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Happy Labor Day! I’ve no special post of my own but I know someone who has created the ultimate list of Labor Songs. That would be Professor Phil Nel and at this point I’ve only seen the first of three posts but it is truly fantastic. For one thing, he includes Moxy Früvous on his round-up, and they were a band I adored back in the days of my youth. I’d forgotten all about “I Love My Boss” until now. Go! Look! It’s worth your time.
Now I’ve been amiss in not mentioning the speaking engagement I have at the upcoming Kidlitosphere Conference. I won’t be there in person, but through the magic of technology I’ll be Skyping alongside the hugely talented Mary Ann Scheuer of Great Kid Books and the simply marvelous Paula Wiley of Pink Me. Our topic? Mary Ann came up with the notion of covering book app features. What we like, what we don’t, what to look for, etc. And if you cannot attend, we may be able to put something on our blogs afterwards. Stay tuned or read more about the talk here.
New Blog Alert: Speaking of apps, ever wonder why there isn’t a children’s literature blog dedicated to the digital realm? Turns out, there is and it’s called dot.Momming. Children’s author and founder of the Hyde Park/South Side Network for SCBWI-Illinois, Kate Hannigan, provides reviews as well as multiple interviews with folks working in the field. I’m a fan, and not least because an app I helped advise (Hildegard Sings) shows up as number one on her Top Picture Book Apps list.
I like to see good work rewarded. And Kate Messner’s efforts to bring attention to the libraries devastated after Hurricane Irene certainly qualifies as more than simply “good”. The fact that School Library Journal highlighted her work in the piece Author Kate Messner Helps to Rebuild Local NY Library Devastated By Hurricane Irene is just icing on the cake. And much to my astonishment it include a photograph of a Paddington book that I apparently read as a child but had entirely forgotten about until I saw it in the article. Wow! It’s been a long time since that happened.
Need a good website for writing exercises? Have you seen the delightful They Fight Crime? Try it. Then try again and again. My current favorite is, “He’s a globe-trotting drug-addicted hairdresser on the edge. She’s a tortured belly-dancing vampire operating on the wrong side of the law. They fight crime!” Hours of time wasting fun to be had there.
Every other day an adult author gets it into their head that writing for children is a snap (sometimes with horrific results). Children’s authors rarely go the other way around. Now Eoin Colfer has decided to change all that. A comedic crime thriller called Plugged is
5 Comments on Fusenews: Haggis and Hash Browns, last added: 9/5/2011
He’s a sword-wielding Republican dwarf with a secret. She’s an artistic goth opera singer with the power to see death. They fight crime!
vs.
He’s a world-famous white trash astronaut on a search for his missing sister. She’s a mistrustful Bolivian fairy princess from a different time and place. They fight crime!
If only the TV producers would visit this site. Thanks, Betsy!
Elizabeth Bird said, on 9/5/2011 7:06:00 AM
I vote for the latter. It’s the “mistrustful” that does it for me.
Shannon Ozirny said, on 9/5/2011 10:19:00 AM
Thanks, Betsy, for mentioning the Rainbow Fairies post. I have had several kids come in to ask for that dang Kate the Wedding Fairy book. The British Rainbow Magic site desperately needs a North American section as there are many “gems” on there that kids come in begging for, but just ain’t available over here. You think I would have an in with Ms. Meadows as I am a Canadian – and therefore a loyal subject – but no.
Jonathan Auxier said, on 9/5/2011 1:44:00 PM
I have serious adolescent love for Moxie Fruvous. (Also, go Canada!) In fact, my friends declared “Video Bargainville” to be the official Jonathan Auxier theme song … probably because I was impossible to pick a rental with …
Leila said, on 9/5/2011 4:34:00 PM
Ha. We must be sharing brainwaves again. I just sent ‘I Love My Boss’ to a co-worker (via Spotify) on Friday.
Who can participate?
Anyone who wants to help a book get noticed by readers. We are focusing on helping a Friend’s book get noticed, but you can also choose to help your favorite book get noticed.
What do I do?
