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By: Sherrie Petersen,
on 6/10/2015
Several years ago I attended the SCBWI summer conference and one of the wonderful people I met was Rachel Marks. Super talented as both a writer and an artist, she had an incredible joy for life, due in part to being a cancer survivor. Rachel was rooming with Paige Britt and both of them had […]
By: Sherrie Petersen,
on 6/8/2015
I don’t know if it’s the longer days, or the fact that I’m forever on a school schedule, but I definitely have more energy in the summer. And for me, more energy means more writing, more cooking and baking and more exercise. I’ve never been a fan of the gym, but point me in the […]
By: Molly Blaisdell,
on 4/11/2015
Hi, folks, this month I'm focusing the blog on the writing journey of PLUMB CRAZY. I'm calling this series: PLUMB CRAZY Journey -- The Good, The Bad, The Ugly and The Transcendent. I'm going to dig deep into the generation of my novel and dynamics of that creative journey. Be aware that I write as Cece Barlow for this work. It will be released at the end of this month.
This week I'm focusing on the the bad. That right! THE BAD! Every third person you meet ( not a scientifically proven fact but a personal observation) wants to write a novel. They also want to spend between fifteen minutes to an hour explaining that novel to you at every event you attend. Then they may suggest that you write it for them, for free of course, since you are a writer and basically have nothing to do. Writing a novel comes with the bad bonus that very few people respect your work. Anyone can write a book. If you are a children's writer, you work for peanuts, and that's if your lucky. Don't expect applause.
Writing a novel is no fun. Bad, bad, stuff. You sit in a chair. My sciatica is terrible. You stare at a blank page, then you write entire chapters that are totally worthless. The next day you repeat this experience. For me, I will repeat this experience 5 days a week for at least 8 months to reach Draft Number One! That draft has more holes than pumice. There will be many many drafts. I work hard. I spend months refining my work. Hours at critique group, hours reading support books, hours rewriting scenes and upping the stakes in anyway I can. There is monotony in this work. No one tells you when you are done. No one tells you when you should just drop this novel and work on something else. There is no way to know if anyone will ever read what you writing. And yet you write anyway.
I don't write novels in a vacuum. Novels are written in the real world. It can be very bad. I wish it were all about drinking cups of tea. I wish it were all about sitting in a beautiful spot and considering my imaginary world. It is not about that. It is about writing in a corner of a hospital waiting room. It's in the middle of a day job that is about a mindless as it gets. It's not just exterior stuff that will get you down. It's about writing yourself into a corner that there is no way out of and you have to scrap the whole draft and work on something else. It't about receiving tons of rejections and still pushing forward. It's about hoping against hope. No easy road, folks..
I hope that you are kind to yourself this week. I get it. We all are facing battles. No work comes easy to any of us. We have to pour our our souls sometimes to find our way.
I hope this doodle makes you smile. Yes, good work comes out of a lovely blobby brown mess.
By: Molly Blaisdell,
on 12/20/2014
Hi folks,
I'm continuing my series called Gifts. In the Bible, in the book of Jeremiah, there is a startling prophesy that so resonates with me. A holy people have been sent into exile for seventy years, and they really need to know what is coming to put up with this long exile.
The Lord spoke to his people through Jeremiah. He sent encouragement. I don't know if you have ever read something that you felt was speaking to your situation and your life. I feel that about these words in Jeremiah. This is what I hear.
Your writing life isn't where you want it to be right now, but I am the one who brought you to this place. Don't despair. I want you to keep writing and keep helping other writers. Enjoy any small success that comes your way. And also, the things you learned back you were in the thick of it, I want you to think about those things. Let your creative self prosper and don't complain that you don't have a place to share a voice, that you don't even know how to get there. That's a waste of your time.
By: Sherrie Petersen,
on 9/15/2014
Many years ago I attended a writing conference and one of the authors recommended writing your entire story, then throwing it away and writing it again. The rationale was that writing the first time was to help you get to know the characters. Writing the second time was to finesse it and tease out your […]
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By: Stephanie Theban,
on 9/21/2011
Teachers have to be concerned about whether their students are ready to learn specific concepts. I have found the same thing true with my writing and reading. I recently read Revision and Self-Editing: Techniques for transforming your first draft into a finished novel by James Scott Bell. I got so much out of it! The advice seems clear and meaningful with specific examples. Each chapter ends with writing exercises to help improve your writing craft. The last chapter is a comprehensive revision checklist.
