new posts in all blogs
Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: Margo Dill, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 1 - 12 of 12
How to use this Page
You are viewing the most recent posts tagged with the words: Margo Dill in the JacketFlap blog reader. What is a tag? Think of a tag as a keyword or category label. Tags can both help you find posts on JacketFlap.com as well as provide an easy way for you to "remember" and classify posts for later recall. Try adding a tag yourself by clicking "Add a tag" below a post's header. Scroll down through the list of Recent Posts in the left column and click on a post title that sounds interesting. You can view all posts from a specific blog by clicking the Blog name in the right column, or you can click a 'More Posts from this Blog' link in any individual post.
The sweet smell of super-duper snicker doodles wafts through the air as Grandma prepares for the bake sale. Singing away as she wraps each dozen into plastic bags, she is astonished that bags are missing. Calling on her granddaughter, Maggie Mae, to help solve the mystery of the missing cookies, Maggie Mae puts her detective skills to the test. Interviewing each member of the household, grandfather, brother and even Toby the dog she attempts to catch the culprit and to unearth what the whistle noise before a bag of snicker doodles goes missing has to do with it.
Join YA and Kids' author, Margo Dill as she creates a mystery of intrigue that will have the reader jumping to their own conclusions in hopes of solving the mystery before Maggie Mae, Detective Extraordinaire does. Jack Foster’s trademark illustrations provide sweetness throughout.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDineMulti Award-winning Children's Author
Ignite curiosity in your child through reading!Connect with
Donna McDine on Google+A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2014 Purple Dragonfly 1st Place Picture Books 6+, Story Monster Approved, Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Reader's Favorite Five Star Review
Powder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review
Hockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Story Monster Approved and Reader's Farvorite Five Star Review
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist
I'm tickled pink to help Margo Dill announce her latest children's picture book and special offers….
I am excited to announce that I have a new book out. It's a picture book with wonderful illustrations by Jack Foster for kids ages 3 to 8, based on a TRUE story about my own grandma, Ruth Dill (G. G.) and her dog Toby. Maggie Mae, Detective Extraordinaire: The Case of The Missing Cookies is available for sale as a print copy now on all major retailers' websites. You can order an autographed print copy from me athttp://margodill.com/blog/books/ starting TODAY!
SAVE THE DATE!! But wait. .. there's more! For my St. Louis area friends and family, I will be having a book launch on Saturday, September 20 from 11am to 1pm at 6 North Cafe (14438 Clayton Rd, Ballwin, MO), where you can get signed copies of the book, deals on multiple copies, and other goodies, too! I plan to have a book launch party ONLINE the last full week of September--details to follow.
I am also having a Back-to-School editing sale! Do you have a novel, short story, resume, picture book--anything--that needs editing or proofreading? In the month of September, you can save 20-25 percent off the regular price, depending on the payment plan you choose! The best news is you can pay during September but send your project to me later in the year if it's not ready now. I am going to be unleashing a new editing website soon, too! Contact me at this e-mail address to discuss your writing project.
A few more announcements:
- Take an online class with me through WOW! Women On Writing. I teach novel writing and writing for children. To see the class dates and syllabus, please visit: http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/WOWclasses.html (The next novel class starts on Sept. 5).
- I'm also teaching in-person writing classes for adults through St. Charles School District. I have two more classes being offered this semester on Tuesday nights, focusing on writing for kids and novel writing. You do not have to live in St. Charles to come. More info here: http://register.asapconnected.com/Courses.aspx?CourseGroupID=4551
- My group blog, the Lit Ladies, is hosting two book giveaways this week. The first is for a memoir, Self and Soul: On Creating a Meaningful Life. The second is a contemporary YA realistic novel about teen girls and is titled, True Colors. To enter to win either book, please visit: http://www.thelitladies.com and click on the post you are interested in.
That's it! Well, I know it's a lot. Visit my book page and buy an autographed copy or make plans to come to the awesome 6 North Cafe on September 20!
Thanks for your support,
Margo Dill
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Best wishes,Donna M. McDineMulti Award-winning Children's AuthorIgnite curiosity in your child through reading! Connect with Donna McDine on Google+
A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2014 Purple Dragonfly 1st Place Picture Books 6+, Story Monster Approved, Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Reader's Favorite Five Star ReviewPowder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star ReviewHockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Story Monster Approved and Reader's Farvorite Five Star ReviewThe Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist 
" Saucy is a real character dealing with real stuff—hard stuff that doesn’t have easy answers, not in real life and not in fairy tales, either. This is a really compelling and ultimately hopeful story. Highly recommended."