BLLuRT or Post. Or both.
BLLuRT (http://bit.ly/RAoP2011). The basic tasks for book marketing online remain the same, BLLuRT! Do one of these each day for your Friend’s book or for your favorite book.
B is for Blog. Blog about a book, the author or anything related.
L is for Link. (http://bit.ly/RAP-Link) Link to something about the book, the author’s page, the book selling page, anything.
L is for LIKE. (http://bit.ly/RAP-Like ) LIKE the book’s Facebook page, the author’s page. Or Add them to your Google+.
R is for Review. (http://bit.ly/RAP-R ) Review a book. Some experts suggest that books tend to break out when they get over 25 reviews on Amazon, GoodReads or other booksites.
T is for Tell or Talk. (http://bit.ly/RAP-T )Tell someone about a book. Your friend, a teacher, a librarian, anyone. Talk about the book—why did you like it? What excited you about this book? Why should I read it?
POST. It’s also a great week to post something about book marketing, perhaps a personal experience, a tutorial, a tips sheet or a case study of book marketing. Put the URL of your post in the Random Acts of Publicity Facebook page for others to read
What books should I talk about this week?
Your Friend’s book or your favorite book. We are focusing especially on new books or less well-known books. Focus on a great book that not many readers know about.
Can Publishers participate?
Yes, you can BLLuRT about books, too. We ask that you focus on mid-list or new authors, those who could benefit from a boost during Random Acts of Publicity week. We know it’s your job to BLLuRT about the front-list, that and much more; as an individual working in book publishing, though, we are asking that you champion a dark horse during Random Acts of Publicity Week.
Random Acts of Publicity Week was created by Darcy Pattison (www.darcypattison.com), writing teacher and author of Prairie Storms (www.facebook.com/PrairieStorms) , as a way to help create an atmosphere of fun and collaboration in marketing books. It occurs each September, the four days following Labor Day.
September 6-9, 2011 Facebook Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=247495138609650
It’s all about your Friend’s book.
The 3rd Annual Random Acts of Publicity, September 6-8, 2011 is a week to celebrate your Friend’s book, or your favorite book, by doing a Random Act of Publicity: Blog, link, Like, review, or talk about the book . (BLLuRT it Out!)
Daily posts here on Fiction Notes (www.darcypattison.com) will offer tips, wisdom and Prizes for your Friend!
Twitter: Use #RAP2011
September 6: Guest Susan Raab
“Brand Building Square One” by Susan Raab, President of Raab Associates, www.raabassociates.com.
One-day chance for you to enter your Friend to win one of 15 FREE Giveaways of a 15-minute book marketing consultation provided by Raab Associates.
September 7: Guests Barbara Fisch and Sarah Shealy
Many Hands Make Light Work – or How Two Heads are Better than One by Barbara Fisch and Sarah Shealy, Blue Slip Media, www.blueslipmedia.com
One-day chance for you to enter your Friend to win a 15-minute book marketing consultation provided by Blue Slip Media.
September 8: Guest Deborah Sloan
Create Buzz by Connecting with Readers by Deborah Sloan of Deborah Sloan & Company. www.deborahsloanandcompany.com
One-day chance for you to enter your Friend to win a one-hour book marketing consultation provided by Deborah Sloan & Company.
September 9: Guest Dana Lynn Smith
How to Get Your Book Reviewed by Dana Lynn Smith of The Savvy Book Marketer. www.thesavvybookmarketer.com
One-day chance for you to enter your Friend to win a FREE copy of How to Get Your Book Reviewed by Dana Lynn Smith
Post your Friend’s name/book title on the Facebook page for Random Acts of Publicity to be entered to win a FREE The Book Trailer Manual by Darcy Pattison. One ebook given away daily; must post Friend’s name that day to be eligible and you can post it each day if you like.
NOTE: You may not enter your own name in any of these prize giveaways. By posting a person’s name you acknowledge that you have asked their permission and the post is with their knowledge. Please note carefully WHERE to comment for each giveaway. They all require you to comment on the POST at Fiction Notes (www.darcypattison.com). The EXCEPTION is the ongoing drawing for The Book Trailer Manual; for this giveaway and this one only, please post on the Random Acts of Publicity Facebook page.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
Who can participate?
