I just won a scholarship to the Craft and Business of Writing Children's Picture Books class through the Children's Book Academy. I've been happy dancing since I heard the great news! The class is taught by Random House editor Kelly Delaney and Mira Reisberg, and includes 25+ guest experts, worksheets and templates, and critiquing webinars. Plus, there will be Golden Ticket opportunities to submit directly to an agent or editor and bypass the slush pile or closed house submission policy. I can't wait to start this class at the end of the month!
I shared my news on Facebook and loved celebrating with everyone—then realized that it would be great to keep the celebration going by paying my good luck forward and helping someone else. I’m so grateful for this opportunity, and decided to give away a free picture book critique (or up to 5 pages of an MG or YA). When I asked Mira, she loved the idea, and then generously offered to give away a picture book critique. So click on the Rafflecopter widget below and enter for your chance to win a critique with Mira or me.
If you attend Mira’s free webinar on Friday night, June 19, at 8:30 pm EST, you’ll have the chance to win a picture book critique with Random House editor Kelly Delaney. I’m definitely going to be there. It’s called: Finding Your Writer's Voice, Finding Your Characters' Voices. It’ll help you learn what a writer’s voice is and how to develop yours and see how characters' voices are a part of your writer's voice. Plus, you’ll have the chance to connect with a Random House editor who is actively looking to acquire great picture books.
This scholarship came at the perfect time for me. I'm usually a very prolific writer (I actually wrote the first draft of one of my novels in 11 days during NaNoWriMo and wrote the first draft of nine picture books during the seven days of NaPiBoWriWee one year)...but because of health issues with my daughters, I haven't been as productive as usual. I also tend to give my novels more attention and my picture books have been begging me to do something like this for a while. I've had some interest in my picture books, but something always seems to hold them back from getting that magical yes. I'm hopeful that this awesome interactive online class will help me make my picture books sparkle enough to dazzle editors, agents, and future readers.
I've seen so many raves about this class. Some online friends have said that it's 'life-changing, the equivalent of 20 conferences, and better than complete MFA programs'. Thank you so much for giving me a scholarship, Mira! I don't often talk about my disability, but I've had about 70% hearing loss in both ears since I was 35 and have had to wear hearing aids since then. I'd love the chance to make all of my picture books shine, and would especially love to get my PB, Sound Detective, published one day. I’ll never forget what it felt like to realize how bad my hearing had gotten, and that I’d have to wear hearing aids for the rest of my life. I was horrified at first, but quickly changed my mind when I realized all the amazing sounds I had been missing, and how much easier it is to interact with people with my hearing aids in. I was surprised to see that there aren’t many books for children that have a character with hearing loss, and I’d love to use my experience to help children going through something similar—and also help raise more awareness in others.
Good luck to everyone entering for a free critique! I’ll announce the winners on Friday. LiveJournal often doesn't show the Rafflecopter widget, so if you don't see it below, click here to enter! a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don’t forget about the #PBPitch Twitter party on Wednesday, June 24th. It’s a great opportunity to pitch your completed and polished picture books online to agents and editors. Definitely check out their website—in addition to info about the fun pitch contest, they have a list of 100+ agents who rep picture books!
Ralph Tells a Story written and illustrated by Abby Hanlon (Amazon Children’s Publishing, 2012). It doesn’t matter if your five or twenty-five—if you’re in school, you’re gonna have to write. And lots of times you have to write stories—stories about yourself. Maybe it’s a daily journal. Maybe it’s a “My Special Moment” essay. Maybe it’s a descriptive narrative for a college composition class. Well, if you’re one of those kids who has NO IDEA what to write about and can’t think of ONE SINGLE STORY, then Abby Hanlon’s Ralph Tells a Story is the book for you. Ralph’s teacher always says, “Stories are everywhere!” and the kids in Ralph’s class have no trouble finding them. They write pages and pages and pages during writing time. But Ralph can’t come up with anything. Zero, zip, nada. So Ralph does what all smart kids do. He stalls. He goes to the bathroom. He gets a drink. He offers to help the lunch ladies. And finally, finally, Ralph thinks of the start of a story. But then he gets stuck. Which is exactly when his teacher asks him to share his story. Luckily for Ralph, his classmates ask lots and lots of questions. [...]
What am I learning lately about writing?
Sometimes I think my learning has stalled a bit. I'm picking up new information and new skills like I did three or four years ago.
But then, I go back and read the things I wrote three or four years ago, and compare them to pieces I'm writing now, and I realize that I'm doing much better than I was.
