Bellydancing Your Way to a Newbery
by Cynthia Reeg
Here's my theory: A healthy writer is a happy writer, and a happy writer is a productive writer. And a productive writer will inevitably become a successful writer. I know. I know. You want to understand how bellydancing fits into the equation? Let me explain.
Blood flow to the brain, as well as various other body parts, is an essential element in writing. The more vigorous your blood flow, the more easily creative ideas start leaping from your brain to your fingertips and onto the page. It's really as simple as that. (Well, perhaps not quite that simple, but just work with me here.)
Writing in and of itself is a sedentary endeavor. Hours and hours plopped down in a chair can slow circulation to a crawl. Too soon your brain turns to sludge and your story comes to a standstill. How to remedy a coach potato brain? Get moving!
I know. I know. This is your writing time, you tell me. And there's too little of it to begin with. But sitting in your chair with your brain in melt down mode, hoping and praying that it will start up again as you blankly stare at the page, will not do the trick.
Bolt out of that chair and move those feet. And arms and legs. The more of you that you can get moving the better. If you've some housework to do (what do I mean "if"�just work with me here again,) then grab that vacuum and start hoovering like a robot on overdrive. Or shoot out the door and pick up the pace. Lap the block a time or two.
If the weather's bad, pop in an exercise video. Lift that leg. Tighten those abs. Or better yet, tune in some funky beats on the radio and tear up the rug in the living room.
TA-DA! This is when the bellydancing option comes into play. Bellydancing--the ultimate blood-stimulating workout. From the tips of your toes to the top of your gyrating head, you'll feel new life returning to your sluggish torso. Who cares if your shimmy is a little shaky today? It's all for a literary cause.
Essentially, it all boils down to this. Exercise whenever and however you can. The American Heart Association lists a number of amazing benefits from exercise in addition to increased energy.*
Look and feel better. (Wouldn't this come in handy when accepting your Newbery Award?)
Increase strength and flexibility (Think how many more books you could sign at your Newbery Book Signing.)
Reduce stress and tension. (Exactly what you'll need when you're behind schedule in meeting your editor's deadline for the sequel to your award-winning Newbery book.)
So the bottom line for a healthy, happy writer is to stay in shape—both literally and physically. Amp up your exercise mode, and your writing is sure to reap benefits as well. Think how much faster you'll be able type with Terminator arms. (Please, just work with me here.)
The End
*Cynthia Reeg is the author of Gifts from God and Kitty Kerplunking, both by Guardian Angel Publishing.
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By: Mayra Calvani,
on 3/1/2008
Blog: Mayra's Secret Bookcase (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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By: Mayra Calvani,
on 2/8/2008
Blog: Mayra's Secret Bookcase (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: cynthia reeg, gifts from god, christian books, children's books, picture books, christian books, cynthia reeg, gifts from god, Add a tag
By: Mayra Calvani,
on 1/23/2008
Blog: Mayra's Secret Bookcase (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: cynthia reeg, gifts from god, christian books, kitty kerplunking: preposition, picture books, guardian angel publishing, christian books, kitty kerplunking: preposition, cynthia reeg, gifts from god, guardian angel publishing, Add a tag
Did you always want to be a writer?
Yes. Nearly as quickly as I learned to read and write, I began creating. I wrote stories and poems in elementary school. A few won local prizes or were published in local newspapers. I enjoyed the acclaim, but mostly I wrote because I enjoyed writing so much--taking a blank page and making it come to life with words. In high school, college, and beyond, I continued taking classes to improve my writing skills. After years working as a librarian, I decided I wanted to write full time.
Tell us about your children's books.
Currently, I have two children's picture books available through Guardian Angel Publishing: GIFTS FROM GOD and KITTY KERPLUNKING: PREPOSITION FUN.
GIFTS FROM GOD is a celebration of 12 simple but profound heavenly gifts. The book combines beginning reader sentences and Bible verses with breathtaking photo art. GIFTS FROM GOD is an inspiring read for young and old.