Anyone who wants to help a book get noticed by readers. We are focusing on helping a Friend’s book get noticed, but you can also choose to help your favorite book get noticed.
What do I do?
BLLuRT or Post. Or both.
BLLuRT (http://bit.ly/RAoP2011). The basic tasks for book marketing online remain the same, BLLuRT! Do one of these each day for your Friend’s book or for your favorite book.
B is for Blog. Blog about a book, the author or
Add a Comment
Watch this exciting book preview video of my new book, Prairie Storms, written by Darcy Pattison and illustrated by me. The book is just weeks away from its release date. I am so excited. Watch the video HERE! (Thanks to Darcy for putting together this video.)
0 Comments on Video Preview of "Prairie Storms" as of 1/1/1900
Here is a preview illustration from my latest book, Prairie Storms, set for release in just a couple of weeks. The book was written by Darcy Pattison, and published by Sylvan Dell. We have a follow-up book, called Desert Baths, which will be coming in 2012. It has been wonderful working with both Darcy and Sylvan Dell. In this illustration, an earless lizard shimmies to find shelter from a dry, crackling lightning storm in the middle of an August night. You can download a free coloring page version of this illustration here.
6 Comments on Illustration Friday: "Midsummer Night", last added: 6/27/2011
{{{{{KATE}}}}} I know the dedication that goes into your paintings. This is awesome. I know your books will always be on the top of any child's list. Just beautiful!
To help launch the August release of my new picture book "Prairie Storms", written by Darcy Pattison and published by Sylvan Dell Publishing, I will be making available FREE coloring pages drawn by me! Each coloring page features a month with a scene which coordinates with a scene from the book. Just click the image, then either download the coloring page, or drag and drop it to your desk top. Be sure to print the image in a "landscape" format on your printer. The image size is 8.5" X 11". I would love to see your child's finished, colored page when they have finished coloring it.
This week I am featuring the coloring page for the month of February: a prairie dog peeks out of his snow-capped burrow on a foggy morning. Will he see his shadow in the snow?
0 Comments on "Prairie Storms": February coloring page as of 1/1/1900
Podcast: Listen to a Conversation about Novel Revision
I recently had a conversation with Bridgette Mongeon (Bri jeet Mon zho), about the workbook for the retreat, Novel Metamorphosis: Uncommon Ways to Revise, including tips for using it with a group. She taped it as a podcast, which is posted today. Listen to the podcast.
Watch a retreat in progress
This video is from a San Francisco retreat.
Plan a Retreat in Your Area
Novel Revision Retreat in a Book
Interested in hosting a retreat? Email me for details on bringing the Novel Revision Retreat to your area. darcy at darcypattison dot com
NonFiction BookBlast
Sunday, June 26, 2011. 8-10 am.
ALA Conference in NOLA.
To help launch the August release of my new picture book "Prairie Storms", written by Darcy Pattison and published by Sylvan Dell Publishing, I will be making available FREE coloring pages drawn by me! Each coloring page features a month with a scene which coordinates with a scene from the book. Just click the image, then either download the coloring page, or drag and drop it to your desk top. Be sure to print the image in a "landscape" format on your printer. The image size is 8.5" X 11". I would love to see your child's finished, colored page when they have finished coloring it.
0 Comments on "Prairie Storms": New Book Release Coloring Pages! as of 1/1/1900
Life has been full! Here are some pics to prove it!
Arkansas Literary Festival
April 8, Literacy on the Lawn, Governor's Mansion
School Visits: Paris Elementary and Cherry Valley Elementary
Teressa, Cherry Valley Elementary Literacy Coach
Oliver K. Woodman Project by Cherry Valley Elementary Students
Paris Elementary Assembly: Reading The Scary Slopes.
