I am feeling really sentimental right now. This is my final post for The Paper Wait.
I remember when we sat around a table trying to figure out a name for this new blog we were trying to form. And I remember when we "practice blogged" before we even shared with the world what we were doing. The world of blogging was so brand-new!
Over the years, our blog blossomed. It became a place for us to converse about what was going on in our writing lives. With our fellow critique group members and with our wonderful readers. (Thank you, Wonderful Readers!)
Over the years, our posts shared the highlights of our writing lives. These posts share our questions and our doubts and our fears. They also share our successes and our cheers for one another!
Monday, February 10, 2014
My Final Post
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
The 12 Days of Christmas (Bookstore Style)
Hope you enjoy this adorable 12 Days of Christmas video from the Bookish Elves! Happy Holidays!
Friday, November 8, 2013
Making Time to Write
I do a lot of my writing when I'm inspired. An idea takes hold of me and I just can't stop writing.
This is a very fun kind of writing to do. My writing tends to just flow.
But I often don't dedicate nearly as much time to writing as I would like to do. Life keeps getting in the way.
Recently I was able to dedicate one evening a week just to writing. An evening to myself! When I could focus all my time on writing. It sounded like heaven. But...
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Liebster Award!
2. What is your favorite part about blogging?
It forces me to think critically and more broadly about children’s writing; and it keeps me connected to a larger community in what can be a solitary task.
3. What is your biggest writing challenge?
Keeping my bottom in the chair. I am prone to distraction.
4. What writing book/conference/website would you tell other children’s writers to read/attend/visit?
5. What advice do you wish someone would have given you when you started writing?
Write badly, write worse, and keep going. Don't stop in the middle because you're worried about every word choice and sentence structure -- finish it. You can fix it later. (that's what revision is for). Great writers write awful stuff too.
6. What book (or books) do you wish you would have written?
Some Dogs Do by Jez Alborough (picture book); and probably Charlotte’s Web, for middle grade
7. What are you most proud of?
Besides my kids, hmmmm, ask me again after I publish my first book.
8. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? So many places… SouthAfrica (wildlife and wine); Petra, Jordan (city of stone); Israel (Holy Land)
9. Book you most love to re-read?
10. What question do you wish I would have asked you? Please answer it.
Something really easy, like... yes, I'd love another cup of tea!
1. Where is your favorite place to write?
3. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
4. What’s your favorite book(s)?
5. What’s in your TBR pile?
8. What is your biggest source of inspiration?
9. Why do you blog?
Friday, October 11, 2013
Monday, September 9, 2013
To Write a Classic
Recently my son and I have been rereading the "My Father's Dragon" trilogy by Ruth Stiles Gannett. We read all three books several years ago and he loved them. As I was organizing my books in our new house, he spotted this old favorite and asked to read it again. I happily obliged.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Revising and Revising and Revising!
Recently I had a lot of fun revising a manuscript. Well... it wasn't fun all the way through.
Basically here's how my revision process went...
Monday, July 8, 2013
Why I Love Our Critique Group!
I had a great night tonight! Normally I don't focus my blog post on what a great night I had, but tonight it seemed appropriate because tonight I spent my evening...
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
National Picture Book Writing Week
So this past week was National Picture Book Writing Week. Otherwise known as NaPiBoWriWee, created by picture book author, Paula Yoo.
The challenge for NaPiBoWriWee is to draft seven picture books in seven days. As anyone who has ever attempted to write a picture book knows, this is an incredibly intense challenge.
And this year I decided to give it a try!
Monday, April 8, 2013
Productive Waiting?
Every once in a while, I get to thinking about our blog's name, "The Paper Wait" and how very appropriate it is in this business we're in.
As a writer, sometimes it feels like I'm always waiting...
Friday, March 8, 2013
The Excitement of Reading!
As a children's writer, I have seen and appreciated children's books from many angles. Of course, I enjoy trying to write them. And of course I enjoy reading them. As a former elementary school teacher, I also love teaching children to read them. And now, as a mom, I am enjoying a new thrill...
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Triumph Times Two!!
The Paper Waiters ended 2012 with a joyful bang - book contracts for Robin and Brianna! Their celebratory posts were delightful reading. Full of !!!!!.
Such stunning good news deserves a back story. Now that the confetti has been swept away, the band has packed up, and the fireworks are ash, I'd like to ask Robin and Brianna a few questions.
Read more!