– Debby Dahl Edwardson, National Book Award finalist and author of
My Name is Not Easy
Read a sample chapter.
Guest post by Margo Dill
It’s something we’ve heard if we belong to a critique group or have beta readers. “I really like your story, but. . .”
Fill in the blank with suggested plot changes, readers’ confusion, flat characters, boring beginnings—you name it—I’ve heard it, and you probably have, too. So, when a member of the Lit Ladies, my critique group, said, “I really like your book, but you need to take out this entire subplot in the beginning of Caught Between Two Curses,” I will admit I had a panic attack. Not a full-blown one, but a small one with a sleepless night. But here’s the thing—she was right.
In the beginning of my latest young adult novel, I had my 17-year-old character, Julie, appear on a talk show in Chicago, IL, called The Mona Show. In this version (and not the published one!), Julie survived a car crash as a toddler, and her parents did not. She becomes known in Chicago as the miracle toddler, and The Mona Show decides to do an update episode, asking teenage Julie to reappear. While on the show, Julie discovers that her grandmother really is alive and living in Chicago, even though her aunt had led her to believe that she had either died or moved to Romania.
So, when all my critique group members thought it was a good idea to get rid of Mona, I wondered how I would ever introduce the accident that killed Julie’s parents, the relationship between Julie and her aunt, and her estranged and eccentric grandmother. Plus, The Mona Show was in the beginning and end of the book. After no sleep, tears, sweat, and some wine, I revised.
I cut and chopped. I brainstormed. I made a list of what I thought The Mona Show did for the book, and then created other ways to introduce either that character trait or the plot point. I rewrote and read out loud. During all of this, a little voice in the back of my head started yelling, “The Lit Ladies were right! You don’t need The Mona Show.”
And once Mona was gone, I pitched it to Robin Tidwell of Rocking Horse Publishing at the Missouri Writers’ Guild conference in 2013. She gave me a contract. Now it’s a book, and I know it’s better thanks to critique and revision.
I’ll admit one tiny thing to anyone reading this pity-party-with-a-happy-ending story, I always had dreams that Oprah herself would let me come backstage and research what it was really like to be on a talk show in Chicago. But then Oprah stopped doing her show, so what was the point of keeping The Mona Show in my book anyway? Some dreams die, along with characters, plots, and scenes. Luckily, this death made my book better.
–
Margo Dill is the author of Caught Between Two Curses, a young adult novel where one of the curses is The Curse of the Billy Goat on the Chicago Cubs. To buy a copy, visit her blog, where you can watch a book trailer and click to buy the book at any major online retailer.
I'm pleased to welcome Margo Dill as my guest author today at Write What Inspires! This is a terrific way to get me back into the groove of blogging and hosting regularly. Welcome Margo…
What Inspires Me by Margo L. Dill
Trying to figure out what inspires me to write is somewhat difficult. I tell people I write because I have to. It makes me happy. I now can’t imagine doing anything else. It’s hard to remember my life before I dedicated it to writing. (I think I used to have a lot more free time.) But what inspires me to write?
I really believe it’s the ideas that pop into my head and will not let go. That’s what happened with Caught Between Two Curses, my new contemporary YA novel. I have always wondered WHY some people survived accidents and tragedies and others didn’t. Then I heard two news stories in 2003—one about a Cubs fan that interfered with a foul ball and the other about a toddler that was the only survivor of a car crash—and I realized this question, this idea, is not letting me go. So, I was inspired and I wrote the novel.
The same thing happened with Finding My Place—I read one paragraph in a fifth grade social studies book about the Siege of Vicksburg and people doing anything to survive, including eating rats and living in man-made caves, and I had to know more. An idea seed was planted, and it wouldn’t let go until I nurtured it into a mature plant—a novel.
I am currently working on two novels—both are also ideas I couldn’t let go. One started as a short story, and it begged me to write a full-length novel for 9 to 12 year olds. The other novel, another YA, was inspired from a terrible tragedy that killed a beloved high school friend—a community building shooting in Kirkwood, MO in 2008.