After School Quilts
I wish I could show you the kids who made these quilts (privacy issues!). They had a blast. There were five boys and one girl and everyone had a great time. We talked about the history of quilting and they chose to make Amish quilts; I think they liked the black, as much as anything. We met once a week for about 8 weeks to finish these projects.
Amish Quilts made by 10 year olds.
NonFiction BookBlast
Sunday, June 26, 2011. 8-10 am.
ALA Conference in NOLA.
At the recent conference for the Arkansas Association of Instructional Media, I did a session on book trailers for use in the library. As part of that session, I asked librarians to participate in making a video. Those interested in become a YouTube star answered this simple question:
What do you do when you get lost?
Yes, that’s my giant gob projected on a viewing screen. The picture was taken during a recent Skype visit. Quick, here’s a couple of other shots:
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I’m still in the early stages of figuring out this Skype business. I’m not even sure how I feel about it yet, or whether I can (or should) fit them into my schedule. That said: It is undeniably cool to connect with kids from far-away places, schools I’d never visit if not for this amazing technology. So I’m leaning yes.
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And it is amazing, as tired and cliched as that word sounds. Suddenly we’re looking at each other, waving, laughing, talking, snorting. It’s craziness and I think students really do feel a thrill.
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The photos are from my first-ever Skype visit. Since I didn’t know what I was doing, just fumbling around, I didn’t charge a fee. And I still don’t. Though that might change down the road if I decide to pursue this in any kind of organized fashion. The visit was a result of an enterprising teacher, Tyler Samler, who reached out to me after reading Bystander with his class. We decided on a 20-minute Q and A session. I enjoyed it, despite having to comb my hair. However, I found it difficult to read the audience. In person I’m pretty good at glancing around the room, know when to sit down and when to start flapping my arms, recognizing when I’ve got their full attention or when, perhaps, it’s slipping away. With Skype, I was less certain. Hopefully I’ll get better at that with practice.
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Tyler wrote to me after the session:
The Skype session was awesome! You’ve acquired some life long fans here at Hyde Park Elementary School. After the session we went around and had each student give imput and share their opinions. It was a really good response. They enjoyed your sense of humor and your kindness. I think they were greatly enriched to have this opportunity. You’re a wonderful storyteller!
Sorry it's been a while since I've checked in here. November was a busy month. I signed up for the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and finished the rough draft of a middle grade historical fiction story. So I was quite busy.
I've been asked, "Now what do you do?" Well, a rough draft is just that--rough. It still needs lots of work. I've already started to analyze the plot for weak spots, as well as the characters. Since this is historical fiction, I also need to do much more research to insure the accuracy of the time period.
But the initial readings of the story by some of my writer colleagues has been favorable. In the next few months, I hope to get feedback from a few industry professionals at Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators events I'll be attending.
Darcy Pattison has a great website offering writerly advice. She sent out updates throughout the month of November with plot tips. They were wonderful. You can sign up to receive her weekly updates. Plus, she has a great book on revising a story, Novel Metamorphosis: Uncommon Ways to Revise. I'll be referring to that for help with improving my new story.
Now back to my writing...
0 Comments on National Novel Writing Month as of 1/1/1900
25 writers met at the La Salle Hotel in Bryan, TX for Darcy Pattison's Novel Revision Retreat.
I had a fantastic weekend at Darcy Pattison’s Novel Revision Workshop this weekend. I’d read testimonials and watched videos of writers talking about how great this workshop was, yet I had little idea of what to expect. We had to read three other manuscripts as part of our pre-conference homework, and I knew we would be in groups with the people whose stories we read, so I mainly thought the workshop would be a weekend-long critique group.
Wrong.
Our manuscripts served as a jumping off point for discussion on the many exercises and concepts that Darcy introduced. We worked until we were exhausted, shored up by handfuls of candy that kept miraculously appearing on our tables. I had already worked out a revision plan for my novel (which included adding three new chapters, rearranging some chapters and cutting several pages) before the workshop. After the first evening, I suspected I would have to throw my plan out the window, but by the end of the weekend I still liked my plan, but had included some new scenes, including one which is absolutely vital. Some of the exercises included rewriting scenes I already thought were well written. In every instance, the scene was far better after following Darcy’s suggestions. Now I will scrutinize every chapter, every scene in the story, keeping Darcy’s concepts and techniques in mind.