I have read other great books about craft. Is this one better than those? Maybe. But the more likely answer is that I am at a point in my writing journey when I was ready to hear what the book had to offer.
I hope you find the right books and resources when you are ready for what they have to tell you.
I have been fortunate in this life to be blessed with a child that is not mine biological but truly mine in my heart. Jessica is my niece and we have always shared a special bond. I couldn’t be prouder if I was her mom.
On May 23, 2010 0f this year, I got the chance to see her graduate with honors. It’s hard to believe the little girl who swirled gracefully in front of the TV pretending to be Kristi Y. and Michelle Kwan (as we watched ice skating) is now a young woman.
That young woman has been so supportive of my writing career and I hope I make her as proud of me as I am of her. She’s dared me to dream, helped me learn how to live that dream and pushed me to write on.
Congratulations Jessica.
By: Sherrie Petersen,
on 5/24/2010
If you knew how long the road ahead was, would you have ventured on?
My husband had the day off yesterday so we drove up the coast to Pismo Beach for brunch. We walked out on the pier, let the kids play in the sand, then headed home the back way, down Highway 1. As we neared Guadalupe, a road sign caught my attention. It was for Oso Flaco Lake, a place I'd never heard of. We decided to check it out, see what we would find.
The road dead ended in a parking lot. We walked down a gravel path that led to a foot bridge that crossed this 75-acre lake. On the other side of the lake, the boardwalk continued for a mile, over a wetland area into the Oceano Dunes. At the end of the trail, we were staring at the Pacific. The wind was howling in our faces, but staring out at this beautiful, protected expanse of sand and water was totally worth the discomfort.
Emails of good news are always something I look forward to. Yesterday, I got two of them. The Institute of Children’s Literature’s Web Editor Jan Fields has taken two more articles from me for their newsletter. One article will appear in November 2010 and the other will appear in December 2010.
http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com is the link if you would like to click on over and see what the new magazine is all about. It’s new to the scene but is destined for success.
Getting one’s foot in the door with regards to a writing career just might start with building “writing credits” by submitting stories and articles to magazines for publishing consideration. Magazine editors are always looking for top-rate articles and stories.
Wondering what type of articles to send. Well, be sure to check out the individual magazine’s submission guidelines before sending in your submission. Read current and back issues to see the style of stories published in it. The more you know about the magazine you’ve selected, the better chance you have at a possible publication.
My most recent acceptance came from the same editor, Jennifer Reed (former Wee Ones Editor now Editor at Guardian Angel Kids), that gave me my very first acceptance in 2006. Jennifer know her stuff and is a pleasure to work with.
Here is an excerpt of my article from Guardian Angel Kids:
The Ragbrai Race
By Peg Finley 
It’s a warm July day. It’s Ragbrai (pronounced Rag Bray) and means Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Across Iowa. You might ask what is Ragbrai? It is the longest and largest bicycle ride in the state of Iowa with 8500 week-long riders and 1500 daily riders which is when most families participate.
Ragbrai started in 1973 as a challenge issued by Don Kaul, a Washington columnist, to his friend John Karras. John Karras then wrote an article encouraging others to join them. Originally, 300 riders began the ride. At the end, 115 riders completed the tour. The event is an annual ride. Riders come from all over the United States and the world. According to tradition, bicyclers dip their back tires in the Missouri River at the start of the ride and their front tires in the Mississippi River at the ride’s end.
Ragbrai’s average distance is 472 miles. Riders, even kids, bike an average of 68 miles per day. Along the route, eight host communities are picked to be, using one as the starting point and one as the end point. The other six are overnight stopping points.
Bikes of all kinds and bicyclers of all ages, from ten months to 83 years, make the seven day trip with the help of their friends, family and other bicyclers. Tents are pitched and suppers cooked over the grill. Kids sit on the ground listening to music.
Months in advance preparation begin. Local residents offer spots for cyclists to pitch a tent or park their buses. Results from pies baking contest welcome the cyclist. Spaghetti dinners are prepared. Kids’ bike safety courses are offered as well as races are offered.