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By: Mayra Calvani,
on 3/1/2008
Blog: Mayra's Secret Bookcase (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: cynthia reeg, Bellydancing Your Way to a Newbery, the writing life, cynthia reeg, Bellydancing Your Way to a Newbery, Add a tag
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By: Mayra Calvani,
on 2/8/2008
Blog: Mayra's Secret Bookcase (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: cynthia reeg, gifts from god, christian books, children's books, picture books, christian books, cynthia reeg, gifts from god, Add a tag
Beautiful and spiritually inspiring, Gifts from God is a tribute to God and all the things that are pure in our lives--the innocence and laughter of our children, the tenderness of a newborn, the magnificence of a sunset, the 'laughter' of a waterfall. With a few simple lines, some taken from the Bible, some from her imagination, author Cynthia Reeg has created a lovely book for the entire family, one to be read not only at bedtime, but at any hour of the day. The photographs and imagery are, in one word, captivating. This is a must children's book for your Christian fiction bookshelf.
Gifts from God
By Cynthia Reeg
Illustrations by Mary Sue Roberts
eBook ISBN 13: 978-1-933090-34-4
Print ISBN: 978-1-933090-33-7
Copyright 2007
Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/
Gifts from God
By Cynthia Reeg
Illustrations by Mary Sue Roberts
eBook ISBN 13: 978-1-933090-34-4
Print ISBN: 978-1-933090-33-7
Copyright 2007
Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/
In Kitty Kerplunking: Preposition Fun, Reeg teaches children, in a light and fun way, the uses of prepositions. How does she do this? With the help of one very cute Kitty and his antics about the house.
Each page features an engaging, colorful illustration and a sentence showing a preposition.
For instance...
"Preppy the kitty … pitter-pattered ON the piano keys."
Each time the preposition in the sentence is capitalized. At the end of the book there's a useful study guide as well as six pages of activities, including a criss-cross puzzle, word search, seek & find, and fill-in-the-blanks. This is the perfect book to introduce young children to prepositions.
Kitty Kerplunking:
Preposition Fun
by Cynthia Reeg
Illustrations by Marina Movshina
ISBN: 1-933090-27-8
978-1-933090-27-6
January 2006
Guardian Angel Publishing
You may also want to visit this author's website at: http://www.cynthiareeg.com/
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By: Mayra Calvani,
on 1/23/2008
Blog: Mayra's Secret Bookcase (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: cynthia reeg, gifts from god, christian books, kitty kerplunking: preposition, picture books, guardian angel publishing, christian books, kitty kerplunking: preposition, cynthia reeg, gifts from god, guardian angel publishing, Add a tag
Did you always want to be a writer?Yes. Nearly as quickly as I learned to read and write, I began creating. I wrote stories and poems in elementary school. A few won local prizes or were published in local newspapers. I enjoyed the acclaim, but mostly I wrote because I enjoyed writing so much--taking a blank page and making it come to life with words. In high school, college, and beyond, I continued taking classes to improve my writing skills. After years working as a librarian, I decided I wanted to write full time.
Tell us about your children's books.
Currently, I have two children's picture books available through Guardian Angel Publishing: GIFTS FROM GOD and KITTY KERPLUNKING: PREPOSITION FUN.
GIFTS FROM GOD is a celebration of 12 simple but profound heavenly gifts. The book combines beginning reader sentences and Bible verses with breathtaking photo art. GIFTS FROM GOD is an inspiring read for young and old.
In KITTY KERPLUNKING, prepositions kerplunk all around Preppy the kitty in this beautifully illustrated picture book. Preppy's amusing antics provide young readers a fun introduction to prepositions. A study guide and six activity pages are also included.
Describe your working environment.
I am very fortunate to have a lovely wood-paneled office with bookshelves overflowing with books and mementoes to work in. I have a big desk which is usually rather cluttered looking, but when I do tidy it up, I often can't find where I've put things. :-) I know a librarian should be a better organizer.