I’m really excited about my revision for this story. If any of you have been considering revising a novel, I can’t suggest strongly enough that you find out where Darcy Pattison is holding her next Novel Revision Workshop and sign up for it right away. It may save you years of rewriting.
And now for the kidlit events in the Houston area this week. As always, the information for these events is taken from the website of the sponsoring bookstore or organization. As schedules sometimes change, please check these websites for current information.
Join us as we welcome local paper artist Bruce Foster. In his latest pop-up book, Bruce has worked with Harry Potter film concept creator Andrew Williamson to create Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book, a pop-up book that enters the world of the Harry Potter movies. He brings readers inside the Triwizard Tournament, Diagon Alley, and Hogwarts Castle.
Bruce’s pop-up books are amazing and this one is the perfect gift for any Harry Potter fan!
I got an email from a friend, asking me if I might write a post or two about creating verse novels. Though I'm no expert, I jotted down a few things that have worked for me and planned to devote this week to writing stories through poetry.
Then the second thing:
I read Stephanie Hemphill's YOUR OWN, SYLVIA: A VERSE PORTRAIT OF SYLVIA PLATH and promptly felt like a fraud.
Stephanie is a master craftsman, a scholar, a poet, a writer extraordinaire. I had a high school English class knowledge of Sylvia before reading this book and have walked away with a real sense of her style, her drive, and her heartache. For me this book was a combination of THE DIARY OF EMILY DICKINSON, a novel I read in one sitting and wanted desperately to be real, and SAVAGE BEAUTY, the fascinating, bizarre biography of Edna St. Vincent Millay.
I have really had no training in poetry. Outside of my own meager reading for pleasure, I read even less in college (and my degree is in middle school English education). What I'm trying to say is I don't know much at all about this whole poetry business, and reading a book like Stephanie's firmly reminds me of this.
Last fall, when I attended a revision retreat led by Darcy Pattison, we had a brief conversation about our writing. I shared with her I had, up to that point, sold two poems to children's magazines and had a verse novel out with a few agents. "So you're a poet," she said, and I panicked. Because I'm not a well-studied, well-read mind. I'm a person who likes to play with language. I'm a person fortunate enough to have written a novel that clicked with a few people who could make something of it. That's it.
So, if you can keep that in mind, I'd be happy to talk verse novels with all of you this week.
In honor of Darcy Pattison's Random Acts of Publicity Week, I want to share with you LIVVIE OWEN LIVED HERE, a book I discovered last month.
This is Sarah Dooley's debut novel about an autistic girl and her family. The writing is compassionate and spot on -- it's very evident Sarah is a special education teacher who knows children well.
I think I found Sarah by clicking on someone else's followers (like Elana Johnson suggests here). It just so happened to be the day she posted her trailer for LIVVIE.
I ordered a copy immediately.
What book have you recently discovered? Spread the word below!
I like the random acts of publicity idea! And I read through your post about having been blogging for a year. Congrats! A lot has happened! I know you quit your teacher's job to focus on your writing. Sometime you'll have to tell us if it was worth it. So many authors say, "Don't quit your day job." With still months before the release of your book, are you feeling financial pressure to return back to the classroom? It would make for an interesting post to hear your answers!
Thanks for telling about this book. I haven't tried it, but I'd like to.
I recently read a book about an autistic boy...or, it didn't say so maybe he had aspergers syndrome...and I loved it. It's called The Reinvention of Edison Thomas. Give it a try.
I won a copy of Livvie Owens Lived Here last month and read it over a weekend. The trailer has almost a sinister feel to it, which is not what this book is about at all.
I wrote a review for Livvie on Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7742396-livvie-owen-lived-here) that includes the reasons why I thought this was a great book.
