Write, Write, Write

        I can't believe I haven't written a post in so long! No, that's not true, I CAN believe it! 


First I was in Boston for two weeks. Four days after I returned, I went to a SCBWI conference for my region in Birmingham, AL and had to prepare a manuscript to take along for the all day picture book intensive. 

Photo from SCBWI-LA, 2010

Lisa Yee

        Went to some amazing classes and heard some fabulous authors: Lin Oliver (co-founder of SCBWI and co-author of the Hank Zipzer series with Henry Winkler), Lisa Yee (author of Millicent Min, Girl Genius and her latest, Warp Speed), Lola Schaefer (author of Just One Bite and a bazillion more picture books. She spoke about writing narrative nonfiction picture books  and she taught the all day PB intensive).   

                                                                                                             
       Of course, returning from the conference, I was filled with writing ideas and have been working on those. And suddenly, It's the end of October!

                                                                                                   
    Many writers like to participate in the November NaNoWriMo (National November Writing Month) where you try to write at least 1,000 words per day so you have a first draft of a novel by the end of the month. That's a b-i-i-i-i-g challenge. A big challenge I'm not ready to take yet! However, there's a smaller challenge I'm willing to try for November. 

      Author/writer/blogger  Tara Lazar heads up the PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) in which writers create at least one idea  for a picture book story every day in November. No one says they have to be good ideas, just brainstorm away! When you're done, there's hopefully a few potential manuscripts waiting to be written. I joined this a few years ago but quite frankly, I was only half-heartedly trying. This year, I'm all in.
Like all interesting competitions (hey, we're competing against ourselves betting we can -or maybe cannot- do it), there are PRIZES!!! Autographed picture books, original art work, free manuscript critiques, just to mention a few.

    So who's with me on this? What have we got to lose, a few minutes each day? Shoot, I waste more time staring at the computer or TV. We do have a lot to gain, though. And you never know...this might be the idea that gets published. Go to Tara's web site by November 3rd to register. 

On your mark, get set, go  write!