So what inspires me? I would say life—exploring interesting and sometimes heartbreaking questions that give me ideas that won’t let go and beg to be written.
Margo’s bio: Margo L. Dill is a children's author, freelance editor, and workshop leader, living in St. Louis, MO. She is the author of the YA book, Caught Between Two Curses, and also the author of the historical fiction, middle-grade novel, Finding My Place: One Girl's Strength at Vicksburg (White Mane Kids, 2012) and the forthcoming picture books, Maggie Mae, Detective Extraordinaire and the Case of the Missing Cookies and Lucy and the Red Ribbon Week Adventure. Caught Between Two Curses is her first young adult novel. She promises that she is a Cardinals' fan at heart, but the Billy Goat curse on the Chicago Cubs is too irresistible for a plot line. You can find her blogging on Tuesdays at http://www.thelitladies.com and more about her work at http://margodill.com/blog/.
Margo, it's been a pleasure hosting you the last two days during your virtual book tour! Wishing you the very best!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,Donna M. McDineAward-winning Children's Author
Connect with Donna McDine on Google+
A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.Powder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.Hockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist
I'm pleased to host Margo today and tomorrow for her latest book, Caught Between Two Cures. Margo and I are colleagues and I always find it easier to "toot the horn" of a fellow author than my own horn. Congratulations Margo!
Book Profile Announcement for Caught Between Two Curses by Margo L. Dill
Caught Between Two Curses (Rocking Horse Publishing, Released: March 14, 2014) is a young adult, light paranormal contemporary novel set in Chicago, IL, appropriate for readers 14 and up.
Seventeen-year-old Julie Nigelson is cursed. So is her entire family. And it’s not just any-old-regular curse, either—it’s strangely connected to the famous “Curse of the Billy Goat” on the Chicago Cubs.
Julie must figure out this mystery while her uncle lies in a coma and her entire love life is in ruins: her boyfriend Gus is pressuring her to have sex, while her best friend Matt is growing more attractive to her all the time.
Somehow, Julie must figure out how to save her uncle, her family’s future, and her own love life—and time is running out!
It’s available from all major booksellers:
<!--[if gte mso 9]>
Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE <![endif]-->
Margo’s bio: Margo L. Dill is a children's author, freelance editor, and workshop leader, living in St. Louis, MO. She is the author of the YA book, Caught Between Two Curses, and also the author of the historical fiction, middle-grade novel, Finding My Place: One Girl's Strength at Vicksburg (White Mane Kids, 2012) and the forthcoming picture books, Maggie Mae, Detective Extraordinaire and the Case of the Missing Cookies and Lucy and the Red Ribbon Week Adventure. Caught Between Two Curses is her first young adult novel. She promises that she is a Cardinals' fan at heart, but the Billy Goat curse on the Chicago Cubs is too irresistible for a plot line. You can find her blogging on Tuesdays at http://www.thelitladies.com and more about her work at http://margodill.com/blog/.
Be sure to stop back tomorrow to read What Inspires Margo!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Best wishes,Donna M. McDineAward-winning Children's Author
Connect with Donna McDine on Google+
A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.Powder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.Hockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist
For regular readers of The Muffin there's no doubt the name Margo Dill rings familiar. Margo has been writing posts for The Muffin since 2007. She is also a WOW! columnist and contributing editor. In 2008 Margo launched her own blog,
Margo Dill's Read These Books and Use Them which is a children's book blog with a unique twist, loyal followers and high ratings.
Margo is here with us today to offer a peak into what you will learn in the class...
Hi Margo, it is so nice to be chatting with you today. Let's start with the basics; one of the first places a person can get bogged down is in deciding which type of website to use. What are the differences between a free Wordpress.com or Blogger site and a hosted website as far as our ability to publicize and monetize our sites?
Margo: There shouldn't be any difference, really, except that when you have a free site, all the profit is yours! As far as publicizing goes, you would do the same things on a free Wordpress or Blogger site as you would for a hosted website. You would use social networking sites, comments on other blogs, your bio on articles, SEO Keywords, and so on to publicize your blog. As for monetizing, as long as you have the capability to put widgets or links on your "free" blog, you can monetize. Sometimes, it will depend on what template you choose as to what you can fit on your blog, and those are the kinds of questions we'll tackle in class.