My favorite book is Charlotte's Web. I loved it as a third grader, and I love it today. I cannot think of another book that makes laugh, cry and think . . . sometimes in one paragraph. Any book that can do all that for me, over a period of . . . well, a lot of years . . . is my definition of a masterpiece. E.B. White's seamless writing is a delight to read . . . and hard to pull apart for examination. One thing that struck me as a child, was his use of lists as description. He does it in several places, particularly in describing the contents of Wilbur's slops. My favorite "list"is this one, after Charlotte's first web message.
The Zukerman's driveway was full of cars and trucks from morning till night--Fords and Chevvies and Buick roadmasters and GMC pickups and Plymouths and Studebakers and Packards and DeSotos with gyromatic transmissions and Oldsmobiles with rocket engines and Jeep station wagons and Pontiacs. ---pg. 83-84.
White could have ended the sentence at the word "night", and still had a perfectly serviceable sentence. But, no, he wanted to show the reader how many different kinds of people, through their various vehicles, came to see the wonder of the web. I am sure E.B. White never gave a thought as to whether he was writing a "timeless" story to be read sixty years later in a world without Studebakers, Packards and DeSotos. Even reading it for the first time in the early 1960's. those cars were as dead as the dodo for me. That small detail never bothered me. What struck me was White specificity in using those brand names. Without knowing what it was called, I was introduced to the concept of specific writing. While revising, I spend hours and hours picking over my word selection. Rather like Forrest Gump and his box of chocolates, ("you never know what you'll get") I never know how a specific noun, verb, adjective and occasionally, an adverb is going to feel in a sentence. I insert the word, and read the sentence out loud. Often, a word that sounded just fine in my head, tastes like a lemon cream center when spoken. I hate lemon cream chocolates. Unlike, Forrest, who was perfectly content to let life surprise him, I punch holes in my words, looking for the one with the maple fudge center. I love maple fudge chocolates. The perfect word, that specific detail, will melt slowly and sweetly on my tongue, like my favorite candy. Looking for that one word--the one that can describe that moment, that emotion, that person--is the reason I write so slowly. I can select, "chew" and reject words for hours on end. As Mark Twain said "The difference between the right words and the wrong word, is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug." When I have bitten into my nineteenth lemon cream, sometimes I use the listing method, writing down all the possibilities I can think of. Sometimes, I end up using the entire list, as White did. More often, listing frees my mind to produce that one word. For instance, in my picture book, Surprise Soup, I stalled out in the scene in which Kevie actually makes soup. I don't cook. Period. I couldn't list cooking techniques or tools. I could, however, list the sounds of cooking, since that is as close as I get to a kitchen. Listing sounds -- splishety splash, chippety chop, scrubbety scrub-- got me back on track. In writing, finding that maple fudge chocolate is everything.
4 Comments on Writing Is Like a Box of Chocolates, last added: 8/24/2010
MA, Every time I read CHARLOTTE'S WEB, I learn something new about the craft of writing. I guess I'm due to read it again, because when I read the end of your second paragraph: "after Charlotte's first web message," my first thought was, "When did Charlotte use the Internet?" :-)
As I'm revising my latest ms, I've become more aware than ever of how important individual words are in getting the details right. I also make lists of words or descriptions as I revise, it's a great strategy!
I like the list idea. There are several spots in my story where I could incorporate it. But first I'm going to the store because for some reason I'm craving chocolate. There goes my diet. Pam Matar
Stonefly Lodge, Ashton, Idaho on May 1, 2010. Yes! Snow on May Day!
Several participants from the Idaho Novel Revision Retreat have blogged about the weekend. And here are pictures of some of the great writers who were there.
So I am literally currently sitting in the main room at Stonefly Lodge in Ashton, ID. The wall-length and -width windows look directly over the Snake River with a farm on the opposite bank. The drizzly, gray sky mutes the small copses of trees scattered on the land.
And I have yet to step outside.
I am participating in a retreat presented by Darcy Pattison all about . . . More
I rarely post personal things, but good news is made to be shared. This story begins a couple years ago when I was looking at what I was writing and realized I’d like to also write something about nature. I started looking for picture book ideas on nature and looking a possible publishers. I found an innovative company, Sylvan Dell Publishing.
