On my last post I mentioned that I had read Harold Underdown's Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books. I actually read this last fall and starting thinking about his ideas and trying a few suggestions. I am in the submission process for a number of manuscripts, and not really getting any results. I think the first bit of encouragement I've had in a long time was at the WPA-SCBWI Conference last fall, and it got me thinking again about what I had read in Harold's book. Conferences are the place to meet editors.
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Do you make writing resolutions for the New Year?
As a Children's Librarian, I would review what I had accomplished each year and make a list of goals for the the next year. I worked on strategic plans for the upcoming five years. Should I do the same thing as a writer? When I retired from my library job in August, I immediately set up a few goals for myself. I knew that I needed to be more involved with other writers to push me into completing projects. I registered for a Fall SCBWI conference and a writer's workshop where I received feedback on two particular projects. I also read the 2014 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market. From that I learned that I needed to create a writer's blog, so late last year I started working on a personal webpage. I also went through the listings of all the publishers and noted the ones that would accept submissions for my various projects. And I started submitting. I also joined an online critique group for nature and science writers. But what am I forgetting to do? I started to make a list of the things I am currently doing: 1. Revising a YA Historical Fiction book 2. Revising at least 3 picture books 3. Revising a non-fiction book 4. Submitting 1 picture book 5. Writing a non-fiction proposal 6. Meeting online with a science/nature critique group 7. Creating a writer's blog 8. Reading the works of other writers, both for pleasure and research 9. Reading professional articles and blogs What do I still need to do? What are my goals for the New Year? So far my list looks like this: 1. Join SCBWI and attend local meetings 2. Join a local picture book critique group 3. Join a local YA critique group 4. Continue to create my writer's blog 5. Attend the Hamline Alumni Weekend summer session 6. Complete edits on the YA novel and send out queries I will most likely also attend another SCBWI conference and another writing workshop or two. What about you? Have you made any New Year's Resolutions for your writing life? I would love to hear them. |
I remember the excitement of visiting the public library as a child. The magic and suspense of reading favorites like The Velvet Room and The Secret Garden tugged at my imagination. Biographies of George Washington Carver and Betsy Ross allowed me to see the lives of those who came before me and to appreciate their accomplishments. Poetry collections like my favorite The Tall Book of Poems, which I took with me on sleepovers, introduced me to a range of poetry where I could consider how the placement and rhythm of words affected your mood – sometimes bouncy, other times melancholy. Plus, I really loved the way that book felt in my small hands. My goal in writing children’s books, I think, is an attempt to recreate those feelings, those early years of reading books where everything seemed possible.
I received an M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University and won the Karen and Philip Cushman Late Bloomer Award from SCBWI. I worked as a Children's Librarian for 20 years and still prefer to read books written for young people. I have two Cavapoo dogs named Prince Albert and Daisy Wu, and a black kitten named Mortimer. I am married and split time between homes with my husband Rod in Dayton, OH and in Cadiz, KY where we enjoy our pontoon boat on Lake Barkley.
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