But I do have many alphabetized drawers of files with clippings, and information, and all my writings. In fact, my files are also overflowing. I guess I am an information junky. But I recently received a new computer for my birthday, so at least I have tons of space on it to fill up. I have a nice view ofthe world through my office window--trees and grass and flowers (from spring through fall) and a busy street with vehicles zooming by to remind me that life goes fast so my fingers should be flying on the keyboard, completing another new story.
I also have my office crew--my two cats, Herman and Henry; and my dog, Holly. They usually assist me throughout the day. The cats nap on top of my printer or almost on top of my laptop as I type. And Holly meditates on my lap or closeby. They always enjoy hearing first readings of works in progress and offer no end of revision suggestions. And they encourage me to expand my workspace environment to help keep my ideas fresh--which means we often work on the sunny, comfy loveseat in my bedroom where they all can nap (I mean work)in even greater ease.
Are you a disciplined writer?
Yes. This is my job now, so I to to work everyday. I try to have at least 3 days of the week in which I work a "regular" work day--9 to 5 from my home office. Then my other two weekdays, I work at volunteer and other projects related to my writing--tutoring, Bible study, school visits. And often I do some work on weekends as well. I'm always reading--which is part of my work.
What is your working style?
I like to take care of emails and other must do commitments first thing in the morning. I don't enjoy the business work of writing--researching the market, creating cover & query letters, mailing lists and promotional business stuff. So often I'll set aside a day just to do that boring work. Then on my other days, I can devote my brain cells strictly to my writing. My creative right brain doesn't like to be tied down on those business-oriented left brain days. :-)
Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your works?
Yes and Yes! I have a fun and informitive website--so I've been told--for kids, parents and teachers, and writers, too. I'm always updating it with new activities, book lists, writing information and more. It's at http://cynthiareeg.com/. Under the WHAT'S NEW section, you'll find my blog--which currently has a "Where in the World Am I" picture and clue puzzle going on to see if my readers can figure out where I've been on my last holiday.
What are you working on now?
Right now, I'm revising a realistic contemporary novel titled, PROMISES KEPT. In this story Berty and her father, Curtis, an auto mechanic, live in a rural community about an hour west of St. Louis. Her mom, May, moved to St. Louis less than a year ago after the divorce to pursue her fashion design dreams. Berty remains torn between her commitment to stay with her father and her guilt for her lonely mom, whose interests she doesn’t share.
Berty’s best friend is her neighbor, Randall, an African-American boy abandoned by his teen mother. He lives with his stoic grandmother, Gran Millcee. When Randall, the Trash King, an avid collector of odd items, begrudgingly gives Berty one of his finds, she promises to discover its origin as a means of paying Randall back. When their new widowed teacher, Mrs. Evans, leads their fifth grade class on a study of Missouri’s own famous son, George Washington Carver, Berty soon learns of his ties to Randall’s family.
In this story where many promises are made, it’s Berty’s dad who reminds her that, “Promises are easy to make, Berty. It’s the keeping them that’s hard." As Berty learns about her dad’s hidden addiction, her mom’s driving passion for design, Gran Millcee’s deteriorating health, Randall’s run-away mom, and her new teacher’s sad past, Berty unravels the mystery of Randall's trashed treasure and comes to understand the importance of promises--even though they can’t always be kept.
Plus, I've just finished the final editing of my short story, "The Emily Explosion," which is soon to be published in the anthology, THE GIRLS, from Blooming Tree Press.
And another short story of mine, "BF's and Butterflies," will be in the April 2008 edition of STORIES FOR CHILDREN online magazine. It's always exciting to finally see the stories in print and receive such wonderful reactions from the readers. :-)
What is the best advice on writing you've ever received?
From Larry Brossler, the Editorial Director at Boyds Mills Press, at a writing conference when he said, "Believe!" Believe in your writing and make it happen--no matter the difficulties you face along the way. That's my motto and I'm sticking to it
I am very fortunate to have a lovely wood-paneled office with bookshelves overflowing with books and mementoes to work in. I have a big desk which is usually rather cluttered looking, but when I do tidy it up, I often can't find where I've put things. :-) I know a librarian should be a better organizer.