0 Comments on Ragbrai on Guardian Angel Kids as of 1/1/1900
I love this post. My friend Bonnie is not only smart and helpful, she’s funny,too. She co-host two chats on twitter. She co-host with Greg Pincus for #kidlitchat on Tuesdays and is also the co-host of #kidlitart on Thursdays with Lyon Martin.
Over the River and Through the Woods
By Bonnie Adamson
When Peg asked me to guest blog about the unique perspective of a writer/illustrator, I immediately thought of hats. I often talk about wearing my writer hat or my illustrator hat–or my designer hat, since I spent a huge chunk of my professional career as a graphic designer.
I tried to picture myself in these hats, working on a story I wanted to write and illustrate. Were the hats perched one on top of the other? Which one did I put on first?
I realized I had stumbled upon a truth about how I work: I don’t wear more than one hat at a time. With me, it’s first one, then the other.
At this point, I was going to move on to a dance metaphor, but that implies a creative process that is much too elegant and refined.
The truth is, two (or three) areas of my brain are constantly bickering like whiny kids on a long car trip with no onboard DVD player. Squabbling siblings! At last, an analogy I could get behind.
Most of my story ideas come first in the form of words: titles, phrases, rhymes or alliterations, some sort of word play. I should stop here and clarify, because I’ve been known to say that my story ideas start with a drawing, usually a tiny pencil sketch. What happens is that the word-association falls flat and plays dead if I can’t develop some sort of image from it.
So the initial conversation goes something like this:
Writer-brain: Crocodile’s Song!
Illustrator-brain: Cool! Green, bumpy thing holding a microphone.
Writer-brain [let’s call her Gwendolyn]: The other animals—
Illustrator-brain [she likes to be called Pookie]: Wait—OTHER animals? Hard-to-draw animals, like, um, zebras?
Gwendolyn: Zebras! What fun. Let’s go research African wildlife.
Pookie: Hold on: is this a jungle or American Idol? I thought the crocodile was SINGING–ooh, I know! He’s in a tuxedo on the deck of a ship—
Gwendolyn: Don’t be ridiculous. This is a bedtime story about sleepy animals.
Pookie: Hmmph. Sounds boring. Unless . . . we could put all the animals in polka-dot jammies—
Gwendolyn: That would be highly inaccurate.
Pookie: Says you.
At which point the different areas of my brain begin insulting one another, and I go make myself a cup of tea while I consider a different career.
The above conversation is a fairly accurate account of the internal arguments over one idea (titled, oddly enough, “Crocodile’s Song”), which after ten years (!) is still trailing around after me, generating file-folders full of revisions and refusing to earn its keep. Gwendolyn and Pookie have never been able to agree on images to match the words, or words to match the images—which also explains why there are lots of crocodiles and sleepy jungle animals who live in my portfolio and will never find another home.
Occasionally, an idea comes along that both Gwendolyn and Pookie can get excited about. This doesn’t mean that I will end up submitting text and art as a package, but it does mean that I have workable images in my head that help me structure the story: sometimes the images are stati
They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. I just realized after I posted this that I got the quote wrong. That is how it has been for me, this year at least. It’s fast and furious.
I’m busier than I have ever been before. Of course, most of it is stuff I brought on myself. It’s a fine line balancing a personal life and a writing life and sometimes I have a tendency to want to do both extremely well at the same time.
On the personal front:
Helping to raise kids means dealing with the stuff that comes up in every day situations like getting homework done, or having friends over, or making sure they have clean clothes, etc. It means I have to teach them to pick up after themselves so that they, the two boys, aren’t total slobs. I tell them someday their girlfriends and wives will thank them and me but that doesn’t mean they believe me. They’re only 9 and 11, after all. The good news is they are more helpful than I had thought they would be.
They have challenges that make consistency a must. The older of the two has ADD and the youngest has Aspergers. Helping a sibling with raising his sons is doable but does require patience and lots of planning at times. I’m on a first name basis with most of the teachers, secretaries and other school personnel. I have a huge wall calendar that holds all of the upcoming events. I get emails on a daily basis from the school so that I can track grades, etc. The good news is the boys are doing well.
On the writing front:
Then, there is the uphill struggle to have a writing career. I’m determined to do it but the road has been a long and winding one.
I love writing so that part is the easy part for me. The hard part is chiseling out time for writing. I need time to read, research and write my own stories and books. I need time to find articles, tips, blogsites to recommend and people to interview. The good news is I have never needed a lot of sleep so project are getting done.