Ah, there is more to a template than pretty colors (smile). With the question of functionality addressed, my next one is how to build readership. You have mentioned in your course description that for a blog to be successful the content should be unique and focused. Can you elaborate on that for us? How unique is "unique"?
Margo: There are hundreds (maybe even thousands) of blogs out there about a writer and her journey. "Here's my blog about how I am going to write a novel."Or "Here's my blog about being a stay-at-home mom while I write children's books." I don't mean to criticize anyone's blog, and many of these are successful. But these topics have been done and done again. When I started my site, I knew there were already many children's book review blogs. So I decided that whenever I featured a book, I would make my post different by including three take-away activities for parents, teachers, and librarians. I haven't found many blogs that review a book, provide a summary, and tell you how to use it with kids and teens. So, I made my blog unique.
So, having each post provide take-away or usable information the reader can apply to her own life is one way to stand out and build readership. You also mentioned guest blogging. What is "guest blogging" and how does it serve us?
Margo: Guest blogging is when you write a post for
When you're starting a blog, you probably have the best intentions of blogging every day. And at first, blogging is so much fun! You share your opinions and thoughts on a subject you know about, you receive a few comments, and you're hooked. Then comes month three and four, and blogging has lost its newness. So, even though you've heard time and time again that when starting a blog, you should blog every day or on a regular schedule, it seems like it's not so important any more.
This happened to me with my blog, "Read These Books and Use Them." I just couldn't keep up with reviewing a children's or YA book a day AND providing activities for the book for parents and teachers. I knew my traffic wasn't good, and my blog wasn't what it could be.
So, I set up a daily blogging schedule (which is only five-days a week, M through F), and this helps me stay on track. It also keeps the repetition down and my excitement level up. I took each day of the week and made it a certain topic or theme. I have Maniac Mondays, which is like an opinion piece on the educational/homeschooling world today, and Tuesday Tales and Un-Forgettable Fridays--these are like my old format where I provide key information and activities about books for parents, teachers, and librarians. Finally, I made up Wacky Wednesdays and Timeless Thursdays. Wacky Wednesdays are where I provide some sort of lesson idea/plan for teachers, which could be a bit wacky and sometimes based on a book. Timeless Thursdays features an older book like Mrs. Piggle Wiggle that children still love and can learn from today.
I've seen blogs with certain days for giveaways, certain days for photos only--Wordless Wednesdays--. and certain days for interviews. You just have to look at the focus of your blog, brainstorm a little, and figure out some topics that you could stick to each day. This doesn't mean that you can't blog about something else on one of these set days if something really exciting happens. But in the morning when your brain might be a little foggy, you already have a start on what to blog about. Blogging every day helps build readership, gets your blog posted higher on the search engines, and provides monetizing opportunities. If you are interested in any of these but you are struggling, try a blog schedule in 2010.
Happy Blogging!
Margo Dill
http://margodill.com/blog/
photo by joyosity www.flickr.com
Young adult (YA) books are selling despite the economy. Adults and teens both seem to enjoy reading these books, which can be about many of the typical teen issues: suicide, peer pressure, dating, drugs, and cliques. Vampires and werewolves have practically taken over the YA section at the bookstores right now thanks to the Twilight series; and YA authors, like Ellen Hopkins author of Crank, are constantly on Twitter, Facebook, and their blogs, talking about censorship.
Angela has decided to dedicate March's WOW! issue to YA! She has also asked me to be a guest editor for the issue. I am thrilled and can't wait to work on this exciting issue about the YA market. I love YA!
Here are some ideas we had about topics for articles/interviews in the YA issue:
- Interviews with YA authors about the craft of writing and marketing YA.
- Interviews with YA editors or agents and what they’re looking for. What aren’t they getting?
- Should YA authors find an agent or editor or does it matter?
- YA authors and social networking/blogs: Do they target their teen fans or their writing colleagues or both? Special challenges of having teen fans.
- What makes a book YA? The difference from tween and middle grade.
- Edgy subjects in YA: are there any that are too edgy? What about language?
- The use of technology in YA books—when does it date your ms? Do you need to put in e-mail, texting, Twitter and so on in contemporary novels now? How does having cell phones change the plots of novels?
- YA non-fiction: What types of subjects are authors writing about now for teens? Is this an “easy” sale for authors and publishers?
