Busy has become my middle name! Work, travel, work, writing, events, and more work have made the past two months a blur. No time to worry about it though, I'm looking forward to attending the Oregon Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators (SCBWI) conference this month. With lots of talented folks attending and presenting, it should be a blast. I can hardly wait. I love the critique input, camaraderie and shared commiseration. SCBWI conferences always leave me charged and ready to write and/or tackle yet another revision.

Have you been to a writing conference this year? It might be just the thing to put the spring back in your writing step! There are plenty still to come. Go for it!
-Q

Deadlines Are Awesome!

This past weekend, I discovered that the deadline to turn in a manuscript for a conference review was the date to be 'received by' instead of the date to be 'postmarked by.' 

At first, this was not good news (i.e., extreme panic), but after 4 hours of revisions during the wee hours of the morning (I couldn't sleep anyway), I finished version 6 of the story and had it formatted and ready to be mailed the next day. 

The deadline turned out to be the path to unleashing creativity and honing my story to a much finer point. I simply could not miss the deadline. 

So, next time you think there is no time (did i mention I also had unexpected house guests) to get that revision or query or cover finished and submitted, get inspired and just do it. The dead of night could be your best time to work on meeting deadlines!
-Q