Besides great marketing to the education market, they also market well to trade, especially the gift and specialty bookstores of parks and museums. Last year, I went to Sanibel Island, Florida and the local bookstore there stocked many of their ocean/beach related books. There is a wilderness area on the island to preserve the mangrove islands and various wildlife and the bookstore at the park also carried SD books.
So, I wrote a story for them and the editor, Donna German liked it. Here’s another place they are innovative. Instead of acquiring books throughout the year, they hold manuscripts until near the end of the year. German does regular culling of mss every month or so, but winds up with about 50 manuscripts she likes. Then, the company goes through a rigorous decision process before acquiring the ten manuscripts which will comprise their next list. This process allows them to balance a year’s list in many ways. Realizing that this is a different way of deciding on manuscripts, SD accommodates the author’s needs: if your mss is being held for the annual acquisition meeting, you are still free to submit elsewhere. If you are interested in submitting, you MUST read their guidelines, as they are also unique. Expect a fast reply.
I decided that I liked their innovations in marketing to both education and trade markets, in both English and Spanish, in both hardcover and paperback. I submitted!
New Picture Book: Prairie Storms, August, 2011
My picture book, PRAIRIE STORMS, has been accepted by Sylvan Dell for a August, 2011 release. It is the story of how animals survive a year of storms on the prairie.
The illustrator will be Kathleen Rietz. I LOVE this picture, “Symphony in a Pond,” and can’t wait to see how this talented artist does the various storms and animals in the book.
Picture Book = Adventure
This picture book is already an adventure. My research on the prairies ranged far and wide, and mostly it was about those places in Kansas and farther north. But SD asked for an author’s photo, preferably something related to the topic of the book. That’s easy for someone writing about a dog. But the prairie ecosystem has dwindled so much that authentic prairie is hard to find.
Still, I took a look around and found an option. In Arkansas, the eastern alluv
Her tips are WELL WORTH your time. She is so smart to consider lighting, appearance, props and the setting in general. Especially important... is her tip to LOOK AT THE CAMERA not the computer screen.
These tips are excellent for anyone making use of this technology in any capacity. Go read it now.
1 Comments on Author Visits via Skype, last added: 3/21/2010
MJ Diemsshrank her Precious and says, “Color coding a single spaced 8pt draft by setting and character is hard work, people! All that capping and uncapping. But it means I get to spend quality time with My Precious.”
My novel, The Wayfinder, is now available in two different digital versions. You can still find used copies of the book on Amazon, Abebooks and other online stores. In addition, you can download the novel from Amazon’s Kindle store and from Mobipocket’s Ebook store.
Amazon’s version requires the Kindle, Amazon’s exclusive ebook reader. Mobipocket can be read on almost every ebook reader or on a free desktop reader (a fast download).
I hated it when, about ten years ago, my local library went to the online digital version of the reference book, Books in Print. I tried to look up something about quilts. There were about 5-600 entries beginning with Quilt in the title, and in the paper version, I’d just flip a couple pages and Voila! 2 seconds to find what I needed. In the online version, I had to go through about 30-40 screens before I came to the end of the Quilt titles. Wasted time. Are digital versions or ebooks still a waste of time? Maybe.
Are Ebooks Viable? Yes.
When are ebooks used the most? When traveling.
Friends report that they love to load up several ebooks and keep the weight down in their luggage. Ebooks are used in schools, when textbooks are changed often, as a way to reduce costs to the student. Ebooks are here to stay and will probably co-exist with paper versions for a long time.
We’re going to read ebooks, that battle has been won. The next question is this: are dedicated ebook readers the best option for reading ebooks? Should you buy a Kindle or Sony ebook reader (or some other brand) as a Christmas gift?
Dedicated Readers, iPods and Screens. The biggest problem with reading ebooks has traditionally been the inferior quality of screens and the eye-strain of reading from a screen. In some ways, this is a McGuffin, because, well, we all read online right now, and many of us read many hours a day from a computer screen.
