To A Heart Overflowing

Some of you first met me during Tara Lazar's wonderful PiBoIdMo challenge where we all raced to come up with 30 picture book ideas in 30 days back in November of last year.  I was just returning to my writing after missing it for 20 years, and I really didn't know if I would be able to complete the challenge.  To a heart overflowing with trepidation, I didn't believe in myself nearly as much as the wonderful group of writers with which I surrounded myself did.

I survived the challenge and ended with 45 picture book ideas which amazed me and showed the possibilities which existed to a heart overflowing...

Then along in January of this year came Julie Hedlund's 12 X 12 in 2012 where she challenged us to take those picture book ideas and try to turn 12 of them into more than just a whiff of a story.  To a heart overflowing with possibilities, this gave me a chance to spread my wings of creation and fly as high as my visions would take me.

Finally, Miranda Paul gave writers an avenue to seek out the wisdom and advice of seasoned authors. People who cared enough about this writing community to show their generosity by mentoring to writers who sought out their council.  To a heart overflowing with hope, this was a chance for me to see if I had what it took to be a writer of children's books.  Most of you know I received an excellent rating recently from Rate Your Story on one of my manuscripts...how could you NOT know, when I was shouting my excitement from the rooftops?

And now I am about to complete my first A to Z Challenge where I have shown a little bit more of myself to the world and have been somewhat surprised by the lovely responses I have received from followers old and new.  To a heart overflowing with gratitude, my 100+ new followers to my blog since the beginning of April is a milestone I will never forget!

As I get closer and closer to my dream of being a published author, I will remember these moments best  where the support and friendship of wonderful writers across the globe helped lift a spirit and guide it on the path to publication.  

To a heart overflowing...the sky is the limit!

A to Z: Farruca

I like to dance.  I'm not saying I'm any good at it.  But I love to do it...by myself...in the privacy of my own home...or to the radio in my car...you get the idea.  Another thing I like is the mystique of the gypsy way of life.  When you put the two things together you get a beautiful gypsy dance called the Farruca.  Full of passion, full of power; someone dancing the Farruca would grab the world by the horns and not let go.  That's what I must do with my writing.  Search deep within myself and let my love of writing strut across my paper until my reader is mesmerized by my words and joins me on the dance floor.  Grab your partner and dance!

Fiddle-I-Fee
Written by: Will Hillenbrand
Illustrated by: Will Hillenbrand
ISBN: 01-52019456
Ages: 3-8
Teaser:  Animals appear one by one on the farm, playing musical instruments while Momma does different chores all year long.  But what is that she's knitting?  And what is the cat doing with that fiddle?

A to Z: Babushka

When I was in middle school, my mother would make me wear scarves to school on cold winter days.  I didn't like it because it made me feel old.  When it comes to writing, it shouldn't matter how old you may be...it's how old the "child" is inside you.  Why not be like Maria Leibrock Epsztein?  In 2006, at 92 years young, she decided to finally write a story of her life during the Holocaust.  It was called "Motherhood Behind Barbed Wire" and published by the Polish-Jewish Heritage Foundation of Canada.  Pretty good for a first time author, don't you think?

Begin at the Beginning

Written by: Amy Schwartz

Illustrated by: Amy Schwarts

ISBN: 10-0060001119

Ages: 3-8

Teaser:  When Sara is told to make a painting for a school art show, she decides to paint the best painting ever.  But Sara soon learns that trying to be the biggest isn't always the best way to go.    Will Sara finish her painting in time for the show?

The Long And Winding Road

Yesterday I received the good news I've been waiting almost a year to hear.  My poor broken house was finally getting fixed.  The battle between the insurance company and myself was over.  It had been a long, winding road to a final resolution and the only thing that helped me be successful at this endeavor was never giving up.  I also began to think that maybe this was how I should approach my writing.  

Before I teach a class each night, my students must repeat the tenets of TaeKwonDo which includes the word perseverance.  I tell them that perseverance means to never give up.  No matter how many times life comes along and knocks them down, they need to keep getting back up and keep trying.  It's the same with writing.  I started my new writing career about the same time a tree fell on my house and I had no idea both journeys would be so challenging.

A year later, after many twists and turns, I am much closer to my goal of having my home restored and one step closer to becoming a published author.  It hasn't been easy.  There was much to learn and overcome.  But I kept my eyes on the goal ahead of me.  When I thought I had no more fight within me  I turned to my friends, my family, this wonderful writing community and drew on their strength to keep me going.  I often wonder how I will ever be able to thank them for their solidarity in my time of need?