All these add their own extra work. For example, once I find people to interview, there’s research on the person, interview questions to write and revise, photos to locate and getting the pull-together interview posted. The good news is that I have several interviews lined up for the next few months.
I’m involved in three critique groups and they take time. I want to give as good as I get if not more. The good news is that I’m the type of person who needs a deadline and there are plenty of those in these groups. The other good news that I’m encouraged to submit my work and am getting it accepted.
Me at Work
My guest interview today is with the delightful Rebecca Janni and we’ll be talking about her new picture book, Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse.
Peg: Welcome Becky. It’s so nice to talk with you again. Thanks for taking time away from your busy schedule to chat with my readers.
Becky: Hi Peg. Thank you for the privilege of this interview — and for always encouraging writers to “write on!”
Peg: Did you always know that you wanted to write? I read something about you as a young girl and a novel about a pigtailed girl and her horse. Was she an older version of Nellie Sue the main character in your picture book Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse?
Becky: Yes — always! When I was seven years-old, I set out to write a novel about a girl and her horse — but she was no relation to Nellie Sue and the manuscript is long gone.
Peg: You and I share a passion for writing picture books. But you also write other genres.
Becky: Short stories, poetry, grocery lists. I dabbled in journalism for a little while, and I’ve had some fun freelance gigs. I would still love to write a novel someday . . .
Peg: There will be time for that.
Peg: Every writer’s journey is different. What led you to your writing journey? Were your parents and family supportive of your earlier writings? Was there a teacher somewhere along the time that cheered you on?
Becky: I have amazing parents, and they supported just about anything I wanted to try — except, my dad did tell me that pursuing my fortune in an Alaskan fishery was a bad idea.
Peg: I think I’d probably have to agree with him on that one. Lol.
Becky: They applauded everything I wrote, though my mother is a meticulous proofreader. She’s still catching the typos on my website! She’s a huge help. My teachers were more balanced, giving encouraging but honest feedback on writing projects. They kept me going and growing. In recent years, I’ve discovered the limitless support of local writing groups and SCBWI. And my husband — he’s a gem. He always told me I would be published someday, but I thought he was just teasing me about the production our Christmas letters have become.
Peg: I think it might be a safe thing to say that many authors were first readers. As a child or young adult did you have a favorite author or two?
Becky: Or ten? I loved Laura Ingalls Wilder and Beverly Cleary.
4 Comments on Rebecca Janni’s Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse., last added: 3/1/2010
I’m being interviewed about my writing journey on http://claudsy.wordpress.com on Wednesday, January 27, 2009.
Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.
Albert Einstein
This so applies to writing. I am amazed at the multitude of new things I learn each day.
Today while doing some research on hippos, I discovered that they actually can stay underwater for six minutes and often walk along the river’s bottom. They can run eight miles an hour underwater as well.
May the learning never stop.
| From: | |
| Sent: | Sat 1/23/10 10:00 PM |
| To: | [email protected] |
This sounds like a great idea. My concern will be how do I schedule in the things that happen with my two nephews and their special needs. Still, I’m making the committment to try my very best to complete this challenge.
6. Letters with overcomplicated directions for replying: “I’m going to Tortola for the next three weeks. If you need to reach me, please call my cell number. Don’t leave a message at my home number because I won’t get it until I return.” A simple street or e-mail address will do.
2. Letters that say, “I’ve worked very hard on this novel.” Does that fact alone make it a good novel?
I just got an email telling me my latest story is going to appear in the May 2011 issue of a children’s magazine. Yippeee!
Now some people might think, “What is she getting all excited about?”
Well, let me tell you why I’m all excited. Earlier today, I got a rejection on a book proposal. I did the market research and it was a great fit but the industry is not that open now in some ways. Some picture book authors, even some really well-known ones, have gotten rejected several times before they got their first contract. Guess I’ll have to send it to a new publisher tomorrow as I got a nice comment on it.
So while I would have loved to have got a picture book contract, I’m delighted to be accepted in a children’s magazine. It is my fourth story. (Three fictions and one nonfiction.)
In my search for things to add to my blog, I’ve read the writings of many different writers. I’m amazed at what different styles different writers have, even within the same genre. It is that diversity of styles that gives every reader something to read that strikes their fancy.