Enter e-ink. It is supposed to be a higher quality, less eye-strain and should be available in color in another year or so. So, let’s agree that the screen-quality problem is about to be solved, or else call it a moot point.
What Happened While You Were So Self-Absorbed. But there’s a complication when deciding on how to read ebooks: technology hasn’t stood still while e-ink has been developing. We now have the iPhone and other smart phones. Here’s where I think the current discussion of ebooks goes wrong. I mean, how many pieces of technology do I want to carry around? The answer for most of us is, not many. Which is why the Apps market for smart phones is so dynamic right now. If I’m carrying around this smart phone, which is always hooked up to the net, then why not do everything on this one piece of equipment.
Optimal Screen Size for Multiple Tasks. Which changes the problem from screen quality to screen size. What is the optimal size screen for multiple tasks? For me, most smart phones fail this test. I want huge, 18″ or bigger, flat-screen, best-quality-I-can-afford monitors. But you can’t carry THAT around with you. And now, we’re down to this question: what size screen is the best compromise for portability, flexibility and easy viewing? What’s the best compromise of features and quality?
Do you see what has changed? My requirements for an ebook reader has been changed by the advent of smart phones. I now want one piece of electronics that has instant, almost-everywhere access to the internet; the screen must be large enough to read comfortably (very important), so I have flexibility in choosing what tasks I’ll do on this device; it wouldn’t hurt either, if it also included a keyboard in a usable size, instead of the teensy-tiny Blackberry and other smart phone keyboards.
Netbooks. For me, the answer is a NetBook.
Can you read ebooks on a netbook? Yes.
Is the netbook dedicated to one and only one task of reading an ebook? No. It’s versatile.
A Celebration of States. Last week, right before Thanksgiving, I visited the El Dorado, AR school for a celebration of the states. The GT classes had been studying the US states: each student made a “suitcase” using a cardboard box the size of a boot box. They painted, collaged, and decorated it with images about and from their assigned state. Inside, they put pictures of famous people, flags, state bird, state flowers, selected items and puppets. In addition, each student had a short oral presentation on their state.
To support their hard work, I was there to talk about The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman, my story about a wooden man who crossed the US to connect a family. It was great fun to talk to these students because they knew the US map so intimately.
Congratulations to all the students who worked so hard on their state boxes!
Darcy Pattison has posted two great pieces about story arc for short picture books, here and here. (Her Fiction Notes blog is one of my writing favorites.)
Happy Labor Day! I’ve no special post of my own but I know someone who has created the ultimate list of Labor Songs. That would be Professor Phil Nel and at this point I’ve only seen the first of three posts but it is truly fantastic. For one thing, he includes Moxy Früvous on his round-up, and they were a band I adored back in the days of my youth. I’d forgotten all about “I Love My Boss” until now. Go! Look! It’s worth your time.
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Now I’m torn:
He’s a sword-wielding Republican dwarf with a secret. She’s an artistic goth opera singer with the power to see death. They fight crime!
vs.
He’s a world-famous white trash astronaut on a search for his missing sister. She’s a mistrustful Bolivian fairy princess from a different time and place. They fight crime!
If only the TV producers would visit this site. Thanks, Betsy!
I vote for the latter. It’s the “mistrustful” that does it for me.
Thanks, Betsy, for mentioning the Rainbow Fairies post. I have had several kids come in to ask for that dang Kate the Wedding Fairy book. The British Rainbow Magic site desperately needs a North American section as there are many “gems” on there that kids come in begging for, but just ain’t available over here. You think I would have an in with Ms. Meadows as I am a Canadian – and therefore a loyal subject – but no.
I have serious adolescent love for Moxie Fruvous. (Also, go Canada!) In fact, my friends declared “Video Bargainville” to be the official Jonathan Auxier theme song … probably because I was impossible to pick a rental with …
Ha. We must be sharing brainwaves again. I just sent ‘I Love My Boss’ to a co-worker (via Spotify) on Friday.