Jennifer Sommer
Contact me
  • "Jen"reflecting
  • Book Reviews
    • Children's Book Reviews >
      • 2015
      • 2014
      • 2013
      • 2012
      • 2011
      • 2010
      • 2009
      • 2008
      • 2007
      • 2006
      • 2005
      • 2004
      • 2003
      • 2002
      • 2001
      • 2000
      • 1999
      • 1998
    • Young Adult Book Reviews >
      • 2014
      • 2013
      • 2012
      • 2011
      • 2010
      • 2009
      • 2008
      • 2007
      • 2006
  • Published Articles
  • Autographs
  • Contact Me

NaNoWriMo - Day 13

11/13/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
I go into the library to write and people ask me, "How's NaNoWriMo going?" or my NaNoWriMo buddy will say, "It looks like you're keeping on track." It's hard to give a simple answer to people who know I am trying to complete a novel or 50,000 words in one month. It's almost the halfway point. How am I doing?

I've thought a lot about this today. My goal has been to find the narrator's voice. I have the story. Once I can find that voice I think it will all fall into place. At least that is how it happens in my head. I originally started with one idea that I thought was going okay. It wasn't a slam dunk, but it was working okay. My narrator was telling the story. The problem, again, was that his personality was not coming through. I was missing his voice.



Read More
0 Comments

NaNoWriMo 2015 - Day 4

11/4/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
It's National Novel Writing Month and I am revising a middle grade fantasy that I wrote during last year's NaNoWriMo about princesses and cats and a changeling. This year I have the advantage of actually knowing what my story is about and having figured out the majority of the details. I completed a pretty good draft last year, and I felt fairly confident about it. Then I attended a Highlights Workshop where it was critiqued and I was able to talk to several people about the problems I still needed to address.

I have to admit, I was paralyzed for the first two days of this challenge. Plus, I wanted to finish up a couple of other projects before I dove into this one again. But I thought about it in my head. Okay, in truth I was trying to remember what this story was even about. 

Read More
0 Comments
    Picture
    I am a writer of Children's and Young Adult books. I received my MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN, and am an active member of SCBWI. I also have my MLS in Library Science with an emphasis on children and happily worked as a Children's Librarian for nearly 20 years. One of my favorite activities was reading books aloud to kids, especially to school-aged kids. Like the kids, I enjoy having stories read to me, so I listen to many of my books on audio and serve on audio judging committees.
    Another favorite activity is creating fun snacks for library programs, friends, and family. I do that a lot and continually search for more ideas.
    I have a very large Russian Blue mix cat named Bosley from the shelter, and a rescue dog named Prince Albert. He's a Cavapoo, which means he's part Cavalier King Charles and part poodle, and adorable. I am married and live in Dayton, Ohio with my husband Rod.
    Picture
    You can find more detailed information about me by clicking the link below:
    View my profile on LinkedIn
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    December 2020
    November 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013

    Categories

    All
    ALA Youth Media Awards
    Alumni Weekend
    American Library Association
    Audie Awards
    Brandon Marie Miller
    Characterization
    Chocolate Bombs
    Christmas Cooking
    Cinquains
    Cookie
    Corona Virus
    Debut Author
    Dia De Los Muertos
    Easter
    Enhancing Books With Activities
    Fantasy
    Fox Stories
    Fun Snacks
    Gardening
    Gatlinburg Fires
    Halloween
    Hamline
    Harold Underdown
    Highlights Founders Workshops
    Holiday Distractions
    Holiday Treats
    Illustrator Notes
    Karen Cushman
    Katherine Kellgren
    Kathy Wiechman
    Keila Dawson
    Kerrie Logan Hollihan
    Kirby Heyborne
    Late Bloomer Award
    Libba Bray
    Mad Scientists Lab
    Marcus Sedgewick
    Mary Kay Carson
    NaNoWriMo
    Nature Bootcamp
    New Year's Resolutions
    Non-fiction
    Octopus Capers
    Odyssey Awards
    Peter Jacobi
    PiBoIdMo
    Picture Books
    Pizza
    Redhot Carolinas Conference
    Robert F. Sibert Award
    SCBWI
    Showing
    Soups And Stews
    Steve West Interview
    Submissions
    Summer Listens
    Tara Lazar
    Techniques For Revealing Physical Emotion In A Story's Narrator
    Teen Books
    Telling
    Thanksgiving
    The King Cake Baby
    Thoughts On Halloween
    Trends
    Understanding ABC Books
    Valentine's Day
    Vocabulary
    Writing Areas
    Writing Conferences
    Writing Craft
    Writing In Dialect

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly