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While standing at the local superstore watching my children choose their colorful binders and pencils for the upcoming school year, I saw another family at the end of the aisle. Their two sons had great difficulty accessing the space because of the crowd and they were clearly over-stimulated by the sights and sounds of this tax-free weekend shopping day. One boy began crying and the other soon curled into a ball next to the packets of college-lined paper. My daughter, empathic to a fault, leaned down and offered her Blues Clues notebook in an effort to make the boy happier. When we finally walked away, I saw the same pain and embarrassment in the eyes of the parents that I have often seen at parent-teacher conferences and IEP meetings.
For many families, the start of a new school year is exciting and refreshing. The opportunity to see old friends, meet new ones, and the ease of settling into a fall routine can be comforting. For families of students with special needs, however, the start of a school year can be anxious, frustrating, and filled with reminders of the deficits (social and academic) of their children. This dichotomy is clear and present as some children bound off the school bus with their shiny new backpacks hanging from their shoulders, while others are assisted off different buses as their eyes and bodies prepare for what sometimes feels like an assault on their very personhood.
These differences are apparent to parents as well as teachers and administrators at schools. Professionals often ask: “What can we do to be the best teachers for these students?”
Consider what school can mean for students who are different and how to create ways to welcome everyone, according to their needs. Before the school year begins, these longstanding suggestions still resonate as best practices for parents and students:
(1) Contact the student before the school year begins to be sure the student and family are aware that you are genuinely looking forward to working with them and have exciting plans for the school year! Everyone learns differently and wants to be honored for their ability to contribute. In the Eye Illusion not everyone is able to see the changes in the dots as they move around the circle. What you see isn’t better or worse — just different. When we think of students and children in the same way, by removing the stigma of labels and considering the needs of all, we become more of a community and less of a hierarchy.
(2) Be aware of all students in the classes you teach. Know their areas of strength and challenge, and be prepared to adapt teaching strategies to include them. We cannot expect students and children all to be the same. Use a fable to illustrate that everyone has strengths and can become an integral part of the learning experience.
(3) Review teaching practices: modalities, colors, sizes, and pacing. All students enjoy learning through various modalities (visual, aural, kinesthetic), love colors in their classroom, appreciate sizing differences to assist with visual concepts, and can benefit from pacing that is more applicable to them. Find ways to include these practices in an overall approach. Universal design (applied to the classroom) means that all students receive adaptations to enhance their learning experience, and no one is singled out as being different because of the adaptations applied.
(4) Create partnerships with all professionals who work with special needs students. A team approach is a powerful way to include everyone effectively. When we work as a team, everyone benefits and the workload is shared by all. This community of professionals creates a culture of shared responsibility and joy.
(5) Provide a clear line of communication with parents of students with disabilities. Often children cannot come home and tell their parents about events, assignments, announcements, and other important parts of their school day. Parents may not be able to gauge whether their child had a good day or if there are concerns. A journal between teacher and parent(s) can be a comforting and useful tool. This communication may also be done electronically through a secure Google or Yahoo group. Reading Rockets provides other useful tips in this area.
(6) Leave labels out of the conversation when communicating with parents. Parents can be sensitive to their child being known only by their diagnosis. In addition, some parents may be still processing the life change that comes with raising a child with special needs. When entering into a conversation with a parent, focus on your classroom and the needs of the student. If there is a concern, try to put the concern in the most positive light as possible. The Parent-Provider network at Purdue University offers some great tips as well for communicating with parents.
(7) Let parents know of student accomplishments even if they are small. Students with special needs often encounter failure. Parents attend countless meetings that remind them of all the challenges their children face. A note home when something goes well can make all the difference.
(8) Allow the parent and the child to visit prior to the start of school if the child is new. Students who are enrolling in a new program or a new school may have difficulty with this transition. Often this transition can cause anxiety that will hinder a child from seeing school as a comfortable, safe place. Walk them through the routines: where they sit, where materials are, etc. Social stories (short stories written in third person to illustrate an everyday situation) can also be useful in this circumstance. When read prior to beginning school, these stories help them move through their transition.
A culture of acceptance and compassion must permeate our educational institutions. By categorizing, labeling, and noting differences, we are often putting children in boxes that can then, unfortunately, define them for the rest of their lives. Every child wants to be part of the school experience and seeks to participate to the best of his ability. When the class and school culture are created to honor the personhood of every child, and each child is considered valuable to the success of every school experience, all children begin to enjoy the same childhood experiences.
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I can't believe how busy things have been, but I've been making incredible progress on my MG and PB. I love finding ways to dig deeper into my manuscripts, and I also love the extra push that challenges give me.
I've been a member of From The Mixed-Up Files...of Middle-Grade Authors since our group started, and am thrilled with the impact our blog has had. It's wonderful helping to introduce new and beloved older novels to middle-grade lovers. My must-read stack is always overflowing with incredible books! If you write MG and love middle-grade books as much as I do, I hope you'll apply for one of the available spots. Here's the link. Hurry, because the deadline is tomorrow!
I'm thrilled that the 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge has inspired me to try to write one new manuscript a month in 2012. For the past several years, I've always participated in Paula Yoo's NaPiBoWriWee (National Picture Book Writing Week) which inspires participants to write 7 new picture book drafts in 7 days, from May 1st - 7th. I love that challenge, and am going to do my best to tackle that along with the 12 x 12...while revising a middle grade novel. Not easy...but definitely worth the extra effort. I love having brand new manuscripts to mold into shape. So...who is going to take the NaPiBoWriWee challenge with me? There's a wonderful and supportive Facebook group for it. Let me know if you want me to add you, and we'll cheer each other on.
I've had less writing time than usual though, because we recently adopted a puppy. Ruby is a beagle and pointer mix who was one of over 100 dogs rescued from the Everglades. We weren't looking for another dog, but couldn't resist this adorable face! I'll fill you in on how we ended up finding her another time. I need to finish up more of my MG revision and get ready for NaPiBoWriWee!
Here's a photo of Ruby (who was 11 pounds when we adopted her) and our 2 1/2 year old, 90 pound Bullmassador, Lolly. It's amazing how much these two love each other already. We're so glad they both found their way into our family and hearts.
I know, I know -- writing an entire story every day sounds crazy. But according to the rules of the challenge, it doesn't have to be a super-long story. I'm going to use this challenge as motivation to come up with SOME story plot every day: each with a beginning, middle and end. Some of these might be turned into picture books, middle grade novels or YA novels.
May is the first month in a while where I won't be doing any traveling, so I actually have a chance of completing this challenge. You can do the challenge on your own, of course, but there's also the opportunity of commiserating with others via the StoryADay.org online community. I've joined the Kid Lit group, for example.
Story A Day is the brainchild of freelance writer Julie Duffy. "Sick of starting and never finishing writing projects, in April 2010 I announced that I was challenging myself to write a story a day in May." She opened the challenge to others and was surprised at the response. "The enthusiasm for the project amazed me. It spoke of a hunger to write, no, a hunger for permission to write that I never dreamed was so widespread."
After May, I'll take the best plots and put them in my Rainy Day Story Folder to inspire me when I'm looking for new book ideas.
For more info about the challenge, visit StoryADay.organd follow the #storyaday hashtag on Twitter.
So who's with me?
0 Comments on Just signed up for the Story A Day May Challenge! as of 1/1/1900
November was an incredibly productive month for me. I revised a middle grade novel--now it's fully polished and ready to go. Yay! I also revised more than eleven picture book manuscripts. Six are fully polished and ready to go. Double yay! Plus, I have three that should be ready to sub fairly soon and a few others that are in pretty good shape--the rest are in various stages of revision. On top of all that, I won the PiBoIdMo challenge (Picture Book Idea Month) and came up with 87 ideas. Wow--I still can't believe that number! I honestly didn't think I'd get more than thirty or forty at the beginning of the month. It's amazing how many ideas you notice once you get used to looking for them!
I absolutely LOVE writing challenges. It's amazing to see how much I really can do when I keep a goal in mind. Plus, it's fun to work toward a goal with writing friends. That's why I was thrilled when Tara Lazar had asked me to write the kick off post for the event, and I can't wait to see how many gems will come out of these ideas! Thanks for the inspiration Tara, guest bloggers, and participants--I'm grateful for everything you've done to make PiBoIdMo such an incredible, fun, and productive event. You all rock!
Here are a few tricks that helped me come up with so many ideas: * I looked for inspiration online, like Jean Reidy suggested. * When the ideas seemed to slow down a bit, I created characters I'd love to write about, which sparked several of my story ideas. * I used Tammi Sauer's suggestion to come up with settings and brainstormed what could go wrong in each one. * I also used the suggestion from Aaron Zenz to come up with story ideas after looking at pictures drawn by kids. * I wrote down all the possibilities that hit me. But I didn't want to have those tiny nuggets sprinkled around my more fleshed out ideas, so I created a section at the bottom of my file for random thoughts. Some of them are just titles, a funny phrase...anything I think I might be able to use in a future manuscript. The amazing thing is that I fleshed out many of my random thoughts throughout the month and had to move them into my main file. I happy danced every time that happened. The ideas started off so small, I probably would've forgotten about them if I hadn't jotted them down. For all I know, some of them could end up in bookstores in the next few years!
Here's the breakdown of my ideas: 41 fleshed out ideas (two of them already have series possibilities jotted down) 44 random thoughts Two nuggets that could end up in a future picture book or middle grade novel
What will I do with all these ideas? I'm going to flesh them out more this month, do some character sketches and interviews, and see which ones scream for my attention the loudest. Then, I'll be ready to tackle two upcoming writing challenges. In January, the Add a Comment
Suzanne Del Rizzo just brought to my attention that SCBWI has another challenge coming up...an illustration depicting the text below is due December 15 by email. For more information, check out the guidelines.
So they went along and went along until they met Turkey Lurkey “Good morning, Goosey Loosey, Ducky Daddles, Cocky Locky, Henny Penny, and Chicken Licken,” said Turkey Lurkey, “where are you going?” “Oh, Turkey Lurkey, the sky is falling and we are going to tell the King!” “How do you know the sky is falling?” asked Turkey Lurkey. “Ducky Daddles told me,” said Goosey Loosey. “Cocky Locky told me,” said Ducky Daddles. “Henny Penny told me,” said Cocky Locky. “Chicken Licken told me,” said Henny Penny “I saw it with my own eyes, I heard it with my own ears, and a piece of it fell on my tail!” said Chicken Licken. “Then I will go with you,” said Turkey Lurkey, “and we will tell the King!” ~ P.C. Asbjörnsen
4 Comments on 2012 Tomie dePaola Award Challenge, last added: 10/27/2011
Thanks Stacia for posting this. I thought it might be fun for us all to submit illustrations for this award then we could post our submissions on the blog to see each unique take on the same passage. Not sure if anybody is free to commit to it, but I think it would be fun even if only a handful take part. The winner, chosen by Tomie, will win an all expense paid trip to the SCBWI NY winter conference where they'll be presented with the award by Tomie himself! How totally amazing would that be?!
Hi Kim, There is also a notice on the SCBWI website( I don't have the link but will pop over there and find it and let you know) for SCBWI members to submit B&W spot art for a chance to be put in their bulletin.
ok the page is only accessable once you are logged in, so you need to sign in on the member login page first then click on "resourse list" then "SCBWI Bulletin" then "Submission Guidelines".
Augh, I admit I've been lax on my daily wordcount goals because of more pressing deadlines.
BUT NO MORE! I've been thinking about signing up for NaNoWriMo but I think I need to be more realistic in my writing goals, especially since I'm away for part of next month (NaNoWriMo month).
