Thank Goodness its February (yet again)

I'm still doing well on the Picture Book Marathon.  Yesterday was the ninth of the month and I've written eight picture books.  I did use one of my 'rest' days, but I have two left.

As for ideas for the books I'm working on this month, I've been looking back through ideas I have stored in notebooks, on my computer and on my phone and iPod.  However, some of my better ideas (I think) have just come up--sometimes from being around my kids.  So, you've got to keep your eyes and ears open for ideas that may strike you!  And keep something handy for jotting down those ideas.  It doesn't hurt to hang around children either.  :)

I have also been looking at sending out some of my poems to magazines.  I just need to decide which ones and to what magazine(s).  I want to send a few to at least two or three different magazines this month.

Stay motivated.  Stay focused.  And:

Keep writing!

Thanks for stopping by.

Will

Interesting or useless quote:

I'm out of bed and made it to the keyboard.  What more do you want?!

Thank Goodness its February (again)

So far so good for me and the Picture Book Marathon.  Yesterday was February 2nd and I have written two picture book manuscripts this month.

It is working to keep me motivated so far as well.  I also joined another marathon of sorts, the 12 x 12 in 2012 challenge.  I wrote my PB manuscript for January, so at the end of the Picture Book Marathon, I should have at least 28 new manuscripts (at least 26 for the PB Marathon and 2 for 12x12in2012) to sort through and work on.

I've been busy with typing notes and manuscripts on my iPod, phone and computer.  I generate a lot of ideas when I'm trying to finish a manuscript.  That's a good thing if I don't get distracted from finishing the idea I'm working on.

Well, that's going to be it for the blog this week, but I hope to have more numbers and motivation for you next week!

Keep writing!

Thanks for stopping by.

Will


Interesting or useless quote:

Even if the voices aren't real, they have some good ideas...

Thank Goodness, It was Fabulous!

The SCBWI Florida 2011 Mid-Year Workshop and Intensives were awesome! I'm pumped!

Friday, yesterday, I attended the Picture Book Intensive. It was led by author Lisa Wheeler and Alexandra Penfold, editor with Paula Wiseman Books at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. They gave lots of great tips for stengthening a manuscript, market tips and advice, and general children's publishing industry information. (I may go into greater detail in a future post.) It was fun and informative.

Today, I attended the Poetry Track. It was led by award-winning poet, writer, and editor Lee Bennett Hopkins, and Kristin Daly Rens, Senior Editor at Balzer & Bray, an imprint of Harper Collins. There were less than a dozen attendees, so it was an intimate, informative, very open time to learn, write, and share ideas. We had a "Poetry Idol" contest and I came in tied for second! Woohoo! (I got a free book of poems by Robert Louis Stevenson!) Both Lee and Kristin were great! I'm looking forward to revising some of my poems using insights I gained today.

I also had two manuscripts critiqued today. I had a picture book critiqued by Alison Jackson, whom I had met at this workshop in 2009. I also had nine poems from a book of poems critiqued by Lee Bennett Hopkins (I knew he was coming, so I sent some poetry and was lucky enough to get him as a critiquer!). I received great feedback on both manuscripts. Some things to add, some things to take out...and each critiquer thought my manuscript was marketable! However, they did both warn me that the market is pretty tough right now.

But I think I can do it. :)

So, lots of writing work for me to do to polish some manuscripts and send them out.

Well, keep writing (and reading)!

Thanks for stopping by.

Will

The Guest Interview Forthcoming!

I apologize. This isn't a full post. But I wanted to post about my progress on the interview...

Earlier today I sent off my list of interview questions to the picture book author I keep mentioning. So, in the near future, I hope to have the promised interview up!

I'm hoping it will be next week, but we'll have to see!

Keep writing!

Thanks for stopping by.

Will

The Goal Is Fulfillment

I've read a great deal about writing.  For more than ten years, I have wanted to be published--and have been actively trying.  I have the 1998 Writer's Market (and others: more Writer's Markets, Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market, Guide to Literary Agents, etc.) that I bought new.  I have some older ones that I bought used.

However, as I mentioned last week, one needs to get it finished.  Reading about writing is fine, but you actually have to do some writing to have a chance to get published.

