Saturday, October 26, 2013

Life keeps getting better in the writing department!

After my publishing house announced that my poem would be published in their anthology, the business manager contacted me to let me know that FIVE of my students who submitted pieces would also be published. My kids will be published in a couple of weeks!

I encourage my students to try. It really doesn't matter if you win or lose, but you need to get used to trying and trying. Persistence has been the most successful character trait I've developed.

So, I also encourage my kids to sign up with Goodreads.com. They can keep track of books, and every book that I share with them after I read, I post a review to Goodreads. I also let my kids know that I frequently go into the giveaways and enter the contests.  I've won twice!

This last week, I received a copy of Wonder Light by author R.R. Russell. It was totally sweet and delightful; a wonderful book for young readers. Naturally, I wrote a review on Goodreads and Amazon.  Next thing I know, RR Russell has contacted me to offer a 15 minute Skype with my creative writing students. How about that awesomeness?

I think I've found my happy spot!

So you, dear reader, go out there and be persistent.  Keep trying!

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Another acceptance for publication!

I am pleased to announce that Mountain Springs House is pleased to announce that a poem I submitted will be published in their Halloween anthology!

Friday, October 18, 2013

I didn't realize it I hadn't been posting!!!

I came back to my blog today shocked to find that I hadn't posted an update to it since the end of August!  I KNOW I've been writing like crazy, and even though I have pulled a few irons out of the fire, so to speak, I've stoked the writing iron. 
www.valleyartsstudio.com

That's been very nice. Igot my script finished and to a couple of reviewers. I also wrote a submission for an anthology and judged a young author writing contest. Plus, my classes keep me busy:  three sections of gifted/talented 7th and 8th graders in language arts humanities and two sections of 7th and 8th graders in creative writing classes.  - Total writing joy!

I've also been reading at least two books each week; I'm a bit of a binge reader. One of the latest reading delights has been The Reluctant Cowboy by author Elizabeth A. Garcia. I can't wait to read more of her books!    https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethAGarciaAuthor

NaNoWriMo is almost upon us, so October is full of preparation.  With two classes of creative writing, I may actually attempt two different writing projects.  Why not?  I write with the kids, and that's two hours a day/5 days a week of writing.

In other news, my children's book, Merry Christmouse, will not be published this November as planned. My publishing house had some challenges, so we have a new plan.  Since it is a Christmas book, we'll have to wait until next year. Actually, I have a new plan, which may be 1000% times better than the original plan to try to get published.    That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!  Honestly, I had no plan before. I just submitted my book and hoped for the best.

Now that I am involved with an active publishing house, I am creating a plan for my writing career.  Mountain Springs House Publishing offers several anthologies during the year, and I will be submitting pieces to be published. That will get my name out to a wider audience before my book every comes out. There may be as many as three diverse anthologies put out in the next 7 months, so the scatter and spread for my name looks good.

I'm also very interested in my protagonist, Baxter, from Merry Christmouse, so what would have been the second book will be publish first....maybe summer 2014?  I'm working on that book now. It's about sunflowers, so my brain is very into gardening right now, hence the seed reference: scatter and spread.

What's on your list, your horizon, and your plan?  Nothing will happen until you make the first step.