Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! I wore green and took a picture and put it on the internet. Grama, Grampa, Nonni, and Poppi all loved it. Three of my friends sent me lol’s. I didn’t think I looked funny. We called Uncle Micah. He said the Linials are all holed up in their houses. He and…
Even though I have looked at these question off and on for almost 30 years, I find they are making me think in new ways because I am now thinking in terms of picture books and authoring those, rather than thinking of my college students writing research papers, essays, and tests. Thinking in new ways…
My goal is to read 100 picture books, most of them from the last year. This has been my goal for months, but I have not done it. I did set time aside to specifically do this. Then I became ill. I really need to do this. I’m writing it here so you can hold…
I wrote earlier about questions that have helped me think about voice over the years. (That was the original post on persona voice questions.) I know there are others I find interesting, particularly as an author, so I decided to share some more. I am basically picking just a few from the next section of…
About 10 years ago, I came up with a list of questions to get me unstuck. Some of them are personal (so they wouldn’t apply). Some of them reference trademarks (and I don’t want to get sued). Today, I reviewed them, though, and I thought some of them might help you. 140. Trial and error. That’s…
an experiment “I don’t see writing as communication of something already discovered, as ‘truths’ already known. Rather, I see writing as a job of experiment. It’s like any discovery job; you don’t know what’s going to happen until you try it.” –William Stafford a struggle “Writing is a struggle against silence.” –Carlos Fuentes an illusion…
Who Wet My Pants? was written by Bob Shea and illustrated by Zachariah Ohora. The front cover says, “It’s not the crime… It’s the cover-up.” I found it shocking. No, not the crime. No, not the cover-up. What was shocking is the fact that you can use the borrowed-from-the-French-wholesale “vis-a-vis” in a children’s book! Apparently there is…
Candace “Candy” Fleming did a webinar for the 12×12 challenge. One thing she said that really made me think–again and again–was that you need to “stake your identity” by building on the unique characteristics of your voice and sharpen them. Practice them. And, while she didn’t say this, I would add, perfect them. She also…
Stick and Stone, written by Beth Ferry and illustrated by Tom Lichthenheld, was published in 2015. It is the story of two lone creatures who become friends. Obstacles include a bully, a storm, and needing help. There are a few delightful language plays and a fun mathematical transformation.
Margaret Atwood: “Don’t sit down in the middle of the woods. If you’re lost in the plot or blocked, retrace your steps to where you went wrong. Then take the other road. And/or change the person. Change the tense. Change the opening page.” The quote came from a post, “10 Rules for Writing Fiction,” in the Guardian…
