Published on the first of each month
October 28, 2013
Tenacity
How much perseverance do you have? Do you throw in the towel after receiving a
rejection? Do you easily give up when the
writing muse fails to show up? Do you
quit because you don’t have the time to write?
Being a writer is not for the faint-hearted. But with anything we desire to succeed at, whether
it’s writing or tackling something new or difficult, we must keep on trying. For example...
With a little more time on my hands since my daughter started her freshman year at college, I looked into taking a French class. I
had enjoyed the subject in high school and had always wanted to learn more. This summer after corresponding
with the teacher at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in Lexington
Kentucky, I learned that she wanted me to take a beginning level class. She expected students to buy the workbook and read through it before class started in the fall. But when I opened the pages and began to do
some of the exercises, it was way over my head.
So many rules and exceptions. How
would I ever be able to learn French? I
seriously thought about not taking the class.
But...what if I had given up? What if I had not tried the upper level
class? Would I have even heard of the
new beginner’s class? My dream of
learning more French might have been squashed.
So, I’m glad I stuck with it. I guess you could call it tenacity.
October 18, 2013
Leave well enough alone
I love publishing poetry
for the Kid's Imagination Train. Recently, I received a cute poem, but
the meter and rhyme were off. Since I felt that the poem had potential, the author and I worked together to edit it. In a few days, she was awarded with an acceptance.
The poem was slated for publication in a spring issue of KIT. Then, a few
weeks later, the author wrote back to me. She wanted to edit the poem—again!
Please, never consider doing this. It's rare that an editor will work with an author to revise work. Generally speaking, editors edit manuscripts without author input. Seasoned authors are aware however, that editors try to keep the story or article as close to what was originally written even though some words or paragraphs are struck.
Please, never consider doing this. It's rare that an editor will work with an author to revise work. Generally speaking, editors edit manuscripts without author input. Seasoned authors are aware however, that editors try to keep the story or article as close to what was originally written even though some words or paragraphs are struck.
For example, when a manuscript of mine was accepted by a leading children's magazine, I was allowed to proof the piece before publication. Upon reading it however, I found that major parts had been edited. At first, it was shocking. Then I realized that the editors had vastly improved it.
In time, this poet will discover the ways of the writing world. She'll discover that editors have a vision of how a submission should
appear in print. She find that editors want to publish outstanding work. She'll realize that once a piece is
edited and accepted for publication, it’s time to let go of the submitted work and move on to the next writing
project.
October 11, 2013
Change
Generally speaking, I don’t care for change. I
like things to stay the way they are. So you can imagine how freaked out I got
when the grocery store where I had shopped for over twenty years had been enlarged and remodeled. That meant more walking (okay, that's a good thing) and hunting for items in places I never dreamed they'd be. But
that was nothing compared to how I felt when change affected my writing world.
About a year ago, Stories
for Children magazine and the educational publisher Viatouch closed. Suddenly, I lost two editing jobs. I was totally crushed. Though I didn't
earn much, I loved reading other writer's
manuscripts and preparing them for publication.
After grieving for a
while, I decided to take action. Since the markets for children’s writers
had been dwindling for years, I felt that a new kid's magazine was needed. Hence, the Kid's
Imagination Train magazine was conceived and developed through much sweat and tears. Now,
writers have another market where they can see their work in print. Now, children can read fantastic fiction, exciting nonfiction, intriguing book reviews,and kid-friendly lesson plans, plus, they can illustrate their favorite stories!
If you too, have been
affected by change, you probably know that you have two choices. You can
do nothing and mope and complain about it, or you can deal with it and move on.
I would urge you to move on. Learn from the change. Stay positive. Look for opportunities. Think about what you can achieve. When you take action, great things can happen—just because of change.
I would urge you to move on. Learn from the change. Stay positive. Look for opportunities. Think about what you can achieve. When you take action, great things can happen—just because of change.
September 30, 2013
Latching on to Inspiration
Every day life inspires me. The occurrence does not have to be an extraordinary moment. Often times my most inspiring moments have come when I was not concentrating on my writing. From watching my children play with their friends when they were younger to listening in on conversations at the local coffee shop. I always keep a little note pad and pen in my purse for these unexpected moments.
Several times inspiration has struck me when I’ve been
driving and I keep a handheld recording device on hand for these moments. This
way I’m sure to remember a thought because before I know it my thoughts are
elsewhere or the current conversation has taken me someplace else.
As for my two latest books, Powder Monkey and Hockey
Agony, the inspiration of the storyline of Powder Monkey came from a call for submissions on the historical fiction
topic of the late 1700’s pertaining to the Royal Navy. Always fascinated by
history, I jumped at the chance to create a manuscript worthy of submission.