SO....I'm going to start up the Daily Words challenge again. For those of you who aren't familiar with this challenge, please read these guidelines. It's a challenge for those who may sometimes have to put their writing on hold when life gets in the way, and who tend to get discouraged during NaNoWriMo month when they start falling behind. It's also a challenge for those who tend to write more slowly.
If you already pump out thousands of words on a regular basis with no problem, then you don't need this challenge. :-)
Feel free to adjust the wordcount challenge to fit your own output level: 50 words a day? 2000 words a day?
So...who's with me? Or if you've been taking the challenge all along and have been successful, do you have any tips to share?
Don't forget, today is the last day to complete any of the Blogoversary Challenges for extra points at registration! The roundup post has links to all the challenges you can still complete.
0 Comments on Challenge Deadline Reminder! as of 10/3/2011 3:18:00 PM
So I figured we'd make this a round dozen of challenges. Once again, this will be another great way to rack up points to earn prizes.
October 1st is a very important day in the kid lit blogosphere. It marks the opening of the Cybils (Children's and Young Adult Literary Awards) nominations. I've been participating in the Cybils for 5 years now, so they are near and dear to my heart. But the awards wouldn't be possible without nominations, which brings me to this challenge.
Challenge Details: Points: +1 for every nomination you submit. There are 10 categories, and you can nominate up to 1 book per category, for a possible point total of 10 points. Deadline: Nominations are open until Oct 15, but if you want points for this, you must submit your nominations by midnight on October 3rd How To Enter: Head over to the Cybils page to enter your nominations. Once you're done, come back here and leave a comment on this post with the titles of the books you nominated.
2 Comments on Blogoversary Challenge #12, last added: 10/2/2011
I nominated Dark Souls by Paula Morris for Teen Fantasy, Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan for YA Fiction and The Margrave by Catherine Fisher for Middle grade fantasy. :)
Well, we're getting down to the wire here. Registration for the Giveaway Extrvaganza starts tomorrow, so I figured I'd better get up these last two challenges before then. Both of these are pretty easy, so this is a great way to rack up points right before the end here.
As some of you may know, and some of you may not, I'm hosting my first reading challenge this fall: the Tamora Pierce reading challenge. The idea is to celebrate the upcoming relase of Pierce's new book in October. All you have to do for this challenge is sign up to participate, or spread the word about the challenge.
Challenge Details: Points: +5 for signing up for the challenge, +1 for grabbing the button, +1 for linking to the challenge page Deadline: Midnight on October 3rd How To Enter: Sign up on the challenge page. If you have grabbed the button for your blog/website or linked to the challenge page, leave me a comment on this post with the link to enter.
0 Comments on Blogoversary Challenge #11 as of 1/1/1900
Woohoo! We made it up to 10 challenges! Now, the deadline to complete these is fast approaching, as most of them have deadlines of October 2nd. If you missed any, don't forget to check the roundup page which has all of the currently active challenges listed. And if you're curious about the prizes you will be winning with the points you earn, the first prize preview was posted yesterday.
Today's challenge comes from blog reader M. A. D. (Mary). In honor of poetry Friday, your challenge today is to compose a haiku poem about the best book you've read (so far) in 2011. You can complete up to three poems, at three points each. And there will be bonus points if your poem is shared at the end of the blogoversary challenges.
And if you don't know what a haiku poem is, you can check out this Wikipedia article to get you started. Basically, it's a 3 line poem: first line made of 5 syllables, second line with 7 syllables, and last line with 5 syllables.
A few examples taken from this site to get you started. These are mostly classics, but you should use a book you've read this year:
"The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe Black shiny feathers Quoth the raven nevermore That bird won't shut up
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis As young Edmund learns, You should never take sweets from Strange women in white.
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Crescent moon shining? No, it's the smile of a cat strange place, wonderland.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams Earth, mostly harmless Blown for Hyper-space bypass Book says, Don't Panic!
Anyway, you get the idea. As always, you can look these up online, so PLEASE come up with your own and DON'T CHEAT!