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
New Year! New Book!!
Happy New Year, Paper Waiters! I am so excited to be starting off the new year with some good news... some VERY good news! My picture book, Mystery at the Miss Dinosaur Pageant has been... acquired by Caroline Abbey of Bloomsbury Children's Books!! Yay!!!!
I am so excited I finally get to share my good news. This fun and wacky picture book is near and dear to my heart and I would like to extend a huge thank my awesome Paper Wait critique group for guiding me through revisions (and for believing in it when they first saw an early draft!). And a huge thank you to my awesome agent, Teresa Kietlinski, for believing in this story and helping it to find the right editor!
So please help me celebrate! Take a piece of cake, a scoop of ice cream and join the party!
Can't wait to celebrate lots more good news for all the wonderful Paper Waiters in 2013!
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
A Chain of Changes
Recently I read a very inspiring blog post. It challenged me to rename three characters where I had settled for bland, generic names. The new names I came up with were much more interesting. (At least, I hope they are. :o) )
But, what really surprised me was how involved a revision this seemingly simple change entailed. I mean, it should be a simple matter of cut and paste, right? \
But it was far from that. Nothing simple about it.
The change of names reverberated through my manuscript. (Just as Ann Whitford Paul had suggested they would!) After re-naming my characters, I discovered the birth order of my young protagonists and how that fit into their motivation within the story.
And, once I gave my characters more interesting names, my last stanza no longer worked. I think that subconsciously, that last stanza had always bothered me a bit. But with the new names, somehow I could no longer pretend to myself that my original attempt at an ending worked. It needed revising. And that revising was challenging but fun to do.
Yes, those new character names really did set in motion a chain of changes. Good ones, I hope!
Has a relatively minor revision ever sparked a chain of changes in your writing? How did your chain of changes turn out?
Friday, November 9, 2012
Inspiring Communities
I just got back from my local SCBWI meeting. It was wonderful!
Two local authors presented inspiring workshops. (Thanks Lisa L. Owens and Ben Clanton!) Before that there were fun and funny announcements from our wonderful regional advisors, and good news announcements. Always such a pleasure to hear!
Usually, people don't think of writing as something social. But, when this social component is there, it is such fun. Now that I live across the country from my amazing Paper Wait critique group, these wider community connections are essential.
Of course, there are many ways to find community. Like many writers, I find such wonderful community online. Especially at Verla Kay's Blueboards!
And in November there are even more opportunities for online community. Good luck to all those who are doing NaNoWriMo!
My writing challenge of choice is Picture Book Idea Month. It is such fun to read the blog posts Tara Lazar has been posting each day from a wonderfully talented group of authors and illustrators. (If you read only one (and I definitely advise reading more than one), you must read Day 9's post by Kelly Light. Incredible.)
I am definitely inspired from all this wonderful community! Must get back to writing!
What writing communities have you found? Do they leave you feeling inspired too?
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Inspired by Rejection!
Recently I received a wonderful rejection from an editor.
Non-writers always look at me strange when I say those two words together. "Wonderful" and "rejection". How can a rejection be wonderful? they wonder.
But writers know. Rejections can be wonderful. And this one was...
It was so wonderful because the editor gave me wonderful suggestions for my manuscript. Suggestions that really made sense to me.
So I got to revising. And revising. And revising!
Have you ever noticed how you can't just make one simple change in a manuscript. Every change sparked other changes.
And in the end it was a pretty different manuscript. But still the same, if that makes any sense.
All the best parts were there. But it felt fresh and new.
A true re-vision. Thanks to a wonderful rejection!
So, what wonderful rejections have you had?
Sunday, September 9, 2012
School Visits: An Update
A few months ago, as I was preparing for publication, I posted a link asking for advice about school visits. Thanks to all who gave me some very helpful and encouraging advice!
Over the last several months, I have gotten an opportunity to use that advice. I have done school and bookstore programs including: "Goodnight Trucks" (a truck slumber party), "The Truck Stop Guide to Writing a Picture Book" and "Rhyme Crime Time" (where I dressed as Sherlock Holmes and investigated "rhyme crimes"). It has been A LOT of fun.
But now, I've got a new challenge coming up.
Northwest Bookfest is just around the corner... and I got brave enough to volunteer to do a presentation in the children's tent.
My presentations have been going really well, but in the venue of a book festival, I am eager to take my presentation to the next level. I really want to make everything as fun and interactive as possible!