Through research I came across information of the Press Gangs the Royal Navy
utilized to kidnap boys as young as eleven to work on ships. The conditions
were deplorable and the determination of survival by so many inspired me to
stay true to the historical events. Even though my initial submission was rejected by the
publishing house putting out the request I did not give up. I eventually
submitted to Guardian Angel Publishing and after several rounds of edits GAP
accepted Powder Monkey!
The inspiration of Hockey
Agony came from everyday life. Coming from a family of sports lovers I
often find myself watching my daughters, nieces, and nephews competing in one
sport or another. Unfortunately, over the years, bad sportsmanship is often
found within the spectators, players, and coaches…sometimes even encouraging
the players to cheat and to inflict personal injury to their opponents. And as
many of us had read, some of these horrific occurrences make the local and
national news. It’s our duty as adults to maintain a calm disposition at
sporting events and to encourage competitive clean playing. For without honesty
and integrity what will our children have in store for themselves when they
enter adulthood?
For me inspiration is just a thought away or an article in the
newspaper. Inspiration comes for me at the most unexpected times; and, I latch on
to each and every thought making notes to hopefully use at a later time.
I’d enjoyed hearing about what inspires you! So please
comment and tell me about your moments. Thank you and here’s to your inspiration!
September 29, 2013
Milton, The Square Shell Turtle
In today's guest blog, MaryAnn Tatro reveals the inspiration behind her new book.
The inspiration for my book started twenty eight years ago. I didn't realize at the time there would be a book in my future, but it was there....waiting.
The inspiration for my book started twenty eight years ago. I didn't realize at the time there would be a book in my future, but it was there....waiting.
My son (then five), his day-care, and a
selected number of other day-cares were asked to participate in a project that
would change the look and hopefully attract the local public to a certain
park in the Cleveland, Ohio area that needed much attention and clean up.
The children were given a 10" x 10" tile and asked to paint anything on their tile that they wanted. There were approximately one hundred participants who took on the task. After the tiles were painted, glazed
over and hardened, they were finally arranged and displayed at their new home—the city park.
My son painted on his tile (you guessed
it) a turtle. He made short brush strokes and fingerprint marks he said were
grass and a few light blue areas he called water. Now to the average
viewer, my son's tile painting could be deemed abstract, but to me it was a masterpiece.
A few years ago, I heard some rather
disappointing news. This particular park was to be renovated and all the tiles
had to be removed. My husband and I decided, before all was lost, to make
a special trip to Cleveland and photograph our son's tile. To our
amazement, the tiles were not damaged but relocated to another area park; and, I
am pleased to report that is where they are to this day.
And so that takes us back to the
beginning, the inspiration for my book, Milton The Square Shell Turtle. Now, I
can't leave my husband out of the story completely. I gave Milton my husband's
laid-back personality and his ability to avoid a problem (or as he puts it) SOLVING
a problem by finding another way and keeping peace. Lastly, I wanted Milton to be different from other turtles. And so he is, because in real life, we are all different
and unique.
September 22, 2013
Not Even the Sky is the Limit!
Today, a guest blog by Denise Zarrella
When it comes to inspiration for my children's book Not Even the Sky is the Limit!, there is no doubt that my daughter Gianna was the spark that ignited my passion for this project. My book showcases the abilities of children and adults with Down Syndrome. Since the moment my husband and I found out that we were going to have a child with Down Syndrome, we began to see the world in a whole new way. We began to think about every person we knew who had a child with Downs. We imagined what our life together would be like; and above all, we wanted to know that we could look forward to a life that would be full of love, laughter and all the things everyone else enjoys doing as a family.
My reason for
writing this book, geared for toddlers, goes even deeper than that,
though. I spent a lot of time on the computer "Googling,"
Down Syndrome. I was shocked to see how many parents, who found out that
they were going to have a child with Downs, decided to terminate their
pregnancy. The parents, siblings and close friends of people with
Down Syndrome that I've connected with admit there are some
challenges to having a special needs child, but none of them could imagine a
world without their son, daughter, brother or sister. They don't want
to.
Not Even
the Sky is the Limit! is modeled after my kid's favorite book when they
were toddlers. It was called the ABC for You and Me
Book. It went through every letter of the alphabet and had a child
with Down Syndrome demonstrating a word for each of those letters. My
kids loved this book so much we are missing the "Q is for quilt,"
page! My kids loved the pictures of the other kids, and I realized I
loved how happy and well adjusted all the children in the book appeared to be.
The book put me at ease and got me excited about our family's future.
Since
day one, I have enjoyed talking to parents of children with Down Syndrome and learning about
what their kids love to do. I've heard
stories of lead singers with Down Syndrome, weight lifters, actors and
actresses, the list goes on and on. Every time I hear one of these
stories, I think the reporter in me feels the need to document it, and the mother
in me wants to publicize what I've heard and seen, because I believe a lot of
people are unaware of all the cool things people with disabilities are
doing.