Challenge Details: Points: +3 for each poem, up to 3 submissions, bonus +5 if one (or more) of your entries is shared at the end of the celebration Deadline: Midnight on October 3rd (since it is so late in the month) How To Enter: Fill out the Google form below to enter. If you have problems with the form, you can also email me your entries at shadygladeATmailDOTcom.
1 Comments on Blogoversary Challenge #10, last added: 9/30/2011
As promised, here is the second blogoversary challenge of the day. Have you been keeping up? There's only a few more days to complete them...
Today's challenge partly comes from an idea submitted by Lieder Madchen, and partly from something I saw in a forum a few weeks ago. I call it Titles in Other Words. The idea is to create a new title for a book using alternate language. Here's two great examples I found on this Scholastic blog. Can you guess what books they are? 1. The Starving Contests 2. Harold Planter and the Two Quarters Hemoglobin Royalty
Did you get them? How about these from another site: 3. Exaggerated self-esteem and bigotry 4. Derivative of Adelaide's encountering of danger within imaginary land replete with marvels
Give up? The answers are The Hunger Games, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Pride and Prejudice, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
You get the idea. So get creative and recreate those book titles! You can submit up to 5. If I get enough responses, I'll have a little quiz at the end of the blogoversary and you can guess the best ones for even more bonus points.
There are only two rules: 1. They must be book titles and 2. I know you can Google these, so PLEASE come up with your own. No cheating! (Young adult books or classics are preferred, but that isn't a requirement)
Challenge Details: Points: +2 for each title, up to 10 points. Bonus +3 if one (or more) of your titles is chosen to share for the quiz Deadline: Midnight on October 2nd How To Enter: Fill out the Google form below to enter. You can submit up to 5 entires, and make sure you include what the answer is. If you have problems with the form, you can also email me your entries at shadygladeATmailDOTcom.
1 Comments on Blogoversary Challenge #8, last added: 9/27/2011
Oops! I meant to post this challenge and completely forgot apparently. So you'll get 2 challenges today, one now and one later on!
There was a great response to Eleni's guest post on how reading has changed her life. This has caused my own reflections over the past few days, and inspired the idea for this challenge. So here's what you need to do.
I want you to share a favorite reading memory. Maybe you remember the first time you discovered you enjoyed reading. Maybe it's about a book that particularly excited or touched you. Maybe you remember going to the library for preschool storytime or a family member reading to you as a child.
To jump start your ideas, here's one of my fond reading memories:
I don't really remember when I decided I loved reading. But I can remember when my reading habits took off. You remember those Scholastic book orders you used to get in school? Some of them had subscription-type clubs on the back page, where you could sign up to have a book(s) with some sort of theme sent to you every month. When I was in 2nd grade, my mom signed me up for the Boxcar Children club. I'd get 3 books a month, along with a newsletter of related acitivities like how to make your own peanut butter, etc. And I never touched them. So by the 5th month, she cancelled the subscription, saying she was sick of paying for books I never read. So all 15 books just stayed on my shelf, sitting there unread.
About a year later, one night I decided to pick up the first book on a whim. It took me 5 months to get through the first 3 books in the series, but I was determined to finish them. By the time I started the 4th book, I was starting to really get into these books. By the time I was reading the 7th one, I would start the book when I went to bed, and stay up late into the night (without my parents knowing) so I could finish the book and solve the mystery. It was wonderful, and I've considered myself a bookworm ever since.
So what's your favorite reading memory? I'll post some of your memories later on in the blogoversary, so we can all share and celebrate our love for reading and books. :) Challenge Details: Points: +5 for sharing your memory with us Deadline: Midnight on October 2nd How To Enter: Fill out the Google form below to enter. If you have problems with the form, you can also email me your entries at shadygladeATmailDOTcom.
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1 Comments on Blogoversary Challenge #7, last added: 9/27/2011
Both of my cats are from our local shelter. Now I can give back!
I got an email from Brian this morning informing me about about the ASPCA's 100k Challenge. I would like to share what it says and then ask you to give back simply by clicking your mouse (no pun intended).