Anyway, one thing that I have read in many, many places is that, as a writer, you need to be satisfied with the writing itself.

Do I want to sell a million books and be able to quit my day job?  Sure!  Do I want to have millions of people read _my_ words and think I'm brilliant?  Sure!  Do I want my writing to get me that screenplay deal (with supporting role included...another of my passions)?  You bet I do!

But the likelihood of my selling a million copies of a book in either of my two main genres--poetry and picture books--is slim.  Aside from Dr. Seuss and celebrity picture books, how many end up on the NYT Best Sellers list?  And poetry?  I love Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky, but most people don't even know Jack!  ;)

So, I still dream of lounging around on piles of cash from the sales of my latest book of children's poems, I Believe in Magic, or the six-figure advance from the sales of my picture book, Rhinoski!, but realistically, I need to write because:  I need to write.

Writing has long been an accepted form of expression.  But despite the fact that there are so many writers out there, it can be a lonely endeavor.  Generally, one person sits at a keyboard or holds a pen and paper and beats out a story, poem, essay, history, thought, rambling, or whatever.  Then that person spends countless hours rereading and/or rewriting it.  I have reread some of my poems hundreds of times.  Sometimes to make sure all the right words are in the right places, but sometimes just because I enjoy my own stuff!  (Have I mentioned how brilliant I am?  I just need someone else to discover that!)

Sharing my work with friends and family has had mixed results.  Some things that I think are brilliant get a so-so reaction from others.  Some things have had a great reception.  Different people have different tastes.  Which does make me think of other advice I've read dozens of times over the years:  When one editor rejects your work, send it to another editor.  Another editor might think it is just fine, or might work with you to make it publishable.

OK.  So where are we?  I love writing.  I'd love to be published (and relaxing in Hawaii surrounded by my hundreds of published books).  But, can I live with my writing if none of it ever gets into a bookstore?  Can I live with myself if the only people who read my writing live with me or are in my writing group?

Yeah.  I can live with that.

But it doesn't mean I stop trying.

Thanks for stopping by.

Will

To Get It Finished

In writing, as in life, it is important to finish things.

Finish your homework.  Finish your supper.  Finish school.  Are you gonna finish that eclair?

Finish that manuscript.  Finish that query letter.  Finish revising that manuscript.

Just remember:  You can't submit a manuscript unless it is finished.  I have read a lot about writing on the Internet and in books, but until I actually started finishing (heh) things, I don't really think I could call myself a writer.

I finished the Picture Book Marathon this week (which included finishing two more picture books).

I submitted three things this week:
 - A speculative fiction (SF) poem (finished recently)
 - An SF short story (finished years ago)
 - A children's picture book (finished months ago)

Submission is almost like a finish...it is one more step completed toward getting something published.

I feel good.  I feel like this could be a very productive year.

And now...(wait for it)...this week's blog is finished.

Thanks for stopping by.

Will

Thank Goodness it's Friday!

Well, we're coming down to the end of February.  The Picture Book Marathon has been great, but exhausting.

So far, I've written 27 books in 25 days.  Only three days left to go.  I wrote a few extra in the early days and took two days off last week.  And I wrote two extras this week, so my total will be 28+ (hopefully).  It truly has been hard work to write a picture book a day from a new idea or an idea that had been hanging around a while.

I also found out what Lora Koehler and Jean Reagan had mentioned in the Picture Book Marathon blog - February 10th - Stinkers and Duds.  I found an idea or two that had been pulling at me, but when fleshed out, didn't really work.

Of course, not all of the books that I've written will work either.  I'll revise and polish them, some sooner than others, but even while writing them, some of them held less promise than others.  But be assured, my critique group will be seeing some of these in the months to come.

Plus, I didn't use up all the ideas I had generated.  I have lists and lists of ideas, but some days, I was struck by a new one that had to be done or I came up with something while I wasn't at my computer.

So, Thank Goodness it's Friday and the Picture Book Marathon is almost over.  It has been a great jumpstart to my writing, but I'm looking forward to now revising some of my stuff and sending it out!

Thanks for stopping by!

Will

(I should have included the logo earlier!)

Picture Book Marathon logo by Nathan Hale