was a feast for the eyes, mind, and taste buds last Saturday as Rebecca Evans brought her lively view of the illustrator’s life to a muffin-inhaling audience at Red Canoe Bookstore Café. 

With help from the bear called Poppy, Rebecca offered a fun, practical, and fascinating step-by-step guide to illustrating a book along with her hard-won insights on launching into a new profession. 

In this case, the book was The Shopkeeper’s Bear published in November.  It’s Rebecca’s third book in print since she cast aside a decade of experience in graphic design to pursue her love of illustration four years ago.  And her new career is charging ahead with middle grade readers and more picture books in the works. 

Rebecca gave a detailed look at the seven stages she goes through to get ready to paint, and how each helps her to discover the special feeling, insight, and enjoyment she can add to the story:

1. figuring out the page turns
2. research
3. character sketches
4. the one-page thumbnail layout of the whole book
5. rough sketches
6. dummy
7. tight sketches
   DO IT!

Along the way she treated the dozen or so writers and artists in attendance to tips of every kind:  what type of paper to use, the Ievel of detail in the writing that can help, not hinder the illustrator, how to add variety and create a compelling visual flow, and many more.  

She concluded with observations on how to be discovered via the web, twitter, and other social media — and the importance of critiques and constant improvement to being prepared.  

Red Canoe muffins provided a treat of a different sort.  Run for nearly ten years by husband and wife team Peter and Nicole Selhorst, the bookstore café realizes her wish to share the world through books.  “You don’t need anything special to see the world in a red canoe. Just climb in with a paddle and go!” she says.  For Peter, Red Canoe is the chance to play with his food and discover delicious new flavor combinations and the rewards of growing your own herbs to make unique jellies and chutneys.

 Both Rebecca and Red Canoe are planning encores this fall. Rebecca will speak at the SCBWI MD/DE/WV regional conference Sept 21-22 in Frederick.  

And a November ABC event is being planned at Red Canoe with Regional Illustrator Coordinator Susan Detwiler for her latest book On the Move:  Mass Migrations.

Rebecca thanked Susan for being her first critiquer during an SCBWI conference.  “I was doing everything wrong,” said Rebecca.  “I think I might have given up if she hadn’t been so nice.”

Stay tuned for updates.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Here’s something that I thought I’d pass on in case anyone is interested:

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Spring Mingle in Richmond, Virginia:

All SCBWI members are invited to the annual Spring Mingle in Richmond. With Louise Hawes from the Vermont College MFA program as our featured speaker, the program is designed to benefit both newbies and seasoned veterans. In addition to Louise’s remarks, you’ll be able to learn from published authors such as Gigi Amateau, Meg Medina, Ellen Braaf, Ginjer Clarke, Troy Howell, Erica Kirov, Lana Krumwiede, Anne Marie Pace, Brian Rock, and A.B. Westrick.

There will be breakout sessions for picture books, middle grade, young adult, nonfiction, and illustration, with a published author leading each group. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet other children’s writers and illustrators and to feel inspired and re-energized about your writing journey.

If you have any friends who are curious about SCBWI, this is the perfect event to bring them along. Nonmembers are welcome!

Here are the details:

Saturday, April 27
1:00 – 4:30 pm
Richmond Public Library
101 East Franklin Street

This event is FREE! We are asking attendees to preregister by sending an email toSCBWISpringMingle@gmail.com. All you need to do is tell us you’re coming and give us an idea which break-out group you’d most likely choose.

We would love to see you at the Spring Mingle!

Happy Monday everyone! I know you’re wondering  a Monday can be happy. When you reflect on the regional conference we had last month, of course! And it was a great one!

It started with a Friday evening reception where we were able to mingle with our fellow writers and the faculty while enjoying a glass of wine and some yummy desserts. Those of us spending the night went back to our hotel rooms to rest up for the day ahead.

We hit the ground running Saturday morning when the amazing T.A. Barron inspired us all with his talk “The Magic of Words”

He encouraged everyone in the room to never give up, citing the 32 rejections he received for his first book. He said if we believe in our art, we will find a way. In the end he urged us to not just be consumers – be creators. “You’re making a product…you’re making magic.”

After a break for book sales (boy, were things flying off the shelf!), Editor Jill Santopolo from Philomel Books gave her talk “You’re Such a Character!”  She gave great tips on how to flesh out your main character by asking yourself these four invaluable questions: 1) What’s unique about my character? 2) What is their imperfection? 3) What is their vulnerable situation? 4) How are they kind?

Following Ms. Santopolo was agent and author Ammi-Joan Paquette of Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Ms. Paquette shared her thoughts on how to deliver a strong beginning of a novel with “Let’s Start at the Very Beginning.” She said hooking your reader to make them keep reading was “like two sticks rubbing together” to create fire.

Next was the co-founder of SCBWI, Steve Mooser who was kind enough to come help celebrate our region’s 20th anniversary.

He discussed how to compete in the fast growing world of websites and e-books with “Taking on the Digital Challenge – Creating   stories and characters that will capture the attention of even the most electronically savvy reader.”  Mr. Mooser made a great (and encouraging) observation: take notice of all the teenagers out there who are on Twitter, Facebook, email and their phones texting and realize they are “madly writing away.”

After a lunch and  autographing/book sales break, illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky imparted his wisdom with “What Z is For,” where he gave us a guided tour though several of his book projects. It was a treat to have him share his artistic process with us. The audience was also quite impressed with the shirt he was wearing, which was made from fabric containing pictures from his picture book Z IS FOR MOOSE!

Editor Sylvie Frank, from Paula Wiseman Books followed with “Standout Stories: Writing a Picture Book that Isn’t Too Quiet.” She discussed what it means when a picture book is rejected for being too quiet and gave tips on how to make yours anything but. Ms. Frank stressed the importance of a plotting and character development. She also stated that while it’s important to be different in order to stand out, you need to ask two key questions of your book. Has this idea been done before? And if not, why?

Our last speaker was agent Evelyn Fazio. Her talk “Writing YA Dialogue That Works” focused on the Do’s and Don’ts for crafting natural dialogue that flows while still keeping readers’ interest. Among her many pieces of advice, she reminded us to go to wherever teens gather and listen to speech patterns so your dialogue is authentic.

Closing out the conference was an informative Q&A for the Faculty Panel of Stephen Mooser, Sylvie Frank, Jill Santopolo, Evelyn Fazio and Paul O. Zelinsky.

Before leaving door prizes were raffled off, including the 20th Anniversary autographed director’s chair (congratulations Kenneth Shepherd!), as well as a variety of wonderful books.

And last, but not least, Laura and I had the pleasure of raffling off our Blog Challenge Goodie Basket (congratulations Veronica Bartles!)

As long as this recap was, I only scratched the surface of the wisdom and inspiration given out that day. I’m already looking forward to our conference September 21 and 22 “Lucky 13: Make 2013 Your Year!” Keep an eye out over the summer for more information.

As you know, this was Edie Hemingway’s and Lois Szymanski’s last conference as co-RA’s. We are indebted to them for their hard work and dedication on our region’s behalf. Fortunately, they left us in good hands. Welcome our new co-RA’s Sue Poduska and Sue Peters!

Happy writing and illustrating, friends! Be inspired!