- Trends: Is everybody writing about vampires? What’s the hot thing coming up? Should you write about trends?
We’re open to any ideas you may have for this issue. Please review our past children’s issues to check for YA topics we’ve already covered:
http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/27-issue.html
http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/14-issue.html
If you have an idea for an article or interview, please query us at submissions (at) wow-womenonwriting (dot) com.
Writer’s Guidelines:
On The Muffin, we've posted about rejections before. As a writer, you've probably heard all the standard rejection advice: personal rejections are good, a rejection is at least a response, and everybody gets rejected.
That's what I want to focus on today--during Thanksgiving week--
Everybody gets rejected!
I received an e-mail over the weekend, reminding me of this fact, and I thought it would be great to share it with my fellow women writers as a reminder not to give up, not to see one rejection as the end of your career. Look at this list:
Dune by Frank Herbert – 13 rejections
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – 14 rejections
Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis – 17 rejections
Jonathan Livingston Seagull – 18 rejections
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle – 29 rejections
Carrie by Stephen King – over 30 rejections
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – 38 rejections
A Time to Kill by John Grisham – 45 rejections
Louis L’Amour, author of over 100 western novels – over 300 rejections before publishing his first book
John Creasy, author of 564 mystery novels – 743 rejections before publishing his first book
Ray Bradbury, author of over 100 science fiction novels and stories – around 800 rejections before selling his first story
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter – rejected so universally the author decided to self-publish the book
So, when you open your mailbox and see the thin envelope OR open the e-mail and see, "Thank you for your submission but. . .", remember this list, don't give up hope, and be thankful that you can go back to the drawing board.
Happy Writing!
Margo Dill
http://margodill.com/blog/
Read These Books and Use Them
This weekend, I am going to a one-day SCBWI-IL workshop in Chicago called Prairie Writers' Day. Is it a good idea to travel to a writing conference on Friday the 13th? Let's hope so! But even it if was a different date with no superstitions, I would still have "writers' conference anxiety!"
I shouldn't have this problem--I've planned and taken part in writers' conferences before. I even wrote an article for WOW! about how to be prepared for a writing conference and get the most bang out of your buck. But I still seem to suffer from anxiety before every writers' conference.
Here's why I think this happens to me: 1. I'm too busy to properly prepare myself for the conference. So, I don't know the speakers, schedule, or venue as well as I should. 2. And this is the biggie. . .I worry about what I will do if I meet an editor/agent in the bathroom or at lunch or in the hallway. It's almost like meeting a celebrity, especially since this person, if she likes your work, has the potential to change your life.
So, while I am sitting in the workshops and lectures, dutifully taking notes, I am trying to come up with some sort of brilliant thing to say to this person, so that I do not sound desperate or pushy or weird. But I want to be confident and funny and leave an impression. Believe me, all the worry, anxiety, and half-eaten lunches have still not created a witty opening line. Usually, I say something like: "I really enjoyed your talk."
And she says, "Thanks."
That's it--that's it. Then another person at the lunch table will say something about one of their clients or the latest award-winning book or even the editor's favorite TV show, and the editor will eventually ask the writer, "So, what do you write?" If that could only be me. . .
When I follow with my query letter after the conference, I will write something personal about the talk or the lunch table (even though I'm sure I made no impression). Hopefully, my work can stand alone as it should!
So, I am telling myself this time, I am going to this conference, leaving on Friday the 13th of all days, with a new attitude. I am going to have fun with my writing critique group members, celebrate and talk about writing, and soak up as much information and inspiration as I can. If I meet a speaker in the hallway or in the bathroom, I am not going to worry about being witty or wise or standing out in the crowd. (I am also NOT going to picture the person in his or her underwear as is the common advice for people who suffer from anxiety when giving speeches.) I am just going to say the first thing that comes out of my mouth--just like I would say to anyone I meet while waiting in one of the longest bathroom lines ever when you are at a children's writers' conference. (For those of you who don't know--at least 95% women, at least.)
I really, really am.
(I'll let you know how it goes.)
Happy Writing!
Margo Dill
http://margodill.com/blog/
"Read These Books and Use Them"
photo by rhcrayon www.flickr.com
Congratulations to Madeline Mora-Summonte for placing in the Spring 2009 Flash Fiction contest with her story, "Poster Child."