One
day, I shared one of these many stories with my
husband, Tony. I said, "I just wish there was a book with all of
these stories of what people with Down Syndrome are out there doing in it so I
could look at it whenever I feel discouraged or worried." He just
looked at me very matter of factly and said, "Why don't you do it?"
I stopped for a second and then said, "I think I will." A little over
a year later, Not Even the Sky is the Limit! was published. My
husband cried when he saw the book for the first time. It was one of our most
emotional moments in our relationship, ever. Tony calls this book, "your
love letter to Gianna," and he's right.
As
someone who has written for television for years, I really always thought my
first book would be something like The World According to Garp, but clearly God had other plans for me. Gianna was born, and Not Even the Sky is the Limit! would bring me to one of the most satisfying
and rewarding milestones of my life.
If
one person is enlightened by reading this book to one of their children, or a
child is able to see the world through more accepting eyes as a
result of turning the pages, then my mission is accomplished. My biggest
hope yet: that someone will see this book and decide to move forward with
their life and their child, a child they will know with Down Syndrome.
September 16, 2013
I Am an Author
Today, a guest blog by author Patti Jefferson.
I am at the airport and as I look around me, I wonder if anyone knows. When they look up at me from their Candy Crush and text messages, can they tell? I feel different. I know that what I am about to do will affect some people’s lives - changing them forever. Their bags are full of souvenirs from their trip just finished or gifts for loved ones they are headed to see. Not mine. My bag is heavy and for the hundredth time this morning, I wish it was lighter. Soon it will be.
No, I am not a terrorist. I am an author. Today, my carry-on bag is full of copies of my first children's book How Long Will You Love Me? and I am starting my first book tour. This week I am going to stand in front of hundreds of students and explain what an author does. I am going to share my love of books and of reading and of writing & illustrating. Some of those children may be inspired to be storytellers too or at the very least, better readers. Maybe I'm wrong ...maybe they will all grow up to be firemen, florists or CEOs and only have a vague memory of the lady who came for an author visit at their elementary school years ago. In my heart though, I hope that out there in the crowded cafeteria is at least one kid who will just get it. We will connect and I will make a difference.
Standing at the gate to board my flight, I straighten my posture. I make eye contact with the people around me & I smile. I doubt that the little girl in the pink dress near the window will tug on her mother's skirt, point and whisper "Mommy, do you think that lady is an author?" but I do know one thing with absolute certainty. One of the books in my overly heavy bag will reach a little girl just like her and even if she has no idea what an author is yet, she will grow up remembering those moments when her mother read my books to her.
That's why children's book authors do what we do: to create not just a collection of silly stories printed on paper but to create those precious bonding moments.
Maybe none of my fellow travelers today will know that I am an author. Maybe no one will question why my bag is almost too heavy to get in the overhead bin. But I know.... and that makes me smile. I am an author and that is my inspiration.
I am at the airport and as I look around me, I wonder if anyone knows. When they look up at me from their Candy Crush and text messages, can they tell? I feel different. I know that what I am about to do will affect some people’s lives - changing them forever. Their bags are full of souvenirs from their trip just finished or gifts for loved ones they are headed to see. Not mine. My bag is heavy and for the hundredth time this morning, I wish it was lighter. Soon it will be.
No, I am not a terrorist. I am an author. Today, my carry-on bag is full of copies of my first children's book How Long Will You Love Me? and I am starting my first book tour. This week I am going to stand in front of hundreds of students and explain what an author does. I am going to share my love of books and of reading and of writing & illustrating. Some of those children may be inspired to be storytellers too or at the very least, better readers. Maybe I'm wrong ...maybe they will all grow up to be firemen, florists or CEOs and only have a vague memory of the lady who came for an author visit at their elementary school years ago. In my heart though, I hope that out there in the crowded cafeteria is at least one kid who will just get it. We will connect and I will make a difference.
Standing at the gate to board my flight, I straighten my posture. I make eye contact with the people around me & I smile. I doubt that the little girl in the pink dress near the window will tug on her mother's skirt, point and whisper "Mommy, do you think that lady is an author?" but I do know one thing with absolute certainty. One of the books in my overly heavy bag will reach a little girl just like her and even if she has no idea what an author is yet, she will grow up remembering those moments when her mother read my books to her.
That's why children's book authors do what we do: to create not just a collection of silly stories printed on paper but to create those precious bonding moments.
Maybe none of my fellow travelers today will know that I am an author. Maybe no one will question why my bag is almost too heavy to get in the overhead bin. But I know.... and that makes me smile. I am an author and that is my inspiration.
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