Giving Pets a New Leash on Life!
The Animal Rescue League of Iowa Could Win $100,000 But Need Your Help TODAY!
....and each day through April 15
Over the past few weeks, the Animal Rescue League of Iowa has been participating in a series of qualifiers to be eligible to compete for the ASPCA's (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) $100,00 shelter challenge.
We've made it to the qualifying heat.
Now, we need your help!
There are 95 shelters across the country in the running and the top 50 shelters to receive the most votes by April 15 will move on the full competition.
In celebration of the New York Public Library’s centennial festival weekend, game designer Jane McGonigal has crafted the “Find the Future” scavenger hunt.
500 players will join the “Write All Night” event on May 20th. Inside the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, they will use laptops and smartphones to find 100 objects from the library’s collection of treasures and perform a related-writing challenge.
The video embedded above features a promo clip for the event; it seems to mimic The Da Vinci Code‘s film trailer. If you want to participate, just answer this question: “In the year 2021, I will become the first person to __________.” Submit your answer before 11:59 PM Pacific Time on April 21st.
I think I just signed up for the 48 Hour Book Challenge over at Mother Reader! Can I do it? The 48 hour challenge starts June 3 and ends June 5. I am to record every minute I spend reading- my goal? I am going for 12 hours. If I didn't have 2 kids, I could do 24 hours easy! Do you want to join too? Head on over and read all about it!
Hmmm. I'm going to be traveling and moving right then, but there's always time for reading and blogging, right? Thanks for telling me; I'd never heard of it!
I just posted my favorite illustrator this week, Sergio Ruzzier, who was also my inspiration for this week's character challenge: "Closetfound." I wanted to mimic Ruzzier's doodling style so I just let me pencil do the walking without too much worry of proper and perfect getting in the way.
This is Tayisha's closet monster...he's patiently waiting for her to return from her bug catching expedition.
It felt good to let me pencil tell the story...I just stepped back. A good exercise for me as I always want a polished piece to show.
3 Comments on What's in Your Closet?, last added: 6/24/2011
I'm taking part in the platform building campaign, and today Rachael Harrie posted her first challenge at her blog, Rach Writes: Write a flash fiction, 200 words or less, that opens with "The door swung open." If possible, close with "The door swung closed." My sample is below.
BUT FIRST: Don't forget the contest to win a free copy of my book, The Fourth Wish, in either paperback or Kindle format (winner's choice). The contest ends this Friday, September 9th. To follow the rules for getting points, please go here, and any comments you have regarding the contest, please leave at the same site (here), so that I can keep your points straight.
Here's my flash fiction -- 200 words exactly (not counting the title).
Dare You
The door swung open. Darkness lay beyond. A slivered moon and powdery stars shimmered above. Trees along the street were ghostly shapes.
Cassie bit her lip. The deal was that she had to come alone. At midnight. Justin would be watching from someplace nearby to make sure.
Why did she take his dares? Wading up the Truckee River after school. Cutting classes to hang out in Idlewild Park. (That one got her sent to the principal's office.) But, Justin was cool. And when Cassie went along with each new challenge, he made her feel she was cool, too. It was worth getting into trouble just to see the envious stares from other girls as he walked her down the hall between classes
42 Comments on The Campaigner Challenge # 1, last added: 9/9/2011
This was really interesting, it's intriguing that Cassie wants Justin's approval and attention so much that she's willing to do all these things for me, makes me wonder what it is about him that's so appealing!
You have me instantly hooked and hoping this 200-word challenge will develop into a book, Mitty. No red pens needed here, as your characters and tension-filled plot rock.
Intense! Scary! I just want to scream at Cassie to stop and to get rid of that guy! I HAVE to know what happens! You did such a great job of creating the character of Cassie.
You're so awesome for doing this challenge. I'm a fellow campaigner in the Fantasy category. I'm not in your group, but I'm so happy to meet you and I really wanted to join your blog!
Oh-ho-ho, I like this one! My sister and I had a few adventures of the bold sort when we were young, and Cassie reminds me of long ago days...Ha! A little dumb, yes, but she's going to have great stories to tell later...lol. 'Remember that time we....' ~ Nadja
I didn't do this challenge. But wish I had. I love your writing. I felt the tension. And the ending was awesome. It definitely left me wanting more. :-)
Michelle - I'm gad this hooked you. Thanks. I don't know if there is a novel possibility here. I'm in the middle of another WIP and another new story I've started, but now you have me thinking . . .
Alleged - Yeah, I felt that way too: Noooo, don't do it!
Theresa - I'm glad you found it suspensful. It was a great exercise. I think that word limit forces one to make every word count.
Nadja - I sure hope Cassie remembers this adventure as fondly as you remember yours! :-)
Kimberly - Now you have me thinking I should pursue this some more.
Robyn and 1000th.monkey - Thank you for your kind comments about my writing.
Joanna - I'm so pleased you think it's a good YA voice. I haven't tried YA; mostly MG.
J. A. - Yeah, I sometimes worry about the risks young girls take these days. A fine line between being trustful and being gullible and desperate. Sooo much trouble they can get into for such poor reasons.
I know so many people who would love to go back and relive this period of their lives, but I wouldn't. The intense need for acceptance! Ugh! You capture it very well. Poor, sweet Cassie. Maybe she'll move on before Justin does and realize he's just not worth it! ;)
I hope you're all ready to get your creative juices flowing, since this challenge requires a thinking cap!
I'm a bit of a cover art junkie. I'm one of those people who considers repurchasing a book when it's released with new cover art just to have the pretty new cover (its one of the reasons why I have multiple copies of Pride and Prejudice).
So in being a cover art enthusiast, I really notice when a cover doesn't hit the spot. Take this one for example. It's nice, and this is one of my favorite series so I like it for that reason. But there's just something off about it. It's just not as great as the old covers for this series (which is unusual for me, because I tend to like updated covers much better than the old ones).
So I decided to do my own version a little over a year ago:
Volia!
Your challenge for today, should you choose to accept it, is to redesign a cover that you think could have been done better. It has to be a book that is already out and available (no pre-release titles), but other than that, it can be any book. Since this challenge requires more time and effort, you will get a lot more points for completing it. I'll be selecting a few of the entries to share at the end of the month, and you will get bonus points if your cover is one of the ones selected.
Challenge Details: Points:+15 points for submitting a cover (that's a lot of points up for grabs). If your cover is chosen to highlight at the end of the month, then you will also get +5 for being selected. Deadline: Covers must be submitted by October 1st at midnight Pacific Time. How To Enter: Email your entries to shadygladeATmailDOTcom with the subject line "Cover Contest". You can either email the picture as an attachment, or post the cover on your blog, photobucket, flickr, etc. and send me a link. Whatever works for you.
Questions? As always feel free to ask!
0 Comments on Blogoversary Challenge #3 as of 1/1/1900
In honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, we're having a pirate challenge! In the vein of today's post, tell me about your favorite pirate books. They can be about pirates, involve pirate characters, etc.
Submit as many ideas as you want. Share your "pirate name" with us to earn a bonus point. Make something up and be creative. :) Some of these will be added to the list that went up later today to share with other pirate-enthusiast readers.
Challenge Details: Points: +3 for submitting at least one idea, +2 for sharing your pirate name Deadline: Submit ideas before midnight on September 22nd How To Enter: Submit your ideas using the Google form below, or email to me at shadygladeATmailDOTcom
1 Comments on Blogoversary Challenge #4, last added: 9/19/2011
Today's blogoversary challenge is a great way to earn some extra points by doing something that's really easy. When I asked Ashley if she had any suggestions for a challenge to go with her guest post, she had told me she was always surprised by the amount of book bloggers who don't use the library.
I agree that libraries can be great tools (for bloggers or any reader) so your challenge today is to use your local library! Sign up for a library card if you don't have one, and if you do, go down to your library and find something you haven't read before (try something new!).
Challenge Details: Points: +3 for completing this challenge Deadline: You have one week to complete this challenge. Visit your library before Sep 27 How To Enter: This one is on your honor. If you'd like, feel free to share your library finds in the comments below.
1 Comments on Blogoversary Challenge #5, last added: 9/20/2011
I thought I would share some of my library finds from the past week since this challenge was my idea and all. ;)
One great thing about the library is that libraries are getting into audiobooks and ebooks that you can download online for free just by using your library card. In the past week I've gotten 'Monsters of Men' by Patrick Ness, 'As I Wake' by Elizabeth Scott, and 'Bloodlines' by Richelle Mead -- all downloaded directly to my computer and available to read on my Kobo. So awesome and so easy! You don't even have to leave the house to check out or return your books.
Going along with today's post about the book trading website Paperbackswap.com (PBS), I'm hosting a new blogoversary challenge for those who want to sign up. The main reason for this is that one of the prizes I am giving away at the end of the celebration will be specific to people who have signed up for Paperbackswap, and I'm trying to guage how wide my audience is. So I get a better idea of numbers, you get extra points, it's a win-win situation. And the site is a great way to share books you're done reading with people who'd like the chance to read them, and get new books yourself.
This challenge is open to both new and old members of Paperbackswap.com
Challenge Details: Points: +3 for completing this challenge Deadline: Midnight on October 3rd How To Enter: If you are new to PBS - Sign up to create your account, and use my username Greycat133 as your referral when you sign up. This means your name will show up in my account and record that you completed this challenge.
If you are already a PBS member - You can also earn points for this challenge if you have a PBS profile. Send me an email at shadygladeATmailDOTcom and send me a link to your profile. If you don't have a PBS profile, then you can also sign up for one.
If you have any questions, or any trouble, feel free to email or comment. Good luck!
0 Comments on Blogoversary Challenge #6 as of 1/1/1900
So here goes for the 2nd Campaign Challenge Rachael Harrie gave us at Rach Writes. The challenge was to write a blog post in 200 words or less, excluding the title, that includes the word "imago" in the title and in the body of the post includes the following 4 random words: "miasma," "lacuna," "oscitate," "synchronicity". For an added challenge make reference to a mirror in the post. For an even greater challenge, make the post 200 words exactly. All criteria are met (after much gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair.)
The Imago
Arms folded, Nyla stares through the beveled glass door into the galería. Somehow, the glass is both mirror and window. Superimposed on the polished floors of the sunlit galeria beyond, her reflection stares back, as if bemused.
When Nyla was younger, in the miasma of grief that pervaded her home, she sometimes caught mental glimpses of who she might become away from her family’s confused dynamics. These glimpses led her on, in hopes of escaping the pain that oscitated inside her, as one family member after another went down dubious roads to disaster. Now, through some synchronicity, her decision to teach English in Spain has allowed her to catch up the person she hoped to be.
23 Comments on Campaign Challenge #2 -- The Imago, last added: 9/30/2011
Loved the way you introduced your character and ended it with an unexpectedly chilling conclusion. Not an easy feat. And those words! You used them expertly.
Wonderful piece of writing. I loved how you used some of the words, especially "the pain that oscitated inside her". Very good. Such difficult words, sigh. (I am #133)
Thanks everyone. While we are in Spain, we don't get to the wifi cafes as often as we'd like, so I'm not able to respond so often. But I certainly appreciate your nice comments, and I'm reading as many of the stories as possible. It's just amazing (and fun) to see how different all the stories are!
I was impressed by the theme of your story and the way you compressed it into 200 words. Surely worth working up into something longer, to develop the creepiness and the tension? And with the Imago Challenge behind you, you can forget about those arcane 'challenge' words. Does anyone ever use them in their fiction/poetry/general conversation?
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Volia!
So beautiful. Great colors and movement! Thanks so much for stopping by to visit me.