Here's a little information about Madeline:
She has written poetry, personal essays, and book reviews; but her first love is fiction in all its forms--from flash to novels. Her work has appeared in over twenty publications, including Highlights for Children, Storyhouse, and Every Day Fiction. Her story, “The Empty Nest,” will be included in W. W. Norton's upcoming Hint Fiction Anthology. She attends mystery author Blaize Clement's weekly writing workshop where the talent and creativity of the group continues to amaze her. Madeline is currently busy writing and revising her women's fiction manuscript. She lives with her husband/best friend in Florida. You can visit her website at www.MadelineMora-Summonte.com.
WOW: Congratulations, Madeline, on being a runner up in the flash fiction contest. What was your inspiration for "Poster Child?"
Madeline: I’d glance at the “Missing” posters on my way into those big box discount stores, but I’d never really see them, you know? I think for many of us they do start to seem like wallpaper like the woman in the story whose own child is safe and sound and playing beneath them. One day, I just stopped and looked at them, really looked at them. Then I just kept asking myself questions: “Who else is stopping and looking?” “Why?” “What if?” And that’s when Megan appeared.
WOW: Great points. It is interesting how your story came out of something that we see every day, but only when you really stopped to think about it. Your description is amazing in "Poster Child," from the coin-operated kiddie rides to the actual description of the old MISSING posters. Was it difficult to describe everything you needed to with such few words available?
Madeline: Thank you! It’s a constant balancing act. Too much description overloads the story, and the plot and characters get lost; but too little makes the story seem set in limbo. It’s tricky, finding just the right detail and then the right amount of it. I wanted people to know that store, to have been in that store, without me naming it or describing it brick by brick. I hope I accomplished that.
WOW: You definitely did describe well for me and obviously the judges, too! Why do you enter contests? Would you suggest entering contests to most fiction writers?
Madeline: I tend to enter mostly flash fiction contests because they give me a nice, tight word count; a deadline; and sometimes, a theme. When I’m working on a novel, I’m in this murky place that seems to have no discernible framework or an end in sight. Flash fiction generally, and contests in particular, give me a structure to work within and a finish line I can see.
I think contests are a great way to stretch that writing muscle, but you also have to be aware of the scams out there. Make sure the contest is legit. Read the fine print about rights, etc. before entering.
WOW: I agree with you that contests are a great way to maybe try something new without investing a ton of time in it. It is nice to focus on more than one project at a time. I think that helps writers' block! You attend Blaize Clement's weekly writing workshop. Can you tell us a little about this? Is it like a critique group, mini-conference, writing/brainstorming time?
Madeline: I am extremely lucky to be a part of this workshop. It’s like a haven for creativity and expression. We are a diverse group: different ages, different backgrounds, different goals. But one of the things we have in common is this desire to create and to play with words and to tell stories.
Blaize, who is the author of the Dixie Hemingway mystery series (St. Martin’s Press), has created this safe place for all of that to happen. We usually do timed writing--Blaize gives a word or a phrase, anything from “a room” to “an omen”--and we write for about five minutes. Then we take turns reading aloud what we wrote. NO critiquing allowed! We can only mention something that strikes us--a great line or a vivid turn of phrase or an interesting character. If nothing strikes us, then we just move on to the next reader.
Blaize also talks about craft, and she gives us some insight into the world of publishing. We all sometimes talk about great or not-so-great books we’ve read or movies or TV shows. But it always starts and ends with the writing.
WOW: That group sounds awesome and like a lot of fun. Your description might encourage others to start a group like it in their communities! Congratulations on your publication success. What are some goals you have for yourself and your writing career?
Madeline: Thank you! Well, one of my goals is to break into the top three of a WOW! Flash Fiction Contest! Don’t get me wrong. I was thrilled to previously make Honorable Mention twice and now the Top Ten twice, but to rank higher has become a personal challenge of sorts. Although, maybe I should change my goal to be the person who makes it into the Top Ten the most times!
My writing goals are pretty much the same as they’ve always been. I want to keep writing stories and hopefully one day, novels, that move people the way I’ve been moved by the many wonderful books I’ve read, and will continue to read, in my lifetime.
WOW: (laughs) Madeline, I love your writing goals and the fact that you are going to keep entering WOW!'s flash fiction contest. Think of how many interviews you could accumulate! (smiles) Seriously, we are glad you took the time with us today to share your thoughts on writing. Good luck in your future endeavors.