I think I want to blow up my visuals so that kids can easily see them from farther away. And get the kids to help me with some truck sound effects. (Both of these ideas should make my school presentations more engaging as well. Yay! :o) )
But those are just a couple ideas. I am eager to do everything possible to make my presentation fantastic.
So awesome Paper Waiters-- how can an author make a standout presentation in a festival venue? (Any suggestions gratefully accepted.)
p.s. If you are in the area, please stop by Northwest Bookfest on September 22nd - 23rd. I will be in the story tent on 9/23 from 11-11:30. :o)
p.p.s. If you are in the Seattle area and are looking for a fun and informative author visit for the 2012-2013 school year, please stop by www.briannacaplansayres.com and check out my school visit descriptions! :o)
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Lessons from the Violin
This week, I am quite busy. I am attending a Suzuki Institute with my oldest son. For those of you who have never attended a Suzuki Institute, I will tell you, it is quite an amazing experience! Each day, my son gets to take a technique class, a master class, a repertoire class and a rhythm class.
More advanced students are taking music reading, debut orchestra, intermediate orchestra and advanced orchestra. And there are recitals-- a daily honors recital, special evening recitals and an ending recital where all the students will perform.
It is incredible to walk around a college campus filled with so many young musicians! And the teachers have so many techniques for helping their students grow and have fun with the violin (or the viola or the cello or the bass).
Being in such a wonderful artistic environment makes me think about the ideal environment for writing:
1. Just as I make time to practice violin with my son, I must make time for my own writing,
2. Just like his practice sessions don't need to be long, mine don't either. Short, regular sessions devoted to writing or to violin are great. Time can really add up!
3. A big dose of inspiration is very valuable! In Suzuki, it's this institute and regular opportunities to perform at recitals. That inspiration can help you make it through the regular daily practice.
For writing, I must give myself similar inspiration! The conference I went to in April gave me a much needed boost of writing energy. And this year I really want to make it to my local SCBWI chapter's amazing monthly meetings. (Last year, violin group class for my son got in the way. :o) )
Looking forward to a productive and inspiring year! (Are there other lessons we can learn from the violin-- or other arts?)
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Finding Balance
Finding time for writing has always been a challenge for me. I am guessing it is a challenge for many of us. In recent years, my role as "mommy" has made this challenge even more challenging.
But lately, a new challenge has crept into the picture... It used to be that the majority of time I spent on writing was spent-- writing! Yes, some time was spent on subbing, but writing great manuscripts was the primary goal of my writing time. But lately, I have been devoting an awful lot of time to my writing. Just not in the way I used to.
Time devoted to writing now includes prepping for school visits, doing school visits, doing story times, and, of course, writing to various people suggesting author visits and story times, etc.
Unfortunately, the list above is far from complete. There is so much to do! And everything feels important, and I feel like it is all making a difference for the success of my book.
But I need to find balance. I need to balance writing time and publicity time and mommy time and everything else time.
So how do you all do it? How do you find a balance between publicity / marketing and actual writing? And, of course, the larger question, how do you find balance between writing and the rest of your life? (Making sure that the rest of your life doesn't squeeze out time for writing, as mine did for many years before I made writing a priority.)
Looking forward to hearing how you all make it work1 :o)
Friday, June 8, 2012
Enjoying Publication!
Last month I wrote about the mammoth to do list I was attempting to accomplish in the two weeks prior to the publication of my picture book, "Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?"
At times, accomplishing all the tasks on the list seemed impossible. But now, several weeks after my book is available for purchase, I can give you the update and...
I did it! Nearly every task I listed is done
The book trailer is now complete. (And I think it looks pretty awesome!) You can check it out here:
And the online Truck Stop Book Launch party was a truckload of fun! (I haven't taken it down yet, so if you haven't gotten a chance to visit yet, please do! Truck Stop Book Launch
And school visits have been so much fun! Especially the one to the elementary school I attended as a child. (My fourth grade teacher brought my fourth grade picture to show to her current second graders. Thanks Mrs. Moskowitz!)
And the Touch-a-Truck day that the Junior League of Seattle planned was so much fun! I got to sign copies of DIGGERS (alongside Seattle's awesome Mockingbird Books) for lots of books for lots of enthusiastic truck fans!
So that's the update! I'm so glad that last month's craziness is gone!
Although it's still pretty hectic around here.
(Two more school visits next week!
Yay! This is fun!)