For instance with my three critique groups, there are as many different styles as there are people in the group. The one male member writes funny and unique stories unlike anything anyone else submits. He provides the group with a “male” point of view and give us stories that thrill the male readers we might have in the future.
Another member in that group is a former teacher who tells us about aliens in the new year in a gentle way that makes us cheer the mc in her work on. The last member gives us great details that invite us into her fairy’s world.
In my second critique group, one talented writer gives us a princess who turn into trees in her greed while another tells us about an unruly princess and her favorite pet. The third writer in the group voices the wants and needs of the very young child in a sweet and charming way.
The writers in my third critique group do nonfiction and midgrade works. They give me an entirely different type of material to critique that stimulate me to experiment with my style of writing.
For me, if I had to say something about what I write, I’d have to say my characters overcome difficult challenges or not so difficult challenge to win their hearts desires. My stories show my eternal optimism. I like the element of hope in my stories. I like the rooting for the underdog. I always have.
I think these styles that are indicative of the range of our readers preferences. One reader might like sci-fi while another might prefer reading rhyme. One readers might want to connect with a mc emotionally while another might want to laugh until they had to hold their sides.
Luckily for the readers, there are writers out there for every one of those preferences.
I recently did an interview with Nina Johnson that got me to thinking about how writers/illustrators treat other writers and illustrators.
When I met Nina Johnson, there was an instant feeling of belonging. You know what I mean. There are people who come into our lives who we know from the moment that we meet them they will soon be a friend. I felt like I had known her for a long time, after just talking a few minutes.
I think it was her optimism. She is someone who sees the potential good in people but not just people, but in each situation. I admired her openness. She shared her love of writing with a twinkle in her eye and I got caught up in her joy about her writing. It a great experience to watch a writer who love what she did.
Throughout her interview, I sensed that trait even more. I loved the advice she gave at the end of her time with us as she told my readers ”I would like to encourage anyone thinking of writing to start. Start big, start small, start hidden, start not so hidden but just start!” I second that. Dare to dream! Live the dream! Writer write on!
It is characteristic that I’ve experienced in the writing /illustrating community. They are a giving, caring group of people who have gone out of their way to support and urge me on. From the writer/illustrator that talked me through tech problems to the social media expert who said “Yes, You are on the right track.”, my growth as a writer is a direct result of the friendships I have developed with my writer and illustrator friends.
So I say, thanks to all who have inspired or mentored a fellow writer or illustrator as they make their way through their journey. You rock!
These are some of Nina's reasons for writing for children. She's a devoted wife, mother and grandmother.
This is the Part Two of the Nina Johnson interview. Part Three is appearing tomorrow.
Peg: I’ll bet there are lots of women who would like a husband as supportive of them as yours is of you.
Nina: My husband said to me one day, “ Nina, you have spent these last years helping me get my company on it’s feet, now I want you to do what you have always wanted to do.” I asked him what that might be since I had no idea what I always wanted to do. He said, “You want to write children’s books!”
I was completely surprised and said, “I do? How do you know that, since I don’t even know what I want to do?”
He told me that it was obvious to him since I had spent so much time making stories out of our everyday experiences and that I had told so many to our grandchildren.
Even though I had not thought of it that way, I could see that he had a point. When he allowed me to turn over my job at the company to an employee, I suddenly felt free to write. I spent hours putting the stories that had always been in my head down on paper. I was overflowing with stories of all kinds. It was like the damn had broken and I was pouring out my heart and soul. I woke up at night to write. I stopped in the middle of making dinner to write. I even got a recorder so I could get my story ideas down as I was driving.
Peg: Those are great tips for beginning writers.
Nina: I emptied the back half of my walk in closet and made a writing space for me! My husband assembled a desk in there and added electricity and an Internet connection. I asked him not to add a phone line so as no to interfere with my writing.
I will always be grateful to my wonderful, thoughtful and observant husband for helping me to find my way to what I truly needed to do.
Peg: We share a love of picture book writing but have you done books in other genres?
Nina: I am writing a middle grade sci-fi right now. It is very different than picture books in that you have the luxury of writing more words to get the story across. However, it is more complicated as well.
I’m just learning about writing and all that goes into it so it will be very interesting as time goes by how this experience will ultimately compare to writing picture books.
Peg: You told me that you are a story teller, but what type, genre, was your first written piece?
