Creative Marinating

It's true, I've been doing a lot of creative cross-training with my photography for the past few months. Interspersed with non-fiction deadlines, real estate chaos, and family ups and downs, my children's writing ethic has been on vacation for a while.

But now that school is starting, I have a workshop to attend and an author's event coming up. Plus I owe my critique group something wonderful, which I have yet to write. 

I need to quit marinating and get ideas on paper. I have a couple of projects in mind, but I need to give myself a deadline. I never miss actual (publishing) deadlines. Perhaps before this year's November Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo), I will get at least 2 stories fleshed out and ready for critique. Then I'll have a full head of creative steam to begin the PiBoIdMo challenge! Yes! I'll do it.

How do you get motivated after days, weeks, or months of creative downtime? Want to be deadline partners? Let's stop marinating and start producing. -Q

Book club for Kids

I'm a member of a book club and we read a variety of books and genres suggested by the members. It's fun and exposes me to books I never would have picked up otherwise. Now, I must admit, I don't finish all of them. Time is a valuable commodity and why read something that is REALLY not your thing for a week. But, I finish probably 75% of the books. 

Recently, I got to thinking about a children's book club. Wouldn't it be fun to read picture books and discuss them once a month? Then it hit me, I do that all the time with online critique partners, forums, editor/agent blogs, etc. I read some books I am surprised by and others that leave me giggling. 

As a picture book writer, I go to the library every Saturday and check out 7-12 picture books from the new book shelf or on display in other areas. I pour over the formats and make note of what fits with my style. Definitely learning made fun. I read and finish 100% of the books I check out. 

What ways do you further your skills as a children's writer? -Q

Happy National Tooth Fairy Day!

As children's writers, this may be the closest we get to having a day dedicated to us. Or childhood. Or imagination. 

Just reading the post title makes me smile and realize that no matter how many times a topic has been covered, it can be imagined in a new way. 

How have you pictured the tooth fairy in your imagination? Here are just a few books on the subject. All wonderful in different ways.

• The Night before the Tooth Fairy by Natasha Wing
• Silverlicious by Victoria Kann
• The Tooth Fairy Trap by Rachelle Burk
• Caraboose, The Tooth Fairy Moose by Janelle Cox
• Junie B. - Toothless Wonder by Barbara Parks
• Bear's Loose Tooth by Karma Wilson
• The Tooth Fairy by Peter Collington
• Mary the Tooth Fairy by Nick Bell
• Tooth Fairy's First Night by Anne Bowen
• April Underhill, Tooth Fairy by Bob Graham 
• The Tooth Book by Theo LeSieg
• You Think It's Easy Being the Tooth Fairy? by Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt
• Emma and the Tooth Fairy by Alexander Zavlavsky
• Dear Tooth Fairy by Alan Durant
• Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World by Selby Beeler

Power up your imagination. Today is your day too. Happy Children's Authors Day! Happy National Tooth Fairy Day!  -Q

  

 

Happy New Year!

2014! Hurray! A new year, new ideas, new conferences, new drafts, and new agents! Sensing a theme? The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to consider your mindset a "do over" in creativity.

After all the cliches about success and persistence are revisited, it seems that writers have to accept the fact that to be happy, they need to write. 

Publication is desirable and fun, but even if I had never been published, I would still write because I must. As I explained to someone over the holidays, I've had sabbaticals from writing over the years for various family and career reasons, but eventually the need to create (art, photography, and writing) builds like steam in a pressure cooker. Unless it's given an outlet, I'm not a happy camper. My life outlook and joy are dulled. 

So begin 2014 with a fresh outlook. Put a sticky on the bathroom mirror that says, "You are a successful writer. Write!" You'd be surprised how well that works. 

Happy New Year and success to us all! -Q

Random Acts of Publicity 2012

If you're like me, it's a lot easier to shout the praises of friends' books than talking about and marketing your own published works. Well, here is a fun and promotional event for everyone. The 4th Annual Random Acts of Publicity event held Sept. 4-7, 2012 and facilitated by friend and colleague, Darcy Pattison, is all about promoting another person's book. THAT I can do!  -Q