It's the reason for this blog.  To remind others...and myself...that no one ever said becoming successful at this writing thing would be easy.  The road to publication is long and winding with many stops along the way.  It can get frustrating at times and some writers may start wondering if it's even worth all the time, sweat, and tears they put into it.  I say yes.  I say keep your eyes on the goal before you and never give up.  Perseverance and success are more entwined than you might realize...

Calling All Authors!

Some of you have heard about the Children's Festival of Reading that is coming to my city on Saturday, May 19th.  If you haven't, you can check out the link here http://knoxrooms.sirsi.net/rooms/portal/page/21676_Childrens_Festival_of_Reading.  I have been invited to have a booth where I am going to showcase any of my author friends who want to send me an autographed copy of their books or anything else they want to autograph...i.e. bookmarks, posters, pictures, etc. as giveaways.  This is my way of saying thanks for the friendship and support I have felt since becoming a part of this wonderful writing community.

Authors spend a lot of time networking and thinking of ways to let the world know their stories are out there and waiting to be read.  But authors can't be everywhere at once.  Susanna Leonard Hill had a fabulous idea to send her book, April Fool Phyllis, on a world tour and now Phyllis has become a real globe trotter.  You can read more about Phyllis on Susanna's blog http://www.susannahill.blogspot.com.  I'd like to see other stories come to my fair city and show our children a good time!

If you can't actually be on stage to promote your own books, then why not let someone do it who cares about your stories almost as much as you do?  If there is one thing I have learned about this writing community,  it's that everyone is extremely supportive of each other's efforts.  A great story is still a great story no matter who writes it.

I don't have a book to offer the world...yet...but that doesn't mean I can't promote the written word of other authors.  So here I am saying, "CALLING ALL AUTHORS"!  How about sending your books on a little trip?  The children are waiting to meet you!

What's A Plotter To Do?

There are so many factors to creating a good story for a writer to consider.  Strong characters, showing not telling, and writing for a specific target audience are some of them.  But what about the overall plot?  Can a novice writer focus on the other parts of a great story, only to overlook a key element? When in the  middle of revisions, do you sometimes come across one of these situations?

The Run Around...does your plot seem to go in all different directions or even take you in circles until you are left with a dizzying headache?  Readers need to know there is a beginning, middle, and eventual end to a story.  It's one thing to take them on an adventure and quite another to lead them on a wild goose chase where they get lost along the way.

Playing Dead...is your overall plot so boring and slow that it simply dies somewhere along the way?  Readers need to be fully engaged in a story.  From the first sentence to the last, a writer's challenge is to draw their audience into the story and keep the reader on the edge of their seat while they wonder what will happen next.

A strong plot is just as vital to a story as an engaging main character or active dialogue.  It is the foundation which holds all the pieces together.  Without it, a writer might be able to finish that manuscript but it will never make it past the slush pile.  With it, it's amazing what great feats that story will actually be able to accomplish...

Have Some Alphabet Soup

Who doesn't remember sitting down to a hot bowl of alphabet soup on a cold winter morning as a child?

There is something heart warming about dipping a spoon into all those letters and seeing what words you could create before you ran out of broth.  Well, here is your chance to recreate that moment from childhood again.

During the month of April, bloggers all around the world will be participating in the A to Z challenge.  Writers everywhere will attempt to blog daily for 26 days with a new letter of the alphabet in the spotlight on each day...i.e. day one is A, day two is B, day three is C, etc.  The lovely head chefs for this challenge are busy in the kitchen cooking up tons of fun for April and there is still time to sign up...just go to their blog April A To Z Challenge and help them reach 1000 participants by March 1st!

I post daily on my own blog so THAT part won't be a challenge.  This is, however, my first year participating and I have given myself the added challenge of attempting a "double header" of sorts and if you don't know what I'm talking about, you will just have to come back in April and find out what I mean!  ;-)

I'm busy doing my research now and even called in reinforcements to help me get ready.  I hope I can do this.  Wait, I KNOW I can do this because I feed on all the energy of this lovely writing community I am so happy to be a part of.  So who's with me?  Who will don that chef's hat with me and cook up a pot of comforting blog posts in April?

And if I'm really lucky I will join my friend, Garfield, in dining on the best bowl of alphabet soup yet...