Writing Conferences - Just Do It!

I have been writing for at least 20 years and publishing for 10. People often ask how I got started. I usually just say I got lucky and caught an editor's eye.

However, I've come to realize that it was more that that. It was about being in the right "frame of mind" at the right time. After years of being told I was a good writer by teachers, friends, relatives, and church administrators, it took a college children's writing course and a couple of SCBWI conferences to make me realize that I didn't want to be good. I wanted to be outstanding! 

So...I took a hard look at what I didn't know or hadn't bothered to try. I discovered I had a lot to learn. I'm still learning and attending SCBWI conferences. Don't be afraid of not knowing people at a conference. They are afraid of not knowing you! Check out scbwi.org for upcoming conferences. Who knows? You might get lucky!

Princesses & Even More Princesses

I bought The Secret Lives of Princesses recently. The art is fantastic and all the non-standard princess descriptions are just plain fun. It got me thinking of how many different fictional princesses there are in picture books. Here are some of the titles I found during a quick princess search at Barnes & Noble:

The Real Princess by Hans Christian Andersen

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch 

Princess Baby by Karen Katz

Olivia the Princess by Natalie Shaw

Pirate Princess by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker

Princess Palooza by Joy Allen

Princess Pigsty by Cornelia Funke

Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole

Princesses, Princesses, Princesses by Julie Olson

Monster Princess by D. J. MacHale

Princess Penelope by Todd Mack

Princess Posey and the Monster Stew by Stephanie Greene

Princess Me by Karma Wilson

Paiute Princess by Deborah Kogan Ray 

Princess Peepers by Pam Calvert 

You get the idea. (And I didn't even try to list all the Disney princesses.) Why is this interesting? Well, it means they are still stories to be told about princesses, but perhaps more importantly, it illustrates that each writer brings something to children's fiction that wasn't there before; a different slant, touch of humor, adventure, or whatever. I find that exciting and encouraging. How about you? 
-Q

Ray Bradbury - Lover of Life

National Endowment for the Arts video

Science fiction/fantasy legend, Ray Bradbury, died June 5, 2012. Like many, many other writers/readers, Mr. Bradbury influenced how I saw life and fiction as a young adult. This endearing video should be required viewing for all fiction writers. Check out Ray Bradbury on his childhood love of reading, how he rented a library basement typewriter for 10 cents/half hour and wrote Farenheit 451, and how he has written every day for the past 75 years.

"The things that you do should be things that you love, and things that you love should be things that you do." - Ray Bradbury
I may watch this every day for a while, just to sync Bradbury's counsel with my creative wiring.
-Q

Rainy Days and Writing

I have to admit, as much as I enjoy the outdoors, I almost look forward to rainy days. I don't have to keep moving the sprinkler every hour and I get a lot more writing done! My creative thoughts seem more likely to slip from their burrows when the light is dim and the light patter of rain on the deck offers a soothing natural soundtrack. Where or when are you most productive?
-Q