But I do have many alphabetized drawers of files with clippings, and information, and all my writings. In fact, my files are also overflowing. I guess I am an information junky. But I recently received a new computer for my birthday, so at least I have tons of space on it to fill up. I have a nice view ofthe world through my office window--trees and grass and flowers (from spring through fall) and a busy street with vehicles zooming by to remind me that life goes fast so my fingers should be flying on the keyboard, completing another new story.
I also have my office crew--my two cats, Herman and Henry; and my dog, Holly. They usually assist me throughout the day. The cats nap on top of my printer or almost on top of my laptop as I type. And Holly meditates on my lap or closeby. They always enjoy hearing first readings of works in progress and offer no end of revision suggestions. And they encourage me to expand my workspace environment to help keep my ideas fresh--which means we often work on the sunny, comfy loveseat in my bedroom where they all can nap (I mean work)in even greater ease.
Are you a disciplined writer?
Yes. This is my job now, so I to to work everyday. I try to have at least 3 days of the week in which I work a "regular" work day--9 to 5 from my home office. Then my other two weekdays, I work at volunteer and other projects related to my writing--tutoring, Bible study, school visits. And often I do some work on weekends as well. I'm always reading--which is part of my work.
What is your working style?
I like to take care of emails and other must do commitments first thing in the morning. I don't enjoy the business work of writing--researching the market, creating cover & query letters, mailing lists and promotional business stuff. So often I'll set aside a day just to do that boring work. Then on my other days, I can devote my brain cells strictly to my writing. My creative right brain doesn't like to be tied down on those business-oriented left brain days. :-)
Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your works?
Yes and Yes! I have a fun and informitive website--so I've been told--for kids, parents and teachers, and writers, too. I'm always updating it with new activities, book lists, writing information and more. It's at http://cynthiareeg.com/. Under the WHAT'S NEW section, you'll find my blog--which currently has a "Where in the World Am I" picture and clue puzzle going on to see if my readers can figure out where I've been on my last holiday.
What are you working on now?
Right now, I'm revising a realistic contemporary novel titled, PROMISES KEPT. In this story Berty and her father, Curtis, an auto mechanic, live in a rural community about an hour west of St. Louis. Her mom, May, moved to St. Louis less than a year ago after the divorce to pursue her fashion design dreams. Berty remains torn between her commitment to stay with her father and her guilt for her lonely mom, whose interests she doesn’t share.
Berty’s best friend is her neighbor, Randall, an African-American boy abandoned by his teen mother. He lives with his stoic grandmother, Gran Millcee. When Randall, the Trash King, an avid collector of odd items, begrudgingly gives Berty one of his finds, she promises to discover its origin as a means of paying Randall back. When their new widowed teacher, Mrs. Evans, leads their fifth grade class on a study of Missouri’s own famous son, George Washington Carver, Berty soon learns of his ties to Randall’s family.
In this story where many promises are made, it’s Berty’s dad who reminds her that, “Promises are easy to make, Berty. It’s the keeping them that’s hard." As Berty learns about her dad’s hidden addiction, her mom’s driving passion for design, Gran Millcee’s deteriorating health, Randall’s run-away mom, and her new teacher’s sad past, Berty unravels the mystery of Randall's trashed treasure and comes to understand the importance of promises--even though they can’t always be kept.
Plus, I've just finished the final editing of my short story, "The Emily Explosion," which is soon to be published in the anthology, THE GIRLS, from Blooming Tree Press.
And another short story of mine, "BF's and Butterflies," will be in the April 2008 edition of STORIES FOR CHILDREN online magazine. It's always exciting to finally see the stories in print and receive such wonderful reactions from the readers. :-)
What is the best advice on writing you've ever received?
From Larry Brossler, the Editorial Director at Boyds Mills Press, at a writing conference when he said, "Believe!" Believe in your writing and make it happen--no matter the difficulties you face along the way. That's my motto and I'm sticking to it
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