The fall retreat of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators’ Wisconsin Chapter will feature some exciting people, including a very well-known author that I haven’t seen in many years, Holly Black. You will undoubtedly recognize the name as the co-author of the wildly popular fantasy series, The Spiderwick Chronicles, which has just been […]
Ms. Louvenia Johnson looked peaceful today. As well she should, as she heads to her eternal rest. The 96-year-old founder of the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper has blessed countless people, including me. Years ago, I was one of many college-bound students who received money through the scholarship that bears Ms. Johnson’s name, and, this week, […]
Once in a while, someone in your sphere offers an interesting glimpse into their or your own psyche through some sort of exercise. Be it Rorschach’s ink blots or some open-ended question, these exercises can sometimes offer you moments to slow down and really ponder an issue. Such is the case with the 123 Meme […]
For me, a new year brings the hope of new possibilities. I ponder new goals and feel renewed ambition. I’ve found that some people dislike the idea of New Year’s resolutions, seeing them as contrived and unattainable. I suppose some resolutions are. I tend to devise smaller, more attainable goals for myself and take tiny […]
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting children’s book author Janet Halfmann, at a signing for her new picture book, Little Skink’s Tail, which just came out in August of 2007. You’ve likely seen some of Janet’s books; she’s written nearly 30, mostly non-fiction picture books of an animal or nature theme, some […]
As I’ve been researching litery agents, one of the things that I’ve been pleased to see is their purported interest in nurturing agent/author relationships, in addition to promoting projects. I’m glad I’m seeing that so often because I think that long-term vision is vitally important. I was blessed with a really good agent, on the […]
It’s just not right. You think you’re done with a story. You’re proud. You’ve accomplished something. Then you go back to bask in your achievement. Only, you realize it needs something. So you tweak. Then you move a paragraph. Then you change the storyline. Next thing you know, you’re in a full re-write. I must […]
Why is it that adult writers have such a hard time letting go of details? Why do we slow down the free flow of ideas — even in a first draft — to get bogged down trying to find just that perfect word? I was so pleased watching my daughter write a story this evening. […]
I’m working on my next book now. It’s a language-focused picture book. Doesn’t sound cute, but it is. The trouble is, I’m writing two versions and can’t decide which I’m liking better. One is simple prose. The other is written in rhyme. I’m hoping that by the time I’m done, one will stand out as […]
I love writing accents. Giving a character a voice that really fits him is so satisfying — and fun. And there are many different accents. There are the national accents, the regional dialects, the local twangs, the tradesmen’s lingo. There are variances through education and age. Real people even “tweak their speak” on a whim, […]