Nina: The stories that really made my husband realize my desire was the Grandfather Clock stories that I tell my grandchildren. They are interactive stories in that my grandchildren often contribute to and change the path of the story as we go along.
I guess the first story that I wrote was Marshall Muskrat about the muskrat in our pond on our property. The most wonderful experience of my life was reading “Marshall Muskrat’s Easter Surprise” to my gr
This is the first installment in a 3 part interview with fellow author Nina Johnson. The second part of the interview appears on 01/14/10, and third part is scheduled for 01/15/10.
Nina and Peg Networking
I have always wanted to promote fellow writers in their quests for success in their careers. Recently, I’ve talked to several writers who have chosen to start a writing career at a later time in their lives. Many have raised their children, had a full career and are finally embarking on a journey to their dream. They inspire me to dare to dream.
One of those inspirations is Nina Johnson and I’ve invited her to join me on my blog.
Peg: Welcome Nina. It’s so nice to talk with you again. Thanks for taking time away from your busy schedule of the holidays and house hunting to share your journey with my readers.
Nina: Peg, thanks so much for having me. I’m honored that you would find my story interesting. Thanks for the invitation. As you know I’m travelling in the south as we get together for this interview. It is fun to take time out to touch base with writer friends.
Peg: Did you always know that you wanted to write?
Nina: No. As a matter of fact, I didn’t realize that I had any inclination in that direction. I did write a lot but never thought of it that way. I mean I did not write stories but travel logs and letters to friends and relatives kept me busy.
Peg: You and I share a passion for writing picture books. But you also write
Nina: I write as I just said letters to friends and family about travel and whatever comes to mind. I always have. Also I write a journal. I don’t always keep up with it as I should but it really helps me to keep ideas flowing.
Peg: What lead you to your writing journey? Were your parents and teachers support of your writing?
Nina: I always got good grades in school and loved writing reports and doing homework. I loved the feel of the pencil or pen in my hand. I did not equate it to writing, just doing my assignments. My parents were proud of my grades but I don’t think they ever realized that I wanted to write. How could they? I never knew myself.
Peg: As a child or young adult did you have a favorite author or two?
Nina: No, not really. I did not read much as far as books go. I was an active tomboy and since I was the oldest of six girls, I spent a lot of time with my dad working on cars and doing whatever I felt a son would do. After all, my father had no sons and 6 daughters. I thought he needed someone on his side.
Peg: I know what you mean. I was kind-of a tomboy at one time.
Nina: I did read a lot though. I read cereal boxes at the kitchen table, instructions for everything and never gave that a thought. Never thought that I was reading because they were not books.
Peg: I was the same way.
Peg: Ho
Apparently, I am on the right track with my social networking process. This article by Harold Underdown cites Charlesbridge’s Donna Spurlock on social media networking potential. Be sure to check out the site and read the rest of this informative look at social media and how a writer can use it to promote their books.
http://www.underdown.org/social-networking.htm 
While preparing for the SCBWI professional retreat, “Thriving in a Changing Industry: Cyber-Promotion Tools for Authors and Illustrators,” I emailed my friend Donna Spurlock, who works in the marketing department at Charlesbridge. I wanted to confirm my general sense that although things have changed from the days when authors and illustrators were just expected to do school visits and answer letters, publishers don’t want people to spend all their time marketing. Here’s what she said, which is so interesting I am quoting it in full:
“You are right, expectations are a bit higher for authors to get out and about and do something themselves. Obviously, we (CB specifically, but publishers in general) are active in social networking as much as possible, promoting the company and each season of books and getting into as much nitty-gritty about specific books and personalities as we can, but the authors and illustrators really need to take the ball and run.
Over the holidays, I made a committment to dedicate myself to concentrating of my writing career by making sure that I write on a daily basis and even more important to submit on a regular basis. The writing daily part isn’t hard for me but I’m a real chicken when it comes to physically sending out the packets.
My body feels the effect. I get physically ill for a while before I send something out. Why I feel ill is a mystery to me? However, it is getting better as I mature as a writer. 
With that in mind, I made myself prepare 8 packets for publishers over the holidays. Today I sent them out. I am proud of myself for stepping up to the challenge.
Dy
Such a great point, Stephanie. I also find that if I return to a craft book on writing, I get something different from it the second time. I guess that must be because that's what I'm ready to learn about at that moment!