November 29, 2010

Deadline November

Thirty picture book ideas?  Done!  :) :) :D  No one said they had to be brilliant, right?

How did your writing go this November?  Did you finish NaNoWriMo or PiBoIdMo or write more than a comma?

November 25, 2010

November 24, 2010

Thank You!

To my blogging buddies,

During this season of thanks, I am ESPECIALLY thankful for you.  You have encouraged and supported me through this journey of writing.  I have enjoyed and learned from your posts, art, photos and critiques.  I've loved watching your journey as well!  I am proud to be among you.

I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving!

November 23, 2010

And The Winner Is...



Thank you to everyone who entered my plotting prize giveaway!  The winner is:


Shannon @ Book Dreaming


Have a wonderful Tuesday!

 

November 22, 2010

Happy Birthday Bro!



Ironically, my brother's birthday is the day after mine (and my sisters).  He came 6 years later and was ALMOST born on our birthday.  Lucky for him, he had his very own.



I always thought he was the cutest little brother EVER!  Just look at that smile.  He's forever frozen in my mind as this white-haired little boy.

Little Bro, your amazing and hilarious storytelling abilities make me snort with laughter!  Life would be dull without you!  Thanks for making my life more fun!  Love you.

November 21, 2010

Happy Birthday Sis!

Happy Birthday sweet sis! I'm one lucky person to have had you in my life from the beginning. Thank you for making life so fun! You've been right beside me through the good, the bad, and the hilarious. Love you! ♥

November 17, 2010

Plotting Prize Giveaway

Since everyone is in high gear writing 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo or coming up with 30 picture book ideas for PiBoIdMo, I thought it'd be fun to have a "Keep Plotting" Contest.


 The winner will receive this little shadow box featuring a girl deep into plotting.


Sorry I couldn't get a good shot of it inside the shadow box.
Too many shadows.  *ahem*  


You have until midnight on Monday, November 22 to enter.

What To Do:
  1. Be a follower of my blog (or become one) and leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you about the prize.
For Additional Entries into the drawing hat, you may:
  1. Mention this contest on twitter, or Facebook (+2 each)
  2. Put it in the side bar of your blog (+2)
  3. Devote an entire blog post to it. (+3)
The winner will be announced on Tuesday morning.  Good luck and keep writing!

Let the Nail-Biting Begin!

I did something Monday I've only done once before, I sent off a picture book manuscript.  I immediately felt nauseous after I heard the "plunk" of it landing inside the mail slot.  It's been my baby for a year.  Thanks to Shannon, Kristin and Myrna's awesome advice, I revised and fine-tuned it before sticking the stamp on.

But still.

You wonder.

Is it ridiculous that I checked my mailbox Tuesday afternoon?
Yes it is.

I'm diverting myself working on Christmas gifts and cleaning the house.  Not sure why this mailing is making me so jittery.  I've had plenty of rejections before.  And even made art of it here.  But this feels different.  The stakes are higher.

The last time I sent a picture book manuscript out, I sent it to ONE editor and never sent it out again.  But that's the way I began with magazine articles too.  It took me a whole year before I began sending stories out on a fairly consistent basis and the rejections didn't hurt so bad after awhile.  Then I started getting hand written notes and even acceptances.

Now it feels like I'm starting all over.  Maybe I just have to keep sending out, like the short stories and since this is the beginning again it feels raw.

I'll let you know what happens, the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I won't hear anything until four months from now IF I hear anything at all.

No I'm not worried.

**Chatter, chatter**

My nails are stubs.  Nothing new.

November 10, 2010

Is This Funny?



Belated Halloween pics of my cuties

Alice-in-Wonderland turned vampire.


I'm working on a picture book that I've been "editing" for a year now.  Every time I think I've got it right, I put it away.  When I pull it back out months later, it needs work.  I feel like I'm really close now.  My critique group is not covering it in red anymore.  **Happy Sigh**

But there's still something bothering me.  The nagging question of "Is this funny?"  It's supposed to be.  I find it humorous...but my family tells me I'm easily entertained.  Which leads me to ponder if this is amusing to me but not REALLY amusing.

How do you add humor to your writing?  When do you KNOW it's funny?

P.S.  If anyone would like a Picture Book critique buddy, I'm game!