January is National Mentor Month! (Insert fanfare!) Do you know someone who could benefit from your talent and/or experience? Remember my mantra? Everyone has something to give, even if they are new to the world of children’s book writing. Let’s celebrate by visiting the official website for National Mentor Month at http://www.nationalmentoringmonth.org/about_nmm/, making a decision to mentor someone somehow, and telling… Read more »
As part of the Mentor Monday series, I wanted to talk about receiving critiques. Yes, it is hard to give effective critiques (which is a topic for another Mentor Monday) but it can be just as difficult/confusing/frustrating to receive them. If the critique is positive, you might think: Did the reviewer spend enough time with the manuscript? Did she/he miss or gloss over the… Read more »
How can a 59 day old, 5 pound creature rule the world? (Or at least our household.) Mix one part Tasmanian devil, one part Olympic pace sprinter, and one part manic chewing machine with razor sharp teeth and you get KONA – a minilabradoodle force to reckon with. Be afraid.
If I’m never heard of again in the writing world, it is because Santa brought a puppy to our house on Christmas morning. What was Santa thinking?
I’ve found ANOTHER friendly and helpful person from Austin: Andy Sherrod. He’s shared his insights on being a mentor and a mentee and offers his take on editorial feedback. Andy is also a go-to guy on the issue of boys’ aliteracy. Even more information about Andy as a writer, writing coach, and public speaker can be found on his website:… Read more »
I thought it would be fun to hear from Melissa Shanker’s mentor, Kristin Wolden Nitz. Kristin took time out of a tight deadline to answer our questions about mentoring and how important the process has been to her and her writing. She can be found at http://www.kwnitz.com/. Thanks, Kristin! Please share a brief bio of you and… Read more »
My earlier post warned of the health dangers of sitting for prolonged periods. Now you can write that manuscript while moving! Check out the Kickstand Desk at www.kickstandfurniture.com and a treadmill desk at http://www.amazon.com/Trek-TD-01-TrekDesk-Treadmill-Desk/dp/B002IYRBI0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322487195&sr=8-1.
Only writers know how many hours we spend on our kiesters doing that thing we love/hate/have to do: WRITE. The manuscript won’t get done unless we sit down and write it. Turns out, sitting is bad for us. In addition to weight gain, sciatica, and tennis elbow, now we need to be concerned about cancer. According to THE WEEK magazine (Nov…. Read more »
P.J. Hoover Since we are staring the end of 2011 right in the face, it’s time to think about new year’s resolutions. How about this one? “I resolve to get a professional critique on my fantasy novel.” Look no further than P.J. Hoover, a mentor from the great state of Texas. Check her out at… Read more »
This Monday, we take a peek at the other side of the mentor partnership with Jessica Lee Anderson. She’s an accomplished author who is part of the Avante-Garde Mentoring Program (http://austinavantmentors.com/) organized by SCBWI-TX, Austin. This program connects talented mentors with aspiring children’s book writers. Anyone would be lucky to work with Jessica Lee Anderson. Check her out at: http://www.jessicaleeanderson.com/index.php. 1. Please share a… Read more »
Sharing insights on writing children’s books and the publishing industry, and offering trinkets for creators and educators because you rock.