Interview conducted by Margo L. Dill, http://margodill.com/blog/
I interrupt this travelogue to entertain you with some funny signs.
Despite this being the clean blog, I’m compelled to show you some more of the rather hilarious Aids prevention signs involving fruits and vegetables. German speakers – I would love translations.
This is the one I simply HAD to have a picture of, given the former title of my second novel, which was “Ketchup on my Cucumbers.”
We’re still thinking of a new title. Maybe I should e-mail David Levithan and Jen Rees and suggest: “Condoms on my Cucumbers.”
Somehow, I don’t think that would go down so well (if you’ll excuse the expression) with the chains. And on second thought, I think it might be a zucchini, not a cucumber.
Anyway, while we’re on the subject of cucumbers, I was rather amused by this book’s title:
Whilst I’m sure “putz” means something completely innocent in German, I’m used to it being used in the Yiddish sense .
And then there’s this one:
If you’ve read the Yiddish definition of “putz” above, you’ll know why I found this so funny. But according to Dirk Brockmann, the Webmeister’s colleague and a fellow Duke graduate, in German “schmuck” (pronounced schmook as opposed to sch-muck) means jewelry. I guess in Yiddish it’s more the Family Jewelry.
Then there are the always-entertaining restaurant menu translations. The translator at the TechMuseum clearly took spelling lessons from Dan Quayle:
I also liked the “large-backed” potatoe from the “ofen”.
But this really cracked us up:
Needless to say, we took the “clou” and left a tip for the “service stuff”.
Finally, in the interests of being green, I’d like to introduce you to the Smart Car, which has done well in Europe and is soon to be introduced in the US:
Ok, so you can’t fit much in the way of kids or groceries in the thing, but look at how awesome it is for fitting into a tight parking spot:
I think I need to replace my SUV. I might just have to get rid of the kids in order to do it. (JOKE kids, if you’re reading this :>)
.jpeg?picon=893)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/33612293-4151227869
</p>
<div style="clear: left;"></div>
<div class="post-comments">
0 Comments on <em>Writers){kind=small}
as of 1/1/1900
I try to post a well-crafted essay at least twice a week and most weeks I achieve this. I think the pressure to write every day results in a whole lot of crap out there in the blogosphere and digging through it to find the writing gems is a chore in and of itself. I would rather see less and have it be good and I will support a good writer, returning to read them faithfully, even if they only post once a month.
Jayne,
I agree that there is a lot of crap in the blogging world, but I don't know if it is all from people who are trying to blog every day. There are some successful and well-done blogs with bloggers that do post every day. (Hopefully mine is one of them.) That said, I do have to say that many writers do not take enough time with their blog posts and do not treat them like the whole world can see them. And BTW, the whole world can see them! :) I guess the answer is you have to pick what works for you. I am merely suggesting that if you want to write on your blog every day that a schedule can actually help you post more well-written and thought-out posts than not. Just my two cents.
Margo :)
http://margodill.com/blog/
I agree with your idea for a schedule, and most certainly there are some well-done blogs with new posts every day, yours being absolutely among them, but you are clearly a professional, as am I. Many out there are new at writing and have not yet learned to distinguish quality from quantity. In the quest to get-and-keep followers, they often pressure themselves to put something -- anything -- on their blogs, when by just doing steady good work the followers will come (and stay) naturally. Does that make sense?
Oh, Jayne, you are too kind. :)
I completely, 100% agree with you.
Margo
Thanks for some nice ideas!
Question: What happens if the best time of day to write and post on the blog happens later in the afternoon? I would think that defeats the purpose of attracting readers at the beginning of the day, yes?
Elisa
Elisa, good writing attracts readers much more so than the time of day you post it. Write when it's best for you to do so and your writing will be its best.
Hi Elisa:
I think not everyone has time to read blogs in the morning; so if you want to post in the afternoon, then your readers will know that. If you want blog posts to go live in the morning but you are not able to write them then, Wordpress and Blogger have ways to schedule posts for the next day. SO, you could write your post in the afternoon and then schedule it to go live the next morning if you are more comfortable with that.
Margo :)
Thank you both for excellent advice -- I'm making it a New Year's Resolution!