I'm refining the skills I've already learned. I'm
I'm late posting and just a little peeved with my Blogger. I've been trying on and off all day to post this--but I couldn't upload any photos, and I have lots of photos of this event to share. At last! I found the secret formula to this technological secret!
Last Friday evening the Mudskippers held a terrific Schmooze starring our own Tameka Fryer Brown. We were sixteen or so hungry writers
and. . .
THE WINNER OF MY
Autographed "Rattlesnake Jam" PB + coloring sheet
IS . . . . Paula Mc Clean Among the pile of great stories e-mailed to me over the past
month, Paula's stood out.
Read it and enjoy!
I was 15. My mom and I were on a grand adventure. We'd decided to move across country and start a new life. Nothing much was wrong with our old life but a new life sounded exciting and fun.
We sent our belongings ahead on a long semi truck and prayed they would be waiting for us when we finally got there. We got in the car and drove out of town on Father's Day (Dad already lived across country-though not where we were headed). I waved to my older sisters and my best friend until they were out of site.
Crossing the plains was long and boring. I'd had no idea that wheat took up that much of our country's real estate. Unfortunately my mom got a speeding ticket outside of Lincoln, NE which meant that we took even longer, at the posted speed limit, to get through the monotonous middle of the country. But once we did our trip became fun. We stopped at random tourist traps and site seeing places. We blared the radio and sang at the top of our voices as we covered mile after mile. Each night we stopped at a hotel and I mapped out our route for the next day.
Arizona. What an inspiring state. Such a unique beauty. And so
stinkin' hot. We'd stopped earlier in the day because the car didn't even like the heat and threatened to boil over. We'd found a hotel with a sparkling pool that I took full advantage of. Much later after I'd showered and we'd eaten, Mom sent me out to the car to get change from the large jar in the trunk so that we could get sodas from the vending machine. It was dark but the temperature was still warm. I'd thrown on sandals so that I wouldn't burn my feet on the blacktop. I opened the cavernous trunk. The jar was wedged between a suitcase and a box near the back of the trunk. I leaned against the bumper and reached as far as I could toward the jar. My fingers had just found purchase on the lid when it started.
Tt-t-t-t-t-t--t-t
A rattle. I froze. My heart stopped for a moment and then kicked into full speed. My head and upper body were inside the trunk. I'd have to move in order to see where the rattler was. I had no particular knowledge of how to deal with a rattle snake-having been raised in the
midwest-but instinct told me it was close enough to threaten me. My mind raced through options. Crawl into the trunk completely. But then what? I'd left the door open to our room but I doubted my mom would hear me yell. More than likely the snake would just slither into the room to cool down. I could throw something from the trunk as a diversion. But what if the snake wasn't really under the car like I suspected? What if it was right behind me? In the bushes I'd walked past? Then what?
While my mind filed through my options my hands worked on their own accord and unscrewed the top of the jar and reached in to get the proper change for two sodas. I dutifully capped the jar again and wedged it back into place. Quietly and carefully, without moving any other part of my body that was not in the trunk. If I lived at least we'd have soda.
After standing in the same position for what felt like an eternity listening to the rattle of the snake echo around the dark parking lot, I finally made my move. In one swift movement I stood up, slammed the trunk and bolted to the hotel room. I slammed the door behind me panting as if I'd run a 100 yard dash. My mom peered across the room and seeing my terror, rushed to me to offer comfort for my unknown incident.
I still live in the west and to this day, I approach cars cautiously at the end of a hot day.
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I want to thank all those who wrote to me about their rattler encounters.
I enjoyed reading every word, and admit to quite a few giggles along the way.
Thanks for making the launch of Pa, Gran and her
barfy green
"
Rattlesnake Jam," such a success.
(Comments Welcome)
Okay, you're going to read the book - right?
"Rattlesnake Jam"
Read about it HERE
Now , visit Gran's Kitchen, and taste the results of
Pa's hunting and Gran's cooking YOUR mouth will water.
But. . . Get ready for your mom to faint!
So, listen Up!
Pa catches them, and Gran cooks them up into rattlesnake jam - BARF!
Pa Knows.
You'd like a bite of rattler, but you really don't fancy
eating Gran's jam - or wearing it!
Fear not!
Pa dug through gran's kitchen drawers and found some lipsmacking, recipies
that will rattle your taste buds, and slither down your throat.
Try Gran's yummy rattler recipes.
Gran's Kitchen has a few that won't freak your mom too much.
Keep your eye on Gran's Recipe Page!
( "Rattle" me a comment)
Website <><> "Musings"
Awesome! That’s VERY cool.